Technologies

Netflix Is Buying Warner Bros. in an $83B Deal. Here’s What It Means for You

The acquisition will see massive franchises including Harry Potter and Friends brought into the same portfolio as Stranger Things and Squid Game.

Netflix took its next step towards becoming one of the most dominant forces in the global entertainment industry on Friday by announcing its acquisition of Warner Bros, HBO and its streaming business HBO Max. The $82.7 billion deal will see the entertainment giant acquire the studio and streaming arm of Warner Bros. Discovery, following the latter company’s earlier announcement this year that it’s splitting in two. WBD is expected to spin off its Discovery business in the third quarter of 2026.

By acquiring Warner Bros., HBO and HBO Max, Netflix not only will boost its own catalog of shows and films — which already includes big hitters such as Stranger Things, Wednesday and Squid Game, with Warner Bros. properties Harry Potter, Friends and Batman — but will also see it play host to HBO shows including Game of Thrones and Succession.

«Our mission has always been to entertain the world,» said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos in a statement. He promised the deal would bring audiences «more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling.»

Greg Peters, co-CEO of Netflix, praised WBD’s longevity and executive team, adding, «With our global reach and proven business model, we can introduce a broader audience to the worlds they create — giving our members more options, attracting more fans to our best-in-class streaming service, strengthening the entire entertainment industry and creating more value for shareholders.»

The big question for most Netflix subscribers will likely be how the acquisition might affect monthly subscription costs. Netflix is our top pick of the many streaming services you have available to you, but one of the few downsides we note in our review is that the premium plans are already on the pricey end of the spectrum.

It’s too early to say what the knock-on impact on pricing might look like, but streaming services are getting increasingly expensive, and this acquisition is unlikely to reverse that trend. While it’s unclear whether Netflix plans to merge both streaming apps into a single offering, the company said that the agreement will enable it to «optimize its plans for consumers, enhancing viewing options and expanding access to content.»

The deal, which values Warner Bros. Discovery at around $72B after debt, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. It’s expected to allow Netflix to grow its production capacity for original titles and invest in more original content. Netflix said that it expects to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations, and still expects theatrical releases for films (like The Batman Part II) to be business as usual.

What’s next if the transaction clears any regulatory hurdles? «If this deal makes it through regulatory approval, Netflix will cement itself as the Goliath of streaming services now with the combined weight of HBO Max and the content studios behind it all,» said Forrester VP, research director, Mike Proulx. «This deal changes the calculus of the streaming wars, representing a seismic shift in the entertainment industry.»

Technologies

McDonald’s Grinch Meal or Burger King’s SpongeBob Menu? We Pick a Winner

I tried all the themed menu items from the two fast-food chains, from dill-dusted fries to burgers with sponge-yellow buns to pineapple floats.

Whos down in Whoville, and underwater residents of Bikini Bottom, there’s news for both of you: McDonald’s and Burger King, longtime fast-food rivals, are going head-to-head. Or, to be more accurate, scary red-wigged, face-painted clown head against equally frightening red-bearded crown-wearing head.

On Tuesday, McDonald’s introduced The Grinch Meal, and on the same day, Burger King rolled out its SpongeBob SquarePants menu. So if you’re sick of Thanksgiving leftovers and want some fast food instead, you can decide if your taste buds resonate with the crabby green Grinch or the always cheerful SpongeBob.

Both are limited-edition offerings, so get to your local McDonald’s or Burger King soon if you want to try out the meals.

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McDonald’s Grinch Meal Review

Honestly, McDonald’s Grinch Meal isn’t as creative as BK’s offerings — where are the green-dyed buns, the green shake or the McRoast Beast burger? Essentially, the Grinch Meal is an adult Happy Meal, consisting of your choice of a regular Big Mac or a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, fries and a medium drink.

Fries with Grinch Salt (dill-pickle seasoning)

McDonald’s offers only one unusual food item with the Grinch Meal, and that’s an accessory for the fries. They come with a small bag of tangy dill pickle seasoning, labeled Grinch Salt, that you’re supposed to shake on your fries for a puckery addition. Pickles, like the Grinch, are green and sour, so I guess that’s the connection here.

My review: How did they taste? Pretty good! I’m a pickle fan, and once I shook them up, the fries were sour and salty and overall delightful. Two green, furry thumbs up. I wish there was a pickle-flavored dipping sauce too.

Grade: A-.

No Grinch toy, but … socks?

Happy Meals always come with an extra toy or prize of some kind. But there’s no Grinch stuffed animal or Cindy Lou Who figurine with McDonald’s Grinch Meal, although the box it all comes in is cute and Grinchy-themed.

Instead, you get the one Christmas gift that’s so cliched there are endless jokes about it: a pair of socks. There are four different Grinch-themed socks showing The Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, Max the dog and some McDonald’s logo-themed ornaments. Each pair also has an all-caps, hand-scrawled-looking message from the Grinch.

The blue socks read: «These socks stink.»

The yellow socks read: «Nose Hazard.»

The red socks read: «Property of the Grinch.»

And the green socks read, «The Grinch was here.»

My review: I ended up with the yellow pair of socks. They seem to be of decent quality, and considering how lame some fast-food prizes are, this was a score for me. I might actually wear them.

Grade: A

Burger King SpongeBob SquarePants menu

If McDonald’s kind of went Grinch-appropriate stingy on its Grinch offerings, Burger King went Sponge Bob-overboard with the generous SpongeBob SquarePants menu. SpongeBob fans, you might as well go all out and order the Bikini Bottom Bundle, which gives you all four of the themed items in a pineapple-shaped box.

King Jr. kids’ meal in a pineapple box

There’s no adult meal, but there is a King Jr. kids’ meal, in a box shaped like SpongeBob’s underwater pineapple home. It includes one of six SpongeBob toys.

My review: My toy was a figurine of SpongeBob wearing a pirate’s cap and clutching a ship’s wheel. There was supposed to be a Burger King SpongeBob crown too, but my location must’ve forgotten to give those out. The SpongeBob toy was pretty cool as kids’ toys go, though. And the pineapple box is cute.

Grade: A-

Krabby Patty? Almost!

As every SpongeBob fan knows, the cheerful sponge is a fry cook at The Krusty Krab, serving up Krabby Patties all day long, so he knows his fast food. Burger King has plenty of themed menu items, way more than the McDonald’s Grinch offerings.

SpongeBob’s Krabby Whopper

SpongeBob’s Krabby Whopper is the closest thing to the Krabby Patty from the show. (Wendy’s had a Krabby Patty and Pineapple Frosty last year, you might recall.) It seems to be a pretty ordinary Whopper until you get to the bun, which is square and yellow, just like our spongy hero. The yellow dye is made with natural spices, Burger King says. Otherwise, the Whopper is just a regular Whopper.

My review: The Whopper is not my favorite burger, but I have to say the light-yellow, squared-off bun looks super cool. It didn’t taste any different, but I appreciated it.

Grade: B

Mr. Krabs’ Cheesy Bacon Tots

Mr. Krabs’ Cheesy Bacon Tots are crispy, coin-shaped potato tots filled with cheese, bacon bits and potatoes, served in a treasure chest-themed carton.

My review: Ugh, pass on these. The artificial taste of the bacon is pretty awful, and it dried out in about 3 seconds.

Grade: C-

Patrick’s Star-berry Shortcake Pie review

Patrick Star is SpongeBob’s best friend, and in his honor, you can order Patrick’s Star-berry Shortcake Pie. It’s a strawberry shortcake pie slice featuring strawberry and vanilla-flavored creamy layers, a crunchy cookie crumb crust, shortcake cookie crumbles and pink star-shaped sprinkles.

My review: Yum! I’m not usually a fan of any fast-food dessert, but this was sweet and creamy, and the crust was tasty, too.

Grade: A

Pirate’s Frozen Pineapple Float review

Honoring SpongeBob’s pineapple home, you can order a Pirate’s Frozen Pineapple Float, described as «an icy, refreshing frozen pineapple-flavored beverage topped with tropical-flavor cold foam.»

My review: This was my favorite item among all the meals. I didn’t really detect any tropical flavoring in the «cold foam,» but the drink was kind of like a classed-up pineapple Slurpee, refreshing and sweet.

Grade: A+

Grinch Meal or SpongeBob Menu, which tastes better?

Is it wrong to say I liked the non-edible parts of both meals almost more than the food? The Grinch socks were decent quality and cute, and the SpongeBob figurine was fun.

Food-wise, Burger King gets points for the tasty pineapple float and the Patrick pie. The McDonald’s meal is just McDonald’s food with the dill-pickle seasoning for fries added. That’s fine as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go that far.

My vote, then, is if you’re only going to visit one of these chains before the limited-edition themed meals go away, hit up Burger King and try the Bikini Bottom Bundle. Unless you’re an enormous Grinch fan, pickle lover or really need some new socks.

Technologies

Google Chrome Autofill Now Remembers Loyalty Card Numbers, Travel Details

Chrome now integrates with Google Wallet to incorporate more information.

Google is expanding its autofill features for Chrome browsers to include more details such as loyalty card numbers from your Google Wallet, travel details and your work address.

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When you visit a site for the first time, Chrome can upload more information from your Google account. Chrome now integrates with Google Wallet to autofill details such as loyalty card numbers, flight details and vehicle information.

Chrome can already autofill basic information, such as home addresses and phone numbers, but the new integrations for Google Account holders on Chrome for desktop, Android and iOS begin on Friday.

Google is expanding the autofill suggestion box from one line to two, allowing users to more easily choose between similar entries.

As far as security is concerned, Google says each individual site is unable to see the information before a user accepts the input, and users can manage their data autofill at chrome://settings/?search=autofill