Trump zet het mes in grote stukken beschermd natuurgebied in Utah. Peter en Karlijn spreken met wetenschapsjournalisten Sjoerd de Jong en Marcel aan de Brugh over het politieke…

Op de Westelijke Jordaanoever neemt het geweld door Joodse kolonisten toe. Tegelijkertijd blijven er landbouwproducten uit de illegale nederzettingen naar Europa komen.

VEENENDAAL (ANP) - Nederlanders hebben in de eerste zes maanden van dit jaar minder besteed per onlineaankoop. Het gemiddelde bestelbedrag ging voor het eerst sinds de coronaperiode omlaag en kwam uit op 100 euro. Dat is 3 procent lager dan een jaar eerder, volgens nieuwe cijfers die belangenvereniging voor webwinkels Thuiswinkel.org dinsdag presenteert.

Het aantal aankopen via internet steeg in de eerste helft van 2026 met 3 procent in vergelijking met een jaar eerder, naar ruim 170 miljoen aankopen. De totale bestedingen online bleven met 17,1 miljard euro vrijwel gelijk.

Het merendeel van de aankopen wordt bij Nederlandse webshops gedaan, volgens Thuiswinkel.org. Maar het aandeel buitenlandse onlineaankopen stijgt wel. Inmiddels wordt een op de zeven onlineaankopen buiten Nederland gedaan. China is de snelstgroeiende markt, met populaire Chinese webshops zoals AliExpress en Temu.

Mobiele telefoon

Nederlanders deden bijna de helft van de aankopen via internet met hun mobiele telefoon, die daarmee belangrijker was om onlineaankopen mee te doen dan laptops of desktops. Grotere aankopen doen consumenten nog wel vaak op een computer, volgens Thuiswinkel.org. De gemiddelde aankoopwaarde via een smartphone is 80 euro; via een laptop of desktop is dat 126 euro.

Van alle aankopen wordt 11 procent online gedaan. Dat aandeel is al jarenlang stabiel. Het onderzoek naar onlineaankopen in Nederland werd uitgevoerd door marktonderzoeker NielsenIQ, in opdracht van onder meer Thuiswinkel.org.

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Analyst firm Gartner believes over half of VMware users will start evaluating alternative hybrid cloud platforms yet still rates the Broadcom business unit a leader in two major markets. Gartner predicted increased interest in VMware exits in its Magic Quadrant for Distributed Hybrid Infrastructure (DHI) – aka hybrid clouds – which opens with a “Strategic Planning Assumption” that “By 2029, 55 percent of enterprises will initiate proofs of concept for alternative distributed hybrid infrastructure products to replace their VMware-based deployments and embrace hybrid cloud infrastructure delivery, up from 25 percent in 2026.” Gartner’s mention of 2029 feels noteworthy, because that year will be six years after Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware. As The Register has previously written, plenty of VMware users acquired fresh three-year subscriptions in the months before the deal closed. Migrating from VMware to a rival platform is a risky and complex project, and we often hear of customers deciding it is safer to stick with Broadcom for longer while they hatch plans. If orgs in that position refresh for another three-year sub during 2026, 2029 would be a natural jumping off point. Numerous virtualization contenders are trying to lure Virtzilla’s customers, yet progress is slow. Nutanix CEO Rajiv Ramaswami has often said it will be several years before some are ready to move. While Gartner predicts a majority of VMware customers will contemplate a move, the Broadcom business unit will keep most of its customers for at least another three years – and recently turned its attention to refreshing its low-end vSphere Standard product, a move that will give it a chance to retain more current users. The DHI Magic Quadrant rates VMware as a leader in the field, alongside AWS, Nutanix, Microsoft and Oracle. Gartner rates VMware’s core virtualization technology, formal sovereign cloud ecosystem, and AI-native infrastructure as strengths. The first VMware weakness Gartner mentions makes for sobering reading: “VMware has experienced an increased level of negative sentiment from Gartner customers, particularly regarding communication, commercial business practices and delays in support, compared to other market leaders.” The firm had similar things to say in another Magic Quadrant – this one dedicated to Server Virtualization Platforms. On this MQ, Gartner rated VMware as a leader in the field and praised its technology and AI integration. But the firm also felt it necessary to report negative customer sentiments. “Gartner clients have reported that the transition to per-core subscriptions has resulted in significant cost increases. Many have also reported minimal flexibility during negotiations, which has forced many heads of I&O to actively evaluate migration alternatives.” VMware isn’t alone in copping some criticism. On the DHI Magic Quadrant, Gartner states “Nutanix’s licensing and pricing models can be complex and less competitive than other market leaders” and notes that AWS’s on-prem Local Zones “carry a 15% to 35% price premium over their parent regions in expensive metros” and come with “substantial cost premiums.” On the server virtualization quadrant, Gartner warns that Nutanix “licensing can be complex and pricing frequently exceeds expectations. Clients should carefully evaluate the ROI of potential migrations.” The firm warns would-be Microsoft users that “Administrators must navigate multiple disjointed management consoles, including Azure Portal, Windows Admin Center and System Center Virtual Machine Manager, to perform routine operational tasks.” Gartner hasn’t published a server virtualization Magic Quadrant for a decade, so this year’s document includes some new players. HPE scored “Challenger” status, as Gartner feels its products lack important features and the company is yet to establish a track record in the field. Proxmox, which The Register often hears mentioned as a VMware alternative for low-end users, scored Niche Player status due to lack of support for top-tier enterprise applications and its low headcount making the availability of support uncertain – a factor the outfit recently addressed by adding a North American office and 24x7 support. ®

Analyst firm Gartner believes over half of VMware users will start evaluating alternative hybrid cloud platforms yet still rates the Broadcom business unit a leader in two major markets. Gartner predicted increased interest in VMware exits in its Magic Quadrant for Distributed Hybrid Infrastructure (DHI) – aka hybrid clouds – which opens with a “Strategic Planning Assumption” that “By 2029, 55 percent of enterprises will initiate proofs of concept for alternative distributed hybrid infrastructure products to replace their VMware-based deployments and embrace hybrid cloud infrastructure delivery, up from 25 percent in 2026.” Gartner’s mention of 2029 feels noteworthy, because that year will be six years after Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware. As The Register has previously written, plenty of VMware users acquired fresh three-year subscriptions in the months before the deal closed. Migrating from VMware to a rival platform is a risky and complex project, and we often hear of customers deciding it is safer to stick with Broadcom for longer while they hatch plans. If orgs in that position refresh for another three-year sub during 2026, 2029 would be a natural jumping off point. Numerous virtualization contenders are trying to lure Virtzilla’s customers, yet progress is slow. Nutanix CEO Rajiv Ramaswami has often said it will be several years before some are ready to move. While Gartner predicts a majority of VMware customers will contemplate a move, the Broadcom business unit will keep most of its customers for at least another three years – and recently turned its attention to refreshing its low-end vSphere Standard product, a move that will give it a chance to retain more current users. The DHI Magic Quadrant rates VMware as a leader in the field, alongside AWS, Nutanix, Microsoft and Oracle. Gartner rates VMware’s core virtualization technology, formal sovereign cloud ecosystem, and AI-native infrastructure as strengths. The first VMware weakness Gartner mentions makes for sobering reading: “VMware has experienced an increased level of negative sentiment from Gartner customers, particularly regarding communication, commercial business practices and delays in support, compared to other market leaders.” The firm had similar things to say in another Magic Quadrant – this one dedicated to Server Virtualization Platforms. On this MQ, Gartner rated VMware as a leader in the field and praised its technology and AI integration. But the firm also felt it necessary to report negative customer sentiments. “Gartner clients have reported that the transition to per-core subscriptions has resulted in significant cost increases. Many have also reported minimal flexibility during negotiations, which has forced many heads of I&O to actively evaluate migration alternatives.” VMware isn’t alone in copping some criticism. On the DHI Magic Quadrant, Gartner states “Nutanix’s licensing and pricing models can be complex and less competitive than other market leaders” and notes that AWS’s on-prem Local Zones “carry a 15% to 35% price premium over their parent regions in expensive metros” and come with “substantial cost premiums.” On the server virtualization quadrant, Gartner warns that Nutanix “licensing can be complex and pricing frequently exceeds expectations. Clients should carefully evaluate the ROI of potential migrations.” The firm warns would-be Microsoft users that “Administrators must navigate multiple disjointed management consoles, including Azure Portal, Windows Admin Center and System Center Virtual Machine Manager, to perform routine operational tasks.” Gartner hasn’t published a server virtualization Magic Quadrant for a decade, so this year’s document includes some new players. HPE scored “Challenger” status, as Gartner feels its products lack important features and the company is yet to establish a track record in the field. Proxmox, which The Register often hears mentioned as a VMware alternative for low-end users, scored Niche Player status due to lack of support for top-tier enterprise applications and its low headcount making the availability of support uncertain – a factor the outfit recently addressed by adding a North American office and 24x7 support. ®

Paramount Skydance just "emerged victorious" reports Reuters, "from a legal battle over its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery" that will "dramatically concentrate power across Hollywood's film, TV, streaming and news businesses."

The victory comes "after settling with a California-led group of US states and a Hollywood writers union, paving the way for one of the largest media mergers in history."



Paramount agreed to abide by temporary film quotas and a news oversight committee, avoiding a forced sale of cable assets such as CNN or any of its lucrative film franchises... The Writers Guild of America settled its parallel case against Paramount, while saying it still believes the deal will damage the industry. The states' settlement forced the union to "contend with the reality of forging ahead alone, with no backing from government enforcers" in a complex case that would have cost millions of dollars...

Paramount promised in the state settlement to bring more film production to the US — spending at least $300 million more each year in domestic production — and adhere to US theatrical release quotas for five years. The company will produce 30 movies in each of the first two years of the deal, and 32 movies in each of the following three years, Bonta said. Each year, at least four of those films must be independent films and at least 20% must be blockbusters. If it falls below that threshold, it will pay $30 million per film, most of it into funds to support workers. Paramount also promised not to raise rates on theater operators for three years.

The article notes that California attorney general Rob Bonta still said "I don't think these two companies should merge" at a press conference announcing the settlement, "but that's not something that we are focused on with our resolution here." He call their agreement "a strong antitrust outcome."

And Politico notes that Bonta acknowledged at the press conference that "Some of you who may be watching this may have wanted a different outcome. I understand that."



But he argued he'd reached a settlement capable of "providing more film production that protects Hollywood workers and their livelihoods, that places guardrails allowing for robust cable negotiations, that protects competition and creates more choice for consumers about what this merger could mean for the industry." It "resolves the antitrust concerns at the heart of our lawsuit against the company and Warner Brothers," he said...



The agreement came as a disappointment to opponents of the transaction, including the Block the Merger Coalition, which cast the settlement as a sweetheart deal for Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison and his father, Oracle Co-Founder Larry Ellison, who is financially backstopping the acquisition. "This is a bad deal for the future of film, entertainment, independent journalism, and a strong democracy in this country," the coalition said in a statement. "We are disappointed and angry that the interests of average Americans have been trampled to benefit oligarch billionaires....."

The $111 billion deal allows Paramount to combine its namesake streaming service with HBO Max, creating a new offering with about 200 million subscribers. That would help Paramount compete against companies such as Netflix, which boasts more than 325 million subscribers worldwide.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Rooftop solar alone generates more than half of all power used, as clear sunny days and low demand drive record-breaking surge

Sunshine and wind met 80.4% of demand on Australia’s main power grid on Saturday, setting a new high bar for renewable electricity.

Solar panels on rooftops provided more than half of the power used in the National electricity market, the grid that supplies the eastern states, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, for 30 minutes around lunchtime. This was complemented by solar and wind farms, and a small amount of hydro (1%). Fossil fuels, coal and gas, contributed 20%.

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Police don’t know if shooting accidental as Labor attacks opposition vow to scrap gun buyback announced after Bondi massacre

The shooting of an 11-year-old boy in Sydney’s north-west was a “tragic reminder” of the danger of guns, the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has said while the opposition defends “backflipping” on a gun buyback.

The child was transported to Westmead Children’s hospital in a critical condition on Monday evening after suffering gunshot wounds to his face and neck at a unit in Norwest, NSW police said.

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