Nintendo Switch OLEDNintendoNintendo has joyfully refused to give any information about the Switch 2 all year long, always making it clear they would not be talking about it with any new presentation. So, naturally, there have been a million different leaks about what it looks like, and how it will perform.The latest chatter (with admittedly nebulous sourcing) that is being virally debated on social media, is that the Nintendo Switch will run at PS4 Pro levels of power, a significant leap from its current capabilities that are more stuck in the PS3 era. Of course thats still a generation behind, but given how the performance gap has narrowed between console generations, that would still be extremely impressive, despite the Pro being a decade old.The catch, however is that the mode most people play the Switch in, handheld, would not have these same capabilities. The PS4 Pro idea is for the Switch when it is docked, not when its in handheld mode, and thats close to base PS4, allegedly. Some are saying this is bad and itis not bad. And it ignores what we just witnessed for this entire console generation.The Switchs power has come into play when it comes to some third party ports or things like the Pokemon series failing to even attempt to look good on the platform. But overwhelmingly power has not mattered for the Switch when its stylized visuals on mainly first party games do the trick. As such, the underpowered Switch has now become the third best-selling system of all time with 146 million units sold, just 14 million away from the PS2 at #1.MORE FOR YOUThere is no reason to imagine that the Switch 2 will not be a massive hit at really any somewhat significant power upgrade level. I think the only issue might be if Nintendo fails to differentiate it from the current system, running into a Wii/Wii U problem if they just call it the New Nintendo Switch Plus or something confusing. If they do a full-on push explaining clearly that its an entirely new system for an entirely new console generation after nearly a decade, thats all it would need.Even if these reports are off and the capabilities are just PS4 level, that is back in an era when the leap from PS3 to PS4 was more significant that 4 to 5, as weve seen. And there are only so many ways to say that the success of the Switch is not dependent on power, as has been true with essentially every Nintendo console for four generations now.Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.

Destiny 2BungieWe are just days away from the beginning of 2025, the first year completely outside Destiny 2s decade-long Light and Darkness saga. And I would argue this is the year whether we find out whether Destiny 2 can survive. Possibly even if Bungie can survive long term, but thats a separate conversation, and heavily reliant on Marathon, which is too much of a question mark at this point.2025 will bring the final Episode of the year, one focused on the Hive and the return of the Dreadnaught. Then we launch into the new Frontiers era of Destiny 2 with a summer Apollo expansion and a winter Behemoth expansion, with quarterly, seemingly story-free Major Updates. No more seasons, no more Episodes. Apollo and Behemoth seem likely to be somewhere in between a traditional expansion and an Episode in terms of size.The challenges are as follows:Destiny 2 currently has its lowest (Steam) playercount in the history of the game on that platform, and console numbers are no doubt trending similarly. This is despite an episode adding some genuinely good activities, but these yawning gaps in between Acts create almost unprecedented levels of downtime. The same structure will exist next Episode, and it remains to be seen whether there will be enough changes to draw more players, or if these declines will continue.The Frontiers era has promised to take us out of the current solar system and into new places. But a test there is going to be what percentage of players actually show up for these new, smaller expansions. The Final Shape posted close to series highs, but given that we have ended up at series lows at the end of this year, it will take some heavy lifting to get players to return for Frontiers/Apollo. So whats it going to be, 70% of players return? 50%? 30% And what about as the year goes on without actual seasons or Episodes in the interim?Destiny 2 FrontiersBungieBungie is now down to just 850 or so employees split between Destiny and Marathon, half what it was a few years ago between layoffs and quiet departures. And, as Marathon aims for a 2025 release (probably 2026, if were being honest) more resources will shift over there, as that game being a hit is really the main key to Bungies survival. But whether its a hit or miss, future Destiny content will be reduced in scale.There are promising signs like Destiny 2 still ranking in Steams Platinum tier of earners in 2024, albeit that was again, the year of The Final Shape which put up huge numbers. And despite what it earns, Bungies burn rate of cash spend has always been enormous, which resulted in significant issues post-Lightfall and there have been cuts and cuts since then. It has not been healthy for a while now.I am legitimately wondering that if 2025 content does not perform the way it needs to, that Bungie may in fact consider putting Destiny on ice for the foreseeable future and devote everything to Marathon or other projects while keeping D2 in maintenance mode. Well, not everything, as I would hope the idea would to be to attempt to bring Destiny roaring back to life with a sequel say, five years from now, which I (and the playerbase) have said many times feels like the only way to fix things and stop these endless declines. But that would require work to essentially begin...now. It is hard to see Destiny 2 doing nothing but cranking out Frontiers-level content for the next five years without any sort of move toward an eventual sequel. The game is going to feel ancient the longer this goes, and we are speeding toward an entirely new console generation.Its possible Frontiers is a hit, and if content spend is reduced and player spend stays the same or even improves, that could mean a more profitable, slimmer Destiny really is the way forward. But I am seeing more red flags than green ones as we hit 2025 here, as much as Id like that not to be the case.MORE FOR YOUFollow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.

In a nutshell: Tesla finds itself at the forefront of a heated competition between South Korean semiconductor giants Samsung and SK Hynix. The electric vehicle manufacturer has reportedly reached out to both companies, seeking samples of their upcoming HBM4 memory chips. Tesla wants to integrate the next-gen high-bandwidth memory into its Dojo system. Dojo is a custom-built supercomputer designed to train the company's "Full Self-Driving" neural networks. Industry insiders suggest Tesla could deploy the upgraded memory not just in Dojo, but also in its data centers and future self-driving vehicles.Currently, the Dojo system utilizes older HBM2e chips to train the complex AI models underlying Tesla's Full Self-Driving capabilities. But, as a TrendForce report citing Maeli Business Newspaper highlights, the company wants to utilize the performance boosts promised by HBM4.For those unfamiliar, high-bandwidth memory like HBM4 represents a specialized type of RAM designed to provide tremendous data throughput while operating with greater energy efficiency. These qualities make it ideal for the kind of processing power required by cutting-edge AI workloads.SK Hynix claims its chip will deliver 1.4 times the bandwidth of the previous HBM3e generation while consuming 30% less power. If accurate, this indicates a bandwidth improvement exceeding 1.65 terabytes per second.Another anticipated HBM4 innovation is an integrated logic die acting as a controller underneath the memory stack. This change could unlock further speed and power optimizations ideal for AI data processing. // Related StoriesSK Hynix and Samsung find themselves in a fierce battle to stake their claim in the HBM market, which is projected to swell to $33 billion by 2027. The two rivals are reportedly working hard on HBM4 prototypes specifically for evaluation by Tesla and other major US tech titans, including Microsoft, Meta, and Google.Currently, SK leads this race by supplying chips to Nvidia, and it aims to kick off HBM4 production in late 2025. The company has also managed to pull ahead by launching its 321-layer TLC NAND flash memory first. Samsung looks determined to gain ground, though; it has partnered with TSMC to produce key components leveraging its advanced 4nm process node.

The HomePod mini first launched in 2020 to mediocre praise. While Apple fans celebrated the bite-sized speaker, other critics pointed out that it lacked the intelligence of its competitors. The main selling point of the HomePod mini is its sound quality; now that so many other smart speakers have rid themselves of the tinny audio that first plagued their launch, Apple will need to step it up if it introduces the rumored HomePod mini 2 next year.Unfortunately, it seems the planned upgrades arent that noteworthy, according to Bloombergs Mark Gurman. The new smart home speaker is said to come equipped with Apples in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. This would allow the HomePod mini 2 to connect more easily and with greater bandwidth than the current model of HomePod.Recommended VideosOtherwise, Apple has kept a tight lid on what it has planned. The few leaks weve heard relate to the upcoming FaceID smart doorbell and smart lock, as well as the long-rumored Apple smart home hub. If these rumors hold any water at all, then it seems to clear that Apple is planning for a larger presence in the smart home industry in 2025 and beyond.AppleIf only for the sake of consumers, the HomePod mini 2 deserves more upgrades than just a boost to its connectivity. At the very least, Apple should offer more color options, improved speakers, and other quality of life improvements but if the company plans to release a smart home hub, that might be where all of its efforts are going versus updating a product that only saw middling performance the first time around.Please enable Javascript to view this contentAnother obvious upgrade that Apple could make to all of its smart home tech and one that is a necessity to compete with Amazon and Google is the addition of Apple Intelligence. Improving Siris capabilities could unlock a new world for HomeKit users, but we wont know what the tech giant has planned until the official announcement.Editors Recommendations

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Table of ContentsTable of ContentsBlack bars: sometimes there, sometimes notVirtual mode: What is it, really?No dumb TVs, pleaseOn todays You Asked: Why dumb TVs are practically extinct and what it means for you. Plus, we dive into what Samsungs virtual mode really does in its soundbars and tackle the age-old question: Why do some movies have black bars on certain streaming services but not others even when its the same movie?Digital TrendsSaud writes: I have a question thats been frustrating me for a while. I have an LG G4 77-inch OLED. Some movies and shows fill my entire TV screen (no black bars), while others dont. For example, while watching the John Wick series on Lionsgate Play, the first three movies were full screen, but John Wick: Chapter 4 had black bars. Why is that? It feels frustrating and even disappointing when the full screen isnt used like Im not getting the most out of my TV. Ive read this has to do with aspect ratios, but is it really the directors choice, or are streaming platforms altering content to fit? If they do adjust it, does that affect the viewing experience?Additionally, while watching Top Gun: Maverick, I noticed the aspect ratio changed during the aerial combat scenes. Was that done for a specific reason, and why not keep it full-screen the whole time? Id really appreciate your insights on this its something I think about every time I see black bars.RelatedOK, so it starts with aspect ratios, yes. Most movies are not shot in a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is the aspect ratio of your TV. For the purposes of this mini-lesson, we can convert 16:9 to 1.77:1.Most movies are shot in 1.85:1, which is pretty close to 16:9. Really big epic films are done in 2.40:1 or 2.39:1 both of which are pretty far away from 16:9 and and are often called anamorphic. There are also a handful of movies that use 2.35:1.Talking about the aspect ratios of the movies you mentioned, John Wick 1, 2, 3, and 4 was filmed in 2.39:1. Top Gun: Maverick was filmed in two aspect ratios: 2.39:1 and IMAX, which has a 1.90:1 aspect ratio.Now, to explain your experience: Most Blu-ray discs will present films in their original aspect ratio, which means that there will be black bars. Some streaming services will zoom and crop the image so that it will fill the screen. Unfortunately, though, your screen is filled up, and youre missing parts of the image because they have been chopped off. Not only that, but zooming and cropping can sometimes distort the image.Im not sure why the first three John Wick films you saw were altered to fit the screen but the fourth wasnt. Maybe you watched it on a different streaming service? Often, the presenter of a film will disclose when the film has been altered. We see this message a lot on airplanes: This film has been altered. This can mean that its been formatted to fit the screen, and sometimes its been altered for language and content, too meaning they take out the spicy scenes to be more kid-friendly or to help prevent embarrassment when someone is looking over your shoulder at your screen on a flight.Digital TrendsAs for Top Gun: Maverick, most of the aerial and cockpit scenes (basically all the cool action shots) were done in IMAX. The rest of the movie like the fighter jocks being cocky and cheesy or Tom Cruise messing around with his love interest was shot with less expensive, more commonplace cameras and in a different aspect ratio.They switched between the two shooting methods to achieve both the artistic and awesome factors of the film. The shift between the aspect ratios was less noticeable in the theater than at a smaller scale at home. Also, there was no way any movie featuring Tom Cruise was ever going to be compromised (were talking about the Purist-in-Chief, here). Now you know.So, you can choose to fill your screen, or you can choose to see the whole picture, but you rarely get to have both.Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsAlastair wants to know what the virtual mode on Samsung Q-Series soundbars does and finds it odd there is little documentation on what this surround mode actually does.The answer is relatively simple. Virtual mode is there to enhance the surround sound for anything thats not Dolby Atmosor DTS:X encoded content. Do not turn it on if you are getting a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X signal everything that is supposed to be there is already in the signal and all the drivers will be plenty busy.If you are getting a basic Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 signal, turning on the virtual setting will engage processing that attempts to add height channels where they do not otherwise exist. Does that mean that if you listen to a 5.1 mix without the virtual feature turned on that the up-firing drivers in your system will do nothing? I dont know, but you can test that for yourself far faster than I can.If youre watching a stereo presentation, the virtual setting is going to do a lot more. It has to create a signal for all of the other speakers in the system that means it will fill in the center channel by trying to extrapolate dialog and it will fill in the surround speakers and all the up-firing speakers.Dont forget that the soundbar is always doing some kind of processing. It has side-firing channels to expand the soundstage, and it uses those in all of its surround modes, even though there may be no signal specifically created for those speakers.If you are looking for a more detailed breakdown, youll have to create it yourself. Most folks will be happy just knowing that virtual mode on a Samsung soundbar and virtually every other device is always going to fake a sound experience in the absence of precise audio signal instructions.If you really want to know, you could play a 5.1 surround track, put your ear next to each driver in the system, and note which ones are active and which arent. Try this during a busy action scene where you would expect as many drivers to be firing as possible. Note which ones are not making sound, then watch the same sequence with the virtual mode turned on and youll find that it is using all the drivers at some point.What is it trying to create? Height channels, for sure, but also some side-fill to ease the transition between the front and the back. Plus, the system is always trying to use psychoacoustics to fill out a center-back speaker. The soundbar system is designed to make it seem like sound is coming from every location possible.Zeke Jones / Digital TrendsThis question has popped up many times just in the past week, probably due to the holiday shopping season: Do I really need to worry about buying a smart TV if Im going to be connecting a streaming stick or streaming box to the TV anyway? Put another way: Do I need a smart TV to get the best picture quality, or, since Im just watching my own sources, is it OK to get a non-smart TV?Heres the thing: Virtually every TV on sale is a smart TV. I would argue that every TV worth buying is a smart TV. Im not going to say there are no so-called dumb TVs, but off the top of my head, I cant think of one. If its over 42 inches, it is a smart TV, or it is borderline garbage.Over the past few years, manufacturers have shifted away from making their own user interfaces in favor of ones that are baked into the smart TV OS offered by Roku, Google TV, and Amazon Fire TV. Samsung and LG, however, have created their own.It doesnt make a lot of sense for brands to have two different user interfaces and the chips that run them. Im sure there are other reasons, but whatever they are, the fact remains that almost all TVs are smart TVs. And while I do think that the brand of smart TV interface can influence your buying decision, it should not be a priority consideration. Ive always said this: Buy the TV you want for the picture quality, the sound quality, and the stability. If it has a smart interface you like, thats a bonus. If it doesnt, then you can work around it.In my recent review of the Panasonic Z95A, I lamented that the TVs only real negative was the Amazon Fire TV interface (because I dont personally care for it). I took a little detour and demonstrated how to work around it. This can be done on almost any smart TV: You can set the TV up to open to your HDMI input of choice and pretty successfully ignore the smart TV part.Make peace with the fact that you are buying a smart TV now. Thats where the market has gone since you bought your last TV. There may be much debate about whether that is smart or right, but it is a fact youll need to learn to live with.Editors Recommendations

In the wake of cyber attacks by cyber intrusion groups, both AT&T and Verizon have confirmed that their systems have now recovered and are operating safely. In separate press notes attributed to Reuters and Bloomberg, both the major telecom operators cleared that they worked with law enforcement authorities to mitigate the harm from state-linked threats tied to espionage activitiesAs per the US government, at least nine telecom labels have come under attacks from Salt Typhoon, a Chinese-linked cyberespionage operation. So far, the true extent of the attack on the two aforementioned carriers has not been made public knowledge, but it seems the threat was targeted.Recommended VideosThe FBI and CISA jointly confirmed the attacks on American telecom infrastructure in October. Verizon was reported to have been under attack by BBC, with Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance listed as the potential targets for the bad actors.Please enable Javascript to view this contentIn September, The Wall Street Journal reported that state-linked threat actors tried to break into broadband networks with the intention of gaining covert access to the infrastructure and data. A few weeks later, the outlet reported that federal authorities have started investigating attacks against the likes of Verizon, AT&T and Lumen, originating from the Salt Typhoon group.RelatedThe hackers may have essentially been able to spy on the U.S. governments efforts to surveil Chinese threats, including the FBIs investigations, said the report. In its statement shared with Bloomberg, AT&T confirmed that the threat actors tried to extract information about foreign intelligence.Marques Thomas / UnsplashEarlier this month, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) also issued a broad set of mobile communication safety guidelines for senior government officials, politicians, and other high-value targets in the wake of state-linked cyber espionage.Verizon also told Bloomberg that a small number of high-profile customers in government and politics were in the crosshairs of the cyber attacks. As of today, the carriers assure that their systems are free of the looming threat of state-linked cyber threat activities.Microsoft, which is also working with officials on the latest set of attacks, notes in its dashboard that the Salt Typhoon threat originates in China and also goes by names like GhostEmperor and FamousSparrow.Notably, the company has previously grappled with another similar operation, Silk Typhoon, which targeted healthcare, law firms, higher education, defense contractors, policy think tanks, and non-governmental organization (NGOs) in the US and elsewhere.Notably, this wont be the first attack on AT&T in 2024. Earlier this year, AT&T confirmed that stolen data was dumped on the dark web, covering over seven million active accounts and more than 65 million past subscribers. A few months later, the carrier also confirmed that customer data, including message and call records, was also stolen from a third-party cloud platform.Editors Recommendations

Amid the constant demands of a busy life, we find ourselves craving calm, ease, peacefulness. We should be careful what we wish for.

When I was a little kid I wanted to have two daughters when I grew up. Later in life I realized that motherhood was not for me, but that didn't affect my friendships. Just because we chose different paths doesn't mean we can't be friends. I've always been a researcher. I can spend hours researching different hotel options or scouring reviews for the pros and cons of each specialty pillow I am considering for my chronic neck pain. So, it made sense to bring this level of research and care to what is, in my opinion, one of the biggest decisions I have ever made: motherhood. For me, making the decision to be child-free put a magnifying glass to the motherhood experience and strengthened the bond with my friends who chose to become mothers.I wanted to have 2 girlsLike most young girls, I always envisioned having children. I always hoped for two girls. I had names selected and a vision for my life as a future mother. But it is not the job of little girls to think about what being a mother really entails. Sure, I saw my own mother, but despite seeing it with my own eyes, society is rather good about keeping the real work of mothering under wraps. Little girls don't get to see how it can wreck the body, the sleepless nights and the constant pressure mothers feel.When I got married, I believed motherhood was the logical next step, even though the idea gave me pause, and I didn't quite know why. So, instead of going with my gut, I decided to employ the same skills I honed in writing a master's thesis and go on a fact-finding mission. I needed to know what exactly went into not only having a baby but actually taking care of one. I decided it was the only way I could truly make the decision if motherhood was right for me. I approached my decision like a research project, and my research led me to my conclusion. Which was no. But in doing my research, I learned more about what being a mother actually is. I did not shy away from learning about all the ways people give birth. I did not shy away from learning about what happens if a child cannot properly latch. I did not shy away from learning about the emotional toll mothers feel.I have so much empathy for mothersThe rhetoric around child-free women is that we don't celebrate the mothers in our lives. That we see them as the enemy, or stupid. That is inherently untrue. The research that allowed me to make my own decision about motherhood helped me develop true empathy for the mothers in my life. It wasn't an us vs. them situation for me. I saw in the eyes of my friends, the same ones I shared first crushes, homecoming dances, and college graduations with make the choice that was following their heart. And instead of letting these important relationships dissolve because "our lives were just too different," I could instead see them for what they actually were. They were women I cared very much about fulfilling their dreams of motherhood. I could be there for them an ally and a friend.Making different choices doesn't mean we can't still be friendsThe hallmark of a true friendship is one that can grow. Just because these women in my life chose a different path than me does not mean that I cannot be there for them. Friendship is about supporting each other in our pursuits. Theirs was motherhood, and mine is not. These are my friends, and I'm on their team. Motherhood was their choice. My support for them does not simply vanish because they made a choice different from mine.Recently, I was visiting a friend with a small child. She was struggling to decide the best way to proceed with her child's sleeping arrangement and felt pressure to make the right decision. Instead of shrugging and saying, "I don't know," I could tell her that I understood how child sleeping arrangements can be very cultural. Some believe the baby should sleep separately, and some believe it's better to keep the baby close by. I could see her face immediately light up at my knowledge about her struggle. And instead of being another person in her life there to judge her, I can be a sounding board for her. My friend sat in front of me with a look of relief on her face; I know for a fact the last thing she needed was another person in her life judging her parenting choices. That's a real friendship. And all it took was a little bit of research.

NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" was released on January 17, 2000."Bye Bye Bye" was released in January 2000 as the lead single from NSYNC's third album, "No Strings Attached." Bob Riha Jr./Contributor/Getty Images In January 2000, boy band NSYNC released "Bye Bye Bye" as the lead single for their album "No Strings Attached."The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 list, and the music video became a cultural phenomenon, staying in first place on "Total Request Live" for 25 days. It was even nominated for Video of the Year at MTV Video Music Awards.Ricky Martin's hit single "She Bangs" is turning 25.Ricky Martin released "She Bangs" in 2000. Pool BENAINOUS/SCORCELLETTI/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Twenty-five years ago, Ricky Martin released "She Bangs," and the single climbed the charts. It reached 12th place on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 18 weeks. "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack was also released 25 years ago.Lee Ann Womack's song "I Hope You Dance" won the Country Music Award for single of the year. Paul Drinkwater/Contributor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images When Lee Ann Womack released her country single "I Hope You Dance" in 2000, it became a hit. It reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and she earned a Country Music Association Award for single of the year.Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out" also turns 25 this year.Baha Men released "Who Let the Dogs Out" in 2000. Richard Corkery/Contributor/NY Daily News via Getty Images When Baha Men first released "Who Let the Dogs Out," it flopped, barely reaching the top 40. But slowly, the single gained popularity in the early 2000s, as the catchy lyrics and tune caught on. Bon Jovi carried their career into the new decade with "It's My Life," released May 8, 2000.Bon Jovi released "It's My Life" in 2000. Sven Hoogerhuis/Contributor/BSR Entertainment via Getty Images In the '80s and '90s, Bon Jovi released massive hits like "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name," but the band released another hit single in 2000: "It's My Life." The song eventually climbed to the top of the charts, carrying the band into another decade of success. Coldplay's debut album, "Parachutes," was released in July 2000.Coldplay released their debut studio album, "Parachutes," in 2000. Western Mail Archive/Mirrorpix/Contributor/Getty Images Bandmates Chris Martin, Will Champion, Jonny Buckland, and Guy Berryman released their debut studio album, "Parachutes," in July 2000 under the name Coldplay.The album featured the song "Yellow," which remains a fan-favorite. The fourth book in the "Harry Potter" series, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," was released in July 2000.J.K. Rowling released "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in 2000. Erik S. Lesser/Liaison/Contributor/Getty Images Following the success of her three other books in the "Harry Potter" series, JK Rowling published her fourth book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," in the summer of 2000.In 2020, Screen Rant reported that the book has sold about 65 million copies, making it the second-most popular book in the series.Twenty-five years since the book's release, the franchise is still extremely successful, with a film series, amusement rides at Universal Studios, a show on Broadway, and an upcoming TV series.However, Rowling herself has been the subject of controversy in recent years. It's been nearly 25 years since Julia Quinn released the first two books in the "Bridgerton" series, "The Duke and I" and "The Viscount Who Loved Me."Quinn released "The Duke and I" in 2000; the show released its third season in 2024. Kristina Bumphrey/Contributor/Variety via Getty Images In the nearly 25 years since their release, Quinn's books have become the source material behind one of Netflix's most popular series to date: "Bridgerton."The show, and its spinoff series, "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story," attracted 189 million views in the first half of 2024, with season three of "Bridgerton" accounting for 92 million in less than two months following its releases in May and June.Season four is currently in the works. "Erin Brockovich," starring Julia Roberts, came out in 2000.Roberts won the Academy Award for best actress for her role in "Erin Brockovich." Munawar Hosain/Fotos International/Contributor/Getty Images "Erin Brockovich" is a biographical film about the real-life woman played by Julia Roberts who battled a California power company after it was accused of polluting a city's water. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture. Roberts took home the Oscar for best actress. The movie "Almost Famous" is turning 25.Kate Hudson starred as Penny Lane in "Almost Famous." Steve Eichner/Contributor/Getty Images "Almost Famous" became a cultural juggernaut when it came out in 2000. The movie follows a high schooler who's writing an article for Rolling Stone about a new rock band.It features an all-star cast, including Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Anna Paquin, and Zooey Deschanel. The film went on to be nominated for four Academy Awards, but it only took home one for best original screenplay. Christian Bale took on the iconic role of Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho," released in April 2000.Christian Bale played Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho." Eric Robert/Contributor/Sygma via Getty Images Twenty-five years ago, a then 26-year-old Christian Bale starred as Patrick Bateman, a banking exec who moonlights as a psychopathic killer, in "American Psycho." The movie quickly became a cult classic in 2013, the film was even turned into a Broadway musical. The first "Scary Movie" was released in July 2000.Anna Faris played Cindy in "Scary Movie." Dimension Films In the summer of 2000, "Scary Movie" was released to parody the most popular horror films of the time, including "Scream," "Sixth Sense," and "The Blair Witch Project." It went on to be a success, launching Anna Faris' acting career and sparking multiple sequels.In October 2024, Marlon, Shawn, and Keenan Wayans announced they're returning to the franchise for "Scary Movie 6." It's been nearly 25 years since Russell Crowe played Maximus in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator.""Gladiator" was released in 2000. Archive Photos/Stringer/Getty Images In 2000, Russell Crowe starred as Maximus, a vengeful Roman general, in "Gladiator." The following year, the film was nominated 12 times at the Academy Awards, winning best picture. Crowe also took home the trophy for best actor.Its sequel, "Gladiator II," was released in 2024 and starred Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Denzel Washington. In August 2000, "Bring It On" was released.Gabrielle Union played Isis, captain of the East Compton Clovers, in "Bring It On." Universal Pictures In 2000, Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union starred as rival cheerleading captains Torrance and Isis in the hit teen movie "Bring It On."The success of the film prompted several sequels in the following years. "Survivor" made its debut in May 2000."Survivor" has aired for 47 seasons since its debut in 2000. Monty Brinton/Contributor/CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images "Survivor" premiered on CBS on May 31, 2000. In the reality TV competition, strangers are placed in a remote and isolated location, then they have to find food and shelter, while also competing in challenges.Each contestant is voted off the island one by one until there's only one standing survivor. That person wins $1 million. Over the last 25 years, "Survivor" has had 47 seasons, all of which have been hosted by Jeff Probst. Another CBS show, "Big Brother," also debuted 25 years ago.Julie Chen Moonves has hosted all 26 seasons of "Big Brother." Jon Kopaloff/Stringer/Getty Images After "Survivor," CBS premiered another hit reality competition show in July 2000: "Big Brother."The series follows a group of strangers who are forced to live together in a house while under constant surveillance. They compete in challenges and, in the end, one person wins $500,000.Through the years, the show became increasingly popular, prompting spin-offs like "Celebrity Big Brother." So far, there have been 26 seasons, all hosted by Julie Chen Moonves. The world's first camera phone was introduced 25 years ago.A 2002 version of the J-phone. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images Although camera phones are common today, the first phone for sale with a camera was released in 2000. The phone was called J-SH04, and it had just a 0.1-megapixel resolution.A 2002 version of the J-Phone is pictured above. The popular dating website eHarmony launched in 2000.eHarmony was created in 2000. Ted Soqui/Contributor/Corbis via Getty Images Before there was Tinder or Bumble, clinical psychologist Dr. Neil Clark Warren created eHarmony, a website designed to help you meet your perfect match.The site initially had users answer more than 450 questions to help them better enter long-term relationships. Since then, the site has cut down its questions, but remained one of the top online dating services. In 2017, for example, eHarmony had 750,000 paid subscribers and 10 million active users. The first "The Sims" game is turning 25, too."The Sims" was introduced in 2000. Michal Czerwonka/Stringer/Getty Images The popular computer game, "The Sims," made its debut on February 4, 2000, and since then, the franchise has sold 200 million game copies, according to The Washington Post.One of the most recent editions of the game, "The Sims 4: Life and Death," was released on October 31, 2024. The teen clothing brand Hollister opened in 2000.Hollister opened in 2000. Peter Dazeley/Contributor/Getty Images In 2000, Abercrombie & Fitch launched a new brand called Hollister, geared toward teenagers. The clothing store markets itself as laid-back attire, inspired by California's relaxed lifestyle.Today, there are more than 500 Hollister stores worldwide. 2025 will also be the 25th anniversary of Jennifer Lopez's iconic sheer green Versace dress.Lopez wore this sheer, green, printed Versace dress to the Grammys in 2000. J. Vespa/Contributor/WireImage/Getty Images In a February 2024 "Life in Looks" interview with Vogue, Lopez said that her stylist at the time, Andrea Lieberman, asked her not to wear the dress."My stylist was like, 'Please don't wear it. Somebody else has worn it,''" Lopez said, adding, "I was like, 'Well, you bought it, and it looks the best, so I'm going to wear it.' And so I did. And it caused quite a stir."Lopez isn't wrong the world has her and that dress to thank for Google Image Search, according to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.It's also the 25th anniversary of the 2000 World Series dubbed the "Subway Series" as the Yankees took on the Mets.The New York Yankees beat the New York Mets in the 2000 World Series. Ken Sawchuk/Contributor/Newsday LLC/Newsday RM via Getty Images In the end, the Yankees became champions, winning its third consecutive World Series four games to one. Venus Williams will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of her first Wimbledon women's singles final win.Venus Williams won her first Wimbledon single's title in 2000. Clive Brunskill/Staff/ALLSPORT/Getty Images At just 20 years old, Venus Williams lifted the Wimbledon trophy for the first time in her career after defeating Lindsay Davenport.Williams went on to win the Wimbledon singles' trophy four more times. She also has won six Wimbledon doubles titles. It's been 25 years since the legendary 2000 presidential election, which ended with a Supreme Court case.Al Gore and George W. Bush ran for president in 2000. DON EMMERT/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images Twenty-five years later, it's easy to forget how close the 2000 presidential election was.Democratic nominee Al Gore and Republican nominee George W. Bush went head to head, but on election night, it was unclear who won.With the votes so close in Florida, the state ordered a recount. After a slew of legal fights around the recount in Florida, the Supreme Court decided that the initial results would be counted, giving Bush the election. He won by a .009% margin, or 537 votes. The International Space Station is also celebrating a 25-year milestone: Its first live-in crew arrived in 2000.The first crew to reside on the ISS arrived in 2000. NASA/Newsmakers/Handout/Getty Images Although President Ronald Reagan ordered NASA to build the International Space Station in 1984, it wasn't until 2000 that people actually lived on it.Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko, and Sergei Krikalev became the first three to reside on the ISS and live there for several months. Since then, more than 270 people from over 20 countries have visited the ISS, according to NASA.

On Friday, WB revealed it was shuffling around some of its movies, primarily The Batmanssequel. Matt Reeves sequel was originally meant to hit on October 2, 2026 is now arriving October 1, 2027. And fans are taking itnot well. Since news ofThe Batman Part IIsdelay, social medias been filled with jokes and concerns about what the heck is going on. Whys it taking five years to do a movie, is the entire TBECS enterprise washedfolks just want some answers. On Threads, James Gunn explained the films script hadnt been completed, and that director/co-writer Matt Reeves was committed to making the best film he possibly can. He further argued its fairly common for a franchise to have five or more years between installments, and cited several as proof: Incredibles (14 years),the first two Alien films (7 years), Avatar (13 years), and even his own Guardians of the Galaxy(6 years, albeit not by choice). Publi par @jamesgunn View on Threads It didnt take long for commenters to hone in on that and argue thereve been otherfranchises with less time between installments: your Marvel movies, yourStar Wars (at least, originally), and so on. Still, Gunns overall point is basically, yeah, theres a delay, just relax. Its easier asked than done, especially given some additional context: Reeves first Batman was originally meant to hit in June 2021, and got pushed back twice due to COVID. This news also comes not long after Sony announced the directors for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,which wouldve been out this year, and is coming inTBD. Whats more, Andy Muschietti, director of the other major Batman movie, the previously-announced Brave & the Bold, recently indicated that was put on the backburner for undisclosed reasons. For fans ready to gobble up any information on these movies, not knowing anything about Spider-Verseor either Batflickand not knowingwhentheyll knowpisses them off.Unfortunately for them, theyll just have to deal.The Batman Part IIs not the only superhero movie to get delayed, and several blockbusters have used that long wait between sequels to their advantage. (Case in point: the way the internet lit up for the trailer to the first Superman movie in over a decade.) Corny as it is to say let Reeves cook, thats really all we can do. Therell be other movies out between now and October 2027. And if you need your fix of Robert Pattinson being a weirdo, youve got Mickey 17hitting in March. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.