Nosferatu, a remake of a German Expressionist vampire movie from 1922 packed with period costumes and grisly murder, does not scream Christmas Day release. (I would say it screams more MY NECK! MY NECK! WHAT HAVE YE DONE DEMON!? BE GONE!)Yet here we are, writer-director Robert Eggers blood-gushing, decidedly unelevated horror romp popping at the U.S. box office over the holiday weekend. Despite competition from all-ages behemoths like Sonic 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King, Nosferatu managed to gross $40.3 million over five days, opening on Christmas Day and carrying through the weekend. A report by Deadline suggests that every type of sicko, young and old, showed up to see Bill Skarsgrd give one of the silliest/scariest performances of the year as the thirsty Count Orlok.Though the highs were not as high as in previous years, 2024 stands out as a major year for horror, where smaller studios hit big and a broader swath of releases performed above expectations. Nosferatu is among them. Its a big win for Eggers, who has climbed up from indies like The Witch and The Lighthouse and found a bankable mode for his academic sensibilities, but also Focus Features, which has continued to release grown-up indie movies in a range of flavors in the face of changing industry tides. Nosferatu is the studios fourth biggest opening weekend ever.After one weekend, Nosferatu sits at number six on the years overall horror box-office performance ranking. Heres the top 20, based on reporting available at the time of publication:1. A Quiet Place: Day One ($138.9 million)2. Alien: Romulus ($105.3 million)3. Longlegs ($74.3 million)4. Smile 2 ($68.9 million)5. Terrifier 3 ($53.9 million)6. Nosferatu ($40.3 million)7. Speak No Evil ($36.9 million)8. The Stranger: Chapter 1 ($35.2 million)9. Night Swim ($32.4 million)10. Imaginary ($28 million)11. Heretic ($27.7 million)12. Abigail ($25.8 million)13. The First Omen ($20 million)14. The Watchers ($19 million)15. Tarot ($18.7 million)16. The Substance ($16.4 million)17. Immaculate ($15.6 million)19. MaXXXine ($15 million)19. Never Let Go ($10.3 million)20. Late Night with the Devil ($10 million)Compared to 2023, where only the top 14 films crossed $10 million, this years list looks like a win for horror fans that hope theres a business-friendly demand for their shit. There was room for blockbuster-y hits (A Quiet Place, Alien), serving-the-fans sequels (Terrifier 3, The First Omen), and unsellable indie breakouts (Longlegs, the Substance, Late Night with the Devil). When streaming-focused companies like Mubi and IFC/Shudder are making money with theatrical runs, thats a sign that not all of the theatrical business might be losing steam. Hovering just below that are films like Cuckoo, I Saw the TV Glow, and In a Violent Nature, all tiny Indies that miraculous banked $4-$6 million despite being destined for streamer cult status.Nosferatus run is just getting started, but if it continues, Eggers should be in a position to do whatever goth weirdo experiment he wants to do next. And if its a new spin on Labyrinth with the Jim Henson Company, well, thats cred well spent.

If you were lucky enough to score a new Xbox over the holidays, you might need to free up some space for new games before the turn of the new year. Thankfully, if youd like to expand the storage of your new console, the WD_Black C50 expansion card has never been cheaper. The 1TB model is currently discounted to just $109.99 at Amazon (was $157.99), while the 2TB version is also on sale for $189.99 (was $259.99). The C50 is more affordable, and offers comparable performance to the first-party expansion card model from Seagate.While the Xbox Series X is a solid console, the standard 1TB SSD doesnt stretch very far when stacked up against the frankly massive storage requirements necessary for modern AAA titles. For instance, Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Diablo 4, a pair of games available through Xbox Game Pass, can take up almost a quarter of your storage in one go.If you didnt get a second controller with your console and are itching to play some split-screen when the ball drops, Walmart is currently offering discounts of up to $25 on select Xbox Wireless Controllers. However, this will vary depending on which color you purchase. For example, the standard black controller is available for $49.99 (was $59.99), but the controller with a red, white, or blue camo treatment is on sale for $45 (was $64).

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Garmin watches are fantastically powerful tools, but they can also be a bit complicated to figure out. No other brand has as many different settings, spread over as many different menus. If youre settling into a new watch, let me help you find the first few things you should customize and try out.Most of these tips apply to Forerunner watches, including but not limited to my faves, the 265 and 265Sthe 55, 165, and 965 all have similar features and controls. Other watches like the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 will also have many of the features Im discussing here, so when in doubt, check your devices manual online. Garmin Forerunner 165 $216.99 at Walmart $449.99 Save $233.00 Get Deal Get Deal $216.99 at Walmart $449.99 Save $233.00 By the way, Garmin has one of the coolest features Ive seen in any companys support articles: a bar at the top of the page where you can type in the name of your device to see if the page youre reading applies to your watch. (Heres an example.)Customize the data on your main watch screenWhen you look at your watch face, youll see the time, and probably a few other numbers, like your steps for the day. On most watches you can customize the watch face and the data shown in those complications.To change your watch face on a Forerunner, hold the left middle button (the UP button) and select Watch Face. From that next screen:Scroll with your finger or with the UP and DOWN buttons (middle and bottom buttons on the left) to change the watch facePush the START button (top right) to see a menu asking if youd like to apply the watch face or customize itIf you choose to customize, you can change the color (again, scroll to see options) or the data fields (scroll to change the data in a field, hit the START button again to move to the next field)On Forerunners, after picking out a watch face you love, I highly recommend taking a minute to customize the data it displays. There are some pretty cool complications, including my favorite, which shows the current time relative to sunrise and sunset. (It looks like a blue and yellow arc at the top of the screen.)Customize your glances Credit: Beth Skwarecki When you swipe up (or scroll down) from your clock face, you'll see a bunch of statistics and tools. These are called "glances." Most likely you'll find some of these fun and/or informative, and others annoying and useless. Good news: You can customize which ones you see! While viewing your glances, hold in the middle left button (on a Forerunner) or press the button with the pencil icon (on a Venu or Vivoactive). Now you can reorder that glance, moving it up or down in the list, or you can remove it entirely. Scroll to the end of the list of glances and you'll have an option to add new glances to the list. I have my glances set up with my running mileage and training status at the top, and other useful things like weather and my calendar lower down. I am not at all interested in my body battery or naps, so those are off the list. Customize your activity fieldsWhen youre doing an activitylike going for a runyou probably have an idea of what numbers youd like to see while youre doing it. I like to know my total mileage and the time of day, but I dont care as much about total time or things like calories.To customize these fields, go to the activity, as if you were going to start a run. On a Forerunner, long press the UP (left side middle) button. (On the Venu 3 or Vivoactive 5, which dont have left side buttons, youll swipe up from the bottom of the screen.) From there, select Run Settings and Data Screens, and then scroll through the options it gives you. You can either customize the data fields on one of those screens, or add a whole new screen with the data youd like to see.Set up a Garmin Coach plan to see a weeks worth of suggested workouts Credit: Beth Skwarecki/Garmin If your watch comes with daily suggested workouts, as most of the running watches do, you can view the upcoming weeks worth of workouts on your phonebut only if you set up an adaptive training plan.If you eventually want to set up a more structured training plan, thats fine (and you can start that whenever you like). But you dont need a race or a goal to set up an adaptive plan. Go to the More menu in the Garmin Connect app, select Training & Planning, and then select Garmin Coach Plans and Find a Plan. When you get to the final screen, if it gives you human names alongside the generic Garmin Coach, ignore the people and just take the nameless option. This is the one that puts your daily suggested workouts on the app for you to view.If you add a race to your calendar (yes, there is a calendar in the app), your workout schedule will adjust to start preparing you for that race. If youd like to read more about the various Garmin run training plans, I have a breakdown here, including all the differences between the expert plans and the adaptive plans.Change your step goalBy default, Garmin chooses your step goal. And even if it gave you a reasonable number at first, like 7,500 or 10,000 steps per day, you may soon find that changing. Whats going on?Most likely, you let it give you an auto goal. This feature sets your goal to whatever your average steps have been lately. That means that if you hit a minimum of 10,000 steps every day last week, your average was probably somewhere above 10,000so now the watch wont congratulate you unless you beat your new normal. This can lead to your goal creeping up slightly over time, which some people find motivating and some find exasperating.You can change this in the Garmin Connect app. The settings vary by watch; heres the Garmin page describing where to find it. Youll want to use the app to go into your device settings, and uncheck Auto Average from your step goal.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Steak knives might seem like an extraneous expenseespecially if your defense is not consuming much beefbut having a set is undoubtedly handy. Regardless of if youre slicing a skirt steak, roasted chicken, or grilled portobellos, a good steak knife gives you clean cuts and precision control. But before you grab the jagged stamped knives that come in the bargain block set, shop around a bit and consider these details.(By the way, here are my four favorite steak knife sets if you need a place to start.)Dont be fooled by a serrated edgeFor the longest time, I thought steak knives had to be serrated. (I blame the knife block sets of my youth.) Serrated steak knives do indeed exist and they might be what you need, but consider that a straight-edged set might be better for you.Serrated knives are especially good for cutting through tough skin because the hooked teeth can bite into it instead of slipping. Theyre great for crusty bread, tomatoes, and sometimes meat. However, not all meat requires a serrated knifes help. In fact, if the meat is very tender and the knifes edge is too pronounced (or dull) then it can actually tear up the grain, shredding the meat instead of slicing it. A straight-edged steak knife would actually be better, and you can keep it sharp yourself. Self-sharpening is a huge boon, as its safer to keep your knives sharp and youll save money over the lifetime of the product. Heres how to sharpen knives at home.Consider the weightChoosing gear, whether its for sports or in the kitchen, depends a lot on how it feelsand that differs from person to person. Steak knives can vary in weight dramatically, like this 1.5-ounce Victorinox or this 3.4-ounce knife from Quince. Added weight in the handle can make slicing thick cuts of meat feel more effortless, as the distribution of weight can do some of the work for you. Lighter knives with thinner blades and handles are perfectly fine for smaller, or very tender, cuts of meat. Do not, however, sacrifice quality for a lighter weight. Always look for full tang (where the metal runs through the entire handle) which often has visible rivets. These knives usually last longer, and for the price, you want to get your moneys worth. For a visual on identifying the tang on a knife, watch here.If you can, shop for the knife set in-person so you have a better chance of testing it out then and there. (Please dont open the knives without asking first, the store might have tester knives available.) Youll be able to judge if lighter feels better, or if the handle is too short.What will you be slicing?Are you a vegan whos been sawing at roasted cauliflower steaks with butter knives? Someone who frequently hacks away at barbecued chicken breast with the edge of your fork? When you consider what youre eating, you can make a better decision on if you need a heavy weight, straight-edged knife, or a lightweight serrated knife.For hearty roasted or grilled meats, vegetable steaks (cruciferous vegetables come to mind because of their fibrous stalks), or anything that develops a tough skin, a serrated knife will help nip at the hard exterior and make slicing easier. For tender cuts, like braised meats, filet mignon, sous vide meats, or planks of sauted mushrooms, a straight-edged knife might be the best choice. Once youve made your pick, I think youll find slicing with proper steak knives beats prodding things apart with those worn out Ikea butter knives.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Apple TV+ is ringing in 2025 by offering up a weekend of free streaming for all of its original programming. On Jan. 45, anyone can log into Apple's streaming service on any compatible device and binge Apple Original movies and TV shows at no charge. Apple hasn't clarified whether its catalog of non-original content will also be free, so that's a gray area for now. Here's the trailer Apple dropped on social media for the promotion: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. What to watch on Apple TV+ during its free weekendThe big ticket show from Apple Originals for early 2025 is Severance. The dystopian sci-fi workplace drama is (finally) coming back for a second season on Jan. 17. If you haven't seen season one, do yourself a favor and check it outeven at 97% "fresh rating" on Rotten Tomatoes, Severance isn't overrated. If you have time after binging Severance, don't sleep on:Slow Horses, a spy thriller series about the dysfunctional field office where MI5 sends its worst spiesworth a watch for Gary Oldman's performance aloneFor All Mankind, a speculative fiction series set in an alternative universe where the Cold War space race never endedSchmigadoon! a quirky musical theater send-up with Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily StrongShrinking, a critically acclaimed dramedy about therapy that stars Jason Segel and Harrison FordIn general, Apple TV+ Originals tend to be pretty great.How to watch Apple Originals for free this weekend on Apple TV+It couldn't be easier to take part in the free streaming. You only need log on to to Apple TV+ using an Apple account on Jan. 4 and 5 and start watching. It will work on any device, from your phone to your Xbox.If you like what you see and want to stick around, Apple TV+ currently costs $9.99 a month, or $99.99 per year. If you're a new subscriber, you can get a week for free. The purchase of a new iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV, or Mac device that runs on the latest version of iOS also grants you three free months of Apple TV+

Documents and workstations at the US Treasury Department were accessed during a cyberattack, The New York Timesreports. The attack was linked to a "China state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat actor" and has been characterized as "a major cybersecurity incident."According to a letter the Treasury Department shared with lawmakers (via TechCrunch), US officials were made aware of the issue on December 8, when BeyondTrust, a third-party software company, shared that a security key used to provide technical support was used to access workstations and unclassified documents.The Treasury Department said that it has worked with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI to understand the full scope of the breach, but hasn't shared how long files and workstations were accessible or what was actually accessed. Engadget has contacted the US Treasury Department and will update this article once we know more.The cyberattack follows a similarly concerning, but separate breach of US telecom carriers that came to light in October 2024. That cyberattack was perpetrated by a Chinese hacking group referred to as "Salt Typhoon." Attackers gained access to unencrypted SMS messages and call logs of politicians, government officials and others for months before the breach was discovered.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/the-us-treasury-department-says-it-was-hacked-in-a-china-linked-cyberattack-230114104.html?src=rss

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Abortions are on the rise in the U.S., even as Republican-led states enforce bans and restrictions.More than two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling, one might have expected abortion rates to go down. Instead, the opposite happened. While the ruling has reshaped how women access abortion, it hasnt reduced demand.More monthly abortions have taken place across the country recently than in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, according to the AP. In April 2022, abortions across all states totaled 84,900. In April this year, they totaled 98,920. This is despite the number of abortions in states with bans dropping to near zero.For women living in states with bans, the obstacles to getting abortions can be challenging but not insurmountable, although low-income, minority, and immigrant women are most likely to be impacted. Many turn to one of two options, traveling to states where abortion is legal or using abortion medication.Medication abortion accounted for 63% of all abortions performed in the U.S. in 2023, according to a study from the Guttmacher Institute. Many of these prescriptions are made through telehealth, even in states with abortion bans. This is possible because some states where abortion remains legal have enacted shield laws, allowing healthcare providers to prescribe medication abortion remotely to those in states with bans or restrictions.Travel for abortion has also become commonplace, with networks and organizations emerging to assist women seeking abortions to places where theyre legal. The Guttmacher Institute reported that in 2023, more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortions in New Mexico compared to New Mexico residents. Similarly, Texans sought as many abortions in Kansas as Kansans themselves.After a highly divisive election dominated by debates over abortion rights and access, the implications of Donald Trumps second term in office remains to be seen.