Listen, there's a lot going on right now, and it may feel indulgent to get excited about something frivolous like the Academy Awards. But watching movies is self-care, and trying to catch up on the nominees before the ceremony on Sunday, March 2 will definitely be a good distraction. (The show, hosted by Conan O'Brien, will air on ABC but also stream on Oscars.com and its associated digital platformswhichever ones still exist by March). To help you prepare, I've rounded up all the nominees and done the work to figure out where they're available to watch on streamingthough some are still only in theaters as of this writing, I'll keep it updated as more things drop on digital platforms. Biggies that you can't yet watch at home include The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Im Still Here, Sing Sing, Nickel Boys, September 5. Then there's the documentary No Other Land, which doesn't even have a formal distribution deal in the U.S. as yet. Still, you already have quite a bit to catch up on (even before you branch out to would-be contenders like Challengers, Queer, and The Last Showgirl). Happy disassociating! Emilia Prez Despite being, shall we say: not universally loved by queer audiences, Spanish-language musical crime drama Emilia Prez managed to net a whopping 13 nominations, the most ever for a movie not in English. Among those is Karla Sofa Gasc for Best Actress, Oscar's first nod to an openly trans actress.You can stream Emilia Prez on Netflix.Nominations for: Best Picture, Actress (Karla Sofa Gascn), Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaa), Directing (Jacques Audiard), Adapted Screenplay, International Feature, Cinematography, Original Score, Original Song x 2 (El Mal AND Mi Camino), Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound Emilia Prez at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Wicked Next up in the nomination tally is Wicked, the movie that dominated the end-of-year zeitgeist and the box officeit's tied for noms with The Brutalist, which isn't yet streaming. And it's another musical! No directing nomination for Jon M. Chu, which is always interesting for a film with this many nominations. Being the first of a planned two parter, Academy voters could be holding off until next year to send some witchy love Chu's way. You can rent Wicked from Prime Video.Nominations for: Best Picture, Actress (Cynthia Erivo), Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Original Score, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, Visual Effects Wicked (2024) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Conclave Juicy, Vatican-based political thriller Conclave scored eight nominationsnot bad for the kind of straight-down-the-middle grownup movie that is rarely made these days. The nomination for Rossellini marks a first-ever Oscar nod for the actress, a surprise given her impressive career. You can stream Conclave on Peacock or rent it from Prime Video.Nominations for: Best Picture, Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Actress (Isabella Rossellini), Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Original Score Conclave (2024) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Anora Director Sean Baker has created a string of critically acclaimed films (Tangerine, The Florida Project, Red Rocket) that haven't broken through in terms of Oscar love. His latest, a comedy-drama following the troubled marriage between sex worker Ani and the son of a Russian oligarch, has earned six nominations this year, including four nods for Barker (Best Picture, directing, writing, and editing). I haven't seen it yet myself, but I'm a huge fan of his other films. You can rent Anora from Prime Video.Nominations for: Best Picture, Actress (Mikey Madison), Actor (Yura Borisov), Directing (Sean Baker), Original Screenplay, Editing Anora (2024) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Dune: Part Two Five nominations definitely isn't bad, but it feels a little like Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic got lost in the shuffle this year. Still, a Best Picture nomination and a massive box office haul are no small consolation prizes. You can stream Dune: Part Two on Max and Netflix or rent it from Prime Video.Nominations for: Best Picture, Cinematography, Production Design, Sound, Visual Effects Dune: Part Two at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Substance I can't think of many (any?) body horror pictures that have made it to the top-tier of Oscar hierarchy (Best Picture and Best Director nominations!) but the lion's share of attention for this one comes down to Demi Moore. She's received her first ever Oscar nomination here, and it's about time. You can stream The Substance on Mubi or rent to from Prime Video. Nominations for: Best Picture, Actress (Demi Moore), Directing (Coralie Fargeat), Original Screenplay, Makeup and Hairstyling The Substance at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Nosferatu Robert Eggers' lush, chilly vampire remake was polarizing to audiences (I loved it), but it managed good box office and did even better with critics. The movie's four nominations are all down to its striking visuals. You can rent Nosferatu from Prime Video.Nominations for: Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling Nosferatu (2024) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Wild Robot A service robot (voiced by Lupita Nyong'o) is shipwrecked on an island where she learns to make new relationships and adopts an orphaned goose. The poignant animated movie earned three nominations. You can rent The Wild Robot from Prime Video.Nominations for: Animated Feature Film, Original Score, Sound The Wild Robot at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video A Real Pain Jesse Eisenberg writes, directs, and co-stars (with Kieran Culkin) in this sweet, sad road-trip movie about a couple of mismatched Jewish America cousins who travel to Poland to honor their late grandmother. Each of the leads picked up nominations: Culkin for acting and Eisenberg for his screenplay. You can stream A Real Pain on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.Nominations for: Supporting Actor (Kieran Culkin), Original Screenplay A Real Pain at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Flow A gorgeously animated saga about a cat displaced by a flood, this Latvian film has been picking up awards left and rightdespite being dialogue-free and having been animated using open-source software. You can rent Flow from Prime Video.Nominations for: International Feature, Animated Feature Flow (2024) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Apprentice The discussion around this Donald Trump biopic had more to do with various legal actions by the Trump campaign, and the movie sunk at the box office following mixed reviews. Nevertheless: two acting nominations ain't bad. You can rent The Apprentice from Prime Video.Nominations for: Actor (Sebastian Stan), Supporting Actor (Jeremy Strong) The Apprentice at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Inside Out 2The rather delightful Inside Out sequel made well over $1.5 billion at the box office, and might also get an Oscar for the trouble. You can stream Inside Out 2 on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video.Nomination for: Animated Feature Inside Out 2 at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl A new Wallace & Gromit adventure is always a cause for celebration, awards or no. You can stream Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl on Netflix.Nomination for: Animated Feature Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Black Box Diaries This searing documentary, directed and produced by journalist and filmmaker Shiori It, follows her investigation and analysis of her own sexual assault case, one that takes her to the highest levels of Japanese media and government. You can stream Black Box Diaries on Paramount+ with Showtime. Black Box Diaries at Paramount+ with Showtime Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ with Showtime

Pocketpair, the company behind the mega-hit game Palworld, just announced a publishing venture. This new division will provide devs with all the support they need without overstepping. It also promises funding opportunities, development assistance and publishing support.The company is currently looking for indie developers and small studios to partner with, but it already has one project on its plate. The newly-formed publishing arm has promised to provide development and financial support to Surgent Studios, the company behind the well-regarded Metroidvania Tales of Kenzera: Zau.Surgent announced mass layoffs and an indefinite hiatus back in October as it searched for new funding partners. It looks like that search was fruitful. The company now says it's working on a "short and weird" horror title.Indie publishing is having a moment right now. Innersloth, the company behind Among Us, recently started a publishing arm to help fund indie games. YouTube star Dunkey also started a publishing company, called Bigmode, which assisted with the release of last years enigmatic and fun Animal Well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/palworld-developer-pocketpair-has-opened-up-a-publishing-division-194713511.html?src=rss

Google is releasing its previously announced Identity Check feature today, adding extra protection to "critical account and device settings" when you're not in a trusted location.With Identity Check enabled, you'll need to provide "explicit biometric authentication" to access certain account and phone settings, like changing your pin or disabling theft protection. You'll have to toggle the feature on in settings and add trusted locations where you don't want biometric authentication to be enabled before you use it. Google says the protections extend to your Google account or Samsung account as well, making it harder for someone to change your password just because they have your phone.Identity Check is rolling out to Google's Pixel devices running Android 15 now, and coming to Samsung Galaxy devices capable of running One UI 7 "in the coming weeks," which could line up with the February 7 launch of the Galaxy S25. Other Android phone makers should get the feature later this year.Along with the release of Identity Check, Google says that its Theft Detection Lock feature, which uses AI to detect when your phone has been forcibly taken from you and lock your screen, has now fully rolled out to devices running Android 10 and up. Both settings are absolutely worth enabling if you have a phone that supports them.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/androids-identity-check-feature-is-rolling-out-to-pixel-and-samsung-galaxy-devices-193048987.html?src=rss

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To the extent that X ever was the public square of the internet, its clearly no longer such a place. The platformknown as Twitter until it was rechristened in 2023 by Elon Muskhas become an echo chamber for extremist conspiracy theories and hate speechor, depending on what youre looking for, a porn site.Even before this transformation, however, years of research suggested that Twitter and other social media apps were vectors of misinformation and propaganda, including from fossil fuel interests. In 2015, oil and gas companies were active on Twitter during international negotiations over the Paris Agreement to limit global warming, promoting the incorrect notion that Americans didnt support taking action on climate change. More recent research has shown similar industry messaging in the lead-up to climate negotiations in Glasgow and Dubai, and one multi-year analysis of more than 22,000 tweets from Exxon Mobil-funded think tanks and industry groups found that theyve frequently disseminated the ideas that climate change isnt threatening, and that former president Joe Bidens energy plans hurt economic growth.Other branches of the fossil fuel industryincluding plastic producers and agrichemical companies, both of which depend on oil and gas and their byproductshave also taken to social media to discourage actions to reduce the use of their products. In a new paper published last week in the journal PLOS Climate, researchers suggest that climate communications from these three sectors oil and gas, plastics, and agrichemicalsare aligned and coordinated . . . to reinforce existing infrastructure and inhibit change.They were all talking to each other, said the studys lead author Alaina Kinol, a public policy doctoral candidate at Northeastern Universitys College of Social Sciences and Humanities in Boston.According to the authors, the study represents the first attempt to characterize the network of misleading climate communications from these three distinct but connected nodes of the fossil fuel industry. They said the connections between these sectors are often underappreciated, even among those advocating for a fossil fuel phaseout. You dont want to look only at energy, which is where a lot of the attention goes, Kinol said. Oil and gas companies see plastics as a plan B for their industry as policymakers try to transition to clean energy, and the agricultural sector is heavily dependent on fossil fuels for everything from fertilizers to pesticides.Kinol and her team downloaded more than 125,000 tweets posted between 2008 and 2023 by nine Twitter accountsone industry association per sector, plus two of each sectors largest corporationsand then conducted a two-part analysis, first examining the connections between the accounts (whos at-ing who, as Kinol put it) and then analyzing the content of the tweets.The network analysis revealed that companies and their trade groups across all sectors were frequently tagging each other, with accounts owned by Exxon Mobil, the chemical company Dow, and the trade group the American Petroleum Institute among the most mentioned.For the contextual analysis, Kinol read every single tweet to identify common themes. With the 12,000 tweets that related to five selected categoriesthe economy, the Environmental Protection Agency, pipelines, sustainability, and watershe categorized them using a framework she dubbed discourses of climate obstruction, which builds on existing research to describe the way the industry groups either deny the existence of climate change or downplay the possibility and importance of responding to it. The framework includes eight types of argumentsfour that represent outright climate denial, and four that represent a more nuanced form of climate delay.The four types of denial rhetoric argue that climate change is either not happening, not that bad, not caused by humans, or that its being adequately taken care ofarguments that have become all too familiar to those tracking the history of fossil fuel obstructionism. The tweets that promoted delay either redirected responsibility for climate change, advocated for nontransformative solutions, emphasized the downsides of climate regulations, or surrendered to the idea that solving climate change isnt feasible.According to Jennie Stephens, a co-author of the report and a professor of climate justice at the National University of Ireland Maynooth, talking points about delay and denial were happening together in concert between 2008 and 2023. There was climate deniallike, Its not really a problem, she saidbut also delay, which was, Were already reducing emissions, to promote the notion that they dont need to be regulated to further reduce emissions or fossil fuel use.It all connects back to this overarching strategy of trying to control the narrative, . . . reinforcing this sense that theres no way were ever going to phase out fossil fuels, no matter how bad the climate crisis gets, she added. (Editors note: Stephens was selected as a Grist New England Fixer in 2019.)The study also found that the nine companies and trade groups frequently mentioned schools and universities, which the authors interpreted as a focused effort to shape or at least interact with teaching and learning at all levels. Stephens said this finding was striking and that it reinforced other research showing how fossil fuel companies have been very strategically investing in education as a way to normalize and demonstrate their beneficial contributions to society.In response to Grists request for comment, a spokesperson for the American Chemistry Council said chemistry plays a vital role in the creation of innovative products that make our lives and our world healthier, safer, more sustainable, and more productive. Mike Tomko, communications director of the Farm Bureau said, I cant speak to a tweet thats almost a decade old, but I can tell you that weve contributed positively to developing voluntary, market-based programs that are advancing climate-smart farming and helping America reach its sustainability goals.Six of the other organizationsthe American Petroleum Institute, Chevron, Corteva, Dow Chemical, Exxon Mobil, and FMC Corporationdid not respond to questions. DuPont declined to comment.Jill Hopke, an associate professor of journalism at the DePaul University College of Communication, wasnt involved in the new study but has done her own research on climate-related misinformation on Twitter. She praised the PLOS Climate study as innovative and grounded in prior research, although she said shed be interested in further analysis of how the relative proportions of obstructive tacticsdelay vs. denial, and nuances within those categorieshave changed over time, and of the fraction of tweets that were promoted as ads.You cant do everything in one paper, she conceded.Irena Vodenska, a professor of finance at Boston University who has experience researching climate misinformation on Twitter, agreed that the PLOS Climate paper was comprehensive in its approach, although she suggested additional analysis is needed to confirm whether the organizations in question really intended to obstruct climate action. This constitutes the difference between misinformation and disinformation, the latter of which refers to intentionally disseminated falsehoods and is usually much harder to provethough it could be possible by looking at more accounts on X and across social media platforms, she suggested.Vodenska also noted that the transition from Twitter to X has brought changes in algorithms and content moderation policies that could complicate the extraction and analysis of future data.Kinol readily acknowledged this. This paper was written in a previous era, when Twitter was sort of the central meeting place of the world, she said. Thats changed, but social media is still part of a major communications strategy [from industry groups] to use various methods of denial and delay to prevent the implementation of successful climate policy.Despite the rapidly changing social media landscape, Kinol is confident companies are still using the same strategies to minimize the need for climate action. Were at the stage of climate change where its all hands on deck, and I hope that our paper is helpful as a tool to combat this denial and delay, she continued. If youre aware that somethings happening, its a lot easier to push back against it.This article originally appeared in Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Sign up for its newsletter here.

OpenAI announced on Thursday a research preview of Operator, an AI agent that can browse the web and perform tasks for the user. Operator is powered by the Computer-Using Agent (CUA), an AI model that merges GPT-4os vision capabilities with reasoning capability.OpenAI trained CUA to let Operator complete digital tasks by interacting with the buttons, menus, and text fields within the graphical user interfaces of the users computer and the websites they visit. Add the reasoning and self-checking capabilities seen in OpenAIs o1 model, and Operator can break down tasks into steps and adaptively self-correct when it runs into problems.Operator is OpenAIs answer to Anthropics Computer Use Model, which was unveiled last October and marks a step toward generative AI models gaining more autonomy and the ability to control outside tools.OpenAI says the tool is still a work in progress, but that it has already set records in a number of benchmark tests that measure success with computer-based and web-based tasks.The tool is available as a research preview only to subscribers to OpenAIs Pro tier, which costs $200 a month. The company intends to roll out Operator to its Plus, Team, and Enterprise subscribers, and eventually build the features into ChatGPT.OpenAI told Techcrunch that its working with companies including DoorDash and Instacart to make sure Operator doesnt come in breach of any terms of service agreements. The CUA model is trained to ask for user confirmation before finalizing tasks with external side effects; for example, before submitting an order, sending an email, etc., OpenAIs blog post explains, so that the user can double-check the models work before it becomes permanent.

New York-based studio BarlisWedlick has renovated and expanded a Southampton house to create multigenerational living spaces that open up to the seaside.The house, which was originally constructed in the 1980s, overlooks Peconic Bay in New York. BarlisWedlick took on the challenge of updating the structure, preserving the materials for carbon sequestration, and reconnecting the spaces with the site."We completely upended every part of the house and the site to improve light, views, and flow in and out of the house and landscape, as befits a home by the sea," principal Alan Barlis told Dezeen.BarlisWedlick has renovated a Southampton house to open it up to the seasideThe 2,500-square-foot (232-square-metre) house is set on a wetland that BarlisWedlick restored with native plantings and dynamic spaces that cater to the residents' outdoor lifestyle.As the site had stringent zoning and environmental regulations, the team utilized some of the existing footprint to ensure the best connection and views of the water.The existing main residence was reconfigured to house multiple shared spaces including the kitchen, living room, dining room and lounge space.The new guest wing forms a protected yard around the swimming poolA semi-circular staircase leads to the private main suite and two smaller bedrooms, connected by a walkway with a glazed railing that overlooks the living room.The former garage and guest apartment was replaced with a new connected guest wing, which fans out from the main house to form a protected yard around the swimming pool.A walkway that leads to the bedrooms overlooks the living roomThe wedge-shaped connection between the main house and the guest wing serves as a light-filled entry and transitional space that allows views through the home to the water's edge.The entry also leads to a secret, shaded garden on the east side of the house that is typically cooler than the rest of the outdoor areas. This was "adorned with natural stones and sculptural plantings under the graceful canopy of a pergola", the studio said.Read: Rectilinear and sculptural forms converge at Bridgehampton Beach HouseThe rectangular guest wing holds an in-law apartment and garage on the ground floor.Two guest rooms, a gym, and a golf simulator sit on the upper floor, which connects back to the main house through a playroom and an elevated outdoor walkway.The kitchen is located in the main residenceIn addition to the entry garden, the residents can interact with the site through multiple indoor-outdoor areas including balconies and decks, a rooftop pickleball court, a large western deck with an outdoor kitchen and renovated pool, and stairs that step down to the wetlands in each direction."By stripping away layers and opening up the existing structure, we were able to craft a home that not only is a vibrant and tranquil space for family and guests, but it also focuses on a stronger connection to the surrounding landscape," BarlisWedlick said.The house is wrapped in cedar sidingThe house is wrapped in board-and-batten cedar siding some of which was reclaimed from the original structure and Shou Sugi Ban-blackened siding that demarcates the transitional area between the main house and the guest wing.The stained mahogany deck and screen provides a natural material alternative to the delicate black metal railings around the upper decks.The transitional space between the main house and the guest wing leads to a shaded gardenOther wood-clad residences nearby include a house with a series of pyramidal-roofed forms by Oza Sabbeth Architects and a minimalist design wrapped in blackened wood by Starling Architecture and Emily Lindberg Design.The photography is by Adrian Jones.Project credits:Architecture: BarlisWedlick, Alan Barlis, Liza Paredes, Christine Berdahl, Andrew LefkowitzContractor: 2 Forces ConstructionEngineer: Edward Armus EngineeringInterior designer: Marc HamptonThe post BarlisWedlick opens renovated Hamptons house to the shoreline appeared first on Dezeen.