This is a twisted web, private detective Benoit Blanc tells his partner Marta (Ana de Armas) in 2019s Knives Out. And we are not finished untangling it, not yet. We begin with that quote not just because its always nice to recall the syrupy Southern accent Daniel Craig gives Blanc, but because its important to keep our limitations in mind when getting a new look at the upcoming Knives Out movie Wake Up Dead Man.Where the first images from Knives Out and Glass Onion highlighted the ensemble cast of those movies, a new first look photo from Wake Up Dead Man (see above) takes a more narrow approach. We simply see Blanc, looking somehow even more chic with his shaggier haircut, standing in an ornate church with a priest played by Challengers break out Josh OConnor. The two stare at something off camera, a visual that piques Blancs interest but doesnt seem to impress OConnors priest.Outside of that, the image still leaves much to untangle in the mystery of Wake Up Dead Man. We know that Craig and OConnor will be joined by another impressive cast. Steady hands such as Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, and Thomas Haden Church will be joined by younger stars Cailee Spaeny and Daryl McCormack, along with familiar faces Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, and Mila Kunis. Its hard to believe that director Rian Johnson wont find a way to sneak in Joseph Gordon Levitt and Noah Segan, who have popped up in almost all of his movies.But what will these people be doing in Wake Up Dead Man? We dont have any answers yetof course, theyll be a murder that draws Blancs attention, but outside of that we can only speculate.Like Knives Out and Glass Onion, Wake Up Dead Man takes its title from a pop song. Wake Up Dead Man appears on the 1997 U2 album Pop, released toward the end of the Irish bands period of experimentation in club music. U2 frontman Bono often puts his protestant beliefs and spiritual longing at the center of his work, but Wake Up Dead Man stands out for its anger. Throughout the song, Bono accuses Jesus of abandoning humanity, leaving behind a hopeless, horrible world.Of course, Knives Out didnt have any of the moody desperation of the Radiohead song that inspired its title and Glass Onion wasnt a collection of Beatles in-jokes like the White Album track. But the prominent role of priests in Wake Up Dead Man, and Johnsons own religious upbringing, suggests that the movie may have something in common with the titular song.Both of the previous Benoit Blanc movies scrutinized the powerful. Knives Out savaged the spoiled rich kids who benefited from their patriarch, a famous mystery author. Glass Onion satirized new money, the utter stupidity of an Elon Musk-like tech giant and his influencer friends. Will Wake Up Dead Man turn its skeptical eye toward modern religion? Will a death in the church reveal structural problems among the faithful?Thats an audacious idea, but after two excellent movies, Johnson and Craig have earned the benefit of the doubt. But, then again, as Blanc taught us, we are not yet close to untangling the mystery.Wake Up Dead Man comes to theaters and Netflix in Fall 2025.

With Sniper Elite: Resistance available from today on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox and Windows PC, we thought it would be a great time to give you some hints and tips for when you join the Resistance.Find Your PlaystyleOne of the key tenants of the Sniper Elite franchise is the freedom we give to you, the player. We want you to be able to approach every mission, objective and scenario in a way that suits how you want to play the game. You may be the kind of player who is extremely stealthy, taking their time to plan out each and every attack. Using binoculars to mark every enemy you see, planning your assault and taking out the enemies you need to from distance and cover.Conversely you may be more shock and awe in your approach as you blow up a nearby vehicle and let the bullets fly as you steam in. The choice is completely up to you.Adapt to Achieve Your ObjectiveThe key here is being able to adapt on the fly, no matter your approach. Make sure you have a balanced loadout and are prepared for the scenario you are about to face. Even if you are a run and gun style player, it never hurts to plan even just a little.Use the tools at your disposal, including your binoculars and focus, mark your enemies by hovering over them and then choose your approach before executing. But, be prepared for things to go wrong. Know where the alarms are and have an exit strategy, even if thats just to let the bullets fly from an SMG as you run for cover.Take Time to Understand Your Hunting GroundThe main Campaign in Sniper Elite: Resistance encompasses eight missions all playable in single player and with a friend via online co-op. Each mission in is set in its own large, sprawling map in different locations behind enemy lines in France. While your primary objective will be clearly marked, there is so much more for you to discover.Taking the time to explore the map, search enemy soldiers, and keeping an eagle eye for opportunities and hidden secrets will bring its rewards. You can discover additional objectives, unlock new insertion points, gain additional back story and mission information as well as discovering easter eggs.Propaganda MissionsEach mission also has a Resistance poster hidden within the map. Once you find it you will unlock a separate Propaganda Mission. Here you play as a member of the Resistance in a variety of challenges, all against the clock. These smaller, repeatable levels will test your stealth, combat or sniping.Each of the challenges has its own set of rules, weapons and scoring to vary the experience. Keep on playing to get the highest score possible and unlock medals and new weapons. We think you are really going to enjoy them.Choose Your WeaponAs you would expect from a Sniper Elite game you have an arsenal of authentic World War 2 weaponry at your disposal, including some old favourites and new entries to the series. These weapons are combined with our best-in-class ballistics and the series defining X-Ray Kill Cam which lets you reveal in the destruction caused by your sniping prowess.Weapon unlocks can be earned by finding the workbenches that are hidden within each of the Campaign maps. These workbenches will not only give you access to new weaponry, but they also unlock a number of customisation options. They allow you to alter your loadout, which can be incredibly helpful mid-mission. You may find that you need to increase the zoom capability of your scope or add a silencer to your side arm, all options are open.Take the Fight OnlineAgain, this is where exploring and gathering as much intel as possible is vital to success.Knowing the maps and the various vantage points and hiding places can also be hugely advantageous, especially when Invasion mode is enabled. This optional game mode allows players to invade another persons campaign mission as an enemy sniper tasked with eliminating the lead player.No matter which side you are on, there are additional tools you can utilise to gain information on your opponents location. As the invader you can instruct the AI soldiers to be extra vigilant and report back if they spot the host player to reveal their position. As the host player you can use the telephones dotted around the map to gain intel on the invader. However, be careful when you use them as overuse will in-turn give away your position.On top of this, we have a suite of adversarial online multiplayer options for up to 16 players, including a favourite for the snipers amongst us, No Cross. You can also join up to three other players to take on waves of enemies in Survival Mode.Theres certainly a lot for you to get stuck into so grab your rifle and join the Resistance! We really hope you enjoy the game. Sniper Elite: Resistance is available today on Game Pass, Xbox and Windows PC.Sniper Elite: ResistanceRebellion58Get it nowPre-order the Sniper Elite: Resistance standard edition now and receive:Target Fhrer Lights, Camera, Achtung campaign mission1x weapon skinKarabiner 98 RifleNEW OPERATIVE, NEW THREAT, NEW EPIC CAMPAIGNOffering unparalleled sniping mechanics, stealth and tactical third-person combat, Sniper Elite: Resistance turns the attention of the award-winning series towards a hidden war, far from the front lines, deep within the heart of occupied France.In a gripping new story that runs parallel with Sniper Elite 5, Harry Hawker, agent of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), takes the lead for the first time as he discovers an insidious new Wunderwaffe something so powerful, it guarantees the Nazis will win the war.Working with the French Resistance, this deadly addition to the Reich's arsenal must be eliminated.Multiple Kill List targets, and different infiltration and extraction points give you an unequalled choice with how to accomplish objectives and create your own playstyle.The full campaign can also be experienced in co-op. Fight against the Nazi war machine with an ally to share weapons, items and tactical know-how, as well as help each other get back in the fight when you go down during firefights.VISCERAL X-RAY KILL CAM AND ADVANCED GUNPLAY PHYSICS The trademark X-ray kill cam returns, showing the true destructive power of every one of your signature shots. Bones deflect bullets to unpredictably rip new paths through enemy bodies and SMGs and pistols also trigger kill cams, showing multiple bullet shots in dramatic slow motion.To land that shot you will need to think like a true sniper. Factor in rifle stock and barrel options along with gravity, wind and heart rate while you zero your sights on the target.AUTHENTIC WORLD WAR II WEAPONS AND CUSTOMISATION The arsenal at your disposal will feature returning franchise favourites as well as a host of new authentic WWII weapons. Picking your loadout will be key to striking down the Reichs nefarious plans! Customise your weapon to suit your operating style. Find workbenches scattered around the campaign to customise and upgrade your rifles, secondaries and pistols with new scopes, stocks, barrels, magazines and more. Also remember to pick the right ammo for the right job, whether you need armour-piercing shells or a non-lethal takedown.PROPAGANDA MISSIONS BE THE RESISTANCELocate unique Propaganda posters across the main campaign and step into the shoes of a French Resistance fighter in all new Propaganda missions. During these scenarios, sneak, snipe and take down enemies to complete time-sensitive objectives and help end the Nazi occupation.AXIS INVASION MODEThe fan-favourite Axis Invasion mode is back! invade another players Campaign as an Axis sniper and engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Whether you stalk your prey, lay an ambush, or run in guns blazing, the threat of invasion provides a new dimension to the campaigns challenge. TENSE ONLINE MULTIPLAYER When youve mastered your rifle, customise your character and loadout as you take the fight online in competitive 16-player battles to earn XP, medals and ribbons.If competition isnt your style, you can also team up with up to 3 other players against waves of enemies in Survival mode.

Lock in this weekend as there is something for everyone with Free Play Days! Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream and The Survivalists are available this weekend for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Standard and Core members to play from Thursday, January 30 at 12:01am Pacific until Sunday, February 2 at 11:59pm Pacific.Additionally, Alan Wake 2is free for all Xbox members to try from Thursday, January 30 at 12:01am Pacific until Sunday, February 2 at 11:59pm Pacific with a 3 hour timed trial (Xbox Game Pass Game Pass Ultimate, Standard and Core membership not required).How To Start PlayingFind and install the games on each of the individual game details page onXbox.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Standard and Core membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the Xbox Store and navigate down to the Free Play Days collection on your Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.Keep The Fun GoingPurchase the game and other editions at a limited time discount and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and achievements earned during the event! Please note that discounts, percentages, and title availability may vary by title and region.Free Play Days (Xbox Game Pass Membership Required)SWORD ART ONLINE Fractured DaydreamBandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.117$59.99Get it nowSword Art Online FracturedOptimized for Xbox Series X|SIn this online co-op action game, enter a distorted version of the Sword Art Online world. Pick your role in the form of favorite Sword Art Online characters and team up with 20 players for raids to defeat powerful enemies.The SurvivalistsTeam17146$24.99$2.49Get it nowThe SurvivalistsSurviving on a remote island can be a challenge but if you do it with friends youll have a great time regardless. The Survivalists is an adventure-filled survival sandbox set in The Escapists universe. Explore, build, and craft with up to three fellow castaways across a variety of fantastical islands.Free Play Days For AllAlan Wake 2Epic Games435$59.99Get it nowFree TrialAlan Wake 2Optimized for Xbox Series X|SSaga Anderson arrives to investigate ritualistic murders in a small town. Alan Wake pens a dark story to shape the reality around him. These two heroes are somehow connected. Can they become the heroes they need to be?

Benjamin and Chance review the 2025 Apple Unity watch band, watch face and wallpaper. They talk about some compelling leaked iOS features currently in internal testing, and Apple reportedly redoubles its AI efforts. Also, T-Mobile and Starlink launch a seemingly better satellite connectivity offering, than Apples in-built SOS feature.And in Happy Hour Plus, the pair debate if it is time for the Apple Watch hardware lineup to expand. Subscribe at9to5mac.com/join.Sponsored by Shopify: Grow your business no matter what stage youre in. Sign up for a $1 per month trial atshopify.com/happyhour.HostsChance Miller Benjamin MayoSubscribe, Rate, and Review9to5Mac Happy Hour PlusSubscribe to 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes:Ad-free versions of every episodePre- and post-show contentBonus episodesJoin for $5 per month or $50 a year at9to5mac.com/join.Feedback Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or ThreadsEmail us feedback and questions to happyhour@9to5mac.com LinksAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple Intelligence officially launched three months ago in iOS 18.1, and new features have steadily rolled out ever since. But the next iPhone update, iOS 18.4, is going to be especially big for new Apple Intelligence capabilities. Here are seven features and changes expected to arrive soon.Onscreen awareness for SiriOne of the special wow moments of using a Vision Pro is realizing that visionOS always knows what youre looking at. As of iOS 18.4, Siri in a sense will gain a similar power on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.Onscreen awareness means youll be able to make Siri requests that reference things youre looking at, and the assistant will know how to make sense of your words. So for example, if your sister sends you her new address in an iMessage, you can simply say, Add this address to her contact, and Siri will do it with no further clarifying instructions.Siris new app action catalogUsing a system called App Intents, iOS 18.4 will enable Siri to perform hundreds of new app actionswithout ever needing to open the apps themselves.What will be even more impressive is Siris ability to perform these actions across different apps. For example, youll be able to ask Siri to find a specific photo, apply edits to it, then drop that photo into a specific folder in the Files appall using just your voice.Personal context knowledgeSiri will also understand a lot more about you as an individual, tapping into the key knowledge about you that a real-life assistant would know.For example, youll be able to reference a recipe a friend sent youeven though you cant remember whether it was in an email, text, or noteand Siri will find it for you. Apples assistant will also be able to find and share info like your passport number, your calendar history, and more.Priority notificationsSimilar to the existing Priority feature in the redesigned Mail app, AI will soon be able to surface the most important notifications right to the top of your notification stack.Priority notifications use Apple Intelligences language understanding to determine what constitutes an especially important alert. This will enable users to do less notification management themselves, while never missing the most important updates.Sketch style in Image PlaygroundApple originally demoed the Image Playground app with three distinct style options for images: Animation, Illustration, and Sketch.Currently though, the Sketch option is missing as of iOS 18.3. Expect to see it added in iOS 18.4, providing a new way of styling your original AI image creations.Apple Intelligence in the EUApple has said that its bringing proper Apple Intelligence support to the EU starting in April with iOS 18.4.Currently, AI features are only available on the Mac inside the EU, but soon both the iPhone and iPad will benefit from the Apple Intelligence feature suite too.New AI languagesFinally, Apple also plans to introduce new supported languages for Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.4.The company hasnt said exactly which languages are getting priority, but it has confirmed that the following will be supported some time this year: Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages.iOS 18.4 Apple Intelligence wrap-upAfter iOS 18.4 arrives, if all of these expected features ship, Apple will have released its full slate of initial Apple Intelligence features. Everything demoed at WWDC last year will be in users hands. And not a moment too soon, since iOS 18.4s April release date wont be far away from June, and the next big wave of AI in iOS 19.Which of these Apple Intelligence additions are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Honestly, we probably deserve it.Christmas SurpriseAstronomers have spotted a space rock, an estimated 200 feet in length, that they say just may be headed for Earth.As the New York Times reports, the rock, dubbed 2024 YR4, has a 1.3 percent chance of putting us all out of our misery on December 22, 2032 a fate we just might deserve, considering our incredibly careless stewardship of the planet."Odds have slightly increased to 1 in 83," University of Arizona researcher David Rankin wrote in a post on Bluesky. "This is one of the highest probabilities of an impact from a significantly sized rock ever.""Most likely outcome is still a near miss," he added. "We continue to track it!"On a serious note, that potential collision course probably shouldn't keep us up at night, Rankin assured the NYT.If it were to collide with our planet, it wouldn't threaten the entire thing, but it could wipe out an entire city. An asteroid roughly similar in size impacted a remote region of Siberia in 1908, obliterating 800 square miles of forest.Dat Asteriod2024 YT4 comes in at a three on the Torino Impact Hazard scale, which measures the probability of an asteroid striking the Earth. A three, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, means that it's an "encounter, meriting attention by astronomers," plus attention "by public and by public officials is merited if the encounter is less than a decade away."It's the second-highest rating astronomers have ever given an asteroid, following 1300-feet-across space rock Apophis, which previously reached a record of four in December 2004, but has since been demoted to level one.Rankin has also argued that 2024 YR4 could similarly be ruled out in future observations.Some experts celebrated the most recent finding, arguing it highlights our improving ability to predict an incoming threat."The international systems were putting in place to find, track and characterize and, if it comes to it, mitigate the impacts of hazardous asteroids and comets are working as intended," Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory planetary defense researcher Andy Rivkin told the NYT.More on near-Earth asteroids: Mysterious "Fifth Force" of Physics Could Be Influencing Asteroids Near EarthShare This Article

Musk's wealth is suddenly looking brittle.NosediveAs Elon Musk is busy gutting the federal government, his chief cash cow, Tesla, is falling by the wayside.According to the automaker's latest earnings report, Tesla made a net profit of just $2.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 a 71 percent drop of$5.6 billion compared to the same period a year earlier, even though its revenue saw a slight bump.That's bad, but we should note that Tesla's profits in 2023 were boosted by a one-time tax benefit of $5.9 billion, the .Take that out of the picture, though, and it's still a staggering 23 percent plunge in its income from operating expenses for the fourth quarter.For the whole year, meanwhile, Tesla reported a net profit of $7.1 billion, down from $15 billion in 2023.Car-Less WhisperTesla's revenue remains high, with total sales equaling $97.7 billion for 2024, a one percent increase from last year. But for the latest quarter, it's still fallen short of expectations: $25.7 billion, when Wall Street anticipated somewhere in the ballpark of $27.1 billion.And how it's making this money may give pause. A large chunk of Tesla's revenue, $692 million, came from the sale of government-doled regulatory credits. These are earned by producing cars that produce low or zero emissions, which can then be sold to other automakers that are falling short of emissions requirements. It's a dubious stream of income, and could soon dry up due to a close-to-home foe: Musk's buddy Donald Trump has signaled his intent to end the regulations that allow this emissions profiteering.Cars sales have also faltered. Tesla's total automotive revenues fell from $82.4 billion in 2023 to $77 billion in 2024 an ironic testament to Musk's insistence that Tesla, the largest EV maker in the US but not the world, isn't a car company.This is likely, in part, attributable to Musk's gamble on the controversial Cybertruck, which sells in low volumes and faces constant scrutiny for its dubious design and workmanship. Sales of the vehicle appear to have fallen in the fourth quarter from the previous.Divided AttentionTesla also reduced the price of some of its cars to boost sales, hurting its bottom line. It's also invested an exorbitant amount of money in its AI efforts, building enormous data centers that require tens of thousands of expensive graphics processing units.Whether Musk, ever embroiled in the raging culture war and stationed in the highest echelon of US politics, is the right man to steer the ship of one of the world's most valuable companies has been increasingly called into question even by his own investors, and these latest earnings will continue to raise those doubts.Musk is taking a massive gamble in AI. And he's taking a just as questionable one with his pivot into the robotaxi business, which he has promised will rake in trillions of dollars for the not-automaker. Further beggaring belief, Musk told investors in a recent earnings call that the robotaxi arm will launch this year, with a fully unsupervised version of the Cybercab, he promised, hitting the streets this summer.More on Tesla: Huge Image of Musks Nazi Salute Projected Onto German GigafactoryShare This Article

Within his first week in office, President Trump signed a flood of wide-ranging executive orders and took actions that have significant implications for the technology industry. The sheer volume of change, along with the freezing and unfreezing of federal funding, sparked much confusion.What are some of the biggest tech policy changes coming from the current administration, and what could they mean for the industry?A New AI OrderTrump voiced plans to repeal Bidens executive order on AI, arguing that it stifles innovation, and swiftly followed through. He signed an executive order -- Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence -- and also announced plans for Stargate, a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative.The Stargate initiative is interesting as it aligns several large players in the space into a single entity to help push initiatives, Max Shier, vice president and CISO at Optiv, a cybersecurity advisory services company, tells InformationWeek via email.While those moves have big possibilities for the AI space, it will likely take time to see the effects.Most of the executives that I'm talking to now don't feel like there's a huge impact, at least right now. And they're continuing to make investments and pursue solutions as they were in Q4 or second half of last year, and in fact investing, even more in those solutions from an AI perspective, Bill Farmer, lead of the aerospace, defense, and government services investment banking team and managing director at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, an investment bank and financial advisory firm, tells InformationWeek.Related:With Chinese startup DeepSeek making strides, competition in the global race for AI market dominance is heating up. But there are still concerns over risk in the AI space. Several industry and consumer groups signed a letter calling for the White House to retain AI testing and transparency rules, CNBC reports.The removal of guardrails and oversight can be negative if tech companies are allowed to do whatever they want without ethical considerations guiding their conscience, says Shier.Cybersecurity ChangesThe Trump administration fired the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agencys (CISA) Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB). The CSRB was investigating China-state backed APT group Salt Typhoon, the group responsible for a massive breach of US telecom companies.I could also see potentially a pullback in CISAs authority and role. Their budget has been increasing year over year. At a minimum, I think they're going to take a hard look at what those programs are and what that spending looks like, says Deniece Peterson, senior director of federal market analysis at Deltek, an enterprise software and information solutions company.Related:During his campaign, Trump was vocal about his intentions to be tough on China, but he seems to be taking a more nuanced approach now that he has taken office, AP News reports. What that means for the federal governments approach to cyber threats from China remains unclear.Peterson points out that Trump has established the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). That may incorporate some of those [cybersecurity] activities. We just don't know yet, she says.DOGE and Government SpendingThe Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is going to focus on modernizing federal technology and software to maximize efficiency and productivity, according to the executive order establishing the new department.Particularly the government services folks are extremely nervous about DOGE [it is] looking at reducing government spending, looking at reducing services, looking at reducing contractors, Farmer points out.Related:Trump has also spoken about rescoping and even eliminating entire federal departments. How that will actually play out under this administration remains to be seen, but it could result in workforce reductions.The Trump administration is going to be looking at automation of certain functions, says Peterson.Workforce reductions and increased automation could mean opportunities for IT companies to vie for government contracts. IT contractors are looking at this is about how can they support this new kind of environment and shift, Peterson adds.A Step Back from RegulationTrump signed an executive order placing a regulatory freeze on federal agencies. This administration has made clear its plans for deregulation.His moves are not unexpected.He was very clear on what he wanted to achieve in the tech space and that is less restrictions on tech companies and more innovation, says Shier.One potential result of a lighter-touch approach to regulation could be more M&A activity in the tech industry.I think a lot of deals were shelved in the last three or four years that had the potential to be significant transactions but because of the regulatory risk, folks decided not to pursue those, says Farmer. That's changed now. At least optically, people feel like there's a higher chance that deals could get through.Early DaysIt is still early days for the second Trump administration. Many of his executive orders are facing legal pushback, and the impact of the presidents actions are not readily apparent in many cases.It's hard to figure out how the executive orders to date impact spending because there's been a lot of confusion. There's a lack of clarity on what the scope is, what kind of spending these things apply to, says Peterson.Technology industry stakeholders will have to watch how these initial policy changes play out and prepare for the possibility of more.I will be watching whether they continue down the path of de-regulation and how it affects the use and consumption of tech, including AI and privacy, says Shier.In the cybersecurity space, the fate of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program is also something to watch. CMMC has seen a significant amount of pushback by companies doing business with the government as they state it is too expensive to implement and would reduce the competition in the government contractor space, says Shier.Technology leaders will be keeping a close eye on federal tech policy changes that have the possibility to reshape national security, the government contractor space, and the private sector.

Nicholas Stoller has had a hand in making some of the funniest and most successful comedies of the 21st century.Hes the director of popular hits likeForgetting Sarah Marshall andNeighbors; as a writer, hes also contributed to moviesranging fromThe MuppetstoCaptain UnderpantstoSex Tape.In the last decade, though,Stollersworked more and more frequently in television, creating or co-creatingshows likePlatonicon Apple TV+ andGoosebumps on Disney+. Since 2017, hes only directed one film, the Billy Eichner romantic comedyBros.To a casual observer, it seems like the TV world isbecoming more receptive to funding sharp, character-based comedies than movies are. When I put that question to Stoller, he didnt necessarily disagree.I mean, were finishing the second season ofPlatonicright now. My wife [Francesca Delbanco] and I do that together, Stoller told me during a Zoom chat earlier this week. And I remember, Seth [Rogen, series star, and also the star of Stollers filmsNeighborsandNeighbors 2] during the first season was likeYou know, a number of years ago, a slightly more high concept version of this could have been a movie. But it just isnt the business model right now, for whatever reason. So that stuff has gravitated to TV.Stollers latestprojectbrings himback to the world of film but not to movie theaters. The very funnyYoure Cordially Invitedstars Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon as two Type-A personalities who discover that theyve each booked a loved ones wedding at the samebeautiful but tiny venue on the same date. Chaos and big laughs ensue.The film isavailable right now onAmazons Prime Video. The degree to which I laughed at the film watching it at home made me reflect on how much I miss seeing movies likeYoure Cordially Invitedin theaters.After a brief chat about the years Oscar movies (we agreed on The BrutalistandChallengers, two movies that would then come up again during our discussion about screenwriting) Stoller and I got into his latest project andhow hetailored his scriptto his talented stars, and an update on the state of movie comedies in 2025.AmazonAmazonloading...READ MORE: 10 Movie Comedies That Are Surprisingly DeepeIm guessing a lot of peoples first question is about why you wanted to make this movie or where the ideacame from, but I am more interested to know specifically what shocking, traumatic incident happened at a wedding that you witnessed or perhaps accidentally inflicted that made you want to make this movie?You know its funny. None of that is autobiographical at all. Its really the two characters, the core emotional experience the two characters are going through, that I have connections with. LikeI have three daughters; Wills character has a daughter. Hes very sad that shes growing up. Like, that kind of thing I can certainly identify with.And Reese, her complex relationship with her family; shes really close to her sister. I have a brother and theres elements there I related to. But the two weddings being double booked is really just a way to explore the emotional experiences these characters are going through.When I try to think of funny wedding stories, I really come up short. I dont really have much in the way of crazy wedding stories. I wish I did. Everything that happens in the movie I made up.Im curious if you have any sort of guiding principles for crafting comedies. I was looking back at your movies over the weekend. Theyre all very different stories, but structurally I see similarities. There are very few heroes and villains. I see a lot of rivals; stories where I like both people who are kind of butting heads. Im wondering if theres something you particularly like about making movies with that structure?Yeah, I think a good comedy or not even a comedy, a good story is about rivals. We were just talking aboutThe Brutalist; that is a rivalry story between Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce. It creates a lot of conflict, which is what you need for dramas or comedies.Challengers is another one we were just talking about. Thats a great rivalry. I think that rivalry allows you to explore a lot of emotional experiences and also tell a story filled with tension that makes the viewer want to keep watching it. So I think thats where that comes from.But thats very astute. Idontbelieve in villains. I dont think villains are interesting. Or rather, the best villains are really human and relatable and you understand where theyre coming from. So particularly with comedies and the kinds of movies I make, early on I figured out ... I remember in the early 2000s there would be, like, Bradley Coopers character inWedding Crashers, who was just a jerk. There was nothing redeeming about him. And Ive never met anyone like that. Even the jerkiest people, I always end up having a quiet conversation with them and it turns out theyre literally just really shy and dont want to talk to anyone.People laugh at whats relatable and honest. When thats what youre laughing at, whats relatable and honest, youre relating to it. For all those reasons, I dont really tend to have heroes. Its much funnier to watch Jason Segel have a nervous breakdown than it is to have a heroic guy get the girl or whatever.Absolutely.Did you write this withWill and Reese in mind?Yeah, I had the idea of a double-booked destination wedding years ago, but I had nothing else. I knew it was a commercial idea so I kind of kept it on the back shelf. Then a few years ago I thought, Oh it would be fun to make a movie for Will and Reese. And not just fun, I was dying to do a movie for the two of them, Im obsessed with both of them. And I thought Oh that idea is big enough to support the two of them. And I built it out and then pitched them the idea, and they both said yes and then I developed it for them.Youvedirected a lot of good comedic leading men through the years. When youre conceiving this role for Will obviously Im a huge Will Ferrell fan are you thinking about things that he does uniquely well that you want to have him doing in your movie? Is there a lane where if you put him there, you know hes going to score?Because Will looks like an everyman a bit, he then has this loose cannon quality. But youalso know it all will be fine. He seems like kind of a loose cannon where anything could happen, but its also gonna be okay. I also think that with comedy people and this is true of Reese too that if the two characters can yell at each other and its funny, then its fine. If the two characters yell at each other and its like your parents are having a fight and you want to go in the other room, then its not fine. So thats a big part of it too. And Reese is really good at yelling; shes so funny doing that.And, yeah, Will has that loose cannon quality thats amazing.Then the thing I hadnt seen him do is I think this is a bit more of an emotional role than he normally would do. Hes made some of the best comedies of all time, likeTalladega NightsandAnchorman. But I wouldnt say they had very emotional scenes. And I know I wanted there to be these emotional scenes with him and Geraldine. And he really knocked that out of the park. He has that scene at the end where he apologizes to his daughter, and it is so sweet and sad and also so funny, where hes talking about missing having sex with his wife.[laughs]Its so shocking, and so funny, but also Im always on the verge of tears when that scene happens.AmazonAmazonloading...Thats avery funny scene. And not to be an old person going Back in my day! but ... back in my day I feel like that scene and this movie as a whole would have killed in a theater. And purely as an observer of the industry and a fan of movie comedies, I feel like Im seeing so few comedies in theaters.As a guy whos in the trenches making these things, why do you think we get fewer movie comedies from the bigger studios?There was just a comedy that came out that Issa Ray produced[One of Them Days] that just did well in theaters. I think comedies will always and can always work in a theater. Its just that the bullseye for what needs to work in a theater has gotten smaller and smaller. And so the studios, understandably, are not willing to risk it as much as they used to.This movie is a great theatrical experience, and no one will have that experience. It is going to be an experience everyone has at home, which kind of sucks but its also a great experience to watch with a bunch of people at home, which is nice.But yeah, it is a bummer to me because I do love watching comedies in a big theater. Its fun. Its fun to bond by laughing at this big thing. But I just think its because now movies either need to be an event, like a visual effects event like a Marvel kind of movie, to get people to come to theaters at least this is the thinking with studios or it needs to be a cultural event likeBarbie or something like that, where itsone of the biggest brands on Earth being turned into a movie. Thats the risk that studios are willing to bear. Otherwise, its just easier to put them on these services.Also, the business models are different. A lot of studios wanted to make this movie, but Amazon made the most compelling offer. And they were awesome, but their business model is not a theatrical business model. And so we knew that going in. They couldnt have been better, cooler, more collaborative partners on the movie. And at the end of the day, I was like You know what? Movies spend 95 percent of their life on streaming or DVD. Theyre not in theaters. So thats kind of where I landed after all of that.Its certainly better that it exists than it doesnt exist.Exactly.But you hit upon it when you say, its great to see a funny movie with a lot of people in a room. I know youve been working more in TV lately is that because that world is just more receptive to making comedies than the film world?I think so. And honestly, I think TV has a little bitcannibalized [movie comedy]. OnPlatonic we do hard comedy, we do set pieces, we do all the stuff that I would do in a movie, but were doing it for Apple TV. And so if someone could turn it on at home, its easier to do that than it is to go to the movie theater.AmazonAmazonloading...I do thinkYoure Cordially Invited wouldve worked in a theater. But again, its not what it was set up to be. So from the beginning I was like Lets see what this experience is like.There is one nice thing about it: It removes any pressure about box office. When a movie comes out, youre just thinking about box office. And then no one remembers what happened except for you. Thats the funny thing. Everyones like OhSarah Marshall was this giant hit. Itwasnt.It did well. I mean, now that would be the biggest hit of all time. At the time, it did fine. Itwaslooked on as the younger sibling ofSuperbad, or whatever. But people dont remember it that way. So removing that box office stigma or experience is only good. [laughs]Before we have to go, you mentioned being the father of three daughters who are getting older. Ive got two daughters, and I am really starting to feel those feelings you were talking about and that you put into Wills character in the movie. Any advice for a dad who is just getting into thattime youre talking about?How old are your daughters?Theyre seven and nine.You just have accept the change. Life is change. A lot of this movie is about how lifechanges and me not being able to deal with it. At the end [ofYoure Cordially Invited] when you see the montage of Geraldine growing up, every time I start to cry. And those are all Geraldines photos and stuff. Every time I watch that Im like Why did I do this to myself?? [laughs]Youre Cordially Invitedis now streamingon Prime Video.Get our free mobile app25 Terrible Movies So Bad They Became IconicThese movies arent just so bad theyre good theyre so bad theyve become classics.

Are you highly detail-oriented with a passion for organizing data and ensuring its accuracy? Do you thrive in roles where youre behind the scenes, gathering, verifying, and organizing critical information? If this sounds like you, Blue Ocean Home Buyers wants you on our team! As a Data Entry Specialist, you'll play a vital role in supporting our real estate operations with precise, reliable data that drives our success.Job TitleLocation: RemotePosition Type: Full-timeSalary: 900USD - 1400USD Monthly (depends on experience)Schedule: Eastern Standard Time (EST)Monday to Friday: 9 AM - 6 PM (Includes 1-hour break + 2 Paid Rest Breaks)Responsibilities:Collect, scrape, and enter data accurately using our software tools and other techniques aligning to our data base schema.Maintain and update databases, ensuring data accuracy, integrity, and proper segmentation for targeted marketing efforts.Review and verify data to ensure completeness and accuracy.Regularly update databases and track all tasks with precision.Track key performance indicators (KPIs), analyze results, and provide insights for improvement.Identify and recommend opportunities to streamline data collection, database maintenance, and reporting processes.Troubleshoot and resolve data entry issues in a timely manner.Maintain data quality and reliability by independently handling challenges and executing tasks efficiently.Coordinate and communicate with the internal team to ensure smooth workflows.Assist with administrative tasks or special projects as needed.Qualifications:English Proficiency: Must have amazing English skills; your ability to communicate effectively in an American cultural context is critical.Ability to learn quickly and adapt to new tools and processes.Proficiency in Google Workspace.Strong knowledge of database management and data scraping techniques.Proven experience in data entry, data analysis, or related fields.Excellent verbal and written communication skills.Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.Strong problem-solving skills and ability to manage large datasets.High attention to detail and accuracy.Real Estate Experience Required.Work Setup:Reliable high-speed internet connection (20Mbps down, 20Mbps up minimum).Computer with at least Core i5, 8GB RAM.Quiet workspace with minimal interruptions.What to Expect from Us:Fully Remote: Work from the comfort of your home or preferred location.Supportive Environment: Comprehensive training, tools, and ongoing support to ensure your success.Growth Opportunities: Clear paths for career advancement within our high-performing team.Competitive Compensation: Base salary with the potential for uncapped earnings through bonuses.Blue Ocean Home Buyers is a dynamic real estate investment firm in northeast Florida focusing on acquiring properties through strategic research and direct marketing. We stand out in the market by identifying properties that are not readily accessible to others, giving us a competitive edge. Our mission is to create value by solving property issues and offering tailored solutions to sellers, thereby facilitating smooth transactions.If you thrive in a role that requires focus, precision, and organization, we want YOU on our team. Help us uncover opportunities and set the foundation for our success!