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On Thursday, The New York Times published a lengthy story about the rise in power of Stephen Miller, a longtime loyalist of Donald Trump known for his hardline views on immigration. Normally, a story like that wouldnt get much attention in the tech press. But the piece opened with an anecdote about Mark Zuckerberg that immediately raised eyebrows. The story detailed a recent meeting Miller had with Zuckerberg when the Meta CEO traveled to Mar-a-Lago last year. According to The Times, Zuckerberg who would soon renounce Metas prior fact checking efforts and ditch corporate diversity programs blamed his former chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, for an inclusivity initiative at Facebook that encouraged employees self-expression in the workplace. That line set off a fresh round of speculation (and some outrage) in tech circles. Sandberg, who left Meta in 2022 and rose to fame after authoring her women in the workplace manifesto Lean In, was known for her once close partnership with Zuckerberg at the top of Facebook. That Zuckerberg would blame his former top lieutenant for fostering inclusivity at his company, raised eyebrows even among longtime observers of the company. She always knew who Mark Zuckerberg and covered for him, New York Times reporter Sheera Frankel, who co-wrote a book about Facebooks dominance, observed on Bluesky. The question is whether she will continue to do so when he so blatantly throws her under the (Trump) bus. Journalist and longtime tech pundit Kara Swisher likewise noted that folks I talked to tonight from the Mark/Sheryl Facebook era are shocked but not surprised by his blaming her. I also weighed in on my Threads account, sharing a link to a Business Insider story from February that quoted an interview in which Zuckerberg said that Sandberg had raised him like a parent. I joked that the comment hadnt aged well. But on Friday, Zuckerberg decided to let me (and I guess everyone else) know that he and Sandberg are still cool, after all. Sheryl did amazing work at Meta and will forever be a legend in the industry, he wrote in a reply to my post. She built one of the greatest businesses of all time and taught me much of what I know. Threads Zuckerberg did not respond when I asked if Sandberg was too focused on DEI initiatives at Meta or whether she took away from the masculine energy he recently told Joe Rogan corporations should embody. (Notably, he has not denied The Times reporting about his comments on Sandberg.) But, a few minutes later, Sandberg jumped in to helpfully let me know there are no hard feelings on her side, either. Thank you, @zuck. I will always be grateful for the many years we spent building a great business together - and for your friendship that got me through some of the hardest times of my life and continues to this day. Zuckerberg responded with a single heart emoji. So, I guess that settles it. Nothing to see here, folks. Mark and Sheryl are definitely still friends. They may not work at the same company anymore, but they are still able to come together to head off a potential PR crisis. What could be more inspiring than that?This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/mark-zuckerberg-and-sheryl-sandberg-want-you-to-know-theyre-still-friends-and-definitely-not-mad-at-each-other-222145203.html?src=rss
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Greta Gerwig's follow-up to Barbie, an adaptation of one of C.S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia books, will be exclusively viewable in theaters for four weeks before it hits Netflix on Christmas, according to a new report from Puck. Netflix is historically anti-theater, but it seems like it can set that aside for the right filmmaker. Theaters will have a four-week exclusive window on the film globally longer than the week Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery got but it will only be available to watch on IMAX screens to start. IMAX is guaranteeing the film will be shown in the format for two weeks, according to Puck, and is willing to add another week if there's demand. After that, the film could come to non-IMAX theaters, too. Netflix, while owning a few theaters itself, is philosophically-opposed to theatrical exclusivity. It'll put Netflix movies in theaters for the amount of time required to qualify for awards season, but otherwise avoids them like the plague. That might be nice for subscribers who've become accustomed to watching everything at home, but most filmmakers want their films to be seen on the big screen. For example, Netflix reportedly lost the chance to distribute Saltburn director Emerald Fennel's next film, an adaptation of Wuthering Heights, because it refused to give the film time in theaters, according to The New York Times. Rumors circulated that IMAX, Gerwig, and Netflix were discussing a deal in October 2024, and it seems the director got her way. It's strange to have to fight tooth and nail for what could be a blockbuster movie to be seen by a paying audience. There's plenty of evidence that putting films in theaters makes money, but it's a lesson that even company's like Disney have had to relearn after the streaming boom. Moana 2 started as a Disney+ filler before it was tweaked and turned into a theatrical release that made over $200 million in December 2024. It's impossible to say if this decision signals a longterm change at Netflix, but future filmmakers working with the company now have interesting precedent to point to for their own theatrical deals.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/greta-gerwigs-narnia-movie-will-get-up-to-four-weeks-in-theaters-203920581.html?src=rss
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The seven-year wait is finally over. Nintendo has officially revealed its next console, the Switch 2. Now that the reveal has actually happened, after months of speculation, we can all move onto something else, right? Not so fast. The short introduction video actually created more questions than answers. Theres a whole lot we dont know about Nintendos forthcoming hybrid console, so lets get into it. When will it come out? We dont know! Nintendo has a Direct livestream planned for April 2, in which well probably get that information. Itll be sometime after that, but during 2025. Maybe theyll do a quick turnaround and have it ready for sale by the end of April, but a summer release is far more likely. Its also possible the company will wait until the beginning of the lucrative holiday season. Folks will be able to play it in the near future, however, as Nintendo is holding in-person events throughout the world in April through June. What are the internal specs? This is another mystery. The introduction video merely showed the exterior of the console, along with the updated controllers. There was no mention of internal specs. Of course, there are plenty of rumors regarding the power of Nintendos next console, but nothing concrete. Some analysts predict the console will include an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal eMMC storage, while others say itll be powered by an NVIDIA-produced Tegra239 SoC (system on a chip). Most people seem to agree that the system will include some version of NVIDIAs DLSS deep learning supersampling" upscaling tech. What about the screen? Nintendo Weve seen the screen in action, likely running some version of an upcoming Mario Kart game. The video gave us some insight into the size of the display, as it looks to be around 30 percent larger than the current model. This tracks with rumors indicating an 8-inch screen. However, we dont know the type of display that accompanies the console. Rumors vary here. Some analysts predict a Mini-LED screen, while others expect a traditional LCD. It probably wont be an OLED, as the company will likely save that for a future upgrade. Whats the battery life? There arent even any credible rumors on this one, but there was some speculation last year regarding the companys adoption of a performance mode feature with the Switch 2. Nintendo likes to hit that mass market sweet spot, so Id be very surprised if the battery life didnt match the Switch OLEDs 4.5 to nine hours of playtime per charge. The console will be more powerful than the OG Switch, certainly, but its also bigger. That extra room can house a beefy battery. How much will it cost? This is yet another unknown. Nintendo will likely reveal pricing information on April 2. The original Switch launched at $300, as did the Wii U. However, inflation is real and supply chains are rickety. Rumors have been circulating that the price could shoot up to $400, or even higher. Nintendo does tend to increase base level console prices every couple of generations. The GameCube originally cost $200 and the Wii was $250. Do the controllers feature optical sensors? Nintendo Theres been a long-standing rumor that the Switch 2 will incorporate mouse-like functionality via optical sensors on the Joy-Cons. We dont have exact confirmation on that, but the introduction video sure seems to imply it. Eagle-eyed viewers probably spotted a segment that featured the Pixar-like controllers moving around a table like, well, two computer mice. If true, Nintendo will likely develop some wacky software that combines mouse and controller inputs. In any event, this addition will certainly make stuff like Civilization VI easier to play. It could also hint at a new Mario Paint. Whats that unmarked button on the right side? Nintendo Viewers also likely spotted a new button on the bottom of the right Joy-Con. This was previously rumored to be a C button, but it's unmarked in the introduction video. We dont know what it does, so your guess is as good as ours. Maybe it calibrates controllers or initiates voice chat. Well probably find out on April 2. Whats the deal with backwards compatibility? Nintendo Yes, the Switch 2 is backwards compatible with original Switch games. This is fantastic news, but the intro video did note that "certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2." We dont exactly know what that means or how many titles it will impact. Its a fair bet that it refers to some of the wackier stuff from the previous generation, like Nintendo Labo or Mario Kart: Home Circuit. Will stick drift be a problem? Well have to wait and see on that one, but the reveal video did take some time out to show a joystick doing cute little full circles. Previous leaks have indicated that Nintendo has learned its lesson regarding stick-drift and the new console will include Hall effect joysticks. We sure hope so. What will the UI be like? The Switchs user interface, for better or worse, is extremely minimal and bare-bones. This carries over to the online shopping experience. We dont know if the Switch 2 will incorporate some Nintendo-grade wackiness when it comes to the UI. My hope is that it brings back its long-forgotten social network Miiverse. It was silly and fun. Modern social media apps are a lot of things, but I wouldnt exactly call them silly or fun. Will there be any Nintendo weirdness? From the headache-inducing 3DS to the, well, equally headache-inducing Virtual Boy, Nintendo has always marched to the beat of its own drum. The Switch 2, however, seems to be an extremely conservative release for the company. It's a more powerful and slightly bigger Switch. Will there be any of that Nintendo weirdness that saved the company in the age of the Wii and nearly ruined it during the Wii U era? We don't know yet. It's entirely possible the aforementioned optical sensors or "C" button could lead to wild and wacky gameplay experiences. It's also possible that there are features yet to be announced. This is Nintendo we are talking about here. What are the launch games? Nintendo This is a total unknown, though fans hoping for a new Mario Kart certainly got a jolt by that reveal video. It included a fair amount of footage from what looked to be a brand-new Mario Kart, complete with revamped character designs and the potential for 24-person races.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/everything-were-still-dying-to-know-about-the-nintendo-switch-2-195606756.html?src=rss
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