Apple releases Mac OS Big Sur, a total revamp of its desktop operating system

Despite a long gestation period and a botched launch day yesterday, Apple's biggest revamp to its mac OS "Big Sur" is now available for download. Weighing in at over 12 GB, this is a hefty visual and functional upgrade to compatible mac desktops and laptops. A lot of the look and feel is reminiscent of iOS 14, and this is no surprise since Big Sur has been optimized for Apple Silicon which Apple is transitioning to by way of new hardware. 

Notable updates are the return of the startup chime, additoonal controls and the return of widgets that help push information forward without needing to open apps. The Safari browser is also faster, safer, and more privacy-oriented and now feels faster than Google Chrome, which is a resource hog on Macs. The spit and polish extends to Apple's native apps like Mail, Maps, Messages, and Notes offer new features and better integration. The big benefit of Big Sur on Apple Silicon macs is that they will be able to run iOS apps, while this sounds great in theory, mac OS still does not offer multi-touch control, so while having access to these apps is a cool feature, they will not be running in an optimized environment. 

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Marvel's 'WandaVision' to premiere on Disney+ on Jan. 15

It's finally happening. The first Marvel Cinematic Universe series will be coming to Disney+ at the start of the year. WandaVision's first episode will stream on the service on January 15, 2021. The six-episode show will focus on the relationship between Scarlett Witch (played by Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) following the events of Avengers: Endgame. 

You can expect to see some familiar faces from MCU, including Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) from Thor and Thor: The Dark World and Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) from Ant-Man and The Wasp. They will also be joined by Kathryn Hahn and Teyonah Parris, who will play the adult version of Monica Rambeau (featured in Captain Marvel).

Source: Engadget

YouTube won't have its infamous YouTube Rewind this year

The much-maligned YouTube Rewind won't be happening this year. The service's annual video recap of the year has been panned by both creators and viewers alike. While YouTube tries different approaches for it, it's just not well-received. The 2018 YouTube Rewind even became the platform's most disliked video.

YouTube announced on Twitter that it was scrapping Rewind this year as it "doesn't feel right to carry on" as 2020 piles on one disaster after another. Whether it comes back next year is still unknown. 

Source: Mashable

David Fincher, Netflix sign exclusive four-year deal

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The director behind such films as Gone Girl, The Social Network, Fight Club, and Zodiac has signed another exclusive four-year agreement with Netflix. David Fincher confirmed the news in an interview with French magazine Premiere. He joked about how his next works will depend on the reception to the upcoming film, Mank, which will come to theatres and later debut on Netflix.

"Depending on Mank's reception, I'll either go see them [Netflix] sheepishly asking them what I can do to redeem myself or take the attitude of the arrogant asshole who'll require making other films in black and white," Fincher joked. "No, I'm here to deliver them 'content'—whatever it means—likely to bring them spectators, in my small sphere of influence."

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