Feed aggregator

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin blends traditional documentary techniques with World of Warcraft recreations to paint a touching portrait of the online life of a Norwegian gamer.

SEE ALSO: 'Never Let Go' review: Halle Berry horror flick intrigues, then stalls

The film, directed by Benjamin Ree, centers on 25-year-old Mats Steen, who died in 2014 from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His parents, Robert and Trude, initially have a fairly bleak view of Mats' life. It seems to them that Mats was not social and spent most of his time gaming, so Robert and Trude worry he hadn't made any meaningful connections. However, after they announce Mats' passing on his old blog, they receive an outpouring of support that reveals Mats led a rich, love-filled life in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft, where he played a character named Ibelin Redmoore.

What’s The Remarkable Life of Ibelin about?

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin first introduces us to Mats through Robert and Trude's home videos. Pivotal life moments play out at an accelerated pace: Mats as a newborn, Mats on his first day of school. As his dystrophy manifests and worsens, we also see footage of him falling and trying to get back up, followed by videos of him using a wheelchair, and even a time lapse of him gaming for hours at a time. Throughout it all, Robert and Trude lament what they see as his distance from those around him, wishing that they could have done more.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Sundance movies (and shows) you need to know about

But when Robert and Trude begin to receive e-mails from Mats' WoW friends, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin kicks into a whole new gear. It hits rewind — literally — and shows us everything we just saw from Mats' perspective, complete with posts from his blog, "Musings of Life," which are read aloud by an actor. Often, these voiceovers play over home video footage we've already seen, allowing Mats to lend his voice to the story in a crucial way.

The biggest change here is the inclusion of recreated scenes from Mats' WoW gameplay, pulled from over 42,000 pages of gaming logs. As these animated scenes play out, taking over from more tried-and-true documentary tools like talking heads and home videos, Ree immerses us fully in Mats' point of view. It's an effective shift in form: Whenever we enter WoW sequences, we know we're getting the closest we can to Mats' true story.

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin proves the power of online spaces.

In the animated WoW scenes, we see Mats as Ibelin interacting with his online community, a role-playing guild known as Starlight. These interactions go beyond completing quests and slaying dragons, though. At one point, Mats forges an in-game romance that spills into the real world. At another, he helps a mother reconnect with her autistic son. Between animated WoW scenes and interviews with members of Starlight, we get a picture of Mats as kind, empathetic, and actively engaging in the kind of relationships Robert and Trude wanted for him — just online.

That virtual spaces can have a real-world impact is undeniable at this point, so The Remarkable Life of Ibelin's exploration of that fact rings true, if not particularly revelatory. However, as someone with an admittedly narrow view of WoW — one that skews towards stereotypes of toxicity — Ree's look at Mats' niche community is a moving case study. Like with Robert and Trude, the revelation of Mats' inner life challenged my own assumptions about gaming as a tool for connection.

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin keeps Mats' family life and WoW life mostly separate, mirroring his own experience and the experiences of those who knew him. Just as his parents didn't know much about his gaming life, his friends in the Starlight guild didn't initially know much about his personal life, as Mats kept fairly quiet about it.

However, both groups come together in the film's astonishing final moments, involving a memorial that will tug at your heartstrings and cue many, many tears. It's a remarkable closer, and along with the rest of The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, it serves as a touching tribute to what Mats meant to so many people, as well as the power of the virtual ties that bind us.

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin was reviewed out of Fantastic Fest. It hits Netflix Oct. 25.

While Intel has struggled in recent years, other chipmakers are thriving because of a boom in demand.

A lot is unknown about the characters' lives prior to the start of the film. Halle Berry gives some revealing details to give context to her character in 'Never Let Go'.

Waymo, the driverless car company run by Google parent company Alphabet, already operates autonomous vehicles in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, and will soon be available in Atlanta and Austin. 

The Georgia and Texas Waymo experiences, set to launch early next year, will be a bit different than what California and Arizona riders encounter. Thanks to a partnership between former enemies Waymo and Uber, riders in Atlanta and Austin will be required to use the Uber app to hail a robo-car (rides in Phoenix can use the Uber or Waymo One app, while service in L.A. and San Francisco has no Uber component). Even though they may request a Waymo via the Uber app, Austin and Atlanta users will not be guaranteed one, Forbes reports. Riders can decline a Waymo in those cities or update their settings so they never receive a self-driving vehicle.

SEE ALSO: Watch passengers react to a truly driverless Waymo ride

Uber will “manage and dispatch a fleet of Waymo’s fully autonomous, all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles that will grow to hundreds over time,” according to a statement from Waymo. “Riders who request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric may be matched with a Waymo for qualifying trips.”

Uber will be responsible for the Waymo depots in Atlanta and Austin, as well as cleaning and vehicle repair. Waymo will remain in charge of the car’s testing and operation, including roadside assistance and rider support functions, which includes a “Support” button available on a passenger screen.

Waymo isn’t the only autonomous car company linking up with Uber, as General Motors’ Cruise vehicles will soon be deployed via the Uber app. The Waymo partnerships could have something to do with the company being a loss leader for Alphabet, likely costing the parent company billions in losses, according to the Associated Press.

While a Cruise vehicle seriously injured a San Francisco pedestrian last year, Waymo’s cars have a better, but not perfect, safety record and are performing about 100,000 rides per week in L.A., San Francisco, and Phoenix, the AP reports. 

As the government wraps up its case, it has built a picture of how Google has become dominant among companies that buy and sell ads online.

It's a big week for Apple. The new iPhone 16 line hits store shelves today alongside the new AirPods 4. Just a few days earlier, Apple released the new iOS 18 and macOS 15, also known as macOS Sequoia, too.

However, Mac users are reporting some issues as it pertains to the latter release and the cybersecurity tools that they use.

As noticed by TechCrunch, Mac users who upgraded to macOS Sequoia are experiencing issues with their cybersecurity software and its compatibility with Apple's new operating system.

SEE ALSO: macOS Sequoia public beta: 5 new features that may convince Windows users to switch Cybersecurity tools reportedly clash with macOS Sequoia

The issue with macOS Sequoia not playing nice with cybersecurity tools was first discovered after some Mac users who upgraded reported that they were experiencing network connection issues on social media.

The errors were solved when users turned off cybersecurity tools from companies like Microsoft, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, and ESET.

In addition, BleepingComputer also discovered reports of Mac users having issues with utilizing VPNs on macOS Sequoia as well. The cybersecurity news outlet noted a change in macOS Sequoia's release notes that could point to the potential problem. 

It appears that Apple removed a feature in macOS's firewall, which may have broken these applications. The firewall issue appears to be affecting some users' Firefox web browser too.

Obviously, turning off antivirus software or firewalls is not an ideal solution. Companies like CrowdStrike and SentinelOne are recommending that users not upgrade to macOS Sequoia until the issues are resolved.

While many Apple Mac consumers may not be affected by these specific issues as they don't use these products, it's important to note how any new software launch can result in issues on day one.

Be cautious and check with the developers of your essential everyday use applications regarding any compatibility issues before upgrading.

We reached out to Apple for comment. If we get a response, we'll update this article.

Meta Connect 2024 is so close, you can almost taste it.

Launching during the week of Sept. 23, the social media giant is expected to rollout hardware and software goodies that will intrigue VR gamer enthusiasts, AI aficionados, and smart glasses devotees. But what, specifically, does Meta have up its sleeves?

We have a few guesses based on credible reports.

What to expect at Meta Connect 2024

Last year, the Meta Quest 3 was announced in early June, but it got its full reveal at Meta Connect 2023.

The headset boasted a sleeker, more comfortable design, as well as new AR capabilities, that made it more appealing than its predecessor. Once again, for Meta Connect 2024, the social media giant is expected to drop a new VR headset, but it's not necessarily an upgrade over the Quest 3.

Meta Quest 3S

Rumor has it that Meta is planning on revealing a cheaper, more budget-friendly version of the Quest 3 called "Quest 3S."

Tweet may have been deleted

Whether it was intentional or accidental, as discovered by a Reddit poster, Meta leaked Quest 3S in its own Meta Quest Link PC app for Windows. For the uninitiated, this software lets users connect their Meta-branded VR headsets to a PC, allowing them to access more demanding PCVR games with just the Quest Link cable (which helps users siphon graphics power from their PC's GPU).

The image appears to have the body of the Quest 2 (in that it isn't as sleek as the Quest 3), but it has different cameras on the front.

According to a leaker on X, Quest 3S will have the following:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip

• 1,832 x 1,920-pixel resolution per eye

• Up to 120Hz refresh rate

• Quest Touch Plus controllers

• 4 IR tracking cameras

• 2 IR illuminators for depth sensing

• 2 4MP cameras for passthrough

Regarding price, Meta Quest 3S will reportedly have a starting price of $299. For reference, the starting price of the Quest 3 was $499 when it launched last year, so if the reported price is accurate, you'll be saving $200 with Quest 3S.

AR smart glasses

Last year, Meta unveiled the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which is packed with Meta AI.

Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

This time around, according to a report from Business Insider, Meta is planning on releasing a new pair of spectacles that are totally unrelated to Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. Called "Orion" internally, these glasses will focus on augmented reality (AR).

AR incorporates virtual elements into your real-world environment. Meta's Quest 3 is capable of AR. For example, it has a "passthrough mode" that lets you see your true surroundings, but at the same time, you'll have the option to see or interact with virtual objects in your space.

Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, on the other hand, have zero AR capabilities. It can play music, take pictures, capture videos, take calls — and even lets you chat with Meta AI. However, it doesn't offer another augmented dimension — but Orion, reportedly, will.

Meta AI

Meta AI can be found across a myriad of Meta products, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and even the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.

Credit: Meta

Last year, Meta introduced Instagram-based "Meta AI Personas," which were celebrity-look-a-like chatbots that didn't quite resonate with many people, including Mashable's own AI reporter Cecily Mauran.

Based on Meta AI, these chatbots featured the likeness of popular, high-profile people (i.e., Padma Laksmi and Snoop Dogg) while taking on roles like "Creative Writing Partner," "Travel Expert," and more.

However, this year, they got the boot.

This doesn't mean that Meta AI won't continue to be spotlighted during Connect 2024. We're expecting lots of AI updates during the livestream.

Meta Connect 2024 will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. ET.