Technology

A24’s Problemista is a surreal fairy tale about finding the people who truly see you

Published

10 months ago

March 17, 2024

A24’s Problemista is a surreal fairy tale about finding the people who truly see you

Each of comedian Julio Torres’ projects has spoken to his ability to tell stories that are shaped by both his distinct imagination and a deep understanding of the hyperspecific idiosyncrasies that make odd people interesting. In SNL sketches like “Wells For Boys,” and his short-lived HBO series Los Espookys, Torres created windows into absurdist worlds meant to seem like places you might only visit in your dreams. But with A24’s Problemista — which he wrote, directed, and stars in — Torres uses his creative powers to paint a picture whose beauty is rooted in how real and emotionally honest it feels.

Inspired by Torres’ own experience immigrating to the US, Problemista tells the story of Alejandro, an aspiring toymaker from El Salvador who travels to America in hopes of fulfilling his dreams of working for Hasbro. As the only child born to artist Dolores (Catalina Saavedra), Alejandro grows up experiencing their small pocket of the world as a magical, vibrant place that nourishes his unique imagination. When a young Alejandro (Logan J. Alarcon-Poucel) wishes for a life-size, castle-like playhouse where he can contemplate his feelings, Dolores uses her talents to make his dream real — not just because she can but also because she wants him to understand that he, too, is capable of transforming ideas into reality.

Dolores also wants Alejandro to know that she’ll always love him and support his choices, which her dreams tell her will one day lead him to great things. But when the time finally comes for Alejandro to set out on his own, Dolores cannot help but feel like she’s sending him off into a world that isn’t good enough for a soul as sensitive as his.

Through both Katie Byron’s impeccably offbeat production design and voiceover narration from Isabella Rossellini, Problemista clues you into how, more than being a simple chronicle of Alejandro’s journey to America, it’s really a kind of fairy tale about a profoundly sensitive and sheltered man discovering what it means to chase one’s passions.

Getting to New York City and finding a place to stay are important steps on Alejandro’s path to Hasbro, where he hopes his ideas for social-media-obsessed Cabbage Patch Kids and psychologically manipulative Barbies might land him an entry-level gig. Hopes don’t exactly pay the bills, though. And as an immigrant, Alejandro’s ability to stay in the US is contingent upon finding a job willing to sponsor him before his time runs out. It’s necessity more than anything else that leads to Alejandro working at a cryogenics startup specializing in deep-freezing artists like Bobby (RZA) who want to wake up centuries into the future. But it seems to be fate that introduces Alejandro to Bobby’s ferociously belligerent art critic wife Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton) the very same afternoon he’s fired.

While the whimsical atmosphere of playfulness that Problemista leads with never really fades away, it becomes much more unhinged once Elizabeth enters the picture with a proposal for Alejandro to become her newest in a seemingly long line of overworked assistants. In Elizabeth — a living reality distortion field whose fuse is as short as her outfits are loud — Alejando can see a woman in mourning who ultimately wants to be seen and heard more than she actually wants to fight. But shouting is Elizabeth’s default mode, and while most people experience her rageful outbursts as ordinary temper tantrums, Alejandro visualizes them as a series of battles between a bloodthirsty monster and her helpless victims.

Though Problemista’s flights of fancy bring a levity to the film, their strength lies in how powerfully they illustrate the more complex, serious ideas Torres is exploring with his script, like the ways in which the US’s visa system makes it extraordinarily difficult for immigrants to build new lives and thrive in the country. Dealing with Elizabeth and her quest to track down a series of Bobby’s egg-focused paintings is its own kind of hell that would make anyone want to dissociate. But it pales in comparison to the anxiety Alejandro lives with knowing that he’s just days away from being deported.

Even with sympathetic case workers like Khalil (Laith Nakli) rooting for him, without money, there’s no way for Alejandro to escape from the immigration system’s never-ending fees or the overdraft charges that plague his bank account. And the more time Alejandro spends trying to navigate the unfairly designed maze of near-poverty, the more he finds himself turning to the embodiment of Craigslist (Larry Owen) to find extra low-paying side hustles.

Problemista quietly weaves many of its narrative threads together in clever ways — Elizabeth is the cave-dwelling monster who haunts Dolores’ dreams, for example, and the critic’s power to will things into existence (by bullying people) reminds Alejandro of his mother’s knack for translating rough sketches into three-dimensional works of art.

But the film sometimes feels more like an ensemble of complementary stories rather than a singular narrative (which isn’t necessarily a knock against) because of how much time the film spends with side characters, pulling the focus away from Alejandro. Together, Swinton and Torres are a storm of delightful eccentricities that belie their characters’ shared yet distinct emotional vulnerabilities. As Alejandro and Elizabeth grow closer, Problemista’s forays into the absurd become even more intense and fantastical to emphasize how they represent the truth of what something is.

Those truths are often so terrifying that people don’t want to see them. But Problemista emphasizes how healing it can be to confront them through art and by trying to build meaningful connections with others even when the task seems impossible.

Problemista also stars Greta Lee, Spike Einbinder, Kelly McCormack, Megan Stalter, Charlene Incarnate, Martine Gutierrez, and Carlos E. Navedo. The film hits theaters nationwide on March 22nd.

Technology

Honor’s Magic 7 Pro looks flagship through and through

Published

3 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Honor’s Magic 7 Pro looks flagship through and through

Honor’s flagship Magic 7 Pro launches in the UK and Europe today, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite and protected by top-tier water-resistance. It also features a high resolution 200 megapixel telephoto camera.

Arriving a week after the OnePlus 13 and a week before we expect to meet Samsung’s Galaxy S25 phones, the Magic 7 Pro is among the first phones to release outside of China with Qualcomm’s new chipset inside. That makes it one of the most powerful phones on the market, especially with 12GB of RAM. It also features a sizable 5,270mAh battery built around a silicon-carbon chemistry, allowing it to pack more energy into a smaller space with the Magic 7 Pro measuring just 8.8mm thick.

Much like the new OnePlus phone — and, unexpectedly, Motorola’s $299.99 Moto G Power, which launched in the US yesterday — the Magic 7 Pro is both IP68 and IP69-rated. That means that in addition to the usual protection from dust and submersion in water, it should survive exposure to steam and high-pressure water jets — ideal if you regularly use your phone in a jacuzzi, probably overkill for the rest of us.

Yup, it’s thin,

Image: Honor

Also unusual is the phone’s 200 megapixel 3x periscopic camera. We’ve seen megapixel counts as high as this before, but mostly on main cameras, not zoom lenses — with the exception of Vivo’s X100 Ultra and X200 Pro. It’s bolstered by an AI Super Zoom feature that kicks in at 30x zoom for added clarity, with this and a few other camera AI modes using a combination of on-device and cloud-based large language models to fine-tune images.

There’s even more AI than that, since it ships with Android 15 and Google’s Gemini AI app, which Honor has bolstered with its own AI-powered takes on translation and notes apps.

The Magic 7 Pro launched in China last November, but this is its first appearance outside of the country. Honor is one of several Chinese smartphone manufacturers that saw growth in global market share in 2024, thanks in part to last year’s flagship Magic 6 series and the Magic V3, still the thinnest foldable phone available.

Honor Magic 7 Lite.

Image: Honor

For its European launch the Pro is joined by the Magic 7 Lite, a midrange handset that uses the comparatively sluggish Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chip and arrives still running Android 14. The selling point of that phone is its enormous 6,600mAh battery, which Honor claims will run for three days. There’s no sign of the regular Magic 7, which launched alongside the Pro in China.

The Magic 7 Pro is available to order now from honor.com starting at £1,099.99 / €1,299 (about $1,340), with major retailers and local carriers set to stock it too. The Magic 7 Lite is much cheaper at £399.99 / €369, and also available now.

Technology

Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

Published

3 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

You might have heard about electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL). Well, there’s some exciting news coming from Jetson, a Swedish startup that’s making waves in the air racing scene. While Australia’s Airspeeder has been working on crewed eVTOL races, Jetson founder and CTO Tomasz Patan recently took the spotlight with a demonstration that many are calling the start of the world’s first eVTOL air racing.

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Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Airspeeder’s ambitions

Airspeeder has been building momentum since 2017, aiming to establish world championship races with their striking eVTOL aircraft. However, their current races involve remote-controlled vehicles, with pilots safely on the ground. Enter Jetson, who has now demonstrated a crewed flight around a racing pylon, albeit with just one aircraft.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

EVTOL PROTOTYPE PROMISES 150 MPH CITY-TO-CITY HOPS

The Jetson One: A game changer

The star of this show is the Jetson One, a personal eVTOL designed for agility and performance. In a recent video, Patan showcases the aircraft’s nimble capabilities by navigating around a 26-foot-tall pylon. While this demonstration does not quite constitute a full race, it offers a tantalizing preview of what eVTOL racing could look like. Here are some key features of the Jetson One:

Dimensions: 8.86 x 5.25 x 3.67 feet
Top speed: Software-limited to 63 mph
Flight time: 20 minutes per charge
Power source: High-discharge Li-ion batteries
Control: Joystick-operated
Maximum altitude: Over 1,500 feet (~460 m)
Pilot requirements: No license needed in the U.S.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

THIS FLYING ELECTRIC VEHICLE BREAKS RECORD WITH 523-MILE NONSTOP FLIGHT

Market response and future plans

The market response to the Jetson One has been remarkable. The company has already confirmed sales of more than 470 units and is now taking orders for the 2026 batch. To secure your place in line, you’ll need to make a non-refundable deposit of $8,000, with the full price tag coming in at $128,000.

Jetson claims that their eVTOL is user-friendly, stating that pilots can master the aircraft in under 60 minutes of flight practice, along with eight simulator sessions. This accessibility could be a game-changer in the personal aviation market.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

REVOLUTIONARY FLYING CAR PROMISES HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND 3-HOUR FLIGHTS

Safety and regulatory considerations

While the prospect of personal eVTOLs and air racing is thrilling, it also raises important safety and regulatory questions. Jetson has implemented several safety features, including:

A race car-inspired safety cell design
The ability to fly safely with the loss of one motor
Hands-free hover and emergency functions
A ballistic parachute with rapid deployment

In terms of regulations, Jetson has made progress, securing two flight permits in Italy for personal eVTOL travel in uncontrolled airspace in fall 2023. However, comprehensive racing regulations are yet to be defined.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The competition: Airspeeder and beyond

While Jetson has made headlines with this demonstration, it’s worth noting that Airspeeder isn’t far behind. They have already created teams and held aerial events, albeit with remote-controlled eVTOLs. Their aircraft boasts impressive specifications, including a top speed of 124 mph and a power-to-weight ratio comparable to Formula 1 cars.

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Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Kurt’s key takeaways

The demonstration by Jetson marks a significant milestone in the evolution of personal aviation and air racing. While it does not yet represent a full-fledged race, it is a tangible step towards a future where eVTOL racing could become a reality. As we look to the skies, it is clear that the race for eVTOL supremacy is just beginning.

What are your thoughts on the future of eVTOL racing and personal aviation after reading about Jetson and Airspeeder? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Elon Musk is being sued by the feds over the way he bought Twitter

Published

12 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Elon Musk is being sued by the feds over the way he bought Twitter

Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has resulted in a federal lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging that he broke securities laws with a late disclosure, and saved $150 million in the process.

Before Musk agreed to buy Twitter for $44 billion, before he tried to back out of that deal, before he was forced to go through with it, and before he changed its name to X, he started by acquiring a substantial stake in the company but didn’t reveal that fact until weeks later.

The only problem, as the SEC pointed out then, is that by the time he disclosed that stake, it was outside the agency’s required 10-day window. They claim that he should’ve filed his paperwork by March 24th, 2022, instead of when he actually did, on April 4th (and then again on April 5th). During that period, they say he purchased more than $500 million in shares of the company.

However, with only a few days left before the Trump administration takes over and installs a new head of the SEC (along with Elon Musk reportedly snagging an office in the White House complex), it’s unclear how far the lawsuit will go.

The SEC claims Musk cost investors at least $150 million due to the late disclosure and that he harmed any investors who sold stock between March 25th, 2022, and April 1st, 2022. Its lawsuit is seeking the money Elon made as a result of holding off on the disclosure, as well as a civil penalty and other punishments.