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We're so used to seeing virtual reality depicted nefariously in films like The Matrix, Virtuousity (a forgotten '90s classic) and The Lawnmower Man, it's genuinely surprising to see something that treats VR in a potentially positive way. In Flora Lau's Luz, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week, theres no major downside to VR, its just another way for humans to connect. And in the case of the film's two lonely leads, art gallery worker Ren (Sandrine Pinna) and pseudo-gangster Wei (Xiaodong Guo), VR serves as a life raft of human connection, something that could help them find peace in a world where they both feel adrift. Set in modern-day Chongqing (a city so neon-filled and futuristic it seems more sci-fi than real) and Paris, the characters in Luz live alongside technology familiar to us. Smartphones and OnlyFans-esque livestreams featuring young girls are commonplace. But the virtual reality hardware in the film including ski mask-like goggles, pointed finger sensors that resemble a witch's nails is both a step ahead, and slightly behind, where we are today. Luz, both the name of the film and the VR world people visit, is a fascinating artifact of the immersive reality space from several years ago. That was before we knew finger tracking could be the main input mode in a VR/AR headset like Apple's Vision Pro. Ren and Wei experience the VR world of Luz as an escape from their real-world troubles, though that ultimately proves futile. Ren tries to connect with her stepmother Sabine (the legendary Isabelle Huppert), an emotionally distant Paris gallery owner who is avoiding any help for a potentially fatal illness. Wei, meanwhile, is trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter Fa, who he can only see anonymously via that aforementioned livestream. The lead's storylines intersect during an in-game hunting expedition for a mysterious neon deer, which appears to be the closest thing to "winning" Luz. Wei and Ren reluctantly bond, and eventually they start to find ways to heal their emotional wounds. It's an intriguing concept, though we don't spend enough time with both characters hanging out in VR to truly sell their relationship. Sundance Institute Luz doesn't attempt to deliver a fully CG VR world like Ready Player One (thank god), instead we see a hyper-stylized version of the real world with an abundance of neon lights, floating particles and characters dressed as if they're about to head to Comic-Con. Obviously, it's an easier way to convey VR, but the film is also portraying a version of the technology that's practically identical to the real world. If VR were truly so immersive, why even bother with real life connections? (Stylistically, it reminds me of Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshiis forgotten Polish sci-fi film, Avalon, which also explored how people can redefine themselves in a VR simulation.) While Lau goes to great lengths to craft gorgeous VR imagery, what the film really needs is more time for its two leads to sit down and talk to each other, instead of having us infer emotion as they stare off into the distance. At just an hour and forty two minutes, theres plenty of room for more character exploration. But at least we get some intriguing conversations between Ren and Sabine, with Huppert being her typically charming self. (Perhaps the most unbelievable aspect of the film is that Sabine, a hip presence in the visual arts scene, hadnt tried VR until Ren convinced her. Weve been seeing artists adopt VR for installations since 2016, so its far from a new concept.) Luz is close to being a great film, with its strong performances and confidently composed cinematography. But through either restraint or weak screenwriting, we dont always have a sense of how the leads relate to the world, or even what they think of each other. The overall approach feels too cold and distant for a film that's ultimately about rediscovering human connection.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sundance-premiere-luz-explores-how-vr-can-help-us-find-connection-in-the-real-world-140005020.html?src=rss
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Google has given US employees in the Platforms and Devices team the option to exit voluntarily before it starts cutting jobs. The news was first reported by 9to5Google. Google's Platforms and Devices team has 25,000 employees and was formed when the company merged its Android and hardware teams last year. It's in charge of a bunch of Google products, including Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Pixel, Nest and Fitbit. However, only employees based in the US who are directly reporting to the division's VP, Rick Osterloh, can leave voluntarily with a severance package. Osterloh reportedly told the team in a memo that the "voluntary exit plan" is for those struggling to meet the demands of their role or those unhappy with the company's hybrid work setup. People have until February 20 to sign up for the exit program, and since the memo says they'll find out if they've been accepted on March 25, some people may not be able to leave the company with the severance package it's offering. Google is scheduled to release its earnings report for the fourth quarter of 2024 in a few days, and it'll be interesting to see if it reveals a decline in revenue or any other weakness that could've led to the buyout and impending layoffs. "The Platforms & Devices team is offering a voluntary exit program that provides US-based Googlers working on this team the ability to voluntarily leave the company with a severance package," Google said in a statement. "This comes after we brought two large organizations together last year. There's tremendous momentum on this team and with so much important work ahead, we want everyone to be deeply committed to our mission and focused on building great products, with speed and efficiency." According to CNBC, employees were pleased with Google's decision to offer voluntary exits with severance instead of going straight to job cuts. They were apparently aware of Google's future cost-cutting efforts and asked for voluntary buyouts as an option. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-will-let-platforms-and-devices-employees-leave-voluntarily-prior-to-layoffs-130017394.html?src=rss
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TikTok may be back online, but the apps future in the United States is still far from certain. President Donald Trumps executive order delaying enforcement of the ban was only a temporary reprieve for the company. While ByteDance was once resistant to the idea of selling TikToks US business, that seems to have changed since Trump took office. A ByteDance investor said that striking a deal to keep TikTok in the US is in everybody's interest." Officials in China have also suggested they are open to a deal, according to The Wall Street Journal. A number of people and companies have signaled some interest in TikTok. Trump himself has said he would like to see a bidding war for the app and that the US government should own a stake in the company. What an eventual deal may look like, though, is unclear. These are the offers we currently know about. Trumps executive order gave the company 75 days to come to an agreement. Oracle NPR recently reported that Oracle was working with Trump Administration officials on a plan to save TikTok that involves tapping software company Oracle and a group of outside investors to effectively take control of the app's global operations. Under this arrangement, ByteDance would retain a minority stake in the company but Oracle would oversee the app's algorithm, data collection and software updates. Headed up by Trump pal Larry Ellison, TikTok has an existing partnership with Oracle. The cloud company already hosts TikToks US user data and the company was a key part of TikToks original negotiations to remain operational in the US under a plan called Project Texas. (Those negotiations abruptly fell apart in 2022.) Trump also previously signed off on a deal for Oracle and Walmart to acquire a 20 percent stake in TikTok in 2020, when the president tried to ban the app during his first term. That deal never materialized. Now, Trumps position on Oracle is unclear. He told reporters that Oracle was not among the many people with whom he had discussed a deal for TikTok. (Ellison, notably, has been at the White House in recent days. He joined Trump and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for the announcement of the Stargate Project.) Microsoft Microsoft is reportedly also interested in playing a role in TikToks future, according to the same NPR story, which said Microsoft was among the other potential investors involved in the talks with Oracle. Trump seemingly confirmed this. When asked directly if Microsoft was interested in buying TikTok this week, Trump responded I would say yes. As with Oracle, this isnt the first time Microsoft has attempted to acquire the social media company. Microsoft was in talks to buy TikTok in 2020 and take over its US business, but the deal abruptly fell apart. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella later described it as the strangest thing Ive ever sort of worked on. Perplexity AI (and maybe the US government) Just before TikTok briefly went offline, Perplexity AI threw its hat into the ring, offering a deal to ByteDance that would create a new entity combining Perplexity, TikTok US and New Capital Partners. Since then, Perplexity has reportedly tweaked its proposal. According to the Associated Press, the AI company is now floating a plan that calls for the U.S. government to own up to half of that new structure once it makes an initial public offering of at least $300 billion. Under this plan, ByteDance would keep a minority stake in the company and would contribute TikToks U.S. business without the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app. MrBeast YouTuber MrBeast, also known as Jimmy Donaldson, joked on X about buying TikTok ahead of the initial ban. He later said that so many billionaires had reached out to him about making an offer that he was going to try to actually pull it off. Okay fine, Ill buy Tik Tok so it doesnt get banned MrBeast (@MrBeast) January 14, 2025 At least one group has already confirmed his involvement, along with other high-net-worth individuals looking to make an all-cash offer. That group, led by employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley also reportedly includes Roblox CEO David Baszucki. According to Bloomberg, together they have put together significantly more than $20 billion for a bid, though its not clear how seriously their offer is being considered. Bloomberg notes that theres also a possibility that MrBeast may attach himself to other bids. Project Liberty Another set of investors thats proposed a bid to buy TikTok is a group known as Project Liberty. Led by investor Frank McCourt, it includes Kevin OLeary of Shark Tank fame. The group initially came forward before the ban took effect. However, its not clear where they stand at the moment. This deal changes by the hour. ByteDance itself is a very successful company. It's worth about $250 billion, of which only 8.9% is TikTok USA. So while we're focused on TikTok USA, the company could abandon it, just turn it off if they wanted. There's been a lot of hype from pic.twitter.com/WRRSM224j5 Kevin O'Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) January 29, 2025 OLeary previously told CNBC that deals involving a government stake may not comply with the law. That 50/50 deal, I would love to work with Trump on, so would every other potential buyer ... But the problem with some of these ideas is they are inconsistent with the ruling of the Supreme Court, he said. I would love to do a deal, if the law provided for it, but I dont have the luxury of breaching the order of Congress. This week, he said that the deal "changes by the hour," writing on X that iIt's clear to me now that we're going to have to do a dance between the original owners, the founders of ByteDance itself, and interpreting the law of what Congress and Supreme Court has upheld." Whats next? So where does all this leave TikTok? For now, the company is in the same limbo its been in since it was briefly taken offline. The app is still not available in Apple or Googles app stores and it could go down again if the company is unable to reach a deal. For now, though, it seems both the government and ByteDance are much more willing to negotiate than they have been in the past. While these are all the semi-credible plans we know about now, the situation is likely to change over the next few weeks as the various sides attempt to hammer out a viable deal. Wll keep this post updated as new details emerge.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/what-will-happen-to-tiktok-a-look-at-the-potential-buyers-000110723.html?src=rss
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