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The following article discusses the themes explored in the documentary, which includes substance abuse, mental health, gun violence and suicide.

We all know, or knew, that guy. Not in your social circle, but known nonetheless; someone’s older brother, cousin or drinking buddy. Whenever they had a captive audience they tell you tales of their exploits when they’re not kicking around suburban Lowestoft. In between puffs of cigarette smoke and the cheapest whiskey available, they’ll say they tried to join the army, but the recruitment people told them they were just too brilliant to waste in an infantry unit. Or they are an off-duty bodyguard who was lying low because The Mafia was looking for them (don’t ask why, shut up). Or that they had just signed a contract to replace The Undertaker at The Wrestling™ and would be jetting off to the US in the near future. The intensity of their testimony may, for a brief second, sucker you in, but you’ll soon realize that these people are more Walter Mitty than Walter White. Now imagine what that guy would look like if they’d been handed $100 million, and you’ll get a fairly decent pen portrait of John McAfee in his later years.

Running with the Devil: The wild world of John McAfee is a new documentary, arriving on Netflix on August 24th. It harnesses footage from the lost, unreleased Vice documentary On The Run with John McAfee, as well as film McAfee commissioned himself. It attempts to chronicle the life of the antivirus software pioneer from when he was named as a person of interest following the death of his neighbor Gegory Faull in Belize, through to his death in 2021. McAfee would spend his last decade on the run from pursuers, both real and imaginary, become embroiled in a cryptocurrency scam, try to run for US president (twice) and loudly declare that he refused to pay his taxes, which attracted the attention of the IRS. Arrested in Spain on charges of tax evasion, he died by suicide in his prison cell.

Devil is broken into three rough parts, each told from the perspective of the people in McAfee’s orbit at the time. Part one focuses on then-Vice editor-in-chief Rocco Castoro and legendary photojournalist Robert King, who accompanied McAfee on his escape to Guatemala. Part Two covers McAfee’s backstory and his relationship with ghostwriter Alex Cody Foster, with whom he sat for a series of interviews. Part Three shows how McAfee would eventually reconnect with Robert King, and asked him to become his personal biographer as he sailed on his yacht, mostly around South America. The footage is interspersed with commentary from McAfee’s partners, as well as Foster, Castoro and King.

Something that’s clear from both the footage and the contributors is that McAfee was obsessed with truth, but not always as you or I would understand it. There are several times when he fixates upon his legacy, his reputation, his image, his story and how he would be perceived. And yet the story was malleable, the facts unclear, and his behavior erratic – while on the run, he would buy a disguise and then proudly tell everyone in the store his name, and pose for photographs. McAfee’s behavior mirrors the cult leader who’s gone all-in on the grand deception, both in his use of charm, and his propensity for violence. More than once he’s pictured or discussed pointing a gun at friends and allies for what feels like nothing more than the pleasure of being a bully, or at least to remind everyone who had the power.

If you’re looking for some sort of truth, or grand coherent narrative to help you grasp who John McAfee was, however, you won’t get it here. That’s not a criticism of the documentary – McAfee loved to hint about who he was without ever saying it out loud, and always muddying his own water. There are scenes where he implies he is responsible for the death of both his abusive father and Faull, but never to anyone’s satisfaction. But it’s similarly clear that much of his bravado disappears when he’s faced with real consequences for his actions. Much is made, too, of his substance abuse, which seems to have supercharged his paranoia and delusional thinking.

Netflix

Much of the footage shot by King is low-res, untreated first-person digital video, although there’s little shakycam here. It instantly dates the footage back to the start of the last decade, and sets the scene perfectly given the turn-of-the-millennium anxieties it creates. It works here, too, because it captures the unpleasant stale air in rooms that haven’t had their windows opened for too long. Rooms scattered with dirt and loose tobacco flakes, a half-empty whiskey bottle resting on its side next to some bath salts and a loaded handgun. It helps capture the smallness of the man in his decline, especially as he rages against not the dying of the light, but to the world’s seeming indifference. I imagine that anyone trying to dock a yacht in a foreign country with a cadre of automatic weapons and mercenaries on board would be greeted with a frosty reception from the local police. But, for McAfee, it’s all part of the grand conspiracy the world has contorted around him, and it’s sad. But you can’t feel too much sympathy for him given the trail of destruction left in his wake, and there’s little closure offered for his victims here.

If there’s one thing I wish the film did better, it’s helping the audience keep track of who, and where, everyone is at each point. I’m not always a fan of documentaries with hand-holding narrators, but this is the sort of film that really needs you to have Wikipedia to hand. That’s not to say it’s not worth watching, both if you knew of McAfee or if the original saga had passed you by. But if it lacks something, it’s enough of a sense of place and time to help you keep track of all of the things that McAfee was up to, and when.

It’s funny, several of my colleagues met with McAfee over the years – including this Engadget Show segment back in 2013. (Back then, McAfee said that he was parodying and leaning in to his insalubrious reputation while he made his viral videos. The documentary makes it clear that there was perhaps more truth than he was prepared to admit.) I’d even walked past McAfee several times at CES, often sitting alone in a sparsely-attended corner of one of the smaller show halls. I often wondered if I should go and speak to him, but there was something of the That Guy even when he was ostensibly on his best behavior. I could imagine him clamping his hand on my shoulder, fixing me with his dark eyes and spinning a fresh bewitching tale of mystery and intrigue, although as it turns out, the truth was probably wilder.

The FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump's residence inspired a flurry of online death threats directed at law enforcement personnel. Now, members of the House Oversight Committee want information from major social platforms, including the number of threats that have surfaced on their sites and what they’ve done in response. The Washington Postreported that lawmakers on Friday sent letters to eight different platforms, including Meta, Twitter, TikTok and the messaging app Telegram, as well as the right-wing leaning platforms Truth Social, Rumble and Gettr.

“The Committee is seeking to understand how your company responds when users post threats against law enforcement, how your company plans to prevent your platform from being used to incite violence against law enforcement personnel, and whether legislative reform is necessary to protect law enforcement personnel and increase coordination with federal authorities,” wrote House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and House national security subcommittee Chairman Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA.) No Republicans signed on to the letter.

Earlier this month a man attempted to break into an FBI field office in Ohio, armed with a nail gun and rifle. The suspect was later shot by officers and pronounced dead at the scene. Media outlets later reported that the suspect posted numerous times about his plans on Trump-owned Truth Social in the days leading up to the attack. “We must not tolerate this one,” the suspect wrote in one post.

So far, only Gab has responded to the Post's request for comment. CEO Andrew Torba sent the Post links to blog posts, one which mentioned it is still "considering" its request to Congress. Gab has ignored a prior request from Congress regarding posts related to the January 6th insurrection, claiming that it does not possess such information. A hacker later exfilterated data from millions of accounts on Gab, including many associated with prominent white supremacists and far-right extremists on the platform." The House panel has given the companies until September 2nd to respond to the request. 

Are you considering a Lucid Air, but worried you might not outrun a Model S Plaid in a drag race? That might not be a problem if you have a large-enough bank account. Lucid has introduced a Sapphire badge devoted to "ultra-high-performance" EVs. The first model in the line, the Lucid Air Sapphire, promises to outperform Tesla's Plaid cars in at least some conditions — and not just in a straight line.

The Air Sapphire centers around a tri-motor system (one front, two rear) producing over 1,200HP, topping even the no-longer-available Dream Edition. In tandem with better cooling, the new powerplant reportedly delivers a 0-60MPH sprint in under two seconds, 0-100MPH in less than four seconds and a quarter-mile time below nine seconds. You can expect a top speed above 200MPH. While that's not guaranteed to demolish a customized Model S Plaid, this is also a factory-stock car that doesn't need a preconditioning period (like Tesla's Drag Strip Mode) to reach its full potential.

And yes, Lucid believes the Air Sapphire can handle turns and twists. You can expect a slightly wider body to accommodate new Aero Sapphire wheels with special Michelin tires. The motors' torque vectoring, meanwhile, promises both better turn-in while upgrading stability in straightaways. You can also expect a stiffer suspension, stiffer bushings and custom tuning for everything from the antilock brake system through to power steering. Range and other details are forthcoming.

Lucid Motors

Most of the interior changes revolve around software. While there is a new visual theme and "highly bolstered" seating, the centerpiece is an updated interface with more performance-oriented features that include a dedicated Sapphire Mode.

None of these optimizations come cheap, however. Lucid will ask $249,000 for the limited-run Air Sapphire, with pre-orders in the US and Canada starting August 23rd at 9AM Eastern. That makes the $179,000 Grand Touring trim seem like a relative bargain, and even Porsche's $187,400 Taycan Turbo S is more affordable. In this category, though, bragging rights often help justify any premiums.

This might also represent an important strategy switch for Lucid. The fledgling EV maker has had to drastically cut its production targets in light of supply chain problems, and now expects to make no more than 7,000 cars in 2022 instead of the originally planned 20,000. Sapphire will arrive too late to help this year, but it might offset future financial trouble by increasing Lucid's profit from the cars it ships.

Mark Zuckerberg says that Meta has “major updates” planned for its VR graphics after previously sharing an image of his own VR avatar that was widely mocked. He said the company would share more details about the changes at its upcoming Connect conference.

Zuckerberg’s update comes several days after a screenshot from Horizon Worlds, the company’s social VR environment, went viral on Twitter. 

The images were originally shared last week alongside an announcement that Horizon Worlds was launching in France and Spain. The screenshot showed a nearly featureless Zuckerberg avatar in front of a VR Eiffel Tower and Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia. The image quickly took on a life of its own on Twitter as people mocked the low-res and amateur-looking graphics. In particular, many questioned why Zuckerberg’s avatar was so flat and lifeless when the company has spent billions of dollars and staked its future on the success of the metaverse.

Though Zuckerberg didn’t directly address the critiques, he acknowledged the image he had previously shared was “pretty basic,” and promised improvements. His latest post included two new, much more detailed and lifelike renders: his avatar and an outdoor scene depicting ancient ruins.

“I know the photo I posted earlier this week was pretty basic — it was taken very quickly to celebrate a launch,” Zuckerberg wrote. “The graphics in Horizon are capable of much more — even on headsets — and Horizon is improving very quickly.”

PowerWash Simulator players can now take part in a research project that looks at the links between gaming and mental health. Developer FuturLab has teamed up with independent researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute for what it calls a "a one-of-a-kind anonymous research study centered around the wellbeing of PowerWash Simulator’s players."

FuturLab says it's working on in-game rewards for participants. If you'd like to take part, you'll need a copy of the game on Steam. You'll also need to download a separate build of PowerWash Simulator. From the Betas menu under Properties, select the "research-edition – Research Edition 2022" option.

As Eurogamer points out, this build will provide two types of anonymized data to the researchers. They'll receive information on players' progress, item purchases and other activities as part of a "base telemetry" dataset.

The second type of data is obtained through questions that the researchers will be able to ask players about their experience. These will seemingly only take players a couple of seconds to answer. Players will also be able to provide feedback to researchers through a "Tell us how you feel" button in the menu. FuturLab won't have access to these responses.

Your game progress won't carry over between the regular game and the Research Edition (though taking part in the study will earn you cosmetic rewards in the main game). This is to help make sure study data is consistent and to avoid issues with save data. In addition, the Research Edition won't have a multiplayer mode and it will only have English-language support. FuturLab added that the Research Edition will be available for at least three months.

PowerWash Simulator, at least from my experience, is a relaxing game. It's just you, a power washer, perhaps a friend or two, maybe some soap and a whole lot of virtual gunk to blast away. It's not hard to see why many folks might find it soothing.

A number of studies into the benefits of gaming on mental health and wellbeing have been conducted over the years with mixed results. One suggested that playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, both of which have sturdy social gaming features, may be good for you (the study was conducted in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic). However, a recently published study, which looked at the gameplay habits of nearly 40,000 people, found that gaming had no significant impact on wellbeing.

Audi still isn't done unveiling self-driving concept EVs, but its next model might be appealing if you're eager to leave the asphalt. The company has revealed that its fourth Sphere concept will be the Activesphere, an SUV-like machine that promises "maximum variability" for on- and off-road travel. As with earlier designs, the automaker is touting an autonomous-friendly interior that can help you relax. We wouldn't count on going hands-free while you're on the trail, but Audi is at least moving beyond city-oriented prototypes.

The full Activesphere debut is slated for the start of 2023. Audi began its campaign by unveiling the Skysphere roadster in August 2021, and quickly followed it with the Grandsphere sedan (September 2021) and Urbansphere SUV (April this year). As a rule, they've centered around living room-like cabins and ambitious performance. The Grandsphere and Urbansphere, for instance, boast a claimed 466-mile range.

The question, as you might have guessed, is whether or not the Activesphere and any of its predecessors will directly influence future Audi EVs. Right now, the brand's electric lineup revolves around decidedly more conventional (if very speedy) products. Fully self-driving vehicles may also have to wait when many countries only allow limited autonomy at best. Audi expects its new vehicles to be EV-only starting in 2026, though, and it's hard to imagine the company ignoring driverless cars when its rival Mercedes is already touting Level 3 autonomy.

Meta is denying that it purposely muted the audio of downloaded Reels videos to keep users from exporting them to TikTok, The Vergereported. A company spokesperson blamed an “audio glitch” for the incident and said it’s in the process of being fixed. The outlet reported earlier this week that users who wanted to export their Reels onto another app (cough, cough TikTok) were forced to publish the video first — or risk losing its audio. Prior to this development, Instagram users could film and edit a video using Reels’ tools and opt to download and publish it elsewhere.

Although Meta is hoping to position Reels as the future of Instagram and Facebook, it has struggled to take the crown from the reigning short-form video app, TikTok. Creators and brands often cross-post Reels onto their TikTok accounts (or vice versa), meaning that Instagram and Facebook are no longer exclusive destinations for that content. TikTok gives users the ability to easily cross-post videos made on the platform to Facebook and Instagram Reels, but doing the reverse on the Meta-owned platforms requires manually downloading the video first. Reels and TikTok have different editing tools, so it’s easy to see why a user may want to edit in one specific platform and cross-post — not to mention that it simply saves time.

Meta is still working on fixing the audio glitch on Reels as of Friday afternoon, a spokesperson told Engadget in an email. The glitch appears to only impact iPhone users. “Due to a bug, the Reels download feature is not working as intended for iOS users and in some cases, audio is missing in downloads — we’re working to fix the issue as soon as possible," the company said in its statement. 

It's a little jarring to consider what's happening over at HBO Max a bloodbath in the context of Sesame Street, but that's exactly what's going on at the streaming platform right now. The platform has removed around 200 old episodes of the classic preschooler show, as Variety reports.

All episodes from seasons 39-52 are still available, along with a selection from the first, fifth and seventh seasons. There are 456 Sesame Street episodes on HBO Max right now, but it offered around 650 episodes not too long ago. HBO landed an exclusive deal back in 2015 to broadcast new episodes of the show before they aired on PBS. HBO Max will be the place to catch new Sesame Street episodes through at least 2025, but good luck trying to find old episodes there.

The platform yanked the Sesame Street episodes in the same week it removed dozens of other shows, including 20 original series (such as animated programs). While it's common for titles to cycle in and out of streaming services, it's rare to see exclusives going away. That's becoming increasingly par for the course at HBO Max.

Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery said it nixed those shows ahead of HBO Max merging with Discovery+ next year. “As we work toward bringing our content catalogs together under one platform, we will be making changes to the content offering available on both HBO Max and Discovery+. That will include the removal of some content from both platforms," it said.

Since the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery has been on a brutal cost-cutting drive. It laid off dozens of HBO and HBO Max production staffers this week. The company recently removed some other original films and shows from HBO Max — including An American Pickle, HBO show Vinyl and the 2020 remake of The Witches — reportedly to avoid paying residuals on them. 

It also canceled HBO Max exclusive movies Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, which were almost completed. Reports suggest it did so to claim tax write-downs on the projects.

Rivian has discontinued the entry-level Explore trim for its R1T and R1S electric vehicles. "After weighing customer demand, Rivian decided to remove Explore Package as an option when configuring an R1T or R1S," wrote in a support article. "We realize this news comes as a surprise and apologize to customers who have had their planning impacted."

The company said it initially gave customers two package options to offer them "more variety." While Rivian expected that many customers would opt for the Explore package, it claimed that only a small percentage of them have done so, with "the vast majority" selecting the Adventure trim. The company said that by narrowing its focus to the Adventure trim, it would be able to streamline its supply chain and deliver its EVs more rapidly.

The move means Rivian's electric truck and SUV are getting more expensive for those looking for the cheapest option — it marks an increase of $5,500 across the board. The R1T truck now starts at $73,000, while the R1S costs at least $78,000 for new orders (the latter starts at $75,500 for those who pre-ordered on March 1st or earlier).

Those with a pre-order for an Explore trim will need to reconfigure their package to an Adventure model by September 1st. Otherwise, Rivian will move them out of the production queue. Customers with an Explore package pre-order will receive their deposit back if they cancel. Those with a binding Explore order agreement can cancel by September 16th for a full refund.

Meanwhile, the quad-motor option has increased in price for new orders in the US (by $2,000) and Canada (by $3,250 CAD). Rivian is currently testing dual-motor versions of the R1S and R1T.

Rivian announced price increases of between $12,000 and $20,000 for all models earlier this year. After a swift backlash, it altered those plans and limited the increases to new R1T and R1S orders, though shareholders brought a lawsuit against the company.

Rivian recently laid off six percent of staff in order to funnel more resources into increasing production. It's struggling to build EVs quickly enough to meet demand and it had to slash its production forecast for the year in half to 25,000. The company's pre-order backlog stood at around 98,000 as of the end of June, not counting the 100,000 electric delivery vehicles Rivian is making for Amazon.

It took more than a decade, but there's finally a sequel to Jetpack Joyride — if not for everyone. Halfbrick Studios has releasedJetpack Joyride 2 as an Apple Arcade exclusive for iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple TV. Sorry, Android fans. The endless flier revolves around more "story-driven" gameplay with a new character to play (Betty Beefpies) as well as fresh mechanics and more detailed graphics. In that light, Halfbrick is effectively dragging the game into the modern era.

The original title came to Apple Arcade last year as Jetpack Joyride+, which maintains the core experience without the need (or ability) to make in-app purchases. The title first arrived in 2011 and helped define the endless runner category alongside classics like Canabalt and Temple Run. Halfbrick's signature game has racked up 500 million-plus downloads in the years since.

JJ2 probably won't justify the $50 per year ($5 per month) for Apple Arcade by itself, and it represents yet another dose of nostalgia on the all-you-can-play service. However, it might build a stronger case for a subscription. You can play simple blasts from the past alongside newer games that make the most of modern Apple devices.