Posts Tagged: they

Their children were shot, so they used AI to recreate their voices and call lawmakers

The parents of a teenager who was killed in Florida’s Parkland school shooting in 2018 have started a bold new project called The Shotline to lobby for stricter gun laws in the country. The Shotline uses AI to recreate the voices of children killed by gun violence and send recordings through automated calls to lawmakers, The Wall Street Journal reported

The project launched on Wednesday, six years after a gunman killed 17 people and injured more than a dozen at a high school in Parkland, Florida. It features the voice of six children, some as young as ten, and young adults, who have lost their lives in incidents of gun violence across the US. Once you type in your zip code, The Shotline finds your local representative and lets you place an automated call from one of the six dead people in their own voice, urging for stronger gun control laws. “I’m back today because my parents used AI to recreate my voice to call you,” says the AI-generated voice of Joaquin Oliver, one of the teenagers killed in the Parkland shooting. “Other victims like me will be calling too.” At the time of publishing, more than 8,000 AI calls had been submitted to lawmakers through the website.

“This is a United States problem and we have not been able to fix it,” Oliver’s father Manuel, who started the project along with his wife Patricia, told the Journal. “If we need to use creepy stuff to fix it, welcome to the creepy.”

To recreate the voices, the Olivers used a voice cloning service from ElevenLabs, a two-year-old startup that recently raised $ 80 million in a round of funding led by Andreessen Horowitz. Using just a few minutes of vocal samples, the software is able to recreate voices in more than two dozen languages. The Olivers reportedly used their son’s social media posts for his voice samples. Parents and legal guardians of gun violence victims can fill up a form to submit their voices to The Shotline to be added its repository of AI-generated voices.

The project raises ethical questions about using AI to generate deepfakes of voices belonging to dead people. Last week, the Federal Communications Commission declared that robocalls made using AI-generated voices were illegal, a decision that came weeks after voters in New Hampshire received calls impersonating President Joe Biden telling them to not vote in their state’s primary. An analysis by security company called Pindrop revealed that Biden’s audio deepfake was created using software from ElevenLabs.

The company’s co-founder Mati Staniszewski told the Journal that ElevenLabs allows people to recreate the voices of dead relatives if they have the rights and permissions. But so far, it’s not clear whether parents of minors had the rights to their children’s likenesses.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/their-children-were-shot-so-they-used-ai-to-recreate-their-voices-and-call-lawmakers-003832488.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

What are portable Wi-Fi hotspots, and how do they work?

Here’s what you need to know about portable Wi-Fi hotspots, with Digital Trends as your source for the latest tech news and guides.
Digital Trends

Discord could ban users if they continue to deadname trans people

Discord has officially updated its hateful conduct policy to add behaviors that don't reflect its "goal to promote acceptance and inclusivity." These newly added bannable behaviors include "deadnaming or misgendering a transgender person." According to TechCrunch, Discord started internally implementing its expanded policy in 2022, but the chat app has just only made it public in an effort to provide more transparency.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure Discord remains a safe and fun place for people to hang out with friends, we continually evaluate potential harms and update our policies," a spokesperson told the publication. "We often work with organization and subject matter experts to ensure our policies accurately encompass a holistic view of how these issues manifest across the internet and society."

In addition to misgendering and deadnaming trans people, Discord also considers expressing contempt or disgust towards members of protected groups, perpetuating negative stereotypes about them, repeatedly using slurs to degrade them, threatening or promoting violence against them, as well as calling for their segregation and exclusion as hateful behaviors. LGBT organization GLAAD has praised Discord in its call for social networks to update their policies to recognize deadnaming and targeted or deliberate misgendering as hate speech. 

GLAAD also points out that among the biggest social networks today, TikTok is the only one that explicitly prohibits intentional misgendering and deadnaming. Notably, X implemented a rule against the behavior in 2018 when it was still called Twitter, but it quietly removed that section in its hateful conduct policy under Elon Musk's leadership.

Discord won't be banning users who violate its hateful conduct policy after just one infraction, though. Under its warning system, users who go against its rules will receive a direct message detailing their offense, with the platform weighing each violation differently based on the "severity of harm." Users can see their account standing in their settings page. If they have one or more violation, their accounts will be marked "at risk," while they could be permanently suspended if they're marked as having "severe or repeated" violations. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/discord-could-ban-users-if-they-continue-to-deadname-trans-people-083112064.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Apple’s 2024 iPad plans leaked — and they sound bad

New details about Apple’s 2024 iPad lineup recently leaked. There’s some good news, but also an update I really don’t like.
Digital Trends

California deploys AI to detect wildfires before they start spreading

AI and climate change represent two ways humans may ravage life as we know it on Earth, but the former can also help with the consequences of the latter. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) revealed a new program today that uses AI to detect wildfires. Created in partnership with the University of California San Diego, the Alert California AI program takes feeds from 1,032 360-degree rotating cameras and uses AI to “identify abnormalities within the camera feeds.” It then notifies emergency services and other authorities to check if a potential blaze warrants a response.

The program, launched in July, has already quelled at least one potential wildfire, according toReuters. A camera reportedly recorded a fledgling fire burning at 3 am in the remote Cleveland National Forest east of San Diego. The AI spotted the inferno and alerted a fire captain “who called in about 60 firefighters including seven engines, two bulldozers, two water tankers and two hand crews.” Cal Fire says the flames were extinguished within 45 minutes.

A small section of the 1,032 live camera feeds used in Cal Fire’s AI wildfire detection program. Nine feeds are visible, showing various forest and desert areas in the Golden State.
Cal Fire / University of California San Diego

The Alert California technology website says it uses LiDAR scans taken from airplanes and drones to create “equally precise, three-dimensional information about scanned surfaces.” It combines this with the physical traits of tree species to learn more about California’s forest biomass and carbon content. Cal Fire says the ML model leverages petabytes of data from the cameras to differentiate between smoke and other airborne particles.

The system was developed by UCSD engineers using AI from the California-based company DigitalPath. Cal Fire has invested over $ 20 million in the program over the past four years and promises an additional $ 3,516,000 in the near future.

“We’re in extreme climate right now. So we give them the data, because this problem is bigger than all of us,” Neal Driscoll, geology and geophysics professor at UCSD who serves as the program’s principal investigator, told Reuters. “We need to use technology to help move the needle, even if it’s a little bit.” However, Driscoll adds that the current sample size is too small to determine the program’s overall effectiveness.

You can check out Alert California’s “camera quilt” on your computer or mobile device. The website displays a grid of the remotely operated live camera views from across the region.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/california-deploys-ai-to-detect-wildfires-before-they-start-spreading-194535845.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Green and orange dots on your iPhone? Here’s what they really mean

Many iPhone users are noticing green and orange dots appearing on the top of their screens. Luckily, understanding what they mean is very straightforward.
Digital Trends

Uber starts showing more US drivers how much they will earn on potential trips

Uber has launched a couple of features designed to improve the experience of and increase transparency for drivers. A few months ago, the ride-hailing giant started piloting a feature called “Upfront Fares” in a handful of cities. Now it’s expanding its availability and rolling it out to most of the US over the coming months. When they get access to the features, drivers will see how much they’ll earn and where they’re going for a trip on the request screen before they accept the booking. 

According to the Help page explaining how Upfront Fares work, Uber calculates the amount it shows using several factors, “including base fares, estimated trip length and duration, pickup distance and surge pricing.” Uber will also show drivers the cross streets closest to the pick up and drop-off points to help them make a decision. In addition, Uber will also expand the availability of “Trip Radar,” a feature that shows drivers a list of possible trips nearby, along with Upfront Fares. They’ll still get individual trip requests, but now they can pick another booking that might suit them better. 

Uber is positioning these new features as a way to support its drivers, but as Axios notes, the impact they may have on customers remains unclear. They could end up being misused and lead to the increase of rider and trip discrimination if drivers look at them as tools to avoid specific neighborhoods. That said, the features could also prevent canceled trips, because they allow drivers to make a conscious decision when accepting trips.

The company has also launched a new Uber Pro debit card that will enable drivers to earn cashbacks for getting gas at select stations. Back in March, Uber added a fuel surcharge to rides and deliveries, as well, to help drivers keep up with skyrocketing gas prices.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Are Echo Frames worth the $99, or are they just a gimmick?

Amazon is selling Echo Frames for $ 99 on Prime Day, but are they even worth that?
Wearables | Digital Trends

Elon Musk tells SpaceX and Tesla workers they must return to the office full-time

Elon Musk delivered an ultimatum to Tesla and Space X’s corporate workforces: Spend a minimum of 40 hours a week in the office, or leave the company. Musk today confirmed in a tweet that screenshots of an email sent to workers was real. According to The New York Times, workers at both companies received similar memos from Musk that made clear that all workers must report to a main office for 40 hours a week. Musk also wrote that employees would no longer be allowed to work from “remote branch” offices not related to their job duties, giving the example of an HR worker for the Fremont factory who works out-of-state.

“The more senior you are, the more visible must be your presence,” Musk said in a memo to SpaceX employees obtained by NYT. “That is why I spent so much time in the factory — so that those on the line could see me working alongside them. If I had not done that, SpaceX would long ago have gone bankrupt.”

Musk taking a hardline stance on remote work is in stark contrast to a number of other major tech companies that have allowed all or most workers to request to work-from-home permanently, including Facebook, Twitter, Salesforce and Slack. Apple recently suspended a requirement that workers return to the office at least three days a week.

As Bloombergreported today, Twitter employees — who are likely to be reporting to Musk once his acquisition of the company is complete — have internally expressed some concern the SpaceX and Tesla remote work policies (or lack thereof) herald unwelcome changes for their own workplace.

Tesla’s career website still lists a number of salaried and hourly remote positions. It’s unclear whether the new policy will apply to those positions. Engadget has reached out to Tesla for comment, though we are unlikely to hear back: the company dissolved its corporate communications department in 2020.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Will Elon Musk give media the wake-up call they (we) need

A Musk-led Twitter is the reality check the media industry needs to mend its ways, as harsh it may sound. It’s time to wake up from the honeymoon phase.
Mobile | Digital Trends

The NFL wants to predict injuries before they happen. Here’s how

The NFL doesn’t just want to treat injuries after they happen. Instead, it now uses technology to help predict and prevent injuries before they occur.
Wearables | Digital Trends

T-Mobile Test Drive reintroduced, allows potential customers up to 30 days try before they buy

T-Mobile Test Drive has been reintroduced, giving potential customers up to 30 days or 30Gb to test the carrier’s coverage and signal quality. After signing up, T-Mobile will ship you a portable hotspot completely free of charge, and yours to keep or give to a friend after the Test Drive completes. T-Mobile reintroduced their Test […]

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Amazon asks workers to request leave if they continue staying at home

Amazon warehouse workers wanting to stay home to avoid COVID-19 will soon have to make a formal request. The online retailer is asking staff staying home to either report to their shifts starting May 1st or else request a leave of absence. A spokespe…
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Upgrading from the OnePlus 7T Pro to the OnePlus 8 Pro? See how they compare first

If you bought the OnePlus 7T Pro and are now experiencing gadget lust after seeing the new OnePlus 8 Series launch on April 14th, there are a number of criteria to consider first. Even more so than the OnePlus 6T that is currently reduced to just $ 299, the OnePlus 7T Pro is still a top-notch […]

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Galaxy Note 10+ photos have leaked, looks like they were captured on a potato

It’s about that time where people start snapping photos of the yet unreleased Galaxy Note 10, showing everything off to people on the internet well before Samsung even has an official launch date for the phone. And, like all good leaked photos, the photos are exceptionally blurry despite modern smartphones sometimes being able to compete […]

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Verizon updated the Galaxy S7 to Android 8.0 Oreo this weekend, except they didn’t

If you’re still using a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge on Verizon, you might have noticed that you were notified about an update to Android 8.0 Oreo this weekend. You might have also noticed that, despite that notification and the changelog with it, you didn’t actually get the Oreo update. What happened? Well, it […]

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Qualcomm touts some Android firsts the chipmaker says they brought us

Likely as a bit of a dig at Apple and the iPhone ecosystem, a day before Apple reveals their latest updates to the iPhone line of devices Qualcomm posted about some of the “firsts” the company has achieved for Android devices. Some of these pre-date their adoption by Apple and some may still be exclusive […]

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Eye-tracking glasses reveal what master pianists look at while they play

Ever wanted to experience what it is like to be a master pianist tickling the ivories? A new video gives a sense of what that might feel like, courtesy of wearable eye-tracking glasses.

The post Eye-tracking glasses reveal what master pianists look at while they play appeared first on Digital Trends.

Wearables–Digital Trends

You can finally buy Snapchat Spectacles! Here’s what they are, and how to find ’em

Snapchat’s cool new sunglasses are social media’s latest craze. If you’re an avid snapper, check out our guide to find out how they work, and how to get your hands on a pair.

The post You can finally buy Snapchat Spectacles! Here’s what they are, and how to find ’em appeared first on Digital Trends.

Wearables–Digital Trends

Lenovo challenged developers to create new Moto Mods — here is what they built

Lenovo is running a competition with developers for creating a new generation of Moto Mods and there are some interesting finalists. For example, one Mod will give your Moto Z solar-charging capabilities.

The post Lenovo challenged developers to create new Moto Mods — here is what they built appeared first on Digital Trends.

Android Army–Digital Trends

Dinosaur eggs reveal one possible reason why they went extinct

The eggs of some dinosaurs took much, much longer to hatch than the eggs of their avian relatives and descendants — and it could have contributed to their demise. A team of researchers from various institutions examined the embryonic tooth from a so…
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How to save your Vine videos before they disappear forever

If you’re one of the millions of Vine users, you might be disappointed to hear that the popular service is shutting down in the near future. Thankfully, there is a way to save your videos before they disappear forever.

The post How to save your Vine videos before they disappear forever appeared first on Digital Trends.

Android Army–Digital Trends

These flash tattoos aren’t just pretty — they can control your phone too

There’s both form and function built into these new flash tattoos from the MIT Media Lab. DuoSkin temporary tattoos usher in a new generation of wearables that behave almost like a second skin.

The post These flash tattoos aren't just pretty — they can control your phone too appeared first on Digital Trends.

Wearables–Digital Trends

People living in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but they might sleep better

The Photon Space is a $ 330,000 house made entirely of glass. It’s meant to give you an ideal amount of sun to help you tap into your circadian clock and get the proper amount of sleep.

The post People living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, but they might sleep better appeared first on Digital Trends.

Cool Tech»Digital Trends

Blocks is the first modular smartwatch and they are killing it on Kickstarter

Blocks modular smartwatchBlocks is a new type of smartwatch that allows you to change parts of the band in order to add more function. Rather than buy a whole new smartwatch, just add more modules.

Blocks smartwatch has a circular display that offers things like phone notifications, wifi connectivity, and activity tracking. Nothing too special over regular smartwatches, but what makes it really stand out are the modules.

Users can simply buy more and insert them into the band whenever they want. Currently, five modules are out, extra battery, heart rate sensor, GPS, NFC, and Adventure module that measures altitude, pressure, and temperature. There are many more being worked on too, plus, developers can also design their own modules.

“We have already partnered with major technology companies to develop our Modules and have over 1,500 individual developers signed up to work on our platform. The BLOCKS Software Development Kit (SDK) and Module Development Kit (MDK) will be made available soon.”

If Blocks smartwatch is something that might interest you, check out their Kickstarter page. So far, they have 20 days left and have destroyed their goal. They were asking for $ 250k, but have already received over $ 1.1 million.

Source: Kickstarter

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