Author: Stuff writer

Voice imitation isn’t new but it’s definitely becoming more convincing. Now, it’s becoming downright frightening. Microsoft recently released VALL-E, an AI tool designed to replicate people’s voices. It doesn’t just sound like you, though. It’ll do it in a heartbeat (or three).  It takes a mere three seconds for Microsoft’s VALL-E to capture and imitate a speaker’s voice. That’s shorter than the time it takes you to read this sentence. VALL-E’s ability to capture a speaker’s tone and emotion makes it a potential game-changer. It could be considerably harder to tell a speaker’s real speech from an AI-generated one in…

It was only a matter of time before a self-driving smart stroller came along if only to help parents as they try to get on with their lives. Say hello to the Glüxkind Ella, a self-driving pram that promises to reduce your kid-related stress levels. The Glüxkind Ella, designed by a Canadian startup Glüxkind, was showcased at CES in Vegas this year. It’s able to get around without human intervention — more or less. Using cameras placed around it, it can automatically brake and give a warning when there’s danger. It detects stationary objects, including people, benches, and moving objects…

It takes a certain level of confidence to place your freedom in the hands of an artificial intelligence (AI) bot. Sure we trust AI with less life-altering issues like regular work and entertainment, but legal matters are another… matter. In what could be a game changer, an AI bot is set to advise a defendant in a court of law in February this year. A world first. The robot will run off a smartphone through the DoNotPay app on the defendant’s phone. It will listen to the court proceedings and via an earpiece, it will advise the defendant on what to…

If solar panels weren’t as expensive as they are in South Africa, more folks would have switched to renewable power and Eskom would probably have to treat its users more like customers than beggars. Sunny South Africa is the perfect place for solar power. The catch? Panels aren’t cheap. In fact, the cost remains the greatest barrier to widespread adoption. That could be about to change. Read More: Solar power won’t wait – more SA suppliers are offering rental options in a bid to be affordable According to Bloomberg, global solar panel prices are due to come down, the result…

Citizen, the watchmaker, is a master of creating high-end timepieces designed to last a lifetime. Until now, though, making smartwatches hasn’t been their thing. The brand’s first range of smartwatches was significantly below par compared to mainstream smartwatches by Apple, Samsung, and Garmin. Instead of continuing an attempt to compete with the big guns in the game, the watchmaker has changed its aim with the second-generation Citizen CZ Smart. How? The CZ Smart uses artificial intelligence (AI) to measure its user’s alertness. A Citizen of the world The CZ Smart was developed in conjunction with the National Aeronautics and Space…

Politicians will soon be able to openly buy influence on social media platform Twitter. This week, Twitter made a U-turn on political advertising as it plans to align its policies with others media platforms. “We’re relaxing our ads policy for cause-based ads in the US. We also plan to expand the political advertising we permit in the coming weeks,” said Twitter’s Safety Department on Tuesday. The platform prohibited political advertising in 2019. The move seems in line with owner Elon Musk’s push for free speech on the platform. Twitter says cause-based advertising can facilitate public conversation around important topics. Read More:…

Imagine seeing a colour you like and literally picking up an object, placing it said shade, and then snatching it for use in your own images. If all goes well for Apple, you could soon be able to do this using its Pencil stylus. The company has been working on providing the sharpest Pencil in tech for a while now. The device was launched alongside the iPad Pro in 2015. It introduced ways for digital artists to design by integrating physical gestures with Apple’s tech. In 2019, the company applied for a related patent that would include “an on-board display”.…

Over the years, Microsoft has been persistent in its attempt to get people to use its search engine, Bing, over Google. Set up a Windows device and note how many times the company prompts you to use Bing over Google, with a note informing you how its features are just as good as Google’s. Despite its efforts, Google remains the biggest search engine in the world and it’s also a verb. You don’t just use Google to search, you also Google most things online. In its latest attempt to become a better search engine, the tech giant is reportedly working…

At some point, you’ll need to decide whether or not to get your child a cellphone, then you’ll need to figure out the best way to keep them safe when they eventually get on to social media. Social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, Snapchat, and even YouTube all include age restrictions on their respective platforms. Kids need to be at least 13 years old to legally be on most social media. This is mostly to protect kids from being abused and exploited on the platforms. It’s all fun and games until pedophilia and cybercrime come along. Read…

In what seems to be the final gift to its users for 2022, messaging platform Telegram’s 12th latest update has a range of new features designed to make 2023 a better year for chatting. On the last Friday of 2022, Telegram announced the addition of  “Hidden Media, Zero Storage Usage, New Drawing Tools, Profile Pictures for Your Contacts, and More”. “Nobody will miss 2022, but this update offers some pleasant reasons to remember it,” said Telegram in a blog post. Hidden media, supported by spoiler formatting, lets users hide the content that they’re sending so their contact can choose when…