One amateur filmmaker uses AI tools to create a series of films he releases on Twitter. Fabian Stelzer uses AI voice generation tools to make the speech for animation that’s also computer-generated. “AI through deep learning is now proven to be the most accurate approach for speech-to-text and text-to-speech (i.e., talking and hearing),” Todd Mozer, the CEO of the computer communications company Sensory, told Lifewire in an email interview. “It’s useful because it works....

At first glance, this seems, at the same time, both weird and perfectly sensible. And on further investigation, local weather news is the perfect way for Twitter to showcase its new paid publishing and subscription tools. while pushing its lead as the place to go for breaking news and discussion. “Twitter wants to start diversifying its income with subscription revenue services, and weather content is very marketable,” Dennis Hancock, the president and CEO of Mountain Valley MD, told Lifewire via email....

Upgrading Car Speakers: Price vs. Quality The main argument against replacing speakers is cost, but installing direct replacement aftermarket speakers can be a great way to bump up your sound quality without breaking the bank. Although it can get expensive, if you upgrade to component speakers, you’ll enjoy an improvement in sound quality. If you are looking at an overall upgrade to your car audio system, your factory speakers should be one of the first components to hit the chopping block....

Windows XP Release Date Windows XP was released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and to the public on October 25, 2001. Windows XP is preceded by both Windows 2000 and Windows Me. It was succeeded by Windows Vista. The most recent version of Windows is Windows 11, which was released to the public starting on October 5, 2021. April 8, 2014, was the last day Microsoft issued security and non-security updates to Windows XP....

An Understanding the Target Audience Advertising design is all about persuasion. The job of a graphic designer is to sell a product or service. To do this job well, you need to understand consumer psychology and be aware of market trends and research. You likely won’t perform this research but will work with marketing departments and professionals to understand the target market. You must also have an understanding of the agency’s clients and how those clients position themselves in the market....

We’ve known that Apple’s upcoming 13.6-inch MacBook Air would have the latest M2 Silicon chip for about a month, but now we also know when they’ll be available. However, while the laptop may have been redesigned to take advantage of the faster processor, it may not be a “can’t miss” upgrade option. Despite the “supercharged” performance claims from Apple, the M2 MacBook Pro didn’t exactly wow people. At least, not the more affordable baseline model....

Some automakers like Tesla say that assistance technologies like Autopilot aren’t meant to be used without close human supervision. But Americans may not be getting the message. A new study finds that drivers using driver assistance features often treat their vehicles as fully self-driving. “These applications still require the human to keep their eyes on the road and hands ready to take over the wheel, just as we have been doing with traditional cruise control for decades,” Stan Caldwell, a professor of transportation and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University told Lifewire in an email interview....

Researchers have uncovered a new way to track you across the internet using your computer or phone’s graphics processing unit (GPU). It’s part of growing concerns among security professionals about the trail of information users are leaving that could impact privacy. “As it is unrealistic for a user to open their system and change their GPU each time they go online, this potential new method for tracking individuals may prove a significant hurdle to overcome for privacy advocates and may require legal mechanisms, such as new laws, to protect the privacy of users who wish to remain anonymous online,” Frank Downs, the senior director of proactive services at cybersecurity company BlueVoyant, told Lifewire in an email interview....

Apple’s App Privacy Report, just added to the latest iOS 15 betas, is a new settings page that lists how often apps access sensitive data. It’s similar to the already-existing Safari Privacy Report, only it doesn’t apply just to the web. It applies to every app on your device—including Apple’s own apps. This welcome feature lets the user take back control of their private data, and it may even make unscrupulous developers think twice before sharing your data....

LastPass CEO Karim Toubba has revealed that the password manager was breached for a second time. The company said personal information was disclosed, but customer passwords remained safe. The incident is a reminder, some experts say, that you should take extra precautions with your password. “Perhaps the biggest vulnerability for users is that a weak master password can compromise all other passwords: so it is important that users select a very strong master password and commit that master password to memory,” Brian Robert Callahan, the graduate program director of information technology and web services at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, told Lifewire in an email interview....

YouTube will once again be covering both weekends of the popular music festival that’s been taking place at the Empire Polo Club since 1999. With 2022 marking its 10th year of streaming the event, YouTube is planning to offer more incentives for music lovers (and anyone else, really) to tune in. In addition to the live performances you can catch on one of three simultaneous streams (because some performances happen at the same times), YouTube is providing several extras....

To turn off Background App Refresh on the iPhone, open the Settings app, go to General > Background App Refresh, then choose Background App Refresh > Off. Or, toggle the option off for specific apps only. To turn off automatic app updates, open the Settings app, tap iTunes & App Store, then turn off Updates. This feature uses extra battery life to maintain your location and communicate with the App Store....

Why Participate in a Book Exchange That’s where book swapping and book exchanges come into the picture. Instead of selling your book back for a fraction of the cost, you participate in a book exchange by agreeing to mail your book to someone who requests it and receiving your own request in the mail. Your old book finds a reader, and in return, you get a new used book to read....

Depending on the system you use at home, there are a few ways to watch your shows while away. In this guide, we’ll tell you how to watch cable TV anywhere. Your Cable Company’s Streaming Service Most cable companies now offer a service that allows customers to stream programming on their mobile devices and computers. Many cable providers use a service called TV Everywhere that includes many of the most popular cable channels....

There are lots of websites out there that show free music videos, but the sites below stand out from the rest of the crowd. Whether it’s the large quantity of free music videos they have, the video playlists they allow you to create, or the recommendations they give, they should really make you take notice. You can find free music videos at YouTube via a keyword search, or you can browse videos by genre or mood....

We gathered eight of the most popular mobile payment apps to help you decide which are best for you. Also included with Apple Pay is Apple Pay Cash, which is a way to store money on your phone on a virtual card. You can spend it through Apple Pay in stores or use it in the Messages app to pay or receive money through a text message. The Apple Pay service is secured with a PIN or with Apple’s TouchID or FaceID biometric systems....

What is Ad-Hoc Mode in Wi-Fi? A Wi-Fi network in ad-hoc mode (also called computer-to-computer or peer mode) lets two or more devices communicate directly instead of through a central wireless router or access point (which is what infrastructure mode does). Setting up an ad-hoc network is useful if there isn’t a wireless structure built, like if there aren’t any access points or routers within range. The devices don’t need a central server for file shares or printers....

What Is an AHK File? A file with the .AHK file extension is an AutoHotkey script. It’s a plain text file that’s used by a free scripting tool for automating tasks in Windows. AutoHotkey uses this file to automate things like clicking window prompts, typing, and lots more. It’s especially helpful for long, drawn out, and repetitive actions that always follow the exact same steps. How to Open an AHK File Even though AHK files are just made up of readable text, they’re only understood and executed within the context of the free AutoHotkey program....

A computer scientist recently argued that his AI system should be credited for two inventions it generated. The case could have wide-ranging implications for patent law, but experts are skeptical of the claim. “Someone or some corporation at the end of the day owns the AI that is doing the inventing,” Bob Bilbruck, the CEO of the technology consulting firm Captjur told Lifewire in an email interview. “AI, after all, is just coding, just like any other computer; although more independent of human input....

An Israeli company called Mixtiles just released the platform Daydream, which “brings AI to interior design” by framing images created by OpenAI’s DALL-E system. DALL-E is the art-generating software suite that creates images based on written text. You’ve likely seen its off-kilter work all over the Internet. Here’s how it works. Customers input a text prompt and let the software do the rest. Daydream provides them with several visual styles and variations to choose from....