Tupac’s estate threatens to sue Drake for his AI-infused Kendrick Lamar diss

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Tupac Shakur’s estate is none too happy about Drake cloning the late hip-hop legend’s voice in a Kendrick Lamar diss track. Billboard reported Wednesday that attorney Howard King, representing Mr. Shakur’s estate, sent a cease-and-desist letter calling Drake’s use of Shakur’s voice “a flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity and the estate’s legal rights.”

Drake (Aubrey Drake Graham) dropped the diss track “Taylor Made Freestyle” last Friday, the latest chapter of the artist’s simmering decade-long feud with Pulitzer and 17-time Grammy award winner Kendrick Lamar.

“Kendrick, we need ya, the West Coast savior / Engraving your name in some hip-hop history,” an AI-generated 2Pac recreation raps in Drake’s track. “If you deal with this viciously / You seem a little nervous about all the publicity.”

Representing Shakur’s estate, King wrote in the cease-and-desist letter that Drake has less than 24 hours to pull down “Taylor Made Freestyle,” or the estate would “pursue all of its legal remedies” to force the Canadian rapper’s hand. “The unauthorized, equally dismaying use of Tupac’s voice against Kendrick Lamar, a good friend to the Estate who has given nothing but respect to Tupac and his legacy publicly and privately, compounds the insult,” King wrote, according to Billboard.

“The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality,” King wrote. “Not only is the record a flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity and the estate’s legal rights, it is also a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. The Estate would never have given its approval for this use.”

Rapper Snoop Dogg stands at a podium with the text
SnoopDogg.com

“Taylor Made Freestyle” also used AI to clone Snoop Dogg’s voice, with Drake using digital clones of two of Lamar’s west-coast hip-hop influences to try to hit him where it hurts. In a video posted to social media the following day, Snoop didn’t appear to know about the track. “They did what? When? How? Are you sure?”, the 16-time Grammy nominee and herb connoisseur said. “Why everybody calling my phone, blowing me up? What the fuck? What happened? What's going on? I'm going back to bed. Good night,” he continued.

Engadget emailed Snoop Dogg’s management to ask about his thoughts on Drake cloning his voice. At the time of publication, we hadn’t heard back.

The saga contains more than a bit of irony — if not outright hypocrisy — from Universal Music Group (UMG), the label representing Drake. You may remember the track “Heart on My Sleeve” by “Ghostwriter977,” which briefly went viral last year. It was pulled after UMG complained to streaming services because it used an AI-generated version of Drake’s voice (along with The Weeknd).

Engadget asked UMG if it approved of Drake’s use of AI-generated voices in “Taylor Made Freestyle” and where it stands on the broader issue of using artists’ digital clones. We haven’t received a comment at press time. Without a clear explanation, it’s hard not to see the label as being on the side of whatever seems most financially advantageous to it at any particular moment (surprise!).

Laws addressing AI-cloned voices of public figures are still in flux. Billboard notes that federal copyrights don’t clearly cover the issue since AI-generated vocals typically don’t use specific words or music from the original artist. Mr. King, speaking for Shakur’s estate, believes they violate California’s existing publicity rights laws. He described Drake’s use of Shakur’s voice as forming the “false impression that the estate and Tupac promote or endorse the lyrics for the sound-alike.”

Last month, Tennessee passed the ELVIS (“Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security”) Act to protect artists from unauthorized AI voice clones. The “first-of-its-kind legislation” makes copying a musician’s voice without consent a criminal Class A misdemeanor.

But none of the parties involved in this feud are in Tennessee. On the federal level, things are moving much more slowly, leaving room for legal uncertainty. In January, bipartisan US House legislators introduced the No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas And Unauthorized Duplications Act (“No AI FRAUD”), putting cloned voices like those Drake used in the government’s crosshairs. Congress hasn’t taken any public action on the bill in the more than three months since.

“It is hard to believe that [Tupac’s record label]’s intellectual property was not scraped to create the fake Tupac AI on the Record,” King wrote in the cease-and-desist letter. He demanded Drake offer “a detailed explanation for how the sound-alike was created and the persons or company that created it, including all recordings and other data ‘scraped’ or used.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tupacs-estate-threatens-to-sue-drake-for-his-ai-infused-kendrick-lamar-diss-182518997.html?src=rss

BlizzCon 2024 is canceled

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World of Warcraft, Diablo and Overwatch fans who were looking forward to getting together at BlizzCon in November may be disappointed to learn that Blizzard has canceled this year's edition of the event. The publisher didn't give a clear reason as to why it made that decision, but said it was "not made lightly as BlizzCon remains a very special event for all of us, and we know many of you look forward to it." 

Even so, BlizzCon isn't necessarily gone for good, unlike E3. "While we’re approaching this year differently and as we have explored different event formats in the past, rest assured that we are just as excited as ever to bring BlizzCon back in future years," Blizzard wrote in a blog post.

The publisher plans to spill the beans about expansions (including the upcoming three-part WoW saga and Diablo IV DLC) for its franchises at other events, such as industry trade shows and Gamescom. Now that Blizzard is under Microsoft's umbrella, we can probably expect some news from the publisher at the annual Xbox showcase in June. There are also in-person events lined up for Overwatch esports and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Warcraft. 

BlizzCon 2023 was the first in-person edition since 2019, so to miss out once again in 2024 may come as a blow for many fans. Now they'll likely need to wait until at least late 2025 to meet up with a bunch of their peers and Blizzard developers again.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/blizzcon-2024-is-canceled-174906497.html?src=rss

Reddit is back online after a major outage forced everyone to touch grass

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Reddit is back after a major outage forced the entire site offline. All told, the outage lasted under an hour before company techs fixed the backend problem, according to an official status page. This outage impacted each and every page of the internet's favorite collection of disparate community forums. Reddit's fix looks to be working just fine, as everything is loading on my end.

The site experienced another outage last year, which also was patched in under an hour. Those Reddit engineers do good work. 

Update, April 25 2024, 1:39PM ET: This story has been updated to include the fact that Reddit engineers have fixed the problem and that the site is back. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/reddit-is-completely-down-so-good-luck-finding-cute-cat-pictures-172755445.html?src=rss

Formula E debuts Gen3 Evo race car: All-wheel drive unlocks 0-60 mph in 1.82 seconds

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Formula E is halfway through its Gen3 car cycle and plans are in motion for the upcoming Gen4 racer. However, the series isn't waiting until that all-new electric car is ready to hit the track to debut some significant upgrades to the current model. Ahead of the Monaco E-Prix this weekend, Formula E debuted what it calls the Gen3 Evo, the fastest accelerating FIA single seater in the world by current standards. The series is also introducing body changes aimed at improving aerodynamics and durability, particularly to the nose, along with all-wheel drive (AWD) for the first time on a Formula E car. 

Formula E says the Gen3 Evo is capable of accelerating a full second faster than the Gen3 version, going from 0 to 60 mph in 1.82 seconds (0-100 kph in 1.86 seconds). It explained that that time is 30 percent faster than a 2024 Formula 1 car and 36 percent faster than the Gen3 EV currently used in races. Those numbers aren't theoretical either: the series has already achieved the benchmarks on track in Misano, Italy. 

"It's not simulated, it's real," Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds told Engadget. "It was really timed by the FIA at that speed." Dodds added that there were some "slight tweaks" in some areas, but the Gen3 Evo should still hit 60 mph in under two seconds when it debuts on track for races next year. 

A key aspect of this unlocked acceleration is the use of AWD on a Formula E car for the first time. The series debuted dual powertrains with Gen3, but until now, the one up front was only being used for battery regeneration. AWD will only be used during the later rounds of qualifying (head-to-head duels), the race start and when a driver has activated Attack Mode during the race. Besides the boost to acceleration, drivers should have better control and more grip when AWD is active. Plus, it entirely changes team strategy and could lead to even more exciting racing. 

"One of the occasional criticisms I hear is Attack Mode doesn't have a big enough difference," Dodds said. "I think with all-wheel drive, that will make a difference." He also noted that when you have 22 cars that are all capable of 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds barreling towards turn one, "that makes for a high jeopardy, exciting start of a race." 

Formula E Gen3 Evo car, front wing detail.
The redesigned front wing on the Gen3 Evo.
Formula E

One frustration of Gen3 that Formula E is addressing with the Gen3 Evo is the fragility of the front wing. As part of a larger overhaul to the body that includes new side pods, rear wing and more, the new car has a redesigned, slightly pointier nose and a strengthened front wing. With the Gen3 car, front wing damage is common, and it often gets stuck under the car, which becomes dangerous for a driver trying to make his way back to the pit lane. In addition to being "stronger" and "more robust," according to Formula E, the body changes also improve aerodynamics, which could contribute to more wheel-to-wheel battles on track. 

Another key change is to the tires. Formula E is still working with Hankook on the all-weather compound used for its races, but the updated version offers 5- to 10-percent more grip compared to the current spec. Dodds explained that this increase in traction is essential since Gen3 Evo employs the front powertrain for AWD. 

"If you haven't got the increase in grip on the tires, that's pretty challenging to control," he said.

In total, Formula E says the performance upgrades on the Gen3 Evo equate to a two-second drop in qualifying lap times around the tight, twisty Monaco street circuit. Since the series stipulates qualifying time in that estimate, that means AWD and a higher power mode would be active to achieve it. But, it also means Formula E is unlocking the full potential of what Gen3 has been capable of since its debut last season. 

Formula E Gen3 Evo driving away from the camera, blurred lights on both sides.
Formula E

Indeed, the bulk of the Gen3 car is still intact. That includes an all-electric race car that's incredibly efficient, converting 90 percent of its energy to mechanical power. By employing 600kW regenerative braking, the cars produce almost 50 percent of the energy they need to complete a race while on track. Like its predecessor, the Gen3 Evo remains capable of a top speed of 200 mph. And just like before, teams will make performance updates to the cars via software changes in search of any on-track advantage. 

Formula E says there has already been some driver testing of the Gen3 Evo behind closed doors, and the feedback has been very positive. Dodds explained that Tag Heuer Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein and DS Penske's Jean-Éric Vergne both drove the car in test sessions with rave reviews. Vergne, who is one of the more outspoken drivers on the grid, specifically noted how much better it drives than the current car. 

"The sooner we can get to [Gen3 Evo] in season 11, the better, as far as he's concerned," Dodds explained. "It's lovely to get that feedback, because happy drivers often create happy races." 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/formula-e-debuts-gen3-evo-race-car-all-wheel-drive-unlocks-0-60-mph-in-182-seconds-173038751.html?src=rss

Samsung AI-powered wearable assistant helps visually impaired navigate better with real-time audio descriptions

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Navigation and understanding of the environment is an everyday challenge for the visually impaired. This limitation hinders their independence and of course, cripples their mobility. Walking aids and certain technology-assisted solutions do provide necessary navigation details with obstacle detection, but a personal assistant that talks to them like their own is still missing.

With the advent of generative AI, a designer duo has taken the leverage to create an AI-powered wearable device called InSight that intends to grant visual independence to the blind or anyone else who can leverage the benefit. The product was conceived for the Samsung Re:Create Challenge, which is a global competition that requires participants to perceive and conceptualize products that would repurpose ‘Samsung devices or their materials’ and promote sustainability.

Designers: Merve Nur Sökmen, Ayberk Kole

The basic idea of InSight is to seamlessly integrate with the user’s lifestyle while making available to them an accessible and connective, audio navigation experience in real-time. Designed to integrate all the features of existing Samsung consumer electronics, and to be constructed from recycled Samsung devices and materials, InSight helps reduce electronic waste, while performing the underlying function of a personal navigation assistant for the visually impaired.

With an onboard battery and an intuitive touch control, the pint-sized InSight can run navigation commands on the go. With its interesting clip-on design, one can wear it on their clothes and receive real-time audio descriptions of the visual environment in real-time, so navigation is better and more inclusive. To add more substance to the assistant’s capabilities, the user can talk back to the device, which then with its built-in AI can help with the possible information. A likely use case for students and travelers.

By helping perceive the surroundings in real-time and relaying comprehensive information to the user with audio descriptions, InSight can have a drastic impact in many lives that are dependent on others for mobility as of now. To make the device really helpful – beyond the AI integration – designers have worked its aesthetics around Samsung’s design language. The InSight connects seamlessly with smartphone and headphones of the user and provides onboard touch controls for personalized settings. And when it begins to run out of power plug it into a USB-C cable and juice it for another outing of independence!

The post Samsung AI-powered wearable assistant helps visually impaired navigate better with real-time audio descriptions first appeared on Yanko Design.

Our favorite budget webcam is 20 percent off right now

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The Anker PowerConf C200 webcam is 20 percent off right now via Amazon or directly from the company. This brings the price down to $48. The $12 dollar discount isn’t the lowest price ever for the webcam, but its dang close. In other words, this is still a fantastic deal.

The C200 is one of our favorite webcams, easily sliding into second place on our list of the best available models. We loved the easy setup, as all you have to do is plug it into your computer or docking station and start recording. It also integrates with the company’s AnkerWork software for editing and for making quick adjustments to brightness, sharpness and contrast ratio.

The default resolution is 2K, but you can adjust to 1080p, 720p or even 360p as the content requires. The field of view is similarly adjustable, so you can offer watchers an ultra-wide view of an extremely messy bedroom. It boasts dual stereo mics with omnidirectional vocal pickup and ships with a built-in lens cover.

The webcam’s autofocus is quite fast, even when compared to pricier models, and its larger f/2.0 aperture helps the image stay illuminated even in dark environments. The overall image quality isn’t quite on par with our favorite webcam, the Logitech Brio 500, but it’s also less than half the price.

We do have some complaints about the C200. It’s a bit cumbersome to adjust the angle when perched on a screen, due to the design. There’s no short neck that connects the camera to the base. It’s just one chunky piece of plastic, requiring both hands to make adjustments. Also, the provided USB-C cable is on the shorter side, so you might want to have a longer one ready to go, particularly if you use a standing desk.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/our-favorite-budget-webcam-is-20-percent-off-right-now-171843926.html?src=rss

Threads is getting its own Hidden Words feature

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Meta is bringing some of its existing safety features to Threads, including the Hidden Words tool. The platform — which recently hit more than 150 million users — will now allow you to filter out words, phrases and even emojis, just like you can on Instagram.

Threads will have the setting on by default and filter out anything that it deems offensive, along with content that could be irrelevant or uninteresting. You can then add other things that you want to be filtered out, such as "weight loss," "assault" or a derogatory term. To add your own options, go to "manage custom words and phrases" and type in anything you're sick of seeing on Threads.

The platform is also testing two additional features: muting and quote controls. The first would allow you to mute notifications specifically for any interactions with your posts. This way, you could still get alerts about new followers or tags without seeing every response. Quote controls would let you choose who can quote your post and even let you unquote yourself. Meta has yet to announce when these two features might be available to all Threads users.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-is-getting-its-own-hidden-words-feature-170058508.html?src=rss

FCC votes to restore net neutrality protections

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The Federal Communications Commission has voted to reinstate net neutrality protections that were jettisoned during the Trump administration. As expected, the vote fell across party lines with the three Democratic commissioners in favor and the two Republicans on the panel voting against the measure.

With net neutrality rules in place, broadband service is considered an essential communications resource under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. That enables the FCC to regulate broadband internet in a similar way to water, power and phone services. That includes giving the agency oversight of outages and the security of broadband networks. Brendan Carr, one of the Republican commissioners, referred to the measure as an "unlawful power grab."  

Under net neutrality rules, internet service providers have to treat broadband usage in the same way. Users have to be provided with access to all content, websites and apps under the same speeds and conditions. ISPs can't block or prioritize certain content — they're not allowed to throttle access to specific sites or charge streaming services for faster service.

The FCC adopted net neutrality protections in 2015 during the Obama administration. But they were scrapped when President Donald Trump was in office. Back in 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to bring back the Obama-era rules, but the FCC was unable to do so for quite some time. The commission was deadlocked with two Democratic votes and two Republican votes until Anna Gomez was sworn in as the third Democratic commissioner on the panel last September. The FCC then moved relatively quickly (at least in terms of the FCC's pace) to re-establish net neutrality protections.

The issue may not be entirely settled. There may still be legal challenges from the telecom industry. However, the FCC's vote in favor of net neutrality is a win for advocates of an open and equitable internet.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fcc-votes-to-restore-net-neutrality-protections-161350168.html?src=rss

The world’s biggest 3D printer can a make a house in under 80 hours

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The University of Maine just unveiled the world’s largest polymer 3D printer. The new printer, named Factory of the Future 1.0 (FoF 1.0), can print objects as large as 96 feet long by 32 feet wide by 18 feet high. It’s also quite speedy, relatively speaking, as it can print up to 500 pounds per hour. That’s like three people, every hour.

It can dynamically switch between printing techniques to suit different aspects of complex jobs. The printer can flip between large-scale additive manufacturing, subtractive manufacturing, continuous tape layup and robot arm operations. These technologies make the printer uniquely suited for a number of industries, including housing, infrastructure and the development of military vehicles.

Most of the stuff it makes is recyclable, so “you can basically deconstruct it, grind it up if you wish” and “do it again”, according to Dr. Habib Dagher, the Director of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine. To that end, the printer prioritizes biobased materials, like wood residuals.

This tech seems like a great way to build a ton of affordable housing quickly and that’s exactly what some proponents have in mind. “Maine needs an estimated 80,000 additional homes by 2030, many specifically for households with incomes at or below the area median income,” said MaineHousing’s Development Director Mark Wiesendanger. “This effort creates another means of producing quality affordable housing, while further driving costs down, and using abundant wood residuals from Maine sawmills.” AP suggests the printer “may one day create entire neighborhoods.” The specs indicate that it should be able to make a modest single-story home in around 80 hours.

However, this is America, so it’s not like people built this thing just to help the unhoused. UMaine researchers received funding from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy. These governmental institutions are going to want a return on their investment, so the printer will also likely be used to whip up lightweight rapidly deployable vessels, like submarines and other maritime vehicles. Senator Susan Collins called the printer “invaluable to our national security."

The FoF 1.0 has a sibling printer on the UMaine campus, which was the previous record holder for the world’s largest 3D printer. It’s already been used to manufacture a 600-square-foot, single-family home made of wood fiber and bioresin materials. The new printer, however, is four times the size. Luckily, the two models are housed in the same location and can work on different aspects of the same projects simultaneously.

The University of Maine will soon break ground on a new research laboratory called the Green Engineering and Materials (GEM) Factory of the Future. This will be the new home of both printers, with a primary aim to “facilitate and scale up more sustainable manufacturing practices.” It will also likely house even larger printers in the future. “We’re learning from this to design the next one,” Dr. Dagher told ABC News.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-worlds-biggest-3d-printer-can-a-make-a-house-in-under-80-hours-155256122.html?src=rss

Sleek self-driving air purifier robot can go where it’s needed the most

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The air purifier market saw a huge uptick in the past years as homeowners became more aware and concerned about the quality of the air they breathe indoors. A single machine is enough to satisfy the needs of a room or a small apartment, but bigger domiciles would need more units to cover the wider space or numerous rooms. Of course, people won’t be in all those spaces or rooms at the same time, and managing multiple air purifiers could be a tiresome task, even if they’re all connected to your smartphone. What if the air purifier operated only where it’s needed, like in a place where the air quality is too low for comfort? That’s the idea behind this concept design for this elegant air purifier that can indeed go to those areas, using technologies already in use today.

Designer: Gwan-deok Seo

Air purifiers these days, at least the more sophisticated ones, can already detect air quality, but it’s more for automatically adjusting the level of purifying they do more than pinpointing where the poor air is. Robot vacuum cleaners, on the other hand, have become so advanced that they can effortlessly navigate around your home, mapping the floor layout on their own and avoiding all kinds of obstacles. There’s very little reason why these technologies can’t be combined, at least aside from the space they might take up on a single machine.

Puyager is a concept that does mix these two seemingly different worlds together in a harmonious manner and with a compact design. Of course, it can’t just be a low, disc-shaped machine like most robot vacuum cleaners on the market. It would be too cramped to include the necessary parts for sucking in, filtering, and blowing out air. At the same time, however, a box or cylindrical design similar to typical air purifiers would be too bulky, not to mention unappealing for something that will be moving around your house.

The shape chosen for this robot is an egg or at least the top half of one. This allows the bottom section to still be that round shape that makes robot vacuums efficient in moving around while leaving enough room for electronics and air circulation. Unlike a simple dome, however, Puyager has a gap between the left and right halves of this egg, providing an outlet for clean air to be released. The top edge of this gap houses the touch-sensitive controls that let owners minimally operate the machine without having to reach for their phone.

The end result is a product that looks stylish and elegant, a perfect fit for any home. Even while stationary, Puyager looks like a piece of decoration more than an appliance, adding a bit of visual value whether it’s busy purifying the air or just idling. Admittedly, its performance in actually detecting poor air quality and rolling over there to clean it is something that still needs to be tested, but the design is definitely a good starting point for a more modern and more human-centric solution to air quality at home.

The post Sleek self-driving air purifier robot can go where it’s needed the most first appeared on Yanko Design.