Tag Archives: Media

Google DeepMind’s new AI tech will generate soundtracks for videos

Posted on by

Google's DeepMind artificial intelligence laboratory is working on a new technology that can generate soundtracks, even dialogue, to go along with videos. The lab has shared its progress on the video-to-audio (V2A) technology project, which can be paired with Google Veo and other video creation tools like OpenAI's Sora. In its blog post, the DeepMind team explains that the system can understand raw pixels and combine that information with text prompts to create sound effects for what's happening onscreen. To note, the tool can also be used to make soundtracks for traditional footage, such as silent films and any other video without sound. 

DeepMind's researchers trained the technology on videos, audios and AI-generated annotations that contain detailed descriptions of sounds and dialogue transcripts. They said that by doing so, the technology learned to associate specific sounds with visual scenes. As TechCrunch notes, DeepMind's team isn't the first to release an AI tool that can generate sound effects — ElevenLabs released one recently, as well — and it won't be the last. "Our research stands out from existing video-to-audio solutions because it can understand raw pixels and adding a text prompt is optional," the team writes.

While the text prompt is optional, it can be used to shape and refine the final product so that it's as accurate and as realistic as possible. You can enter positive prompts to steer the output towards creating sounds you want, for instance, or negative prompts to steer it away from the sounds you don't want. In the sample below, the team used the prompt: "Cinematic, thriller, horror film, music, tension, ambience, footsteps on concrete.

The researchers admit that they're still trying to address their V2A technology's existing limitations, like the drop in the output's audio quality that can happen if there are distortions in the source video. They're also still working on improving lip synchronizations for generated dialogue. In addition, they vow to put the technology through "rigorous safety assessments and testing" before releasing it to the world. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-deepminds-new-ai-tech-will-generate-soundtracks-for-videos-113100908.html?src=rss

Amazon is developing a live action Totally Spies series

Posted on by

A live-action adaptation of Totally Spies is now in production at Amazon. According to a report from Variety, Will Ferrell is the executive producer of the live-action series based on the popular 2000s animated series from French media company Banijay Kids, formerly known as Marathon Media.

The live-action Totally Spies will follow Sam, Clover and Alex as they balance saving the world as international spies working for the agency WOOHP with tackling schoolwork and social lives as college freshmen. No actors have been cast as any of the iconic girls, nor are writers attached to the project just yet.

The original Totally Spies was created by Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel, and it revolved around the three aforementioned teenage girls from Beverly Hills, California as they are recruited by WOOHP to solve worsening crimes that arise around the world. They’re equipped with spy gear disguised as women’s accessories such as hair dryers, high-heel shoes and lipstick. It’s like an animated Charlie’s Angels, except the girls actually see their boss in person.

Since its premiere in 2002, the series aired over 180 episodes, as well as spawned a prequel movie and a spin-off show, The Amazing Spiez. The seventh season of Totally Spies premiered in France last month after a nearly ten-year break, and it will air on Cartoon Network and Max in the US later this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-is-developing-a-live-action-totally-spies-series-201623189.html?src=rss

YouTube’s community notes feature rips a page out of X’s playbook

Posted on by

YouTube is borrowing a page from X (Twitter) and adding a community notes feature ahead of the 2024 US election. The company wants the short viewer-created blurbs to add relevant context to videos, such as pointing out misinformation or old footage passed off as new.

Notes will roll out initially as a pilot program for “a limited number of eligible contributors,” who will receive an invitation via email or Creator Studio. The invited participants will need to have an active YouTube account in good standing.

During the pilot phase, “third-party evaluators” will rate notes’ helpfulness to help train the system. YouTube says it wants to launch notes gradually to test and fine-tune the feature before making it more widely available. Look no further than YouTube’s often toxic video comments to see why that’s necessary.

Once the feature is calibrated and widely available, you’ll see them under videos “if they’re found to be broadly helpful.” Viewers will be asked to rate notes as “helpful,” “somewhat helpful” or “unhelpful” — and tell them why (for example, it cites good sources or is written clearly).

Note ratings will be determined by a bridging-based algorithm, which looks for connections among disparate groups. For example, if people who have historically rated things differently agree on a particular note’s helpfulness, that one will more likely appear. It sounds like the system could still be abused, especially considering how many online tribes today share an unflinching belief in the same debunked misinformation. But hey, we’ll reserve judgment until we see it in action.

The feature is awfully similar to one that was rolled out initially under the Jack Dorsey era of Twitter and expanded globally after Elon Musk bought the company in 2022. At the time, Musk described the feature as “a gamechanger for improving accuracy on Twitter.” X, as it’s known today, isn’t exactly known for its accuracy, but YouTube apparently saw something worth copying in the crowd-sourced context.

As for when you will see community notes, YouTube says the pilot will launch on mobile in the US first. The company anticipates mistakes during this test phase as it tweaks its algorithms. Everyone else in the US can expect to see notes appear “in the coming weeks and months.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtubes-community-notes-feature-rips-a-page-out-of-xs-playbook-162145673.html?src=rss

Neopets is back with a new storyline that’s meant to foster inclusivity

Posted on by

Neopets has been trying to get back its once substantial userbase over the past year by fixing and relaunching its classic games, holding timely events and releasing new features meant to get people hooked on the virtual website again. Today, Neopets is launching a new storyline — or as the website calls it, a new "plot" — which is typically a site event that requires players to solve puzzles, fight opponents in the Battledome and do other activities in order to participate. Neopets says it spent the past three years crafting a narrative that "resonates with players from all walks of life" for the plot called "The Void Within."

The storyline will feature a new protagonist named Nyx who'll embark on a journey with players to explore "themes of community, family, inclusion, well-being and identity." Together, they'll have to find a way to banish the gray curse that's killing all the colors across the Neopets universe. As part of the event, players will get access to new items, like a range of diverse hairstyles, as well as pride and accessibility customization options, for their characters. The website has also removed outdated terms and lore used years ago, has given the Library Faerie a wheelchair and has introduced new social media mascots with accessibility items like hearing aids. 

The Void Within starts rolling out today, with more episodes coming out one by one until early 2025. Neopets is also advising old players to log in if they haven't visited in recent years, because it's removing accounts that have been inactive for a decade by October, ahead of its 25th anniversary.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/neopets-is-back-with-a-new-storyline-thats-meant-to-foster-inclusivity-161213313.html?src=rss

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is coming to PC, PlayStation and Xbox this year

Posted on by

The premise of A Quiet Place always seemed like great fodder for a game: make too much of a racket and a blind, noise-sensitive alien will most probably kill you. Six years after the original movie hit theaters, a video game spinoff is almost here. A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S later this year.

Developer Stormind Games (Remothered, Batora: Lost Haven) has crafted a first-person horror adventure based on the movies. You'll play as a young woman who attempts to steer clear of those terrifying creatures while dealing with her inner fears and family turmoil. All you'll have to help you survive the aliens is whatever tools you can find, such as a flashlight or homemade noise detector. But as the movies and game trailer make clear, just a single noise can spell doom.

Publisher Saber Interactive first announced a video game version of A Quiet Place in 2021 and initially planned to release it in 2022. It took an extra couple of years and perhaps a change of studio (Saber initially said iLLOGIKA and EP1T0ME were working on the project), but The Road Ahead now seems to be just a few months away.

Meanwhile, a prequel movie will hit theaters later this month. A Quiet Place: Day One stars the brilliant Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn of Stranger Things fame.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-quiet-place-the-road-ahead-is-coming-to-pc-playstation-and-xbox-this-year-150813192.html?src=rss

TikTok’s gen AI avatars are based on real people and that only makes them more creepy

Posted on by

Back in April, The Information reported that TikTok was working on AI-generated avatars that advertisers could use to sell their products on the platform. Now, the company has made those plans public, announcing new AI-created “digital avatars” that it will begin offering to creators and brands on the app.

According to TikTok, the AI personas are meant to make it easier for creators and businesses to create branded content that still has a “human feel” but without the time and resources that would go into making a typical highly produced and edited ad.

TikTok is starting out with two kinds of avatars: stock avatars that are based on paid actors and custom avatars based on existing creators and brand spokespeople. These avatars will then star in TikTok videos promoting products and can be customized to speak different languages based on the intended audience.

The company says the new feature shows how generative AI can help creators reach even more people on its platform (and, presumably, generate more ad revenue for the company). But after looking at a couple of examples of these, I’m not that excited for a bunch of AI-generated creators to take over my For You feed.

Take the above example of a custom avatar shared by TikTok. The digital persona seems to be based on TikTok exec Adrienne Lahens. But while the avatar looks like her, the speaking style and movements aren’t… quite right. If you watch closely, you’ll notice there’s a slight jerkiness to the head and hand movements that is giving M3GAN vibes. And, speaking of creepy robots, there’s something extremely unnerving about the eyes on AI Adrienne.

Now, I’ve chatted with Lahens before and can confirm she speaks much more warmly and naturally than her AI avatar. Even the still shot of an AI avatar based off of creator O’Neil Thomas at the top of this article has an off-putting 1,000 yard stare that doesn’t seem to be representative of Thomas’ actual persona.

TikTok is far from the first company to experiment with “realistic” AI and come up with something that feels a little bit uncomfortable even if you can’t quite put your finger on what it is. At least, the company’s own rules require that this kind of content gets prominent disclosures. And maybe the new avatars will help creators sell more TikTok Shop gadgets or other supposedly “viral” products. I just hope TikTok can do something to make those AI-generated eyeballs feel a tad less creepy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktoks-gen-ai-avatars-are-based-on-real-people-and-that-only-makes-them-more-creepy-130033649.html?src=rss

Embracer shuts down Alone in the Dark reboot studio Pieces Interactive

Posted on by

Embracer Group has closed yet another studio. This time around, the embattled company has shut down Pieces Interactive, the developer of the recent Alone in the Dark reboot.

An image posted on the studio's X account reads "Pieces Interactive 2007 - 2024. Thanks for playing with us." The front page of Pieces' website notes that the developer has released more than 10 titles of its own over the last 17 years. It also worked as a support studio on other projects.

Embracer bought Pieces in 2017 and placed it under the umbrella of publisher THQ Nordic. In April, reports emerged that Pieces had laid off some of its employees, just a few weeks after releasing Alone in the Dark (which had been delayed a couple of times).

The closure of Pieces comes several weeks after Embracer said it had concluded its restructuring process following the collapse of a proposed $2 billion investment a year ago. The company shut down several studios, including TimeSplitters developer Free Radical Design and Volition (Saints Row), and it laid off nearly 1,400 workers in the second half of 2023. Embracer has also sold off several studios, including large parts of Saber Interactive as well as Gearbox Entertainment.

Meanwhile, yet another studio is shutting its doors. Galvanic Games founder Patrick Morgan said on Friday that the company is closing. Morgan noted that despite a promising start, sales of Gavlanic's final game, Wizard with a Gun, were "not strong enough to sustain our studio."

The number of layoffs in the game industry so far in 2024 is estimated to be around 10,800. That's already more than the 10,500 total for all of 2023, and we're not even halfway through the year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/embracer-shuts-down-alone-in-the-dark-reboot-studio-pieces-interactive-124555063.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple may be planning thinner iPhones, MacBooks and Watches

Posted on by

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s mission to make its thinnest product ever won’t stop at the iPad Pro — the company also has plans for a skinnier Macbook Pro, Apple Watch and iPhone. Gurman says the slimmed-down iPhone — also rumored by The Information — could come as early as 2025, with the introduction of the iPhone 17 line.

A thinner iPhone is likely to be more expensive than current generation devices, however. Remember 2017’s iPhone X, which ditched the home button but cost more? That, again.

Meanwhile, on Engadget, we’ve got even more Summer Game Fest news. Did the show end last week? Yes. Are there still embargoed games we’re itching to talk about? Definitely, yes!

— Mat Smith

Microsoft’s Xbox refresh can’t compete with its leaked roadmap

Doctor Who: The Legend of Ruby Sunday review: What legend?

Cybertruck buyers say they’ve been told deliveries are paused due windshield wiper problems

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

According to a Reuters report, the US military used fake social media accounts to discredit China’s COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines during the height of the pandemic. In one example of the US’s anti-vax messaging cited by Reuters, an account in 2020 tweeted, “COVID came from China and the VACCINE also came from China, don’t trust China!” The campaign also pushed the narrative that China’s vaccines were “haram” — forbidden under Islamic law. In a statement to the publication, a Pentagon spokesperson brought up China’s own disinformation campaign, and said the military “uses a variety of platforms, including social media, to counter those malign influence attacks.”

Continue reading.

TMA
Atlus

Metaphor: ReFantazio has been a long time in the making. It was announced in 2017, but we finally got to play through a three-part demo last week at Summer Game Fest. Atlus and the game’s director, Katsura Hashino, are both known more for (semi-) grounded urban fantasy/school life simulations of Persona than wizards and elves, and ReFantazio, in that sense, represents a big departure. As do all the British accents. Expect cockneys, Liverpudlians, and more, all represented in fantasy equivalents. The gameplay of battles, however, is turn-based, strategic and tied to the strength of the bonds with your allies. And yep, that sounds very Persona.

Continue reading.

In this week’s Engadget podcast, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss their final thoughts on Apple Intelligence and the company’s upcoming software teased at WWDC, and they chat about some of our coverage highlights from the pseudo-E3 Game Fest.

Listen here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apple-may-be-planning-thinner-iphones-macbooks-and-watches-111531784.html?src=rss

Sweet, there’s going to be another season of Delicious in Dungeon

Posted on by

Delicious in Dungeon just wrapped up its first season on Netflix, and we now have confirmation that there will be another. The studio behind the show shared on social media this week that a season two is coming, and it’s already in production. The anime, based on the manga by Ryoko Kui, follows a group of broke adventurers who end up eating monsters along their quest to save their friend from the belly of a dragon. It’s one of the most unexpectedly delightful things I’ve watched recently and, despite the questionable ingredients that often go into the meals, has some truly top-tier examples of mouthwatering anime foods.

Delicious in Dungeon is produced by the Japaneses animation studio, Trigger, Inc. The first season got a 24-episode run with weekly releases, but it’s all available and ready for binge-watching now if you haven’t gotten around to it yet. The final episode dropped on Thursday. Just don’t go into it hungry.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sweet-theres-going-to-be-another-season-of-delicious-in-dungeon-224918513.html?src=rss

The Lollipop Chainsaw remaster comes out on September 25

Posted on by

Hate it or love it, Lollipop Chainsaw is so back. Developer Dragami Games announced this week that its remastered version of the game, Lollipop Chainsaw RePop, comes out on September 25 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Steam. The polarizing cult classic was first released in 2012 and follows the zombie-hunting cheerleader, Juliet, as she tries to fend off the apocalypse.

There were originally plans for a full remake, but last year it was revealed that this had been scaled back to a remaster. Ever since its return was announced, fans of the original have expressed concerns that the intentionally trashy, over-the-top hack-and-slash game might get the censorship treatment in order to appease modern sensibilities, but it looks like there will be a way to experience Lollipop Chainsaw just the way you remembered it. 

The trailer states that “Lollipop Chainsaw RePop allows players to select Original mode, which is based on the original release, or RePop mode, which has less violence and uses pop-art damage effects.” The announcement also says RePop “leaves the story unchanged, with the focus on quality of life improvements and additional gameplay content.” 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-lollipop-chainsaw-remaster-comes-out-on-september-25-152207999.html?src=rss