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Bill Posters is a former street artist based in the U.K. You may not know his name, but if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve likely seen his work. He’s the man behind the recent spat of viral deepfakes: videos that make it look like various celebrities and politicians are making outrageous statements that they never really made. The videos that Posters makes are intentionally fabricated to illustrate a political point, but indicate a growing online problem: in the example below, Posters and his collaborator created this video of Mark Zuckerberg and posted it on Instagram to test the company’s policy of refusing to take down deepfake videos, he said. View this post on Instagram ‘Imagine this…’ (2019) This deepfake moving image work is from the ‘Big Dada’ series, part of the ‘Spectre’ project. Where big data, AI, dada, and conceptual art combine. .Artworks by Bill Posters & @danyelhau #spectreknows … [Read more...] about Prophet or puppet-master? Meet the man behind the Zuckerberg deepfake

When the idea of indoor security cameras first came about, no one could have guessed one of their most popular uses would be to keep an eye on pets. In today’s world, that’s what a huge number of people use their camera for — to make sure their four-legged furry friend isn’t getting into mischief. Sometimes people check in on their pets throughout the day just to relax during a tough assignment at work. PetChatz HDX aims to be the go-to provider of pet-focused home security cameras. According to PetChatz, the average pet owner spent $183 on their pets during the holiday season last year. The company figured that with another holiday season on the way, pet-focused technology would be the hot-ticket item, and thus, the PetChatz HDX was born. This 1080p video camera has a wide-angle lens, improved low-light performance, and Wi-Fi connectivity on both the 2.4 and the 5GHz bands. Perhaps most importantly of all, there are no monthly fees associated with the PetChatz … [Read more...] about Always be a video call away from your pets with the PetChatz HDX

Apple has finally announced the launch of the 16-inch MacBook Pro — after the longest and most convoluted series of rumors and leaks since the original iPhone. Starting at $2,399, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is available today through apple.com and the Apple Store app. The overhauled design comes with a brand-new keyboard, a higher resolution display, and a separate Touch ID button. And with a similar price tag to the MacBook Pro 15 it has now replaced, there are no nasty surprises in terms of cost. The device has been rumored for months, but as recently as the end of October it was thought that Apple had pushed it back to 2020. In the end that proved false. Also wide of the mark was a decent chunk of the laundry list of possible features and specs the rumor mill kitted the device out with; in the end, many of these failed to come to fruition. There will be no OLED display and no AMD Navi graphics chips, for example, meaning the 16-inch MacBook Pro isn’t quite the showstopper … [Read more...] about Apple announces the 16-inch MacBook Pro

When Amazon released its Kids Edition of the Amazon Echo Dot, many were interested to see how Amazon would use technology to allow young children to experience technology in a kid-friendly way. Along with the kids’ version of the Echo Dot came Amazon FreeTime on Alexa, an Alexa experience created specifically for the youngest generation. Amazon even introduced a Magic Word update that aims to instill kids with good manners by requiring them to say “please” for certain commands. While some were thrilled at the opportunity to introduce their children to this kid-friendly Alexa, other parents raised their eyebrows, questioning whether children’s privacy would be at risk. And it seems lawmakers have similar questions. Sen. Edward J. Mark (Massachusetts) and Rep. Joe Barton (Texas) have asked the Seattle-based online retailer giant what the company is doing to protect the privacy of young children who use the Amazon Echo Dot Kids’ Edition or Amazon Freetime. In … [Read more...] about U.S. lawmakers are asking Amazon if Alexa collects data on children

When Marine Corporal Chad Watson came home from war in 2006, he found a different world — not because the world had changed, but because he had. An IED explosion had stolen half of his right leg and left the wounded soldier faced with the challenge of adapting to a new way of life and a prosthetic leg. For the 13 years since then, Cpl. Watson has demonstrated his toughness of spirit and determination by not only surviving, but thriving. In recognition of his service, the Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E program partnered with James Galla, the owner of EOC Audio, to provide Cpl. Watson with a brand new smart home. Cpl. Watson’s new smart home is outfitted with a full suite of technology. Its security system is handled by 2GIG with an Elan control system. The Watsons can view a live video feed of who’s at the door, lock and unlock the house, and control every light in the home. The home’s subsystems have been linked to the control panel, which makes it easy … [Read more...] about Smart home changes the life of Marine who lost leg during service