OpenAI just announced that it recently conducted a small-scale preview of a new tool called Voice Engine. This is a voice cloning technology that can mimic any speaker by analyzing a 15-second audio sample. The company says it generates “natural-sounding speech” with “emotive and realistic voices.” The technology is based on the company’s pre-existing text-to-speech API and it has been in the works since 2022. OpenAI has already been using a version of the toolset to power the preset voices available in the current text-to-speech API and the Read Aloud feature. There are a bunch of samples on the company’s official blog and they sound eerily close to the real thing. I encourage you to give them a listen and imagine the possibilities, both good and bad. OpenAI says they see this technology being useful for reading assistance, language translation and helping those who suffer from sudden or degenerative speech conditions. The company brought up a Brown University pilot program that helped a patient with speech impairment issues by creating a Voice Engine clone pulled from audio recorded for a school project. Despite the potential benefits, bad actors would certainly abuse this technology to engage in some serious deepfake tomfoolery, which is already a problem. With this in mind, Voice Engine isn’t quite ready for prime time, as there are serious privacy concerns that must be met before a full rollout. OpenAI acknowledges that this tech has “serious risks, which are... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-03-29 19:03:56 UTC ]
Crime writer A L Gaylin has recorded a fictional podcast episode in addition to the audio version of her new book. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-23 00:16:49 UTC ]
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Audible, the Amazon-owned audiobook producer and retailer, announced a new feature that will allow its customers to listen to and read along with books at the same time. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-07-18 18:09:52 UTC ]
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In more “thing becomes other thing” news, Sleeping Beauties, the more-than-700-page fantasy novel that Stephen King wrote with his son, Owen, is being adapted into a 10-part comic book series. The novel imagines a world in which all the women in the world except one have come down with a disease... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-07-16 19:06:16 UTC ]
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Audiobook selections for July cover a swath of the American landscape, from a western river to Louisiana’s gumbo belt. Relax and take it all in. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2019-07-12 10:58:54 UTC ]
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Audiobook selections for July cover a swath of the American landscape, from a western river to Louisiana’s gumbo belt. Relax and take it all in. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2019-07-12 10:58:54 UTC ]
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Audiobook selections for July cover a swath of the American landscape, from a western river to Louisiana’s gumbo belt. Relax and take it all in. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2019-07-12 10:58:54 UTC ]
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Audiobook selections for July cover a swath of the American landscape, from a western river to Louisiana’s gumbo belt. Relax and take it all in. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2019-07-12 09:38:10 UTC ]
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David Walliams has narrated the audiobook of The Curse of the School Rabbit (HarperCollins), written and illustrated by Judith Kerr. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-10 12:22:15 UTC ]
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Condé Nast Pulls Investment From FarFetch [caption id="attachment_161701" align="alignright" width="150"] José Neves[/caption] Condé Nast pulled its nearly $300 million investment in the London-based luxury fashion retail marketplace FarFetch, following concerns about the management of the... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2019-07-09 18:18:07 UTC ]
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Paul McCartney will narrate the audiobook edition of his upcoming picture book, Hey Grandude! (Puffin), which is inspired by his experiences of being a grandfather. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-04 02:57:43 UTC ]
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A reader comes to terms with the role audiobooks play in her ability to be more mindful for the sake of her mental health, and considers reading life solutions. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-07-01 10:41:46 UTC ]
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Sweden’s Bonnier has announced a sweeping expansion in Europe of its BookBeat digital service, multiplying by seven times its former reach in terms of markets for audiobooks and ebooks. By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson Service Has More Than 50,000 Audiobooks and Ebooks he... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-06-24 12:55:40 UTC ]
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Audiobook streaming service BookBeat has launched in 24 new European markets, making the service available in 28 countries overall. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-24 12:31:26 UTC ]
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A little under two years after its five-season run ended on BBC America, Orphan Black is returning with a bang, and probably loads more sound effects. Fiction publishing startup Serial Box is reviving the beloved sci-fi show this summer as a ten-epis... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2019-06-13 22:51:00 UTC ]
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Angelica Gonzalez used to read about a book a year. Then she discovered the Libby app, which allows anyone with a Los Angeles Public Library card to borrow e-books, audiobooks and other electronic media — for free. Now Gonzalez regularly checks out titles and transfers them to her Kindle.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-12 10:00:00 UTC ]
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Bill Clinton, James Patterson and Stephen King are on the CrimeFest Awards shortlist, which this year features a mix of established names and new talent. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Thriller author Don Winslow wants to debate Donald Trump about the president's proposed border wall, and Stephen King is willing to pay $10,000 to make it happen. Winslow, whose new novel, "The Border," is slated for release by Harper Collins imprint William Morrow next week, challenged Trump to... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder will publish Stephen King's new novel The Institute in September 2019 after the "thrilling and suspenseful" book was acquired by Jamie Hodder-Williams from Chuck Verrill at Darhansoff and Verrill in New York. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Backed by social media support from author and Maine resident Stephen King, a petition and lobbying effort by the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance has successfully persuaded the 'Portland Press Herald' to reinstate its local book review coverage. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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