April 4, 2024 | View in browser 

 

IN THIS ISSUE

 

🎸 Stability AI lets you make 3-minute music tracks
📱 Popular mobile services hit by outages

🎶 Another Spotify price rise apparently on the way
🎤 George Carlin estate settles AI lawsuit

🕹️ Grab this free game from the Epic Games Store

 
 

COMPUTING

 

Stability AI’s audio generator doubles music tracks to 3 minutes

 

Generative AI continues to creep into the music industry with Stability AI’s updated version of Stable Audio, an AI-powered text-to-audio tool that now comes with an audio-to-audio capability

 

The London-based startup said Stable Audio 2.0 offers “a new standard in AI-generated audio,” with the ability to create high-quality tracks lasting up to three minutes in length (double the original version) at 44.1kHz stereo.

The audio-to-audio feature lets you upload audio samples (they must be copyright-free) and transform them into a wide array of sounds using natural language prompts.

Stability AI said the tool creates structured compositions that include an intro, development, and outro, as well as stereo sound effects, and you can use it for free now ...

 
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MORE COMPUTING

 
  • Apple reportedly exploring home robotics for its next big thing
  • White House directs NASA to develop lunar time standard
  • I keep my PC on the floor, and you can’t convince me otherwise
 
 

MOBILE

 

Meta-owned services were hit by a major outage on Wednesday

 

Yesterday was a frustrating one for those who rely on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Threads, and Facebook. Apple’s App Store also went down for a while

 

WhatsApp went down for its 2 billion or so global users on Wednesday afternoon ET, and the outage also affected other Meta-owned services such as Instagram and Messenger. Users could still send messages on WhatsApp, but they didn't reach the recipient until the service came back online several hours later. Meta has yet to reveal what caused the problem.

On the same day, Apple's App Store also experienced disruption that started at around 6:30 p.m. ET and continued for about an hour. Arcade, Audiobooks, Books, Podcasts, Fitness Plus, and the new Apple Sports app were also impacted. Apple also has yet to offer an explanation for the outage ...

 
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MORE MOBILE

 
  • Here’s how you can try new Oura Ring features before anyone else
  • iPadOS 17.5 hints at new ‘squeeze’ gesture for Apple Pencil 3
  • Verizon brightens up April with freebies for new customers
 
 

AUDIO / VIDEO

 

Spotify set to raise prices again, report claims

 

The company has lost money every year since going public in 2018 and needs to change that

 

Spotify is planning to raise the price of its streaming service in a number of major markets for the second time in a year, according to a Bloomberg report citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The company will increase prices by about $1 to $2 a month in five markets by the end of this month, including the U.K., Australia, and Pakistan, and later this year in the U.S., too. The price hike will help cover the cost of audiobooks, a new service added to Spotify last year.

The company pays publishers for books, but it has so far only collected additional revenue from listeners who exceed the monthly 15-hour audiobook listening limit, Bloomberg said ...

 
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MORE AUDIO / VIDEO

 
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  • Klipsch Nashville review: a rugged, backpack-ready Bluetooth speaker
  • I wish more TV brands would copy Samsung's 2024 strategy
 
 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

George Carlin’s estate settles lawsuit over AI comedy special

 

An attorney for Carlin’s estate said the settlement will "serve as a blueprint for resolving similar disputes going forward where an artist or public figure has their rights infringed by AI technology”

 

A dispute between George Carlin’s estate and the creators of a comedy special that claimed to have used AI to impersonate the late comedian has been settled, the Washington Post reported.

The team behind George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead has agreed to agreed to permanently remove the comedy special from YouTube and to never repost it on any platform.

An attorney for the plaintiffs said it was their aim to “have the offending videos removed from the internet so that we could preserve Mr. Carlin’s legacy and shine a light on the reputational and intellectual property threat caused by this emerging technology” ... 

 
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MORE ENTERTAINMENT

 
  • 5th Matrix movie in the works, studio announces
  • ESPN’s standalone streaming service will be available through Disney+
  • Conan O’Brien to return to The Tonight Show as a guest
 
 

GAMING

 

Don’t miss this great sci-fi RPG while it’s free on the Epic Games Store

 

Grab The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition while it's free on the Epic Games Store

 

Free game, anyone? The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is available for the princely sum of nothing on the Epic Games Store until April 11 — an offer that will surely appeal to RPG and sci-fi fans.

The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is the complete version of a 2019 RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, Digital Trends reports. Although it was much smaller in scale than some AAA RPGs like Starfield, that more limited scope allows The Outer Worlds to emphasize player choice in gameplay and narrative.

While the gunplay and combat aren’t as slick as some contemporary RPGs, it’s definitely worth picking up for free while we wait for its sequel ...

 
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MORE GAMING

 
  • Ubisoft announces date for next Ubisoft Forward games showcase
  • Xbox isn't the only one rethinking console exclusives
  • Star Wars: Galaxy Of Heroes is coming to PC with big improvements
 
 
 

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