Amazon Alexa will be able to mimic deceased loved ones’ voices
The company announced that it’s working on an update to its Alexa system that would allow the technology to mimic any voice, even a deceased family member. Rohit Prasad, an Amazon senior vice president, said the updated system will be able to collect enough voice data from less than a minute of audio to make personalization like this possible, rather than having someone spend hours in a recording studio like how it’s done in the past. Prasad did not elaborate on when this feature could launch. Amazon declined to comment on a timeline.
More recently, actor Val Kilmer, who lost his voice to throat cancer, partnered with startup Sonantic to create an AI-driven speaking voice for him in the new “Top Gun: Maverick” film. The company used archival audio footage of Kilmer to teach an algorithm how to speak like the actor, according to Variety.
Taylor Swift Released Surprise New Music
Last night at midnight, she released her new song “Carolina.” She wrote the track for Where the Crawdads Sing, a forthcoming adaptation of Delia Owens’ 2018 novel of the same name.
Denise Richards joins Onlyfans a Week after Her Daughter
Denise Richards joined OnlyFans just one week after her 18-year-old daughter, Sami Sheen, made her debut on the NSFW site. The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star shared a video to Instagram Thursday in which she could be seen walking barefoot along a beach. “Ready…here we go,” Richards, 51, wrote with the hashtag “#onlyfans” and directing her 1.4 million followers to the link to subscribe to her content for $25 a month. The actress’ new business endeavor comes after Sami, whom she shares with ex-husband Charlie Sheen, joined the adult site, which is often used to post nude or partially nude photos and videos at a premium price. The high school dropout, who turned 18 in March, shared a picture on June 13 that showed her peering at the camera from a hot tub while wearing a black bikini. Despite their strained relationship, Richards has been a vocal supporter of her daughter, telling Page Six: “All I can do as a parent is guide her and trust her judgment, but she makes her own choices.”
Dave Chappelle buys Ohio land to block Affordable Housing Plan
Dave Chappelle bought 19 acres of land to block an affordable housing developer from moving into the quiet Ohio village where he lives. Chappelle’s reps confirm he recently bought the Yellow Springs land previously owned by Oberer Land Developers, Ltd. — a company that had announced plans for a huge subdivision that would have taken up 52 acres of the village. Chappelle came in with guns blazing back in February when the town council held a public meeting, making it very clear that he was opposed to Oberer moving forward with the project, and threatening to pull his own business venture for the area — a planned restaurant/comedy club called the Firehouse Eatery. The council ended up approving the development, but it now appears Chappelle has blocked, or at least slowed, the subdivision plan by snapping up some of Oberer’s property. It’s unclear if the company still intends to keep the rest of its acreage. A spokesperson said they are “considering market options,” but the project appears stalled.
Ex-factory worker Khaby Lame, 22, started making TikToks mocking ‘life hack’ videos after being laid off, overtakes Charli D’Amelio as Most-Followed Person in the World
Khaby Lame, 22, who posts under the name @khaby.lame, passed American Charli D’Amelio, 18, who until today had held the top spot since 2020. Reaching 142.5 million followers overnight, Lame crept past D’Amelio’s 142.2 million after a months-long battle. Lame – who came from poor beginnings – joined the platform in 2020 after being laid off from his factory job. Since then he has met celebrities, been invited to glitzy events and galas, and landed sponsorship deals.
Lame’s signature touch is never saying a word in his videos. ‘I came up with the idea because I was seeing these videos circulating, and I liked the idea of bringing some simplicity to it,’ Lame said to CNN last year, ‘I thought of a way to reach as many people as possible. And the best way was not to speak.’
Joe Burrow Reveals He Considered A Very Different Career Path
In an interview with Chris Simms, Burrow discussed the struggles he was going through at the time and revealed that he had actually considered becoming an investment banker.
“I was putting in the same work that I always put in, but I wasn’t playing. Of course, there was self-doubt in that moment. I mean, when you don’t play for three years – you’re putting in the work, you feel like you’re practicing well and can go out there and make plays but you don’t get the opportunity to show what you can do – it’s frustrating. There were times where I started updating my résumé, thinking about being an investment banker.”
After barely seeing the field in his 3 seasons at Ohio State, he transferred to LSU and the rest is history.
Pacman Jones Taking Chris Henry’s Sons On Recruiting Trips After Adopting Them
Chris Henry and Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones were two of the most dynamic college football players of their time at West Virginia. They were close for years. Sadly, after four years in the NFL, Henry tragically passed away at only 26 years old in 2009. It was a monumental moment in sports, as he represented the first case where an active NFL player had died and was diagnosed with CTE.
Henry’s untimely death left behind two sons, Chris Jr. and DeMarcus, who have both been adopted by Pacman Jones. Chris Jr. is only 14 years old and in high demand already. He is a Class of 2026 recruit, will be a freshman in high school this year, and is already listed at 6-foot-3, 170 pounds.
“It’s really important to live up to my dad’s legacy,” Chris Jr. told WCPO. “I think about it a lot when I’m on the field. I think he would be pretty proud of me right now, to see where I am.”
Earlier this week, Chris Jr. picked up his seventh offer from the University of Miami. He received the offer in-person from head coach Mario Cristobal and had his adopted father, Jones, with him.
Chris Henry Jr. and DeMarcus Henry are both on their way to following in their dad’s footsteps and they have someone who has been through the process and learned from the mistakes. It’s a really special bond.