DJI’s lightweight RS 3 Mini camera stabilizer is designed to be used with one hand

Where DJI’s RS 3 and RS 3 Pro stabilizers were about maximum convenience and power, the company’s latest is designed to reduce as much weight as possible. The new RS 3 Mini weighs in at just 1.8 pounds, but can carry cameras up to 4.4 pounds, which inc…

Microsoft’s VALL-E AI can mimic any voice from a short audio sample

Microsoft has shown off its latest research in text-to-speech AI with a model called VALL-E that can simulate someone’s voice from just a three-second audio sample, Ars Technica has reported. The speech can not only match the timbre but also the emotional tone of the speaker, and even the acoustics of a room. It could one day be used for customized or high-end text-to-speech applications, though like deepfakes, it carries risks of misuse. 

VALL-E is what Microsoft calls a “neural codec language model.” It’s derived from Meta’s AI-powered compression neural net Encodec, generating audio from text input and short samples from the target speaker.

In a paper, researchers describe how they trained VALL-E on 60,000 hours of English language speech from 7,000-plus speakers on Meta’s LibriLight audio library. The voice it attempts to mimic must be a close match to a voice in the training data. If that’s the case, it uses the training data to infer what the target speaker would sound like if speaking the desired text input.

Microsoft's VALL-E AI can simulate any person's voice from a short audio sample
Microsoft

The team shows exactly how well this works on the VALL-E Github page. For each phrase they want the AI to “speak,” they have a three-second prompt from the speaker to imitate, a “ground truth” of the same speaker saying another phrase for comparison, a “baseline” conventional text-to-speech synthesis and the VALL-E sample at the end. 

The results are mixed, with some sounding machine-like and others being surprisingly realistic. The fact that it retains the emotional tone of the original samples is what sells the ones that work. It also faithfully matches the acoustic environment, so if the speaker recorded their voice in an echo-y hall, the VALL-E output also sounds like it came from the same place. 

To improve the model, Microsoft plans to scale up its training data “to improve the model performance across prosody, speaking style, and speaker similarity perspectives.” It’s also exploring ways to reduce words that are unclear or missed.

Microsoft elected to not make the code open source, possibly due to the risks inherent with AI that can put words in someone’s mouth. It added that it would follow its “Microsoft AI Principals” on any further development. “Since VALL-E could synthesize speech that maintains speaker identity, it may carry potential risks in misuse of the model, such as spoofing voice identification or impersonating,” the company wrote in the “Broader impacts” section of its conclusion.

Raspberry Pi’s new 12-megapixel camera modules provide powered autofocus

Raspberry Pi has launched the Camera Module 3 with big improvements, including higher resolution, infrared, HDR, autofocus, a wide angle FOV and more, the company announced. Not counting the interchangeable lens model introduced in 2020, it’s the company’s first new camera module in six years.

The previous Module 2 cameras used a Sony IMX219 8-megapixel sensor. However, the new models carry Sony’s new 12-megapixel IMX708 chip, which is not only larger but has more resolution. That translates to sharper images and also better low-light sensitivity. It also has a 16:9 aspect ratio, so HD video up to 1080p50 can be captured using the entire sensor area. 

Better still, where the previous module had fixed autofocus, Module 3 has built-in powered autofocus capability. That makes them a bit thicker (up to 12.4mm compared to 9mm) but more versatile, letting you focus on objects ranging in distance from 5cm (2 inches) to infinity. 

The standard field-of-view (FoV) variants provide a 66 degree horizontal field of view, roughly equivalent to a 28mm full-frame lens. The wide angle version, however, bumps that to 102 degrees horizontal (a 14mm full-frame lens). With a “more expensive and complex optical stack,” the wide-angle version is a bit thicker, 12.4 compared to 11.5mm, according to Raspberry Pi. 

It also offers HDR capability, taking multiple simultaneous exposures with different exposure times. That lets you capture interior shots, for instance, with the correct exposure on both interior and exterior details. And finally, the NoIR (no infrared filter) sensors, first introduced with the Module 2, can effectively convert your Raspberry Pi into a night-vision camera. 

The launch includes no less than four modules, including standard and wide angle models, both in visible light and NoIR infrared versions. Both the normal models start at $25, while the wide angle versions cost $35. They’re now available at Raspberry Pi’s store . 

Tesla brings back the option of a round steering wheel for the Model S and X

When Tesla started offering a yoke steering wheel in Model X and Model S EVs, CEO Elon Musk rejected the idea of a more conventional option. Now, the company has indeed brought back the round steering wheel as an option in the configurator, Electrek has reported. Selecting it doesn’t appear to change the price or delivery time.

If you already bought a Tesla Model S or X with a yoke and don’t like it, you have options, too. As pointed out by YouTuber and Tesla owner Marques Brownlee, the company is now offering a $700 option to replace the yoke with a round steering wheel. “This retrofit is only compatible with Model S and Model X vehicles configured with a Yoke Steering Wheel. Purchase price includes installation through Tesla Service,” Tesla notes. It adds that the wheel has “no stalks or shifters.”

The yoke divided Tesla fans, as many felt it wasn’t practical for one-handed use and that it was awkward when driving at slow speeds. It was also deemed potentially unsafe by some owners in case you needed to do quick maneuvers like a skid recovery.

When the yoke came along, Tesla also replaced all the stalks with force touch buttons, another thing some drivers weren’t crazy about. As mentioned though, the new wheel option doesn’t have any stalks or shifters either, and the design appears to be based on the yoke in terms of spoke positioning, buttons, etc. 

When asked in a tweet in 2021 if Tesla would offer a round steering wheel as an option to the yoke, he replied simply “No.” He went on to explain that “yet another round wheel is boring & blocks the screen. FSD in panoramic mode looks way better with a yoke.” Apparently, there were enough potential buyers who felt otherwise.

Delta will offer free WiFi on domestic flights starting February 1st

Delta is introducing free WiFi on around 80 percent of its domestic US flights starting on February 1st, 2023, confirming rumors from late last year. The service, available through a T-Mobile sponsorship, will come to 700 planes by the end of the year and on regional and international aircraft by the end of 2024. “It’s going to be free. It’s going to be fast. And it’s going to be available to everyone,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian at CES 2023.

Travelers will need to use their Delta SkyMiles information to log in for access, but getting an account is free. The company announced last year that it would be upgrading more planes using Viasat as a provider. It has been charging a $5 flat fee for WiFi to date. 

Apart from any profit motive, airlines have been slow to introduce free WiFi over concerns that the systems wouldn’t be fast enough to accommodate hundreds of people at once. Delta has been working on the system since 2018, with the eventual goal to offer free WiFi. 

“We didn’t just want free Wi-Fi to offer base-level service – we wanted it to be transformative for the entire onboard experience,” he said. “It is imperative all customers onboard can enjoy their favorite content just as they would at home, and we’ve put this system through meticulous tests to make that possible.”

Jetblue also offers free WiFi via corporate sponsorship, but Southwest, United, American and other airlines charge fees, usually in the $8 to $10 range. American has recently been trialing free WiFi for certain customers. 

Delta also announced that it will unveil new in-flight entertainment systems starting this summer, with user preferences traveling from “flight to flight… even where you left off on a movie,” according to the press release. 

Apple’s big Fitness+ update adds kickboxing, Beyoncé workouts and more

Apple’s latest Fitness+ updates are here, and it looks to be one of the biggest January releases for the service since it launched. A key new addition is kickboxing as a total-body cardio workout type, with sessions of 10, 20 and 30 minutes. It’ll be led by two Fitness+ trainers, Jamie-Ray Hartshorne and Muay Thai fighter Nez Dally, the first woman to compete in Thailand wearing a hijab.

Another key addition is the addition of Beyoncé to the Artist Spotlight series, including songs from her latest album, Renaissance. Starting January 9th, seven new workouts with her music will be available across cycling, dance, HIIT, Pilates, treadmill and yoga, Apple said. Fitness+ is also rolling out Artist Spotlight offerings from Foo Fighters (January 16) and Bad Bunny (January 23rd). 

Apple's latest Fitness+ update adds kickboxing and lets you workout to Beyoncé
Apple

Also on tap are new episodes of Time To Walk, that helps motivate you on walks with stories from noted individuals like Dolly Parton, Shawn Mendes and others. The latest walk features actor Jamie Lee Curtis, as she “reflects on the importance of embracing life’s most unexpected moments, the transformative power of serving others in need,” and more, Apple wrote. Other guests arriving soon are Amber Ruffin, Jason Segel, José Andrés, Nina Hoss, Colman Domingo, Nathan Chen and Sheryl Lee Ralph. 

Fitness+ is also unveiling a new meditation theme, Sleep, joining the existing library that includes Calm, Gratitude, Resilience, and Creativity. Those include a new program called “Introduction to Meditations for Sleep,” with four 20-minute meditations that conclude with five minutes of relaxing music. 

And finally, it’s adding two new collections for inspiration and goal-setting. Those are “6 Weeks to Restart Your Fitness,” featuring a blend of workouts to help users onramp back into fitness after the holidays, available January 9th. The other is “Level Up Your Core Training,” with 10- and 20-minute core workouts using dumbbells, coming on January 23.