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Adobe’s new AI tool turns silly noises into realistic audio effects

Adobe is launching new generative AI filmmaking tools that provide fun ways to create sound effects and control generated video outputs. Alongside the familiar text prompts that typically allow you to describe what Adobe’s Firefly AI models should make or edit, users can now use onomatopoeia-like voice recordings to generate custom sounds, and use reference footage to guide the movements in Firefly-generated videos. The Generate Sound Effects tool that’s launching in beta on the Firefly app can

Uber inks six-year robotaxi deal with Lucid, invests $300 million in EV company

Uber on Thursday announced a partnership to deploy more than 20,000 robotaxis over the next six years as demand for driverless cars kicks into high gear. As part of the partnership, the ride-hailing company is teaming up with Lucid , the electric vehicle maker, and Nuro, an autonomous vehicle startup. Under the agreement, Uber will invest $300 million in Lucid. Nuro will develop the self-driving technology that Lucid will use to supply Uber with robotaxis over the course of the deal and receive

Slack is getting a host of new AI tools

Slack, the cloud‑based team messaging juggernaut, is charging ahead with further integration of AI into users’ day‑to‑day experience. The company is introducing a series of tools aimed at improving productivity and improving team communication. AI writing assistance has been built directly into Slack Canvas, allowing users to create assets like project briefs as well as refine the content they create using natural‑language prompts. Writing assistance can also be used to generate and assign acti

Apple's Emoji Game is now out for News+ subscribers in the US and Canada

Apple has rolled out the Emoji Game exclusively for its News+ subscribers in the US and Canada, just in time for World Emoji Day. While the company originally announced the game for iOS 26 at WWDC earlier this year, the Emoji Game is now available to subscribers on iPhone, iPad and Mac running iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4 or later, respectively. The game is similar to other word games out there like Wordle in that players would have to fill in the blanks to guess words and phrases. But l

Marshall's first soundbar rocks as a mainstream alternative - Here's my take

ZDNET's key takeaways The Marshall Heston 120 is a one-box soundbar (no rear speakers or sub included) that retails for $999. This soundbar delivers a fresh design and plenty of bass, audio features, and connectivity ports. For a first-generation product, it retails for as much as its well-established, acclaimed rivals. View now at Marshall The Marshall Heston 120 soundbar is currently out of stock on Marshall's website, and there are no other retailers. According to Marshall, it will be rest

A US-Only TikTok Could Be Coming. What We Know So Far About the Replacement App

A US-only version of the TikTok mobile app is being developed by the vertical video social media network's owner ByteDance. It will replace the current version of TikTok being used in the US ahead of a September deadline for the Chinese company to divest ownership, according to a report this week by The Information. The new app is codenamed "M2" and would launch on Sept. 5. Users in the US would be required to switch from the existing app to the new one, the report said, citing anonymous source

DOGE Put Free Tax Filing Tool on Chopping Block After One Meeting With Lobbyists

When the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at the Internal Revenue Service earlier this year, leaders of the group reassured workers that the agency’s free tax filing tool, Direct File, would be spared from cuts. But only a few days after meeting with tax software lobbyists, the beloved tool was placed on the chopping block, multiple sources familiar tell WIRED. The plans to potentially kill Direct File, the free tax filing tool developed by the IRS which services 25

Topics: direct file free irs tax

Shark Steam Pickup 3-in-1 Hard Floor Cleaner Review: A Do-It-All Cleaning Gadget

To me, mopping is like filing my taxes or changing my oil. A necessary evil that I dread, a task that I procrastinate until I have no other choice. Luckily, I've been testing steam mops, which means I stopped mopping entirely in order to assess how well each model cleans. The floors of my 250-square-foot high-traffic kitchen have been … how do I put this … really gross. But so far, the Shark Steam Pickup 3-in-1 has ticked every box in what I'm looking for when it comes to an effective steam mop

Slack says its AI can make sense of your company’s jargon

Slack is using AI to help business users quickly understand confusing company language and concentrate on their most important tasks. The communication platform announced that it will “soon” be adding a feature that explains workplace jargon, and an AI writing assistant for Slack canvases that automates repetitive writing tasks like summarizing conversations and note-taking. The AI message context feature will instantly explain messages that contain an acronym or unfamiliar phrase when the user

Roblox launches new age verification system to unlock unfiltered chats

Users over 13 years old will be prompted to use the facial-analysis software to estimate their age and determine whether they can access the new "trusted connections" feature that allows them to engage in private, unfiltered chats with other age-screened users, Ebanks said. Roblox's use of age-estimation tech will help the company "confirm the age of our users and give them more tailored and age-appropriate features," said Ryan Ebanks, a Roblox principal product manager for social products. So

Here’s your first look at Google Translate’s Conversation mode redesign (APK teardown)

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Google is set to revamp the Google Translate app’s Conversation mode, featuring Gemini-based branding and smarter AI integration. Updates include clearer speaker identification, quick language-switch chips, inline translations, and visual tweaks across automatic and manual modes. Some settings, like toggling manual modes, are now hidden, reducing immediate accessibility. Google has been working on significant UI updates to the Translate app to better

Roblox is adding an 'age estimation' feature for teens

Roblox is joining the growing ranks of online platforms that are trying to better understand the ages of their teen users. The company is rolling out a new " age estimation " feature for teens 13 and older. With the update, teens will be prompted for an age check that requires a video selfie in order to access its new less restrictive chat feature called "trusted connections." Roblox is relying on third-party identity company Persona for the actual "estimation," and users who fail the check wil

Economists made a model of the U.S. economy. Our debt crashed the model

People have been worrying about U.S. debt basically ever since there even was a U.S. “The accumulation of debts is a most fearful evil,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1787. At the time, U.S. debt was around $40 million. Today, it’s closer to $40 trillion. At the same time, the U.S. economy is bigger and more powerful than Jefferson could have ever imagined, and things are looking pretty good: unemployment is near record lows, inflation is under control… so what’s the problem? “Part of the problem i

In Place of Processed Sugar, Try These 6 Natural Sweeteners

When it comes to sugar, it's not about cutting it out of your diet completely or denying yourself the occasional sweet treat. It's about consuming a balanced amount and focusing on the types of sugar you're eating daily. Six teaspoons of sugar are recommended daily for women and kids age two and older; nine teaspoons for men. As for the types of sweeteners, replacing processed sugar with less refined, natural sugar alternatives can be beneficial to your health. To help you figure out which suga

TikTok lures songwriters with new promotional features

TikTok is adding new features to its app to let songwriters highlight their works. These features, rolling out in beta, include a “Songwriter” label and a new tab on their profile to show off their musical works. This can help songwriters market themselves better to potential clients. The company said a limited number of publishing partners and songwriters have access to the new label and the music highlight section. Songwriters and publishers who want to be part of the program will have to joi

These durable mounts made my AirTags twice as useful (and more secure)

ZDNET's key takeaways These are tough, water- and dirt-resistant AirTag holders that will last years. They go a long way to preventing bad guys from removing your AirTags from secured items. They work on everything from suitcases, camera bags, jackets, and even your cat or dog! View now at Amazon I've mentioned more than once my undying love for Apple AirTags. These devices have made my life so much less stressful, and I have them attached to pretty much everything I could possibly lose. How

I replaced my boring bookshelf speakers with these slick wireless ones - and I highly recommend them

ZDNET's key takeaways SVS Prime Wireless Pro powered speakers are available now from the SVS website for $675 (regularly $900). You won't find a smoother, better-blended sound from an active speaker at this price point. To get the best bass, you should pair these with the SVS SB-1000 Pro subwoofer. View now at Svsound View now at Best Buy View now at Amazon more buying choices Most consumers believe punchy bass and sizzling highs are key to a good speaker. If that sounds like your taste, then

TikTok is putting the spotlight on songwriters

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. TikTok will now let songwriters highlight tracks they’ve written or co-written directly on their profiles. The list of songs will live within the “Music” tab on their profile, similar to the one TikTok already offers for artists on the platform. Users who register as songwriters will also get a “Songwriter” label beneath their account name. These n

Jack Dorsey pumps $10 million into a nonprofit focused on open-source social media

Twitter co-founder and Block CEO Jack Dorsey isn’t just vibe-coding new social apps, like Bitchat and Sun Day, he has invested $10 million in an effort to fund experimental open source projects and other tools that could ultimately transform the social media landscape. These efforts are funneled through an online collective called “and Other Stuff,” formed in May, whose team includes Dorsey; Twitter’s first employee, Evan Henshaw-Plath; “Calle,” creator of the e-cash platform Cashu; Alex Gleaso

TikTok is adding features for songwriters to its app

TikTok is adding new features to its app to let songwriters highlight their works. These features, rolling out in beta, include a “Songwriter” label and a new tab on their profile to show off their musical works. This can help songwriters market themselves better to potential clients. The company said a limited number of publishing partners and songwriters have access to the new label and the music highlight section. Songwriters and publishers who want to be part of the program will have to joi

Microsoft is saving millions with AI and laying off thousands - where do we go from here?

Drew Angerer/Getty Images Last week, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft shared internally that it had saved $500 million in call center costs, thanks to AI -- shortly after the company laid 9,000 people off, the third round in a series of layoffs totaling 15,000. What does this mean for the tech industry -- and job security for humans -- at large? Also: 60% of managers use AI to make decisions now, including whom to promote and fire - does yours? Microsoft's layoffs, despite huge profits Acc

Trump Sues to Fire Big Bird’s Boss

Back in April, Donald Trump fired three Democratic members of the board at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a move similar to his efforts to oust Democrats from the Federal Trade Commission and the Kennedy Center, among others. The board members—Laura Ross, Thomas Rothman, and Diane Kaplan— simply never left. Now, the Trump administration is suing to remove them from their seats. Trump gave notice of the attempted firings on April 28, which led to the CPB and its would-be unemploy

Co-op confirms data of 6.5 million members stolen in cyberattack

UK retailer Co-op has confirmed that personal data of 6.5 million members was stolen in the massive cyberattack in April that shut down systems and caused food shortages in its grocery stores. Co-op (short for the Co-operative Group) is one of the United Kingdom's largest consumer co-operatives, operating food stores, funeral services, insurance, and legal services. It is owned by millions of members who receive discounts on services and share in the company's governance. Co-op's CEO, Shirine

Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for July 17 #501

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's NYT Strands puzzle has some short and some long answers. Once you get the theme, though, you should be able to unscramble even the incredibly long answer. If you need hints and answers, read on. I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. If you're lo

Best Internet Providers in Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth is one of the best cities in the country if you want fast internet speeds. Residents have access to a bunch of great ISPs across the city. In fact, Fort Worth has the 14th fastest speeds in the US, according to Ookla's latest data. (Disclaimer: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) And in 2022, the city introduced free Wi-Fi to 40,000 residents in historically underserved neighborhoods to make up for the gap in internet access. If you've ever been on Fort Wo

This '90s Movie Is a Sci-Fi Techno-Noir Gem, and It's Streaming Free on Tubi

Techno-noir may not have ever been a major genre, but it delivers twists and turns in a futuristic city where things are darker than they seem. Films like Johnny Mnemonic, Blade Runner and 12 Monkeys popularized the genre, but they're far from the only options. One of my overlooked favorites of the genre is Dark City, a mind-bending techno-noir thriller that explores the idea of identity against a city swathed in darkness. Released in 1998, the underrated gem preceded The Matrix by a year, and

Today's NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for July 17, #767

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles. Today's NYT Connections puzzle is a bit of a weird one. I thought the green category was loopy like the purple one always is. Read on for clues and today's Connections answers. The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receiv

Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 17, #297

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles. My blue group hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition is geared toward Saturday Night Live fans, but if you know your basketball, you should be fine. I think the green group is even easier than the yellow group, but that might depend on how much time you've spent on the water. Read on for

New Research Shows Data Breaches Keep Coming. Here's How to Protect Yourself

The personal data of Americans continues to be under threat from cybercriminals looking to steal it for their own financial gain, according to a new report from the Identity Theft Resource Center. The nonprofit group, which focuses on helping victims of identity theft, said Wednesday that 1,732 data compromises were reported for the first six months of this year, resulting in 165.7 million victim notifications. The number of reported compromises represents an 11% increase from the same period