Microsoft Unveils New Tools to Help Fight Deepfakes

Microsoft has announced new tools to help combat deepfakes, reported Computing. The idea is to combat content such as video, audio, or photographs that are edited to make it look like someone has done or said something that they, in fact, never did.

According to the company, its first tool – dubbed ‘Video Authenticator’ – can analyse an image or video clip to determine whether it has been edited using AI. The tool will then provide a confidence score, indicating the chance that the media has been manipulated. In the case of a video, the tool shows a confidence score in real-time on each frame as the video plays… According to Microsoft, its new tool works by ‘detecting the blending boundary of the deepfake and subtle fading or greyscale elements that might not be detectable by the human eye.’ The company said that its video authenticator tool was created using a public dataset from Face Forensic++, and has been tested on the DeepFake Detection Challenge Dataset.

News Publishers Consider Abandoning iOS Over Privacy Feature

Over at The Verge, Casey Newton wrote about the increasingly heated battle between Apple and advertisers. There are a couple of tidbits I wanted to comment on.

If you believe that free, ad-supported news is beneficial to a healthy democracy, it’s worth noting that all these pro-privacy changes come at a cost.

Free is great, free news is greater, and transparency is greatest. I believe discussing a healthy democracy involves advocating for open source software, which would necessitate a stance against Apple. So I don’t disagree, and as Mr. Newton notes, we need strong privacy laws as well. He also shares an interesting link to Vox, in which some news publishers are considering abandoning iOS if they can’t monetize their users.

ByteDance Reconsidering TikTok Options

Bytedance, the parent company of TikTok, is reconsidering its options for sale the video sharing app. Bloomberg News had details of the latest twist.

After China signaled it will get involved in any deal’s approval, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming is reconsidering his options and weighing the implications of Beijing’s involvement, according to people familiar with the matter. The company’s regulatory team and deal negotiators are huddling to discuss whether it’s still possible to craft a sale that can win approval from both governments, an acquirer, venture investors and ByteDance itself, said one of the people, asking not to be named because the matter is private. Microsoft Corp. and Oracle Corp. have been deep in negotiations to buy TikTok U.S., submitting proposals while seeking reassurances from Washington that the Trump administration would bless their purchases. Microsoft is working on its bid with Walmart Inc., while Oracle has won support from venture backers such as Sequoia Capital.

Chadwick Boseman’s Films Top Apple Charts

Following his untimely passing this weekend, actor Chadwick Boseman’s films are dominating the charts on Apple and Amazon, CNN reported.

“42,” where Boseman plays baseball legend Jackie Robinson, is currently No. 3 on Apple’s iTunes chart. Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” comes in right after at No. 4. “Marshall,” a biographical film which has Boseman take on the role of former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall is No. 7 and “21 Bridges,” an action film starring Boseman, is just outside the top ten at No. 12. “21 Bridges” and “Black Panther” are also big sellers over on Amazon (AMZN). The films stand at No. 1 and No. 3 on the site’s Blu-Ray bestsellers, respectively. For Amazon’s digital video chart, “Black Panther” sits at No. 6.

Mophie Releases Two 15W Wireless Chargers

On Tuesday mophie announced the release of two 15W wireless chargers, including a pad and a stand. Each one is available on mophie.com today and will come to other retailers in the future. The wireless charging pad is US$49.95 and the wireless charging stand is US$59.95. Charlie Quong, vice president of product, power at ZAGG Brands:

Wireless charging adoption has picked up quickly in the last few years. It makes the process of topping off your smartphone battery throughout the day, like in your home or office, completely uncomplicated. mophie wireless charging accessories are designed to simplify power, particularly for those who dislike carrying numerous charging cables and adapters for different mobile devices.

FBI Worries That Doorbell Cameras Could Give Early Warning of Police Searches

A leaked FBI bulletin reveals that doorbell cameras like Ring are being used to alert people when police show up for searches. It’s a funny turn of events since law enforcement agencies actively encourage people to install these cameras.

Subjects likely use IoT devices to hinder LE [law enforcement] investigations and possibly monitor LE activity. If used during the execution of a search, potential subjects could learn of LE’s presence nearby, and LE personnel could have their images captured, thereby presenting a risk to their present and future safety.

First Trailer for 'Long Way Up' on Apple TV+ Lands

The first trailer for Apple TV+ show Long Way Up landed on Tuesday. The series features Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman riding electric motorbikes over 13,000 miles over 100 days. Their adventures started in the city of Ushuaia at the tip of South America and they eventually end up in LA, after going through 16 border crossings and 13 countries.  The first three episodes will air on September 18.

JuneCloud Prepares ‘Deliveries’ 9 With a Subscription

JuneCloud is preparing to deliver the ninth update to its Deliveries app, and like many developers it will move to a subscription model. Pricing will be announced in the future. Major features coming with Deliveries 9 include Dark Mode, full tracking history, faster ways to add shipments, archive/share multiple deliveries at once, drag a delivery to Files to save a copy of it, and more.

If you previously purchased Deliveries, you can continue using most features without a subscription. You’ll be able to add new Deliveries and sync with iCloud. You will need a subscription to sync with Junecloud, and we may add other features in the future that require a subscription. However, you’ll also receive a complimentary subscription based on your purchase date […]