Latest news with #TIM
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
I don't have any time for AI stealing our actors' voices
Telephonist Pat Simmons making recordings for TIM, the GPO.'s telephone Speaking Clock service in 1963. (Photo by Ronald Dumont/Daily Express/) I discovered something surprising the other day. BT's speaking clock still exits. The voice sounds the same as it always did and the script has hardly altered since my childhood, the only change being the insertion of a sponsor's name. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Dial 123 and you will hear the familiar tones informing you that 'at the third stroke the time, brought to you by O2, will be 5.27 and thirty seconds.' I was phoning for research purposes, but it it did make me wonder who uses it. In this day and age, when few people make calls on their landline, and most of us have a phone with a clock on the front, do we need this service? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In case you're wondering, when I ended the call to 123, I checked the time on my handset and it was 5.27. I'm not sure if it was a real person. It's sometimes difficult to tell. It definitely was a human voice at one time, but whether it has been sampled is unclear. The same is true of the voiceover announcements on the newer Lothian Buses vehicles. On the old buses, you can tell it's a woman reading off a script, but the new ones sound mechanical. There has been a lot of fuss this week about ScotRail's 'Iona', an AI-generated avatar whose voice has been from sampled the actual speech of Scottish actor Gayanne Potter, used without her permission. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was taken from a job she did in 2021 for the Swedish company ReadSpeaker. Understandably she feels 'violated' and asks 'Why continue to choose a dreadful AI version of me when I'm right here?' If you go on to the BBC News website, you can compare the two. When you listen to Gayanne herself and Iona making the same announcements, you can tell it is definitely the same voice. However, while Gayanne has a warm human tone with varied colours, Iona sounds stilted and robotic. I find AI-generated announcements sinister. They have a similar disembodied feel to the messages that hostages are forced to read, reassuring their friends and family that they are alive and well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's definitely their voice, but devoid of emotion as they are speaking the kidnappers' words from a script. A former girlfriend of mine is an actor. Her first professional job when she left drama school was reading the Reading-to-London bus timetable, which was available as a 24-hour phone service. Her grandparents in Sunderland were so proud of her that they used to regularly phone up the timetable to hear Carol's voice. She later went on to have a successful career on stage and TV, yet that voiceover job was the first rung on the ladder for her. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Some actors specialise in voiceover work and for them it is their major source of income. The increasing use of AI is a huge threat to them. In the case of Gayanne Potter, it amounts to theft. ReadSpeaker should have asked for her permission and paid a fee before using her voice. However, human voices are not always the best option. I once did a voiceover job for an advert featuring Kerry Katona. It took her six takes to get her own name right. If we'd used AI, we'd have got home a lot quicker.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Allegri meeting AC Milan chiefs right now to sign contract
Massimiliano Allegri is reportedly meeting with Milan directors this afternoon to sign the contract as their new coach. Multiple sources including Sky Sport Italia, and more all have the same details. Advertisement They state that Allegri is in a hotel in Milan to meet personally with director of sport Igli Tare and CEO Giorgio Furlani. REGGIO NELL'EMILIA, ITALY – APRIL 14: Giorgio Furlani CEO of AC Milan looks on prior to the Serie A TIM match between US Sassuolo and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium – Citta' del Tricolore on April 14, 2024 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. (Photo by) The presence of all three suggests the final details have already been worked out on the terms and this could be the moment that contract is signed. It is going to be a three-year contract worth circa €5m per season plus €2m in performance-related bonuses. Allegri returns for second Milan stint REGGIO NELL'EMILIA, ITALY – AUGUST 23: FC Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri gestures during the TIM Preseason Tournament between US Sassuolo, FC Juventus and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium – Citta' del Tricolore on August 23, 2014 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. (Photo by) This represents a return to San Siro for Allegri, who was already on the Milan bench from 2010 to January 2014, although a great deal has changed at the club since then. Allegri had been lined up to replace Antonio Conte at Napoli, but the latter's decision to reconsider his exit after winning the Scudetto prompted a change of plan, allowing Milan to dive in with their own proposal. In his first experience with the Rossoneri, Allegri oversaw 91 victories, 49 draws and 38 defeats, winning one Serie A title and the Supercoppa Italiana.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AC Milan & Inter Informed Of Capacity & Environmental Requirements For New San Siro Project
AC Milan & Inter Informed Of Capacity & Environmental Requirements For New San Siro Project AC Milan and Inter recently concluded the preliminary Services Conference for their new San Siro project. Per Calcio e Finanza via FCInterNews, the Municipality of Milan has informed the clubs of several environmental requests. Advertisement The ambitious San Siro project is gathering momentum. Indeed, the Milan clubs have stepped up talks with the city over purchasing the stadium and surrounding areas. However, they must meet certain conditions before gaining a seal of approval. What's more important is that Milan and Inter's plans are 'in line with the city's requests.' AC Milan & Inter Informed of Capacity & Environmental Demands Regarding New San Siro Project MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 28: General view outside the stadium as a 'Campioni D'Italia' (Champions of Italy) banner is seen prior to the Serie A TIM match between FC Internazionale and Torino FC at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 28, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by) For starters, the San Siro clubs aim to increase the stadium capacity to 70,000 seats. Moreover, they will respect the maximum height indicated in the Feasibility Study. Advertisement Then, they're keen to increase the green area so that it represents at least 50% of the total surface of the construction area. Furthermore, the Serie A giants plan to prioritize carbon neutrality and reduce the project's overall environmental footprint. Therefore, talks are heading in the right direction.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Report – 40,000 Inter Milan Fans Touch Down In Munich For Champions League Final Despite Tickets Deficit
Report – 40,000 Inter Milan Fans Touch Down In Munich For Champions League Final Despite Tickets Deficit Inter Milan fans will invade Munich ahead of Saturday's mouth-watering Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. Per Gazzetta dello Sport via FCInterNews, around 40,000 Nerazzurri supporters will touch down in the largest city of Bavaria. Advertisement The pinnacle of European club football typically draws significant attention. However, for Inter fans, this is more than just a chance to ascend the continental throne for the first time since 2010. Indeed, this is an opportunity to erase the memory of a controversial defeat in a heated Serie A title race. Therefore, there's an unprecedented interest from the San Siro faithful. 40,000 Inter Milan Fans Set to Land in Munich for Champions League Final MILAN, ITALY – MAY 19: FC Internazionale fans display a giant banner in onor of FC Internazionale president Steven Zhang during the Serie A TIM match between FC Internazionale and SS Lazio at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 19, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by) UEFA has allocated only 18,000 tickets for the Inter fans. However, that won't be nearly enough to accommodate the overwhelming demand. Indeed, Simone Inzaghi can expect circa 25-30,000 fans to cheer for his team in what could be his farewell game. Per the same report, Odeonsplatz will be a rendezvous point for the Italian supporters. Yet, only the luckiest will find their way into the stadium.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Pkl MC finally picks firm to finish its bldg stuck for yrs
1 2 3 4 Panchkula: Finally, the Panchkula municipal corporation has finalised a firm that will complete the construction of its new office building, whose work has been stuck for years. The firm quoted Rs 24 crore for the job, which was the lowest bid in the recent tendering process. The tenders were floated two to three times to find a company for the long-pending work, but it only led to a further delay. Now, the confirmation has been sent to the Haryana chief minister for the final nod. Once approved, the work will start here with a nine-month deadline. MC commissioner Aparajita confirmed that the lowest bidding agency has been finalised. "The file has now been sent to the CM for the final approval," mayor Kulbhushan Goyal added. The urban local bodies department earlier granted approval to complete the pending work, clearing the way for floating a new tender. The building's main structure in Sector 3 is already in place, but finishing tasks such as tiling, electrical work, painting, remain incomplete. Earlier, the previous contractor completed work worth around Rs 11 crore before the MC terminated the contract due to discrepancies found in its execution. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Fibra TIM fino a 2,5 Gbps da 24,90€/mese per già clienti mobili. Affrettati! TIM Scopri di più Undo Approximately Rs 17 crore of work is still pending. Residents face hassles At present, Panchkula MC operates from three separate offices spread across Sectors 4, 12A, and 14. This inconveniences residents who have to visit multiple locations to get their issues resolved. The situation is complicated further as officers and engineering staff are located in different sectors, making it difficult for the public to receive prompt services. In Sector 14, one of the branch offices is cramped under the basement stairs due to space constraints.
