Microsoft has announced the general availability of a one-of-a-kind customised, synthetic voice for brands, generated using Custom Neural Voice, the Text-to-Speech (TTS) feature of Speech in Azure Cognitive Services. What Is It? The Custom Neural Voice from Microsoft uses deep neural networks and a powerful base model built with speech data from many different speakers to create a Neural “text-to-speech”…
PDFs are really useful files for sharing and printing and one good thing about Windows 10 is that it enables you to make a pdf out of almost anything. Here’s how: – From any Windows 10 app, use the Print command. – In the Print dialogue box, select Microsoft Print to PDF as the destination printer. – Adjust the…
In the light of the recent controversy over GameStop shares, we take a look at the growing trend for casual, amateur investing and how the Robinhood app has enabled this. Robinhood Robinhood is a free-trading app that lets any investor trade stocks, options, exchange-traded funds, and cryptocurrency without paying commissions or fees. Robinhood is paid by “market makers” who are typically…
The LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr in Norway was issued an £8.5m penalty for the alleged sharing of users’ sensitive personal data with third-party advertisers without obtaining appropriate consent. Complaint The fine is the result of a legal complaint by the Norwegian Consumer Council (Forbrukerrådet) last year, where it expressed concern that users of the app may not have been…
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has asked the UK Treasury to consider increasing the maximum contactless payment to £100. Changing Payment Behaviour The move away from handling cash due to its potential infection-passing risk, and the lockdowns making consumers less likely to visit ATMs or town centres have led to a move away from cash towards contactless. Figures For…
A survey by Citizens Advice has found that more than one in six people are struggling to afford their broadband during the third lockdown and that poorer people are locked out altogether. Certain Groups Worst Hit Citizens Advice, which also conducted a similar survey during the first lockdown, found that the groups struggling most with their broadband bill were…
If you’re having trouble seeing what’s on the screen, Windows 10 allows you to apply a colour filter which changes the screen’s colour palette and can help you distinguish between things that differ only by colour. Here’s how to use it: – Select Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Color filters. – Switch on the toggle under…
Australia’s intention to introduce a new law to make tech companies like Google and Facebook pay publishers for news content has prompted Google to threaten to withdraw its search engine from Australia. What Law? The proposed law is currently a Bill for an Act to amend the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 in relation to digital platforms, and for related purposes. …
With mobile computing, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and now remote working moving the focus of IT security away from the traditional perimeter, this article looks at what a Zero Trust approach is and how it can help. More Complex Demands The belief among many IT security experts is that a traditional perimeter-based security approach may no longer be enough to cope…
Google has announced that to make it faster and easier for users to find what they are looking for, a major visual redesign of Google’s mobile search results is to be rolled out shortly. Challenges Some of the challenges that Google has tried to address with the new changes are the diversity in the types of content and information that…
