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Some examples include people making it sounds like Joe Biden is announcing that the US will send troops into Ukraine, celebrities reading excerpts from Mein Kampf, and all manner of racist and offensive messages.

ElevenLabs' AI speech tool, VoiceLab, lets you "clone" someone's voice from a one-minute clip of them speaking, allowing you to have at it with the cloned voice able to spit out any 2,500 characters via a text-to-speech interface.

With the state of discourse on the internet and anonymity, it's not a surprise that people have been taking advantage of and abusing the tool to create objectionable material and spreading it online.

Recently we reported that legal advice startup DoNotPay was planning to have two defendants dispute speeding tickets with AI "robot lawyers" feeding them what to say. DoNotPay even describes its app as "the world's first robot lawyer," using AI text generators like ChatGPT and DaVinci.

These traffic ticket disputes were just the first step in what the company hoped might lead to AI helping defendants take on corporations or even suing someone on their behalf. Well, as it turns out, these robot lawyers won't be pleading any cases anytime soon. The planned February 22 California traffic court hearing will now be robot lawyer free.

Like most of us, it looks like the legal system is a little scared of a potential robot uprising - and enslavement of the human race via what we assume would be lawful means. DoNotPay CEO Joshua Browder has told NPR, "Multiple state bars have threatened us; one even said a referral to the district attorney's office and prosecution and prison time would be possible." If years of watching courtroom dramas on TV have taught us anything, once the DA gets involved - it's serious.

Since the dawn of the internet and digital social interaction, typing "lol" has meant that you found something so funny - you're laughing out loud. At least, that's the idea. In 2023 it's become shorthand for amusement on any level, and "lol" has become a part of everyday conversation.

You've probably said or typed "lol" when you thought something was slightly amusing without actually laughing. We've all done it. The same sentiment applies to the rise of laughing emojis and social media platforms. There's nowhere near as much laughing as we all imply.

This raises the question - who's out there laughing out loud?

EA teases new Apex Legends content, modes, and expansion onto other platforms.

EA CEO Andrew Wilson displayed surprising candor in a recent earnings call. During EA's Q3 FY23 conference call, Wilson discussed a few key points about the Apex brand and where it's going. The megaton free-to-play shooter helped define battle passes and the current FPS market, innovating on both monetization and gameplay. As a result, Apex managed to make over $2 billion in lifetime revenues.

This level of investment should continue. EA isn't about to abandon the Apex series any time soon. Wilson says that Apex is a 10-year franchise that's rife with possibilities including new games, gameplay modes, and inter-connected services.

Jedi Survivor has been delayed a few weeks and will now release in April on all platforms.

Respawn has been given clearance to delay Jedi Survivor to April 28 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, Electronic Arts today announced. The publisher is incredibly bullish on Jedi Survivor's success and EA CEO Andrew Wilson believes the game will add significant value to the Star Wars brand.

Jedi Survivor's dev team will use the extra few weeks to make the interstellar adventure game shine brighter while also squashing bugs, glitches, and issues. Respawn confirms that Jedi Survivor has been 100% completed insofar as content and the final stage will be optimizations and adding an extra layer of fine tuning to the experience.

Microsoft may be forced to permanently delist nearly 50 classic Xbox 360 games from the digital Xbox marketplace.

Microsoft has warned gamers that a significant number of Xbox 360 titles may soon be removed from its online storefront. The list of games was published on the Xbox support site and can be found in a drop-down menu that varies on region.

The list of affected games in the United States includes some very high-profile Xbox 360 games. Affected titles include Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, and The Orange Box, the landmark RPG Lost Odyssey, the original Dark Souls, Mass Effect 2, Skate 2, Star Wars KOTOR 2, The Witcher 2, four Assassin's Creed games, Blue Dragon, and Call of Duty Advanced Warfare and Ghosts. There's also some Xbox LIVE Arcade games that may be delisted too including Daytona USA and Jet Set Radio.

Sony's new $199 DualSense Edge PS5 controller offers many upgrades over the stock PS5 DualSense, but battery size is not one of them.

Sony is currently selling a vastly upgraded PlayStation 5 controller called the DualSense Edge. Almost everything is better on the new DualSense Edge, which features new back paddles, swappable analog sticks, custom button combos, and a more advanced adaptive trigger setup. There's just one thing that has consumers worried: Battery life.

For $199, which is half the price of a disc-less PlayStation 5 console, you'd expect everything on the DualSense Edge to be better than the base $70 DualSense controller. According to multiple teardowns, the Edge's battery has a capacity of 1050mAh, which is 33% smaller than the 1560mAh battery found in the basic DualSense.

Sony has not adjusted its PSVR 2 production forecast and delivers an official statement refuting recent claims.

With games industry earnings falling and consumers spending less on games and content, now is not a great time to launch a high-priced gaming peripheral set in a relatively niche market. That's exactly what Sony will do next month with its $549 PlayStation VR 2 headset, which also requires a PlayStation 5 console in order to play.

Sources recently told Bloomberg that Sony is reducing its outlook for PSVR 2 shipments over the next year. Bloomberg reports that Sony has adjusted its internal PSVR 2 shipment target and now expects to ship 1.5 million PSVR 2 headsets from now until April 2024. The original target may have been closer to the 2 million PSVR 2 headsets that Sony plans to produce.

Embracer Group has reportedly licensed out the Tomb Raider franchise to Amazon for $600 million, which is more than double for what it paid to secure a treasure trove of IPs and developers from Square Enix.

In 2022, Square Enix made one of the most controversial business deals that gaming has ever seen. The Final Fantasy publisher sold big franchises like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex alongside game developers Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal. That these properties were sold wasn't the confusing part. What perplexed gamers was how much they were sold for.

Decentralized games industry Embracer Group snapped up the IP franchise rights and these studios for just $300 million. We've outlined why Square Enix sold the assets, but a recent bit of news really underlines just how much Square Enix wanted to turn a page and be done with these game franchises and teams (after losing over $200 million from failed Marvel games, who could blame them). However, with 95 million sales, the Tomb Raider series was certainly worth more. Right? Amazon apparently think so.

GEEKOM is back again with another sales event whereby they are offering up its Mini IT11 small form factor computer powered by an Intel Core i7 CPU, 512GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM for just $509.99. Usually this system sells for $599.00, but from 01/30/2023 12:00 AM PST till 02/05/2023 11:45 PM PST, you can save $90 when buying it from Amazon. There's no need to enter any coupon code, as this is a direct price discount already applied at Amazon.

In addition to the i7 model, GEEKOM also has the Mini IT11 mini PC with an Intel Core i5 CPU, 512GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM on sale for just $429.99. Usually, this system sells for $499.99, but like the deal above, from 01/30/2023 12:00 AM PST till 02/05/2023 11:45 PM PST, you can pick up the system with the $75 discount from Amazon. Again, there's no need to enter any coupon code, as this is a direct price discount already applied at Amazon.

GEEKOM's Mini IT11 is a tiny system weighing just 565 grams and measuring just 117 x 112 x 46mm. It is powered by Intel's 11th Gen Core i7-1195G7 processor (4 Cores, 8 Threads, 12M Cache, and up to 4.7GHz) and Intel Iris Xe graphics. It comes installed with 16GB DDR4 SO-DIMM memory modules in dual-channel mode, with upgradability up to 64GB if required. Also included is a 512GB 2280 M.2 PCIe/SATA SSD, which is upgradable to a 2TB drive.

Officials have issued an urgent health alert to the public regarding a missing radioactive capsule that was presumably lost during transportation.

The announcement comes from Western Australia's chief health officer, Andy Robertson, who stated at an emergency press conference called on Friday that a very small capsule containing radioactive material is now missing, presumably lost in transportation along the 870-mile-long road between Newman and the north-eastern suburbs of Perth. Notably, the substance that has been lost is used within gauges in mining operations, and exposure to it could result in radiation burns or sickness.

Unfortunately, the capsule is extremely small, measuring 6mm in diameter and 8mm tall. According to reports, the radioactive gauges give a comparable amount of radioactive exposure as getting ten x-rays within one hour. Robertson warned that the obvious risk of this kind of radioactive exposure is developing cancer.

Mercedes-Benz has received a new level of driving automation for its Drive Pilot system, which is a direct competitor to Tesla's Autopilot system.

Mercedes took to its website with a press release that states its Drive Pilot system is approved for use in Nevada, receiving the first Level 3 "conditionally automated" driving certification, making it the very first car company to reach Level 3.

According to the announcement, Mercedes' Drive Pilot system at Level 3 capabilities will be able to keep the car in a lane, change lanes, and maintain the car at a safe distance behind the one that it's in front of by adjusting speed and more. However, all of this new technology is only permitted at speeds up to 40 mph. Notably, Tesla currently sits at Level 2 autonomy with its Autopilot system, but many of the features that make up Level 3 autonomy are already present in Level 2, which are already present on the road.

In a growing field that studies the effects of social media use on teenagers and adolescents, the US Surgeon General has given his thoughts on what age is appropriate for children to use social media platforms.

Since social media use hasn't been around very long, or at least in its today's form, where it has been completely adopted by mainstream society, the body of research is still in its early stages. However, there is still some evidence to suggest that allowing children aged approximately 13 to use social media can be detrimental to their development.

One study published in The Lancet that looked at nearly 10,000 children aged between 13 and 16 found that social media itself doesn't cause harm, but frequently using it takes away from other activities that would have a positive impact on mental health, such as exercise and getting consistently good sleep.

Sacramento Metro Fire District took to its social channels to share information about a Tesla Model S suddenly bursting into flames while traveling down eastbound Highway 50 & Sunrise Blvd.

According to the posts by the fire department, the firefighters arrived at the scene, and the vehicle was already engulfed in flames, and according to the driver, the Tesla Model S began emitting black smoke from under its hood while it was traveling at "freeway speeds". The driver pulled over, and the fire eventually took over the vehicle, causing it irreparable damage. Metro Fire of Sacramento notes that there were no injuries as a result of the incident.

Firefighters had to use 6,000 gallons of water to completely put out the fire as the vehicle's battery cells continued to combust, refueling the fire. Comparatively, a normal combustion engine requires approximately 700 gallons of water to extinguish and typically a single fire truck. Metro Fire of Sacramento states it needed two fire engines, a water tender, and a ladder truck.

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, the most-subscribed YouTube channel, has posted a new video where he cures blindness in more than 1,000 people.

The video was posted two days ago and has already gained more than 56 million views. While certainly being a success in MrBeast's books, according to his Twitter account, the video has caused some division - at least on Twitter. In the video, MrBeast pays for a simple 10-minute procedure that cures the blindness experienced by 1,000 people, and according to the surgeon in the video, half of the people that are experiencing blindness can cure it by doing this procedure.

As with all things MrBeast, the YouTuber doesn't stop there and pays for the surgery in multiple different countries, gives a Tesla to one of the patients, gives $10,000 to another patient, and donates more money for follow-up procedures beyond his 1,000-person quota. Unfortunately, all of this goodwill has been viewed by some individuals as disingenuous since MrBeast asked all of the patients to be in his YouTube video that he then monetizes. Essentially, some people claim that MrBeast used curing blindness as a way to profit.

Skywatchers or anyone that is interested in checking out a piece of cosmic history should gaze up at the night sky to find C/2022 E3 (ZTF).

The comet is currently on its way to the outer solar system, but before it scoots out from our view, it will be making a relatively close approach with Earth coming within just 26 million miles from the planet. This distance is roughly 28% of the distance between Earth and the sun. Due to its proximity to the planet, and its incredible green hue, the comet will be reasonably bright in the sky and, depending on viewing conditions, will be visible to the naked eye.

Notably, the last time C/2022 (ZTF) made a close approach with Earth was around 50,000 years ago, approximately the time of the Neanderthals, or the last Ice Age. Those that are wanting to see this ancient comet for themselves are advised to look toward the Camelopardalis constellation when it reaches its closest approach around 6:49 p.m. EST (2349 GMT) on Wednesday, February 1. Additionally, C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is circumpolar, which means it will permanently stay right above the horizon line.

With AMD RDNA 3 "Navi 31" GPUs now out, specifically the Radeon RX 7900 XT and Radeon RX 7900 XTX, it looks like there could be room for a significant update for the tech via the implementation of 3D V-Cache. Stacking cache in this way has led to AMD's Ryzen 7 5800X3D and the new Zen 4-based Ryzen 7000 X3D CPUs being touted as ideal for gaming. With significant performance boosts found specifically in gaming-related tasks.

And with that, it's fair to expect that a Radeon RX 7000 GPU with 3D V-Cache could lead to similar results. Engineer Tom Wassick noticed the potential for an RDNA 3 upgrade after dissecting a Radeon RX 7900 XT, where he saw "keep-out zones" in the design that are similar to what's found on the Ryzen X3D CPUs.

"A linear array of 'spots' that look remarkably like the keep-out zones on X3D," Tom Wassick writes. "Could they be considering stacked MCD functionality?" With the groundbreaking multi-chip design in RDNA 3, it makes sense that AMD would also be looking into something like a 3D V-Cache to boost performance that isn't all about power and clock speeds.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, no new iPads will launch in 2023. Instead, Apple is focused on releasing a foldable iPad in 2024 with a carbon fiber stand. Kuo also notes that the expected refresh of the iPad mini could also be delayed to early 2024, which could mean nothing new on the iPad front for the next 9-12 months at least.

"There may not be new iPad products in the next 9-12 months (the new iPad mini is more likely to be mass-produced in 1Q24)," Ming-Chi Kuo says (translation via Apple Insider), "I am conservative about iPad shipments in 2023, and the shipments are expected to decline by 10-15% YoY."

"My latest research indicates that the foldable iPad will come with a carbon fiber stand," Kuo adds. "Which would make the stand lighter and more durable."

The first GeForce RTX 4070 testing results (the non-Ti model) have surfaced via the GPU-Z validation database, covering a Colorful RTX 4070 iGame Ultra White OC. Indicating that partners are testing cards in their labs, the listing also confirms a few things related to the card's clock speeds.

Based on the information datamined by Matthew Smith on Twitter, we learn that the GeForce RTX 4070 has a Base Clock speed of 1920 MHz and a Boost Clock speed of 2475 MHz. No official word on the power rating, but previous reports indicate that the RTX 4070 will be an efficient 200W or so card.

Compared to the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti's 2610 MHz, it's a 135 MHz reduction in Boost Clock speed. Based on the same AD104 chip as the RTX 4070 Ti, the baseline RTX 4070 is rumored to feature 5888 CUDA Cores versus the 7680 in the Ti model - another reduction. How the difference in clock speeds and specs relate to performance remains to be seen, but it sounds like we won't have to wait too long to find out.

AMD driver updates for its Radeon GPUs have been limited to the new RDNA 3-based Radeon RX 7000 Series for two months, leaving RDNA 2 GPUs behind. Although listed as a December update, the last RDNA 2 driver for the Radeon RX 6000 Series (which includes the 6700 XT, 6800 XT, and 6900 XT) surfaced at the end of November 2022.

The driver, AMD Radeon Software 22.11.2, marks the last time a Radeon software update supported the RX 6000 Series - with the four subsequent driver releases being exclusive to the Radeon RX 7900 XT and Radeon RX 7900 XTX. As both cards made their debut in December 2022 and launched with some significant issues relating to power draw, it makes sense that that was the focus for AMD. That said, it doesn't make sense that the bulk of the Radeon GPUs out in the wild have been forgotten, especially when driver updates are crucial to improving day-one performance for many PC games.

With the release of high-profile games like Square Enix's Forspoken (AMD sponsored) and the Dead Space remake from EA - not getting timely Radeon software updates for these games is a little concerning. On the NVIDIA side, Game Ready Drivers supporting the company's entire GPU line-up have continued without pause, even with the arrival of three brand-new GeForce RTX 40 Series cards.