This paper proposes a generative moment matching network (GMMN)-based post-filter that provides inter-utterance pitch variation for deep neural network (DNN)-based singing voice synthesis. The natural pitch variation of a human singing voice leads to a richer musical experience and is used in double-tracking, a recording method in which two performances of the same phrase are recorded and mixed to create a richer, layered sound. However, singing voices synthesized using conventional DNN-based methods never vary because the synthesis process is deterministic and only one waveform is synthesized from one musical score. To address this problem, we use a GMMN to model the variation of the modulation spectrum of the pitch contour of natural singing voices and add a randomized inter-utterance variation to the pitch contour generated by conventional DNN-based singing voice synthesis. Experimental evaluations suggest that 1) our approach can provide perceptible inter-utterance pitch variation while preserving speech quality. We extend our approach to double-tracking, and the evaluation demonstrates that 2) GMMN-based neural double-tracking is perceptually closer to natural double-tracking than conventional signal processing-based artificial double-tracking is.

Apex Legends, the brand new battle royale game that takes place in the world of Titanfall, has already rocketed past 10 million players. Developers announced that the landmark number had already been reached after only 72 hours. That means the game is even growing faster thant the record-breaking speed of Fortnite – which took a fitting two weeks to reach the same milestone. "This has been a truly incredible journey," developers EA said as they announced the new milestone. "We got to a point where we felt some magic. We knew it would be risky to take the franchise in this direction, to go free to play, and do a surprise launch. But we fell in love with Apex Legends and wanted, needed, other people to play it too. Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. The I.F.O. is fuelled by eight electric engines, which is able to push the flying object to an estimated top speed of about 120mph The giant human-like robot bears ...

Apple has told the various companies said to be secretly recording people's activities on their iPhones that they must stop immediately. Developers of some of the world's biggest apps have been rumoured to be using technology to watch people as they use their phones, in contravention of Apple's guidelines. Now Apple has said they must stop the recording, alert users to it or face "immediate action". The statement comes after a Techcrunch investigation alleged that many of the App Stores biggest apps were using analytics tools that watched people as they used the apps and recorded them as they did so, potentially hoovering up sensitive data like credit card information as they did so. "Protecting user privacy is paramount in the Apple ecosystem," an Apple spokesperson said.

The report also describes a more effective form of "digital authoritarianism" that is leading the assault on freedom of speech. China, in particular, is actively exporting its approach to internet censorship and surveillance around the world. In an earlier report, "Freedom on the Net," Freedom House outlined how China is offering training sessions and study trips, as well as advanced equipment that takes advantage of artificial intelligence and facial recognition technologies, to monitor internet activity.

With less than three weeks until Samsung is expected to unveil its Galaxy X foldable phone, a new set of rendered images have given the clearest idea yet of what the next-generation smartphone may look like. Based on previous leaks, together with Samsung's official announcements about the phone, the images by Dutch publication LetsGoDigital reveal what to potentially expect on 20 February. When unfolded into a tablet, the Samsung Galaxy X does not appear to feature a front-facing camera, suggesting the South Korean firm has either decided to forego the technology or hide it within the phone's hardware. The lack of a camera at the front of the foldable smartphone allows it to be a truly full-screen device, with barely a hint of a bezel. If true, this could mean that Samsung has figured out a way to hide the camera beneath the screen, or has decided to hide the camera in a pop-up compartment behind the screen.

Apple could be planning to introduce an emojii version of its Siri virtual assistant, according to a new patent application from the tech giant. The patent request, filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, describes an emoji-based avatar for a smart home speaker that can adapt to a user's mood. Though not mentioned by name in the patent, the description of the smart speaker accurately resembles that of the Apple HomePod. Apple's patent application describes a "humanistic avatar, a simplified graphical representation of a digital assistant such as an emoji-based avatar" – essentially a cartoon version of Siri. Depending on what request is made through the smart speaker, the emoji assistant would be able to react appropriately.

"Through an AI theoretical analysis of past data, we will be able to properly respond to cases without just relying on teachers' past experiences," Otsu Mayor Naomi Koshi said of the planned analysis, set to begin from the next fiscal year. AI will be used to analyze 9,000 suspected bullying cases reported by elementary and junior high schools in the city over the six years through fiscal 2018. It will examine the school grade and gender of the suspected victims and perpetrators as well as when and where the incidents occurred. Statistical analysis of the data is expected to help local authorities and teachers identify forms of bullying that tend to escalate in seriousness and which therefore require extra attention, the Otsu board of education said. The AI analysis will also look at other factors, such as school absenteeism and academic achievement, and the findings will be compiled into a report for use by teachers and in training seminars.

Apple has finally released a software update that fixes maybe its creepiest issue ever: a FaceTime bug that allowed people to snoop on others through their phone. Downloading the new version of iOS – named iOS 12.1.4 The new version includes a message that it "provides important security updates and is recommended for all users", and doesn't make any mention of new features or any other changes. Apple has also turned back on the servers that power the group FaceTime feature, which were unplugged as it attempted to stop people exploiting the bug. For now, phones and other devices such as Macs that have not been updated will not be able to use the feature until they download the new software.

In March 2011, one of the most powerful earthquakes recorded in Japan shook the country's northeastern coast. It flattened thousands of homes and buildings, destroyed infrastructure, and triggered a tsunami that wiped out whole communities. As the death toll rose above 20,000 with many more people injured and homeless, scientists and policymakers around the globe asked: How can society use technology to better prepare for, and respond to, natural disasters? How can we work faster to save lives? Leading this new thinking are researcher Yanbing Bai and a team at Tohoku University's International Research Institute of Disaster Science based in the region hardest hit by the quake.

As the smartphone falls in price while its capabilities improve, it is becoming a valuable tool in the diagnosis of a growing number of diseases and ailments around the world. When Yonatan Adiri's mother fell down a bank and briefly lost consciousness when travelling in China, an initial diagnosis suggested she had a few broken ribs, but nothing more serious. Doctors were keen to fly her to Hong Kong for treatment. But Yonatan's father was worried and took photos of the CT [computerised tomography] scans of the injuries, emailing them to his son. Yonatan showed the images to a trauma doctor, who instantly diagnosed a punctured lung.