Tag: sells
Bruce Willis sells rights to have deepfakes replace him in future films and ads
Bruce Willis may have retired from acting, but he will live on in future films thanks to deepfake technology. According to The Telegraph, the actor has sold his rights for future films and advertising campaigns to Deepcake, a company that creates “digital twins” of famous folks for use in commercial projects.
It’s the same kind of tech used in the Star Wars franchise to recreate the younger versions of actors, including Mark Hamill, and to create digital versions of Carrie Fisher after her death. Just last week, James Earl Jones approved the AI recreation of his voice on future projects as he eyes retirement.
In March 67-year-old Willis was diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder stemming from brain damage that affects comprehension of written and spoken language and communication. By then, reports of his struggle to recall lines and cues had been circulating within the industry for some time.
Engadget reports that Willis worked with Deepcake on a 2021 ad for Russian telecom company Megafon, in which his face was swapped on to that of actor Konstantin Solovyov. Engineers used scenes from Die Hard and Fifth Element to create a likeness of Willis that lives on the company’s AI platform. Willis’s estate will have final approval on any future projects.
Deepfakes are a new and unregulated area of technology that’s already being used nefariously by scammers to spread misinformation. They have also been used to produce pornography without the consent of the subject and overall present a whole host of ethical and safety implications for celebrities and normal folks alike.
NYC penthouse that starred as Kendall Roy’s home in Succession sells for $35 MILLION
Dow Jones Newswires: Nintendo shares jump as ‘Splatoon 3’ sells at record pace
Trust sells: If online users won’t self-advocate for their own privacy, companies should
Unopened Original iPhone Sells for $35,000 at Auction
Based on the box design, this iPhone was among the initial batch of original iPhone models sold in the first few months after the iPhone launched in June 2007, as the Home Screen does not include an iTunes Store icon. The iTunes Store app was initially not included on the iPhone and wasn’t added until a few months later with the release of iPhone OS 1.1 in September 2007. The iPhone box design was subsequently updated to add the icon.
The listing doesn’t offer any clues on the condition of the actual iPhone inside the box, but given it’s still sealed, it should be in brand-new condition.
This article, “Unopened Original iPhone Sells for $35,000 at Auction” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Princess Diana’s Ford Escort sells at auction for £650k
Daily Crunch: Collectible trading card marketplace TCGplayer sells to eBay for $295M
Apple’s Financial Chief Luca Maestri Sells Apple Shares Worth Over $16 Million
The transactions were made pursuant to a predetermined trading plan adopted by Maestri in November 2020, in accordance with insider trading laws. Maestri still holds around 110,000 shares of Apple stock following the sale, according to the SEC filing.
Maestri joined Apple in 2013 and is part of the company’s senior executive team, reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook. As chief financial officer, he oversees Apple’s accounting, financial planning and analysis, treasury, investor relations, internal auditing, real estate, business support, and tax functions, according to Apple.
Apple’s stock closed at $171.52 today and is up nearly 32% since mid-June. Last month, Apple reported a new June quarter record with $83 billion revenue, driven by sales of iPhones and the company’s growing portfolio of services.
This article, “Apple’s Financial Chief Luca Maestri Sells Apple Shares Worth Over $16 Million” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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