#iOS 18 smart scene detection

[strategichannah]

What’s New in iOS 18: Key Features You Should Know About

iOS 18 is here! Discover the newest features, from enhanced Siri intelligence to major camera upgrades. Learn how these updates will improve your iPhone experience. Check out the blog for more insights! 📱✨ #iOS18 #AppleUpdate

What’s New in iOS 18: Key Features You Should Know About Written By: that Hannah Jones Time to Read: 6 minutes Apple’s iOS 18 is making waves with exciting new features and updates that enhance both functionality and personalization. With every new iOS release, Apple continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible with your iPhone. iOS 18 is no exception, packed with groundbreaking…

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New Post has been published on https://magzoso.com/tech/bytedance-tiktok-have-secretly-built-a-deepfakes-maker/

ByteDance & TikTok have secretly built a Deepfakes maker

TikTok parent company ByteDance has teamed up with one of the most controversial apps to let you insert your face into videos starring someone else. TechCrunch has learned that ByteDance has developed an unreleased feature using life-like Deepfakes technology that the app’s code refers to as Face Swap. Code in both TikTok and its Chinese sister app Douyin asks users to take a multi-angle biometric scan of their face, then choose from a selection of videos they want to add their face to and share.

Users scan themselves, pick a video, and have their face overlaid on the body of someone in the clip with ByteDance’s new Face Swap feature

The Face Swap option was built atop the API of Chinese Deepfakes app Zao, which uses artificial intelligence to blend one person’s face into another’s body as they move and synchronize their expressions. Zao went viral in September despite privacy and security concerns about how users’ facial scans might be abused.

The Deepfakes feature, if launched in Douyin and TikTok, could create a more controlled environment where face swapping technology plus a limited selection of source videos  can be used for fun instead of spreading misinformation. It might also raise awareness of the technology so more people are aware that they shouldn’t believe everything they see online. But it’s also likely to heighten fears about what Zao and ByteDance could do with such sensitive biometric data — similar to what’s used to set up FaceID on iPhones. Zao was previously blocked by China’s WeChat for presenting “security risks”.

Several other tech companies have recently tried to consumerize watered-down versions of Deepfakes. The app Morphin lets you overlay a computerized rendering of your face on actors in GIFs. Snapchat offered a FaceSwap option for years that would switch the visages of two people in frame, or replace one on camera with one from your camera roll, and there are standalone apps that do that too like Face Swap Live. Then last month, TechCrunch spotted Snapchat’s new Cameos for inserting a real selfie into video clips it provides, though the results aren’t meant to look confusingly realistic.

But ByteDance’s teamup with Zao could bring convincingly life-like Deepfakes to TikTok and Douyin, two of the world’s most popular apps with over 1.5 billion downloads.

Zao in the Chinese iOS App Store

Hidden Inside TikTok and Douyin

TechCrunch received a tip about the news from Israeli in-app market research startup Watchful.ai. The company had discovered code for the Deepfakes feature in the latest version of TikTok’s and Douyin’s Android apps. Watchful.ai was able to activate the code in Douyin to generate screenshots of the feature, though it’s not currently available to the public.

First, users scan their face into TikTok. This also serves as an identity check to make sure you’re only submitting your own face so you can’t make unconsented Deepfakes of anyone else using an existing photo or a single shot of their face. By asking you to blink, nod, and open and close your mouth while in focus and proper lighting, Douyin can ensure you’re a live human and create a manipulable scan of your face that it can stretch and move to express different emotions or fill different scenes.

You’ll then be able to pick from videos ByteDance claims to have the rights to use, and it will replace the face of whoever’s in the clip with your own. You can then share or download the Deepfake video, though it will include an overlayed watermark the company claims will help distinguish the content as not being real.

Code in th apps reveals that the Face Swap feature relies on the Zao API. There are many references to this API including strings like:

zaoFaceParams /media/api/zao/video/create enter_zaoface_preview_page isZaoVideoType zaoface_clip_edit_page

Watchful also discovered unpublished updates to TikTok and Douyin’s terms of service that cover privacy and usage of the Deepfakes feature. Inside the US version of TikTok’s Android app, English text in the code explains the feature and some of its terms of use:

“Your facial pattern will be used for this feature. Read the Drama Face Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details. Make sure you’ve read and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before continuing. 1. To make this feature secure for everyone, real identity verification is required to make sure users themselves are using this feature with their own faces. For this reason, uploaded photos can’t be used; 2. Your facial pattern will only be used to generate face-change videos that are only visible to you before you post it. To better protect your personal information, identity verification is required if you use this feature later. 3. This feature complies with Internet Personal Information Protection Regulations for Minors. Underage users won’t be able to access this feature. 4. All video elements related to this feature provided by Douyin have acquired copyright authorization.”

ZHEJIANG, CHINA – OCTOBER 18 2019 Two us senators have sent a letter to the us national intelligence agency saying TikTok could pose a threat to us national security and should be investigated. Visitors visit the booth of douyin(Tiktok) at the 2019 smart expo in hangzhou, east China’s zhejiang province, Oct. 18, 2019.- PHOTOGRAPH BY Costfoto / Barcroft Media (Photo credit should read Costfoto / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

A longer terms of use and privacy policy was also found in Chinese within Douyin. Translated into English, some highlights from the text include:

“The ‘face-changing’ effect presented by this function is a fictional image generated by the superimposition of our photos based on your photos. In order to show that the original work has been modified and the video generated using this function is not a real video, we will mark the video generated using this function. Do not erase the mark in any way.”

“The information collected during the aforementioned detection process and using your photos to generate face-changing videos is only used for live detection and matching during face-changing. It will not be used for other purposes . . . And matches are deleted immediately and your facial features are not stored.”

“When you use this function, you can only use the materials provided by us, you cannot upload the materials yourself. The materials we provide have been authorized by the copyright owner”.

“According to the ‘Children’s Internet Personal Information Protection Regulations’ and the relevant provisions of laws and regulations, in order to protect the personal information of children / youths, this function restricts the use of minors”.

We reached out to TikTok and Douyin for comment regarding the Deepfakes feature, when it might launch, how the privacy of biometric scans are protected, the age limit, and the nature of its relationship with Zao. However, TikTok declined to answer those questions. Instead a spokesperson insisted that “after checking with the teams I can confirm this is definitely not a function in TikTok, nor do we have any intention of introducing it. I think what you may be looking at is something slated for Douyin – your email includes screenshots that would be from Douyin, and a privacy policy that mentions Douyin. That said, we don’t work on Douyin here at TikTok.” They later told TechCrunch that “The inactive code fragments are being removed to eliminate any confusion”, which implicitly confirms that Face Swap code was found in TikTok.

A Douyin spokesperson told TechCrunch that “Douyin has no cooperation with Zao” despite references to Zao in the code. They also denied that the Face Swap terms of service appear in TikTok despite TechCrunch reviewing code from the app showing those terms of service and the feature’s functionality.

This is suspicious, and doesn’t explain why code for the Deepfakes feature and special terms of service in English for the feature appear in TikTok, and not just Douyin where the app can already be activated and a longer terms of service was spotted. TikTok’s US entity has previously denied complying with censorship requests from the Chinese government in contradiction to sources who told the Washington Post and that TikTok did censor some political and sexual content at China’s behest.

It’s possible that the Deepfakes Face Swap feature never officially launches in China or the US. But it’s fully functional, even if unreleased, and demonstrates ByteDance’s willingness to embrace the controversial technology despite its reputation for misinformation and non-consensual pornography. At least it’s restricting the use of the feature by minors, only letting you face-swap yourself, and preventing users from uploading their own source videos. That avoid it being used to create dangerous misinformation Deepfakes like the one making House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seem drunk.

“It’s very rare to see a major social networking app restrict a new, advanced feature to their users 18 and over only” Watchful.ai co-founder and CEO Itay Kahana tells TechCrunch. “These deepfake apps might seem like fun on the surface, but they should not be allowed to become trojan horses, compromising IP rights and personal data, especially personal data from minors who are overwhelmingly the heaviest users of TikTok to date.”

TikTok has already been banned by the US Navy and ByteDance’s acquisition and merger of Musically into TikTok is under investigation by the Comittee On Foreign Investment In The United States. Deepfake fears could further heighten scrutiny.

With the proper safeguards, though, face-changing technology could usher in a new era of user generated content where the creator is always at the center of the action. It’s all part of a new trend of personalized media that could be big in 2020. Social media has evolved from selfies to Bitmoji to Animoji to Cameos and now consumerized Deepfakes. When there are infinite apps and videos and notifications to distract us, making us the star could be the best way to hold our attention.

[sheminecrafts]

ByteDance & TikTok have secretly built a Deepfakes maker

TikTok parent company ByteDance has built technology to let you insert your face into videos starring someone else. TechCrunch has learned that ByteDance has developed an unreleased feature using life-like Deepfakes technology that the app’s code refers to as Face Swap. Code in both TikTok and its Chinese sister app Douyin asks users to take a multi-angle biometric scan of their face, then choose from a selection of videos they want to add their face to and share.

Users scan themselves, pick a video, and have their face overlaid on the body of someone in the clip with ByteDance’s new Face Swap feature

The Deepfakes feature, if launched in Douyin and TikTok, could create a more controlled environment where face swapping technology plus a limited selection of source videos  can be used for fun instead of spreading misinformation. It might also raise awareness of the technology so more people are aware that they shouldn’t believe everything they see online. But it’s also likely to heighten fears about what ByteDance could do with such sensitive biometric data — similar to what’s used to set up FaceID on iPhones.

Several other tech companies have recently tried to consumerize watered-down versions of Deepfakes. The app Morphin lets you overlay a computerized rendering of your face on actors in GIFs. Snapchat offered a FaceSwap option for years that would switch the visages of two people in frame, or replace one on camera with one from your camera roll, and there are standalone apps that do that too like Face Swap Live. Then last month, TechCrunch spotted Snapchat’s new Cameos for inserting a real selfie into video clips it provides, though the results aren’t meant to look confusingly realistic.

Most problematic has been Chinese Deepfakes app Zao, which uses artificial intelligence to blend one person’s face into another’s body as they move and synchronize their expressions. Zao went viral in September despite privacy and security concerns about how users’ facial scans might be abused. Zao was previously blocked by China’s WeChat for presenting “security risks”. [Correction: While “Zao” is mentioned in the discovered code, it refers to the general concept rather than a partnership between ByteDance and Zao.]

But ByteDance could bring convincingly life-like Deepfakes to TikTok and Douyin, two of the world’s most popular apps with over 1.5 billion downloads.

Zao in the Chinese iOS App Store

Hidden Inside TikTok and Douyin

TechCrunch received a tip about the news from Israeli in-app market research startup Watchful.ai. The company had discovered code for the Deepfakes feature in the latest version of TikTok’s and Douyin’s Android apps. Watchful.ai was able to activate the code in Douyin to generate screenshots of the feature, though it’s not currently available to the public.

First, users scan their face into TikTok. This also serves as an identity check to make sure you’re only submitting your own face so you can’t make unconsented Deepfakes of anyone else using an existing photo or a single shot of their face. By asking you to blink, nod, and open and close your mouth while in focus and proper lighting, Douyin can ensure you’re a live human and create a manipulable scan of your face that it can stretch and move to express different emotions or fill different scenes.

You’ll then be able to pick from videos ByteDance claims to have the rights to use, and it will replace the face of whoever’s in the clip with your own. You can then share or download the Deepfake video, though it will include an overlayed watermark the company claims will help distinguish the content as not being real. I received confidential access to videos made by Watchful using the feature, and the face swapping is quite seamless. The motion tracking, expressions, and color blending all look very convincing.

Watchful also discovered unpublished updates to TikTok and Douyin’s terms of service that cover privacy and usage of the Deepfakes feature. Inside the US version of TikTok’s Android app, English text in the code explains the feature and some of its terms of use:

“Your facial pattern will be used for this feature. Read the Drama Face Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details. Make sure you’ve read and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before continuing. 1. To make this feature secure for everyone, real identity verification is required to make sure users themselves are using this feature with their own faces. For this reason, uploaded photos can’t be used; 2. Your facial pattern will only be used to generate face-change videos that are only visible to you before you post it. To better protect your personal information, identity verification is required if you use this feature later. 3. This feature complies with Internet Personal Information Protection Regulations for Minors. Underage users won’t be able to access this feature. 4. All video elements related to this feature provided by Douyin have acquired copyright authorization.”

ZHEJIANG, CHINA – OCTOBER 18 2019 Two us senators have sent a letter to the us national intelligence agency saying TikTok could pose a threat to us national security and should be investigated. Visitors visit the booth of douyin(Tiktok) at the 2019 smart expo in hangzhou, east China’s zhejiang province, Oct. 18, 2019.- PHOTOGRAPH BY Costfoto / Barcroft Media (Photo credit should read Costfoto / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

A longer terms of use and privacy policy was also found in Chinese within Douyin. Translated into English, some highlights from the text include:

“The ‘face-changing’ effect presented by this function is a fictional image generated by the superimposition of our photos based on your photos. In order to show that the original work has been modified and the video generated using this function is not a real video, we will mark the video generated using this function. Do not erase the mark in any way.”

“The information collected during the aforementioned detection process and using your photos to generate face-changing videos is only used for live detection and matching during face-changing. It will not be used for other purposes . . . And matches are deleted immediately and your facial features are not stored.”

“When you use this function, you can only use the materials provided by us, you cannot upload the materials yourself. The materials we provide have been authorized by the copyright owner”.

“According to the ‘Children’s Internet Personal Information Protection Regulations’ and the relevant provisions of laws and regulations, in order to protect the personal information of children / youths, this function restricts the use of minors”.

We reached out to TikTok and Douyin for comment regarding the Deepfakes feature, when it might launch, how the privacy of biometric scans are protected, and the age limit. However, TikTok declined to answer those questions. Instead a spokesperson insisted that “after checking with the teams I can confirm this is definitely not a function in TikTok, nor do we have any intention of introducing it. I think what you may be looking at is something slated for Douyin – your email includes screenshots that would be from Douyin, and a privacy policy that mentions Douyin. That said, we don’t work on Douyin here at TikTok.” They later told TechCrunch that “The inactive code fragments are being removed to eliminate any confusion”, which implicitly confirms that Face Swap code was found in TikTok.

A Douyin spokesperson tells TechCrunch “Douyin follows the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it operates, which is China”. They denied that the Face Swap terms of service appear in TikTok despite TechCrunch reviewing code from the app showing those terms of service and the feature’s functionality.

This is suspicious, and doesn’t explain why code for the Deepfakes feature and special terms of service in English for the feature appear in TikTok, and not just Douyin where the app can already be activated and a longer terms of service was spotted. TikTok’s US entity has previously denied complying with censorship requests from the Chinese government in contradiction to sources who told the Washington Post and that TikTok did censor some political and sexual content at China’s behest.

Consumerizing Deepfakes

It’s possible that the Deepfakes Face Swap feature never officially launches in China or the US. But it’s fully functional, even if unreleased, and demonstrates ByteDance’s willingness to embrace the controversial technology despite its reputation for misinformation and non-consensual pornography. At least it’s restricting the use of the feature by minors, only letting you face-swap yourself, and preventing users from uploading their own source videos. That avoid it being used to create dangerous misinformation Deepfakes like the one making House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seem drunk.

“It’s very rare to see a major social networking app restrict a new, advanced feature to their users 18 and over only” Watchful.ai co-founder and CEO Itay Kahana tells TechCrunch. “These deepfake apps might seem like fun on the surface, but they should not be allowed to become trojan horses, compromising IP rights and personal data, especially personal data from minors who are overwhelmingly the heaviest users of TikTok to date.”

TikTok has already been banned by the US Navy and ByteDance’s acquisition and merger of Musically into TikTok is under investigation by the Comittee On Foreign Investment In The United States. Deepfake fears could further heighten scrutiny.

With the proper safeguards, though, face-changing technology could usher in a new era of user generated content where the creator is always at the center of the action. It’s all part of a new trend of personalized media that could be big in 2020. Social media has evolved from selfies to Bitmoji to Animoji to Cameos and now consumerized Deepfakes. When there are infinite apps and videos and notifications to distract us, making us the star could be the best way to hold our attention.

from iraidajzsmmwtv https://ift.tt/2ZOwQZh via IFTTT

[technicalsolutions88]

TikTok parent company ByteDance has built technology to let you insert your face into videos starring someone else. TechCrunch has learned that ByteDance has developed an unreleased feature using life-like Deepfakes technology that the app’s code refers to as Face Swap. Code in both TikTok and its Chinese sister app Douyin asks users to take a multi-angle biometric scan of their face, then choose from a selection of videos they want to add their face to and share.

Users scan themselves, pick a video, and have their face overlaid on the body of someone in the clip with ByteDance’s new Face Swap feature

The Deepfakes feature, if launched in Douyin and TikTok, could create a more controlled environment where face swapping technology plus a limited selection of source videos  can be used for fun instead of spreading misinformation. It might also raise awareness of the technology so more people are aware that they shouldn’t believe everything they see online. But it’s also likely to heighten fears about what ByteDance could do with such sensitive biometric data — similar to what’s used to set up FaceID on iPhones.

Several other tech companies have recently tried to consumerize watered-down versions of Deepfakes. The app Morphin lets you overlay a computerized rendering of your face on actors in GIFs. Snapchat offered a FaceSwap option for years that would switch the visages of two people in frame, or replace one on camera with one from your camera roll, and there are standalone apps that do that too like Face Swap Live. Then last month, TechCrunch spotted Snapchat’s new Cameos for inserting a real selfie into video clips it provides, though the results aren’t meant to look confusingly realistic.

Most problematic has been Chinese Deepfakes app Zao, which uses artificial intelligence to blend one person’s face into another’s body as they move and synchronize their expressions. Zao went viral in September despite privacy and security concerns about how users’ facial scans might be abused. Zao was previously blocked by China’s WeChat for presenting “security risks”. [Correction: While “Zao” is mentioned in the discovered code, it refers to the general concept rather than a partnership between ByteDance and Zao.]

But ByteDance could bring convincingly life-like Deepfakes to TikTok and Douyin, two of the world’s most popular apps with over 1.5 billion downloads.

Zao in the Chinese iOS App Store

Hidden Inside TikTok and Douyin

TechCrunch received a tip about the news from Israeli in-app market research startup Watchful.ai. The company had discovered code for the Deepfakes feature in the latest version of TikTok’s and Douyin’s Android apps. Watchful.ai was able to activate the code in Douyin to generate screenshots of the feature, though it’s not currently available to the public.

First, users scan their face into TikTok. This also serves as an identity check to make sure you’re only submitting your own face so you can’t make unconsented Deepfakes of anyone else using an existing photo or a single shot of their face. By asking you to blink, nod, and open and close your mouth while in focus and proper lighting, Douyin can ensure you’re a live human and create a manipulable scan of your face that it can stretch and move to express different emotions or fill different scenes.

You’ll then be able to pick from videos ByteDance claims to have the rights to use, and it will replace the face of whoever’s in the clip with your own. You can then share or download the Deepfake video, though it will include an overlayed watermark the company claims will help distinguish the content as not being real. I received confidential access to videos made by Watchful using the feature, and the face swapping is quite seamless. The motion tracking, expressions, and color blending all look very convincing.

Watchful also discovered unpublished updates to TikTok and Douyin’s terms of service that cover privacy and usage of the Deepfakes feature. Inside the US version of TikTok’s Android app, English text in the code explains the feature and some of its terms of use:

“Your facial pattern will be used for this feature. Read the Drama Face Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details. Make sure you’ve read and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before continuing. 1. To make this feature secure for everyone, real identity verification is required to make sure users themselves are using this feature with their own faces. For this reason, uploaded photos can’t be used; 2. Your facial pattern will only be used to generate face-change videos that are only visible to you before you post it. To better protect your personal information, identity verification is required if you use this feature later. 3. This feature complies with Internet Personal Information Protection Regulations for Minors. Underage users won’t be able to access this feature. 4. All video elements related to this feature provided by Douyin have acquired copyright authorization.”

ZHEJIANG, CHINA – OCTOBER 18 2019 Two us senators have sent a letter to the us national intelligence agency saying TikTok could pose a threat to us national security and should be investigated. Visitors visit the booth of douyin(Tiktok) at the 2019 smart expo in hangzhou, east China’s zhejiang province, Oct. 18, 2019.- PHOTOGRAPH BY Costfoto / Barcroft Media (Photo credit should read Costfoto / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

A longer terms of use and privacy policy was also found in Chinese within Douyin. Translated into English, some highlights from the text include:

“The ‘face-changing’ effect presented by this function is a fictional image generated by the superimposition of our photos based on your photos. In order to show that the original work has been modified and the video generated using this function is not a real video, we will mark the video generated using this function. Do not erase the mark in any way.”

“The information collected during the aforementioned detection process and using your photos to generate face-changing videos is only used for live detection and matching during face-changing. It will not be used for other purposes . . . And matches are deleted immediately and your facial features are not stored.”

“When you use this function, you can only use the materials provided by us, you cannot upload the materials yourself. The materials we provide have been authorized by the copyright owner”.

“According to the ‘Children’s Internet Personal Information Protection Regulations’ and the relevant provisions of laws and regulations, in order to protect the personal information of children / youths, this function restricts the use of minors”.

We reached out to TikTok and Douyin for comment regarding the Deepfakes feature, when it might launch, how the privacy of biometric scans are protected, and the age limit. However, TikTok declined to answer those questions. Instead a spokesperson insisted that “after checking with the teams I can confirm this is definitely not a function in TikTok, nor do we have any intention of introducing it. I think what you may be looking at is something slated for Douyin – your email includes screenshots that would be from Douyin, and a privacy policy that mentions Douyin. That said, we don’t work on Douyin here at TikTok.” They later told TechCrunch that “The inactive code fragments are being removed to eliminate any confusion”, which implicitly confirms that Face Swap code was found in TikTok.

A Douyin spokesperson tells TechCrunch “Douyin follows the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it operates, which is China”. They denied that the Face Swap terms of service appear in TikTok despite TechCrunch reviewing code from the app showing those terms of service and the feature’s functionality.

This is suspicious, and doesn’t explain why code for the Deepfakes feature and special terms of service in English for the feature appear in TikTok, and not just Douyin where the app can already be activated and a longer terms of service was spotted. TikTok’s US entity has previously denied complying with censorship requests from the Chinese government in contradiction to sources who told the Washington Post and that TikTok did censor some political and sexual content at China’s behest.

Consumerizing Deepfakes

It’s possible that the Deepfakes Face Swap feature never officially launches in China or the US. But it’s fully functional, even if unreleased, and demonstrates ByteDance’s willingness to embrace the controversial technology despite its reputation for misinformation and non-consensual pornography. At least it’s restricting the use of the feature by minors, only letting you face-swap yourself, and preventing users from uploading their own source videos. That avoid it being used to create dangerous misinformation Deepfakes like the one making House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seem drunk.

“It’s very rare to see a major social networking app restrict a new, advanced feature to their users 18 and over only” Watchful.ai co-founder and CEO Itay Kahana tells TechCrunch. “These deepfake apps might seem like fun on the surface, but they should not be allowed to become trojan horses, compromising IP rights and personal data, especially personal data from minors who are overwhelmingly the heaviest users of TikTok to date.”

TikTok has already been banned by the US Navy and ByteDance’s acquisition and merger of Musically into TikTok is under investigation by the Comittee On Foreign Investment In The United States. Deepfake fears could further heighten scrutiny.

With the proper safeguards, though, face-changing technology could usher in a new era of user generated content where the creator is always at the center of the action. It’s all part of a new trend of personalized media that could be big in 2020. Social media has evolved from selfies to Bitmoji to Animoji to Cameos and now consumerized Deepfakes. When there are infinite apps and videos and notifications to distract us, making us the star could be the best way to hold our attention.

from Social – TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2ZOwQZh Original Content From: https://techcrunch.com

[andylocksmithtipsntricks]

Best Cheap Security Cameras under $50

Top Pick

ZOSI 720P CCTV Camera

Read Review

Cheapest of the cheap

Reliable inside and outdoors

Cheapest of the cheap

Reliable inside and outdoors

View on Amazon

Read Review

Smart Cam Pick

Wyze Cam Pan Security Camera

Read Review

Works with Alexa

Scans entire rooms

Works with Alexa

Scans entire rooms

View on Amazon

Read Review

Outdoor Camera Pick

SV3C HD 960P Wi-Fi Security Outdoor Camera

Read Review

Night vision up to 65 ft.

Quick, easy setup

Night vision up to 65 ft.

Quick, easy setup

View on Amazon

Read Review

Last Updated: A day ago

We validated all of our pricing information and added ways to get even more home security on the cheap from Wyze.

Home security cameras aren’t reserved for people who can drop a wad of cash on a fancy surveillance system. If you want to add a security camera, but have a budget to stick to, this is the resource you’ve been looking for. We found seven cheap security cameras that deliver high-quality reliability—and they’re all under $50. 

Here Are the Top 5 Cheap Security Cameras

ZOSI CCTV Camera: Top Pick

Wyze Cam Pan: Smart Cam Pick

SVC3 Outdoor Camera: Outdoor Pick

YI Dome Camera: Cloud Storage Pick

Wansview Security Camera: Best Night Vision

Compare Cheap Security Cameras

Price Night Vision Two-Way Communication MicroSD Cloud Storage Smart Home Capability

ZOSI 720P Wyze Cam Pan SV3C HD Wi-Fi YI Dome Cam Wansview Wireless 1080p $13.19 $37.98 $39.99 $39.99 $39.99 Up to 65 ft. Up to 30 ft. Up to 65 ft. Up to 10 ft. Up to 20 ft. X No ✓ Yes X No ✓ Yes ✓ Yes X No ✓ Yes ✓ Yes ✓ Yes ✓ Yes ✓ Yes ✓ Yes X No ✓ Yes X No None Alexa compatible None YI Home products None View on Amazon View on Amazon View on Amazon View on Amazon View on Amazon

{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Table", "about": "" }

Amazon.com List Price as of 12/18/19 4:36 p.m. MST. (Full disclaimer)

Best Cheap Security Camera Reviews

ZOSI 720P CCTV Camera

Top Pick

Zosi 720p

View on Amazon

This is a four-in-one security camera from ZOSI. You can use it inside and outdoors, and it’s compatible with four different video outputs.

This ZOSI security camera looks like what you expect from a security camera, which should scare away burglars who are on the prowl. And you can find plenty of videos online from customers who caught thieves in the act thanks to this versatile, cheap camera.

Pros

Weather-resistant design

65 ft. night vision

Vandal-proof construction

Compatibility with other ZOSI cameras

Cons

No motion tracking

No mobile pan or tilt

No two-way audio

Wyze Cam Pan

Best Smart Cam

Wyze Cam Pan

View on Amazon

It’s hard to believe that you can get a smart Wi-Fi camera for less than $40. But the Wyze Cam Pan delivers—and it’s become a staff favorite.

You’ll love the clear night vision images, built-in speaker for two-way audio, and smart motion tracking that follows movement from start to finish. And if you’ve got a little tyke that likes to sing themselves to sleep, you can check in remotely for a sweet serenade every night. 

Pros

Free rolling cloud storage

Voice control with Amazon Alexa

360° pan and scan

Motion and sound detection

Longer power cord

Cons

No auto-reboot function

Some network security concerns

Hit-and-miss motion alerts

More Cheap Security from Wyze

If you want to upgrade your home security on the cheap, Wyze has a full suite of products to protect your home. Wyze Sense contact sensors ($19.99) let you guard doors, windows, cabinets, and anything else that opens. You can also add extra security with a smart light bulb from Wyze ($7.99), and the Wyze Plug ($14.99). Plus, sign up now for early access to the Wyze Lock, coming out in February 2020. It's the cheapest smart lock on the market at just $89.99.

SV3C HD 960P WiFi Security Camera Outdoor

Outdoor Pick

SV3C HD Wi-Fi

View on Amazon

This outdoor IP camera lets you protect your home and property without breaking the bank.

The SV3C provides smart motion detection, high-resolution images, and the biggest night vision range of any camera on our list. And at around $40 a piece, you can afford to place a few around your property.

Pros

Long night vision range

Smart motion detection

Compatibility with third-party security software

Quick, easy setup

Cons

No two-way audio

No smart home compatibility

Difficult adjustment of recording settings

YI Dome Camera

Cloud Storage Pick

YI Dome Cam

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The YI Dome Camera makes it easy to stay on top of everything in your home when you have to be away. And you can wave goodbye to blind spots because the YI Dome Camera features a bidirectional rotation range that captures panoramic scenes.

Best of all, you can store all those sweeping images for free on the YI Cloud.

Pros

Unlimited rolling YI Cloud storage

Motion tracking

Video bookmarks

Compatibility with other YI devices

Noise reduction

Cons

App privacy concerns

Some firmware issues

No motion alert zone settings

Wansview Wireless 1080P Security Camera

Best Night Vision Images

Wansview Wireless 1080P Security Camera

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This affordable Wansview security camera delivers a lot for under $50. You get 1080p HD resolution, a 350° pan range, and 4x digital zoom.

Plus, with two-way communication, this is a great solution if you want to check in on little humans or fur babies. And customers love how crisp the images are—even at night. But that awesome night vision only extends up to 20 feet.

Pros

iOS and Android mobile app

Smart pan and tilt function

Quick setup

Broad field of view

Excellent night vision clarity

Cons

Limited night vision range

No smart home capability

Glitchy Android app

How to Buy a Cheap Security Camera

It’s fine and good to want an affordable home security camera solution, but you don’t want to sacrifice quality for a few extra bucks in your wallet. Some of the best security cameras are still affordable. Here are our tips for buying smart on the cheap.

Know what you want from your security camera

It helps to start shopping with a goal in mind. Are you using your camera inside or outside? Do you need a camera with special talents like motion sensors or pet-friendly features? When you’re buying cheap it helps to know in advance the features that you’re looking for. That helps you weed out cameras that don’t deliver right away. Here are some questions to help you figure out what you want (and need) in a cheap security camera.

Do you want to install more than one security camera?

Do you want a camera to deter burglars?

Do you want a security camera so you can check in on people and pets when you’re not at home?

Is a mobile app important to you?

Do you want motion-activated alerts sent to your phone or email?

Do you want to be able to listen in and talk through the camera?

Are you interested in a camera that you can move around, or do you want to install it in a permanent location?

Are you more interested in wireless cameras, or are you okay with a power cord?

Is storing and saving video footage important to you? If so, do you want to use cloud storage or do you prefer an SD card?

Do you want to watch a live video feed?

Are smart home features and compatibility important to you?

Identify security camera brands that you trust

Finding high quality at low prices is a lot easier when you know which brands deliver at a lower price point. Start with brands that you may already be familiar with, or ask trusted friends and family for recommendations. Then research expert reviews and customer ratings to see what people are saying about the camera after they’ve used it for a while.

Look out for security cameras that come with hidden costs

The purchase price posted for one camera may not be the whole story. Some security cameras are part of a bigger system and require extra equipment to function. Extras can be a base station, playback DVR, or cloud storage subscription. Take time to read the fine print and root out any extra costs before deciding which cheap security camera is right for you.

Our Methodology

SafeWise tests, researches, and compares products based on the factors that matter most to the people who want to use them. We get our hands on products, fall into rabbit holes of research, look up customer reviews, contact customer service, and more. Learn more about our rankings and reviews process on our methodology page.

More Security Camera Resources

The Best Home Security Cameras

What Types of Security Cameras Are Available and What Are the Differences between Them?

The 5 Best Places to Put a Security Camera

How to Secure Your Dorm Room

Home Security for Renters: What You Need to Know

Disclaimer

Amazon.com list price as of 12/18/19 4:36 p.m. MST. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

The post Best Cheap Security Cameras under $50 appeared first on SafeWise.

Article source here: Best Cheap Security Cameras under $50

[erickmalpicaflores]

Erik Malpica Flores Erik Malpica Flores recommends: What is Coming to Netflix in January 2019

UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT’s final episodes are coming to Netflix in January 2019, as are new seasons of FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE and A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS. On the movie side, here’s your chance to stream SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, INCREDIBLES 2 and ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, as well as all of the INDIANA JONES films.

Related: What is Coming to Netflix Canada in January 2019?

January 1

A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 3 (Netflix Original): In the series’ third and final act, the Baudelaires will stop at nothing to solve the mysteries of the VFD and end Count Olaf’s relentless pursuit.

Across the Universe

Babel

Black Hawk Down

City of God

COMEDIANS of the world (Netflix Original): This global, first-of-its-kind, series will showcase 47 comedians from 13 regions in 8 languages in an unprecedented stand-up comedy experience. The groundbreaking series will feature a range of stand-up specials from comedians diverse in style, gender and ethnicity. Get ready to start the new year off with a laugh!

Definitely, Maybe

Godzilla

Happy Feet

Hell or High Water

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

It Takes Two

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Jersey Boys

Mona Lisa Smile

Mr. Bean’s Holiday

Pan’s Labyrinth

Pinky Malinky (Netflix Original): Pinky Malinky sees the bright side of everything, including being born a hot dog. With his BFFs in tow, this little wiener takes a bite out of life.

Pulp Fiction

Swingers

Tears of the Sun

The Addams Family

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Dark Knight

The Departed

The Mummy

The Mummy Returns

The Strangers

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (Netflix Original): In a series of inspiring home makeovers, world-renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo helps clients clear out the clutter — and choose joy.

Watchmen

xXx

XXX: State of the Union

January 2

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

January 4

And Breathe Normally (Netflix Film): An Icelandic single mom struggling with poverty and a Guinea-Bissauan asylum seeker facing deportation find their lives intertwined in unexpected ways.

Call My Agent!: Season 3 (Netflix Original): Rising tensions prompt two agents to hatch a secret plot in a new season of showbiz antics with Isabelle Huppert, Monica Bellucci and Jean Dujardin.

El Potro: Unstoppable (Netflix Film): A singer makes a splash in the Tropical music scene thanks to his good looks and magnetism, but must navigate tragedy and the trappings of fame to survive.

Lionheart (Netflix Film): When her father falls ill, Adaeze steps up to run the family business — alongside her uncle — and prove herself in a male-dominated world.

January 9

GODZILLA The Planet Eater (Netflix Original): With the earth alliance weakened, Haruo weighs siding with the Exif, whose death cult is summoning a monster that can destroy the world.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

January 10

When Heroes Fly (Netflix Original): Years after a bitter falling out, four Israeli military veterans reunite and travel to Colombia in search of a loved one they’d presumed to be dead.

January 11

Friends from College: Season 2 (Netflix Original): Mistakes were made. Feelings were hurt. Life goes on. Now, with a wedding on the horizon, the gang tries to put the past behind them.

ReMastered: Massacre at the Stadium (Netflix Original): For years, the murder of Chilean protest singer Victor Jara was blamed on an official in Pinochet’s army. Now in exile, he tries to exonerate himself.

Sex Education (Netflix Original): Meet Otis Milburn – an inexperienced, socially awkward high school student who lives with his mother, a sex therapist. Surrounded by manuals, videos and tediously open conversations about sex, Otis is a reluctant expert on the subject. When his home life is revealed at school, Otis realizes that he can use his specialist knowledge to gain status. He teams up with Maeve, a whip-smart bad-girl, and together they set up an underground sex therapy clinic to deal with their fellow students’ weird and wonderful problems. Through his analysis of teenage sexuality, Otis realises he may need some therapy of his own.

Solo (Netflix Film): In a remote area of the Canary Islands, young surfer Alvaro Vizcaino accidentally falls from a cliff. Seriously injured, he must fight to survive.

The Last Laugh (Netflix Film): Retired talent manager Al reconnects with former client Buddy, a comedian who gave up performing decades ago, and urges him to go back out on the road.

January 15

Revenger (Netflix Film): A former detective hell-bent on revenge infiltrates a remote island serving as a prison for dangerous death row criminals in search of a brutal fiend.

Sebastian Maniscalco: Stay Hungry (Netflix Original): Sebastian Maniscalco takes on life’s many annoyances with his singularly expressive approach in a live special based on his memoir of the same name.

January 16

January 17

American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace

January 18

Carmen Sandiego (Netflix Original): Carmen Sandiego returns in this series that follows her new international capers as well as past escapades that led to her becoming a super thief.

Close (Netflix Film): To protect an heiress from highly trained kidnappers, a lone security expert must unravel a sinister plot — while striving to stay alive.

FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (Netflix Original): The Fyre Festival was billed as a luxury music experience full of social media influencers on a posh island, but the reality was far from the promises.

GIRL (Netflix Film): In this award-winning drama inspired by a true story, 15-year-old Lara trains to become a ballerina as she transitions from her assigned gender.

Grace and Frankie: Season 5 (Netflix Original): In the return of this Emmy winning comedy, two friends launch a scheme to get their old lives back.

IO (Netflix Film): One of the last survivors on Earth, a teen races to cure her poisoned planet before the final shuttle to a distant space colony leaves her stranded.

Soni (Netflix Film): While fighting crimes against women in Delhi, a short-fused policewoman and her level-headed female boss grapple with gender issues in their own lives.

The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2 Part B (Netflix Original): Award-winning architect Piers Taylor and actress/property enthusiast Caroline Quentin continue to travel the globe touring striking homes.

Trigger Warning with Killer Mike (Netflix Original): In this subversive comedy documentary series, rapper and activist Killer Mike and a team of funny correspondents explore socially relevant topics.

Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 5 (Netflix Original): This season, the trolls get lost in wormholes, journey to the Fountain of Glitter, go for a ride in a submarine, play in the snow and more.

January 21

Justice (Netflix Original): Instead of joining her father’s law firm as her family expects, Farah strikes out on her own as a defense attorney after returning home to Abu Dhabi.

January 24

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (Netflix Original): Get a unique look inside the mind of an infamous serial killer with this cinematic self-portrait crafted from statements made by Ted Bundy.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

January 25

Animas (Netflix Film): When her best friend starts acting odd after a strange accident, a young woman descends into a living hell where nightmare and reality are blurred.

Black Earth Rising (Netflix Original): A contemporary thriller that follows the difficult journey of a woman, a Rwandan orphaned by the genocide, raised in London by an adopted mother, trying to discover the truth of her past. The series examines the West’s relationship with Africa, set in a world of prosecution of war crimes.

Club de Cuervos: Season 4 (Netflix Original): Chava and Isabel come to terms with their futures and the future of the Cuervos in an all-new season of surprises.

Kingdom (Netflix Original): In a kingdom defeated by corruption and famine, a mysterious rumour of the king’s death spreads as does a strange plague that renders the infected immune to death and hungry for flesh. The crown prince, fallen victim to a conspiracy, sets out on a journey to unveil the evil behind it all and save his people.

Medici: The Magnificent (Netflix Original): He already sacrificed his dreams of being an artist and marrying his true love. Will building and protecting the Medici legacy cost him his soul too?

Polar (Netflix Film): The world’s top assassin, Duncan Vizla, aka The Black Kaiser, is settling into retirement when his former employer marks him as a liability to the firm. Against his will, he finds himself back in the game going head to head with an army of younger, faster, ruthless killers who will stop at nothing to have him silenced.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 4 Part 2 (Netflix Original): As the series comes to a hilarious and moving close, Kimmy has to choose between helping her friends, Titus (Tituss Burgess), Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski) and Lillian (Carol Kane), and helping someone she’s never put first before: herself. This final season includes a double-sized “Sliding Doors” episode exploring how the main characters’ lives might have been different if Kimmy had never been kidnapped.

January 27

January 29

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: One Show Fits All (Netflix Original): In a new comedy special for 2019, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias discusses his teenage son, encounters with Snoop Dogg and an overzealous fan, and more.

Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp

January 30

Disney•Pixar’s The Incredibles 2

Coming Soon

Marvel’s The Punisher: Season 2 (Netflix Original)

Last Call – Titles Rotating Off the Service in January 2019

January 1

Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure

Blade

Blade II

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Catwoman

Face/Off

Finding Neverland

Friday Night Lights

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

I Am Ali

Interview with the Vampire

Into the Wild

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Kung Fu Panda

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Fifteenth Year

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Seventeenth Year

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Sixteenth Year

Like Water for Chocolate

Love Actually

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Marie Antoinette

Meet the Fockers

Meet the Parents

Million Dollar Baby

Monsters vs. Aliens

Mortal Kombat

Rent

Sharknado

Sharknado 2: The Second One

Sharknado 3

Sharknado 5

Sharknado: The 4th Awakens

The 6th Day

The Godfather

The Godfather: Part II

The Godfather: Part III

The Green Mile

The Iron Giant

The Princess Diaries

The Queen of the Damned

The Reaping

The Shining

January 4

Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World

January 13

January 14

January 18

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

January 19

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

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[bestonreview]

The 5 Best Buy Now Pay Later Phones No Credit Check

In today’s world, a smartphone is not a luxury anymore, but it is a necessity. Most people can't afford to leave without them since its now integrated in their lifestyle. However, these smartphones are expensive, and people are forced to make partial payments, instead of purchasing one outright. But what financial options are available if you have a bad or poor credit score? The good news is that there is always a way out. Some sellers provide buy now pay later phones no credit check convenient financing options to their clients. It means that your dream of owning one will finally come true. However, you must be over 18 years old, have an active checking account, debit, or credit card and ascertain a minimum monthly income to be eligible to get approval for these existing offers.

The five best buys now pay later phones no credit check. Take a look!

But, how does this work? The process is quite simple and won't take you long. First, visit the site that provides buy now pay later phones no credit check and add at least the specified worth of smartphone products on your cart. Choose the “Pay over time “option at the checkout. Secondly, review your plan and apply for credit. You will find out if you have been approved within seconds. If accepted, checkout and keep in mind that you will pay $0 at the time of purchase. Thirdly, after making the purchase, you will pay later by receiving monthly billing statements with your plan details and the due dates for your low monthly installments. The available plans will be determined by the number of products in your cart 0% APR will be applicable from the time of purchase until when it is paid in full. Also, there is no interest rate if you pay off your item within 6, 12 or 24 months. Recommended Articles For You: The 30 Best Free Government Smartphone Providers Top 10 Furniture Stores That Finance People with Bad Credit The 10 Best Cell Phones With No Credit Check No Deposit 1. Samsung Galaxy S8+ 64GB Unlocked Phone

Check Price Samsung is among the most reputable smartphone manufacturers in the whole world with several years of experience in producing high-quality products. It has excellent features which include a 6.2 inch AMOLED HD touchscreen, 12 megapixel rear facing camera, front-facing 8.0MP camera, Android v7 Nougat, a durable 3000mah Battery that fully charges under two hours. Other specifications are; 64 GB internal memory with a MicroSD slot, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Processor, 4G LTE Speed, Bixby ( An intelligent Interface that learns from you to help you do even more ) and water resistant. Unlock from Samsung allows you to pick more than just your phone. You can comfortably choose your preferred carrier, features, apps data plans and services. It makes it easy to customize the phone according to your taste and preference. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor delivers excellent performance for opening and smoothly running your apps. Android 7 Nougat with personalized settings provides a unique platform to connect easily. It is compatible with major US carriers including T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon. Additionally, 4G LTE speed offers a fast and reliable web connecting that makes you easy to download apps, stream videos and connect to social media. The smartphone dust and waterproof with the ability to withstand being submerged in water for approximately 30 minutes. Buy From Amazon 2. Apple iPhone 8 Plus 5.5", 64 GB

Check Price Do you love Apple smartphones? Apple is the market leader in all things technology and produces the top-rated phones with excellent features. It has a 5.5-inch widescreen LCD, 64 GB internal memory, 12MP cameras, water, dust, and splash resistant. It is a smartphone that everybody dreams of owning. You super smartphone comes with several accessories that will transform your experience. It includes; Ear pods with a lightning connector, lightning to USB cable, 5W USB Power Adapter. It weighs 5.22 ounces and an A11 Bionic chip. You can pay with iPhone by using the Touch ID in an online shopping site, on the web a within apps. It is also compatible with reputable carriers in the US such as Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. The most distinguishing feature of the iPhone is the Siri7 assistant that uses your voice to send messages and set reminders. Besides, it allows you to activate hands-free with your voice by saying “Hey Siri.” Also, the smartphone has a long-lasting battery with a talk time of up to 14 hours and 12 hours of internet use. It runs on the iOS 12 operating system, which Is considered the world’s most secure OS. Buy From Amazon 3. Moto G plus (4th Gen.)

Check Price This smartphone from Motorola has high-quality specifications. It was released on May 2016 and weighs 155g 9.88mm thickness, 64 GB internal memory, 4GB RAM and the most outstanding and powerful camera. It has a 16MP camera equipped with two unique focus technologies; Phase detects and laser focus. The 5MP selfie camera is excellent for group shots. Also, the battery is accompanied by a Turbo Power (TM) charging that offers up to 6 hours of continuous use within 15 minutes. The Moto G plus smartphone is unlocked and compatible with significant network carriers in the US. Dual SIM is available in selected regions in the country. Its 5.5 inch HD touchscreen and Octa-core processor ensures an excellent display for your videos and games. How secure is this smartphone? The presence of the fingerprint reader protects your phone from theft and automatically unlocks when you place your finger. It instantly recognizes your fingerprint regardless of how you hold or flip it. The phone’s Octa-core processor provides more power run all your apps at a time without necessarily slowing down. It has a powerful graphics capability that supports 3D images. It is available in white and black colors. Buy From Amazon 4. Huawei Mate 10 Pro Unlocked Phone

Check Price The Huawei Mate 10 Pro Unlocked Phone is listed among the buy now pay later phones no credit check. From its 6GB RAM, 64 internal memory, AI processor, Dual Leica camera, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro has excellent features that justify its worth. It is available in grey and blue colors. It is fitted with a 6-inch screen with an HDR10 technology to produce bright colors. Also, it gives you high speeds of up to 1GB per second, transforming your browsing and downloading experience. Its 4000 mAh durable battery comes with smart battery management that can learn user behaviors, hence reducing power waste. With the support of the innovative GPU Turbo technology, the speed of processing images is quite high, to deliver a smooth and outstanding visual experience. Its capable Leica Dual camera with real-time scenes and object recognition gives excellent image quality with little effort. Besides, your smartphone will see you throughout the day, thanks to supercharging technology that guarantees a day’s power with only 20 minutes of charge. Huawei, the manufacturer, specialized in perfecting shoot and pint perfection to capture every particular moment. It is available in four unique colors; diamond black, titanium grey, Mocha Brown and Midnight blue. Buy From Amazon 5. LG Electronics G7 ThinQ Factory Unlocked Phone

Check Price Are you in love with LG smartphones? This latest version from LG electronics is one of a kind. It has a 6.1 inch HD display with a notch, super quality, boombox speaker, and dual full rear camera. Other great features are; a Snapdragon 845 processor, 4 GB and 6GB RAM options. With this unlocked phone, modern design combines the latest technology providing freedom and choice. The boombox speaker provides a good sound and a real bass. it has a modern design and long-lasting battery. What is ThinQ? It is LG’s AI platform that directly connects the host of the same products. If you notice the ThinQ branding on LG smartphones, it means you can easily relate to other LG phones like V30S ThinQ and G7 ThinQ. Besides, it is fitted with an AI key that enables you to interact with Google Assistant. This is one of the most distinguishing features of the G7 phone and it makes accessing the assistant easy, especially when you don’t want to say “Hey Google.“ The AI keys work perfectly and quite first. It is a useful security feature because you will be required to unlock your smartphone using the assistant. Buy From Amazon Conclusion Are you finding it hard to purchase a smartphone with bad credit? Don't worry. There are online sites that offer buy now pay later phones no credit check convenient financing options to their clients. Besides, these sites offer the best and top rated smartphones available in the market such as Samsung, iPhone, Huawei, Motorola, and LG. Don't let bad credit prevent you from getting your dream phone check with these buy now pay later online sites for the best opportunities to acquire phones without making any down payment, and pay later in low monthly installments. Read the full article

[infotainmentplus-blog]

Spec showdown: Oppo Find X vs the competition Oppo just announced the Find X, a high-end smartphone that can go head-to-head with the best of them. It sports top-of-the-line specs and a few innovative features, but it also has a couple of drawbacks. Don’t miss our in-depth Oppo Find X review Here’s how the Oppo Find X compares to the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, OnePlus 6, and Huawei P20 Pro. The Find X has a 6.42-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The panel is curved on the sides like on the Galaxy S9 series, doesn’t have a notch, and is surrounded by extremely thin bezels — 93.8 percent screen-to-body ratio. In fact, the top bezel is so thin there’s no room to fit for the phone’s 25MP front-facing camera. Oppo took a page out of Vivo’s playbook, hiding the selfie snapper in a module inside the device, which pops up from the top edge in just 0.5 seconds when you launch the camera app. This movable module also houses the rear dual-camera setup, which consists of 16 and 20MP sensors and supports AI-powered scene recognition. This design gives the Find X a very futuristic vibe and makes the back look extremely clean, though if the movable mechanism stops working, you won’t be able to to use the cameras anymore. The Oppo Find X is powered by the latest and greatest Snapdragon 845 chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM, making it one of the most powerful handsets on the market. It’s the second Android smartphone to support 3D facial recognition (behind Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition), which is a lot safer than the 2D facial recognition of many recent Android phones. Once you pick up the device and swipe up, the camera will pop up automatically and unlock the device when it recognizes you. The company calls the feature — wait for it — O-Face. Seriously. The Oppo Find X doesn't have a fingerprint scanner. Related Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition revealed with super-fast battery charging The official reveal of the Oppo Find X in Paris had a major surprise at the end of its press event. The company announced it will release a special Find X Automobili Lamborghini Edition of the … Unfortunately, Oppo followed in Apple’s footsteps and nixed the fingerprint scanner on the Find X. This means you’re stuck with a PIN code or O-Face for unlocking the device, which is not to everyone’s liking. Facial recognition might not work in super low-light conditions, when wearing a baseball hat with sunglasses, or if you run into a door and get a black eye. Even if it does work at all times, sometimes it’s more convenient to unlock your phone without raising it to your face. Oppo’s flagship has 256GB of non-expandable storage, packs a 3,730mAh battery with VOOC Flash Charge, and runs Android 8.1 Oreo with ColorOS 5.1 on top (Android P beta support coming soon). Most of that sounds great, but the phone’s missing features could be deal breakers for some. It lacks a headphone jack, wireless charging, and IP rating for protection against water and dust. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus In comparison, the Galaxy S9 Plus is equipped with a smaller 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display. It’s also curved on the sides, but offers a higher resolution at 2,960 x 1,440 pixels and a slightly different 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The flagship is powered by the Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chipset, depending on the market, paired with 6GB of RAM. This means it sports 2GB of RAM less than the Oppo Find X, but you likely won’t notice any difference in performance — 6GB of RAM is still more than enough for a flagship. The S9 Plus also has dual cameras on the back featuring two 12MP sensors with 2x digital zoom for those close-up shots. One of the cameras sports a dual aperture, which should improve images captured in low-light conditions, but our very own Gary Sims called it a gimmick after testing it. The front camera comes in at 8MP, which means it has almost a third the pixels of the Oppo Find X’s 25MP selfie snapper. A higher megapixel count doesn’t necessarily translate to a better image, but it can capture more detail, allowing for better zooming and cropping options. Samsung’s flagship doesn’t have 3D facial recognition, but it has an iris scanner and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. There’s also software-based facial recognition on board, but it’s less secure than the other two biometric methods. The smartphone features a smaller 3,500mAh battery, 64, 128, or 256GB of storage, and Android 8.0 with Samsung Experience on top. Unlike the Oppo Find X, the Galaxy S9 Plus has a headphone jack, supports expandable storage, and has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. It also supports wireless charging and will keep you entertained with its AR emoji feature. Read next: AR Emoji vs Animoji: The differences explained Overall, the Oppo Find X and Galaxy S9 Plus are both fantastic devices, but Samsung’s flagship arguably offers more. If you care about things like a headphone jack, fingerprint scanner, expandable storage, water resistance, and wireless charging, it’s the one you should get. You probably won’t go wrong with the Find X if the flashy design and the 3D facial recognition tech really appeal to you, though. Oppo Find X Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus Display 6.42-inch AMOLED panel 2,340 x 1,080 resolution 19.5:9 aspect ratio 6.2-inch Super AMOLED panel 2,960 x 1,440 resolution 18.5:9 aspect ratio Processor Snapdragon 845 Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 RAM 8GB 6GB Storage 256GB 64/128/256GB MicroSD No Yes Camera Rear: 16MP with f/2.0 aperture + 20MP with f/2.2 aperture Front: 25MP Rear: 12MP with f/1.5-2.4 aperture + 12MP with f/2.4 Front: 8MP Battery 3,730mAh 3,500mAh Headphone jack No Yes IP rating No IP68 Software Android 8.1 Oreo with ColorOS 5.1 Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9.0 Fingerprint scanner No Yes Other features 3D facial recognition, VOOC Flash Charge, AI-powered rear cameras Facial recognition (software), iris scanner, AR Emoji, Bixby The OnePlus 6 is more like the Oppo Find X than the Galaxy S9 Plus. It has the same Snapdragon 845 chipset under the hood, a dual-camera setup on the back with 16 and 20MP sensors, and 8GB of RAM (a 6GB variant is also available). The device also doesn’t support expandable storage, isn’t IP rated, and lacks wireless charging. It has a slightly smaller Full HD+ display at 6.28-inches (18:9 aspect ratio), with a notch on top, a lower resolution 16MP selfie snapper, and a smaller 3,300mAh battery. You can get it with 64 or 128GB of storage, which is less than the 256GB you get with the Find X. The OnePlus 6 also doesn’t support 3D facial recognition, though it has a software-based facial recognition feature on board. OnePlus 6 However, the flagship has a few advantages over the Find X. The first is the software. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo with OxygenOS on top, which is the best Android skin out there in my opinion. It offers a stock-like experience and adds a number of useful features like off-screen gestures, App Locker, Reading Mode, and more. Oppo’s ColorOS is a bit heavy. It changes the look and feel of Android quite a bit and imitates Apple’s iOS in many ways. It doesn’t have an app drawer, which means all your apps are scattered across your home screens. Overall, OxygenOS look better and offers more. Unlike the Oppo Find X, the OnePlus 6 has a headphone jack. Next up is the headphone jack. The company knows it’s still a vital part of a smartphone for many, which is why you’ll find it on the OnePlus 6. The flagship also sports a fingerprint scanner on the back and an alert slider on the right side for quickly switching between three modes: silent, vibrate, and ring. Read next: 5 reasons you should buy the OnePlus 6 There’s no clear winner in the Oppo Find X vs OnePlus 6 battle — it all comes down to what features are important to you. I’d go with the OnePlus 6 because of the headphone jack, better software experience, and fingerprint scanner, but that’s just me. If you’re willing to give that up for the fancy movable cameras, 3D facial recognition, and slightly bigger display and battery, the Oppo Find X is probably for you. Oh, and the Oppo Find X costs almost twice as much as the OnePlus 6… Oppo Find X OnePlus 6 Display 6.42-inch AMOLED panel 2,340 x 1,080 resolution 19.5:9 aspect ratio 6.28-inch Optic AMOLED panel 2,280 x 1,080 resolution 18:9 aspect ratio Processor Snapdragon 845 Snapdragon 845 RAM 8GB 6/8GB Storage 256GB 64/128GB MicroSD No No Camera Rear: 16MP with f/2.0 aperture + 20MP with f/2.2 aperture Front: 25MP Rear: 16MP with f/1.7 aperture + 20MP with f/1.7 Front: 16MP Battery 3,730mAh 3,300mAh Headphone jack No Yes IP rating No No Software Android 8.1 Oreo with ColorOS 5.1 Android 8.1 Oreo with OxygenOS Fingerprint scanner No Yes Other features 3D facial recognition, VOOC Flash Charge, AI-powered rear cameras Facial recognition (software), Dash Charge The Huawei P20 Pro’s screen has a notch and is the smallest of the bunch, at 6.1 inches (0.32 inches smaller than the Oppo Find X). It packs the latest Kirin 970 chipset under the hood, which features a neural processing unit (NPU) for AI-related tasks. These include photo-based translations and Smart Tips, which offers advice like turning on the blue light filter when reading in a dark environment. It also brings scene recognition to the P20 Pro, allowing the cameras to detect various scenes and objects and adjust the settings accordingly to improve the image. Huawei P20 Pro The P20 Pro is the first phone to sport a triple-camera setup on the back, with a 40MP RGB sensor, a 20MP secondary monochrome sensor, and an 8MP telephoto lens. It’s one of the best camera setups on a smartphone for low-light photography. The selfie snapper has a 24MP sensor — 1MP less than Oppo Find X’s front camera. Huawei’s flagship has 6GB of RAM — the same as the Galaxy S9 Plus and 2GB less than Oppo’s device. It sports 128GB of non-expandable storage, does not have a headphone jack, and runs Android 8.0 Oreo with the EMUI 8.1 skin on top. The skin imitates Apple’s iOS similarly to Oppo’s skin, but you can at least enable an app drawer in the settings. The Huawei P20 Pro sports a massive 4,000mAh battery. The P20 Pro features a massive 4,000mAh battery — 270mAh larger than the Find X. Huawei’s device is also IP67 rated, which means it will survive in up to 3.2 feet (1 meter) of water for 30 minutes. Like its rival, it doesn’t support wireless charging. There’s not a lot separating the two devices in performance, though the Find X has more 2GB more RAM. Get the P20 Pro if you’re into photography, care about battery life, and want the peace of mind that comes with the IP67 rating. The Oppo Find X might be a better option if you want a bigger screen without a notch, more storage, fancy 3D facial recognition tech, and a futuristic design. Oppo Find X Huawei P20 Pro Display 6.42-inch AMOLED panel 2,340 x 1,080 resolution 19.5:9 aspect ratio 6.1-inch AMOLED panel 2,240 x 1,080 resolution 18.7:9 aspect ratio Processor Snapdragon 845 Kirin 970 RAM 8GB 6GB Storage 256GB 128GB MicroSD No No Camera Rear: 16MP with f/2.0 aperture + 20MP with f/2.2 aperture Front: 25MP Rear: 40MP with f/1.8 aperture + 20 MP with f/1.6 aperture + 8MP with f/2.4 aperture Front: 24MP Battery 3,730mAh 4,000mAh Headphone jack No No IP rating No IP67 Software Android 8.1 Oreo with ColorOS 5.1 Android 8.0 Oreo with EMUI 8.1 Fingerprint scanner No Yes Other features 3D facial recognition, VOOC Flash Charge, AI-powered rear cameras Dual-SIM support, fingerprint scanner gestures, facial recognition (software) Should you get the Oppo Find X over the competition? I’d rather get the Galaxy S9, OnePlus 6, or Huawei P20 Pro over the Find X. I dig the phone’s design and power, but I can’t get over the fact it not having a fingerprint scanner. I’m also not super impressed with the movable module holding the cameras, because I’m concerned with how it will hold up after years of use. The Find X is also very expensive, at 999 euros. Editor's Pick What is 5G, and what can we expect from it? You've likely heard the term a lot recently, but what is 5G? Good question. Simply put, 5G networking is the next major evolution of mobile wireless technology. It will empower customers with even faster data connections, … Oppo didn’t reveal how many times the module can move up and down without a problem, but we can get a good idea of what to expect by looking at the Nex phone from Vivo, which is owned by the same company as Oppo (BBK Electronics). Vivo claims the Nex’s camera mechanism has undergone extensive testing and can be raised and lowered 50,000 times. Although that sounds like a lot, it really isn’t. On the Oppo Find X, the camera has to pop up whenever you unlock the phone if you’re using the 3D facial recognition feature. According to a study by Asurion (via New York Post), the average American checks their phone 80 times per day. At that rate, you’d raise the camera module 50,000 times in well under two years. Yikes! Vivo Nex If you don’t have a problem with the high price, lack of a fingerprint scanner, and the movable camera mechanism, the Oppo Find X could be a great option. It offers all the performance you need, has a gorgeous design, and feels like it’s from the future. Would you get the Oppo Find X over any of these phones? Let me know in the comments! , via Android Authority http://bit.ly/2I7wWk2

[androidpimp]

New Post has been published on

New Post has been published on http://www.androidpimp.com/home-security-cameras/xiaomi-dafang-ip-camera-review

XIAOMI DAFANG IP Camera Review: 110 Degree WiFi Home Camera

XIAOMI DAFANG IP Camera Review 

XIAOMI DAFANG IP Camera is an advanced predecessor to the XiaoMi XiaoFang and Xiaomi’s line of cheap but well-designed IP cameras. In this new advanced model, Xiaomi added new features related to AI capabilities, which include advanced monitoring, tracking, rotating gimble, and more besides few other familiar functions already known from previous models, based on Xiaomi cloud platform, such the night vision function, different alarm scenarios, two-way intercom mode and so forth. XIAOMI DAFANG IP Camera is currently on pre order sale for $29.99, and can be found in Gearbest (Link posted below):

Buy It from Gearbest

XIAOMI DAFANG IP Camera Review | Product Photo

  XIAOMI DAFANG IP Camera Review focus:

Product introduction

Package

Unboxing (Package Content)

Appearance, Design, Build Quality

Operation

Storage

Main Features

Performance

Final Verdict

Pros & Cons

  XIAOMI DAFANG IP Camera Highlights:

Microphone – Can pick sounds up to 10M

Photos – Can take photographs in 360 degrees or 93 degrees

Remotely controlled – using Xiaomi “Mi Home” App ( Apple Store / Google Play )

Support OS – Android 4.0 and above, iOS 7.0 and above system devices

Night vision – built in 6 pieces of 940nm infrared complimentary light, which

IR-cut (Night vision) – support day and night auto switching

can restore night vision scene in 18 order gray scale.

Intercom – Two-way audio, you can talk to your family when you are not at home

Storage – Support Micro-SD Card up to 64GB  & USB Dongle ( not included )

Resolution – 1080P FHD 15fps with F 2.3 aperture lens providing a clear image

Rotation – 110-degrees rotations, and 98 degrees vertical using the gimbal

Lens – 110 degree super wide angle FOV

Intelligent detection (AI) – The gimbal will automatically track, watch and monitor home while marking objects in a Green frame mark.

Motion and sound detection – Can detect the smoke and CO alarm, send a notification when an alarm is triggered.

PIP Mode – narrowing the monitoring scene to floating window, such as chatting and monitoring together.

  XIAOMI DAFANG IP Camera Specification

General Product Name: Xiaomi Dafang Smart 1080P WiFi IP Camera Color: White Product details Resolution:1920*1080 Lens: F2.3 Angle of view:120° LED: 6LED light 940mm 0.5w Pan/Tilt-Horizontal Angle (degree) : 360 degree Pan/Tilt-Vertical Angle (degree) : 93 degree Voice system: Two-way audio Specification of Power Supply: DC 5V 2A Wireless: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHZ Storage: Micro SD card up to 32GB Compatible Operation Systems: Android, IOS Operate Temperature (ºC): 0 – 40 centigrade Working Humidity (%) RH: 90 pct Mobile Access: Android, IOS Dimension & Weight Units size (main body size): 127.5*60*60(mm) Weight (main unit):249g Package content 1x  XIAOMI DAFANG IP Camera 1x  Instruction 1x  USB cable 1x  Adapter

  Note: This post will be updated with a full review once samples arrive! 

[sheminecrafts]

ByteDance & TikTok have secretly built a Deepfakes maker

TikTok parent company ByteDance has built technology to let you insert your face into videos starring someone else. TechCrunch has learned that ByteDance has developed an unreleased feature using life-like Deepfakes technology that the app’s code refers to as Face Swap. Code in both TikTok and its Chinese sister app Douyin asks users to take a multi-angle biometric scan of their face, then choose from a selection of videos they want to add their face to and share.

Users scan themselves, pick a video, and have their face overlaid on the body of someone in the clip with ByteDance’s new Face Swap feature

The Deepfakes feature, if launched in Douyin and TikTok, could create a more controlled environment where face swapping technology plus a limited selection of source videos  can be used for fun instead of spreading misinformation. It might also raise awareness of the technology so more people are aware that they shouldn’t believe everything they see online. But it’s also likely to heighten fears about what ByteDance could do with such sensitive biometric data — similar to what’s used to set up FaceID on iPhones.

Several other tech companies have recently tried to consumerize watered-down versions of Deepfakes. The app Morphin lets you overlay a computerized rendering of your face on actors in GIFs. Snapchat offered a FaceSwap option for years that would switch the visages of two people in frame, or replace one on camera with one from your camera roll, and there are standalone apps that do that too like Face Swap Live. Then last month, TechCrunch spotted Snapchat’s new Cameos for inserting a real selfie into video clips it provides, though the results aren’t meant to look confusingly realistic.

Most problematic has been Chinese Deepfakes app Zao, which uses artificial intelligence to blend one person’s face into another’s body as they move and synchronize their expressions. Zao went viral in September despite privacy and security concerns about how users’ facial scans might be abused. Zao was previously blocked by China’s WeChat for presenting “security risks”. [Correction: While “Zao” is mentioned in the discovered code, it refers to the general concept rather than a partnership between ByteDance and Zao.]

But ByteDance could bring convincingly life-like Deepfakes to TikTok and Douyin, two of the world’s most popular apps with over 1.5 billion downloads.

Zao in the Chinese iOS App Store

Hidden Inside TikTok and Douyin

TechCrunch received a tip about the news from Israeli in-app market research startup Watchful.ai. The company had discovered code for the Deepfakes feature in the latest version of TikTok’s and Douyin’s Android apps. Watchful.ai was able to activate the code in Douyin to generate screenshots of the feature, though it’s not currently available to the public.

First, users scan their face into TikTok. This also serves as an identity check to make sure you’re only submitting your own face so you can’t make unconsented Deepfakes of anyone else using an existing photo or a single shot of their face. By asking you to blink, nod, and open and close your mouth while in focus and proper lighting, Douyin can ensure you’re a live human and create a manipulable scan of your face that it can stretch and move to express different emotions or fill different scenes.

You’ll then be able to pick from videos ByteDance claims to have the rights to use, and it will replace the face of whoever’s in the clip with your own. You can then share or download the Deepfake video, though it will include an overlayed watermark the company claims will help distinguish the content as not being real. I received confidential access to videos made by Watchful using the feature, and the face swapping is quite seamless. The motion tracking, expressions, and color blending all look very convincing.

Watchful also discovered unpublished updates to TikTok and Douyin’s terms of service that cover privacy and usage of the Deepfakes feature. Inside the US version of TikTok’s Android app, English text in the code explains the feature and some of its terms of use:

“Your facial pattern will be used for this feature. Read the Drama Face Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details. Make sure you’ve read and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before continuing. 1. To make this feature secure for everyone, real identity verification is required to make sure users themselves are using this feature with their own faces. For this reason, uploaded photos can’t be used; 2. Your facial pattern will only be used to generate face-change videos that are only visible to you before you post it. To better protect your personal information, identity verification is required if you use this feature later. 3. This feature complies with Internet Personal Information Protection Regulations for Minors. Underage users won’t be able to access this feature. 4. All video elements related to this feature provided by Douyin have acquired copyright authorization.”

ZHEJIANG, CHINA – OCTOBER 18 2019 Two us senators have sent a letter to the us national intelligence agency saying TikTok could pose a threat to us national security and should be investigated. Visitors visit the booth of douyin(Tiktok) at the 2019 smart expo in hangzhou, east China’s zhejiang province, Oct. 18, 2019.- PHOTOGRAPH BY Costfoto / Barcroft Media (Photo credit should read Costfoto / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

A longer terms of use and privacy policy was also found in Chinese within Douyin. Translated into English, some highlights from the text include:

“The ‘face-changing’ effect presented by this function is a fictional image generated by the superimposition of our photos based on your photos. In order to show that the original work has been modified and the video generated using this function is not a real video, we will mark the video generated using this function. Do not erase the mark in any way.”

“The information collected during the aforementioned detection process and using your photos to generate face-changing videos is only used for live detection and matching during face-changing. It will not be used for other purposes . . . And matches are deleted immediately and your facial features are not stored.”

“When you use this function, you can only use the materials provided by us, you cannot upload the materials yourself. The materials we provide have been authorized by the copyright owner”.

“According to the ‘Children’s Internet Personal Information Protection Regulations’ and the relevant provisions of laws and regulations, in order to protect the personal information of children / youths, this function restricts the use of minors”.

We reached out to TikTok and Douyin for comment regarding the Deepfakes feature, when it might launch, how the privacy of biometric scans are protected, and the age limit. However, TikTok declined to answer those questions. Instead a spokesperson insisted that “after checking with the teams I can confirm this is definitely not a function in TikTok, nor do we have any intention of introducing it. I think what you may be looking at is something slated for Douyin – your email includes screenshots that would be from Douyin, and a privacy policy that mentions Douyin. That said, we don’t work on Douyin here at TikTok.” They later told TechCrunch that “The inactive code fragments are being removed to eliminate any confusion”, which implicitly confirms that Face Swap code was found in TikTok.

A Douyin spokesperson tells TechCrunch “Douyin follows the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it operates, which is China”. They denied that the Face Swap terms of service appear in TikTok despite TechCrunch reviewing code from the app showing those terms of service and the feature’s functionality.

This is suspicious, and doesn’t explain why code for the Deepfakes feature and special terms of service in English for the feature appear in TikTok, and not just Douyin where the app can already be activated and a longer terms of service was spotted. TikTok’s US entity has previously denied complying with censorship requests from the Chinese government in contradiction to sources who told the Washington Post and that TikTok did censor some political and sexual content at China’s behest.

Consumerizing Deepfakes

It’s possible that the Deepfakes Face Swap feature never officially launches in China or the US. But it’s fully functional, even if unreleased, and demonstrates ByteDance’s willingness to embrace the controversial technology despite its reputation for misinformation and non-consensual pornography. At least it’s restricting the use of the feature by minors, only letting you face-swap yourself, and preventing users from uploading their own source videos. That avoid it being used to create dangerous misinformation Deepfakes like the one making House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seem drunk.

“It’s very rare to see a major social networking app restrict a new, advanced feature to their users 18 and over only” Watchful.ai co-founder and CEO Itay Kahana tells TechCrunch. “These deepfake apps might seem like fun on the surface, but they should not be allowed to become trojan horses, compromising IP rights and personal data, especially personal data from minors who are overwhelmingly the heaviest users of TikTok to date.”

TikTok has already been banned by the US Navy and ByteDance’s acquisition and merger of Musically into TikTok is under investigation by the Comittee On Foreign Investment In The United States. Deepfake fears could further heighten scrutiny.

With the proper safeguards, though, face-changing technology could usher in a new era of user generated content where the creator is always at the center of the action. It’s all part of a new trend of personalized media that could be big in 2020. Social media has evolved from selfies to Bitmoji to Animoji to Cameos and now consumerized Deepfakes. When there are infinite apps and videos and notifications to distract us, making us the star could be the best way to hold our attention.

from iraidajzsmmwtv https://ift.tt/39xJssl via IFTTT

[technicalsolutions88]

TikTok parent company ByteDance has built technology to let you insert your face into videos starring someone else. TechCrunch has learned that ByteDance has developed an unreleased feature using life-like Deepfakes technology that the app’s code refers to as Face Swap. Code in both TikTok and its Chinese sister app Douyin asks users to take a multi-angle biometric scan of their face, then choose from a selection of videos they want to add their face to and share.

Users scan themselves, pick a video, and have their face overlaid on the body of someone in the clip with ByteDance’s new Face Swap feature

The Deepfakes feature, if launched in Douyin and TikTok, could create a more controlled environment where face swapping technology plus a limited selection of source videos  can be used for fun instead of spreading misinformation. It might also raise awareness of the technology so more people are aware that they shouldn’t believe everything they see online. But it’s also likely to heighten fears about what ByteDance could do with such sensitive biometric data — similar to what’s used to set up FaceID on iPhones.

Several other tech companies have recently tried to consumerize watered-down versions of Deepfakes. The app Morphin lets you overlay a computerized rendering of your face on actors in GIFs. Snapchat offered a FaceSwap option for years that would switch the visages of two people in frame, or replace one on camera with one from your camera roll, and there are standalone apps that do that too like Face Swap Live. Then last month, TechCrunch spotted Snapchat’s new Cameos for inserting a real selfie into video clips it provides, though the results aren’t meant to look confusingly realistic.

Most problematic has been Chinese Deepfakes app Zao, which uses artificial intelligence to blend one person’s face into another’s body as they move and synchronize their expressions. Zao went viral in September despite privacy and security concerns about how users’ facial scans might be abused. Zao was previously blocked by China’s WeChat for presenting “security risks”. [Correction: While “Zao” is mentioned in the discovered code, it refers to the general concept rather than a partnership between ByteDance and Zao.]

But ByteDance could bring convincingly life-like Deepfakes to TikTok and Douyin, two of the world’s most popular apps with over 1.5 billion downloads.

Zao in the Chinese iOS App Store

Hidden Inside TikTok and Douyin

TechCrunch received a tip about the news from Israeli in-app market research startup Watchful.ai. The company had discovered code for the Deepfakes feature in the latest version of TikTok’s and Douyin’s Android apps. Watchful.ai was able to activate the code in Douyin to generate screenshots of the feature, though it’s not currently available to the public.

First, users scan their face into TikTok. This also serves as an identity check to make sure you’re only submitting your own face so you can’t make unconsented Deepfakes of anyone else using an existing photo or a single shot of their face. By asking you to blink, nod, and open and close your mouth while in focus and proper lighting, Douyin can ensure you’re a live human and create a manipulable scan of your face that it can stretch and move to express different emotions or fill different scenes.

You’ll then be able to pick from videos ByteDance claims to have the rights to use, and it will replace the face of whoever’s in the clip with your own. You can then share or download the Deepfake video, though it will include an overlayed watermark the company claims will help distinguish the content as not being real. I received confidential access to videos made by Watchful using the feature, and the face swapping is quite seamless. The motion tracking, expressions, and color blending all look very convincing.

Watchful also discovered unpublished updates to TikTok and Douyin’s terms of service that cover privacy and usage of the Deepfakes feature. Inside the US version of TikTok’s Android app, English text in the code explains the feature and some of its terms of use:

“Your facial pattern will be used for this feature. Read the Drama Face Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details. Make sure you’ve read and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before continuing. 1. To make this feature secure for everyone, real identity verification is required to make sure users themselves are using this feature with their own faces. For this reason, uploaded photos can’t be used; 2. Your facial pattern will only be used to generate face-change videos that are only visible to you before you post it. To better protect your personal information, identity verification is required if you use this feature later. 3. This feature complies with Internet Personal Information Protection Regulations for Minors. Underage users won’t be able to access this feature. 4. All video elements related to this feature provided by Douyin have acquired copyright authorization.”

ZHEJIANG, CHINA – OCTOBER 18 2019 Two us senators have sent a letter to the us national intelligence agency saying TikTok could pose a threat to us national security and should be investigated. Visitors visit the booth of douyin(Tiktok) at the 2019 smart expo in hangzhou, east China’s zhejiang province, Oct. 18, 2019.- PHOTOGRAPH BY Costfoto / Barcroft Media (Photo credit should read Costfoto / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

A longer terms of use and privacy policy was also found in Chinese within Douyin. Translated into English, some highlights from the text include:

“The ‘face-changing’ effect presented by this function is a fictional image generated by the superimposition of our photos based on your photos. In order to show that the original work has been modified and the video generated using this function is not a real video, we will mark the video generated using this function. Do not erase the mark in any way.”

“The information collected during the aforementioned detection process and using your photos to generate face-changing videos is only used for live detection and matching during face-changing. It will not be used for other purposes . . . And matches are deleted immediately and your facial features are not stored.”

“When you use this function, you can only use the materials provided by us, you cannot upload the materials yourself. The materials we provide have been authorized by the copyright owner”.

“According to the ‘Children’s Internet Personal Information Protection Regulations’ and the relevant provisions of laws and regulations, in order to protect the personal information of children / youths, this function restricts the use of minors”.

We reached out to TikTok and Douyin for comment regarding the Deepfakes feature, when it might launch, how the privacy of biometric scans are protected, and the age limit. However, TikTok declined to answer those questions. Instead a spokesperson insisted that “after checking with the teams I can confirm this is definitely not a function in TikTok, nor do we have any intention of introducing it. I think what you may be looking at is something slated for Douyin – your email includes screenshots that would be from Douyin, and a privacy policy that mentions Douyin. That said, we don’t work on Douyin here at TikTok.” They later told TechCrunch that “The inactive code fragments are being removed to eliminate any confusion”, which implicitly confirms that Face Swap code was found in TikTok.

A Douyin spokesperson tells TechCrunch “Douyin follows the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it operates, which is China”. They denied that the Face Swap terms of service appear in TikTok despite TechCrunch reviewing code from the app showing those terms of service and the feature’s functionality.

This is suspicious, and doesn’t explain why code for the Deepfakes feature and special terms of service in English for the feature appear in TikTok, and not just Douyin where the app can already be activated and a longer terms of service was spotted. TikTok’s US entity has previously denied complying with censorship requests from the Chinese government in contradiction to sources who told the Washington Post and that TikTok did censor some political and sexual content at China’s behest.

Consumerizing Deepfakes

It’s possible that the Deepfakes Face Swap feature never officially launches in China or the US. But it’s fully functional, even if unreleased, and demonstrates ByteDance’s willingness to embrace the controversial technology despite its reputation for misinformation and non-consensual pornography. At least it’s restricting the use of the feature by minors, only letting you face-swap yourself, and preventing users from uploading their own source videos. That avoid it being used to create dangerous misinformation Deepfakes like the one making House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seem drunk.

“It’s very rare to see a major social networking app restrict a new, advanced feature to their users 18 and over only” Watchful.ai co-founder and CEO Itay Kahana tells TechCrunch. “These deepfake apps might seem like fun on the surface, but they should not be allowed to become trojan horses, compromising IP rights and personal data, especially personal data from minors who are overwhelmingly the heaviest users of TikTok to date.”

TikTok has already been banned by the US Navy and ByteDance’s acquisition and merger of Musically into TikTok is under investigation by the Comittee On Foreign Investment In The United States. Deepfake fears could further heighten scrutiny.

With the proper safeguards, though, face-changing technology could usher in a new era of user generated content where the creator is always at the center of the action. It’s all part of a new trend of personalized media that could be big in 2020. Social media has evolved from selfies to Bitmoji to Animoji to Cameos and now consumerized Deepfakes. When there are infinite apps and videos and notifications to distract us, making us the star could be the best way to hold our attention.

from Mobile – TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2ZOwQZh ORIGINAL CONTENT FROM: https://techcrunch.com/

[bestonreview]

The 5 Best Buy Now Pay Later Phones No Credit Check

In today’s world, a smartphone is not a luxury anymore, but it is a necessity. Most people can't afford to leave without them since its now integrated in their lifestyle. However, these smartphones are expensive, and people are forced to make partial payments, instead of purchasing one outright. But what financial options are available if you have a bad or poor credit score? The good news is that there is always a way out. Some sellers provide buy now pay later phones no credit check convenient financing options to their clients. It means that your dream of owning one will finally come true. However, you must be over 18 years old, have an active checking account, debit, or credit card and ascertain a minimum monthly income to be eligible to get approval for these existing offers.

The five best buys now pay later phones no credit check. Take a look!

But, how does this work? The process is quite simple and won't take you long. First, visit the site that provides buy now pay later phones no credit check and add at least the specified worth of smartphone products on your cart. Choose the “Pay over time “option at the checkout. Secondly, review your plan and apply for credit. You will find out if you have been approved within seconds. If accepted, checkout and keep in mind that you will pay $0 at the time of purchase. Thirdly, after making the purchase, you will pay later by receiving monthly billing statements with your plan details and the due dates for your low monthly installments. The available plans will be determined by the number of products in your cart 0% APR will be applicable from the time of purchase until when it is paid in full. Also, there is no interest rate if you pay off your item within 6, 12 or 24 months. Recommended Articles For You: The 30 Best Free Government Smartphone Providers Top 10 Furniture Stores That Finance People with Bad Credit The 10 Best Cell Phones With No Credit Check No Deposit 1. Samsung Galaxy S8+ 64GB Unlocked Phone

Check Price Samsung is among the most reputable smartphone manufacturers in the whole world with several years of experience in producing high-quality products. It has excellent features which include a 6.2 inch AMOLED HD touchscreen, 12 megapixel rear facing camera, front-facing 8.0MP camera, Android v7 Nougat, a durable 3000mah Battery that fully charges under two hours. Other specifications are; 64 GB internal memory with a MicroSD slot, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Processor, 4G LTE Speed, Bixby ( An intelligent Interface that learns from you to help you do even more ) and water resistant. Unlock from Samsung allows you to pick more than just your phone. You can comfortably choose your preferred carrier, features, apps data plans and services. It makes it easy to customize the phone according to your taste and preference. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor delivers excellent performance for opening and smoothly running your apps. Android 7 Nougat with personalized settings provides a unique platform to connect easily. It is compatible with major US carriers including T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon. Additionally, 4G LTE speed offers a fast and reliable web connecting that makes you easy to download apps, stream videos and connect to social media. The smartphone dust and waterproof with the ability to withstand being submerged in water for approximately 30 minutes. Buy From Amazon 2. Apple iPhone 8 Plus 5.5", 64 GB

Check Price Do you love Apple smartphones? Apple is the market leader in all things technology and produces the top-rated phones with excellent features. It has a 5.5-inch widescreen LCD, 64 GB internal memory, 12MP cameras, water, dust, and splash resistant. It is a smartphone that everybody dreams of owning. You super smartphone comes with several accessories that will transform your experience. It includes; Ear pods with a lightning connector, lightning to USB cable, 5W USB Power Adapter. It weighs 5.22 ounces and an A11 Bionic chip. You can pay with iPhone by using the Touch ID in an online shopping site, on the web a within apps. It is also compatible with reputable carriers in the US such as Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. The most distinguishing feature of the iPhone is the Siri7 assistant that uses your voice to send messages and set reminders. Besides, it allows you to activate hands-free with your voice by saying “Hey Siri.” Also, the smartphone has a long-lasting battery with a talk time of up to 14 hours and 12 hours of internet use. It runs on the iOS 12 operating system, which Is considered the world’s most secure OS. Buy From Amazon 3. Moto G plus (4th Gen.)

Check Price This smartphone from Motorola has high-quality specifications. It was released on May 2016 and weighs 155g 9.88mm thickness, 64 GB internal memory, 4GB RAM and the most outstanding and powerful camera. It has a 16MP camera equipped with two unique focus technologies; Phase detects and laser focus. The 5MP selfie camera is excellent for group shots. Also, the battery is accompanied by a Turbo Power (TM) charging that offers up to 6 hours of continuous use within 15 minutes. The Moto G plus smartphone is unlocked and compatible with significant network carriers in the US. Dual SIM is available in selected regions in the country. Its 5.5 inch HD touchscreen and Octa-core processor ensures an excellent display for your videos and games. How secure is this smartphone? The presence of the fingerprint reader protects your phone from theft and automatically unlocks when you place your finger. It instantly recognizes your fingerprint regardless of how you hold or flip it. The phone’s Octa-core processor provides more power run all your apps at a time without necessarily slowing down. It has a powerful graphics capability that supports 3D images. It is available in white and black colors. Buy From Amazon 4. Huawei Mate 10 Pro Unlocked Phone

Check Price The Huawei Mate 10 Pro Unlocked Phone is listed among the buy now pay later phones no credit check. From its 6GB RAM, 64 internal memory, AI processor, Dual Leica camera, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro has excellent features that justify its worth. It is available in grey and blue colors. It is fitted with a 6-inch screen with an HDR10 technology to produce bright colors. Also, it gives you high speeds of up to 1GB per second, transforming your browsing and downloading experience. Its 4000 mAh durable battery comes with smart battery management that can learn user behaviors, hence reducing power waste. With the support of the innovative GPU Turbo technology, the speed of processing images is quite high, to deliver a smooth and outstanding visual experience. Its capable Leica Dual camera with real-time scenes and object recognition gives excellent image quality with little effort. Besides, your smartphone will see you throughout the day, thanks to supercharging technology that guarantees a day’s power with only 20 minutes of charge. Huawei, the manufacturer, specialized in perfecting shoot and pint perfection to capture every particular moment. It is available in four unique colors; diamond black, titanium grey, Mocha Brown and Midnight blue. Buy From Amazon 5. LG Electronics G7 ThinQ Factory Unlocked Phone

Check Price Are you in love with LG smartphones? This latest version from LG electronics is one of a kind. It has a 6.1 inch HD display with a notch, super quality, boombox speaker, and dual full rear camera. Other great features are; a Snapdragon 845 processor, 4 GB and 6GB RAM options. With this unlocked phone, modern design combines the latest technology providing freedom and choice. The boombox speaker provides a good sound and a real bass. it has a modern design and long-lasting battery. What is ThinQ? It is LG’s AI platform that directly connects the host of the same products. If you notice the ThinQ branding on LG smartphones, it means you can easily relate to other LG phones like V30S ThinQ and G7 ThinQ. Besides, it is fitted with an AI key that enables you to interact with Google Assistant. This is one of the most distinguishing features of the G7 phone and it makes accessing the assistant easy, especially when you don’t want to say “Hey Google.“ The AI keys work perfectly and quite first. It is a useful security feature because you will be required to unlock your smartphone using the assistant. Buy From Amazon Conclusion Are you finding it hard to purchase a smartphone with bad credit? Don't worry. There are online sites that offer buy now pay later phones no credit check convenient financing options to their clients. Besides, these sites offer the best and top rated smartphones available in the market such as Samsung, iPhone, Huawei, Motorola, and LG. Don't let bad credit prevent you from getting your dream phone check with these buy now pay later online sites for the best opportunities to acquire phones without making any down payment, and pay later in low monthly installments. Read the full article