All posts tagged: voice

Susan Boyle reveals her singing voice is still recovering from stroke after four years: ‘I am getting there’

Susan Boyle reveals her singing voice is still recovering from stroke after four years: ‘I am getting there’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Susan Boyle has revealed that she underwent “a lot” of speech therapy after suffering a stroke four years ago – but her singing voice still hasn’t fully recovered. The Britain’s Got Talent star made TV history in 2009 when she auditioned for the ITV show, taking the judges and viewers by surprise with her stunning rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from 1980 musical Les Misérables. The Scottish singer went on to sell over 10 million copies of her debut album and perform at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant before suffering a minor stroke in 2023. While Boyle, 65, returned to the BGT to perform just months after the stroke, she has now admitted that her singing voice is yet to return to normal. Susan Boyle in her first audition for Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 (ITV) “I never thought I would be …

The Late Stan Lee’s Voice and Likeness Being Resurrected by AI

The Late Stan Lee’s Voice and Likeness Being Resurrected by AI

Published by Jenni Sidey

Trailers and AI and movie announcements, oh my! Let’s take a look at some of the big comics-related headlines from the past couple of weeks. News From DC and Marvel A new Lanterns trailer and the official Supergirl trailer dropped recently. On the Marvel side of things, you can watch the final Spider-Noir trailer and the trailer for Season 2 of X-Men ’97. Disney is shuffling around its executives and putting different people in charge of Marvel, while eliminating the title of “publisher” altogether. Joe and Anthony Russo have announced that Avengers: Secret Wars, currently slated for release in late 2027, will probably be their last Avengers movie, though not necessarily their last Marvel movie. As part of a history-making cover story for Variety, Emma Corrin discussed, among other things, playing Cassandra Nova in Deadpool & Wolverine. Stan Lee: The Final Years, a documentary about Lee’s controversial last years, will debut at the Dances With Film festival later this month before eventually getting a wider release. Tom Holland spoke with Empire about playing Spider-Man and …

The Voice of Drums – OpentheWord.org

The Voice of Drums – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

By Terl Bryant Victory Sound James Blades (1901–1999), the popular British percussionist and professor of percussion at London’s Royal Academy of Music, was responsible for the sound of the gong at the beginning of the J. Arthur Rank movies. He also created the “V-for-Victory” Morse code signal that was broadcast by the BBC during World War II 150 times a day. The recording echoed the ‘da-da-da-dum’ phrase that begins Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. He was quoted as saying “That was the greatest noise I ever made.” I’ve heard comments like this many times: “The drums are just there to hold down a solid rhythm to support the music.” “I’ve never really thought that drums did more than keep the beat.” “Drumming is a primitive art form.” These comments are short-sighted: the drummer can bring much more – and not only things that we can see or hear.  I believe you can ‘speak’ with your drums. You can express yourself in clear and tangible ways through the sounds you make with your instruments. You are a creative …

Barry Manilow is fearful his voice won’t return post-cancer: ‘It doesn’t seem to be there’

Barry Manilow is fearful his voice won’t return post-cancer: ‘It doesn’t seem to be there’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Barry Manilow is unsure whether his singing voice will ever be the same after undergoing surgery in December to remove a cancerous tumor from his lung. The “Copacabana” singer, 82, was forced to postpone several shows and his Las Vegas residency earlier this year to recover from the operation. He is set to kick off a summer tour later this month; however, in a new interview with Good Morning America, he revealed, “My voice, I don’t know whether it’s coming back. “I did my first sound check about a month ago, and I didn’t sound like me at all,” Manilow said. “I just couldn’t believe that it’s over.” He added that the discovery is “really upsetting because I don’t want to stop.” Barry Manilow underwent surgery in December to remove a cancerous tumor from his lung (PA) “I looked at my band, and …

Setting Up AI Voice Agents for Business and Personal Use in 2026

Setting Up AI Voice Agents for Business and Personal Use in 2026

Published by skeptic

Integrating a phone number with Hermes Agent, powered by Vapi, allows for AI-driven automation of phone-based tasks. By using features like real-time transcription, voice synthesis, and external integrations, the system can handle scenarios such as confirming appointments, managing inquiries, or conducting lead follow-ups. According to David Ondrej, users can configure Hermes Agent to autonomously make outbound calls, offering a structured approach to managing communication workflows. Learn how to set up Hermes Agent on different platforms, such as local environments or VPS hosting and configure API access for operational readiness. Explore how Vapi supports call management through detailed logs and customizable voice interactions. Gain insight into advanced customization options, including adapting voice models and designing agents for specific use cases. How to Set Up Hermes Agent TL;DR Key Takeaways : Hermes Agent, powered by Vapi, automates phone-based tasks such as outbound calls, inbound inquiries, appointment scheduling and lead generation using AI-driven features like real-time transcription and voice synthesis. The system offers a flexible setup process, accommodating users with varying technical expertise and can be deployed locally …

‘I was told to put on a radio voice’

‘I was told to put on a radio voice’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Add Soccer Aid to your watchlist What’s the view from your sofa? Most of the furniture in my house is pointed towards a television and I’ve got a telly in every room – in the living room, kitchen, in my bedroom and even in the spare room. But I’ve got books on shelves as well – and candles. What do you watch on your many tellies? I do love a good documentary, but then I easily fall back into comfort TV – Friends, Modern Family, The Office or The Royle Family, which I absolutely love. There’s nothing I like more than getting in from work, not having any plans and just having me tea, followed by a couple of squares of chocolate and an Aero yogurt, getting my comfies on and watching telly. How does presenting the Capital breakfast show affect your TV viewing? I get up at 4.20am every day – no earlier, no later – and I get ready for bed around 8.30pm to be in bed for nine, so I usually start …

What Was Socrates’s Daemon? The Truth Behind the Voice Guiding the Philosopher

What Was Socrates’s Daemon? The Truth Behind the Voice Guiding the Philosopher

Published by Sam Flores

Published: May 22, 2026written by Daniel Rekshan, MA Psychology, BA Classics Summary Socrates’s daemon was an inner voice that guided him away from wrongdoing and was rooted in prophecy, not a demon Daemonic signs reflected divine influence and served as warnings linking human decisions to higher wisdom The Apology shows that Socrates relied on his daemon as he faced charges of impiety and corruption. The word “demon” is a misconception, as Socrates’s inner voice was not a malevolent spirit Prophetic insight from Socrates’s daemon shaped his philosophy and life, connecting him to the guidance of the gods Show more   Socrates, the legendary Greek philosopher, faced death in Athens for impiety and corrupting the youth. Yet he defended himself with a remarkable claim: an inner voice, his so-called “daemon,” guided him away from wrongdoing.   Unlike the demons of later mythology, Socrates’s daemon wasn’t a malevolent spirit. Rather, it was a daemonic sign, a mysterious inner warning. But what exactly was this enigmatic voice, and why did it matter so much to his life and …

iOS 27’s New AI Voice Control Feature Hints at Major Siri Upgrade Coming Soon

iOS 27’s New AI Voice Control Feature Hints at Major Siri Upgrade Coming Soon

Published by skeptic

Every May, Apple previews new accessibility features coming to devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The announcement typically occurs a few days before Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and it offers a glimpse into what will be included in the next major releases of Apple’s software platforms, such as iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. This year, one of the new capabilities shown off by Apple is natural language support for the Voice Control feature on the iPhone and iPad. Voice Control is receiving an Apple Intelligence upgrade that will make the feature “more intuitive than ever,” according to Apple. Specifically, iPhone and iPad users will be able to describe on-screen buttons and controls with natural language, instead of having to remember exact labels, numbers, or descriptions like before. For example, users will be able to say things like “tap the guide about best restaurants” in Apple Maps or “tap the purple folder” in the Files app. Voice Control powered by Apple Intelligence will initially be available in English in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia, …

Discord Voice and Video Calls Now End-to-End Encrypted by Default

Discord Voice and Video Calls Now End-to-End Encrypted by Default

Published by skeptic

Discord says it has switched on end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default for every voice and video call across its platforms, including desktop, mobile, web, and consoles like PlayStation and Xbox. The rollout covers DMs, group DMs, voice channels, and Go Live streams. There’s no opt-in required, or any setting to change. Stage channels are the only exception, given that they’re built for broadcasting to larger audiences rather than personal chats. The protection runs on DAVE, an open-source protocol Discord first introduced in September 2024. In a blog post, Discord’s Mark Smith said building it was slow and complicated, partly because a single Discord call can mix people on phones, laptops, browsers, and game consoles in the same conversation. Announcing the change, Smith said: “Building an E2EE protocol that works seamlessly across all of those surfaces simultaneously is, to my knowledge, unlike anything else that’s been shipped. DAVE is likely one of the internet’s most platform-diverse E2EE voice and video implementations.” Discord says it’s now stripping out the remaining client code that allowed unencrypted fallback, so …

‘Clone Wars’, ‘Powerpuff Girls’ Voice Actor Was 64

‘Clone Wars’, ‘Powerpuff Girls’ Voice Actor Was 64

Published by Daniella Wilson

Tom Kane, the prolific voice actor whose body of work included popular turns as Yoda on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and as Prof. Utonium on The Powerpuff Girls, died Monday. He was 64. Kane’s death from stroke complications at a hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, was announced by his talent agency, Galactic Productions. “From his unforgettable performances in Star Wars to countless animated series, documentaries and games, Tom brought wisdom, strength, humor and heart to every role he touched,” it said in a statement. “His voice became part of our lives, our memories and the stories we carry with us.” Kane suffered a stroke in 2020 that left him unable to speak or write. He retired in 2021 but did manage to attend the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention in Kentucky in March, reuniting with the Powerpuff Girls cast in his first public appearance in years. Kane provided the mellifluous voice for the long-suffering valet Woodhouse on the FX animated series Archer, taking the role over from the late George Coe in 2014; played …