Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[Keksie]

4 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Yes it worries me too. Even the execs who created it are issuing a warning. There is a line between artistic expression and outright fraud.

It worries me too.  So many ways it can be manipulated for bad purposes.  

[Sea Dog]

Just now, Keksie said:

It worries me too.  So many ways it can be manipulated for bad purposes.  

I think everyone will have to think twice when they look at a photo.

[HBE4]

13 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Yes it worries me too. Even the execs who created it are issuing a warning. There is a line between artistic expression and outright fraud.

 

7 minutes ago, Keksie said:

It worries me too.  So many ways it can be manipulated for bad purposes.  

 

My first thought was cyber bullying. Kids are so tech-savvy at such a young age these days and now we just made it so much easier for them to do so much more. 

 

And of course, fraud. Scammers seem to always be willing to adapt new technology.

 

Hopefully in the future, all software that alters a photo will leave some kind of "signature stamp" (not sure what to call it)  on a photo so that it can be easily identified as an altered picture.

[bobmacliberty]

Definitely scary.  We're going to need some sort of embedded ability to see if a photo has been manipulated.  Experts can do that by examining a photo's data in detail, for example in a court case where a photo may be evidence, but the average person will no longer be able to tell the difference.   Still, this pales in comparison to deepfake video capabilities that have existed for a while.  

 

Sorry...didn't mean for this to turn into fear mongering.  

[Ozark_Kid]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Yes that will be interesting. In the meantime how about a new backyard for us. From this.

 

 

To this.

 

 

 

That is cool.  BTW, I like the lighting in your backyard pic.

[Ozark_Kid]

There can also be good that comes from technology.   I am starting a thing called voice banking.  I will record several phases and the app will learn how to speak using my voice.  Often people with ALS lose their voice.   I have seen others with other health problems lose their voice.  I will be able to produce sentences on a device and then it will work with my voice bank to read the sentences using my voice.   My kids are coming up with phrases to bank like "hey baby boo."   My family wants to hear my voice instead of computer sounding voice. 

Can things like this be used fraudulently, yes.  Can it bring joy, yes.

[h20skibum]

4 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

There can also be good that comes from technology.   I am starting a thing called voice banking.  I will record several phases and the app will learn how to speak using my voice.  Often people with ALS lose their voice.   I have seen others with other health problems lose their voice.  I will be able to produce sentences on a device and then it will work with my voice bank to read the sentences using my voice.   My kids are coming up with phrases to bank like "hey baby boo."   My family wants to hear my voice instead of computer sounding voice. 

Can things like this be used fraudulently, yes.  Can it bring joy, yes.

IOS 17, that is due out later this year, is supposed to have that capability.   By speaking several sentences, to learn your voice, it will then be able to speak using your voice.  Supposedly, anything you type can be spoken in your voice. 

Edited June 3, 2023 by h20skibum

[HBE4]

34 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

Sorry...didn't mean for this to turn into fear mongering.  

 

No worries, you didn't. Just the normal flow of conversation. I think @singinalot said it best, the mixed emotions of being excited, scared, and in awe of this amazing new technology.

 

And as @Ozark_Kid has pointed out, new technology benefits more than it hurts. In general that it,.

[HBE4]

It must be a sign of turning into a grumpy old person when the first thought you have of new technology is negative rather than positive.  Next, I'll be reminiscing how great the manual typewriter and rotary  dial landline phones were😄

[Ozark_Kid]

46 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

IOS 17, that is due out later this year, is supposed to have that capability.   By speaking several sentences, to learn your voice, it will then be able to speak using your voice.  Supposedly, anything you type can be spoken in your voice. 

Thanks for pointing that out.  I will look it up.  I remember about 15 years ago one of Sharon's family lost there voice.  She spoke with something like an iPad but it was a computer sounding voice.  At least she could communicate. 

[bobmacliberty]

52 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

There can also be good that comes from technology.   I am starting a thing called voice banking.  I will record several phases and the app will learn how to speak using my voice.  Often people with ALS lose their voice.   I have seen others with other health problems lose their voice.  I will be able to produce sentences on a device and then it will work with my voice bank to read the sentences using my voice.   My kids are coming up with phrases to bank like "hey baby boo."   My family wants to hear my voice instead of computer sounding voice. 

Can things like this be used fraudulently, yes.  Can it bring joy, yes.

 

That sounds like a fantastic use of technology! I'm convinced that it's just a matter of time before medical science will use our relatively recent understanding of DNA sequencing to lead to individualized cures for things like cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's, etc.

 

[h20skibum]

20 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Thanks for pointing that out.  I will look it up.  I remember about 15 years ago one of Sharon's family lost there voice.  She spoke with something like an iPad but it was a computer sounding voice.  At least she could communicate. 

Here are a couple articles on it.  It might make you become an Apple guy 

 

https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/16/23725237/iphone-personal-voice-speak-training-accessibility
 

https://www.macrumors.com/2023/05/17/ios-17-personal-voice-feature/
 

I think they will have more on the release  at WWDC this week

 

 

[Ozark_Kid]

12 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

That sounds like a fantastic use of technology! I'm convinced that it's just a matter of time before medical science will use our relatively recent understanding of DNA sequencing to lead to individualized cures for things like cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's, etc.

 

I started a second medicine a couple of weeks ago.  A powder that is mixed with water.  It does not taste good.  Next week I am supposed to start taking it twice a day.  I try to have something good tasting to eat after I take it.  Hey I will harvesting my garlic soon.  That should cover the taste!

[Ocean Boy]

18 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

That sounds like a fantastic use of technology! I'm convinced that it's just a matter of time before medical science will use our relatively recent understanding of DNA sequencing to lead to individualized cures for things like cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's, etc.

 

That would be great.

[Momof3gurlz]

It never fails that as soon as I put away all my cold weather clothes and take out all the summer stuff we have a cold spell.  It was 88 degrees yesterday and only 54 degrees today with a stiff breeze and even chillier tomorrow. Not nice Mother Nature. 

[Husky1987]

23 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

That's awesome Larry! Make sure to book Royal's "Escape to Jost Van Dyke" for the excursion in Tortola to visit the famous Soggy Dollar Bar. Yes it will be fun in the Schooner. I'm sure you and Linda know all the same people.

 

Just booked the excursion!  Can't wait to share a Painkiller...or 3!

[Ozark_Kid]

22 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

Here are a couple articles on it.  It might make you become an Apple guy 

 

https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/16/23725237/iphone-personal-voice-speak-training-accessibility
 

https://www.macrumors.com/2023/05/17/ios-17-personal-voice-feature/
 

I think they will have more on the release  at WWDC this week

 

 

Wow, thanks for posting the articles.   This is the first I've heard of Apple doing this.  It looks like it will be available to use on my MacBook Pro.   I might be tempted to get an iPhone the next time I want a new camera.   A camera not only with cell phone capabilities but also Personal Voice!

[BonTexasNY]

47 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

That sounds like a fantastic use of technology! I'm convinced that it's just a matter of time before medical science will use our relatively recent understanding of DNA sequencing to lead to individualized cures for things like cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's, etc.

 

If only..............

[dani negreanu]

So happy.

 

I spoke with my cousin this morning. She lives in Germany, and we're like "big" sister and "little" sister, both being only child to our mothers, who were very close, despite the geographical distance.

 

After fearing Covid for the last 3.5 years, she and her DH had "finally" caught it...

 

And NOW they're ready to travel and cruise again 😁 We've cruised with them twice already, and it will be an opportunity to meet, after the long years of pandemic.

 

I went straight to "work" and found a cruise which will fit, hopefully, both our wishes and schedules.

 

It is with Celebrity Edge and I was wondering if it's the one Deb & Andy will be in ( @Momof3gurlz), but went back a hundred posts and found out that theirs is leaving from Rome.

 

We'll finalize our plans in the next few weeks, but I'm really happy to reunite with my cousin and having a cruise to look forward to (  🤞 @Ourusualbeach).

[George C]

We are home and will post a few more pictures later but wanted to mention one of the plays we saw , Some like it hot, we had bought half priced ticket’s just before it started and we had good luck with them for decades , but I am 6’4” and 270 lbs with bad knees and there was no way I could have sat threw the play in a very tiny seat, we were definitely willing to pay more if anything is available, wife talked to a usher and he told us to wait , he got back and told us to see his manager who then passed us to another extremely nice person and they put us in a private box that could seat 6 people, we need to send a note of thanks to them.

     The other thing while in Buffalo suburb hotel we left our typical 5 dollar tip and the housekeeper wrote us a nice note on how much she appreciated this. No more trips planned until November harmony cruise 😢😢😢

[bobmacliberty]

7 minutes ago, George C said:

The other thing while in Buffalo suburb hotel we left our typical 5 dollar tip and the housekeeper wrote us a nice note on how much she appreciated this. No more trips planned until November harmony cruise 😢😢😢

 

I read this quickly and thought you said "No more tips planned..." 🤣

[Momof3gurlz]

1 hour ago, dani negreanu said:

So happy.

 

I spoke with my cousin this morning. She lives in Germany, and we're like "big" sister and "little" sister, both being only child to our mothers, who were very close, despite the geographical distance.

 

After fearing Covid for the last 3.5 years, she and her DH had "finally" caught it...

 

And NOW they're ready to travel and cruise again 😁 We've cruised with them twice already, and it will be an opportunity to meet, after the long years of pandemic.

 

I went straight to "work" and found a cruise which will fit, hopefully, both our wishes and schedules.

 

It is with Celebrity Edge and I was wondering if it's the one Deb & Andy will be in ( @Momof3gurlz), but went back a hundred posts and found out that theirs is leaving from Rome.

 

We'll finalize our plans in the next few weeks, but I'm really happy to reunite with my cousin and having a cruise to look forward to (  🤞 @Ourusualbeach).

How exciting Dani!  It’s always fun to be planning a trip but this one even more so since it will also be a reunion.  
We’re on Edge 9/30 from Rome to Barcelona. I can’t believe we might’ve come so close to being on the same cruise!  

[dani negreanu]

2 minutes ago, Momof3gurlz said:

I can’t believe we might’ve come so close to being on the same cruise!  

 

I know....😢😢😢

 

It's just that starting Sept. 15th (Jewish New Year) it will be almost a full month of holidays and since our national airline doesn't fly on holidays AND on Saturdays...., it will be impossible to leave (or return) without paying exorbitant prices for air tickets.... Everyone will take advantage of holidays and bridges to fly abroad, while lots of Jewish people coming "to do" the holidays here, schools out, etc.

 

The only window we have is Sept. 2 to 9.....

[DaniDanielle]

Joe and Pats Sicilian pie for those in the know!v

[BonTexasNY]

17 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

Joe and Pats Sicilian pie for those in the know!v

Count me in!  Love that square, thick deliciousness.