Today we are highlighting Avatarify, a face animator app backed by artificial intelligence that is able to take an image and a song and make the person (or animal!) in the image sing that song. Then you can share the video with friends. The app is free and available from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Keep in mind that while this is called a “deep fake” video, you aren’t likely to fool anyone with the resulting video.
Using the App
After installing the app on your device, the initial screen makes it appear that a subscription is required to use the app. Note that it is easily dismissed by tapping the x in the corner of the screen.
Pick a song from the Avatarify library.
Next, tap “add photo” to select an image from your gallery.
The first time, you’ll be prompted to enable access to your gallery. This is required unless you want to use a demo image. For the first round, I chose a picture of my kittens. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make the mouth land in the right place, giving the cat a monstrous look in the video. I gave up and tried a demo image of Elon Musk.
If you’re using your own image, it might detect the face(s) automatically. If not, the next screen shows a shadow face over the image (the part I had trouble with in the cat picture). Move it over a face and save. You can select multiple faces in the image to animate.
When I didn’t have to aim the “shadow face” over the image, it was really easy! This is how mine turned out:
The quality of the initial video was higher, but I compressed the file to lighten the file load on this page.
After the video is created, you have the option to save it to your device or share it using any method available on your phone.
Would You Use It?
This was a fun little tool, and the demos on their webpage suggest a variety of use cases: https://avatarify.ai/. Is this a tool you would use to share videos with your friends? Let us know in the comments.
If you struggle with writing content for your blog, social media, website, ads, emails, or other online platforms, Rytr may be able to help. Rytr is an AI that can help you save time, improve SEO rankings, boost ad/call-to-action conversions, and overcome writer’s block. Here are a few of the other use cases they list on their website:
Come up with catchy names for your brand or business
Write a business idea pitch
Prepare interview questions
Create job or product descriptions
Generate post/video ideas
Craft replies to reviews and messages
Write song lyrics
Story plots
Reviews
Headlines/taglines
As a bonus, Rytr checks for plagiarism automatically. Pretty much, if you need to write, Rytr can help.
You will need to create an account to use this service. There is a free version that allows you to generate 5000 characters per month. Depending on how you use the service, that may be enough for you. The paid tiers offer more characters per month, the ability to create custom use cases, and more support.
Getting Started
Upon logging in, you are presented with a writing window. Options on the left allow you to select the language, tone, and use case (purpose of the writing). The center is empty for a new account, but will eventually contain a list of your creations. You can use the menu on the upper left to mark favorites, create a new folder, or create a new document. For this example, I have chosen to write an informative email in English.
After choosing your option, enter the key points of your email. This is what I entered:
We have a new service.
Read the Times Union online
https://bit.ly/EGTimesUnion
Must be a resident cardholder.
I left the settings at 2 variants (creates two options) and optimal creativity level.
This was the result:
It came up with two decent options, aside from the fact that it picked up a link for a coupon that has nothing to do with this and put it in the first option. The second variant was definitely more like the tone we use in our library emails. All of the text in this window, including the suggested subject, are editable and can be formatted.
Fine Tuning the Result
When I click on a phrase, additional editing options pop up. Select a large chunk of text and click “more” to access the plagiarism checker.
After some manual edits, I dropped in an image. If you do this, be sure to use an image of high quality, because it will be stretched to fit the page width. I couldn’t find a way to format it to stay in its original size or form a column in the email. Images may be more easily handled by adding them later in your email editor. Here is the finished product:
By default, all creations are saved and listed on your account home page. To reveal additional options for the project, click the three-dot menu icon in the upper right of the page.
Returning to the account home page, we see my document and a folder created for it. To move a file into a folder, click the three-dot menu for the document and select move. Select the folder from the popup and click “move here.”
If you decide you want to go back to the original variants that were created, click on history in the upper left of the screen and select an item.
The original information is all there, along with the number of credits used and the date and time of creation. If you’re really pleased with the outcome, click the orange button to “Ryte more like this.” If you are unhappy with the outcome, click “report poor output quality.”
If you need help, click the question mark icon in the upper right of the screen. Links to tutorials, resources, community, chat, and email are available.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes writing even the simplest copy can take more time than you have. Rytr can help ease the burden and free up your time for other things.
Do you use Zoom or other virtual conferencing software for professional meetings? Now there is a free app that allows you to easily add a virtual business card that appears during your meeting.
Warmly allows you to create a custom virtual business card and background for use during virtual meetings. With just a few clicks, you can add your contact information and a virtual background that will be displayed during your virtual meetings.
In addition, if you often meet with other members of your work team, you can create a uniform design that allows others to easily see that you work together as well as the role each person plays within your team. Using Warmly, you can add your company’s logo and create matching virtual backgrounds that help your team appear as a cohesive unit.
Have you ever needed to scan and email a document but didn’t have access to a scanner? You’re in luck! You can scan (and electronically sign!) documents using the built in Notes app on your iPhone or iPad.
Scanning Documents
To begin, open up the Notes app on your iOS device. From there, choose an existing note or create a new one by tapping the new icon.
Next, tap the camera icon on the top navigation bar.
Choose Scan Documents from the menu.
The camera will open and you will see the option for Auto or Manual. Auto attempts to find blocks of text to scan, and manual will let you choose the area manually. Once you have your document in the frame, you can tap the white button or the volume down button on the side of your device to take a picture.
After the document image has been captured, you can select the area you would like in your PDF by tapping and dragging the white circles on the corners of the scan. When you have selected the area you would like in your document, you can tap Keep Scan. If you are unhappy with the capture, tap on Retake.
If you only have a one-page document, tap save. If you have a multipage document, continue to capture images, and when you are finished, tap on Save. You will see the images you have already scanned in the bottom center of the screen.
Once you tap save, you will see your saved document in the note. To share the document to email, text, files, or other platforms, open the document by tapping on the picture of it. The default name will be Scanned Documents, unless the scan detects clearly written text in the header of the document. The document will be in PDF format, which is easily accessible to different operating systems.
Once you have tapped on the document to open it, tap on the share icon and choose how you would like to share it. If you would like to rename the document prior to sharing it, tap on its name in yellow in the top center and enter the new name.
Signing Documents
Once a document has been scanned, you can also add an electronic signature, either typed with text or signed with your finger or stylus on the screen. As mentioned in the previous step, tap on the picture of the document to open it, and then tap the share icon. From the share menu, tap on Markup. A toolbar will pop up near the bottom of the screen. To add a signature, tap on the plus icon, and then tap on Signature.
Once you tap on signature, a box will pop up where you can sign your name with your finger or a stylus. You also have the option to add a text field, which may come in handy if the document has a field that requires a printed name.
Once you’ve signed your name, tap on done. If you make a mistake and need to start over, tap on clear. After you’ve tapped done, you can resize the signature by tapping on the blue circles in the corners of the signature box and dragging them to your desired size. You can move the box to your desired location in the document. If you want to delete the signature field, simply tap on your signature and then choose delete. Once you have created a signature, your device will save it for easy access in the future. If you would like to delete saved signatures, tap the plus sign, then signature, and then add or remove the signature. You’ll see a list of saved signatures and you can tap the red symbol next to the saved signature to delete it. You can also add another signature by tapping the plus symbol on the top left.
Once you have added your changes, you can share the document using the method discussed earlier. If you would like to remove signatures after exiting the app, open the scanned document in your note and choose markup. You can remove any previous additions by tapping on them and choosing delete. In addition to text fields and signatures, you can also add a description. Image descriptions can be read by screen readers and are useful for anyone who has difficulty seeing images online. You can also use the magnifier to enlarge portions of the document. Another markup option is adding shapes that include a square, a circle, a dialog symbol, and an arrow. You also have the standard markup tools available as well: the marker, highlighter, colored pencil, eraser, lasso tool, and ruler.
Conclusion
Scanning and signing an electronic document can be done will your iPhone or iPad. You can create multipage PDF files, add electronic signatures, and easily share your documents via email, text, or other methods by using a built-in feature of the Notes app. Have you tried scanning documents with your iPhone or iPad? Let us know in the comments.
NextReads is a service provided by the East Greenbush Community Library to its members. Through NextReads, you can sign up for email newsletters that contain reading suggestions based on your interests. Frequency differs based on topic. Use these newsletters to help you find your next great read!
Newsletters are offered in various fiction genres, nonfiction subjects, and other specialty categories. To learn more about the newsletters we offer, head to the sign-up page and select the information icon next to a title to read a description of the newsletter (including frequency), or click a newsletter title to read the latest issue:
Screen shot of the NextReads Fiction section
Residency is not required to sign up for newsletters, and the email you use to sign up will not be used for any other purpose. Simply check the box next to any newsletters you are interested in and scroll to the bottom to enter your information, prove you’re not a robot, and subscribe. If a newsletter doesn’t turn out to be your cup of tea, you can always unsubscribe by scrolling to the bottom of an issue that has been emailed to you and clicking the unsubscribe link.
The new newsletters
This February, two new newsletters became available for subscription:
Page to Screen: Is the book better? Decide for yourself with this list of books that inspired recent or upcoming movies and TV shows. Bi-monthly.
Must-Read Books: A monthly list featuring the top ten books loved by librarians across the U.S.
How can I get these newsletters?
To sign up for either of these lists, or to check out other member favorites like Biography and Memoir or Fiction A-Z, head to the NextReads sign-up page and subscribe to as many as you’d like for free! Are you already a subscriber? Let us know your favorite newsletters in the comments. Looking for more personalized recommendations? Fill out this form to have a librarian select items for you based on features of books you’ve already enjoyed. Don’t want to wait for a newsletter? East Greenbush and Schodack residents have access to NoveList, an online recommendation engine for books and audiobooks. Happy reading!
