Pump it up down: Your iPhone’s speaker goes a lot louder than what’s good for your ears. From Settings, pick Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety > Reduce Loud Audio. This one’s good to adjust for the kids, too.
Deepfake warning: 6 signs the video you’re watching isn’t real
Have you seen the crazy deepfakes of “Barbie” star Margot Robbie? There’s one of her scrubbing a floor that looks so real, it’s shocking.
If that one was new to you, I’m sure you’re familiar with the infamous deepfake Tom Cruise that took the internet by storm. That one was so successful it spawned an entire deepfake company. Or maybe you remember when the Pope was walking around in a hip puffer jacket. Nah, wasn’t him.
From speeches of world leaders to clips of our favorite celebrities, deepfake videos are everywhere you turn. There are tried and true ways to pick them out. I’ll walk you through six tactics to help you become a deepfake super sleuth.
1. Face shape is a dead giveaway.
In a deepfake, measurements and proportions are typically off, even if it’s ever so slightly. The ears are the most challenging part of the face to fake, so start there.
Pro tip: Hit pause on the video and see if the structure of the face feels “off.” Your brain can perceive this pretty well since we look at real faces so often.
2. Go to the source.
Is that social media vid the real thing or a clone with a different message? Find the original footage.
Pro tip: Search related keywords on Google and social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. If you’re struggling with ways to search, you can even take screenshots of critical parts of the video and do a reverse image search.
3. Watch the mannerisms and expressions.
They’re as unique as their fingerprints. President Obama’s signature head lift and slight frown were present whenever he’d say “hi everybody” in his weekly addresses. If the star of your video in question seems like an impersonator, they very well could be.
Pro tip: Watch a few videos of the person in the potential deepfake and compare.
Are you tone-deaf? This test will tell you
Let’s face it: Some people are born with natural musical abilities, and some aren’t. But you probably shouldn’t tell your tone-deaf spouse that the cats yowling on the back fence sound better than their version of the Star-Spangled Banner.
How to keep your AirPods in your ears
Do your earbuds always seem to fall out? I’ve got a great trick to keep them in place.
Never get between a mom and her babies: So sad and so avoidable. A moose killed a 70-year-old man who got too close trying to photograph her calves in Homer, Alaska. If you see a moose with laidback ears, raised hairs on its hump or licking its lips, it’s about to attack. Run for your life and get behind something solid. Better yet, always leave wildlife alone.
How to clean your filthy AirPods
Do you know what you’re actually putting in your ears? Find out the dirty details in this short podcast.