UNIMPRESSED WITH IMAGE PLAYGROUND

I got access to Apple’s Image Playground today, and so far I’m not impressed. At this point it’s very much Not Good.

I played with it for a few minutes first trying to generate some cute pictures via various prompts, and then trying to generate an avatar using a couple of selfies.

The pictures were ugly. Like offputtingly so. When I ask for cute chubby dinosaurs I actually want CUTE and not monstrosities with too many nostrils or so disturbingly thin as to border on the skeletal.

The avatars were no better. In the animation style they came out super bland, and too smooth. I’m not 17, I’m old, and I don’t want a representation to obscure that fact. I kept asking for age or more wrinkles in a futile attempt to force an older picture but gave up after a while. I find the illustration style too fucking ugly to even bother with, so I didn’t.

Right now, if forced to use either an Image Playground or a Memoji as an avatar, I’ll choose a memoji every time. They look better, are more expressive and actually look a bit like me.

Happily I don’t live in imaginary forced Apple avatar land and can continue being an annoyed little beholder eyebeastie instead.

TESTING SPEECHIFY

Decided to test Speechify, a TTS app which offers premium and AI enhanced voices. Turns out I got a referral code which (as of the time of writing) gives a $60 discount to whoever uses it, and nets me free month(s). So, if anyone wants to use Speechify and doesn’t want to pay full price here’s the promo code link. Benefits me, benefits you.