A lightly annotated clipping service (some of these go back quite a bit further back than last week):
Neural NeTTS: I’ve long wondered why the CGI in movies keeps getting better, allowing for more realistic human (and humanoid) characters, but they still use human voice actors. This piece at [deepmind.com](https://deepmind.com/blog/wavenet-generative-model-raw-audio/) on WaveNet (“a deep generative model of raw audio waveforms”) shows how neural-networks are rapidly improving test-to-speech (TTS) technology. *(Found via Kyle McDonald & George Kelly.)*
Ears Only: Sony is introducing something called the Xperia, which looks like one of those Bluetooth in-ear devices that don’t work like you want them to, but does far much more: [androidpolice.com](http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/09/01/sonys-xperia-ear-coming-select-markets-november/).
Who Says I Don’t Read the Sports Pages?: In a key example of unintended consequences, the addition (via [nytimes.com](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/03/sports/tennis/us-open-roof-noise.html)) of a roof to Arthur Ashe Stadium has “created an echo chamber and a much louder experience for everyone.”
Mic Off: [Bloomberg.com](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-25/the-sad-state-of-microphones-is-holding-back-siri-and-alexa) has an interesting piece on the slow pace of microphone innovation. *(The link was broken in the This Week in Sound email newsletter. Sorry.)*
Mic On: But … the future of hearing aids (and microphones) may benefit from insect studies: [singularityhub.com](http://singularityhub.com/2016/09/03/insects-are-helping-us-develop-the-future-of-hearing-aids/).
Quiet Fireworks: They exist (via [nytimes.com](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/01/science/july-4-fireworks-quiet.html)). This is a good thing. “Today, quiet fireworks are part of everybody’s inventory,”says one professional.
Sonic Demilitarization: The Pentagon is downsizing its bands. The U.S. military “fields more than 130 military bands worldwide, made up of about 6,500 musicians” at an estimated annual cost of $437 million: [nytimes.com](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/02/us/military-bands-budget.html).
Train, Train: A “fleet of the future” here in San Francisco may make commuting less of a threat to hearing: [wired.com](https://www.wired.com/2016/09/three-year-fight-make-san-franciscos-subway-stop-screaming/).
Sound Social Science: Apparently playing upbeat music in the office “fosters cooperation” — though maybe not in an office where people write about maudlin ambient music: [washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/08/26/why-scientists-think-your-boss-should-play-music-while-you-work/).
Apple Did Something: In case you’ve been living under a rock-shaped outdoor speaker, you know that Apple has removed the headphone jack from its latest iPhone. Jonathan Sterne, author of MP3: The Meaning of a Format, talks about planned obsolescence: [theglobeandmail.com](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/a-tempest-in-a-headphone-jack/article31767127/).
*This first appeared, in slightly different form, in the September 9, 2016, edition of the free Disquiet “This Week in Sound”email newsletter: [tinyletter.com/disquiet](http://tinyletter.com/disquiet).*