Latest news with #RNIB
The Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Controversial comedian lands part in EastEnders – 37 years after begging bosses for role
A CONTROVERSIAL comedian has landed a part in EastEnders - 37 years after begging bosses for a role. Shazia Mirza - who has appeared on Celebrity SAS and Celebrity MasterChef - is best known for her boundary-pushing stand-up tours. 2 2 In 2015 she was forced to rename her tour because of fears ISIS would attack venues over her fearless mocking of the terror group. But she's also an EastEnders superfan who begged bosses for a role on the show back in the 80s when she was a child. And while she was rejected then, now she's finally achieved her dream. She wrote on Instagram: '37 years ago I wrote to @BBCEastEnders asking for a part and 37 years later I got one. 'EastEnders is working with advice from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) on a storyline where Lauren and Peter's son is diagnosed as severely sight impaired. 'Having struggled to settle baby Jimmy in recent weeks, Lauren becomes concerned by his lack of ability to focus as he struggles to latch during breastfeeding. 'Determined to follow her mother's instinct, Lauren takes Jimmy to the hospital for further tests where the doctors confirm that Jimmy is severely sight impaired. 'The storyline follows Lauren and Peter as they attempt to navigate life with a newborn, the symptoms that Lauren picks up on which leads her to seek a diagnosis, and how the diagnosis will impact Jimmy and their family as a whole. 'It has been an honour to be part of such an important storyline.' She also shared her original rejection letter from 1988. The letter reads: 'Dear Miss Mirza. Thank you very much for your letter. 'We get so many people wanting parts on EastEnders, that it is our policy to have to say no. We are obliged only to use Equity members in the making of EastEnders. 'We are sorry we have not been able to assist you, but hope you will continue to enjoy the programme.'
Web Release
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Web Release
FORMULA E AND GOOGLE CLOUD ANNOUNCE INCLUSIVITY PODCAST FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED MOTORSPORT FANS
Blind and visually impaired Middle Eastern motorsport fans will soon become more immersed in Formula E through an innovative, AI-powered, audio race report being created and rolled out by the electric racing organisation and its Official Cloud Partner, Google Cloud. The news comes after it was announced that the 2025 Jeddah E-Prix double-header became the most-watched Formula E weekend in history, with an unprecedented 65 million global cumulative viewers. Unveiled at the Google Cloud Summit in London by Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds, the project uses Google Cloud's generative AI technology to create rich, descriptive audio summaries of every E-Prix race. The content will be made available globally on Spotify and other popular audio platforms in more than 15 languages, with Arabic being prominently featured alongside English, Spanish, French, German, and Mandarin – ensuring Middle Eastern fans can experience the thrill of Formula E racing in their native language. The reports will provide fans with a dynamic recap that captures the excitement and key moments of the race, available on-demand within minutes after the chequered flag. The initiative was born from a Google Cloud Hackathon held at the 2024 London E-Prix. It is being developed in close partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to ensure the final product meets the needs of visually impaired users. Formula E and Google Cloud will work with the RNIB to conduct focus groups and user testing during the upcoming race weekends in Berlin and London, with a full rollout planned for Season 12. Jeff Dodds, CEO, Formula E, said: 'At Formula E, we believe the thrill of electric racing should be accessible to everyone. This innovative collaboration with Google Cloud is a fantastic example of how technology can be used for good, creating a brand-new way for blind and visually impaired fans to experience the drama and emotion of our sport. By working closely with the RNIB, we are ensuring this innovation is truly inclusive and fit for purpose, so that no fan is left behind.' John Abel, Managing Director, Specialised Software, Google Cloud, said: 'For too long, the visual nature of racing has been a barrier for fans who are blind or visually impaired. Google Cloud's AI technology will act as a digital storyteller, creating a vivid audio narrative that brings the speed, strategy, and excitement of Formula E to life. We are proud to work alongside a partner like Formula E that shares our passion for using innovation to break down barriers and connect people through shared experiences.' Sonali Rai, RNIB's Media Culture and Immersive Technology Lead said: 'Audio description transforms how blind and partially sighted motorsport fans can fully engage in enjoying the full racing spectacle – taking in the visceral sounds of cars on the track while feeling the passion of the crowd. 'RNIB has been working with Formula E and Google Cloud on this AI-powered podcast which promises to give a full picture of the race in an accessible and engaging way for blind and partially sighted racing fans. Formula E's commitment to working directly with the blind and partially sighted community to develop this technology is exactly the right approach and sets a fantastic standard in inclusivity for other sports to follow and stay on track with new advances in innovation.' How The Technology Works: The audio report is created through a multi-stage process powered by Google Cloud's AI platform Vertex AI: Transcription: Google's Chirp model accurately transcribes live race commentary. Analysis and Generation: Google's Gemini models then analyse the transcribed commentary alongside live timing data and other official race information. The audio report identifies key events – such as overtakes, incidents, and strategic pit stops – and generates a fact-based, engaging race summary. Audio Production: Finally, the text is converted into natural, expressive speech using advanced text-to-speech technology, creating a polished audio report ready for distribution.
Al Bawaba
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Al Bawaba
Formula E and Google Cloud Announce Inclusivity Podcast for Visually Impaired Motorsport Fans
Blind and visually impaired Middle Eastern motorsport fans will soon become more immersed in Formula E through an innovative, AI-powered, audio race report being created and rolled out by the electric racing organisation and its Official Cloud Partner, Google Cloud. The news comes after it was announced that the 2025 Jeddah E-Prix double-header became the most-watched Formula E weekend in history, with an unprecedented 65 million global cumulative at the Google Cloud Summit in London by Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds, the project uses Google Cloud's generative AI technology to create rich, descriptive audio summaries of every E-Prix content will be made available globally on Spotify and other popular audio platforms in more than 15 languages, with Arabic being prominently featured alongside English, Spanish, French, German, and Mandarin - ensuring Middle Eastern fans can experience the thrill of Formula E racing in their native reports will provide fans with a dynamic recap that captures the excitement and key moments of the race, available on-demand within minutes after the chequered initiative was born from a Google Cloud Hackathon held at the 2024 London E-Prix. It is being developed in close partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to ensure the final product meets the needs of visually impaired users. Formula E and Google Cloud will work with the RNIB to conduct focus groups and user testing during the upcoming race weekends in Berlin and London, with a full rollout planned for Season Dodds, CEO, Formula E, said: 'At Formula E, we believe the thrill of electric racing should be accessible to everyone. This innovative collaboration with Google Cloud is a fantastic example of how technology can be used for good, creating a brand-new way for blind and visually impaired fans to experience the drama and emotion of our sport. By working closely with the RNIB, we are ensuring this innovation is truly inclusive and fit for purpose, so that no fan is left behind.'John Abel, Managing Director, Specialised Software, Google Cloud, said: "For too long, the visual nature of racing has been a barrier for fans who are blind or visually impaired. Google Cloud's AI technology will act as a digital storyteller, creating a vivid audio narrative that brings the speed, strategy, and excitement of Formula E to life. We are proud to work alongside a partner like Formula E that shares our passion for using innovation to break down barriers and connect people through shared experiences."Sonali Rai, RNIB's Media Culture and Immersive Technology Lead said: 'Audio description transforms how blind and partially sighted motorsport fans can fully engage in enjoying the full racing spectacle - taking in the visceral sounds of cars on the track while feeling the passion of the crowd.'RNIB has been working with Formula E and Google Cloud on this AI-powered podcast which promises to give a full picture of the race in an accessible and engaging way for blind and partially sighted racing fans. Formula E's commitment to working directly with the blind and partially sighted community to develop this technology is exactly the right approach and sets a fantastic standard in inclusivity for other sports to follow and stay on track with new advances in innovation.'How The Technology Works:The audio report is created through a multi-stage process powered by Google Cloud's AI platform Vertex AI:Transcription: Google's Chirp model accurately transcribes live race and Generation: Google's Gemini models then analyse the transcribed commentary alongside live timing data and other official race information. The audio report identifies key events – such as overtakes, incidents, and strategic pit stops – and generates a fact-based, engaging race summary. Audio Production: Finally, the text is converted into natural, expressive speech using advanced text-to-speech technology, creating a polished audio report ready for distribution.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Formula E and Google Cloud bring races to visually impaired fans, here's how it works
Image credit: Formula E Can the visually impaired also enjoy the fun and thrill of a Formula E race? Yes, it's now possible — thanks to a new initiative by Formula E and Google Cloud: an AI-powered audio race report. This initiative promotes inclusivity and makes motorsport more accessible for blind and visually impaired fans. Google Cloud will work with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to conduct focus groups and user testing during upcoming race weekends in Berlin and London, with a full rollout planned for Formula E season 12. All about the Formula E and Google Cloud project for visually impaired fans The project was unveiled by Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds at the Google Cloud Summit in London. It uses Google Cloud's generative AI technology to create rich, descriptive audio summaries of every E-Prix race. These reports will offer fans a dynamic recap that captures the excitement and key moments of each race, available on demand shortly after the chequered flag. The initiative originated from a Google Cloud Hackathon held during the 2024 London E-Prix. It is being developed in close partnership with RNIB to ensure the final product meets the needs of visually impaired users. Sharing his enthusiasm about the collaboration, Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds said, 'At Formula E, we believe the thrill of electric racing should be accessible to everyone. This innovative collaboration with Google Cloud is a fantastic example of how technology can be used for good—creating a brand-new way for blind and visually impaired fans to experience the drama and emotion of our sport. By working closely with the RNIB, we are ensuring this innovation is truly inclusive and fit for purpose, so that no fan is left behind. ' John Abel, Managing Director of Specialised Software at Google Cloud, added, 'For too long, the visual nature of racing has been a barrier for fans who are blind or visually impaired. Google Cloud's AI technology will act as a digital storyteller, creating a vivid audio narrative that brings the speed, strategy, and excitement of Formula E to life. We are proud to work alongside a partner like Formula E that shares our passion for using innovation to break down barriers and connect people through shared experiences. ' Image credit: Formula E Sonali Rai, RNIB's Media, Culture and Immersive Technology Lead, also said, 'Audio description transforms how blind and partially sighted motorsport fans can fully engage in enjoying the full racing spectacle—taking in the visceral sounds of cars on the track while feeling the passion of the crowd.' She continued, 'RNIB has been working with Formula E and Google Cloud on this AI-powered podcast, which promises to give a full picture of the race in an accessible and engaging way for blind and partially sighted fans. Formula E's commitment to working directly with the community to develop this technology is exactly the right approach. It sets a fantastic standard in inclusivity for other sports to follow and stay on track with new advances in innovation. ' How the technology works The audio report is generated through a multi-stage process powered by Google Cloud's AI platform, Vertex AI. Google's Chirp model accurately transcribes live race commentary. Google's Gemini models analyze the transcribed commentary along with live timing data and other official race information. The AI identifies key events such as overtakes, incidents, and strategic pit stops and generates an engaging, fact-based race summary. Also Read: Berlin E-Prix: From Oliver Rowland's World Championship win to Felipe Drugovich's debut, there's a lot to look forward to The text is then converted into natural, expressive speech using advanced text-to-speech technology, resulting in a polished audio report ready for distribution. The entire process is completed within minutes of the race's conclusion. The reports will be available globally on Spotify and other popular audio platforms in more than 15 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, and Arabic. Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
Daily Record
19-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Edinburgh unveils floral clock for 2025 celebrating 200 years of braille
The floral clock, made with over 35,000 plants, took six weeks to complete and blooms until October Edinburgh's Lord Provost Robert Aldridge has officially unveiled this year's floral clock in West Princes Street Gardens. The colourful timepiece is a vibrant tribute marking 200 years of braille and celebrating the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The iconic clock, crafted with over 35,000 flowers and plants, took three gardeners six weeks to complete. Featuring species such as antennaria, crassula, echeveria, sedum, saxifrage, and annuals like pyrethrum, begonias and geraniums, the colourful display will bloom until October. Joined by RNIB representatives and visually impaired community members, Mr Aldridge expressed hope that the design would inspire reflection on the vital role braille plays in the lives of those who use it. The capital's Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: "Seeing the floral clock take shape is a wonderful annual tradition and this year doesn't disappoint, with a beautiful display in honour of a worthwhile cause. "The RNIB provides essential support to blind and visually impaired people, and in 2025 they mark a real milestone with the 200th anniversary of braille. I hope the clock's design will give people pause to reflect on just how important braille is to all those to use it. "Thanks to the hard-working parks team who have spent the past six weeks creating the clock, which will be enjoyed by many thousands of people throughout summer." The RNIB, the UK's leading charity for sight loss, supports blind and partially sighted individuals along with their families and carers. This year, it marks the bicentenary of braille, the tactile six-dot code that revolutionised literacy and communication for people with sight loss. James Adams, director of RNIB Scotland, described it as a great honour for the organisation to be featured. 'It marks the 200th anniversary of the invention of braille which opened up opportunity for blind and partially sighted people to be able to access the written word, and with that came the liberation of being able to also receive information that is taken for granted by wider society,' he said. 'Braille is a system that endures, and continues to transform the lives of blind and partially sighted people, offering them privacy, independence, and opportunity.' "Therefore, we are delighted to have Braille200 so prominently marked in the heart of Edinburgh and give everyone the opportunity to celebrate braille and include accessibility in their lives." The floral clock has a rich heritage, first created in 1903 by Edinburgh Parks superintendent John McHattie, making it the oldest of its kind in the world. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Initially featuring just an hour hand, a minute hand was added in 1904, followed by a cuckoo clock in 1952. It was mechanically operated and wound daily until 1972. Since 1946, the clock's designs have honoured numerous organisations and figures, including the Girl Guides Association, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Queen Elizabeth II for her Golden Jubilee. In its centenary year, 2003, it won a gold medal at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show.
