Technology
AI tool translates what your baby’s cries mean
If you’re a parent, then this quiet adult cry for help into the abyss is all too familiar in those first few months of parenthood.
“I just wish I knew what my baby wanted!”
Though babies tend to cry when they need a diaper change, food, or sleep, it’s not that straightforward. Any parent knows that even when you go through the checklist and address all of these, your baby could very well still be crying.
Now what? Do they want to be held? Do they want a pacifier? Are they in pain or uncomfortable? Is the room too cold? It’s hard to know. And, sometimes, if you’re guessing as to why they are crying, you may accidentally stir them when all they wanted was to fall asleep.
Much of it is a guessing game, no matter how many baby books you read. But, what if you could take the guessing part out? What if you could know what your baby was trying to say? What would it do for your sleep (and your sanity?) in those first few months of welcoming a baby into the world?
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Well, now you can with Capella, which promises to be “Your partner in your parenting journey.” Their new app is hoping to “alleviate the two biggest challenges of new parenthood: lack of sleep and worry over your baby’s [well-being].” Intrigued? Yeah, so are we.
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?
Now, you can analyze your baby’s cries with a new AI tool
Capella is a new AI tool that helps parents better understand their baby’s needs by analyzing their cries and what they mean. With this information, parents can better determine whether or not they should — for instance — go into the room and check in on them, get the bottle heated up or prepared to nurse, or let them try to settle on their own. Having this information can go a long way if you’re in the midst of the newborn phase.
MORE: HOW STRESSED-OUT PARENTS ARE NOW NAVIGATING PARENTHOOD WITH CHATGPT
How does the app work?
If you’re thinking, “Wow, I need this NOW,” we don’t blame you. But, if you’re equally baffled at how it all works, here’s the low-down according to Capella’s site:
Download the app on two smartphones: One phone is placed in the baby’s room and the other stays with you. You connect them both with a tap, and then they act as baby monitors.
Let Capella monitor your baby’s sounds: The app’s advanced AI listens to your baby’s sounds/cries and interprets what they mean.
Get alerts with actionable insights: Lastly — and, the reason you’re all here — is to find out why your baby is crying. If the baby cries, you’ll get an instant notification, and the app will tell you that your baby is hungry, tired, uncomfortable, in pain, etc., all by analyzing those cries. This means Capella takes it one step further than regular ordinary monitors, which only tell you that your baby is crying, but not why.
Of course, the app isn’t able to tell you exactly what to do to make your baby comfortable; this is where human intuition trumps technology. Luckily, Capella also has a community of parents, which can be a great resource to help figure out what to do then after the app tells you why your baby is having a particular cry about something.
MORE: TOP 4 CHILD MONITORING PROGRAMS
But, how does the AI tool actually work?
Good question. After all, an app that can translate a baby’s cries must have some magical superpower, right? Well, not quite. According to an interview with Capella’s CEO, Apolline Deroche, the company partners with hospitals to record the baby’s cries that are used to train the AI. Then, with the support of doctors who have years of experience understanding these cries, they can match the crying sounds to what we, as adults, understand them to mean.
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What else can the app do?
The app also allows you to track your baby’s sleep, feeding and diaper changes, too. Before Capella, parents would have to use a baby monitor and another tracking app to keep tabs on their babies and have a better understanding of their needs overall. Unfortunately, the mental fatigue of having to keep track of more and more apps and devices sometimes defeats the purpose for tired parents.
Mom holding her child (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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What parents need to know about technology
Capella’s CEO says that this technology should work anywhere in the world, as a baby’s cries generally mean the same regardless of the language spoken at home. However, this may not necessarily be the case and is just one of the many concerns regarding this technology. Additionally, it’s not foolproof. There’s still a lot of mystery to babies, and there is still a long way to go with technology, too. Not to mention, usually, after a few months, babies’ needs change, as do their cries. At the same time, parents tend to get a better hang of what their baby wants.
Additionally, an app can only go so far. AI cannot replace a human. It cannot replace what we’ve biologically been able to do with and for our newborns for hundreds of thousands of years. So, it must be used only as a tool and not as a replacement. And, if there are serious concerns about your baby’s crying that you don’t understand, always talk to your pediatrician, as it could be something neither Capella nor a parent can decipher.
All this considered, the idea is that Capella — and other AI apps in the baby industry — can give new parents even a little bit of relief. Whether it’s a hands-free stroller, monitoring your baby’s breathing with a special sock, or understanding what your baby is trying to tell you, it doesn’t hurt to have some help from the village — even if that village is a bunch of robots.
MORE: POLICE URGE PARENTS TO TURN OFF APPLE IPHONE SETTING DANGEROUS TO KIDS
Where can I try the app?
Right now, Capella is available to download at the App Store. The Android app will launch soon, though; you can sign up for the waitlist here.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Capella is just one of the many apps hitting the market that are utilizing AI technology and are being designed to help make life a little easier for their target audience. For parents who are finding out just how to get through that exhausting newborn phase, Capella may be part of the answer. But, only a part. We still have a long way to go before this technology gets anywhere close to how good a parent is at detecting the meaning of a baby’s cries. So, maybe we shouldn’t rely on this too much just yet. We’ll have to see.
What are your thoughts on using an AI tool to interpret your baby’s cries? Do you think it’s a good thing, or are we relying too much on technology to raise our kids? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Technology
Silksong is getting a free expansion next year
It’s still hard to believe that Hollow Knight: Silksong actually came out this year, but now, we all have a new thing to wait for: the game is getting a free expansion in 2026, titled Sea of Sorrow. Team Cherry calls it the game’s “first big expansion.”
“New areas, bosses, tools, and more!” Team Cherry says in a blog post. “Hornet’s adventures continue in our nautically themed expansion, coming free for all players next year. We’ll keep further details a secret for now, but expect additional info shortly before Hollow Knight: Silksong – Sea of Sorrow releases.”
More than 7 million people bought Silksong, according to Team Cherry, and “millions more” played on Xbox Game Pass.
The original Hollow Knight is getting updated, too. Team Cherry is working on a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game that “incorporates all the updates and enhancements that Silksong received on the platform: High frame-rate modes, higher resolutions, and many additional graphical effects.” Players who own the Switch version of the game will get the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition as a free update when it’s available in 2026.
Ahead of that launch, Team Cherry says it will be “updating all versions of the original game for current platforms, adding features and fixing bugs.” Those changes include “full 16:10 and 21:9 aspect ratio support for those of you with Steam Decks or ultrawide monitors,” and PC players can try the new updates in public beta.
Technology
Petco confirms major data breach involving customer data
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Petco revealed a data breach that exposed sensitive customer information. The company disclosed the details in state filings after identifying a configuration in one of its software applications that made certain files accessible online. This issue has now been corrected, but the impact is significant.
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THIRD-PARTY BREACH EXPOSES CHATGPT ACCOUNT DETAILS
Petco disclosed a breach that exposed customer data after a software setting left files accessible online. (Photographer: Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
What Petco says the breach exposed
According to reports filed with the Texas attorney general’s office, the exposed data included names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account details, credit or debit card numbers and dates of birth. Filings in California, Massachusetts and Montana confirm additional affected residents.
In California, companies must report breaches involving at least 500 state residents. Petco did not disclose the exact number, which suggests the real total is higher. For context, Petco said in 2022 that it served more than 24 million customers.
Petco says the company sent notifications to individuals whose information was involved. The sample notice released by the California attorney general explains that a software setting allowed certain files to be accessible online. Petco says it removed those files, corrected the setting and added new security measures.
The company is offering free credit and identity theft monitoring to victims in California, Massachusetts and Montana. It is not clear if similar support is being offered to affected Texas residents.
We reached out to Petco for comment, and a representative provided CyberGuy with the following statement,
“We recently identified a setting in one of our applications which inadvertently made certain Petco files accessible online. Upon identifying the issue, we took immediate steps to correct the error and began an investigation. We notified individuals whose information was involved and continue to monitor for further issues. We take this incident seriously. To help prevent something like this from happening again, we have taken and will continue to take steps to enhance the security of our network.”
What this breach means for you
A breach that exposes government IDs, financial numbers and birth dates creates long-term risks. Criminals use this mix of information to open accounts, take over existing ones or try to pass identity checks. Even if no fraud happens right away, exposed data can sit in criminal markets for years.
Ways to stay safe after a breach like this
You can take several steps today that help lower your risk and protect your identity going forward.
1) Place a credit freeze
A freeze blocks new credit accounts in your name. It also stops criminals from opening loans or credit cards with your stolen information. You can freeze your credit for free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
2) Add two more freezes
Two additional freezes cover accounts that do not run through the major credit bureaus. Freeze ChexSystems to stop criminals from opening checking or savings accounts. Freeze NCTUE to block fake phone, cable or utility accounts.
3) Turn on account alerts
Set up alerts for banking, credit cards and online shopping accounts. Alerts help you spot suspicious activity fast.
4) Use a password manager
Strong passwords protect you from credential stuffing attacks. This happens when criminals take stolen passwords from one breach and try them on other sites. A password manager creates unique passwords for every account and helps you stop those attacks before they start.
Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our #1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.
Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com
5) Monitor your identity
If Petco offered you free identity theft monitoring, enroll as soon as possible. It helps you catch fraud that can happen months or years later.
Identity Theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security Number (SSN), phone number, and email address, and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.
See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com
WHY YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING DATA NEEDS A CLEANUP NOW
State filings show Petco customers had Social Security and financial information exposed in the breach. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
6) Remove exposed personal data
Data broker sites collect and share personal details that fuel scams. Removing your information reduces your exposure and makes you a harder target.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com
WHY SCAMMERS OPEN BANK ACCOUNTS IN YOUR NAME
Petco says it corrected the software issue and notified individuals whose information was compromised. (Photo by Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
7) Watch for phishing and use strong antivirus software
Scammers often follow a breach with emails or texts that look real. Slow down and check every message before you click. A strong antivirus helps block malicious links and alerts you when something looks risky.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
Kurt’s key takeaways
Data breaches happen often, but this one involves information that can cause lasting harm. You can protect yourself with a few quick steps that reduce the chance of fraud and limit how far criminals can get with your data.
How much trust do you place in companies to protect your personal information? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
Kindle app now answers questions about the book you’re reading
Amazon has launched a new AI feature in the Kindle app that gives spoiler-free answers to questions about the book you’re reading and confirmed that authors can’t opt out from the feature.
The company calls Ask this Book an “expert reading assistant” in its announcement and says that it’s capable of answering questions about “plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements,” all while avoiding spoilers by limiting its answers to content from the pages you’ve read so far. It’s essentially an in-book chatbot, accessible from the book menu or by highlighting a passage of text you want to ask about.
Amazon spokesperson Ale Iraheta told Publishers Lunch that the answers are “non-shareable and non-copyable” and only available to readers who’ve purchased or rented books. Iraheta also said that the feature is always on, noting that “there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out.”
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