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?
CLICK TO GET KURT’S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK VIDEO TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TO’S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER
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.
GET MORE OF MY SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK TIPS & EASY VIDEO TUTORIALS WITH THE FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER – CLICK HERE
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)
MORE: PARENTS ARE INUNDATED WITH OVERWHELMING SCHOOL APPS
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.
For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.
Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:
Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.
In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.
Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.
You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.
Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
If you bought a newer iPhone because Apple made Siri sound like it was about to become your personal artificial intelligence sidekick, you may want to pay attention.
Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over claims that it misled customers about new Apple Intelligence and Siri features. The case centers on the iPhone 16 launch and certain iPhone 15 models that were marketed as ready for Apple’s next wave of AI. The settlement still needs court approval, and Apple denies wrongdoing.
The lawsuit argues that Apple promoted a smarter, more personal Siri before those features were actually available. For some buyers, that was a big deal. A new iPhone can cost hundreds of dollars, and many people upgrade only when they think they are getting something meaningfully new.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
WHY IPHONE USERS ARE THE NEW PRIME SCAM TARGETS
U.S. buyers of certain iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro models may qualify for payments if a judge approves Apple’s proposed settlement. (Getty Images)
What Apple is accused of promising
Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in June 2024 and promoted it as a major step forward for iPhone, iPad and Mac. A key part of that pitch was a more personalized Siri that could understand context, work across apps and help with everyday tasks in a more useful way.
The lawsuit claims Apple’s marketing made consumers believe those advanced Siri features would arrive with the iPhone 16 or soon after. Instead, buyers received phones that had some Apple Intelligence tools, but not the full Siri overhaul that many expected.
That gap is the heart of the case. Plaintiffs say customers bought or upgraded devices based on AI features that were not ready. Apple says it has rolled out many Apple Intelligence features and settled the case, so it can stay focused on its products.
How much money could iPhone owners get?
The proposed settlement creates a $250 million fund. Eligible customers who file approved claims are expected to receive at least $25 per eligible device. That amount could rise to as much as $95 per device, depending on how many people file claims and other settlement factors.
That means this will not be a huge payday for most people. Still, if you bought one of the covered phones, it may be worth watching for a claim notice. A few minutes of paperwork could put some money back in your pocket.
Which iPhones may qualify?
The proposed settlement covers U.S. buyers who purchased any iPhone 16 model, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025.
Covered iPhone 16 models include the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16e. The settlement also includes the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but not every iPhone 15 model.
The key details are the device model, the purchase date and whether the phone was bought in the United States.
HOW YOU CAN GET A SLICE OF APPLE’S $250M IPHONE SETTLEMENT
Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle claims it misled customers about Apple Intelligence and Siri features on newer iPhones. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)
How will you file a claim?
You do not need to do anything immediately. The settlement still needs a judge’s approval. Once the claims process opens, eligible customers are expected to receive a notice by email or mail with instructions on how to file through a settlement website.
That notice matters because scammers love moments like this. A real settlement notice should not ask for your Apple ID password, bank login or payment to claim your money. If you receive a message about this settlement, do not click blindly. Go slowly, check the sender and look for the official settlement administrator details once they are available.
Why this case matters beyond one Siri feature
This case hits a bigger nerve. Tech companies are racing to sell AI as the next must-have feature. That creates a problem for shoppers. You are often asked to buy now based on what a company says will arrive later.
That can be frustrating when the feature is the reason you upgraded. A smarter Siri sounds useful. A phone that can understand your personal context, search across apps and help with daily tasks could save time. But if those tools are delayed, limited or missing, the value of the upgrade changes.
This settlement also sends a message about AI marketing. Companies can talk about future features, but consumers need clear timing and plain explanations. “Coming soon” can mean very different things when you are spending $800, $1,000 or more.
We reached out to Apple for comment, but did not hear back before our deadline.
FIRST 15 THINGS TO DO OR TRY FIRST WHEN YOU GET A NEW IPHONE
Apple denies wrongdoing but agreed to settle claims tied to its marketing of Apple Intelligence and Siri features. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)
What this means to you
If you bought a covered iPhone during the settlement period, keep an eye on your email and regular mail. You may qualify for a payment if the court approves the deal.
You should also keep your receipt or proof of purchase if you have it. Your Apple purchase history, carrier account or retailer receipt may help if the claim process asks for details.
More broadly, this is a reminder to treat AI features like any other big tech promise. Before you upgrade, ask one simple question: Can the feature do what is being advertised today, or is the company asking me to wait?
That question can save you from buying a device for a future feature that may arrive much later than expected.
Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?
Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my quiz here: CyberGuy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Apple has built its brand on making technology feel polished, personal and easy to use. That is why this Siri settlement hits a nerve. People were buying phones they use every day for texts, photos, directions, reminders and everything in between. Many expected AI to make those everyday tasks easier, which is why the delay felt frustrating. The proposed payout may be modest, but the bigger issue is trust. When a company sells AI as a reason to upgrade, customers deserve to know what actually works now and what is still coming later.
Would you still buy a new phone for promised AI features, or would you wait until they actually show up? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Instagram is once again cribbing from competitors like Snapchat and BeReal with a new photo-sharing format it calls “Instants,” which are ephemeral photos that you can’t edit and that you can only share with your close friends or followers that follow you back. Instants are available globally beginning on Wednesday as a feature in the inbox in the Instagram app and as a separate app that’s now in testing in select countries.
To access Instants from the Instagram app, go to your DM inbox and look in the bottom-right corner for an icon or a stack of photos. After you post a photo, your friends can emoji react to it and send a reply to your DMs, but after they see it, the photo disappears for them. Instants also disappear after 24 hours, and they can’t be captured in screenshots or screen recordings.
However, your Instants will remain in an archive for you for up to a year, and you can reshare them as a recap to your Instagram Stories if you’d like. You can also undo sending an Instant right after you post it or delete it from your archive.
The Instants mobile app, which popped up in Italy and Spain in April, gives you “immediate access to the camera” and only requires an Instagram account, Instagram says. “Instants you share on the separate app will show up for friends on Instagram and vice versa. We’re trying this separate app out to see how our community uses it, and we’ll continue to evolve it as we learn more.”
Instagram, in its testing, has seen that people “tend to use Instants to share much more casual, much more authentic moments about their day,” according to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. “And we know that this type of sharing of personal moments with friends is a core part of what makes Instagram Instagram, but we also know that a lot of people don’t really share a lot to their profile grids anymore.”
-
Arizona4 minutes agoArizona’s mountain rollercoasters are open for season. How to ride
-
Arkansas10 minutes agoArkansas Storm Team Forecast: Rain chances return; low to start but higher next week
-
California16 minutes agoOpinion | California will make less money from greenhouse gas emission auctions
-
Colorado22 minutes agoLive: Day 1 of Colorado high school state track and field meet
-
Connecticut28 minutes agoBUILDing Connecticut’s Capital City: Unique UConn Course Celebrates Five Years of Partnership, Collaboration, and Hartford Stories – UConn Today
-
Delaware34 minutes agoHistory of Delaware outdoor track and field state championships
-
Florida40 minutes agoLake O had 81 algal blooms in 2 years near Florida slaughterhouse site
-
Georgia46 minutes agoGeorgia Power proposal comes as summer cooling costs are expected to rise