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I have to give @Tamasg for making the initial version of the FlexVoice 3 NVDA addon! I like it, and there is another version of that synth you can try and make an addon for, it is version 2. I believe according to a sample I heard, that I kind of like the intonation of version 2 more than version 3, and it contains other .trv files for the voices. Now you kind of know why I've been waiting for this TTS to speak my own text for so long (it has been about a year since Rommix found it), it is one of the most unique speech synths, and that's what I'm looking for! Anyway, here's the .zip of FlexVoice 2 for anyone who is interested:
LOL I've been working on that one since last night too when I found it was recently uploaded there. The API changes from 3.0 to 2.0 look very minimal though so it may be possible to make one driver and wrapper that has both of them in it I think.
I guess the problem with that zip is that it's not a full SDK like with FlexVoice 3.0. That one was so easy because all the header files and calling conventions were there for me to ingest and quickly understand the order of arguments functions take. For 2.0, it's mostly a guessing game, so I don't suspect a driver for it would be ready for awhile unless some type of headers or deeper docs emerge around the API it used.
I will be patiently waiting for the FlexVoice 2 addon. FlexVoice is one of my dream retro synths I have been waiting for since circa 2019. It is using a hybrid synthesis method, combining diphone concatenation with parametric LPC. That's why it sounds like that. The voice I am using in the current addon is Kim, since I am biased towards female voices. I will be getting later addon builds when you let me (and others) know through this Mastodon account. Again, thank you so much for making one of my retro TTS dreams come true!
Today's #FreeSoftwareAdvent is paperless-ngx, a key part of keeping us, well, paperless.
It is a document management tool, but I use it in a very basic way: it is hooked up to our scanner, and anything we scan gets automatically converted to PDF and OCRd. We then shred the paper. I try to scan, and shred, everything on the day that it arrives.
It is particularly useful around tax return time, as it means I can easily get the information I need from stuff which people have posted to us.
Well well. It's very unlikely Monolog95 or Monolog97 will ever get a driver or wrapper. Thing is, voice font data and other speech DLLs were scattered across the system, including in \windows\speech, making integrating a simple portable wrapper solution quite impossible as it looks for them in these hardcoded areas, including registry keys. Both do this, after extensive debugging, Monolog95 is somewhat better but still Voicefont data stays in program files. In short, not an easy one, unlike Flexvoice where I could package it up nicely into one synth for everyone to quickly have. Sigh. It doesn't matter anyway. The voice I'd want was only ever part of Monolog16, not Monolog 32-bit variants. With Monolog 95 and 97, you already get a different voice. So I wouldn't be working on one I'd actually want or use, either.
on the bright side, I'm less sad about my Braille display! Used some sandpaper to smoothen out the scratch (they were just 2 little dots where it got slightly nicked), and now, the scratch is virtually undetectable. So yes. Sandpaper does work on plastic to at least smoothen down scratches and get them to be good again. I was surprised to find this out.
In the very beginning, over a decade ago, it was partially driven by the motivation to get the one time Play Store fee back. Since then Conversations has become my main job and selling it on Play is (part) of how I make a living.
understandable and I'm happy to purchase it immediately to contribute if I know I'm not overriding the F-droid version config.
Just want to know out of curiosity why there are two versions one free one paid, in other words: IS THERE other reason than financing why in F-droid is free and in G-Pay is paid?
The F-Droid version has some features that Play store policy prevents us from putting in (address book integration, channel search). The Play version has features that F-Droid policy prevents us from putting in (FCM push notifications).
That’s orthogonal to it being paid or not though.
If it were up to me i'd probably make the F-Droid version paid as well but F-Droid doesn’t have a billing system.
Wrt my last boost, it is saying something when the NFB and the ACB agree on something and are on the same side!
But, seriously, hopefully there is less feuding between the two blindness organizations than there had been in the past. Hardly anyone alive would have been around for the original split that created the ACB, and some of the reasons for it are not relevant anymore. I would like it if we don't have hostility between the organizations and if they can work together where they agree.
For my part, I can say that my issues with the #NFB don’t have anything to do with what happened back in the late 50s. Rather, it’s something more recent. I don’t necessarily have animosity toward the organization in general, I was actually a member for a time about seven years ago, it has to do with the organization’s response, or lack thereof, dealing with the sexual misconduct allegations in the training centers.
ACB is speaking out in response to recent federal action that limits how the Randolph-Sheppard Act’s blind vendor priority is applied to Army dining facility contracts. This change threatens economic opportunity and independence for people who are blind or have low vision.
Something that is missing, @MonaApp for Blue Sky/the atproto protocol. There is an iOS app named Skeets, but it is only half-heartedly accessible, and some crutial things don't work, like reading the source of who reposted a post etc. And it doesn't work at all well on the Mac.
@pixelate If you contact the developer, they are willing to help fix those things. I ran out of time to report the Accessibility issues, but when I did report them, they were fixed very quickly. This is with Skeets by the way.
I took a closer look at this new Beyerdynamic headset. The only question I still have is: is Bluetooth 6 comparable to old 2.4 GHz dongles in terms of latency? Has anyone had any experience with this? I'd be grateful for any insights. europe.beyerdynamic.com/p/mmx-… #bluetooth #wireless #headset #latency #tech
At the top of the hour, I will be ready begin my annual Christmas Eve show with Robin on HKC @radio. This show being one of the most exciting for me each year, we're on until 1 PM, where a me from yesterday will take you up to 8 PM where Robin and I will be back to count down to Christmas
Ok. The Christmas buffet consists of: mini yorkshire puddings filled with beef and horseradish, Schwama chicken kebabs with sweet peppers, smoked sausage barbecue bites. that's all the meat, everything else we can both eat. So, my favourite Wolfgang pizzas, so called because they were origianlly invented by chef Wolfgang Puck, tiny pizza bases topped with lemon pepper mascarpone, smoked salmon, pickled shalot and dill. Really delicious! Cheese and onion puffs. Tomato, mozarella and pesto skewers, feta and rosemary focaccia bread, mini hasselback roasted potatoes with sour cream and chive dip, mini thai fishcakes with sweet chili dip, and finally Drew's incredible jam tarts, we prefer them to mince pies. Bon Appetit!
This is unacceptable. It has been deemed dangerous to eat, thus I must make sure it is safe by eating all the meat options for you, just in case. All sounds wonderful!
Anyone wanted to replace NVDA's synth beeps with a custom tone via a wav file? Well you're in luck, Custom Tones V1.0 just released! github.com/alex-chap/NVDA-Cust…
"Warum sollte man sich selbst um seine Verwirklichung betrügen und einen Automaten für die Umsetzung der eigenen Idee beauftragen? Ist einem diese Idee derart wenig wert, dass man ihr nicht selbst Gestalt verleihen will?"
Generative KI ist unausweichlich. Auch deshalb, weil Influencer, Fernsehsender, Marken und Co. eine Geisteshaltung entwickelt haben, dass generierte Imitate ...
Mein Cover von "Santa Claus is Back in Town" verbunden mit meinem Dank an alle, die mir hier bei Mastodon folgen, meinen Kram und die Dinge, die ich von anderen teile, lesen, weiter verbreiten und mit Herzchen versehen. ❤️
privacy is not about having something to hide but rather having everything to protect (I've heard someone say these words but I don't remember the author)
tech companies proved they can't be trusted with user data as their ideas for using it entail marketing useless gadgets and pushing populist/fascist political parties into prominence.
This is what civil society, in particular the #DigitalRights community, is up against now: 🇺🇸 has barred leaders of @hateaid, the Global #Disinformation Index, and the Centre for Countering Digital Hate from entering the US
imo, privacy is the most important human right: not because encryption is more important than stopping genocide or climate change; but because without private communication, safeguarding all of our other rights becomes impossible in the wake of authoritarian regimes
It's important because what you may do and say now might be legal, but in the future may be considered illegal by an authoritarian regime. Privacy ensures that your former actions and words remain private and that may keep you safe in difficult times.
Even if you feel like you don't have anything to hide, privacy (and use of privacy-oriented tools) helps to protect those otherwise at risk of oppressive forces.
people who know they are being watched behave differently.
And without privacy, and anonymity, revolutions are much harder.. Our current state is abysmal. Whatever it is we are doing is literally destroying society and the planet.
Attacking encryption, fundamental rights, privacy or open source projects like GrapheneOS, Siganl, Tuta is a threat to any EU countries constitution, freedom/democracy, economy and business integrity/security, (cyber) resilience.
Privacy means experimental, new, and potentially controversial ideas have the safety to develop while they are still too vulnerable to stand on their own. Lack of privacy chains thought to the status quo.
A society can only progress with sufficient privacy and the freedom of thought that comes with it. Innovative ideas that drive societal progress are not born in the center but often emerge at the edges of society. Without privacy, diversity dies, and with it, the society's ability to evolve. The loss of privacy is the end of freedom.
Privacy is a basic human right. We should all have the freedom to speak our minds without fear of being punished for saying something unliked by those in power. We also deserve the right to keep some information, like our medical records, private ao that information isn't used against us.
Because I think that everything you do can be misinterpreted and that some people consider you suspicious simply because you are interested in privacy.
Why privacy matters Privacy isn’t about hiding. It’s about freedom, dignity, and control. Without privacy, people self-censor. Without control over data, autonomy is lost. Without limits on surveillance, power is abused. Privacy protects individuals, democracy, and trust in technology. Privacy is a right — not a privilege.
Privacy matters because there are so many large intertwined tech companies where the opposite is true and companies like Tuta need to thrive as people wake up and realize that they have had their identities compromised.
it is essential to protect your personal life from external manipulation and interference. Just as written in article 12 oft the universal declaration of human rights: "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks."
Privacy means protecting one's personal space, and no one has the right to interfere with it. When privacy is lost, people lose control over their own lives. The feeling of being constantly monitored and restricted suppresses thinking and decision-making. Therefore, privacy is one of the fundamental conditions of being an individual and remaining free...
privacy matters to me because of the rise of authoritarianism. My existence as a gay man is becoming political and being able to communicate privately is essential to protecting my self.
Like usual, @KinkyGeeks has set up a ticket system for the workshops and the jam, thank you! ♥️ If you’re sure you’re coming, grab your ticket 😊 ticket.kinkygeeks.de/kinkygeek…
More links are on the SOS page (for 101 repeat, 102 and the jam!)
There is an ethernet cable going from one side of the house to the other, which goes from a PoE switch in the back bedroom to a wireless access point near the front. Unfortunately, one of the twisted pairs appears to have shorted, or something, meaning it only connects at 100 Mbps. This cable needs to be replaced, but no one here is really in good shape to crawl under the house and play with stuff. So, in the meantime, I set up a wireless mesh, which is actually providing better downlink than I could get from the broken cable, and I hate myself for it. Hopefully, the situation can be resolved soon. The less wireless stuff, the better.
Jedes Jahr Weihnachten und kurz danach so viele Menschen, die unter dem Zwang und dem Stress eigentlich ungewollter Familienfeiern leiden. Verdammt, ihr seid erwachsen und niemand außer euch kann diesen Mist beenden. Geht einfach nicht hin und wenn ihr meint dies, aus welchen Gründen auch immer, nicht zu schaffen, dann holt euch im Laufe des neuen Jahres Hilfe und Begleitung, damit ihr vor dem nächsten Familiengedöns locker, lächelnd, gelassen „Nein“ sagen könnt. Ihr müsst das nicht ertragen!
Ich wünsch euch ganz wundervolle Feiertage 🎄. Besondere Liebe geht an alle raus, die sich gerade einsam fühlen, sich kein tolles Festtagsessen oder einen Weihnachtsmarktbesuch leisten können oder gerade mit Depression kämpfen. I see you 💜. Ich bin so unfassbar müde, heute ist mein erster Urlaubstag des Jahres und ich werde so viel schlafen… Fühlt euch gedrückt, wenn ihr mögt 💜.
One common reason people name to pick a big host like GitHub instead of Codeberg to host their projects on is the hope that the bigger platform will make it more likely to get more contributors. A nice thought, isn't it?
Sadly, realistically, most FOSS projects will forever stay 1 person, no matter where it is hosted, so just don't worry about it :)
Also, depending on the audience, GitHub might just as well keep contributors away than attract them. I'm even kind of a bit proud those are balanced in my audience: chaos.social/@chrysn/115707616…
When you find an issue with software you use that you can fix right away, what are hurdles you are prepared to take while sending that fix upstream?
#FLOSS #supplychain #opensource
[ ] Log in to GitHub
[ ] Log in to a self-hosted different forge
[ …
@chrysn Being involved in IzzyOnDroid, people seem to not be less willing to log into Codeberg than GitHub.
Back when I was involved in F-Droid I did see a lot of issues caused by GitLab's anti-abuse systems asking quite ridiculous things like credit card info from those trying to use GitLab CI (to prevent Bitcoin mining abuse), meaning a lot of users were either unable (no credit card) or unwilling to test their changes.
A forge *can* make stuff worse, but Codeberg doesn't seem a big hassle.
On top of that, Codeberg has not falsely deleted any issues in issue trackers yet unlike GitHub (I have lost over 20 Catima issues, probably more, but GitHub refuses to even give me a list: chaos.social/@SylvieLorxu/1155…)
Yep, even my more popular projects haven't generally received contributions outside Hacktoberfest. I mirrored all my projects to my personal forge last year and now don't put anything new on GitHub and it's been just fine.
@msfjarvis Basically the same here. Most contributions I get are translations, which are all Weblate so not really relevant. Hacktoberfest is basically 95+% of all contributions of the year and this year a lot of that was LLM slop.
None of those contributors stick around, so I end up spending more time guiding them through the codebase than if I had written the code themselves, so aside from one contributor in the past who did stick around for a bit, it has generally only cost time.
it's the only license i've seen that accounts for the power dynamics fundamental to capitalism: class struggle between proletarians and the bourgeoisie. it takes a stand for the working class by defining a commons where people and their orgs are granted access while for profit enterprises will need to negotiate for access. this line of differentiation is the one that matters the most, under the current mode of production. read the telekommunist manifesto for more context, well worth it
"Magic? Are you for real? That stuff is all make-believe," the youth huffed in exasperation.
The elder remained unperturbed. "What makes you so certain?"
"Ugh! I... I tried it all, ok? The incantations, the ritual components, the freaking wands! I wished over and over again and nothing happened, and right now I just need this to end, so I'm not wasting my time with all that trash again."
Still unperturbed - but now with a glimmer of understanding - the elder placidly responded. "Ahh, yes, you've been taught the usual lies. No matter - the truth is easy enough to learn... if you'd like."
The youth was obviously still skeptical, but offered no objection.
The elder spoke - quietly at first, growing more and more animated with every word, until the room itself seemed to struggle to hold the conversation.
"A wish, my dear, is not a commandment which we use to impel reality to become different for no reason! No, this is silly! Of course what you were told didn't work, because none of it is true! A wish is an invitation - it is the feeling of reality asking us if we'd like to be a part of changing it! That is the way the magic flows. And if we say yes, well... that's when things get interesting!"
Microsoft: „1 engineer, 1 month, 1 million lines of code“
That would mean @bagder rewriting 5 #curl projects into Rust in a month.
Microsoft revising the „rewrite over a weekend“ meme to it actually taking them 6 days. For a person they have not hired yet. With tools they still have to invent.
If you are a MS customer, you‘d better start putting more money into Copilot right away!
I donated to #eff as I think they do great work trying keep our internet free. They also have nice things like privacybadger extension. Check them out. They do hope to unlock matching funds if they get enough members before the year ends.
I donated to @conservancy I think they also do important work supporting lots of free software projects, managing legal waters and supporting software freedom. They are also fighting the good fight to make sure the GPL is actually enforceable.
They do have a match in effect now until jan 15th.
Software freedom is critical to many of today’s most pressing social issues, but it’s only effective when FOSS is for everyone. Support Conservancy today to help make that happen!
I also this year donated to the internet archive. I think people tend to just take them for granted, that they will always be there archiving our internet history, but if we don't support them, they won't be. ;(
They provide the wayback machine, sooo many old archives of things (recently I found all the old dragon magazines are available there).
The media in my country is poor and getting worse. propublica has been doing actual news reporting, things that no one else is willing to do and speaking truth to power.
Heartland Humane Society provides adoptions, lost pet resources, low-cost services, and humane education in Benton County. Join us in supporting pets today!
Finally a reminder: your company may have a donation matching program. If it does, do remember to request matches for all your donations. The group will then get 2x your donation. Win win!
This post was contributed by the Fundraising Committee from the GNOME Foundation. This week we are launching an end-of-year fundraising campaign with a simple goal: to reach 1,500 Friends of GNOME...
Sometimes when people ask me how I perceive myself as an autistic person who can’t see images in my head, the best way I can describe it is.. I feel like Krang.
I feel like I am a brain, just floating around in space, badly controlling this body that is attached poorly to me.
That sounds similar to how I perceive myself (blind from birth so no visual perception or notion of one). But not sure if it's the same or it just reads like it.
#dobréRáno priatelia fediverse, prajem vám šťastné a veselé Vianoce s kávou v ruke a nadhľadom nad vecou. Veľa darčekov a rodinnej pohody. A kto je sám, tak málo smutných myšlienok, na to je vraj dobrá prechádzka. Každopádne hlavu hore, za pár dní je to za nami.
@marcozehe ich find das Lied auch nicht schlimm. Die Weihnachtsbäckerei finde ich wesentlich schrecklicher. Gerade läuft Fairytale of New York, das mag ich sehr. Ein Freund hört es sich immer an Heiligabend an zur Erinnerung an seine Mutter.
já dávám přednost jisté skromné variantě vídeňského salátu (nostalgie, dělali jsme jej doma)… salát s majonézou atd. můžu, ale není mi tak blízký; když už, tak ale bez masa
Tamas G
in reply to Alex Krier • • •Alex the Christmas Chap🎄🎅
in reply to Tamas G • • •Tamas G
in reply to Alex Krier • • •Alex Krier
in reply to Tamas G • • •