mastodon - Link to source
I gave Pocket TTS a shot. It's a local AI voice that claims to run well on the CPU, so it's faster to generate output and doesn't require a GPU. The main problem with it is the same as with so many voices these days, AI or otherwise: punctuation. Periods and commas sound the same, and question marks aren't always noticeable. Parenthetical phrases sound odd, and the double dash isn't handled at all. I love seeing this field continue to move forward, but I have yet to meet an AI voice I like.

mastodon - Link to source
**UPDATE-very grateful that volunteer has been procured!
I'm looking for someone in #Canada (preferably #Alberta ) who would be willing to receive (by mail) TWO different Apple 6.08 800k boot disks to see if you can boot your Mac Plus or SE from them. They simply get immediately ejected on my Mac Plus and this would help me troubleshoot the drive (which i've recently replaced). I will of course pay for shipping both ways. I live in Canmore, Alberta #retrocomputing
Picture of two 800k boot floppies for Mac OS 6.0.8 ... one blue, one cream coloured
#canada #retrocomputing #Alberta
This entry was edited (17 hours ago)

mastodon - Link to source
I’m having a bad ear day today. It happens to me sometimes, I get a day or three where one ear is basically useless.
I am very thankful for Braille, because I proofed an important report using speech to the best of my current ability, and it all sounded fine and the spell checker reported no errors. But when I did a final check with Braille, I found I had written “paradigm shit” instead of “paradigm shift”. Oops, that would have been more than mildly embarrassing if I’d sent that off.

mastodon - Link to source

Stop the spread of AI Slop. Support your fellow human beings by investing your valuable time in their efforts. Not everything has to be a financial transaction. In this case, all it costs is a little time, which you’re clearly wasting right this very minute.

I invite you to come look around. Authentic stories, artfully told, and always 100% human. Sign up for free alerts to new stories. No spam. Just fantastic tales.

davidtoddmccarty.com

#Writing #Stories #Philosophy #Human #Creativity

100% GENUINE I tell stories. Most of them are true. Authentic tales of the human experience, as told by a nut. DAVID TODD MACARTY

David Todd McCarty | Raconteur | Writer | I tell stories.

I tell stories. Most of them are true. A catalog of my many thoughts, rants, essays, and letters. I care little for your outrage, but I do feel your pain.
David Todd McCarty
#philosophy #writing #creativity #human #stories

mastodon - Link to source
Today I learned about a particularly vile piece of shit corp, Bright Data. Web scraping as a service. They boast about having 150 million IP addresses from residential IPs and "real user devices" (I can't imagine that it's with the user's consent) and being able to scrape petabytes. They brag about their ability to defeat captchas, turning websites into AI data. Like every possible gross thing you can think of all wrapped up in a package with a shiny website bow.
This entry was edited (18 hours ago)

mastodon - Link to source

At Vivaldi we continue to make choices that are different from our competitors. We have chosen to not integrate AI or crypto, but instead we integrate a wealth of other features, based on the wishes of our users.

We are a European company with most of the team based in Norway and Iceland, a few around Europe and a couple in the US.

Our servers are based in Iceland.

If you want to get away from Big Tech, maybe give us a try? If you are already using Vivaldi, maybe introduce your friends?

Have a nice day!

vivaldi.com

#Vivaldi #Browser #Windows #Macos #Linux #AI #Europa #Technology #EU #UK #Germany #France #Poland #Denmark #Norway #Iceland #Greenland


Vivaldi Browser | Powerful, Personal and Private web browser

It’s a web browser. But fun. It comes with a bunch of clever features built-in. It’s super flexible and does not track you. Get the Vivaldi browser for desktop, mobile, and your car!
Vivaldi Technologies
#linux #technology #browser #Windows #Poland #AI #EU #uk #Germany #france #MACOS #vivaldi #denmark #Europa #norway #iceland #greenland

pleroma - Link to source
Wondering if the end game here will be Trump saying "Fine you can keep Greenland but only if you keep a ton of NATO troops here" and then he can go "I made made NATO do their jobs, now we're safer than ever"
RT: med-mastodon.com/users/cbarber…

Carolyn Barber, MD (@cbarbermd@med-mastodon.com)

Attached: 1 image Troops from France, Germany, Norway, Sweden & other NATO allies are arriving in Greenland amid tensions over Trump’s repeated push for U.S. control of the island.
Carolyn Barber, MD (Med-Mastodon)

mastodon - Link to source

"WHO THE HELL WOULD WANT TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA WITH A BUILD-IN CHILD ABUSE TOOL? Delete Your X Account"

(ps. Big thumbs up to people putting those ads up in London bus shelters!!)

(photo from: pbs.org/newshour/world/grok-bl… )

#grok #ai #protests #musk

Bus shelter in London, shows an ad with Elon Musk on it and says "WHO THE HELL WOULD WANT TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA WITH A BUILD-IN CHILD ABUSE TOOL?"

Grok blocked from undressing images with AI in places where it's illegal, X says

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok won’t be able to edit photos to portray real people in revealing clothing in places where that is illegal, according to a statement posted on X.
PBS News
#AI #musk #protests #grok
This entry was edited (19 hours ago)

mastodon - Link to source
Saying goodbye

Sensitive content

#cats #catsofmastodon #torties
This entry was edited (1 day ago)

mastodon - Link to source
Update Version 2.6 released for the Brailliant BI20X, Brailliant BI40X and the Mantis Q40. More information can be found here:
humanware.com/en-usa/news/prod…

New Update – Braille learning tables and a new recording application - HumanWare

We’re thrilled to announce the release of our latest firmware update for the Brailliant BI X and Mantis braille display! This update introduces learning braille tables, a recording application and support for the upcoming eBraille format.
Natacha (HumanWare)

mastodon - Link to source
Hi y’all. I’m thinking about buying a laptop, I already have it picked out and it seems to have good specs for the price. Since around 2016, my phone has been my main computing device. I briefly got acquainted with windows 11 a few years ago when I was using a small windows tablet lightly and sporadically. I used to be a fairly proficient or at least mediocre windows user 10 years ago and more. I just need to get familiar with things enough to be efficient again. I also would like to get more in to gaming. I like playing games and I have friends and a partner who game, and I feel like I’m missing out by not having pursued this earlier. I intend to use NVDA unless or until there’s something I come across that it can’t do. I plan to read the windows screenreader primer, which I believe just came out with its 3rd edition. My question is, would anybody be interested in helping me get back up to speed? Or helping me learn about games I can play with no vision? No pressure either way, I’ll figure things out a little at a time. But back when I was new with computers and games, knowing people made a world of difference. So I appreciate anything people are willing to give, whether it’s time or resources or anything else.
in reply to Amber

mastodon - Link to source

Amber

I went ahead and bought the laptop. I have started reading the Windows Screenreader Primer which is on its 4th edition, not 3rd. I’ve also gotten lots of input from here, Ramblio, and friends. My boyfriend even researched whether this particular laptop would be able to handle certain games. I’m a little intimidated by the prospect of getting as efficient with things as I used to be, but I know it just takes time. I went ahead and bought a gaming headset and a usb hub since this thing seems to have very few ports.

mastodon - Link to source
Alright, I'm living up to the "vortex" that I used to use as a handle or part of a handle in various places.
While looking at something else, I noticed that the at-spi2-core docs were lying and saying that every single enum value has existed since the beginning of time. Hopefully I've just fixed that and not broken something else while mucking around, but it was like a vortex hitting the docs, so no guarantees.
Also just made a pyatspi maintenance release (and sent it to Tumbleweed).
And now I'm done with anything remotely productive for today.
I want some Thai food, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow.

mastodon - Link to source
Ready for something that's going to blow your mind, especially my fellow folks with disabilities? Hold onto to your hats and other accessories because this one is wild. The other day, I got a text from an Orientation and Mobility instructor that I had worked with back in the day. For those who are confused, to put it simply, an Orientation and Mobility instructor is the person who teaches someone with a visual impairment how to get from point a to point b without getting killed. Anyway, said instructor asked for permission to use old pictures she had of me for a retirement party slideshow. I said yes. Nothing too out there, at least not yet. A friend of mine who also worked with her got the same text message, but then more. This instructor asked for a memory video to be recorded on a platform that's not accessible, which my friend explained to her. Instead of understanding, she straight up asked him if his sister could help him record the video. Okay fine, general populace deciding to be ignorant is one thing, but someone who teaches independence? This is a level of what the fuck I don't know if I can deal with.
in reply to Zach Bennoui

mastodon - Link to source

MariahL

@ZBennoui @shefoof Nah, I know it was the instructor. My friend was having the same conversation with her, he had been in contact with her before me, and also this woman texted my mother of all people because she saved her cell number from the application to the job readiness summer program she was working with me at when I was 16. Nope, it was her.
@jade @Zach Bennoui
in reply to MariahL

mastodon - Link to source

Joseph King

@ZBennoui @shefoof Oh oh. That's way less of an annoyance, but still. Oooof. I'm still freezing out over her asking if a family member or friend could help you shoot the video. There's nothing that says you had to use the site she gave you. Hell you probably could have shot it on your phone and sent it to her, and I imagine it would have been ok. VO tells you if you're in frame.
@jade @Zach Bennoui
This entry was edited (19 hours ago)
in reply to Joseph King

mastodon - Link to source

MariahL

@jdking92 @ZBennoui @shefoof She didn't ask me, my friend got asked first and he messed with the platform or whatever and something was weird on the accessibility side of things. He told her that whatever she wanted done wasn't accessible, my guess was she wanted some sort of video recorded so it could be automatically added to a memory slideshow or something, one of those things where you can't just send a video you have to record through the site or whatever, I don't know, but I didn't see it, and honestly she's lucky she got told no by him and not me, I wish she would have asked if someone could help me, I wouldn't have been nice like my friend was. I'm already over stupid people.
@Joseph King @jade @Zach Bennoui
in reply to Joseph King

mastodon - Link to source

MariahL

@jdking92 @ZBennoui @shefoof I don't care how well-meaning you are when you say some stupid shit like that to me, I don't have to be nice, I don't care if there's this expectation that as a person with a disability I should be kind all the time, I don't live by that expectation and it's not my job to educate the ignorant. It's 2026. The internet exists if you can get past the bullshit, these things aren't hard to find answers to.
@Joseph King @jade @Zach Bennoui
in reply to MariahL

mastodon - Link to source

Joseph King

@ZBennoui @shefoof I definitely hear that loud and clear. Educating people really is exhausting and it's not our job to do that all the time. Like you said, the internet exists. If folks can't do web searches to get answers to their questions, they have bigger problems to worry about. I'll educate the people who clearly care about this sort of thing and are trying their hardest to be good folks, but the assholes of the world? Naa fuck them.
@jade @Zach Bennoui

mastodon - Link to source
This song is currently included as a demo project in Apple's #LogicPro. I'm too young to have used Logic 9 when that was out so I'm not sure about those, but of all the demos that came with Logic Pro X and now 11, this one's my favorite by far. Wonder what Apple will do with Logic 12 coming out about two weeks from now. youtu.be/eTkFpdLogEg

Ellie Dixon - Swing!

SWING SWING! - https://EllieDixon.lnk.to/InCaseOfEmergencyIDTHE SWING MUSIC VIDEO IS HERE!! ⚾Hope you have a ball with this one ✨I wrote this song when I was...
YouTube
#LogicPro

mastodon - Link to source
We now have a working SAPI5 version of the Speechify engine that was used on NOAA Weather Radio from 2003 to 2016. Installation and setup instructions are included in the archive. datajake.braillescreen.net/TTS….
The default voice is Tom, however you can also use Jill by editing the voice name in config/SWIttsConfig.xml.

reshared this

mastodon - Link to source

I’m SO excited to have finished my first round of prototypes for my new keyboard clicker fidgets!!

Remember Apples legendary iMac G3 computers from circa 1998-2005(ish)?! You’ll love my new project!

Custom designed keyboard clicker fidgets (with real switches) - available in rainbow 🌈 colours, printed with translucent filaments, topped with textured keycaps.

I strive to create creative, unique and useful fidgets. Let me know what you think!! (Listing coming in a few days!) #BrittBuilds3D

Strawberry Ice, Tangerine Ice, Lemon Ice, Apple Ice, Blueberry Ice, and Grape Ice. — Names all borrowed from Apple’s iMac G3 naming scheme. 🖥️

Rainbow coloured keyboard fidget toy with wrist strap.
Example of the ‘ice’ style for these keyboard clickers. The base transitions from light translucent blue to ice white with blue keycaps with various textures.
Photo of all of the colours: Strawberry Ice, Tangerine Ice, Lemon Ice, Apple Ice, Blueberry Ice, and Grape Ice.
Throwback photo , overhead, of the Apple iMac G3 computers
#brittbuilds3d
This entry was edited (1 day ago)
in reply to feld

pleroma - Link to source

≠ HER PENIS ≠

westbend.com/collections/toast…

Looks promising


West Bend QuikServe Compact 2-Slice Toaster with Extra Wide Slots and Cool Touch Exterior, in Black (77224)

The West Bend QuikServe Toaster browns bread in less than two minutes, one of the fastest toasters on the market. Items are held to toast, then released to bottom serving tray. Toast, bagel, and gluten free settings.
West Bend

mastodon - Link to source

The rise and fall of Stack Overflow is a case in point of the parasitic nature of LLMs. LLMs feed their models on places like Stack Overflow to be useful to users, so users flock to them to avoid the eternal snarky comments and just get an answer to their problem right away. But this is a dead end. No new answers will be generated if no one uses Stack Overflow or similar places.

What goes for Stack Overflow goes essentially for the whole internet. Like a mold growing on food, consuming it, and dying once the food is gone - LLMs will kill large parts of the 'old' internet before long.

Graph showing rise and fall of Stack Overflow usage between 2008 and 2026 in numbers of questions asked per month. There's a clear bell curve visible coming from 0 and going to 0.
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