mastodon - Link to source

My way of rebelling against techbros and autocrats:

December 2024: quit all Big Tech platforms and start #selfhosting essential services

December 2025: write guides for newbies about how to self-host

I'm also in discussion with a blogger I admire to start a podcast about tech... where we'll focus on solutions (instead of problems)... aiming to inspire others to join in...

It's been a really heavy year but these little acts of rebellion give me hope ✨

#selfhosting

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glitchsoc - Link to source

RE: crab.garden/@brainblasted/1157…

Unfortunately could not play Skyrim VR or No Man's Sky VR at all :(

Chris 🌱

2025-12-14 03:18:14

glitchsoc - Link to source

Really impressed with my Bazzite VR experience today. Was able to play a few hours of Half Life: Alyx and Boneworks today :D The main issue I ran into (with both) is that Steam Link will cut out when you first launch the game when trying to pre-compile shaders. Sometimes this leads to Steam VR bugging out and requiring a reboot in order to reconnect. After the first launch the experience was completely seamless.

pleroma - Link to source

RAM prices spiking

SSD prices going up

My reaction when HDDs aren't even safe

tweaktown.com/news/109352/oh-g…

Oh great: HDD prices surge to highest point in 2 years with demand from China and the US

HDD prices are now rising, with the highest-ever price increase over the last 2 years... joining the RAM and SSD crisis, as we step into 2026.
Anthony Garreffa (TweakTown)

mastodon - Link to source
Just a quick note for everyone who upgrades to Mona 7 on the mac. Once you install the Mona app from the mac appstore, you will find in your applications folder a mona app and a mona 2 app. the mona 2 app is the new Mona 7 app so once you have run the mona 2 app your settings will be synced from the older Mona app. Once you have purchased the Mona ultra upgrade the old Mona app can be removed from the mac and your dock and then you can rename Mona 2 to Mona and add it back to the dock and your good to go. Just wanted to pass this tip on to mac user’s.

mastodon - Link to source

Had to run an errand today that involved navigating what I consider to be one of the worst intersections in the city - it's between two shopping areas and just slow and clogged and everyone is always grumpy.

Two people were standing OUT IN THE RAIN, making giant bubbles that would float into the intersection and interact with everyone. It was total magic.

Person standing on a corner in a busy retail development, holding up two sticks with rope between them, that have been dipped in bubble soap and create these massive floaty, rolly bubbles set free into the roadway, shiny iridescent blobs of joy.

mastodon - Link to source
This is one of my many favorite artists. I wanna' be her when I grow up! #womenmusician #americana
youtube.com/watch?v=BoQctt3WEy…

Brandi Carlile: Tiny Desk Concert

Ann Powers | December 3, 2025Brandi Carlile has a way of making any performance feel like a tête-à-tête, a deep emotional exchange between friends that just ...
YouTube
#americana #womenmusician
in reply to Jessica the VI Artist🎚️🎹🌈

mastodon - Link to source

Zach Bennoui

Ok fun fact that I found out a few weeks ago. All the way back in like 2007/8 when Logic Pro 8 was released, Apple included one of Brandi's songs (Late Morning Lullaby) as a project to demo what the software was capable of. They've been doing this for years, but I actually thought she was a relatively new artist and didn't know she'd been releasing stuff all the way back then. Also love Tiny Desk, great series with a really diverse range of artists.
in reply to Jack-Frostodon

mastodon - Link to source

miki

@jackf723 @jscholes And afaik the more radios you have, the more certification pain you get from all the countries you're trying to sell to.

AT is one of the worst markets to be in from that perspective, since you're mostly selling to individuals, you don't have high volume to spread the costs over, and your customers are extremely geographically diverse.

@James Scholes @Jack-Frostodon
in reply to miki

mastodon - Link to source

Jack-Frostodon

@miki @jscholes Cellular certification over here is insane, the FCC's rubber-stamp cost has to be in the 5 figures which is a major hit when selling at low volume. There was a time when it wasn't that way, the last vestidges of that in the AT space being the Levelstar Orion and the Braille+18 which had modems. Figure that predated the big phone manufacturer lobby (Apple and Samsung, most likely) to rais the rates to be unattainable for most.
@miki @James Scholes
in reply to miki

mastodon - Link to source

Jack-Frostodon

@miki @jscholes The SensePlayer and Orbit Player, both of which use the same Mediatech Helio P35 SoC, have cellular modules. Well, the SensePlayer does, the Orbit Player might actually not since it doesn't produce an IMEI like hte SensePlayer. Figure in the case of the SensePlayer it was because the only SoC's available to Hims/Selvas were those, and given chip shortage and all, it was probably best to claim plausible deniability so long as the modem was left inactive.
@miki @James Scholes
in reply to Jack-Frostodon

mastodon - Link to source

Simon Jaeger

@jackf723 @miki @jscholes Does it actually have cellular capability enabled? I didn't think it did.
Yeah, at this point I'm just resigned to using an Android phone as a hotspot or whatever. Maybe the thing that will push me to buy an ARM laptop will be cellular. Kind of a shame we're not at the point where Humanware could just use one of those.
@miki @James Scholes @Jack-Frostodon

mastodon - Link to source
Medical Question

Sensitive content

mastodon - Link to source
*sighs* I should not need to say this but... Telling someone to "get over" their mental condition or neurodivergence doesn't work. Nobody, no matter their condition, should ever, *ever* have to hear "get over it," "just be normal," or anything implying their brain can just be normalized, controlled or that they're making it up. Sure, I'm sure some people in the world fake mental disorders or other neurodivergence, but most of us aren't. Most of us are just trying to survive in a world that's rarely if ever accommodating to us and our needs, depending on what those needs are. Hearing that we should just get over ourselves never, ever helps, and often does more harm than good. You know a neurodivergent person? Great! so then you help them with whatever they're struggling with. You accommodate them. You ask how you can make their sensitivity, anxiety, stress level, focus, or whatever else easier in your environment. You absolutely do not tell them to get over themselves or just be fine with things you might think are completely fine and nondisruptive, but that might thoroughly disrupt them. Your experience of tolerable isn't everyone's experience of tolerable. Demanding someone to get over a sensitivity won't make it any less stressful to them. Don't do this. It's not cool. Ever
This entry was edited (3 days ago)

mastodon - Link to source

After years designing and scaling web and mobile applications using React and Node.js, I am now actively looking for a full-time, remote FullStack position.

My focus has always been on solving tough technical problems and building systems that last. I enjoy creating maintainable solutions and have a background in developing products that significantly boost efficiency and customer retention.

Any leads or introductions to teams building great products would be genuinely appreciated!

#FediHired

#fedihired

mastodon - Link to source
Ranting about how stupid cultural superiority is.

Sensitive content

mastodon - Link to source

TIL that Kenyan workers have been used so much to train AI systems, that standard writing by Kenyan people is often flagged as AI generated while it is not (which means that they can get discriminated for jobs / exams etc)
marcusolang.substack.com/p/im-…

Edit: many people raised below that the article is talking about texts written in very classically trained English detected as AI generated, which is the case for many Kenyans. It is documented that many Kenyan workers have been hired to train LLMs, but I made an assumption that it was the reason for this detection while it may not be. Sorry about that, thanks for the feedback (and feel free to continue the discussion here)


I'm Kenyan. I Don't Write Like ChatGPT. ChatGPT Writes Like Me.

I'm calm. I'm calm. I promise.
Marcus Olang' (this man's mind)
This entry was edited (3 days ago)

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mastodon - Link to source

Welcome to our last In-Process blog post for 2025! nvaccess.org/post/in-process-1…

In this edition:
- Holiday Season Trading Hours
- NVDA with Digitech Reece
- World Blindness Summit Presentation
- Finding Things

Do check it out, have a wonderful break if you are having time off or a holiday, spend time with loved ones, and we look forward to catching up with everyone in 2026!

#NVDA #NVDAsr #ScreenReader #Accessibility #Christmas #NewYear

Screenshot of YouTube cover image for NVDA with Digitech Reece video, showing Reece working at his computer, with "Watch on YouTube" and play buttons visible)

NV Access | In-Process 16th December 2025

www.nvaccess.org
#Accessibility #screenreader #nvdasr #nvda #christmas #newyear
in reply to NV Access

mastodon - Link to source

NV Access

Following on from that last In-Process, I (Quentin) am mostly off until the a week or so into January. I will pop in from time to time just to make sure everything is running smoothly, but if you need a reply from us specifically, unless it's urgent (eg the website is down), we likely won't get back to you until the new year. If you need help with NVDA, please do check the resources in the "Holiday season trading hours" article in the blog. Happy New Year everyone!
This entry was edited (3 days ago)

Zach Bennoui reshared this.

mastodon - Link to source

The death of the internet as we know it is real and very much happening in front of our eyes

"Google AI summaries are ruining the livelihoods of recipe writers: ‘It’s an extinction event’"
theguardian.com/technology/202…


Google AI summaries are ruining the livelihoods of recipe writers: ‘It’s an extinction event’

AI Mode is mangling recipes by merging instructions from multiple creators – and causing them huge dips in ad traffic
Aimee Levitt (The Guardian)

mastodon - Link to source
President Trump signs an executive order designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/202…

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Designates Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction – The White House

DEFENDING AMERICA FROM A CHEMICAL WEAPON: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor
The White House
in reply to victor tsaran

mastodon - Link to source

Matt May

@vick21 Fentanyl is objectively terrifying. Pretty narrow band between a recreational dose and a fatal one. Cheap to make, hard to detect in transit, and now it's being fabricated all over.

Basically, any pill or powder being sold on the street could be cut with fentanyl, if not 100%, because it's cheaper and easier to procure than other drugs. That's how most people die from it.

@victor tsaran
in reply to Mahmoud

mastodon - Link to source

Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

Thanks for trying the Android app, and we're sorry notifications aren't working! Please see the article at Settings > Getting Help > Settings > "Configure push...", then enable push and Notifications in Manage folders > [folder]. Also enable notifications under Settings > [account] > Notifications > "New mail.." and your phone's notification settings in Settings > Notifications > Messages. (Also, make sure Thunderbird doesn't have reduced battery usage!)

mastodon - Link to source
Eloquence for Android is available to me, with early access. If you want to find out if it's available to you, just search the play store for "Eloquence" and look for the one called "Eloquence text to speech." I didn't need to click a link or do anything special; I'm not on CodeFactory's radar at all.
The news is pretty much all good. There's a new rate boost option that will help a lot with reading apps that arbitrarily cap the maximum speech rate at 300 or 400 percent, which is basically every reading app I could find. This was a major pain point of the previous version of Eloquence, and it wasn't even CodeFactory's fault, so it's nice to see this added as an option.
Otherwise, it should be familiar to anyone who used the old version. I can't remember if there was a way to remove intonation pauses in the previous version but this new one has a checkbox for it. It has a sample rate selection, and like before, I actually enjoy the 16KHZ version. The higher sample rate on iOS causes Eloquence to sound like it has no teeth, but the Android version has always sounded more natural, and it adds much-needed clarity when using low-quality earbuds.
As for the subscription, it's $3/month for me. I'm not sure if that's Canadian or US dollars, so it might be less than $3 for Americans. There's also a $30/year option. Considering Eloquence was originally a one-time purchase of $20, this seems like a good balance. Android is the affordable option for a lot of people, and $3 USD goes a long way in other countries, so I imagine this was their attempt to get as many people subscribed as possible. Let's not forget that the price for subscriptions can change at any time, so this could be an introductory price or a forever price.
My main question is whether a failed license validation will cause the synth to stop functioning, leaving the user with no way to use their own phone. CodeFactory also resells Vocalizer voices, and those are lifetime licenses, but I've had two different phones become unusable after being turned on with no internet connection. In one case, I had to get sighted help to connect to the wi-fi where I was staying, so CodeFactory could connect to its licensing server to--idk, verify the definition for the word "lifetime" I guess. So I sincerely hope the fallback mechanism has been improved here, because rendering someone's phone unusable is a serious potential safety issue.
I know people will probably crack this, for good reason, but I would urge everyone to only install this hypothetical crack to circumvent the licensing restrictions and keep the subscription active. CodeFactory did create this port and if we all just steal it for free, they'll make no money from it. That's not a win for anyone, and it will cause them to abandon it the way they did the first one.
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