mastodon - Link to source
Accessibility-focused Mastodon question.
I’m currently using the Enafore web client and generally like it. I’ve been seeing some chatter about FastSM, and I’m curious how it compares in real use.
Has anyone here used Enafore and then switched to FastSM? If so, how is it with a screen reader, and what feels different or better (or worse)?
I don’t have much energy for trial-and-error right now, so firsthand experiences would be especially helpful.
#Mastodon #Accessibility #ScreenReaders #BlindTech @mastoblind @main
#Accessibility #Mastodon #screenreaders #blindtech @Blind Main @Group 4 Blind & VI people

mastodon - Link to source
I encourage those wanting to tweak a language to carefully read through the giant Readme on GitHub, which explains all of these settings in careful methodical detail. At some point I'm going to have to reorganize it a bit, but lots of headings. And reading for linguistic nerds, wooh-hooh?
github.com/tgeczy/NVSpeechPlay…

GitHub - tgeczy/NVSpeechPlayer: A Klatt-based speech synthesis engine written in c++

A Klatt-based speech synthesis engine written in c++ - tgeczy/NVSpeechPlayer
GitHub

Zach Bennoui reshared this.

mastodon - Link to source
Well well, another NVSpeech Player update, finally I can say, out of the V13 days.
Again, more settings to customize for language owners!
1) liquidDynamics
Adds real movement inside liquids/glides instead of treating them as static blobs. You can dial in:
• /l/ lateral onglide (a small “tongue tip” gesture)
• American /r/ with an F3 dip (less “flat r”)
• /w/ transitions with a proper start locus (more natural “w”)
2) lengthContrast
For languages where length matters (HU/FI/JP/IT, etc.):
• short vowel ceiling + long vowel floor (so long/short stays distinct at speed)
• geminates get closure lengthening (tt/kk actually feel doubled)
• optional compensatory vowel shortening before geminates
3) positionalAllophones
Systematic “position rules” without hand-writing a million exceptions:
• stop aspiration scaling by context (word-initial stressed vs intervocalic vs final)
• /l/ darkness by position (clear [l] vs dark [ɫ])
• optional glottal reinforcement for final stops
All are pack-configurable in settings: and default off unless enabled.
eurpod.com/synths/nvSpeechPlay…

Zach Bennoui reshared this.

flipboard - Link to source

Met Office issues warnings for heavy rain and flooding across parts of the UK
https://metro.co.uk/2026/01/25/met-office-issues-warnings-heavy-rain-flooding-across-parts-uk-26514856/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into News (UK Edition) @news-uk-edition-FlipboardUK


Met Office issues warnings for heavy rain across parts of the UK

Yellow warnings for heavy rain and flooding are in place from Monday and Tuesday across the UK.
Rory McKeown (Metro)
@News (UK Edition)

mastodon - Link to source
Like most of my mastodonian friends, or acquaintences, call yourselves what you will, i have recently tryed Fast SM. For a mastodon - Bluesky cliant that has just come out on the market it's pretty good. i've yet to discover a jaws with Leasy Key map in the list of Key Maps, but maybe that will be added down the road perhaps. having difficulties signing in to BlueSky with it, but i think it's more BlueSky than Fast SM. will deffenately follow developments with interest. excellent work. :)

mastodon - Link to source

RE: ravenation.club/@etherdiver/11…

So far today, I'm watching my football team struggle in the playoffs, learning a new synth, and doing laundry. All feel a lot better than endlessly looking for/at bad news!

Ether Diver (@etherdiver@ravenation.club)

I say this as a reminder to myself as much as anyone, but you probably did enough doomscrolling yesterday. Try to spend less of your day inflicting massive psychic damage on yourself.
Ether Diver (Mastodon)

mastodon - Link to source
When I learned Trump had won the election I feared violence. My biggest fear was that right-wing death squads would target liberals, and that law enforcement would turn a blind eye, or be forced to do so. It just hadn't occurred to me that it would be so-called "law-enforcement" that would be doing the killing directly, under the protection of the government. But of course that's what Trump would want. He feels powerful when he can be cruel without consequence. #8647
#8647

mastodon - Link to source

This is going to sound a bit weird, but it might be a good idea to purchase a shortwave radio if you haven't got one already. They're quite cheap and small, you can buy one and store it long term just in case.

Shortwave is the only way to receive news and information internationally without relying on the internet or satellite. It might be a useful fallback to receive news from the outside world if your country's media and internet are ever restricted or closed down.

If you've never used one, it's like a normal radio but the frequencies reach around the world. Every country used to have its own station.

#Radio #ShortwaveRadio

#radio #shortwaveradio

hometown - Link to source

At the start of my career, I translated a lot for Parks Canada. This website was so important and useful.

--

"Parks Canada shuttering Historic Places website, sparking heritage concerns

Shutdown leaves no alternative database to look up sites in Nova Scotia, expert says

The announcement has caused alarm in heritage circles across the country and in Nova Scotia in particular.

Launched in 2004, the register is a national searchable database of historic places recognized by federal, provincial, territorial and local governments. It contains about 13,500 listings.

When launched, the site described listings as "places that shape our lives, describe our history, and represent the diverse character of our country."

cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia…

This entry was edited (7 hours ago)

mastodon - Link to source
I wish every Blind person could own these. They are two globes. The one on the right is a relief globe, with the land masses outlined with fabric paint to make them textured. The globe on the right is an Intelo-globe. The stylus allows you to choose a mode, geography, geology etc. then run the stylus over the globe and hear information spoken. They were game-changers for me, and I still like to explore them. Not entirely tangentially, I was startled to discover how close Greenland is to Canadian territory like Elsmere Island.
Be My AI: A corner of a room with shelves holding two globes and some boxes. On the lower black shelf, there are two world globes side by side. The left globe is larger and mounted in a black ring stand; it’s showing Africa prominently, with the Indian Ocean to the right and the South Atlantic to the left. The right globe is slightly smaller with a gold-colored stand and meridian ring; it’s showing the Atlantic Ocean between the Americas and Africa/Europe. On the left base of the larger globe is a stylus resting in a depression made to hold it.

mastodon - Link to source

A solo parent asked what they can do to resist ICE without putting themselves in the line of fire, knowing that their death would orphan their kid. Here are a few ideas.

#ice #alexpretti #reneenicolegood #minnesota #minneapolis #mpls #resistance #fascism #trump #gestapo

Facebook comment by Nat Oleander Smith Mutual aid. Support protesters, bail funds, immigrant defense funds, people buying groceries. Provide childcare for others in the movement. Wear a mask & practice pandemic precautions to stop the spread of illnesses harming immigrants in detention & causing chronic illness that weakens the resistance. Get to know your neighbors and coordinate networks of care and support. Ask what your POC friends need. Ask what your immigrant friends need. Take care of your own nervous system and co-regulate with your kids.
#Trump #fascism #ice #resistance #minneapolis #minnesota #reneenicolegood #alexpretti #gestapo #mpls

mastodon - Link to source
If you're new to Signal, it might feel a little overwhelming to get the hang of, but you can get it set up and working pretty quickly. ssd.eff.org/module/how-to-use-…

How to: Use Signal

Download location: Google Play Store, Apple App Store System requirements: Android 5 or later, iOS 13 or later Version used in this guide: Android: 7.38.6 iPhone: 7.5.
ssd.eff.org
in reply to Chad McCullough

akkoma - Link to source

flo

Please check out delta.chat and spread the use about this messenger.

Developed in Germany, end-to-end-encryption by design, using email-infrastructure (therfore cannot get turned off by an authoritarian state), including applets, like polls, todo-lists, calendar, collaborative work on documents, games, ...

I use it with several people and really can recommend it :)

#DeltaChat

#deltachat

mastodon - Link to source
Well, we could barely walk outside this morning, almost slipped on some melted ice. Only stayed out there for a few minutes. Holy shit it was cold. there is snow on the walkways on some trees and grass. we took some pictures, though not sure if this server will behave if we upload anything. It didn't, the last time we tried it, earlier this week.
-- Altheda/lillianna
⇧