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Captions vs. Subtitles: Leave No Viewer Behind meryl.net/captions-vs-subtitle…



I've just witnessed a completely civil and righteous rage against the machine by an elderly man (80s+) at supermarket self-service checkout here in small city Aotearoa #NewZealand and it was a little bit wonderful.

He'd just finished paying for his groceries when the machine started saying "Please take your items" every 15 seconds or so. At first he just says "I'll do it in my own time thank you," while bagging things up.

The machine keeps telling him to take his items. After around the 5th time, he starts really arguing back:
"I don't have to do what you tell me to do."
"I'll take as long as I need thank you."
"I'll thank you to stop harassing me."

On around the seventh or eighth request that he take his items, he stands back, crosses his arms and says loudly snaps, "No! Not until you be quiet!"

The machine keeps going. The man just stands there, crossed arms, chin stuck out. A standoff is on. Staff come over and ask if they can help and he tells them that if they switch the voice off, he will continue bagging his things and go. If they don't, he's retired and can wait all day.

Machine is turned off/down with sympathy from supermarket staff. Moments later the man leaves the supermarket with the air of someone who's just won a war, expression completely stoic.

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1980's Rocker and Radio Host Greg Kihn Dies at 75 news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/…


Former NPR President and CEO John Lansing Passes Away news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/…


Corus Shuts Down CHML Hamilton ON radioinsight.com/headlines/278…




NV Access | NVDA 2024.3 Released nvaccess.org/post/nvda-2024-3/

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NVDA 2024.3, the free screen reader for Microsoft Windows, is now available for download. We encourage all users to upgrade to this version. Full information & download links available from: nvaccess.org/post/nvda-2024-3/

Highlights:
- Notification of add-on updates
- Unicode normalisation options
- Help Tech Activator Pro braille display support
- Mouse wheel scrolling commands
- Many bug fixes & updates for Windows 11, browsers, LibLouis, eSpeak-NG, Unicode CLDR
#NVDA #NVDAsr #ScreenReader #A11y

This entry was edited (3 months ago)

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in reply to NV Access

It might be useful to let people know. I found the culprit! It took a lot of work, but it worked by deactivating the add-ons one by one. It was an add-on called TemporarySkipe. What a shame. He was very helpful sometimes. And it wasn't even marked as incompatible by NVDA.
in reply to Halison Junior Lunardi

@halisonjl Ah thank you - disregard my last message then, sorry I didn't realise you'd replied again - I'm not familiar with that add-on. We haven't introduced anything in 2024.3 which should break add-ons. Assuming restarting the PC didn't fix this add-on, it would be worth reaching out to the add-on developer to see if they have had other reports, or if they are able to fix it.


NASA still hasn't decided on how Boeing Starliner astronauts will return.

But recent developments, and NASA's mention of an "unsuited return" have led to a lot of questions about why the launch and entry suits aren't compatible between Boeing and SpaceX. Let's dive into what that unsuited return means, how launch and entry suits are used, and why NASA didn't mandate compatibility here.

#space #starliner #boeing #spacex #nasa #iss

youtu.be/pFjOIf8Kd5I



If you see sweet food marketed as having prebiotics it’s probably bullshit at best. It likely refers to a sweetener like erythritol, and we still don’t know whether its prebiotic impacts on gut flora are even beneficial.
This entry was edited (2 months ago)

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in reply to Seirdy

this is one of the few times i actually agree with the “natural = better” crowd because we actually know that other prebiotics like high-fiber plants and onions are generally okay for you.

i normally find “natural = better” to be an oversimplification devoid of nuance.

This entry was edited (2 months ago)


From our President: Hello BITS Family:

BITS Microsoft Office Fall 2024 Training Course

For JAWS or NVDA BITS members who are interested in enhancing their skills with Microsoft Office. The BITS Education team is excited to announce a new weekly class beginning September 9. This Class meets every Monday via Zoom from 7:30 to 9:30 PM EST. We plan the course until November 25, 2024. We may extend class dates into December if we feel the pace needs to be adjusted.

The course provides in-depth instruction on using Windows, Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint with screen readers. The course textbook is the third edition of David Kingsbury’s book, “The Windows Screen Reader Primer: All the Basics and More,” which can be downloaded from:
The Carroll Center. This book is also available on Bookshare. David Kingsbury, who is an experienced assistive technology instructor at the Carroll Center for the Blind in Massachusetts, serves as the primary instructor.
The first session on September 9, 2024 covers class logistics, provides an overview of The Windows Screen Reader Primer’s content, teaches students to navigate it and answers student questions about the course.

Subsequent sessions cover:

• File management with Windows 10 and 11,
• Edit, format and proof Word documents,
• Use the Outlook desktop client to manage messages,
• Excel basic and intermediate tools to create spreadsheets, and
• Create visually appealing PowerPoint presentations.

Regular class assignments and office hours are integral parts of the course. All class sessions are recorded and shared with students, so you have these as additional reference materials.

Whether you are a beginner or looking to enhance your skills, this class is for you.

To reserve your place, please sign up using this form. The URL for this form is:

bits-acb.org/office

Note: You must be a current BITS member to attend the course.
To join Bits visit: joinbits.org






Also I was wondering why these pictures were upside down and remembered how awesome the Olympus mju II was as a point and shoot: bang on exposure and sharp lens. #believeinfilm


É incrível como a Natureza reage contra estes gajos constantemente. Já noutra altura o Trump tentou tirar uma fotografia com uma águia careca e ela atacou-o.
sicnoticias.pt/mundo/2024-08-1…


Pixel 3 up and running (again again again), huge props to @drakulix for getting things rebased and fixing all the regressions and weird new issues.

#postmarketOS #LinuxMobile #gnomemobile

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in reply to drakulix

Now I want to try PostmarketOS myself sometime. I have a Pixel 3 that's sitting mostly unused, still running the stock Android image. I'll get a newer device for Android testing, then I can put PMOS on the Pixel 3. Would be interesting to hack together a prototype of a screen reader running on GNOME Mobile with touchscreen support.
in reply to Matt Campbell

the issue is, as far as I understand it, that at-spi doesn't support touchscreen input at all. Otherwise though, it's doable
in reply to Matt Campbell

@matt it would be amazing to have somebody with a11y experience have a look at our systems! Unfortunately we're still "beta", and have several things to fix that would really benefit from somebody with the experience to have a look at (e.g: gitlab.com/postmarketOS/pmapor…). If you install it and get hooked on Linux Mobile, maybe we could explore some grants/funding 😉
in reply to pabloyoyoista

@pabloyoyoista If I get serious about developing for PMOS, do you think it would be better for me to use my old Pixel 3 or get a PinePhone or other better-supported hardware? I guess the most important things for screen reader development and testing would be reliable touch input and sound.


Level crossing in the GB operated by a human operator, looking carefully if the crossing is clear using CCTV, closing the barriers, double checking that it is still clear and then finally signalling proceed to the train. 🙄

And I always thought it is the train which has priority on a level crossing, not the other way around.

youtu.be/UCXav-ptPeA?si=0L_LYr… (time 09:55)

in reply to Pavel Machek

@pavel the flip side is then longer time between warning start and arrival of the train. Aren't those times already unacceptably long here in CZ?

@Oskar456

in reply to David Jaša

Too long time between warning and train is caused by railway people simply not caring. Cars can wait :-(. They base warning on distance, not on time, which means you wait longer for slower trains. Do you remember "auta stoji, vlaky jedou"? That's their strategy :-(.
in reply to Pavel Machek

@pavel @djasa yeah, there's this saying that: "better closed railway crossing than closed (jailed) designer."
But it's slowly getting better.

As a pedestrian, I have a similar feeling about traffic lights designers in Czechia. Those people have to absolutely hate pedestrians.

in reply to Pavel Machek

@pavel
This only makes sense until you delve into implementation and its regulatory boundaries.

Like. From railway side, it would require signalling to convey movement authorities for trains with a different speeds 1. for the driver and 2. for the automatic train control with speed enforcement and 3. you need to integrate crossing equipment with other parts of signalling/interlocking. What's the status of these requirements in infrastructure and vehicles...?

in reply to David Jaša

@djasa @pavel also, why would you run a train significantly lower than the design speed of the track in the first place? Such cases should be exceptions, not regular operations.


I think that calendar versioning is better, but one downside I must admit it has is that it can sometimes obscure when big, new things happen to a piece of software: such as today's release of AUTOMAT: THE NEXT GENERATION 24.8.0 pypi.org/project/Automat/24.8.…
This entry was edited (3 months ago)
in reply to Glyph

Why do you think calendar versioning is better? Better than semver in particular.
in reply to Matt Campbell

@matt semver just doesn’t actually work. Nobody follows it properly, there’s no tooling to validate the compatibility promises that makes, and the intuition of how it’s supposed to work doesn’t match with the way that it is specified to work.

Case in point: in semver this massive new version would actually be a patch release as nothing is formally deprecated and everything is backwards compatible in the API. (Semver does not account for language revision incompatibility, only public API)



This year EFF was honored as a
@defcon Uber Contributor, and named “Defenders of the Hacker Spirit.” We are grateful for the continued support from the hacker community. Without you our work wouldn't be possible, and we're proud to continue fighting for you. eff.org/deeplinks/2024/08/eff-…


Did you know that iAccessibility has more than just Apple App Directories? We encourage everyone to submit apps to our Windows, and Android App Directories so everyone can know which apps are accessible on these platforms.

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in reply to iAccessibility

To build the directory we could start with adding the programs from the #accessible installer section of the #ninite program.


How 12,000 Tonnes of Dumped Orange Peel Grew Into a Landscape Nobody Expected to Find

‘"This is one of the only instances I've ever heard of where you can have cost-negative carbon sequestration," says ecologist Timothy Treuer from Princeton University.’

sciencealert.com/how-12-000-to…



A Sunday morning article on COVID in New Zealand

rnz.co.nz/news/covid-19/525469…

Reading it the key messages seem to be:

* Only those who are vulnerable really feel the effects of it.

* No mention of long COVID and the health complications we know can come from infection.

* It’s just sniffles we have to get used to

It’s minimising, and an ableist + eugenicist take on it all.

in reply to Dave 🚀

* You can get reinfected within weeks of a previous infection. Immunity isn’t guaranteed by infection or vaccine.

This is because it is a virus that really damages your immune system. It is constantly mutating, due to being highly contagious and people not taking mitigation measures seriously.

This entry was edited (3 months ago)
in reply to Dave 🚀

“We’ve got to live with it”

Exactly. This doesn’t mean throwing other people under the bus, and waiting until you’re in their position to give a stuff.


in reply to Rob C 🐳

@robcee @paperdigits They're not really weather sealed. It's the one* big weak point of the GR III / GR IIIx.

(* aside from the price)

I still love mine and bring it with me quite a bit (when I'm not bringing my Fuji X-T5 (and a lens). I just try to not get caught in a rainstorm with the Ricoh.

in reply to Hubert Figuière

@paperdigits @garrett compared to most of the latest mirrorless cameras that’s still a bargain. I love fixed focal length cameras.


[Book Review] Witchcraft on a Shoestring takes the reader through a fun and engaging journey of magical practices that don’t require expensive tools or materials. Readers will have a magical time creating spells, divinations, and even recipes that cost little to no money, which reminds us that we don’t need fancy items to practice the Craft; all we need is a little imagination!

wildhunt.org/2024/08/review-wi…

#budget #witchcraft #bookreview #moneymagic #deborahblake #pagan



Watch this space - exciting news coming soon! | AppleVis applevis.com/blog/end-era-mess…

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in reply to AnonyMouse

@FreakyFwoof So, perhaps it’s not the end of an era after all?
This entry was edited (3 months ago)


#AndroidAppRain at apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid today brings you 5 updated and 1 added app:

As @organicmaps was kicked out of PlayStore, I decided to make an exception adding it to #IzzyOnDroid despite of being twice the per-app size limit. It's the "web" variant that comes with (part of) GMS inside for network location. As there are other apps at F-Droid and IoD supporting network location without GMS, I hope to help OM to get rid of this NonFreeComp, though.

Welcome aboard IoD, OrganicMaps!

in reply to IzzyOnDroid ✅

Looks like the app is again visible in this thing named "PlayStore"?!

fosstodon.org/@organicmaps/112…



Get ready to rep accessibility with the limited edition WordPress Accessibility Day 2024 t-shirt! Want one? One way to get your own is to Donate or sponsor at a Micro level and get a guaranteed tee! Volunteer and score a free shirt! 2024.wpaccessibility.day/shirt… #WPA11yDay #WPAD2024 #accessibility #a11yEvents


This is the longest of longshots but... people here seems to know everything about the most obscure stuff. Does anyone know of an #NVDA remote client for Linux? There is one for Android, sort of one for iOS, but I have yet to see one for Linux. I'm thinking it may not be difficult, and would definitely be nice to have. Servers/relays are already available, does anyone know of a client? Boosts are, of course, very welcome, indeed, they'd be appreciated. #blind #A11Y #screenreader

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Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Systems Like Starlink Cause Environmental Harm Regulators Didn’t Prepare For

Last June scientists warned that low-Earth orbit ( #LEO ) satellites constantly burning up in orbit could release chemicals that could undermine the progress we’ve made repairing the #ozone #layer.

Researchers at USC noted that at peak, 1,005 U.S. tons of aluminum will fall to Earth,
releasing ♦️397 U.S. tons of aluminum oxides ♦️per year to the atmosphere, an
💥increase of 646% over natural levels. 💥

Numerous companies, most notably Elon Musk’s #Starlink and Jeff Bezos’ #Blue #Origin,
are working on launching tens of thousands of small LEO satellites in the coming years.

A new report by U.S. PIRG adds to concerns that these launches haven’t been thought through environmentally,
noting that the disposable nature of such satellites means ♦️29 tons of satellites ♦️will re-enter our atmosphere every day at peak.

After years of delays, the FCC did recently release rules requiring that satellites be removed from orbit within five years to help minimize “space junk.”

But the organization notes that very little if any thought was given by innovation-cowed regulators toward the 🔸environmental impact of so many smaller satellites constantly burning up in orbit:🔸

“We shouldn’t rush into deploying an untested and under-researched technology into new environments without comprehensive review.

Over just five years Starlink has launched more than 6,000 units and now make up more than 60% of all satellites.

The new space race took off faster than governments were able to act.”

The steady launches are also a notable pollution concern, the report notes,
releasing ♦️“soot in the atmosphere equivalent to 7 million diesel dump trucks circling the globe, each year.”

#SpaceX has consistently played fast and loose with #environmental #regulations,
with regulators even in lax Texas starting to give the company grief for releasing significant #pollutants into nearby bodies of water.

techdirt.com/2024/08/16/report…

This entry was edited (3 months ago)



Everyone who builds web applications should read the Reckoning series by @slightlyoff infrequently.org/series/reckon…

My own notes here, but you should work through the entire thing: simonwillison.net/2024/Aug/18/…

Seriously, take a look at the case-study in which the California food stamps signup site takes 29.5s to become interactive on a slow rural mobile connection, and tell me we don't urgently need to do better! infrequently.org/2024/08/objec…

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"Parking your 2 ton death machine's hood over the pavement like an arsehole."

submitted by u/juoig7799
redd.it/1ev3sol
#fuckcars

in reply to Fuck Cars Bot 🤖

You know why american sidewalks are so narrow? Because otherwise they would be confused with parking.


The Slow Decline of the Apple “Cult” macstories.net/linked/the-slow…


Piešťanské zábaly... nie, nebol som sa rochniť v bahne - bol som si vychutnať trochu kultúry na prvom ročníku tohto divadeľného festivalu. Štvordňový vstup by bol na mňa trochu moc, ale žiaden problém - na každé predstavenie sa dal kúpiť lístok osve. Bolo to super, a to množstvo ľudí, ktorí prejavili záujem o takéto podujatie, bolo ohromujúce aj pre usporiadateľov.

Jediný zlý bod boli, samozrejme, ľudia. Ani to, že si kúpite celodenný lístok na divadelný festival z vás kultúrneho človeka neurobí. Dupľom nie, ak sa vám počas celého predstavenia nezavrú ústa a na slušné upozornenie, či by sa vám lepšie nerozprávalo hneď vedľa v kaviarni iba tupo konštatujete, že tu sa vám dobre rozpráva...

#piestany #divadlo #kultura #nekultura

This entry was edited (3 months ago)


When writing an email do you use 'I hope this email finds you well'❓

And how would you think people look like when they actually get your email⁉️

#emailwriting#emailmemes#findsyouwell#tuta#tutamail

in reply to Tuta

Gibt es da irgendeinen Kontext zu, den ich nicht kenne oder irgendeine sonstige erklärung?
Ich verstehe das sonst nicht.
Unknown parent

Tuta
@DJxSpeedy What's wrong with that music? :D


Seventeen years ago, I pissed off Apple by stating their first Intel MacBook Pro got really hot. I was in my early 20s, my first year at @osnews, and they were pressuring me to change my review. I effectively told them to fuck off, and they kicked me out of their review/press program.

Now look at everyone getting press access from Apple, and think to yourself - would any of them tell Apple to fuck off?

osnews.com/story/140522/google…



Great Braille Game! I learned about this game from Holly Anderson of the Maccessibility Podcast.
Brailliance is a Braille version of the popular Wordle game with a little twist.
You are given the total number of dots in the word, and you have to guess what the word is by figuring out the letters in the word with each of your guesses.
For example. The word has a total of 10 dots.
So your first guess is tale, t, a, l, e.
It tells you that 3 of those letters are in the word, and one is not.
t, a, and l, are in the word, and the letter e is not.
Please note: those letters are part of the final word, but they do not have to be in that order.
So lets see, the letters t, a, and l, equal a total of 8 dots, so you only have 2 dots left to make the final word.
And you only have 4 letters left with 2 dots, b, c, i, and k.
So now it is just a process of elimination
For this word, the correct other letter was k. So the final word was talk, t, a, l, k.
The tough part is figuring out words that have a specific number of dots, but this gets easier the more you play.
Plus, to help you out, the total number of dots for each letter can be found on the letters of the on-screen keyboard.
So how good do you know your Braille? Ready to take the challenge?
Just like Wordle, there is a new puzzle every day, as well as some other puzzle packs that you can play on the side if you like.
The game is totally free, and does have a cost to get rid of ads if you want.
I actually find this game more fun and challenging as Wordle! So I highly recommend giving it a try.
Here is the app store link.
apps.apple.com/us/app/braillia…

#Game #Accessible #Wordle #Braille #Maccessibility #Blind
@dhsholly

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