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Monal 6.4.5 (Build 982, PR #1258) released.

To see the complete list of bugfixes and improvements, check our releases page: github.com/monal-im/Monal/rele…

Appstore install links:
apps.apple.com/app/id317711500 (iOS)
apps.apple.com/app/id163707850… (macOS)

#Monal #ios #macos #xmpp #im #chat #messaging

This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)


We just added #forgejo and #sharkey integration to our list of tutorials, see: joinjabber.org/tutorials/integ…
Integrations like this make it very easy to add #xmpp accounts to existing services and #fediverse instances.


"You should be using an RSS reader" - yessss

for example the @delta bot at feedsb@mailchat.pl: i.delta.chat/#024C525D627CBF5A…

And then send "/sub pluralistic.net/feed" to it as the first command! You will not regret it.

---> @pluralistic




7 Common Online Scams to Watch Out for and How to Stay Safe howtogeek.com/common-online-sc…



Star Wars Outlaws accessibility improvements of update 1.2 caniplaythat.com/2024/10/06/st…


Overcoming Barriers: A Blind Person's Take on Workplace Accessibility blog.usablenet.com/overcoming-…

Tamas G reshared this.

in reply to David Goldfield

I have to totally agree with the author of this article. It is amazing how many companies are running old everything from software to computers to totally outdated phone systems.


Black Friday Came Early! Act Now to Get 87% off Surfshark VPN thestreamable.com/save-87-perc…


🚀 Phanpy byl aktualizován! 🎉
Právě jsme aktualizoval novou verzi Phanpy! 📢 Verze 2024.10.15.e3df9ff
💬 Máte návrhy nebo jste našli chyby v překladu? Lokalizace ještě není kompletní, takže uvítáme jakékoliv návrhy na zlepšení a pomoc s překladem.
phanpy.cz
#Phanpy #Mastodon #Update #Localization #OpenSource


Odkud k nám přicházejí lidé navštěvit náš blog zaměřený na popularizaci vědy, mediální gramotnost, boj s dezinformacemi a knižní recenze?
pepikhipik.com/
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
in reply to Archos

@archos Moc děkuju za nabídku. Od září jsem teď v jednom kole, ne, že by to přinášelo potřebné peníze do rodinné pokladničky :) Vidím to až na leden a třeba osobní setkání? Jsem tvým dlužníkem a rád se naučím nebo aspoň seznámím se světem technologií, kde nejsem úplně doma.
in reply to PepikHipik

Úplně v pohodě, já budu rád, že se budou aplikace víc využívat.


ACB was proud to stand with our partners to draw attention to Uber’s and Lyft’s failures to stop discrimination against people who are blind or have low vision, particularly those accompanied by guide dogs. Read the press release: acb.org/acb-sends-representati…

reshared this



I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I'll let you know.


Running #chatmail servers is <2h effort per month, according to an ad-hoc poll with 10 operators responding. Some have 10Ks of #deltachat users. Typically 300MB ram is used and max 60gb disc space per server. And all interoperate safely based on high security standards (DKIM and TLS enforced, and only no-metadata #openpgp encrypted messages allowed) .... with typically 0.5 secs end-to-end delivery. Who said again that email is insecure, cumbersome and slow? :)


Calling #MicrosoftDisabilityAnswerDesk because when I exit out of Outlook it isn't fully exiting and can still be seen in task manager and thus won't reopen fun for a Wednesday night.
in reply to Robin Frost

You know, I remember recently hearing someone else having that problem with Outlook but I never found out what they did, if anything, to resolve it. Please, let us know what they tell you when you call them as I'm curious.
in reply to David Goldfield

@DavidGoldfield I have a vague memory of having it on another machine in the past and back then I feel like it had something to do with a corrupted Outlook Profile but that's all I recall. The man who helped me tonight didn't mention that. Perhaps it was beyond his knowledge base. So he escalated me and supposedly an escalation tech will call me on Friday afternoon to solve this as a quick repair of Office didn't solve the problem.
in reply to Robin Frost

Robin, have you tried disabling (not removing) all of the Outlook addins to see if that solves your shutdown issue?
Also, what antivirus or antimalware program are you using and does that program have an option to integrate with Outlook? If it does, try temporarily disabling that option annd then see if Outlook shuts down properly.
in reply to Robin Frost

In case you haven't already seen this article, it may be worth reading. It's extremely detailed and much of it might not apply to your situation but, just in case ..
slipstick.com/problems/outlook…
in reply to David Goldfield

@DavidGoldfield Interesting read. Thank you for it. Only one add-in they mentioned do I find here. I'll keep you posted as to how it progresses.



At this point, can we all just agree that the menu options recently changing when you call a place is implied now?

Tamas G reshared this.

in reply to Justin Yarbrough

What, you mean you don't like waiting for an extra 75 seconds at the start of a call to hear those messages?


Subscriptions are getting much easier to manage thanks to the new FTC "Click to Cancel" rule that blocks companies from deceptive or malicious tactics that keep customers from canceling.

appleinsider.com/articles/24/1…



Good day people.
There any android OS with accessibility enabled or with accessibility related components bundled which I can install to my system? I know about android x86 project, but to my knowledge, they don't bundle talkback with it.
in reply to Thaqib

I know of Blue Stacks, but I've never tried it. bluestacks.com/
in reply to Cleverson

@clv0 That thing sucks. Can't even use ocr to enable accessibility. It uses some sort of bloated custom launcher with game installation ads.


When Québecois journalists learn to speak just one indigenous language, then they just might have a semblance of a reason to criticize our Governor General

cbc.ca/news/politics/gov-gen-s…

#QCPoli #CdnPoli

in reply to Harold Jarche

Franco fascism is in full force in the newspapers. It's very shameful.


Am I the only one who, when I hear the term "boot loop" I always think of Fruit Loops?


My thoughts on the AirPods 4 with active noise cancelation after using them for a few weeks.
1. They sound a lot better than my AirPods 3. More balanced, less cheap, more treble. That goes for calls too—the difference is night and day.
2. Transparency is subtle but effective. No accommodation settings, but that's not surprising. It'd be hard to make amplified transparency on open-ear buds.
3. Noise cancelation is okay but not amazing for me. The way others talk about it, I suspect this has to do with the way they fit in my ears, which is quite loosely. It blocks out a lot of lows and mids but the highs are still there. Also, speaking while ANC is enabled feels really weird because the natural reverberation of my own voice gets canceled out a lot. I don't notice this effect nearly as much with the pros or any other ANC headset, for some reason. There's some kind of pressure in my ears and it's not to the point of being uncomfortable, but it's a strange feeling that I wouldn't call pleasant.
4. They die a little more quickly than I'd like. I have to swap back to my 3's a few times a day and wait for them to charge again.
5. I don't think the ANC version was worth the extra $50 USD but the $129 version comes with a case that doesn't make sounds. This is annoying because...
6. They replaced the button with a double-tap gesture. To pair the AirPods, you double-tap on the front and wait for an indicator light. If you have the case with sounds, you'll also hear a beep. I don't know why they did this, but because the gesture doesn't always work perfectly, we have to pay the accessibility tax to get audible feedback when pairing mode is engaged. I'd happily go back to a button.
7. I am really disappointed that even the ANC pods don't have the swipe gestures for changing volume. That doesn't feel like something that should be a pros-only feature.

Overall, I think the non-ANC AirPods are a steal at $129 US, the ANC versions are not bad for $179 as a sort of halfway point, but if you're already paying upward of $179 and don't mind ear tips, the pros are a better investment. I actually own the pros and like them, but I would have liked to see a midrange option that took on as many pros features as possible while remaining open-ear, and Apple almost got there, but didn't. In addition to the lack of volume swipes, we have no stereo audio on phone calls, which is a much smaller deal to most people but would still have been nice.

This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)


Meta lays off even more of my friends theverge.com/2024/10/16/242721…


We can say all we want about VOiceOver shortcut keys, but VO+a is certainly one of the coolest in my books. Just press it whenever you want to read everything on the web page. This is, of course, valid only if VO can navigate the content. #accessibility


Fable Raises $25m in Series B Funding to Protect Digital globenewswire.com/news-release…


Any friends know if the new Braille pen 24-cell is available to purchase in the US somehow? BraillePen by Harpo. (their contact page is at braillepen.com/contact/)
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)

David Goldfield reshared this.

in reply to Tamas G

I haven't seen Harpo products in the U.S. for a minute. I wonder how much it's going for? That size of display is a harder sell now with the free eReaders.
in reply to Jage

@Jage ah yeah interesting, didn't realize they're a Polish company. Wanted to pick one up for my partner - they like the portability of the smaller displays. Looking at the Dealer page they list some in Mexico for North America, and their UK dealer does not list the product which was odd and thwarted me from finding a price. (braillepen.com/contact/) - suppose I'll also fill that form out and see what they get back to me with.
@Jage
in reply to Tamas G

@Mendi_Tech I was just looking at their site. I can't seem to find a user manual for the 24 cell version.


This could be a very good solution for those not wanting to connect to their phone hotspot, as that can be a battery drain. There's lots of potential here. T-Mobile launches first-of-a-kind 5G connectivity device with a special introductory discount - PhoneArena phonearena.com/news/T-Mobile-l…


If you’re trans and you are considering working for a remote-first company, ask them where they hold their offsites.

If you are a remote-first company that does offsites, do some background research on whether your trans employees can safely travel to and exist in the country (and state/region in the case of federations like the US) that you plan on holding your next offsite in.



Christ you know you're a complete and utter nerd when you can listen to somebody with CP talking with a speaking device and instantly pick out precisely which text to speech voice they're using. It was Acapella Graham, BTW.
in reply to Haily Merry

interestingly at my job I worked with an intern who used an AAC device and it used Heather, so maybe Acapella is just super popular for communications devices which is interesting.
in reply to Tamas G

@Tamasg Yeah it is quite surprising actually, considering that companies can still very easily get licensing for Ivona for around the same price, see voice dream, and they still sell it for SAPI users contrary to popular myth. Also I feel like the good versions of Nuance Daniel would be better from just a sounding sort of normal prospective, although I guess now you'd want to go with Piper TTS or whatever assuming something like that can realistically be made to work with one of these devices.


Apparently we’ve decided to just skip the fall and go straight to winter. I’m so cold. Lol. Seriously I got a thicker comforter for the bed and everything to go along with the warm blanket. I’ll wash the thinner one and put it away for spring. Did pretty well with that in the blanket all last winter, but I feel like this is going to be a colder one.
in reply to Allison Meloy

Yep, it's getting colder in my area, as well. Personally, I'm quite the fan of weighted blankets and I now can't imagine sleeping without one.
in reply to Allison Meloy

It took me a bit of time to get used to a weighted blanket but now it just feels normal to me. They're probably not for everyone, though, but there's nothing like being fully under a weighted blanket with my cat lying on my arm.
in reply to David Goldfield

@DavidGoldfield Just the thought of a weighted flanket makes mth chest feel tight. Definitely not for me.
in reply to David Goldfield

@DavidGoldfield I think a weighted blanket is one of the most impactful things a blind person can buy that will significantly improve their sleep.

David Goldfield reshared this.

in reply to Jonathan Mosen

@JonathanMosen @DavidGoldfield Why do you think that a weighted blanket is particularly good for blind people, Jonathan? Just curious! I haven't slept under a blanket for years, and a weighted one sounds oppressive to me, that just goes to prove how little I know about them.
in reply to Clare Page

@frog67 @DavidGoldfield Just that a good number of blind people live with non-24, and there are many credible studies that weighted blankets can facilitate deeper sleet. It made a massive difference for me.
in reply to Jonathan Mosen

@JonathanMosen ah, it was you! :)
I have nothing against their use, of course. But thank you for my difficult morning with someone telling me it's the best thing sliced bread today LOL
in reply to Jeffrey D. Stark

@jstark @JonathanMosen Weighted blankets are an acquired taste and it can take a bit of getting used to. For a while after I started using it, my impulse was always to take it partially off of me so that it only covered my legs. At some point, I got used to it and now I have to cover myself up to my shoulders in order for it to feel perfect. I don't have non-24, by the way, but I had heard about them and just wanted to try it and now I can't imagine sleeping without it.
in reply to Jonathan Mosen

@DavidGoldfield I'm not sure I understand ... okay, I know I don't understand the correlation between weighted blankets and blindness.
in reply to Bruce Toews

@Bruce_Toews I haven't reviewed these studies but I gather it's not so much about blindness but about improving the quality of sleep, which is certainly an issue for those who have non-24. .


Wednesday's weirdness: I can thank Jira Cloud for this little input-dependent hint: "Use the enter key to load the issue view." Not so bad at first look, but why this has to be attached directly to the accessibility label for their buttons is beyond me, and once you're viewing a kanban board with more than 8 or 9 issues on it, it gets old very quickly. Coincidentally these types of verbose hint additions is why I also why not throw AI as far as a rock to create good accessible practices.
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)


I just released reproducible-apk-tools v0.3.0 :nkotada:

github.com/obfusk/reproducible…

Mostly small improvements, e.g. the AXML parser now supports offset16/compact/sparse ResTable type/entry, no major changes. I have not yet found a test case for FLAG_SPARSE, so support is untested and help is appreciated!

NB: this release changes the license from GPLv3+ to AGPLv3+.



Welcome to the RB family, NeoStumbler 🥳

apt.izzysoft.de/packages/xyz.m…

NeoStumbler lets you collect locations of Wi-Fi networks, cell towers and Bluetooth beacons to geolocation services that are API compatible with Mozilla Location Services (as e.g. used in microG)

Thanks for your help, jaakko!

#reproducibleBuilds #IzzyOnDroid


in reply to Terence Eden

I tried asking three questions of #WordPress.

Q. Can Core Contributors continue to log in if they're affiliated with WP Engine?
A. We can't answer that. Please don't ask.

Q. Do contributors need to sign a CLA?
A. No.

Q. Can GitHub users send a Pull Request if they're affiliate with WP Engine?
A. (After much wailing and gnashing of teeth) We don't know. No one from WordPress will tell the volunteers anything.

Very dispiriting.



I'm halfway through the #DoctorWho episode "the Reign of Terror", audio only, narrated by Carole Ann Ford. It's great escapism and the audio quality of the story is extremely good. There are some First Doctor and Second Doctor stories that I still haven't heard and I'm trying to make my way through them.


Measuring the success of free software seems very difficult. However, beneath all the superficial technical complexity, governance problems, sustainability issues and legal arguments, software freedom is about one thing: user agency. Therefore, measuring the success of the movement is simple. If the movement is successful, the average child will be able to point to a UI element on a screen they’re using, say “I want that to be purple”, and then make it so.

Given that, how are we doing?



Be advised of a botnet of ActivityPub accounts registered as username yqqwe

These accounts appear to be part of a Beijing-based command-and-control structure to distribute spam and SEO links, associated with the Mastodon service found at mastodon[.]tinynews[.]org

We recommend reviewing local and remote accounts with this username.

We also recommend reviewing federation policies for the associated domain.

We strongly recommend not following any associated links or downloads.



One sad consequence of global migration is the distance - literal & metaphorical - it puts between kids and their grandparents.

Growing up in East London, I never learned to speak Igbo, and since my grandparents couldn't speak English, we never had a real conversation before they died.

It's different with my kids; their grandparents speak English. But grandmas show love through food - and so they cook amala, ewedu, asaro - when all my kids want are chicken nuggets.



Has anyone gotten Android 15 rolled out to their pixel yet? If so, how's it working with Talkback?


This post is for AT&T Wireless customers in the US. We just moved, so naturally my dad and I want to change our cell phone numbers so we're in the correct area code. The problem I'm seeing is that at least online, what AT&T will do is to give you a new number, then your old number goes kaput immediately. That was all well and good back in the day when you just had a landline and voice calls and that's it, you just give everyone your new number and go on. But now that various services insist on doing two-factor authentication using SMS (and the ways in which that is insecure are well known to me but completely beside the point for this post) we'll be running into a situation where we go to log onto something or other to change our number, and they want to send a code to our old number which no longer works, when the very reason for visiting the site was to let them know the old number no longer works and to give them the new number. And yet, since as far as I know you can't get your new number confirmed until the old one goes away at the same time, you can't go into these sites and change the old to the new while the old is still active, as you don't even know what the new number's going to be until the old one's gone. Am I completely barking up the wrong tree? Is there a solution to this conundrum? Please boost for reach. Thanks.
in reply to Khronos

@khronos May not want o do that if any 2FA system uses short code numbers, they would not be received by Google Voice. I'm pretty sure that is still the case today.