mastodon - Link to source
so, so. to you all Linux nerds. It has come to my atention to even Linux fusses at not having a display connected with some apps. Case in point: Tuba. In Linux, how can I make it have a dummy software-based display if at all? how can I trick apps like Tuba into thinking one is connected? thanks! For now I made a grub edit: /etc/default/grub, adding to the Grub_CMDLine_linux_default= "... video=HDMI-A-1:1920x1080@60e" - this appears to force it well. Looks like some GTK apps just don't synchronize A11Y events well without one, and that's just so odd.
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)

mastodon - Link to source

All I can add [1] to @pluralistic's latest is that Apple are the primary force keeping us from having powerful, interoperable apps on phones through suppression of the web. It's not an accident, and @owa has the receipts [2]:

pluralistic.net/2025/09/26/emp…

[1]: infrequently.org/2025/09/apple…
[2]: open-web-advocacy.org/blog/app…


Apple's Browser Engine Ban Persists, Even Under the DMA - Open Web Advocacy

Open Web Advocacy
@Cory Doctorow @Open Web Advocacy
in reply to Hubert Figuière

mastodon - Link to source

James Just James

We should definitely not kill Canada Post but it's kind of unacceptable that it's so badly run. It could easily even turn a profit, every other shipping company in the world does. But incompetence in government owned businesses isn't punished, that's the root cause issue I think. I am a huge supporter of unions but some of the requirements they have achieved for staff have made the service untenably expensive to run. So instead we're going to lose it which is worse.

mastodon - Link to source
Protože 3 práce, doma dva puberťáci, necestuji MHD a plno jiných výmluv, mé čtení je rok od roku horší. Kde jsou ty časy se 150 přečtenými knihami ročně.
Ale každoročně si dávám na Goodreads challenge, přečíst tolik knih, kolik je mi let. Pak to přes Vánoce doháním komiksama a dětskou literaturou 🙈 Ale letos! Letos už mám splněno 😍
38 přečtených a jedeme dál 📚#knihomoLOVE
#knihomolove

mastodon - Link to source
A long blog post to explain the artificial complexity of XLSX files, as compared to ODS files: blog.documentfoundation.org/bl… @opendocument @libreoffice

The artificial complexity of OOXML files (the XLSX case) - The Document Foundation Blog

The post, published on 18 July 2025, which explained why an artificially complex XML schema, such as that used by Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office) files, is in fact a subtle tool for locking in users because it is invisible and impossible to…
Italo Vignoli (The Document Foundation)
@LibreOffice
in reply to LibreOffice

mastodon - Link to source

Dr John A Stevenson

Nice post. This reminds me of the ESRI Enterprise Geodatabase system.

You can build one into a PostgreSQL database, but you can't edit data with non-ESRI tools because it handles IDs and relations in its own way. It's built like that because the same structure is used in their other GeoDatabase formats, but it has the convenient side-effect of locking the data into their tools.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geodat…

#postgis #gis

family of proprietary GIS data formats

Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)
#gis #postgis

mastodon - Link to source

Me, if I made something and showed it to the world, and the world’s reaction was “that thing is an unholy abomination, kill it with fire before its existence condemns us all,” I would have a pretty long night of the soul. I would question everything I thought I believed. But that’s me, I’m built different

arstechnica.com/ai/2025/09/why…

Late last week, The Hollywood Reporter ran a story about an "AI Stan Lee hologram" that would be appearing at the LA Comic Con this weekend. Nearly seven years after the famous Marvel Comics creator’s death at the age of 95, fans will be able to pay $15 to $20 this weekend to chat with a life-sized, AI-powered avatar of Lee in an enclosed booth at the show. The instant response from many fans and media outlets to the idea was not kind, to say the least. A writer for TheGamer called the very idea "demonic" and said we need to "kill it with fire before it’s too late." The AV Club urged its readers not to pay to see "the anguished digital ghost of a beloved comic book creator, repurposed as a trap for chumps!" Reactions on a popular Reddit thread ranged from calling it "incredibly disrespectful" and "in bad taste" to "ghoulish" and "so fucked up," with very little that was more receptive to the concept. But Chris DeMoulin, the CEO of the parent company behind LA Comic Con, urged critics to come see the AI-powered hologram for themselves before rushing to judgment. "We're not afraid of people seeing it and we're not afraid of criticism," he told Ars. "I’m just a fan of informed criticism, and I think most of what's been out there so far has not really been informed."

Why LA Comic Con thought making an AI-powered Stan Lee hologram was a good idea

“I suppose if we do it and thousands of fans… don’t like it, we’ll stop doing it.”…
Kyle Orland (Ars Technica)

gotosocial - Link to source

Anyone know why this is happening? Confused! I just tried favouriting or replying to a post from gts to masto, and this!

An error occurred while sending your toot. The reported problem was:

Server did not return an OK response code (403: Forbidden: you do not have permission to reply to this status)

No idea what is causing that, no settings on my end, so I assumed masto has updated something for interaction requests and now I can't interact. Some #FediHelp would be appreciated, or anyone who knows something about this, thanks in advance! Lots love! :)

#fedihelp

mastodon - Link to source

I forgot that I did eventually edit the first line of the book. It was originally, "I did not want to write this book."

Disabling Intelligences eBook is available now link.springer.com/book/10.1007…

Image text : I’ll be honest. When thinking about what books might live in me, this was never one of them. It was certainly not the book I thought I would write first. I never wanted to become known for artificial intelligence (AI) criticism at all. I want to sit in a lab and tinker with tech, building little gadgets that delight my disabled kin. I want to maintain surreptitious code bases of free little hacks that disrupt our perpetually inaccessible and downright-hostile world. I want to share disabled DIY specs through crumpled little zines posted in libraries and coffee houses. I want to run a free digital manufacturing center just for disabled people to come and build exactly what they want without a doctor, insurance company, or bank account telling them what body they’re allowed to have.
But in order to do that, I have to fight the inadequacies in technology policy and medical care. And in order to do that, I have to fight the AI industrial complex. Because underneath every insurance rejection is a predictive algorithm, behind every assistive technology is a data collection scheme, and now, behind every technology policy is an AI hype man.

#AI #AIhype #Disability #eugenics #metaeugenics

Image text : I’ll be honest. When thinking about what books might live in me, this was never one of them. It was certainly not the book I thought I would write first. I never wanted to become known for artificial intelligence (AI) criticism at all. I want to sit in a lab and tinker with tech, building little gadgets that delight my disabled kin. I want to maintain surreptitious code bases of free little hacks that disrupt our perpetually inaccessible and downright-hostile world. I want to share disabled DIY specs through crumpled little zines posted in libraries and coffee houses. I want to run a free digital manufacturing center just for disabled people to come and build exactly what they want without a doctor, insurance company, or bank account telling them what body they’re allowed to have. But in order to do that, I have to fight the inadequacies in technology policy and medical care. And in order to do that, I have to fight the AI industrial complex. Because underneath every insurance rejection is a predictive algorithm, behind every assistive technology is a data collection scheme, and now, behind every technology policy is an AI hype man.

Disabling Intelligences

This book discusses the influences of eugenics on the AI industry and the impacts of AI opportunism on disabled people.
SpringerLink
#AI #Disability #AIhype #eugenics #MetaEugenics

mastodon - Link to source

Anyone using NetUpDown?

apt.izzysoft.de/packages/com.b…

The app wasn't updated since 2017, but we still see a lot of downloads for it (by F-Droid clients), so chances are folks here will still have tried it. Does it still work, so we shall keep it – or is it rather broken, so we'd better remove it from the #IzzyOnDroid repo?

EDIT: Confirmed twice now, for Android 15+16, so we'll keep it. Thanks!

#serviceToot #FollowerPower

„NetUpDown“ – IzzyOnDroid F-Droid Repository

Upstream - Net speed floating window
IzzyOnDroid Repo Browser
#followerpower #serviceToot #izzyondroid
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
in reply to Deus Figendi.jwd

mastodon - Link to source

IzzyOnDroid ✅

@deusfigendi Yupp. But still, there's always the question of whether a newer Android version breaks things. And with our small team, we cannot test all the 1.3k+ apps continuously – as unfortunately our funding is not sufficient to cover even a part-time job, so we all have our $dayjobs to cover, and care for IzzyOnDroid in our spare time. Luckily, funding at least covers server costs, and thanks to NLnet we can cover some other long-due tasks…
@Deus Figendi.jwd

mastodon - Link to source

🌹Dear friends,
I’m writing to you from Gaza, where life has become extremely difficult. I understand everyone has their own responsibilities and struggles, but if you are able to help—even in a small way—through this link, I would be deeply grateful.
Even simply sharing the link with others would mean so much to me and my family.
Thank you kindly, and may you always be safe and well 🌷

gofundme.com/f/fled-gaza-bombs…

#gaza #donate #palestine #genocide

#palestine #donate #genocide #Gaza

mastodon - Link to source

After a short break, I’m returning to accessibility training services.

I provide one-on-one training for blind and visually impaired users across multiple platforms. My teaching is practical and goal-driven: not just commands, but confidence, independence, and efficient workflows that carry into daily life, study, and work.

I cover:
iOS: VoiceOver gestures, rotor navigation, Braille displays, Safari, text editing, Mail and Calendars, Shortcuts, and making the most of iOS apps for productivity, communication, and entertainment.
macOS: VoiceOver from basics to advanced, Trackpad Commander, Safari and Mail, iWork and Microsoft Office, file management, Terminal, audio tools, and system upkeep.
Windows: NVDA and JAWS from beginner to advanced. Training includes Microsoft Office, Outlook, Teams, Zoom, web browsing, customizing screen readers, handling less accessible apps, and scripting basics.
Android: TalkBack gestures, the built-in Braille keyboard and Braille display support, text editing, app accessibility, privacy and security settings, and everyday phone and tablet use.
Linux: Orca and Speakup, console navigation, package management, distro setup, customizing desktops, and accessibility under Wayland.

Concrete goals I can help you achieve:
Set up a new phone, tablet, or computer
Send and manage email independently
Browse the web safely and efficiently
Work with documents, spreadsheets, and presentations
Manage files and cloud storage
Use social media accessibly
Work with Braille displays and keyboards
Install and configure accessible software across platforms
Troubleshoot accessibility issues and build reliable workflows
Make the most of AI in a useful, productive way
Grow from beginner skills to advanced, efficient daily use

I bring years of lived experience as a blind user of these systems. I teach not only what manuals say, but the real-world shortcuts, workarounds, and problem-solving skills that make technology practical and enjoyable.

Remote training is available worldwide.

Pricing: fair and flexible — contact me for a quote. Discounts available for multi-session packages and ongoing weekly training.

Contact:
UK: 07447 931232
US: 772-766-7331
If these don’t work for you, email me at aaron.graham.hewitt@gmail.com

If you, or someone you know, could benefit from personalized accessibility training, I’d be glad to help.

#Accessibility #Blind #VisuallyImpaired #ScreenReaders #JAWS #NVDA #VoiceOver #TalkBack #Braille #AssistiveTechnology #DigitalInclusion #InclusiveTech #LinuxAccessibility #WindowsAccessibility #iOSAccessibility #AndroidAccessibility #MacAccessibility #Orca #ATTraining #TechTraining #AccessibleTech

#Accessibility #blind #talkback #screenreaders #braille #nvda #jaws #voiceover #visuallyimpaired #orca #assistivetechnology #inclusivetech #Androidaccessibility #accessibletech #digitalinclusion #techtraining #linuxaccessibility #macaccessibility #windowsaccessibility #iosaccessibility #attraining
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)

reshared this

mastodon - Link to source
Regarding my rant on those share.google links, they definitely are not there for your benefit. Every URL they make for you is unique, and you can be sure they use this for tracking. share.google/QORPsGkbhYKRBUhz1 and share.google/N9M35AUGzdVsPijVw both point at exactly the same page. And carry 100 bits of entropy. The redirect goes past www.google.com so they can hoover up your google cookies also...

Nederlands ingenieur

Bijdragers aan Wikimedia-projecten (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)

reshared this

mastodon - Link to source
Here's something @MutedTrampet might find interesting. There's a program called Ptmid for MS-DOS to convert, with many restrictions, MIDI files to Mod files. A zip containing source code, docs, and DOS executable can be found at: archive.org/download/ptmid3_zi… and of course it doesn't want to compile under modern compilers or I'd make a Windows binary. Anyway I spent some time playing with it last night and one of the results is a strange conversion of a MIDI I made years ago that @BorrisInABox and @cordova5029 among others will no doubt appreciate. Here's a wav of it.

ptmid3_zip directory listing

archive.org
@Mohamed Al-Hajamy 💾 @Xantastic @Patrick Perdue
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