simon

@simon@dragonscave.space

Accessibility tester, bookworm, occasional musician and audio producer, coffee addict, selfhoster, tech tinkerer, blind from birth.

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spaciath, to random
@spaciath@dragonscave.space avatar

It's all fucking broken. Why did I believe my ex wife when she said I could learn Ubuntu and run my own VPS? I clearly don't know what I'm doing.

simon,

@spaciath @sasquatch Are you on a nanode yet? Can't remember if you actually did that. I'm happy to look at it on a whenever-I'm-actually-available basis if you want.

simon,

@spaciath Your problem is that your domain is through Squarespace. Namecheap is easy. Not exactly what I'd call 100% accessible, but easy.

simon, to random

The average English proficiency of Uber drivers in Vancouver is frustratingly low. I can't fault people for doing whatever job they can in such a hellishly expensive city, but it'd be nice if I could maybe communicate some basic things to the people who are tasked with making sure I get places.

simon, to random

I'm back to reading fanfiction until I get bored, so I'm using VoiceDream rather than BookPlayer. It was mostly stable until perhaps yesterday or the day before. Now it frequently refuses to start reading with Eloquence after being idle for a while. I really wanted it to be better, and it certainly is compared to last year, but it's still annoyingly buggy and if I had paid the subscription cost, I would have regretted doing so. I've had @Voice Aloud quit in the background once, but I can't remember if that was before or after I turned off all the Unihertz power management.

simon,

@cordova5029 Resonance / Revolution / Resolution. Not sure if the series has an official name. Curious what you'll think. It's pretty long. I also don't know if Resolution is complete though. I seem to get interested in a lot of things that aren't. Another fantastic one is Loose Cannon. And Prince of Slytherin. And and and and

chikim, to random
@chikim@mastodon.social avatar

VOLlama v0.1.4-beta.1: System Prompt manager; Import Awesome ChatGPT Prompts; Partial support for GPT-4O (Throws an error for token counter in some cases but just ignore for now); Able to attach entire document and feed for long context model. https://chigkim.github.io/VOLlama/

simon,

@chikim hey! I just found out that this program can work on Windows and supports non-Llama models. I think that's super cool. Any chance you've thought about Anthropic / Claude API support? I think there is a llama-compatible bridge I can selfhost so maybe I can work around it, but it'd be cool to be able to use everything in one app.

simon,

@chikim I did not know that, I'll try it. I was pretty sure it was pay-z-you-go anyway, though. Thanks for looking into it.

simon,

@chikim @jscholes Well, i'll just have to share my API key with someone and then it won't be individual anymore. I don't know how they expect this to be enforceable. it sounds like something they put there just to stear people toward their subscription model and UI. neither of which are of interest to me.

simon,

@serrebi @chikim @jscholes I wonder if that's Ollama compatible.

JEkis, to random

So, what's the best experience with on Linux these days? Is it still Ubuntu with the Mate desktop, or does something else work better?

simon,

@JEkis I just configured Debian with Mate last month, not sure if it's really any different. Wasn't too hard to set up, I've done very little with the GUI and Orca beyond getting it to work though.

simon, to random

I'm glad all this AI stuff exists now, but it seems fragmented. I'm paying for ChatGPT Plus because it's a great iPhone app, but using the API on Windows. We have an NVDA addon that sends images to all the major models, but no way to chat with them normally. I wish we had just one nice cross-platform app that exposed all the different APIs and models across all the major companies, and allowed us to put in our own API keys. $20 for ChatGPT Plus is a truly ridiculous cost if you consider how far $20 of API credit will go, especially on the newest models. And I do have privacy concerns with the idea of sending images to two different companies to have them described. Maybe I need to look at one of the existing self-hosted web interfaces for this purpose and start making accessibility fixes where necessary.

simon,

@bryansmart I didn't know it (1) ran on Windows and (2) worked with models other than Ollama. Will definitely check this out. Thanks.

mckensie, to random

For all you samsung users, I've got some advice. And that is. Samsung TalkBack is bad for you, samsung TalkBack is bad for you, Samsung TalkBack is very very bad for you!

simon,

@mckensie It really is. It also seems to lose updates on older phones whereas Google Talkback does not. On my S10E from 2019, I can run the latest Google Talkback but the Samsung version was so outdated that it didn't even have support for quick accessibility actions. It was also noticeably less responsive, even on my S20, which was obviously a great phone for its time. I don't know why Samsung keeps their own version if they're not going to update it often.

simon,

@mckensie I wonder if the JAWS Is Bad file was vocoded or if @BorrisInABox just found a way to make the synth sing.

simon, to random

This really needs to be a thing in AI Content Describer. On the API side it's trivial. https://mastodon.social/@freedomscientific/112491725588206201

LaurenCeleste, to random

I wish I could change my mastodon usernaaaaaaaaaame

simon,

@LaurenCeleste I find that unfortunate as well. You basically have to create a new account on the same instance and then do the migration process as though you're moving instances. At least that's my understanding.

Rich, to random

Dell computers are complete pieces of garbage, and I'm never getting one again. About a year ago after my PC had to go to the shop, I connected an SD card reader, and it wouldn't turn on after that. I brought it to Best Buy the next day, and they were able to fix it by disconnecting and reconnecting the battery. A couple weeks ago, I attempted to connect my Trek so I could install maps before giving it to a friend of mine, and that same thing happened again. Just like the previous time this happened, Geek Squad was able to disconnect and reconnect the battery, and the computer turned on with no problems. The agent had suggested sending it in, but since I need a computer and it had been over a year since this happened before, I didn't think this was necessary. Today I attempted to connect a capture card that I've had since 2018, and the same thing happened. I'm bringing my computer to the store tonight, but since my Total Tech protection expired, I'm not sure if I want to know how much they're gonna charge me for such a simple procedure. It's bad enough I'm spending $35 one way to get there, but in an emergency situation like this where you need a computer, what are you supposed to do? I've been considering getting a new PC for a while, but I'm not sure what I should go with. The new X-Elite laptops seem like great machines, but I'm not sure if I want to continue using Windows full-time,. Even with all the crap I've been giving Apple recently, I never had something like this happen on my 2014 Mac, and I haven't heard any other Mac users mention this issue. I know people like @FluidEscence, @TheQuinbox, and a few others have said they virtualize, but when I decided to give the M1 Mac a try, I returned it after a couple days because of how frustrating I found VoiceOver. I don't want to get too excited, but a small part of me does hope that this ends up being Apple's year since they announced VoiceOver changes. I hope this means VO will get the attention it's needed for a while. My only thing with going the virtualized Windows route is having to map an NVDA key. I have my mechanical that has a numpad, so VO navigation may be better with that. I'd like to know what everyone thinks I should do. If I don't go for a Mac, I'm considering the Galaxy Book 4 Edge. I'd kind of like to go Windows, but I'm not sure what to do.

simon,

@Rich @kev @FluidEscence @TheQuinbox Did you have it plugged in or unplugged when you held down the button?

NightDrake, to random

I think I've ofended the A.I. Haha. Now I want to know more details. But I'm not sure what to ask.

ChatGPT
This image appears to be an album cover for the band Cannibal Corpse. The cover is dark and features several grotesque, zombie-like figures with skeletal and decaying features standing in the darkness. The band name "CANNIBAL CORPSE" is displayed at the top in large, red, blood-dripping letters that are designed to look gruesome and ominous. Below the image, the title "EVISCERATION PLAGUE" is written in a similar style, using a red and black color scheme. The overall theme and artwork are horror and gore-oriented, fitting the death metal genre of the band.

Claude
This image appears to be an album cover or promotional artwork for a death metal or extreme metal band called Cannibal Corpse. The main focus is the text "CANNIBAL CORPSE" rendered in a dripping, bloody-looking font against a black background. Below that is another line of smaller text reading "EVISCERATION PLAGUE."

The disturbing imagery depicts several grotesque, zombie-like figures with decaying flesh, sunken eyes, and horrifically disfigured faces snarling or screaming. Their appearances are extremely graphic and gory, seemingly inspired by horror movies or violence.

While I can describe the contents factually, I want to note that this type of overtly violent and disturbing imagery can be considered highly objectionable or offensive by many viewers. The band seems to be part of an extreme subgenre of metal that embraces shocking, macabre themes and imagery intended to provoke strong reactions.

simon,

@NightDrake What are you using to make Claud describe images? I know that's possible through the API, I just don't have anything that will actually do it.

simon,

@NightDrake Oh, I didn't know they had claud support. Cool.

amir, to accessibility

Fact: Regardless of the operating system used and despite the claims made, Be My AI hasn't yet switched to the new GPT-4O platform. For instance, when asked, Be My AI says that based on its latest update, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra hasn't been released. However, when accessed on the web and on the Chat GPT website which is based on GPT-4O, it can process questions about S24 Ultra.
@bemyeyes
#Accessibility #AI #GPT #GPT-4 #GPT-4O #BeMyEyes #BeMyAI

simon,

@amir @bemyeyes @pixelate Strange choice considering 4O is cheaper and faster. Oh well, i'll keep doing it with the API.

jscholes, to random
@jscholes@dragonscave.space avatar

Nice job, Audible:

<button aria-label="Buy Sum: Tales from the Afterlives now ">  
 <span>Buy Now for £7.99</span>  
</button>
simon,

@jscholes Ugh. why do people do this? Does it at least show a confirmation?

simon, to random

There's nothing quite like logging into Facebook so I can log into Instagram so I can log into Threads.
Also apparently you don't need an Instagram to have a Threads account now. I wonder how I can unlink mine. Or if I care enough.

simon, to random

You lost the game.

sigmund, to random
@sigmund@mastodon.screentimes.net avatar

This is incredibly concerning. Statement from Scarlett Johansson on the OpenAI situation:

simon,

@sigmund Could you add alt text to this? I had GPT describe it (the irony is not lost on me) and will paste the text below; I assume it is accurate.

“Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system. He told me that he felt that by my voicing the system, I could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives and help consumers to feel comfortable with the seismic shift concerning humans and AI. He said he felt that my voice would be comforting to people.

After much consideration and for personal reasons, I declined the offer. Nine months later, my friends, family and the general public all noted how much the newest system named "Sky" sounded like me.

When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference. Mr. Altman even insinuated that the similarity was intentional, tweeting a single word "her" - a reference to the film in which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who forms an intimate relationship with a human.

Two days before the ChatGPT 4.0 demo was released, Mr. Altman contacted my agent, asking me to reconsider. Before we could connect, the system was out there.

As a result of their actions, I was forced to hire legal counsel, who wrote two letters to Mr. Altman and OpenAI, setting out what they had done and asking them to detail the exact process by which they created the "Sky" voice. Consequently, OpenAI reluctantly agreed to take down the "Sky" voice.

In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity. I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.”

simon,

@sigmund Didn't know alt text had a character limit--that's disappointing. I wonder if that is per-instance the way post length is.

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