James Scholes
@jscholes.dragonscave.space.ap.brid.gy
Digital #Accessibility Engineer/Analyst, #ScreenReader user, and occasional #software developer. #a11y
[bridged from https://dragonscave.space/@jscholes on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
[bridged from https://dragonscave.space/@jscholes on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Whatever else the future may hold, I'm hoping for a decrease in the yelling of "stochastic parrots!" in literally any conversation about so-called AI by people who wouldn't otherwise use the word "stochastic" in any other context. Memorising a phrase containing an obscure word and deploying it […]
Original post on dragonscave.space
dragonscave.space
December 23, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Whatever else the future may hold, I'm hoping for a decrease in the yelling of "stochastic parrots!" in literally any conversation about so-called AI by people who wouldn't otherwise use the word "stochastic" in any other context. Memorising a phrase containing an obscure word and deploying it […]
Reposted by James Scholes
I know a few people on here as well as myself will FEEL this cartoon.
December 20, 2025 at 6:07 PM
I know a few people on here as well as myself will FEEL this cartoon.
I'm trying to create an app module inside an #nvda add-on for an executable that has a dot in its name. I believe I need to add an entry to `appModules.EXECUTABLE_NAMES_TO_APP_MODS` in this case, mapping the name of the executable (without ".exe" extension) to the name I've given the .py file […]
Original post on dragonscave.space
dragonscave.space
December 20, 2025 at 12:29 AM
I'm trying to create an app module inside an #nvda add-on for an executable that has a dot in its name. I believe I need to add an entry to `appModules.EXECUTABLE_NAMES_TO_APP_MODS` in this case, mapping the name of the executable (without ".exe" extension) to the name I've given the .py file […]
Reposted by James Scholes
**altbot v2.4 is here!!**
just pushed a pretty significant update, swapped out the old gemma3 27b model for qwen3-vl:30b-a3b-thinking and holy shit the difference is noticeable
the cool thing about this model is it's very _dynamic,_ simple images get quick, concise descriptions without […]
just pushed a pretty significant update, swapped out the old gemma3 27b model for qwen3-vl:30b-a3b-thinking and holy shit the difference is noticeable
the cool thing about this model is it's very _dynamic,_ simple images get quick, concise descriptions without […]
Original post on wetdry.world
wetdry.world
December 19, 2025 at 2:36 AM
**altbot v2.4 is here!!**
just pushed a pretty significant update, swapped out the old gemma3 27b model for qwen3-vl:30b-a3b-thinking and holy shit the difference is noticeable
the cool thing about this model is it's very _dynamic,_ simple images get quick, concise descriptions without […]
just pushed a pretty significant update, swapped out the old gemma3 27b model for qwen3-vl:30b-a3b-thinking and holy shit the difference is noticeable
the cool thing about this model is it's very _dynamic,_ simple images get quick, concise descriptions without […]
Unfortunately I can't post a 26-item poll, but...
What is your favourite episode of the BBC radio sitcom, #CabinPressure?
What is your favourite episode of the BBC radio sitcom, #CabinPressure?
December 18, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Unfortunately I can't post a 26-item poll, but...
What is your favourite episode of the BBC radio sitcom, #CabinPressure?
What is your favourite episode of the BBC radio sitcom, #CabinPressure?
It's finally new #whatsapp app day on Windows for me. If you were thinking I would buck the trend by saying it's not all that bad, then I would have to seriously ask whether you've ever read any of my posts at all.
It's shite.
It's shite.
December 18, 2025 at 5:33 PM
It's finally new #whatsapp app day on Windows for me. If you were thinking I would buck the trend by saying it's not all that bad, then I would have to seriously ask whether you've ever read any of my posts at all.
It's shite.
It's shite.
New #screenreader verbosity settings for messages are now widely available in #slack, under the #accessibility category of preferences. You can now control which parts of messages are spoken and in what order.
As part of this change, you'll also find that recent replies in threads now have […]
As part of this change, you'll also find that recent replies in threads now have […]
Original post on dragonscave.space
dragonscave.space
December 18, 2025 at 3:30 PM
New #screenreader verbosity settings for messages are now widely available in #slack, under the #accessibility category of preferences. You can now control which parts of messages are spoken and in what order.
As part of this change, you'll also find that recent replies in threads now have […]
As part of this change, you'll also find that recent replies in threads now have […]
Somebody save me from vibe-coded #nvda add-ons. The latest has a global shortcut layer that can only be activated once, and then needs NVDA to be restarted for it to work again. 🤦♂️
December 17, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Somebody save me from vibe-coded #nvda add-ons. The latest has a global shortcut layer that can only be activated once, and then needs NVDA to be restarted for it to work again. 🤦♂️
Seems that in a code comment some time ago, I typed "i.g." as a mix of "i.e." and "e.g.". I will be leaving it as is.
December 17, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Seems that in a code comment some time ago, I typed "i.g." as a mix of "i.e." and "e.g.". I will be leaving it as is.
Tried to send some money in the #wise app on iOS, but couldn't work out how to dismiss the amount keypad with VoiceOver and access any sort of next/continue button. So, you know, cool that the main function of a money sending app is broken for #screenreader users. #accessibility
December 17, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Tried to send some money in the #wise app on iOS, but couldn't work out how to dismiss the amount keypad with VoiceOver and access any sort of next/continue button. So, you know, cool that the main function of a money sending app is broken for #screenreader users. #accessibility
I strive to reach a level in my second language allowing me to synthesise sentences that sound grammatically incorrect but are in fact syntactically valid for obscure reasons.
December 17, 2025 at 3:09 PM
I strive to reach a level in my second language allowing me to synthesise sentences that sound grammatically incorrect but are in fact syntactically valid for obscure reasons.
My favourite feature of Mona 7 is how it spuriously says "scrolled to top" each time I navigate back from a post to a timeline. This has made it worth the $50* admission price worth it alone.
*Approximate price as I have no idea how much I've spent on this app by now.
*Approximate price as I have no idea how much I've spent on this app by now.
December 17, 2025 at 2:49 PM
My favourite feature of Mona 7 is how it spuriously says "scrolled to top" each time I navigate back from a post to a timeline. This has made it worth the $50* admission price worth it alone.
*Approximate price as I have no idea how much I've spent on this app by now.
*Approximate price as I have no idea how much I've spent on this app by now.
I won't be in the UK this winter. Which means not needing to worry about whether the Christmas music compilation chosen by my family for over lunch includes Steeleye Span allowing there to be at least one enjoyable song.
December 16, 2025 at 5:48 PM
I won't be in the UK this winter. Which means not needing to worry about whether the Christmas music compilation chosen by my family for over lunch includes Steeleye Span allowing there to be at least one enjoyable song.
Installed #eloquence for #Android. If you haven't explored the advanced settings, there's a very welcome option to opt out of the default audio equalisation which sounds overly compressed.
December 15, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Installed #eloquence for #Android. If you haven't explored the advanced settings, there's a very welcome option to opt out of the default audio equalisation which sounds overly compressed.
In which what I assume to be an official #audible support account on Reddit appears to recommend people remove #drm:
https://reddit.com/r/audible/comments/1pm21lc/help_with_trying_to_convert_to_mp3/ntwtdsw/
https://reddit.com/r/audible/comments/1pm21lc/help_with_trying_to_convert_to_mp3/ntwtdsw/
December 14, 2025 at 6:37 PM
In which what I assume to be an official #audible support account on Reddit appears to recommend people remove #drm:
https://reddit.com/r/audible/comments/1pm21lc/help_with_trying_to_convert_to_mp3/ntwtdsw/
https://reddit.com/r/audible/comments/1pm21lc/help_with_trying_to_convert_to_mp3/ntwtdsw/
According to my BBC Sounds app, content from the World Service is "only available to play in the UK."
December 14, 2025 at 2:38 PM
According to my BBC Sounds app, content from the World Service is "only available to play in the UK."
"After nearly four years of development, Google is finally rolling out native #httplivestreaming (#HLS) playback to #chrome on desktop with version 142 and newer, a major upgrade that’s also arriving on Microsoft #edge and other #Chromium-based #browsers." […]
Original post on dragonscave.space
dragonscave.space
December 13, 2025 at 8:21 PM
"After nearly four years of development, Google is finally rolling out native #httplivestreaming (#HLS) playback to #chrome on desktop with version 142 and newer, a major upgrade that’s also arriving on Microsoft #edge and other #Chromium-based #browsers." […]
Can you imagine using an operating system in which the clipboard routinely fails to let you copy and paste text across apps for no apparent reason? If not, buy An iPhone.
December 12, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Can you imagine using an operating system in which the clipboard routinely fails to let you copy and paste text across apps for no apparent reason? If not, buy An iPhone.
Reposted by James Scholes
The Danish government is using the upcoming Christmas break to slip through a public consultation for a draft law that would make it an OFFENCE to use a #vpn to access content that would otherwise not be available in Denmark, or to circumvent the blocking of […]
[Original post on eupolicy.social]
[Original post on eupolicy.social]
![English translation of the highlighted part:
The term ‘other technical solution’ should be understood broadly. The broad wording is intended to ensure that the proposed amendment covers any technical solution used to provide unauthorised access to media content.
[..]
For example, it will also be prohibited to use VPN connections to access media content that would otherwise not be available in Denmark, or to circumvent the blocking of illegal websites.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:liypjs65cx7yxniqsnn3vqmj/bafkreid7gd3g6r5b76jr7y6dgb54phd43c7pl73dtondbt2nbqhru7hcr4@jpeg)
December 10, 2025 at 5:38 PM
The Danish government is using the upcoming Christmas break to slip through a public consultation for a draft law that would make it an OFFENCE to use a #vpn to access content that would otherwise not be available in Denmark, or to circumvent the blocking of […]
[Original post on eupolicy.social]
[Original post on eupolicy.social]
When the dynamic island on iPhone is telling me I have 10 percent battery remaining (and often preventing me from opening the app switcher at the same time for some reason), it has a VoiceOver action named "Collapse." This action doesn't actually seem to do anything.
Is there a consistent way […]
Is there a consistent way […]
Original post on dragonscave.space
dragonscave.space
December 11, 2025 at 1:35 AM
When the dynamic island on iPhone is telling me I have 10 percent battery remaining (and often preventing me from opening the app switcher at the same time for some reason), it has a VoiceOver action named "Collapse." This action doesn't actually seem to do anything.
Is there a consistent way […]
Is there a consistent way […]
What on earth is a Hypebot and why do some #Mastodon instances have one boosting content? Is it to help with Federation?
On one hand it feels very off-brand to have bots filling my notifications around here.
On the other, someone making a self-hosted app in Perl to address an aspect of […]
On one hand it feels very off-brand to have bots filling my notifications around here.
On the other, someone making a self-hosted app in Perl to address an aspect of […]
Original post on dragonscave.space
dragonscave.space
December 10, 2025 at 11:04 PM
What on earth is a Hypebot and why do some #Mastodon instances have one boosting content? Is it to help with Federation?
On one hand it feels very off-brand to have bots filling my notifications around here.
On the other, someone making a self-hosted app in Perl to address an aspect of […]
On one hand it feels very off-brand to have bots filling my notifications around here.
On the other, someone making a self-hosted app in Perl to address an aspect of […]
From January 20th, 2026, #books released through #kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) without #drm will be downloadable as #epub or #pdf for users who have purchased them. It will also be possible for no-DRM status to be toggled for existing #ebooks.
It remains to be seen how many authors and […]
It remains to be seen how many authors and […]
Original post on dragonscave.space
dragonscave.space
December 10, 2025 at 10:24 PM
I recently started using Book Notification (booknotification.com).
For me, the use case is simple: add a list of #authors I like, and they send me a weekly email with upcoming releases by those authors and a link to a personalised #book release calendar page.
I read a lot of #books, so I like […]
For me, the use case is simple: add a list of #authors I like, and they send me a weekly email with upcoming releases by those authors and a link to a personalised #book release calendar page.
I read a lot of #books, so I like […]
Original post on dragonscave.space
dragonscave.space
December 9, 2025 at 5:58 PM
In case you were wondering how the iOS 26 redesign is working out, it's been zero days since I went looking for a search field at the top of a search tab in an app instead of at the bottom.
December 7, 2025 at 7:15 PM
In case you were wondering how the iOS 26 redesign is working out, it's been zero days since I went looking for a search field at the top of a search tab in an app instead of at the bottom.
While checking my available updates in the App Store, I was initially impressed that the Libby app was only 3.1 MB.
Then I remembered my experience of actually using it and realised that a 31 or even 310 MB actual native app would be preferable to their overly verbose web container thing.
Then I remembered my experience of actually using it and realised that a 31 or even 310 MB actual native app would be preferable to their overly verbose web container thing.
December 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
While checking my available updates in the App Store, I was initially impressed that the Libby app was only 3.1 MB.
Then I remembered my experience of actually using it and realised that a 31 or even 310 MB actual native app would be preferable to their overly verbose web container thing.
Then I remembered my experience of actually using it and realised that a 31 or even 310 MB actual native app would be preferable to their overly verbose web container thing.