Monday, March 27, 2023

Launch applications from Touch Portal (or any other launcher) and force them to the front

Datatalk / Touch Portal.

No matter how hard you try, sometimes Windows 11 doesn't let you push a window to the front. It can drive me nuts!

Why doesn't Windows have a, per application, setting to allow that specific application to be brought to the front by other apps and itself? It would save a lot of headaches.

TTS Examples

Writing / Datatalk / TTS.

I've added a TTS example for those that want to hear the difference between SAPI5, Windows 11 'Immersive Reader' and Amazon Polly.

It's on YouTube and you can find it here: https://youtu.be/xL8vxo3a2zo. It's also wrong 😇 I'm pretty sure it actually uses Azure Cloud neural... I've added a post with more samples of different sites and engines.


Sunday, March 26, 2023

Magix Video Deluxe reminds me how I hate online installs (and dislike Magix)

Datatalk / Magix.

Magix repacks and resells other products. Some of those are great (Xara comes to mind) but Magix often manages to screw up their installation and support procedures. And don't get me started on license issues...

And in several ways they did it again... sigh.

Free TTS (Text to Speech) on Windows, better than your regular SAPI5

Writing / Datatalk / TTS.

Windows has a build-in TTS engine which is better than the older SAPI5 engine, but... it's a little hard to get at. And silly enough, any regular program (for example Balabolka) that calls the SAPI5 API routines isn't using the new code in Windows.

But it's actually very easy to use with a little workaround! And the quality is definitely better than, for example, Word's built-in TTS tool.

Saturday, March 25, 2023

DON'T switch language on Shift+Space on Android Tablets (The Sticky Shift Key that Isn't Sticky!)

Datatalk.

Here's a nice and troublesome one. When you use an external keyboard with a tablet, such as the Logitech K380 together with the Samsung Tab S6 Lite, you may suffer from spontaneous 'language switches', which seem to eat up spaces when typing.

Don't throw away your external keyboard yet. There might be a solution. (I also found some other issues with the Samsung keyboard driver when trying to figure this out. Read on.)

Friday, March 24, 2023

Setting up Amazon Polly on Windows 11 - Step by Step

Datatalk /  TTS.

This is a step-by-step instruction of how to set up Amazon Polly.

Unfortunately, it doesn't solve my real problem: I am looking for a way to use Polly voices with a TTS reader, such as Balabolka. There are some problems...

Well, at least I managed to get Amazon running, in spite of their poor online instructions.

Monday, March 20, 2023

LED Lamps and Life Expectancy

DIY.

LED lamps use less energy and last much longer. Though, perhaps, not as long as often suggested.

Ikea suggests their LED lamps can last up to 20 years. Well... probably... if you leave them off.

Netflix - Bushwick (2017)

Movie Review.

Violence. Explosions. Dave Bautista. A movie without a point.

I am completely unsure what to make of this one. It's just a movie, with lots of violence, supposedly about Texas separating itself from the rest of the US. It's not entertaining, and the only message it sends is that war kills. And even then it sends that message poorly. 

Friday, March 17, 2023

Farewell Dilbert... Good Riddance Adams

Column.

In one fell swoop Scott Adams pretty much killed his primary source of income: Dilbert.

That's... sad. Not because I like Scott Adams. In fact, I never liked him much with his borderline Trump adoration, and the smug way he presents himself as the all-knowing. This time he went one step further and basically dug his own grave by publishing a near racist rant that's simply over the edge. As a result, a 100+ newspapers kicked him and his cartoon out.

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Sensitivity Readers - Boon or Farce?

Writing.

I understand the worry and need for 'sensitivity readers' but I'd also worry about 'giving in' too much. You see, you can't care about each and every opinion, and you're bound to step on some toes, no matter what. So, the question is: are you looking to 'remove' sensitive matters from your work entirely (for example because you're afraid to insult someone), or are you looking for expertise on specific subjects? 

In my opinion, there's a lot of difference between the two.

Monday, March 13, 2023

Dean Koontz - Wintermoon (1975)

Book Review.

Wintermoon by Dean Koontz would make a good movie. As a book, it's just 'so...so...'. I can't recall the title (Splinter perhaps?) but it resembles another book I read quite some time ago. Something about 'something alien invading earth modifying (dead) animals and stuff alike'. Anyway, this book was good enough to keep my attention for three or four hours during the flight back to the Netherlands... I wouldn't read it again though.

Monday, March 6, 2023

Richard Kadrey - Sandman Slim 1 - Sandman Slim

Audiobook Review.

Sandman Slim is everything Bobby Dollar tries to be... hardboiled, noir-styled, supernatural detective. It's moody, dark, first-person present tense, and the hero is just as much a jerk as you and me... if not even more so.

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Wallpaper - Firefly

Wallpaper.

I have to believe Serenity is still flying...

These are three wallpapers from one of my favorite SF series, Firefly.

No matter what you think of Jos Whedon, he did leave some very good television in his legacy. Buffy, Dollhouse, and Firefly are simply standouts in the (cult) television series landscape.