Category: Random

Completely random posts.

GPT-3 Text Generation Demonstration: An AI rants about Windows

I like Windows, but the new update is terrible. They broke my favorite programs and the new interface is confusing.

But that’s not the only thing they broke.

They also broke the Start menu. Back in my Windows 7 days, the Start menu was a thing of wonder. With the Aero theme (which I miss so much), it was an amazing thing to look at. And it was simple to use. You wanted to start a new program? You clicked “All Programs”. You wanted to find a program? You clicked “All Programs”. You wanted to change a setting? You clicked “All Programs”, then “Control Panel”. You wanted to shut down your computer? You clicked “All Programs”, then “Shut Down”. You wanted to turn off your computer? You clicked “All Programs”, then “Turn Off Computer”. And it was fast. You didn’t have to wait for the Start menu to load, it was just there.

When Windows 8 came out, they tried to change this by introducing the Metro interface and the Start screen. The Metro interface was not the best choice for a desktop interface, but it was still better than the Start screen. The Start screen was a mess. It was hard to find anything and it was slow. They tried to fix this in Windows 8.1 by adding the Start button, but it was still a mess. In Windows 10, they tried to fix it again by adding the Start menu, but it was still a mess. And they tried to fix it again in the Creators Update, but it was still a mess. I don’t know what they’re going to try to do in the Fall Creators Update, but I’m sure it will be a mess.

This is what I was trying to say. I don’t know if it will be a deal breaker for me. I’m considering it, but I’m not sure. I’m not a big fan of the interface or the lock-in, but I like that it’s a good deal and the hardware is good. I’m thinking of getting the 128GB version, though.

The new release of Microsoft’s major operating system has lots of bugs. This sentence is correct.

As for Windows, I’ve used it for years and it’s still not ready for the desktop yet. It’s much better than it was in the past, and it’s getting better, but it’s not quite there yet. I’ll be keeping an eye on it, and when it’s more polished I’ll give it a go.

There is no longer the option to move a box to the front or back. Instead, the option is to change the order in the stack, which may not be as intuitive. The design of the interface has been greatly simplified. The panels have fewer tabs and the options have been moved to a separate popout menu. The search bar has also been removed. The position of the panels and the zoom level are no longer stored with the document. It may be annoying to have to zoom out and rearrange the panels for every new document you open. The new interface may be less friendly for new users. The interface was already quite simple, but the new interface is even simpler.

Wondering wtf you just read? Everything above was generated with GPT-3 with my posts as a base.

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Published 2022-10-20 07:12:00

Press SHIFT to disable caps lock

When typing, it’s always disconcerting to realize THAT CAPS LOCK IS ON. Caps Lock is useful (sometimes), but more often than not I find myself accidentally engaging it. However, you can change things around in your preferred OS (this guide is for Windows) to allow disabling Caps Lock with Shift. This simple setting changes things for the better, and makes more logical sense.

We’ve Been Doing It Wrong

The logical argument for disabling Caps Lock with Shift boils down to states, and being aware of the key’s current state with the least amount of information possible.

If Caps Lock is a toggle, it’s possible to accidentally hit the key an unknown number of times, or lose track of whether it’s on or off. In order to discover the ‘state’ of the key, you must begin typing. The other way to discover the ‘state’ would be to glance down at your keys, or have some other sort of ‘indicator’ like a keyboard implements visually or graphically. Both of these are wasted efforts and time.

When typing, you shouldn’t look at the keys as much as possible. The cleaner way to handle our problem then is to make Shift disable Caps Lock. When you start typing your sentence, if caps lock is on, it’s naturally disabled. It works naturally with how you type and I no longer encountered any errors with Caps Lock at all upon integrating this. When you need to use it, turn it on. Then, go back to typing as before. It’s no longer a separate mechanism to keep track of, but integrated into the typing experience and bows out quickly after usage without any extra key press. As an added bonus, you don’t have to wonder if Caps Lock is ON either. You simply click it, and type. If it was on, no effect!

To learn how to enable this glorious setting, just read on. Or, if you’re using Linux, this will get that Google search (or DuckDuckGo) started for you. 🙂

Windows 10

  1. Visit Settings > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings
  2. Then find Input language hot keys
  3. From there you will see the very last image’s menu

Windows 11

  1. Navigate to Time and Language > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings
  2. Find Input language hot keys
  3. You will see the very last image’s menu

You will then want to change this option:

Now I can’t go back, and I never wonder or think about caps lock accidentally being on. Been using this as default for around five years now. It surprises me this isn’t the de facto setting.

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Published 2022-08-19 07:05:33

Realtime Priority: Ask and you will receive

At some point when looking through Task Manager you may notice the ‘priority’ setting in Task Manager and decide that you want your favorite game (example: Minecraft) to run faster. You right click the process in Task Manager and set the priority to ‘realtime’, the highest setting.
realtime priority preview

However, upon clicking that option, a scary looking dialogue option pops up informing you that this is probably a bad move.
realtime priority warning

Changing the priority in this instance causes our laptop mouse to lag across the screen and explorer.exe to stop responding. Fun! Why is this the case? What’s going on here?

Realtime priority is the absolute highest priority you can set a program. This tells Windows you want to dedicate as much CPU time as possible to that process, so basic process like mouse input and Windows UI start competing for CPU cycles.

Realtime is the highest process class

This doesn’t lead to locking the system entirely because most programs don’t actually use 100% of the CPU regardless of their priority. Most threads do wait for things sometimes, and that could include waiting for a read/write to complete, or some other thread to indicate that they don’t have to wait any more. Additionally, “real-time priority” as a term actually consists of a range of priorities, as indicated by the table above. It’s possible for one “real-time” process to have higher priorities than those of another “real-time” process.

Most of the time, there’s no real reason to change process priority, although a few times it has been personally helpful in situations where two programs are working on a CPU intensive task, and they are slowing each other down. It’s possible to set the program’s process priority to “Above normal” pretty safely, allowing the CPU to dedicate more time to it.

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Published 2022-07-24 05:03:48

Undertale Mobile Native Android Build with Controller & Keyboard Support + Save Editor

“What the heck?” I hear yourself asking.

“Is there even an android version of the game out?” No. 🙂

Undertale has been one of the most influential and one of my favorite games of all time. Since the game’s release in 2015 I’ve been entranced by its secrets and storyline. I played it blind when it first came out and have been hooked ever since.

I’ve been a part of a few different Undertale data mining communities over the years and although I admit there probably aren’t any secrets left, I’m still interested in any new theories or fan works/mods.

I came across a method to patch gamemaker files including Undertale to mobile, and then discovered there’s already been some work in the community into this area. I took the existing mobile Undertale modifications online and added full controller and keyboard support (note this build is Android only). YOU CAN HIDE THE ADDED GAMEPAD IN THE GAME’S BUILT IN SETTINGS MENU. SET THE BUTTON OPACITY TO 0. ❤️

A save editor has also been added into the game. If you visit the SETTINGS menu from either the beginning of the game or the Continue menu, you can overwrite your save file with presets. Save file preset names are below, but THEY CONTAIN SPOILERS (if you haven’t somehow heard/played UNDERTALE already)

This along with the added Bluetooth controller support should make it bearable to play Undertale on mobile devices!

Screenshots

This build is for educational purposes and Undertale research only.

Download

v0.1.0
– Updated internal Undertale version to v1.08
– Fixed name selection screen crash
– Add more name easter eggs
– Fix save editor crash
DOWNLOAD: [APK FILE FOR ANDROID ONLY]

v0.0.8
– Initial test
[download removed]

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Published 2022-06-17 07:39:00

Tone Indicators Master List, Text Tones, and Miscommunication Online

Jump to master list

Text tone indicators are a proposed solution and a step along the path to better online communication. It’s sometimes difficult to tell others’ use of tone on the internet, even with additional context such as emojis. 🙂

Generations already have their own slang, and texting without punctuation has quickly become a way to imitate ‘casual’ conversation. This has then evolved over time to include adding periods as a way to express anger, or sending a singular ‘k’ to express dismissal.

The next step in online communication then would be some way to communicate the intent or tone behind the words.

Enter: tone indicators.

Tone Indicators

Tone indicators are shorthand for words used to convey tone, which the Cambridge Dictionary defines as “a quality in the voice that expresses the speaker’s feelings or thoughts”.

The same message can be joking, or serious. It could be teasing, or threatening. We don’t consciously acknowledge it, but you can also immediately tell if the speaker’s delivery was negative, positive, or neutral face to face. It can be sexually suggestive, or entirely friendly. Tone and delivery influences the meaning and implications of a sentence in every way.

Tone indicators are intended for use through text, as miscommunication is frequent in social media. Posts are often misinterpreted, and this looks to fill in some of the missing gaps of information that may otherwise supplement that interpretation.

In fact, in a study, UCLA professor of psychology Albert Mehrabian found that 93% of liking is from non-verbal cues. 38% is due to tone of voice, while an additional 55% is attributed to body language.

Of course, these cues are absent from text-based social medias.

Master List

INDICATORMEANING
/jjoking
/hjhalf-joking
/ssarcastic
/gen or /ggenuine
/srsserious
/nsrsnon-serious
/pos or /pcpositive connotation
/neuneutral connotation
/neg or /ncnegative connotation
/pplatonic
/rromantic
/ccopypasta
/l or /lylyrics
/lhlight-hearted
/nmnot mad
/lua little upset
/nbhfor when you’re vagueposting or venting, but it’s directed at nobody here (none of your followers)
/nsbnot subtweeting
/sx or /xsexual intent
/nsx or /nxnon-sexual intent
/rh or /rtrhetorical question
/tteasing
/ijinside joke
/mmetaphorically
/liliterally
/hyphyperbole
/ffake
/ththreat
/cbclickbait
Remember the ones you wish to use, Google if you see one you don’t know later. Simple.

Usage

When should you use these? When something you’re saying could be ambiguous online. The purpose of the creation of these is to better communicate and exchange ideals.

An example tone indicator, /j, means joking. To use, simply place at the beginning or end of a sentence.

Beginning

“(/gen) Wow, you’re such a great friend.”
Genuinely and earnestly saying you have a great friend.

“(/s) Wow, you’re such a great friend.”
Sarcastically saying someone is a great friend.

END

“I hate you. /j“
Joking with a friend, don’t actually dislike.

“I hate you. /ly“
A song lyric you relate to, not aimed at someone.

“I hate you. /srs“
You’re being serious, and actually hate someone.

I don’t want to use these / Using /j ruins the joke

You don’t have to use them. This is an informational post on the existence of them and their usage.

Think about how you can go into a sitcom, knowing full well that its genre is comedy and its intent is to make you laugh, and still find it funny. If putting two characters at the end of your joke ruins the entire thing, maybe it wasn’t all that funny to begin with.

How many times have you misunderstood a post someone sent to you online, or thought your friend was mad at you through text? If adoption of text tones becomes more commonplace, this could be one such solution to those problems.

(/srs) You also don’t have to use them on every line. Text tones are meant for an easy way to quickly convey the intended attached non verbal data that would otherwise be exchanged in a face to face interaction.

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Published 2022-03-07 14:16:52

Easiest way to download YouTube videos and convert them to any format including .mp3 in 2022

Methods of downloading YouTube videos have changed over the years. Here are two of my preferred methods for doing so in 2022.

tl;dr: easy:

Use a Youtube-Mp3 converter site, if you know how to Google then you’ve probably found one of these already.

tl;dr: is asked to fix printers:

Get the latest ‘youtube-dl’ fork like yt-dlp. Use ffmpeg to convert.

Easy

Yeah there’s really nothing else you need here

The Other Method

  1. Get yt-dlp. Put it in a folder somewhere in C:\ like ‘youtubedownload’. Rename the .exe file to yt.exe.
  2. Get ffmpeg. Put it in the same folder. You could rename this .exe file if you want as well, the names will be the commands used in the future.
  3. Press the WINDOWS key, and type ‘path’.
    (INCOMING WALL OF PICTURES)
  4. Choose ‘Enviroment Variables’
    enviroment variables pointer
  5. Then,
    edit path detailed pointer
  6. You can then add a new entry for the ‘path’ environment variable. The system uses this to allow the executing directory to be in any directory listed in the path. Meaning, when you run a command in CMD, the system will always check any directories in the ‘path’.
    add new path entry
  7. Click OK on all open windows after adding the directory the exes are in to the ‘path’.

Example Usage

We will be using this song from YouTube: Moving Romance – Yoann Garel. It’s also available on Soundcloud here.

Right click on your Desktop > ‘Open Command Window Here’. If you don’t have this option in the context menu, you can download these registry edits to add it.

Next type the name of the yt-dlp .exe followed by a space and the url. So if you renamed it ‘yt’ like stated previously, it would look like so:
yt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIMdcJWOEFM
Hitting enter will start downloading that video to the desktop directory you just launched the CMD window in. (Hint! If you want to use a Soundcloud URL like we have below, that will work too! Isn’t technology great?)
yt-dl download example

If you want to convert the resulting video to a proper audio file like .mp3, you have two options. You can use the quick solution right from yt-dl:

yt -x --audio-format mp3 [video_url]

Or to download a playlist:

youtube-dl --extract-audio --audio-format mp3 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s"

You can ignore missing (“unavailable in your country”, or removed) videos with an -i flag. If your playlist isn’t working and the URL contains v=<ID>, remove it so just the ?list= item is in the query string.

Or, since ffmpeg is useful for other tasks (and you should have it anyway), you can use it directly. A simple syntax of an ffmpeg command that would convert to an mp3 would look like ffmpeg -i [input file name] [output file name].[output file extension]. But wait, we don’t want to type that long, ugly file name in that yt-dlp just spit out onto our desktop… luckily we have a trick for that.

Run ‘dir /x‘ in the open CMD window.dir /x example yt
This is an extremely helpful windows command that will show ‘short’ filenames for files, making working with longer file names a breeze. Windows is telling us in the screenshot above that we can refer to the video we just downloaded as ‘moving~3.web’. Now assuming no renaming of the ffmpeg .exe took place in the setup step, our command simply becomes:

ffmpeg -i moving~3.web output.mp3
ffmpeg -i output.mp3 example

And you’re done! You now have ‘output.mp3’ on your desktop saved as the song we were just playing on YouTube. I’ve combined this process with scripted metadata adding/titling for an offline library. And, with the right yt-dlp commands it can even become an efficient way to export entire playlists of music.

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Published 2022-03-06 02:23:43

The Stack Overflow Macro Keypad is Cute

Stack Overflow decided to release their April Fools joke as a real product on Drop, as a Macro Keypad. I thought it looked cool and might be a good place to display a few artisans or something. They allow to reconfigure the keys using something akin to QMK’s software, and there is some custom work going into bringing the full QMK configurator to the device, but for now you can do simple remappings.

Unfortunately it’s not Bluetooth enabled but at least it comes with a USB C connector. Even still, it’s a bit much to hook up an entirely separate 3 key setup all the time as a joke. It works better on a machine that won’t be moving frequently such as a video editing workstation or desktop setup.

😊

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Published 2022-01-04 21:45:00