Johansson, who portrayed the voice of a computer program in 'Her,' was not behind OpenAI's 'Sky' voice assistant. Another actor provided the voice, OpenAI said.

In a sweeping lawsuit, the Dept. of Justice on Friday accused TikTok of illegally collecting information on minors without their parents' permission.

Californians can now securely add their digital driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on their iPhone and Apple Watch, the company announced Thursday.

Elwood Edwards, the graphics guru and camera operator who voiced AOL's iconic and once ubiquitous greeting, 'You've got mail,' has died at age 74.

More than a dozen people sustained injuries in an incident involving a Greyhound bus in Georgia, which local authorities said flipped on its side when one of the vehicle's tires blew out.

On Tuesday, Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke proposed a budget for the next fiscal year that includes massive layoffs and dozens of service cuts as the agency faces a $750 million deficit.

Windows 11 includes a full-disk encryption feature called Device encryption that protects the data on your system drive. Device encryption uses Microsoft BitLocker technologies, and it's enabled automatically the first time you sign in to Windows 11 using a Microsoft account (or Microsoft Work or school account).
Technically speaking, Device encryption does not encrypt your entire system disk, which is divided into different logical volumes or partitions. Instead, it encrypts the C: drive, which is the volume that contains Windows and other system files. (This drive is often referred to as the system disk.) Any other volumes on this disk will not be encrypted (nor visible normally while using Windows 11).
If you sign in to Windows 11 with a local account, Device encryption will be enabled automatically but not activated (or, fully enabled). If you are using Windows 11 Home, you can only activate Device encryption by signing in to Windows (at least once) with a Microsoft account.
With Windows 11 Pro, you can use the BitLocker control panel, described later in this chapter, to activate Device encryption.
For the most part, Device encryption is seamless and not something you will notice. But it is important to understand that any files that you copy or move to an encrypted disk are encrypted during the copy/move process. Likewise, any files that you copy or move from an encrypted disk are decrypted during that process as well. Decrypted files can be read or used by anyone, on any PC.
When enabled, Device encryption also provides some additional functionality to the system disk on which Windows is installed. For example, when the PC boots, it will examine the integrity of the system to ensure that nothing suspicious has happened to the PC's firmware or startup files. If an issue is found, you'll be prompted to provide the recovery key, which was saved to your Microsoft account (or Work and school account) in the form of a very lengthy text-based password. (This is discussed below.)
Manage device encryption
Device encryption doesn't offer much in the way of management: This feature is enabled for you automatically when you sign in to Windows 11 using a Microsoft account. However, you can ensure that device encryption is enabled and even disable this feature--which we do not recommend--using the Settings app.

To do so, open Settings (WINKEY + I) and navigate to Privacy & security > Device encryption.

If you just signed in to Windows 11 for the first time, you may see an "Encryption is in progress" message at the top of this Settings page. That message will disappear when Windows 11 finishes encrypting the system disk.
Here, you will find a toggle for device encryption and links to "BitLocker drive encryption" and "Find your BitLocker recovery key," the latter of which launches your default web browser and displays an informational website.
If you are using Windows 11 Pro, the "BitLocker drive encryption" link will open the Bi...

The post Device Encryption (24H2) appeared first on Thurrott.com.

Apple leaker Mark Gurman reported today that Apple's next new device is a 6-inch "AI wall tablet" that will spotlight Apple Intelligence.

The post Mark Gurman Reveals Apple’s Next Device appeared first on Thurrott.com.

Follow along for continuous Election Night 2024 coverage! by Stranger Election Control Board ????

Welcome to the General Election 2024 Live Blog. Election Day is here, and it’s time to grab your anxiety meds and vice of choice and tuck in for a wild ride.

Chances are, we won’t know the results of the presidential election tonight (though we’ll likely know who won Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan by the end of the night—we’ll keep you posted.) 

But in the meantime, we should have results for some of our most important local elections before we all go to bed tonight. As always, we’ll be lurking at their parties, judging their snacks, and capturing the election night magic/anxiety/crushing defeat.

If you haven’t voted yet, there’s still time! But run, don’t walk. 

Check your voter registration here. If you’re not, you can still register and vote at one of seven voting centers in the county, which are open until 8 pm today. Remember to bring your Washington State driver's license, and a state ID, or memorize the last four digits of your social security number when you go. If you’re already registered to vote, awesome. The ballot should be in your mailbox unless you took it out and put it somewhere weird, but if it’s not, you can print out a new one or go vote in person at a King County voting center. Once you’ve filled out your ballot, find your nearest drop box here. 

Once you’ve voted, if you need to be with people who are just as stressed as you, come on by The Stranger and KEXP’s election party at the Crocodile. The party started at 4 pm but we'll be there until midnight—join us!

Now back to business. Want a refresher on the races as we count them down? Check out our endorsements here. 

Here’s a very non-exhaustive list of the things to know going in: 

• We’re going to elect a new governor! (Bob, you better have food at your party this time.) Both The Stranger and the Seattle Times endorsed Bob Ferguson, and he was squarely in the lead in recent polls, so we’re not too worried about MAGA-dude Dave Reichert running the state.
• Alexis Mercedes Rinck! The most recent polling puts the progressive newcomer a whole 24 points ahead of Council appointee Tanya Woo. Woo came in second in the August primary, but Woo’s campaign manager called the gap between the two candidates (Rinck’s 50.2% to Woo’s 38.4%) “brutal.” It looks like Woo’s big business supporters abandoned her in the general, so we’re hoping to send a proper progressive to City Hall tonight. 
• Now here’s one for the books, folks—a real blue-on-blue showdown in the 9th Congressional District. We’ve got 14-term Congressman Adam Smith, who is also a House Armed Services Committee bigwig, going head-to-head with civil rights firebrand Melissa Chaudhry. What’s the primary dividing line? What else: Gaza and the ongoing horror show that Smith pretends to wring his hands over while quietly writing blank checks for the next round of airstrikes. He's made empty calls for a ceasefire, while Chaudhry has called for an arms embargo. With no fears of a Republican winning in the state's only majority POC- district, it'll be interesting to see if the race serves as a referendum on Smith's support of the Israeli genocide. 
• Have you read about Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s opponent in this election? Local families say David Olson is cozy with Moms for Liberty, a far-right parents group that opposes inclusive policies and lessons on race, gender, and sexuality in school; and he helped the Peninsula School District push away critical race theory and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training while parents and students raised concerns about racism and discrimination in his district. The race for Superintendent of Public Instruction is a nonpartisan race, which is likely why the most recent polls show that 21% of voters plan to vote for Reykdal, 18% for Olson, and a whopping 61% had no idea who they’re voting for. We hate this, and we’ll be watching it closely. 
• All eyes are on Clallam County. This little bellwether county at the top of the Olympic Peninsula has backed every presidential winner since 1980. Will they keep their streak? 

Check back regularly—we’ll keep you updated through the night!

Outgoing Governor Jay Inslee Takes the Stage 9:26 pm Jay Inslee speaking at the convention center. SECB

Inslee was the last to speak at the WA Dem election party, opening his speech by saying, “I’ve been waiting for Bob Ferguson to take over my job for years…”

People Are Doing Therapy Crafts at the Crocodile 9:11 pm Color the pain away. BILLIE WINTER

Sure, we got a lot of good news locally, but holy shit things are still VERY TENSE. So folks are crafting, donating to Shout Your Abortion, and, of course, drinking at the Crocodile to soothe the stress.

Shout Your Abortion's free swag at the party. BILLIE WINTER Cheers or something! BILLIE WINTER Attorney General Bob Ferguson Declares Victory 9:02 pm Bob Ferguson made it clear he's not gonna take Trump's bullshit (if it comes to that, please god don't let it come to that). SECB

Ferguson declared victory in the Washington State Governor’s race from the stage at the WA Dem election party, as he leads his opponent, former US Representative Dave Reichert, by about 13 points. Ferguson declared that if the presidential election results in another four years of Donald Trump, there is no other statewide candidate in the nation more “prepared to defend your freedoms against that administration than I am.”

Everything We Know So Far About Local Results 9 pm

Alright folks, do yourselves a favor and turn a blind eye to that "other race" going on (unless you’re a glutton for punishment and want to dive headfirst into an instant doom spiral). But hey, there’s actually some decent news in the local returns. Here’s your super-quick breakdown that won’t exactly soothe your soul but might take the edge off:

• Nick Brown is mollywhooping Republican Pete Serrano in the Attorney General race. Brown, who has that “Obama” appeal we’re told, is ahead 56.85% to 43.06%.
• Chris Reykdal, who’s held down the Superintendent of Public Instruction role since 2017, might not be packing up anytime soon; he’s beating David Olsen 53.1% to 45.84%.
• Over in the Commissioner of Public Lands showdown, Dave Upthegrove is trouncing Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler 54.6% to 44.87%.
• Sal Mungia’s narrowly ahead of Dave Larson, with 50.6% of the vote to Larson’s 49.91% in the race for State Supreme Court Position #2.
• Seattle is maybe, possibly, finally, saying goodbye to Tanya Woo. The never-elected city council member currently trails Alexis Mercedes Rinck 42% to 57%. 
• In Congressional District 9, genocide enabling Adam Smith will most likely defeat Melissa Chaudhry. The race currently sits at 70% to 30%, respectively. 
• In what we believe experts refer to as a one-sided ass-kicking, Democratic Socialist Shaun Scott has a gargantuan lead of 68% to 31% over Andrea Surez in the race to replace Frank Chopp in the 43rd district.
• And in what should be a surprise to no one Bob Ferguson is likely our next governor. He currently leads Dave Reichart 56.47% to 43.34%

Turning to the initiatives… 

The good: Initiatives 2066, 2109, and 2124 are sinking fast, with nearly 60%, 70%, and 54% of counted ballots giving them the thumbs-down. There’s a little light at the end of the tunnel!

The not-so-great: Initiative 2117 is pulling 53% in favor.

Still, three out of four ain’t bad! 

And finally, in the race everyone was teetering on the edge of sanity about for the last five months. In the state auditor’s race, Pat McCarthy leads Matt Hawkins 59.21% to 40.66%. If you’ve been losing sleep over this one, maybe you’ll get a nap tonight. 

Nick Brown Feels Good After Initial Results (But Won't Wear Sparkly Cowboy Hat) 8:56 pm Nick, why won't you wear the cowboy hat too? SECB

Nick Brown thanked his team and his supporters and told us he didn’t see a world where he wouldn’t win at this point. As of 8:39 pm, Brown had 56% and his opponent, Pete Serrano, had 43%. As Brown thanked everyone and headed to main ballroom to give a speech, he pointed out his kids, who were sporting those blue cowboy hats.

All But One Initiative Rejected 8:45 pm State Representative Nicole Macri reacting to tonight's local results. SECB

Spirits were high in the Defend WA room at the WA Dems Election Party. Defend WA organized the campaign to reject the four initiatives that sought to repeal the Capitol Gains Tax, the Climate Commitment Act, Washington’s public Long Term Care program WA Cares, and a law intended to reduce Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions. Voters roundly reject the first three of those initiatives, I-2109, I-2117, and I-2124. Unfortunately for Washington’s hopes to decrease our reliance on natural gas in favor of electric power, voters appear to have voted yes on I-2066, which would effectively prevent the state from trying to electrify anything in any building. Insane. State Representative Nicole Macri said Defend WA knew that would be a hard fight because of a lot of early misinformation about the law I-2066 sought to repeal. She says Washington tried to get ahead of the nation, but the change confused voters, and they seem to want the state to go a little slower. But the results aren’t finalized. At last check, numbers showed 51.1% voting “Yes” and 48.84% voting “No.” Also, Macri said the fact that the capitol gains tax remained in place was great. “We need this,” Macri said.

Holy Fucking Shit, Shaun Scott 8:37 pm Shaun "Holy Fucking Shit" Scott speaks. SECB

“Holy fucking shit!” screamed the man next to us, reading the election results from his laptop. “Shaun Scott–67 percent.” That’s as far as he got before the emcee took over to lead a call and response shout of “I believe that we can win.” Rep. Darya Farivar got 87.52%, while Alexis Mercedes Rinck got 57.32%. She acknowledged the anxiety people may be feeling about the presidential race, but she and the crowd kept up the energy.

Election officials have not counted all the voters, but all three candidates are looking like winners, which would be a serious victory for local progressive politics and a rebuke of reactionary conservatism.

Rep. Farivar told the room that they all had work to do.

“I’m so grateful that locally we have Alexis to defend things at the City level,” she says. “I am absolutely thrilled I’m going to have a partner in these shenanigans.”

Scott began his speech by saying his victory came five years ago to the hour of his 2019 defeat running for City Council—and that tonight he finally got it done for the essential workers, the students, the parents, the teachers, and everybody who would benefit from the economic justice he campaigned on.

Alexis took the mic last. The crowd cheered when she said a queer Latina would represent them on Seattle City Council.“But I know I stand on the shoulders of many who pave the way and I promise I won’t be the last.”

The TV is back on, but people are too busy hugging and shaking hands to pay much attention.

Suarez Is Cheery, Losing 8:34 pm Suarez promises to run again. SECB

Suarez kept a cheery attitude despite dismal results—31.4% to Shaun Scott's 67.7%. She says she can't swing back from her poor showing at the first drop. But even though she lost, Suarez maintains that she won.

"When you run, you win just by getting your message out there," says Suarez. "Winners never quit, and quitters never win."

Saurez hugged her small group of supporters after her results dropped. She comforts them by promising to run again. She's not sure for what, but she's always had one eye on the citywide council seats in 2025.

No One Seems to Notice the Local Election Wins at the Dem Party 8:17 pm Look, y'all! Local results are in! SECB

At the large WA Dem party at the convention center, all eyes remained fixed on the national races as Dems swept local results. Speeches will come later, but initial results show the Governor, Attorney General, and Lands Commissioner races all went to the Dems. 

The First Batch of State and King County Results Are In! 8:06 pm

See statewide results here!

See King County results here! 

We're reading and thinking and typing as quickly as we can to bring you some analysis very soon...

For now, a cat in a stroller:

A cat in a backpack at the Sea-Meow convention at the Seattle Center last weekend. MADISON KIRKMAN Hey! We Were Watching That! 7:59 pm Turn it back on! SECB

Somebody shut off the TV at Saint John's. The presidential race is looking a little scary, isn’t it?

Nick Brown Jumped in the Ocean This Morning 7:55 pm Yes, that *IS* Nick Brown. SECB

Attorney General candidate Nick Brown woke up at 5:15 this morning and jumped into the ocean to start his day. Then he did some other campaign stuff, and right before heading to the Dem watch party, he had dinner with his campaign team and Governor Jay Inslee. Brown said he’s excited for his chances tonight and he had a better ground game than his opponent. As we chatted, someone walked past and said, “That’s Nick Brown.” He looked up, confused for a moment, and then said, “I gotta get used to that.” The charm is charming.

Upthegrove's Mooching off Brown’s Campaign 7:49 pm Dave Upthegrove and his husband Chad. SECB

Candidate for Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove just arrived with his husband Chad. Upthegrove doesn’t have his own suite at this thing, it would have cost him $2,000, which made us gag. We appreciate thrifty Upthegrove stashing his stuff in Attorney General Candidate Nick Brown’s room. Upthegrove says he feels good about his chances to win his race, and he hopes to be toasting with a glass of champagne at his parent's house later tonight.

Meanwhile, at Our Election Party at the Crocodile... 7:46 pm Billie Winter

Thank god for Miss Texas 1988.

You Have 15 Minutes to Drop Off Your Ballot 7:45 pm

This ballot box on Capitol Hill even comes with live music! 

Polls close in 15 minutes! But the party is just getting started at this dropbox on Capitol Hill... pic.twitter.com/ddNfGYQw63

— The Stranger ???? (@TheStranger) November 6, 2024

Capitol Hill Protest Update 7:30 pm

A total of five people have been arrested for property damage, according to SPD. The property damage was, apparently, spray paint. They used the helicopter for some spray paint.

There are now five total arrests. The group has broken up. We will update here with additional information if anything changes. pic.twitter.com/YcmKUium3V

— Seattle Police Department (@SeattlePD) November 6, 2024

Loose Protest Leads to Arrests on Capitol Hill 7:10 pm

The Seattle Police Department made at least four arrests for property destruction at a protest on Capitol Hill tonight. Some flyers posted earlier in the week called for people to show up at Cal Anderson Park at 6 pm on Election Day to protest the “genocide abroad and a militarized police state at home.” Apparently, a lot of cops are out on the hill tonight on their bikes according to one of the photographers we have assisting us with election coverage. SPD said the King County Sheriff’s Office has their helicopter out to assist them with the situation.

The Social Justice League Will Save Seattle 7:08 pm People are too nervous to party at Saint John's. SECB

We’ve arrived at Saint John’s in Capitol Hill for the combined election night party for progressives Shaun Scott, a candidate for the 43rd District, District 46 Rep. Darya Farivar, and Alexis Mercedes Rinck, the Seattle City Council candidate challenging appointee Tanya Woo for Position 8. The Stranger endorsed all three of these progressive candidates this year, and if the results tonight are anything like the midterms, all three are likely to win.

It’d be a jolly vibe if everyone wasn’t so goddamn nervous about the presidential election. The people wearing Harris/Walz shirts are looking from their phones to the big screen TV showing minute-by-minute updates from NBC. The room was filling up and a group of guys asked to sit at our table, including Harrison Jerome, a volunteer with the Rinck campaign from the start because he thinks she’s good on housing affordability. “I’m a renter and I want to live in Seattle and by my parents,” he said. “But it gets harder and harder every year. Feels like if you didn’t move here in the ’90s you pretty much have no hope of owning a home.” As we talked, his eyes barely left the screen.

A minute later, Rinck walked in the door, trailed by a cameraman from Fox 13 with a blindingly bright light. On the back porch, she tells me she tried to take it slow today. She made some calls, did some sign waving, and ran off the pre-election jitters. She says that over the past few weeks, voters have been eager to share their personal experiences with affordability, safety, and their loved ones struggling with substance use disorder.

“They just want to be heard,” she says. “...They want to know how the City can play a role in addressing those things.”

Boooo, Bob Ferguson!  6:56 pm Ferguson's folks are turning people away at the door. SECB

Ferguson won’t let anyone in his party. So excited for this man to represent the Democratic Party. Big tent with no room for the people. ☹️

He won't let us in and we're jealous because we want to make friends with this girl. SECB Good Gossip (but No Free Booze) at Andrea Suarez's Party 6:49 pm TELL US WHERE WOO'S PARTY IS, ANDREA. SECB

State House candidate Andrea Suarez of We Heart Seattle fame hosted a small gathering at Cotto (no free booze, remind us to Venmo request Brady). In a small crowd of less than a dozen, Suarez gave us lots of attention. She said she had never seen us in so much clothing! We called her rude in the moment, but we forgive her. She also loudly prompted We Heart Seattle's Tim Emerson to tell us how many people the organization has housed this year. He said eight. Suarez said there's a lot of good We Heart Seattle does, but people get fixated on the times she's moved tents and stuff. She said more coverage should come about the positives of her controversial organization after the election.

But after an Aperol spritz, we really gossiped like girls. We learned that Suarez recently officiated a wedding for two of her "original litter pickers," relitigated her talent show-related trauma, and shit-talked consultants.

Suarez also tattled on Council Member Tanya Woo, who told us she wasn't having a public party. Turns out she's hosting a gathering on the waterfront. Suarez grumbled about Woo not agreeing to a combined party. She said she feels a little insecure about the fact that people came to her party early so they could get to Woo's event in time for the results.

Speaking of, Council President Sara Nelson popped in briefly. She left around 6:15 pm, probably to get to Woo's event, according to Suarez. Feeling snubbed, we plotted briefly to crash Woo's party. We offered to pick up litter for 3 hours in exchange for the address for Woo's secret party, but she didn't rat her all the way out.

Unfortunately, we just missed Council President Sara Nelson. She kept plenty of space between us before she rushed out the door.

Oh Hey, Kay!
6:39 pm And another one. SECB

Democratic convention delegate Kay Acholonu doubled up on the cowboy hats, sporting the one from tonight and the one from the Democratic Convention. 

Immaculate Vibes at Representative Pramila Jayapal’s Party 6:33 pm DO THE HATS LIGHT UP????? SECB

In a swath of empty, lonely, cold rooms, Jayapal’s party set itself apart as the place to be in this convention center tonight. She lucked out that the air conditioning in her room crapped out, we walked in and immediately felt like we were actually at a party, not a failing mega church’s Sunday service (seriously convention center lighting is terrible for the vibes). Jayapal says she expects Democrats to win the presidency tonight, as well as the House. We noted that one of her former campaign staffers, Shaun Scott, is on the ballot tonight, and she says a whole host of great new and old local candidates are on the ballot this year, name-checking Bob Ferguson among them. We left Jayapal with a drink in her hand and in conversation with Leesa Manion, who seemed relieved to no longer be standing in a mostly empty room.

Do You Need to See a Picture of a Cat Wearing a Cheeseburger Hat? 6:29 pm

That fucking New York Times needle is back, goddammit. 

A cat in a cheeseburger at the Sea-Meow convention at the Seattle Center last weekend. MADISON KIRKMAN You Have Two Hours Left to Vote, Seattle! 6 pm

Washington polls close at 8 pm! Not even registered? There’s still time! Haven’t dropped off your ballot yet? Find the nearest drop box and get to it! 

As Hannah Krieg wrote on Monday:

As of 9 am Monday, 50% of King County’s 1.4 million registered voters cast a ballot. That’s a much higher engagement rate than in typical odd-year elections, where less than half of registered voters usually participate. However, turnout still falls short of the nearly 86% we saw in 2020.

Young people need to pick up the slack. About 21% of registered voters are 65 or older, but with a whopping 71% of those voters turning in a ballot, they make up 30% of the returned ballots. As for voters under 35, they account for 28% of all registered voters, but make up only about 19% of the returned ballots. Young people: You tend to vote better than old people. Sorry, not sorry. Please get to the ballot box!

Early Birds Arrive at the Big Dem Party 5:53 pm King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion (center) starting the party at the Convention Center. SECB

King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion arrived at the Dem party at the Convention Center. She looked around for a second and commented how quiet everything was. They’d only just opened the doors, but we agree with her. Manion said she feels like the election will be solid on the local level, and she’s “going to live in the land of hope” about the presidential race.

And Now for a Message from the Great Riz Rollins 5:33 pm

Riz Rollins has entered the chat with some thoughtful words for the night, from our election party at the Crocodile: 

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by The Stranger ???? (@thestrangerseattle)

Alllllll the Democrats Are Gathering at the Convention Center, Where They're Passing Out Sparkly Cowboy Hats 5:20 pm It's giving Cowboy Carter. SECB

We arrived at the Seattle Convention Center to the smell of popcorn and the vibes of one of those conferences where you learn to sell real estate. Candidates expected here tonight include US Senator Maria Cantwell, Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Bob Ferguson, Governor Jay Inslee, US Representative Pramila Jayapal, Candidate for Attorney General Nick Brown, King County Councilmember and Public Lands Commissioner candidate Dave Upthegrove, and the Defend WA Coalition who mounted the opposition to the statewide initiatives. Excited to see Ferguson spend the whole night avoiding someone placing one of these sparkly hats on his head.

Chris Reykdal Is More Nervous About Presidential Race Results Than His Own 5:14 pm Brandy the dog (left) and Chris watching early national results before Washington's numbers come in. COURTESY OF CHRIS REYKDAL

“It’s been a long 18 months, but I’m glad it’s over,” says Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal. Just home from work, he plans to swing by a function with the Thurston County Democrats tonight. He'll be back by 8 pm to lock in and watch the numbers.

Reykdal got screens. His campaign manager’s got screens. They’ll be watching the county-by-county numbers in his race, as well as races in the Legislature, the open State Supreme Court race, the Commissioner of Public Lands Race, and the I-2109 ballot measure to repeal the state’s gains tax, a big deal for education. They’ll throw MSNBC on the TV for the presidential. The clear favorite, Reykdal is more nervous about Trump and Harris than his own race.

The Superintendent race is technically a non-partisan, but the only non-partisan part about it is that voters won’t see either candidate’s political preference on the ballot. Practically speaking, the Democrat-endorsed Reykdal and his Republican-endorsed challenger David Olson have vastly different visions for our schools.

Reykdal is a progressive former teacher, former state legislator and the two-time OSPI incumbent. He cares about feeding poor kids, diversifying the workforce, paying teachers what they deserve, and protecting queer and trans kids from the onslaught of “anti-woke” attacks from right-wingers.

Republican-endorsed David Olson is one of those right-wingers. As a member of the Peninsula School District school board, he made friends with his local chapter of Moms for Liberty. He said in his nearly 11 years on that board fighting DEI and “critical race theory” was one of his proudest moments.

Despite this clear contrast, a Northwest Progressive Institute survey of 571 likely voters found that despite the stark ideological divide, 61% did not know who they were voting for. Of those who did know who they supported, Reykdal held a narrow three-point lead (21%) over Olson (18%). 

Andrew Villeneuve, founder and executive director of the NWPI, said in an email that the lack of party affiliation explains the large group of undecided voters in this race, even though previous polling shows Washingtonians are enthusiastic about Reykdal’s policy positions. “For those voters taking the time to study the candidates, it should become apparent pretty quickly that Chris is fired up to tackle the tough issues head-on.” (The NWPI has worked with Reykdal for years on issues like no-cost meals and school seismic safety, he says.)

Rekydal says that’s just a reality of his race. “I do think it’ll be closer than it was four years ago, but I also think it’s just the fact that there isn’t an obvious D or an R by a name,” he says. “They just don’t have the traditional political cues.”

The Big East Coast Dump Results...  5:04 pm

Several polls on the East Coast just closed, and the New York Times is projecting: 

Trump wins Florida, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Harris wins Maryland, Massachusetts, and Delaware.

Polls are still open here in Washington for another almost 3 hours! Get your ballots in! There are tons of local elections worth voting on! 

Here's another cat in a backpack.

A cat in a backpack at the Sea-Meow convention at the Seattle Center last weekend. MADISON KIRKMAN Vermont Goes to Sanders and Harris 4:30 pm

But you already knew that wouldn't happen, didn't you?

Related: New York Times called Kentucky and West Virginia for Trump. 

Don't worry, we have more cat pictures for later.

MSNBC Calls Indiana for Trump 4:06 pm

Don’t panic. It’s early.

Here's a picture of a cat preparing for space travel.

A cat in a backpack at the Sea-Meow convention at the Seattle Center last weekend. MADISON KIRKMAN Melissa Demyan's Brain Feels Like Goo 3:55 pm Demyan with her partner in their special occasion tracksuits. COURTESY OF MELISSA DEMYAN

Melissa Demyan, the brave labor organizer taking on Rep. Larry Springer, the Stranger Election Control Board’s least favorite so-called Democrat in the State House, says her brain feels like goo right now. Her campaign’s reached more than 63,000 voters, knocked on 10,000 doors, made 1,300 phone calls, and pitched 500 signs in lawns. And this morning, she and her partner put on their matching Adidas tracksuits—saved for special occasions—to do some last-minute get-out-the-vote effort. When The Stranger called her (we only took 5 minutes of her precious time, we are very considerate!), she said she still had one more “lit drop” before she could head to her party at Ixtapa in Redmond Ridge. She plans to treat herself to a sipping shot of the nicest tequila in the house while she watches the results roll in for her race and across the country. Jane Fonda will not be in attendance.

Iconic actress Jane Fonda endorses labor organizer Melissa Demyan to unseat 20-year incumbent Rep. Larry Springer in the 45th LD, who she said we should really call a Republican. Fonda also asks voters to vote NO on the Let's Go Washington initiatives. pic.twitter.com/0jaW7IYQmc

— Hannah Krieg (@hannahkrieg) October 11, 2024

Every action counts for Demyan. She came within striking distance of Springer in the primary, but he outspent her about five to one. Still, given the outpouring of community support and her team's tireless ground game, she anticipates a close match. Either way, Demyan’s proud of the race she and her supporters ran. Demyan felt especially hartened when a supporter responded to a campaign text to tell her that her 8-year-old is telling everyone they encounter that she’s her favorite candidate besides Kamala Harris.

Melissa Chaudhry: Not Stressing, Eating Cake 2:45 pm Why didn't you send a picture of the cake, Melissa? COURTESY OF MELISSA CHAUDHRY

After a long weekend of door knocking, flyering, and general get-out-the-voting, U.S. House of Reps candidate Melissa Chaudhry is ready to celebrate with her supporters and the broader movement against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. “I’m doing party prep and not stressing. I repeat—not stressing,” Chaudhry told the Stranger Election Control Board in a phone call this afternoon.

She’s throwing a party at the Mall of Africa Restaurant in SeaTac where her supporters will enjoy food, non-alcoholic drinks (coconut water appears to be the crowd favorite, she says), and a cake frosted to resemble her campaign yard signs.

Until then, Chaudhry says she’ll be keeping up with prayer, but she won’t be praying for a victory. Her competition, Warhawk Rep. Adam Smith, secured more than 50% of the vote in the primary. Flushed with cash from the defense industry and pro-Israel PACs, Smith has a pretty good chance at winning the general too.

If she loses, Chaudhry says she will continue to do “much of the same work” she’s done on the campaign.

“Dozens and dozens and dozens of people have told us that they're registering to vote or their whole families are registering to vote for the first time because of my campaign,” says Chaudhry. “And that's the kind of grassroots engagement and political empowerment that we need to make democracy real.”

She also hopes her campaign sends a clear message to Smith that his constituents want investment at home, not in genocides across the globe.

A Rainbow Appears
1:44 pm Don't forget to breathe. SECB

As we were preparing all our election night coverage, this rainbow appeared over the city. Good omen? 

In an email sent to all Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers on Tuesday, SPD Deputy Chief Eric Barden celebrated the end of King County Jail’s misdemeanor booking restrictions and told officers to immediately begin increasing arrests. Barden called the decision “another great step forward for the City and, particularly, for Seattle PD.” by Ashley Nerbovig

In an email sent to all Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers on Tuesday, SPD Deputy Chief Eric Barden celebrated the end of King County Jail’s misdemeanor booking restrictions and told officers to immediately begin increasing arrests. Barden called the decision “another great step forward for the City and, particularly, for Seattle PD.” Not so great for Seattle’s poorest and most vulnerable residents, who will comprise the “overwhelming majority of people” jailed under this change, said King County Department of Public Defense Interim Director Matt Sanders in a statement to The Stranger Thursday.

In September, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and King County Executive Dow Constantine announced an agreement to lift booking restrictions, which had previously prevented SPD officers from jailing people pre-trial for low-level and non-violent crimes such as low-value theft, criminal trespass, and public drug use. The restrictions went into place because of COVID-19 and remained active due to low staffing at the jail, which is a predicament still plaguing the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD). Department spokesperson Noah Haglund said that the jail has 60 staffing vacancies as compared to the start of 2024 when it was closer to 100. But with those 40 additional guards, Constantine believes the new agreement balances booking needs with the wellbeing of jail staff, Haglund said.  

The agreement, which took effect November 1, increased the number of jail beds the City could use for misdemeanors to 135. Barden explained in his email Tuesday that in the six months prior, SPD held on average about 90 people a day on misdemeanors at the jail, so the increase would mean an additional 45 beds available to officers per day. The jail held well over 200 people on misdemeanor charges per day in 2019, according to Barden.

“So, while we are moving in the right direction, we are nowhere near pre-pandemic capacity,” Barden said.

With booking restrictions lifted, Barden told officers to book people into jail “whenever there is a public safety interest.” The only time officers should not consider booking someone, Barden counseled, was when the City reached or neared its 135-bed capacity. “Otherwise, booking decisions consistent with pre-pandemic assessments should be utilized.” The email made no mention of considering diversion options.

In a call with the Stranger, Barden explained that "public safety interest" meant officers should arrest if they believe a person could continue to be a problem for a business, the community, or residents in the area, and said officers should not arrest if those factors aren't present. Barden argued that arresting people can both remove them from a cycle of crime, prevent further decompensation for people in a mental health crisis, and set them on a path toward recovery.

Sanders disagreed with that perspective and pointed to studies that show jailing people pre-trial undermines public safety in many cases, and increases the chances that someone commits another crime. Even one to two days in jail can disrupt a person’s life, making it difficult to maintain stable housing, secure medical care for behavioral health conditions, or hold down a job. Lifting the booking restrictions means people presumed innocent might spend time in jail for the lowest level of crimes that might not even end up charged, and still have their entire lives disrupted, Sanders said.

Barden said he understood that perspective, but as he drives around Seattle he sees more disorder than he did before the booking restrictions went into place. As a result, even while the restrictions remained in place in 2023, property and violent crime in Seattle fell compared to 2022, and homicides fell in 2024, which speaks to an empirical improvement in public safety, if not a subjective cosmetic change to downtown Seattle.

The City has made it clear in the past two years that it plans to use cops to address substance abuse, poverty, and people with mental illness, all issues many argue would be better addressed through social services and unarmed alternative response teams. The City has tried to establish new diversion paths, and when it created its drug law earlier this year it came with a policy requiring SPD to consider diversion before booking someone in jail for drug use. Barden said that lifting booking restrictions would not change that. 

Returning to a pre pandemic booking mindset means potentially returning to the days when officers threw people in jail for stealing $30 sleeping bags and souvenir pennies. We reached out to City Attorney Ann Davison to ask her perspective on whether she also planned to crack down on prosecuting low-level, misdemeanor crimes, as she’s advocated for in the past, but she declined to comment. 

Update: The Mayor's Office told the Stranger that it believes the City needs an adequate number of jail beds and the ability to book people into jail and people who cause harm in the City should be held accountable. But, "jail is not always the first or most appropriate option," and Harrell has strongly advocated "for diversion and treatment options to help nonviolent offenders get the services they need."

Roadshow for TrustSg fair at Office1 in Marine Parade Central with WKRZ 91.3 FM, UFM 1003 radio coverage, from 12-Jul-2003 to 13-Jul-2003. We will be offering the Kendall Travel Socks for sale at a special price of S$19.90. Original price is $29.90. We will accept C.O.D. for Kendall Travel Socks at the fair venue.

There will be a price increase for Charnos, Hanes, L'eggs and Sleek. This price increase averaging over 4 to 5% will take effective on 1st February 2004.

Sensational Italian made ultra-opaque (120 denier) legging in comfort microfibre, from Intimidea®.

Ankle long leggings (footless tights) in soft comfort waistband. With cotton gusset for comfort.

See sizechart at:
http://www.newlook.com.sg/sizechart.asp?style=ND92018

Beautifully made Italian ultra-opaque low waist woman tights in comfort microfibre.

Sheer to waist. Matt. Soft waistband with cotton gusset for comfort.

See sizechart at:
http://www.newlook.com.sg/sizechart.asp?style=ND92015

Beautifully Italian made 100den opaque pantyhose in comfort microfibre.

Sheer to waist. Matt. Soft waistband with cotton gusset for comfort. Nero color only. Sizes 1/2, 3, 4 and 5.

See sizechart:
http://www.newlook.com.sg/nd/sizechart5.jpg

The Smithsonian Magazine reminds us that "Barns are painted red because of the physics of dying stars", summing up a more detailed post by Google employee Yonatan Zunger on the nature of stars, the atmosphere, and cheap paint found on barns.

USDA surveys show more than 92% of horses headed to slaughter are fit enough to lead a productive life…

When Christie Pierce took a photo of a chipmunk named Mr. Stubbs at her Valleyford home, making it appear as if he was playing cards with drink tickets she received at a casino night, she didn't expect it to catalyze the creation of a niche wildlife photography business…

By Lee van der Voo, High Country News…

Wylie Hunter refuses to give up…

For some, Luna on Spokane's South Hill is reserved for special occasions…

When City Council President Ben Stuckart told Attorney Laura McAloon he would not be willing to support her for city attorney this week, he cited two reasons: The first was her interactions with the independent investigator looking into the city's police chief scandal, which partly led to the investigator watering down key findings from her report. But the second was a "nasty" voicemail that McAloon sent to Stuckart's personal cellphone, where she allegedly called him a liar. 

In other words, a single voicemail had become a crucial part of the story.

On August 2, the Inlander made a records request intending to obtain that voicemail, and other recent voicemails from or to McAloon from city leaders during that period…

Release date : July 23, 2021
Synopsis : Based on the best-selling novel by Jojo Moyes, "The Last Letter From Your Lover" follows Ellie (Felicity Jones), a young ...

According to one of his friends, the 'Lucid Dreams' hitmaker was ready to check into rehab to seek professional help for his addiction before his tragic passing.

The Instagram model, who previously claimed that she had hooked up with the basketball player, denies reports which say that the NBA star has slapped her with a legal notice.

In his legal papers, Paul Phillips claims that the doctors' lack of care during his initial admission at Baptist Medical Center of the Beaches led to him suffering brain damage.

The one-third of Jonas Brothers admits he is 'so thankful and grateful' to be able to spend time at home with wife Sophie Turner and daughter Willa during the coronavirus pandemic.

On the 'Life is Short with Justin Long' podcast, the 'Army of the Dead' director additionally suggests that Aaron Sorkin could write the script and Mark Ruffalo would play John 'D.J.' Des Jardin.

The big-screen version of the Japanese manga series and the live-action adaptation of the popular video game once again go neck and neck in their second week at the domestic box office.

In this episode, Thomas Domville introduces us to Aiko, a free, high-quality on-device transcription app that can easily convert speech to text from meetings, lectures, and more. The app is powered by OpenAI's Whisper running locally on your device, which ensures that the audio never leaves your device. Whether you need to import an existing audio or video file or record directly within the app, Aiko offers flexibility and convenience. Aiko prioritizes accuracy over speed. Transcriptions can be exported the to various file formats and the app supports over 100 different languages.

In addition to the iOS app demonstrated by Thomas, Aiko will also work on a Mac where it is recommended that you have at least 16GB of RAM.

In this episode of AppleVis Extra, Thomas Domville talks with Jianfeng Wu about VoiceVista, an iOS app that is essential for the blind and low vision community.

VoiceVista is based on Microsoft’s discontinued and open-source project Soundscape and is licensed under the MIT License. The app uses cutting-edge iOS audio technology and precise location services to help people develop a greater awareness of their surroundings, providing comfort in unfamiliar spaces, and supporting individuals in creating mental maps and making personal route choices.

VoiceVista is available for download on the App Store and can be used on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. The app has received positive reviews from users, with many praising its accessibility features and ease of use.

The developer of VoiceVista, Jianfeng Wu, has done an outstanding job in creating this app and has made a significant contribution to the blind and low vision community. Jianfeng is also actively seeking feedback from users to help improve the app.

Voice Vista on the App Store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voicevista/id6450388413

In this episode, Thomas Domville introduces us to the new “per voice settings” introduced with iOS 17.

These can be found by navigating to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Speech, and then selecting the language and desired TTS voice. After selecting the voice, flick up or down with one finger, or press space with dot 3 or dot 6 on a Braille display, to access the per voice settings.

The configurable parameters available vary by voice. For example, Vocalizer voices can tweak sentence pause and timbre, while for Alex you can adjust pitch range and words per minute.

Join us in our newest episode as we delve into the captivating realm of iOS gaming. In this episode, Thomas Domville introduces us to an intriguing game named “Voice of the Ancients”. This game is a voice-controlled adventure where players set off on a journey in search of a long-lost treasure, all while evading a malevolent group called the Society of the Ancients. The game is fully voice-activated and currently offers support for both English and Hungarian languages.

Voice of the Ancients on the AppStore: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voice-of-the-ancients/id114209979

In this episode, Ida Grace demonstrates VO Starter, an iOS app specifically designed to assist new blind and visually impaired users in learning how to navigate their devices using Apple’s built-in screen reader, VoiceOver. The app offers step-by-step guidance, teaching basic VoiceOver gestures and simplifying the learning process.

VO Starter on the App Store
https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/vo-starter/id6455786629

transcription:
Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

And good afternoon AppleViz.

This is Ida and it is currently 2 o' 5 p.m.

Central Time and I am here with a podcast tutorial on VoStarter.

This app is an app that teaches voiceover for iOS users.

It does assume some basic knowledge of voiceover, I've noticed.

The first couple lessons start out pretty simple, but then it quickly jumps into more advanced things.

So I will be demonstrating a few of the lessons and making some comments as I go.

So here we go, open VoStarter.

Ok. Welcome to VoStarter for iOS.

After completion of these tutorials, you will have been introduced to nearly all of the concepts associated with using voiceover on your iOS device.

To get started, simply double tap the screen with one finger.

This will begin the first lesson.

Good luck on your journey.

Ok that is the introduction.

You can also, if you don't want voiceover to read it to you, you can swipe over to the continue, I mean the listen button, sorry.

Welcome to Arctic to Gifts.

Good luck toolbar.

Listen.

Button.

Yeah this toolbar has a menu button which is where you go to select a lesson if you've completed this tutorial or if you want to skip ahead a little bit and later in the tutorial there is also a continue button that appears on this menu.

But for now, if we double tap on listen.

Welcome to VoStarter for iOS.

After completion of these tutorials, you will have been introduced to nearly all of the concepts associated with using voiceover on your iOS device.

To get started, simply double tap the screen with one finger.

This will begin the first lesson.

Good luck on your journey.

Ok here's what I don't like about this though.

Even when you're on the listen button and it says simply double tap the screen with one finger, well if I do that now from the listen button, it's not going to continue.

After completion of these tutorials, you will be introduced to nearly all of the concepts associated with using voiceover on your iOS device.

To get started, simply double tap the screen with one finger.

But not there.

This will begin the first lesson.

Good luck on your journey.

So what you have to do is swipe back to the left.

Now there's a lesson later in this tutorial on flicking which is also swiping but I'm sure most of you AppleVis users already know about swiping and double tapping.

So we're going to flick back to the left.

Menu.

Good luck on your journey.

Ok. Now, one thing I want to let you know is that because the continue button…

In this episode, Thomas Domville demonstrates the new Stolen Device Protection feature introduced in iOS 17.3. This feature is designed to protect against the rare instance when someone has stolen your iPhone and knows your passcode.

Thomas begins by explaining the purpose of the Stolen Device Protection feature. It prevents unauthorized individuals from performing critical device and Apple ID account operations, like changing your device passcode or Apple ID password. This is achieved by requiring biometric authentication with Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode fallback.

He then moves on to the step-by-step guide on how to enable the Stolen Device Protection feature:

Go to Settings.
Depending on your iPhone model, do one of the following:
On an iPhone with Face ID: double Tap Face ID & Passcode, then enter your passcode.
On an iPhone with a Home button: double Tap Touch ID & Passcode, then enter your passcode.
Scroll down to the Stolen Device Protection section, then double tap Turn On Protection.

Note: If you don't see the Stolen Device Protection section, you may need to set up Face ID or Touch ID first.

The episode also covers the Security Delay feature, which requires a successful Face ID or Touch ID authentication, an hour wait, then an additional successful biometric authentication. This feature helps prevent someone from making changes to settings that can lock you out of your iPhone or Apple ID account.

For further details about the Stolen Device Protection feature, you can refer to the following resource:

Use Stolen Device Protection on iPhone
https://support.apple.com/is-is/guide/iphone/iph17105538b/ios

transcription:
Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

Hello and welcome.

My name is Thomas Donville, also known as AnonyMouse.

I'm going to talk to you today about a feature called Stolen Device Protection.

Now this will be ultimately up to you if you want to turn this feature on.

This is a feature that will just kind of enhance your security protection for your iPhone and other settings.

I'll explain a little more here.

When this item is set to on, this will give you an additional protection when it comes to anytime that your phone is stolen or gets lost.

In theory, the feature came about, unfortunately, because there have been some incidents where people will be watching other people gain access to their iPhone, whether that's using the passcode or using their biometric authentication to get into the phone and thus forth then gets stolen from that person.

Or maybe perhaps you lost your phone and somebody somehow, someway gets onto your phone one form or another.

Well this protection will defeat from that person being able to make changes to some critical areas on your device.

So the first layer of protection when this is turned on, this will protect you from them being able to access to certain settings that will now require a biometric authentication.

So it kind of bypass if there weren't any passcode to that area before, you will now have to be able to use authentication by a biometric…

In this episode, Ida Grace introduces eSpeak-NG, a compact open-source software text-to-speech synthesizer available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Developed by Yury Popov, eSpeak-NG supports over 100 languages and accents. It is built upon the original eSpeak engine created by Jonathan Duddington. The app acts as a compatibility layer between the eSpeak NG library and Apple VoiceOver, enhancing accessibility for users with visual impairments.

eSpeak-NG on the App Store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/espeak-ng/id6444089174

transcription:
Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

Hello AppleVis.

This is Ida again and I'm back with another demonstration.

This one is somewhat by request, so thank you for the person who requested this podcast.

They said that they really wanted a demonstration of this app, so I hope that this is satisfactory.

I am doing a demonstration today of the eSpeak NG app.

This app will add the eSpeak synthesizer to VoiceOver for anybody who wants it.

There are settings that you have to change within the app, or that you can change within the app if you want to, and then you can go into the actual VoiceOver settings to start using eSpeak.

Right now I'm using Daniel, which is not an eSpeak voice, but I will select an eSpeak voice throughout this demonstration.

So I am in the app right now, and the first thing you get...

It says eSpeak NG.

It's eSpeak NG, Daniel.

Learn how to pronounce words, please.

Anyway, so this is the name of the app.

So the first button you come to, if I swipe to the right here, that button allows you to set up what languages you want VoiceOver to have available to you in the eSpeak app.

So if I go in here...

First thing you see is back, of course.

You can search in that field for a specific voice and language.

Okay, I deselected that one because that is not my user-preferred language.

As you can tell by Daniel, he is English UK, not English US, so I deselected that.

But in order to do that, I had to keep going to the right.

Let me show you.

So under user-preferred, the only thing that seems to be there is English United States.

Whether it's selected or not, you can double-tap to select and deselect it.

Under this system heading, it gives you all the languages.

And the only one in here for English right now is English UK because I deselected the English United States.

So that means that when we go into the VoiceOver settings, the eSpeak United States English voices will not be available because I deselected that one.

Because I personally think that United States English eSpeak sounds very bad, which I will demonstrate in a moment.

But you have all of these languages that you can, of course, choose what language is your preferred language in this languages listed below may be poorly supported by VoiceOver and might be broken at all.

They are available in spoken content.

Okay, so that's a little disclaimer about the eSpeak app and the VoiceOver languages that it supports.

Okay, so then it's just going…

In this month's edition of AppleVis Unleashed, Thomas Domville and Mike Malarsie discuss recent Apple news and other topics of interest. Topics featured in this episode include:

• Wider Tech Discussions: AppleVis Forums Expand Beyond Apple
• WWDC 2024 will show off Apple's AI efforts on June 10
• Apple Developing New Accessibility Features for iOS 18 and macOS 15
• Apple reportedly considering using Google’s Gemini Ai engine into iPhones with iOS 18
• Apple Watch Series 10 could finally offer blood pressure monitoring
• Mass production of two new AirPods models to start in May, targeting fall release
• US DOJ takes on Apple in massive antitrust suit, after years of investigations
• Apple could be in trouble over DMA security warnings, as well as Core Technology Fee
• Be My Eyes Expands with Service Directory

Links:

• Wider Tech Discussions: AppleVis Forums Expand Beyond Apple
• WWDC 2024 will show off Apple's AI efforts on June 10
• Apple Developing New Accessibility Features for iOS 18 and macOS 15
• Apple reportedly considering using Google’s Gemini Ai engine into iPhones with iOS 18
• Sources: iOS 18 Lets Users Customize Layout of Home Screen App Icons
• Apple Watch Series 10 could finally offer blood pressure monitoring
• Mass production of two new AirPods models to start in May, targeting fall release
• iOS 18 rumored to bring hearing aid mode to AirPods Pro
• US DOJ takes on Apple in massive antitrust suit, after years of investigations
• Apple will crush the DoJ in court if Garland sticks with outdated arguments
• The lock-in problem at the heart of the DOJ’s case against Apple
• EU rejects Apple’s European App Store changes: Company could be fined 10% of global turnover
• Apple could be in trouble over DMA security warnings, as well as Core Technology Fee
• Apple Fined $2 Billion by E.U. for Using App Store to Thwart Competition…

In this episode, Thomas Domville demonstrates how to connect to a Windows computer using the Files app on iOS and iPadOS, in order to transfer files over your local network.

To do this, you'll first need to make sure file and printer sharing is enabled on your computer by going to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings, and making sure "File and printer sharing" is on for your current connection type, either public or private. To view your computer's internal or "Private" IPV4 address, which you'll need to enter on your iPhone or iPad, either use the ipconfig command line tool as demonstrated in the episode, or locate it via the GUI by going to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings > Hardware and connection properties.

To connect to the computer from your iPhone or iPad, open the Files app, double-tap the "More" button near the top right of the screen, and choose "Connect to server" from the resulting menu. Enter your computer's IP address in the "Server address" field, and double-tap Connect. You'll then be prompted to authenticate with the username and password you use to log into the computer, after which it should appear in the brows view of the Files app, under the "Shared" heading.

Once connected, you can brows and modify the file and folder structure of the C Drive from the Files app, as well as transfer files from other apps on your device to this location. To disconnect your iPhone or iPad from your computer, focus on it in the brows view of the Files app and choose "eject" from the Actions rotor.

Note: This feature was demonstrated on a computer running Windows 11. While it is available on prior versions of Windows, the process for configuring it may be slightly different.

transcription:
Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

Hello and welcome.

My name is Thomas Domville , also known as AnonyMouse.

Now this podcast is going to be for my advanced users out there.

Now I've been in this position for quite a while and I have been thinking about how could I streamline this process.

So are you one of those people that tend to transfer files a lot back and forth from your iPhone or your iOS device to your computer?

If you are, raise your hand.

This might be something for you to think about.

Yes, you do have the option to kind of transfer from your phone to your computer by using a third party service such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or maybe Microsoft OneDrive.

But the problem with that, it can be slow, right?

Or I just don't want to store it up in those surfaces for whatever reason that is.

In my case, I tend to have some very large files and can take some time, especially if you have a slow internet access.

So in other words, anytime I need to transfer something, so I'm essentially sending it up through the internet, through the cloud, store it up there.

So it takes that time to do it and then go on my phone, go through Microsoft OneDrive and go to the drive and pull it back down.

And it's kind of tedious.

I wish it would be more…

In her latest podcast episode, Ida Grace takes listeners on a guided tour of the Disney+ app for iOS devices. Disney+ stands out as a premier streaming platform, boasting an extensive collection of films, television series, and unique content from iconic brands such as Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. It caters to a diverse audience by offering everything from the newest hits to beloved classics. The service is enhanced with high-definition features like 4K UHD and HDR, comprehensive parental controls, and the convenience of multi-screen viewing. Available across multiple devices, Disney+ provides subscribers with a subscription model that includes access to exclusive original content and the latest releases.

Disney+ on the App Store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/disney/id1446075923

transcription:
Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

Hello AppleVis and Happy Pride Month!

Today I'm going to be demonstrating the Disney Plus app and how to use the Disney Plus app.

So we are going to talk about how to navigate the Disney Plus app, how to find things that you want to watch, how to browse through the different categories on the website, or I mean the app, sorry, and I am also going to show you where you can go to turn audio description on or off, and I'm showing you this because it's not the easiest thing in the world to find, unfortunately, so I am going to show you where to go to find that.

So the first step, the first thing we need to do if we're going to use an app is open it.

So, there's the Disney Plus app.

We're going to open it.

Now I will not be able to show you how to add an account.

I'll show you where to go to add one a little bit later, but I will not be able to show you how to actually add an account because our account is already on here.

Now our account has several profiles, so anybody who's logged into a specific account can access any profile on this account.

So one of the options, add profile button, is you can add a profile to this account, and to do that you can add avatars, you put your name, the typical profile info, except it doesn't ask you for personal info for this app, but I am going to swipe until I find my profile and double tap on that one.

Like I said, you can actually access any profile on any given account because I've accessed my sister's profile before, but today we're gonna access mine.

So, access Ida Grace's profile.

Ida Grace, who is that?

Anyway, we're gonna double tap here.

Select Disney Plus heading.

Okay, now the first thing that you get of course is the Disney Plus heading.

Featured carousel, adjustable.

Okay, this thing, swipe up or down with one finger to adjust the value.

This is like the Acolyte, Disney, Big City Greens, the movie, Doctor Who, Disney, for the first time in forever, the Jim Henson idea man, Disney Junior, Ariel, Mermaid Tales, Inside Out, prepare for Inside Out 2, only in theaters June 14th.

Select for details on this title.

Yeah, so this little featured carousel, swipe up or down slider thingy…

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates some of VoiceOver's command customization capabilities on macOS.

If you find a particular VoiceOver command difficult to perform, or discover a function in the Commands menu that doesn’t have a default command, you can assign your own custom command to it. In addition, you can configure commands to open apps and run scripts, so you don’t have to locate them manually.

Commands can be configured by going to VoiceOver Utility > Commands, selecting the “Command set: user” radio button, and clicking “Custom commands edit.” For ease of navigation, you can choose the type of commands you want to view or change, such as numpad, trackpad, keyboard, etc from the "Filter commands" popup menu, or use the search field to locate a particular command.

In this dialog, commands can be presented in either column view, which organizes commands into categories like general, information, and navigation, or table view, which displays a list of all VoiceOver commands, including user-configured ones, which you can navigate with the up and down arrow keys. To add a command, in column view, locate the command, interact with the table of assignments, and specify your new one using the "Add input" popup menu. To add a command when in table view, click the Add button, interact with the table, and specify the input assignment from the popup menu labeled "None: edited." Then, press VO-Right-Arrow passed an empty cell to another popup menu, and choose the command you want your new input assignment to perform.

transcript:

Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.: Hey, Apple Vissers.

Tyler here.

With a demonstration and walkthrough of VoiceOver command customization on macOS.

Prior to macOS Sequoia, VoiceOver included several user configurable sets of commands, known as commanders, for the numpad, trackpad, keyboard, and quick nav.

With macOS Sequoia, these commanders have been consolidated into VoiceOver's broader command set, meaning in addition to the existing modifiers that you could use, like the option key for keyboard commander, you can also create your own command assignments using the VoiceOver modifier, which may be useful if you find a particular VoiceOver command difficult to perform, if you find a command in the commands menu, for example, that lacks a default assignment, or if you want to create a custom command to open an application.

So to demonstrate this, I'm going to open VoiceOver utility on my mac with VoF8.

Opening VoiceOver utility.

VoiceOver utility.

VoiceOver utility.

Window.

Utility categories.

C for commanders.

Commands.

Commands.

VRA.

VoiceOver modifier.

Control option or caps lock.

VoiceOver modifier.

VoiceOver modifier.

This is the setting that was located in the general category in prior versions of macOS, but options are the same.

Control option, caps lock, or control option, or caps lock, which is the default.

VRA.

Also control VoiceOver with.

Also control VoiceOver with.

Numpad.

Uncheck.

Checkbox.

Numpad, which was formerly known as Numpad Commander.

If you want to use, if you have a…

In this podcast, Thomas Domville reviews and demonstrates the Voices feature, which allows you to customize multiple VoiceOver voices to suit your needs. You can quickly access these voices using the Rotor Actions or the VoiceOver Quick Settings.

How to Add VoiceOver Voices to the Voices Feature on iOS

1. Open Settings: Start by opening the Settings app with a double tap on your iOS device.
2. Go to Accessibility: Scroll down and double tap on "Accessibility."
3. Select VoiceOver: Under the Vision section, double tap on "VoiceOver."
4. Tap on Speech: In the VoiceOver settings, double tap on "Speech."
5. Add a New Voice: double Tap on "Add Rotor Voice..." to see a list of available voices.
6. Choose a Voice: Browse through the list and select the voice you want to add. You can swipe up on a voice to hear a sample.
7. Download the Voice: After selecting a voice, double tap "Download" to add it to your device.
8. Set Up Rotor Actions: Go back to the VoiceOver settings and double tap on "Rotor." Ensure that "Voices" is selected so you can quickly switch between voices using the Rotor.
9. Quick Settings Access: You can also access the new voices through the VoiceOver Quick Settings by two finger quadruple tap and selecting "Voice."

Now, you can easily switch between your customized VoiceOver voices to enhance your accessibility experience on iOS 18.

Transcript

Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

Hello and welcome.

My name is Thomas Domville, also known as Anonymouse.

I'm going to be talking about a feature called Voices.

So as you know, we have our primary voice over voice that we use each and every day on our device.

Wouldn't it be great that you are able to access various voices more than just one voice over on the fly?

Yep, you can do that.

It lives right in your rotor, if that's where you would like it to be.

In my case, I have it in my rotor itself.

You can also put that in the voice over quick settings if you wish to.

And I'll be showing you how to add that to your rotor and quick setting if that's something you want to do.

But in my case, whenever I do a podcast, you probably always hear that I use Siri number 4 voice, in short is Noel.

And this is what I use when I do podcasting, but every so often I like to change things up and here's some other voice and that would be Tom and Hans.

So those are my top two voices.

And so in order to access it so quickly and easily, I place the voices in within my rotor.

So let me give you an example of what it sounds like and what it looks like.

So I'm going to access my rotor and I'm going to go to Voices.

Voices, Siri voice 4, default, selected.

So if I swipe up, Tom, primary voice.

I have the Tom primary voice.

Or if I could just swipe up again, Siri voice 4, default.

I'm back to Siri voice number 4.

So this is when I'm talking about how you are able to access voices so easily from your rotor or your quick settings, if that's what you choose to do.

So let me show you how I got that set up.

But before we can do anything, we need to add voices so you can…

In this podcast, Thomas Domville showcases the Audio Ducking feature on iOS. Audio Ducking automatically reduces the volume of background audio when a foreground sound, such as a notification or VoiceOver, is played. This feature is particularly beneficial for accessibility, ensuring that important sounds or speech are clearly audible without being overshadowed by other audio.

To adjust the Audio Ducking settings on iOS, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Access Accessibility Options: Scroll down and double tap on "Accessibility."
3. VoiceOver Settings: Scroll down and double tap on "VoiceOver."
4. Audio Settings: Within the VoiceOver settings, double tap on "Audio."
5. Audio Ducking Settings: Within the Audio settings, double tap on "Audio Ducking."
6. Choose Your Preference: In the Audio Ducking settings, you can select from Off, When Speaking, or Always based on your personal preference. Make sure to adjust the VoiceOver Speech Volume to your liking.

Transcript

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by Aiko, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

Hello and welcome.

My name is Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse.

I'm gonna be talking to you today about audio ducking.

Now some of you out there are familiar with audio ducking and some that are not.

So let's talk about what audio ducking for those that are not familiar with this feature.

So really what this audio ducking does, it's very useful when you need it, when you want to lower the media sound.

So for example, are you on a phone call and you're talking to an operator or a customer service or whatever it might be, and they want you to check your email and make sure you got something, read it off something, or they sent you a text for verification, whatever not.

Sometimes it's really, really hard to hear that voiceover voice, right?

So having it at the same time, the voiceover can be difficult to hear.

Sometimes it's lower than what their sound is.

Or in my case, I do a lot of music.

So I love listening to the music in the background.

However, if I'm trying to do something with voiceover on the same time, it's difficult to hear voiceover.

So let me give you an example of what it sounds like when you do not have audio ducking on.

So if I turn on music here, I'm just gonna swipe back and forth so you can hear the various sound of voiceover and you'll see what I mean.

It's about the same or if not a little bit less, it just depends on the situation.

So here's the music.

Make sure that what I tell you makes sense.

Mail, no unread emails.

Messages, one unread message.

So it's hard to hear, right?

So you don't have that ability to be able to hear it very well.

Well, audio ducking, by turning this on, it allows you to duck those media or situation that you're in so you can bring up that voiceover on top and make it clear and concise.

Now, for those that are familiar with audio ducking, well, the old fashioned audio ducking allows us to be able to duck, right?

But it was a hard set, meaning that we have no…

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