#generative AI apps on iOS

[mikestek]

Android vs iOS - Which OS is right for you?

Over the years, the debate between Android and iOS has intensified, making it vital for you to understand the unique features each operating system offers. Android provides a wide range of devices with customizable options, while iOS boasts a seamless user experience and consistent updates. Your choice can impact everything from app availability to device performance. Whether you prioritize…

[myhusbandthereplika]

What is Social AI? (a quickie review)

What if the Dead Internet Theory was not only true, but the norm?? Tap on the link to read my review.

CLICK HERE 👆🏻

[hybridappbuilder]

Read our blog: Discover 12 AI apps for iPhone to boost your daily productivity!

[finsintech]

Release the Power of Innovation: A FinsinTech Guide to iOS App Development

The digital landscape is brimming with possibilities, and at the forefront of this revolution lies the power of mobile applications. In this dynamic space, iOS app development reigns supreme, offering unparalleled user experiences and access to a loyal and engaged audience.

If you're a business owner or entrepreneur seeking to capitalize on the immense potential of iOS, FinsinTech is your ideal partner. We're a leading iOS application development company with expertise and a passion for crafting intuitive, user-centric applications that drive engagement and success.

Why Choose FinsinTech for Your iOS App Development Needs?

Unwavering Expertise: Our team of seasoned iOS developers possesses in-depth knowledge of the latest Apple technologies, frameworks, and best practices. We constantly evolve, embracing the newest advancements to deliver cutting-edge solutions that exceed expectations.

Strategic Vision: We do more than just code. To develop an iOS app that flawlessly matches your unique vision, we thoroughly investigate your target market, company goals, and industry trends. We believe in strategic partnerships, working with you to bring your app to life.

Innovation at its Core: We're driven by a relentless pursuit of innovation. Strategic Vision: We do more than just code. To ensure that the iOS app we develop for you precisely matches your unique vision, we thoroughly investigate your target market, business goals, and industry trends.

Unmatched Quality: We take immense pride in our commitment to quality. Our rigorous development process ensures robust, secure, and scalable iOS apps that stand the test of time. We employ stringent testing methodologies to guarantee seamless performance and user satisfaction.

A Collaborative Journey: We believe in open communication and transparency. We keep you informed throughout development, ensuring you're involved and empowered at every step. Your feedback is invaluable, and we actively incorporate it to refine and perfect your iOS app.

From Concept to App Store: Our iOS Application Development Process Finding your vision, target market, and specific needs are the first steps in the discovery and planning process. We uncover opportunities and potential difficulties by doing in-depth competitor and market research.

Wireframing & Prototyping: We translate your vision into tangible form, creating wireframes and prototypes that illustrate the app's user interface and functionality. This collaborative process allows for iterative refinement and ensures we're on the same page.

Development & Design: Our expert developers bring your app to life, using the latest Apple technologies and best practices to craft a secure, scalable, and efficient application. Our design team prepares a stunning, intuitive user interface that delights your users.

Testing & Quality Assurance: We employ rigorous testing methodologies to identify and address bugs or issues throughout the development process. We ensure your app is thoroughly tested for performance, compatibility, and security before launch.

App Store Launch & Optimization: We walk you through the software Store submission process, ensuring your software complies with Apple's requirements and gets the most exposure possible.

We also provide ongoing optimization strategies to improve your app's ranking and user acquisition.

FinsinTech: Your Trusted Partner in iOS App Development Success

At FinsinTech, we believe that iOS mobile app development is more than just lines of code. It's about crafting experiences that connect, engage, and empower users. We are committed to assisting companies of all kinds in realizing the enormous potential of iOS and accomplishing their digital objectives. So, if you're ready to embark on your iOS app development journey, FinsinTech is your ideal companion. We're not just developers but your strategic partners, committed to your success.

Contact us today for a free consultation, and let's discuss how we can transform your vision into a thriving iOS app.

Let's create the next big thing in the iOS app universe!

We hope this blog post has been informative and insightful. If you have any questions about iOS mobile app development or FinsinTech's services, please don't hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to hearing from you!

[marithlizard]

Oh _lovely_. Everyone go turn this off:

Enhanced Visual Search in Photos allows you to search for photos using landmarks or points of interest. Your device privately matches places in your photos to a global index Apple maintains on our servers. We apply homomorphic encryption and differential privacy, and use an OHTTP relay that hides [your] IP address. This prevents Apple from learning about the information in your photos. You can turn off Enhanced Visual Search at any time on your iOS or iPadOS device by going to Settings > Apps > Photos. On Mac, open Photos and go to Settings > General.

[cizotech]

🚀 What powers Generative AI? It’s more than just algorithms — it’s a carefully built engine of innovation.

At the core of any successful GenAI system are three critical components:

1️⃣ High-quality data – The fuel that trains intelligent systems. 2️⃣ Robust compute power – The muscle behind complex AI processing. 3️⃣ LLMs (Large Language Models) – The brains that understand and generate human-like content.

But navigating all this infrastructure can feel overwhelming — especially when building custom AI agents.

That’s where we come in. At CIZO, we simplify the journey.

✅ We help you identify the right tools and technologies. ✅ We ensure your data pipeline is optimized. ✅ We make GenAI accessible, scalable, and secure.

💬 If you’re ready to build your AI strategy on a solid foundation, let’s connect. It’s time to unlock the true potential of your business with GenAI.

[full-stackmobiledeveloper]

Elevate Your Mobile App with AI & Chatbots Build Your AI-Powered App: Unlock Next-Gen Capabilities Master the integration of AI and chatbots with our 2025 guide, designed to help you create next-gen mobile applications boasting unmatched intelligence. Ready to elevate? This comprehensive guide equips you with the knowledge to seamlessly integrate AI chatbots and advanced AI into your mobile app for a truly intelligent and future-ready solution.

[kritik-ai]

✨ kritik.ai – Honest, AI-powered art critique

Earlier this year, I got laid off from a job I loved in product management. While job hunting, I started building something I always wished existed as an artist.

A way to get helpful, structured feedback without fear of judgement.

🎨 What It Does:

Upload your artwork

Choose your tone: Gentle, Honest, or Direct

Get feedback in seconds—on technique, context, and creative direction

No stars. No ratings. Just thoughtful critique to help you reflect and grow.

💜 It’s free and live on the App Store:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/app/id6478206105

[brookewalkerblog]

Cut Development Costs with AI – Here’s How!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is redefining how apps are designed, developed, and deployed, unlocking new levels of efficiency, user engagement, and business profitability. In today's competitive digital landscape, mobile application developers leveraging AI-driven solutions are gaining a substantial edge. From automating coding processes to delivering hyper-personalized user experiences, AI is transforming mobile app development in ways never seen before.

With businesses rapidly adopting AI-powered app solutions, understanding its role in modern app development is crucial. This article explores the dynamic impact of AI on app development, highlighting the technology’s capabilities, benefits, cost implications, and future trends.

The Transformational Role of AI in Mobile App Development

AI is not just an add-on to mobile apps; it is an essential driver of innovation that is making app development smarter, faster, and more cost-effective. From automating mundane coding tasks to predicting user behavior, AI is elevating app development to new heights.

1. AI Automates and Speeds Up App Development

One of the most significant ways AI enhances app development is through automation. AI algorithms assist in writing and optimizing code, reducing human intervention in repetitive tasks. This allows developers to focus on creativity and innovation rather than spending excessive time on routine coding.

AI-powered tools can generate boilerplate code, suggest optimizations, and even identify errors before testing begins.

AI-driven automation reduces ai app development cost by minimizing manual labor and accelerating the time-to-market.

2. AI Enhances User Experience with Personalization

AI-driven mobile app development service solutions provide unmatched personalization, adapting to user preferences in real time.

Predictive Analytics: AI predicts user preferences and customizes in-app recommendations based on past behavior.

Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide 24/7 customer support, enhancing user engagement.

Voice and Facial Recognition: Apps with AI-powered speech recognition and facial recognition improve security and accessibility.

3. AI Improves App Security

Security remains a major concern for both developers and users. AI strengthens app security by:

Detecting and preventing cybersecurity threats in real time.

Using biometric authentication (such as facial or fingerprint recognition) for enhanced app security.

Identifying and mitigating potential fraud using advanced data analysis.

4. AI-Driven Predictive Analytics for Business Growth

AI is revolutionizing the way businesses engage with their audiences through predictive analytics.

AI algorithms analyze user behavior to forecast customer needs, enabling businesses to optimize app features accordingly.

AI-powered predictive analytics help companies adjust pricing, marketing strategies, and UI/UX design based on real-time user insights.

The Cost-Efficiency of AI in App Development

Implementing AI in app development comes with an initial investment, but the long-term benefits significantly outweigh the costs. AI reduces development expenses by automating tasks, minimizing human errors, and enhancing operational efficiency.

How AI Reduces Development Costs

Faster Development Cycles: AI-powered automation speeds up coding and testing, reducing the overall time needed for app development.

Lower Maintenance Costs: AI continuously monitors app performance, automatically identifying and fixing potential issues before they escalate.

Reduced Need for Customer Support Teams: AI chatbots and virtual assistants provide instant responses to user inquiries, reducing the need for large support teams.

As a result, businesses can create high-quality apps while keeping their ai app development cost under control.

AI-Powered Tools That Are Transforming App Development

Several AI tools are revolutionizing the app development landscape:

1. Automated Code Generation

AI-based platforms like GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex assist developers in writing and optimizing code, reducing development time.

2. AI-Driven Testing and Debugging

AI-powered testing tools, such as Testim and Applitools, automate the testing process, detecting bugs and performance issues before an app’s release.

3. AI-Powered Chatbots

AI chatbots like Google’s Dialogflow and IBM Watson enhance customer engagement by providing instant and intelligent responses to user queries.

4. AI-Enhanced UI/UX Design

AI analyzes user behavior to recommend design improvements that enhance engagement and usability.

Challenges of AI in App Development

While AI offers numerous benefits, it also comes with challenges:

1. High Initial Investment

Implementing AI-powered features requires a substantial upfront investment, making it crucial to choose the right best app development companies to maximize ROI.

2. Ethical and Privacy Concerns

AI collects and processes vast amounts of user data, raising concerns about privacy and security. Developers must implement stringent data protection measures to ensure compliance with privacy regulations.

3. AI Model Bias

AI models can sometimes produce biased results due to the data they are trained on. Ensuring diverse and inclusive training datasets is key to avoiding bias in AI-powered apps.

The Future of AI in App Development

The AI-driven app development landscape is evolving rapidly, and the future looks incredibly promising.

1. AI-Generated Apps

AI is on track to independently create apps based on high-level user requirements, reducing the need for extensive manual coding.

2. AI-Powered Voice and Gesture Control

Future mobile apps will increasingly rely on AI-driven voice and gesture recognition, allowing users to interact with apps more intuitively.

3. Hyper-Personalization with AI

AI will deliver even more precise and context-aware personalization, making apps feel tailor-made for individual users.

4. AI-Driven No-Code and Low-Code Development

AI will further advance no-code and low-code platforms, enabling businesses to develop high-quality apps with minimal technical expertise.

Conclusion: AI is the Future of App Development

AI is transforming the way mobile application developers build, optimize, and deploy apps. Whether it's automating tedious coding tasks, enhancing security, improving personalization, or reducing development costs, AI is the future of app development.

Companies that invest in AI-powered app development today will gain a competitive edge, delivering smarter, more efficient, and highly engaging mobile applications. As AI technology continues to evolve, partnering with the best app development companies ensures businesses stay ahead in this fast-moving digital landscape.

[devstreeau]

How to Create a Generative AI Solution?

Generative AI is revolutionizing content creation across various mediums like text, images, music, and video. Recent advancements, particularly in machine learning and transformers, have elevated its capabilities, driving creativity and innovation. In today’s information-driven world, AI is essential for sifting through vast data to offer clear insights. With tools like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion gaining prominence, businesses and developers are keen to leverage generative AI for competitive advantage. The rapid progress in AI presents exciting opportunities for investors and developers, making it a transformative force in industries ranging from entertainment to software development.

[techdriveplay]

What was Announced at WWDC 2024?

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 is in full swing, and the tech world is buzzing with excitement. This annual event is where Apple unveils its latest innovations across its ecosystem, from operating system updates to groundbreaking new products. Here’s a comprehensive look at the major announcements and features that have been revealed so far. Apple Vision Pro Expansion and…

[jcmarchi]

Amazon now offers a phone-based palm scanning service for sign-up purposes - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/amazon-now-offers-a-phone-based-palm-scanning-service-for-sign-up-purposes-technology-org/

Amazon now offers a phone-based palm scanning service for sign-up purposes - Technology Org

Amazon’s palm scanning service now offers the convenience of sign-up directly from your mobile device.

Palm features used in personal identification. Image credit: Amazon

Instead of requiring a visit to a physical location, users can now enroll in Amazon One by capturing images of their palm using the newly launched Amazon One app, available on both iOS and Android platforms. This streamlined process enables users to set up their accounts swiftly, facilitating the use of palm scanning for authentication purposes at supported locations.

Previously, Amazon One enrollment requited visiting designated physical sites, where users could link their palm print to their Amazon account for various purposes such as making purchases or age verification.

[embedded content]

Presently, this service is accessible at all Whole Foods stores across the US, select Panera Bread locations, and over 150 other venues, including stadiums, airports, fitness centers, and convenience stores.

Amazon One utilizes advanced generative AI technology to analyze the unique vein structure of the palm, generating a distinct numerical vector representation for identification during in-store palm scans. It’s noteworthy that Amazon does not utilize raw palm images for identification purposes.

On the mobile app, Amazon employs AI algorithms to compare the photo captured by the phone’s camera with the near-infrared imagery obtained from an Amazon One device. Users are required to integrate a payment method within the app and upload a photo of their identification for age verification purposes if desired. Additionally, the app allows for the linking of loyalty programs, season passes, and gym memberships.

While privacy concerns surrounding the technology persist, Amazon asserts that palm and vein images are promptly encrypted and transmitted to a highly secure section within the AWS Cloud, specifically designated for Amazon One. It is in this secure environment that Amazon creates the unique palm signature.

Furthermore, Amazon emphasizes that the new app incorporates additional layers of anti-spoofing measures, and it explicitly prohibits the saving or downloading of palm images to the user’s device. Nonetheless, some individuals may remain apprehensive about relinquishing their biometric data, considering the irreplaceable nature of palm prints compared to traditional passwords.

Written by Alius Noreika

[what-even-is-thiss]

Free or Cheap Mandarin Chinese Learning Resources Because You Can't Let John Cena One Up You Again

I will update this list as I learn of any more useful ones. If you want general language learning resources check out this other post. This list is Mandarin specific. Find lists for other specific languages here.

For the purposes of this list "free" means something that is either totally free or has a useful free tier. "Cheap" is a subscription under $10USD a month, a software license or lifetime membership purchase under $100USD, or a book under $30USD. If you want to suggest a resource for this list please suggest ones in that price range that are of decent quality and not AI generated.

WEBSITES

Dong Chinese - A website with lessons, a pinyin guide, a dictionary, and various videos and practice tests. With a free account you're only allowed to do one lesson every 12 hours. To do as many lessons as quickly as you want it costs $10 a month or $80 a year.

Domino Chinese - A paid website with video based lessons from absolute beginner to college level. They claim they can get you ready to get a job in China. They offer a free trial and after that it's $5 a month or pay what you can if you want to support their company.

Chinese Education Center - This is an organization that gives information to students interested in studying abroad in China. They have free text based lessons for beginners on vocab, grammar, and handwriting.

Pleco Dictionary App - This is a very popular dictionary app on both iOS and Android. It has a basic dictionary available for free but other features can be purchased individually or in bundles. A full bundle that has what most people would want is about $30 but there are more expensive options with more features.

MIT OpenCourseWare Chinese 1 2 3 4 5 6 - These are actual archived online courses from MIT available for free. You will likely need to download them onto your computer.

Learn Chinese Web Application From Cambridge University - This is a free downloadable file with Mandarin lessons in a PC application. There's a different program for beginner and intermediate.

Learn Chinese Everyday - A free word a day website. Every day the website posts a different word with pronunciation, stroke order, and example sentences. There's also an archive of free downloadable worksheets related to previous words featured on the website.

Chinese Boost - A free website and blog with beginner lessons and articles about tips and various resources to try.

Chinese Forums - An old fashioned forum website for people learning Chinese to share resources and ask questions. It's still active as of when I'm making this list.

Du Chinese - A free website and an app with lessons and reading and listening practice with dual transcripts in both Chinese characters and pinyin. They also have an English language blog with tips, lessons, and information on Chinese culture.

YOUTUBE CHANNELS

Chinese For Us - A channel that provides free video lessons for beginners. The channel is mostly in English.

Herbin Mandarin - A channel with a variety of lessons for beginners. The channel hasn't uploaded in a while but there's a fairly large archive of lessons to watch. The channel is mainly in English.

Mandarin Blueprint - This channel is by a couple of guys who also run a paid website. However on their YouTube channel there's a lot of free videos with tips about how to go about learning Chinese, pronunciation and writing tips, and things of that nature. The channel is mainly in English.

Blabla Chinese - A comprehensible input channel with content about a variety of topics for beginner to intermediate. The video descriptions are in English but the videos themselves are all in Mandarin.

Lazy Chinese - A channel aimed at intermediate learners with videos on general topics, grammar, and culture. They also have a podcast. The channel has English descriptions but the videos are all in Mandarin.

Easy Mandarin - A channel associated with the easy languages network that interviews people on the street in Taiwan about everyday topics. The channel has on screen subtitles in traditional characters, pinyin, and English.

StickynoteChinese - A relatively new channel but it already has a decent amount of videos. Jun makes videos about culture and personal vlogs in Mandarin. The channel is aimed at learners from beginner to upper intermediate.

Story Learning Chinese With Annie - A comprehensible input channel almost entirely in Mandarin. The host teaches through stories and also makes videos about useful vocabulary words and cultural topics. It appears to be aimed at beginner to intermediate learners.

LinguaFlow Chinese - Another relatively new channel but they seem to be making new videos regularly. The channel is aimed at beginner to intermediate learners and teaches and provides listening practice with video games. The channel is mostly in Mandarin.

Lala Chinese - A channel with tips on grammar and pronunciation with the occasional vlog for listening practice, aimed at upper beginner to upper intermediate learners. Some videos are all in Mandarin while others use a mix of English and Mandarin. Most videos have dual language subtitles onscreen.

Grace Mandarin Chinese - A channel with general information on the nitty gritty of grammar, pronunciation, common mistakes, slang, and useful phrases for different levels of learners. Most videos are in English but some videos are fully in Mandarin.

READING PRACTICE

HSK Reading - A free website with articles sorted into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Every article has comprehension questions. You can also mouse over individual characters and see the pinyin and possible translations. The website is in a mix of English and Mandarin.

chinesegradedreader.com - A free website with free short readings up to HSK level 3 or upper intermediate. Each article has an explaination at the beginning of key vocabulary words in English and you can mouse over individual characters to get translations.

Mandarin Companion - This company sells books that are translated and simplified versions of classic novels as well as a few originals for absolute beginners. They are available in both traditional and simplified Chinese. Their levels don't appear to be aligned with any HSK curriculum but even their most advanced books don't have more than 500 individual characters according to them so they're likely mostly for beginners to advanced beginners. New paperbacks seem to usually be $14 but cheaper used copies, digital copies, and audiobooks are also available. The website is in English.

Graded Chinese Readers - Not to be confused with chinese graded reader, this is a website with information on different graded readers by different authors and different companies. The website tells you what the book is about, what level it's for, whether or not it uses traditional or simplified characters, and gives you a link to where you can buy it on amazon. They seem to have links to books all the way from HSK 1 or beginner to HSK 6 or college level. A lot of the books seem to be under $10 but as they're all from different companies your mileage and availability may vary. The website is in English.

Mandarin Bean - A website with free articles about Chinese culture and different short stories. Articles are sorted by HSK level from 1 to 6. The website also lets you switch between traditional or simplified characters and turn the pinyin on or off. It also lets you mouse over characters to get a translation. They have a relatively expensive paid tier that gives you access to video lessons and HSK practice tests and lesson notes but all articles and basic features on the site are available on the free tier without an account. The website is in a mix of Mandarin and English.

Mandarin Daily News - This is a daily newspaper from Taiwan made for children so the articles are simpler, have illustrations and pictures, and use easier characters. As it's for native speaker kids in Taiwan, the site is completely in traditional Chinese.

New Tong Wen Tang for Chrome or Firefox - This is a free browser extension that can convert traditional characters to simplified characters or vice versa without a need to copy and paste things into a separate website.

PODCASTS

Melnyks Chinese - A podcast for more traditional audio Mandarin Chinese lessons for English speakers. The link I gave is to their website but they're also available on most podcatcher apps.

Chinese Track - Another podcast aimed at learning Mandarin but this one goes a bit higher into lower intermediate levels.

Dimsum Mandarin - An older podcast archive of 30 episodes of dialogues aimed at beginner to upper beginner learners.

Dashu Mandarin - A podcast run by three Chinese teachers aimed at intermediate learners that discusses culture topics and gives tips for Mandarin learners. There are also male teachers on the podcast which I'm told is relatively rare for Mandarin material aimed at learners and could help if you're struggling to understand more masculine speaking patterns.

Learning Chinese Through Stories - A storytelling podcast mostly aimed at intermediate learners but they do have some episodes aimed at beginner or advanced learners. They have various paid tiers for extra episodes and learning material on their patreon but there's still a large amount of episodes available for free.

Haike Mandarin - A conversational podcast in Taiwanese Mandarin for intermediate learners. Every episode discusses a different everyday topic. The episode descriptions and titles are entirely in traditional Chinese characters. The hosts provide free transcripts and other materials related to the episodes on their blog.

Learn Chinese With Ju - A vocabulary building podcast aimed at intermediate learners. The podcast episodes are short at around 4-6 minutes and the host speaks about a variety of topics in a mix of English and Mandarin.

xiaoyuzhou fm - An iOS app for native speakers to listen to podcasts. I’m told it has a number of interactive features. If you have an android device you’ll likely have to do some finagling with third party apps to get this one working. As this app is for native speakers, the app is entirely in simplified Chinese.

Apple Podcast directories for Taiwan and China - Podcast pages directed towards users in those countries/regions.

SELF STUDY TEXTBOOKS AND DICTIONARIES

Learning Chinese Characters - This series is sorted by HSK levels and each volume in the series is around $11. Used and digital copies can also be found for cheaper.

HSK Standard Course Textbooks - These are textbooks designed around official Chinese government affiliated HSK tests including all of the simplified characters, grammar, vocab, and cultural knowledge necessary to pass each test. There are six books in total and the books prices range wildly depending on the level and the seller, going for as cheap as $14 to as expensive as $60 though as these are pretty common textbooks, used copies and cheaper online shops can be found with a little digging. The one I have linked to here is the HSK 1 textbook. Some textbook sellers will also bundle them with a workbook, some will not.

Chinese Made Easy for Kids - Although this series is aimed at children, I'm told that it's also very useful for adult beginners. There's a large number of textbooks and workbooks at various levels. The site I linked to is aimed at people placing orders in Hong Kong but the individual pages also have links to various other websites you can buy them from in other countries. The books range from $20-$35 but I include them because some of them are cheaper and they seem really easy to find used copies of.

Reading and Writing Chinese - This book contains guides on all 2300 characters in the HSK texts as of 2013. Although it is slightly outdated, it's still useful for self study and is usually less than $20 new. Used copies are also easy to find.

Basic Chinese by Mcgraw Hill - This book also fuctions as a workbook so good quality used copies can be difficult to find. The book is usually $20 but it also often goes on sale on Amazon and they also sell a cheaper digital copy.

Chinese Grammar: A beginner's guide to basic structures - This book goes over beginner level grammar concepts and can usually be found for less than $20 in print or as low as $2 for a digital copy.

Collins Mandarin Chinese Visual Dictionary - A bilingual English/Mandarin visual dictionary that comes with a link to online audio files. A new copy goes for about $14 but used and digital versions are available.

Merriam-Webster's Chinese to English Dictionary - In general Merriam Websters usually has the cheapest decent quality multilingual dictionaries out there, including for Mandarin Chinese. New editions usually go for around $8 each while older editions are usually even cheaper.

(at the end of the list here I will say I had a difficult time finding tv series specifically made for learners of Mandarin Chinese so if you know of any that are made for teenage or adult learners or are kids shows that would be interesting to adults and are free to watch without a subscription please let me know and I will add them to the list. There's a lot of Mandarin language TV that's easy to find but what I'm specifically interested in for these lists are free to watch series made for learners and/or easy to understand kids shows originally made in the target language that are free and easy to access worldwide)

[pericardium-and-glass]

Angry about Lore.fm the "AO3 Audible app"

For those who don't know, Lore.fm is an app that's advertised as "audible for AO3". It uses AI text-to-speech voices to read fics on an app completely separated from AO3 and creates a local copy of the fic audio on your device. It is stated to be non-profit.

1. It's opt-out not opt-in, that alone is a red flag and worthy of suspicion. The only way to not get your fic used without permission is to email them - it is unsafe and dubious to hand out personal email addresses to companies you don't know.

2. It takes engagement and agency away from the authors. Readers using this app don't even need to interact with the original AO3 post. Only a link is needed to generate the audio. An extension would've been significantly more ethical than an app.

3. Valid criticisms towards this project are labelled by the developer as "ableist and classist". Most devices and browsers already have FREE screen readers available. Especially for IOS (since this is mainly advertised for IOS), the existing built-in accessibility screen reader is very decent! I'd know cause I've been using it for more than a decade!

4. The developers show zero transparency. The devs listed for this app are also in a company that made an AI WRITING/STORYTELLING APP called Spinoff. The fact that this information is hidden on the appstore for Lore.fm tells me all that I need to know. I found the source for this on this comment by CupcakeBeautiful. [Edit: Unfortunately, the comment has been deleted by reddit for some reason, so I have removed the link to it.]

This whole thing pisses me off. Once again it shows that people don't respect and don't care about actual fic writers. I wish people would stop exploiting fanfiction authors under the guise of accessibility. Please think carefully if this is a company/project you'd want to support.

I don't usually post things like this on this blog, but I don't think a lot of people are aware of this situation on tumblr. Please feel free to add any information that I've missed. If this post comes off as aggressive, I apologise. I am just very frustrated.

[neverstophyo]

⨳ 　 ʾ apps/sites 4 shifting 　 . 　 ♡

hi! this will be long but i made a list of apps/sites that might be helpful for your shifting journey. reminder that you don't need these to shift but they can be helpful with manifesting, keeping track of stuff, etc.

enjoy! divider cr

NOT SPONSORED BTW LMAO

﹒ 　 ⊹ 　 🝮 　 OO1: NOTION 　 ✩

description:

basically notion is an app for documents and stuff. i have to say this one's relatively known and it's such a huge life saver and i know that probably everyone knows about it already (as they should) but i'm gonna recommend it once again.

useful for:

scripting

dashboards you can add life goals & stuff here you can look up some templates/ideas and see what i mean LOL

cons:

i personally can not think of any major ones because this app is just that good

you do have to make new accounts for the text ai generating feature but i don't know if anyone would use that

additional notes:

i personally love how customizable it is! like you can make each page have a custom icon & header, add widgets, images, and so much more. it is so so so insanely helpful for scripting i'm telling you. or you can just be basic, that works too. there's also a bunch of script templates online including specific ones (like a better cr, fame dr, fantasy dr, fandom-specific drs, bla bla bla) and it's literally the only thing shifttok is good for imo. i'm a big fan of shifterium's templates but there's other people who make them as well and i'm sure you can find some recommendations!

★ 　 ₊ 　 ➲ 　OO2: CANVA

description:

a website + app where you can design stuff from headers down to presentations, posters, covers, etc..

useful for:

album covers for singer/idol drs

book covers for writer drs or something

fake social media posts but there's better apps out there and i'll list them here as well

and much more!

cons:

a lot of things (most of which i think are the good stuff) are paid but you can find similar replicas if you scroll long enough i guess..?? and there's a free trial but i don't know if that helps

additional notes:

definitely my favorite place to go when i need to design something tbh. there's a bunch of templates you can use and the layout is very easy to navigate through! and it's pretty easy to find free alternatives for the paid stuff you do have in there

₍ⁿ⑅..ⁿ₎ 　 ˇ 　 ⩩ 　 OO3: PARROT 　 ❀ 　

description:

parrot is an app where you can record yourself saying literally anything and play it on a continuous loop

useful for:

affirmations (manifesting??)

cons:

i'm pretty sure it's iOS only

additional notes:

personally i haven't used this app (i don't like my voice so i will not be recording myself saying affirmations thank yew) so i can't give it a rating but from the looks of it and based off of recommendations i've seen it's pretty useful. should be a white icon with a pink circle that has a white parrot in it!

≥≤ 　 ﹕ 　 ⤷ 　 OO4: BEHINDTHENAME 　 ◍

description:

a site where you can generate names & even life stories if you choose it (including height, weight, blood type, birthday, nationality and more i think?? at least it gives those for me). you can choose from different cultures and stuff like fantasy & mythology.

useful for:

finding a name & info for your dr self (which is literally you by the way don't forget that!) and potentially other people you'd like to script in

cons:

it really just helps to make a basic profile of a person so the things you can do with it can be a little limited

additional notes:

i prefer using this site for ocs instead but i think it can definitely help with shifting! oddly enough it also shows like a lifespan & cause of death so.. cool i guess!!!!

✦ 　 ﹕ 　 OO5: SOCIAL MAKER/dummy

description:

social maker & social dummy are both apps where you can replicate almost basically anything from the internet from twitter posts to facebook posts, youtube posts, and more!

useful for:

social media stuff especially useful for fame drs, streamer drs, idol/singer drs and so much more

cons:

both apps were deleted so you have to have had installed them before if you want to get them back

social maker is ios only i think?

additional notes:

yeah both apps are deleted but there's alternatives out there like twinote (for twitter) photonote (for instagram) canva (has fake social media templates as i said lol) and others that you can look for (because i personally only use twinote)

⋆ 　 ᶻᶻ 　 　 OO6: HELLOFACE 　 ﹒ 　 ★

description:

basically an app for ai face swapping

useful for:

seeing what your face claim (if you have one) would look like on for example dances, fancams, interviews definitely useful for idol/singer/maybe fame drs

cons:

uses ai (i'm personally not a big fan of ai)

pretty underground so the chances that you might not like it are not low

✭ 　 　 ❒︎ 　 OO7: ROOM PLANNER 　 . 　 ♡

description:

basically what the name says. it's a 3d home designer

useful for:

making your dr room/house

visualizing your dr room/house

cons:

has paid stuff

┊ 　 ‧ 　⬭ 　 OO8: COMBYNE

description:

an app where you can combine items you like from a wide selection of stuff to make outfits!

useful for:

making outfits for your dr

visualizing said outfits

additional notes:

there's other things you can do on the app like challenges where you can compete to make the best outfit i think?? looks pretty fun i might try it HAHAHA

yuh so i got a little lazy here at the end & i know this is prolly not very helpful because most of these apps/sites are pretty well known but maybe just maybe.. i helped someone out...

HAPPY SHIFTING!!!!!

[all-the-fish]

Oh, you know, just the usual internet browsing experience in the year of 2024

Some links and explanations since I figured it might be useful to some people, and writing down stuff is nice.

First of all, get Firefox. Yes, it has apps for Android/iOS too. It allows more extensions and customization (except the iOS version), it tracks less, the company has a less shitty attitude about things. Currently all the other alternatives are variations of Chromium, which means no matter how degoogled they supposedly are, Google has almost a monopoly on web browsing and that's not great. Basically they can introduce extremely user unfriendly updates and there's nothing forcing them to not do it, and nowhere for people to escape to. Current examples of their suggested updates are disabling/severly limiting adblocks in June 2024, and this great suggestion to force sites to verify "web environment integrity" ("oh you don't run a version of chromium we approve, such as the one that runs working adblocks? no web for you.").

uBlockOrigin - barely needs any explanation but yes, it works. You can whitelist whatever you want to support through displaying ads. You can also easily "adblock" site elements that annoy you. "Please log in" notice that won't go away? Important news tm sidebar that gives you sensory overload? Bye.

Dark Reader - a site you use has no dark mode? Now it has. Fairly customizable, also has some basic options for visually impaired people.

SponsorBlock for YouTube - highlights/skips (you choose) sponsored bits in the videos based on user submissions, and a few other things people often skip ("pls like and subscribe!"). A bit more controversial than normal adblock since the creators get some decent money from this, but also a lot of the big sponsors are kinda scummy and offer inferior product for superior price (or try to sell you a star jpg land ownership in Scotland to become a lord), so hearing an ad for that for the 20th time is kinda annoying. But also some creators make their sponsored segments hilarious.

Privacy Badger (and Ghostery I suppose) - I'm not actually sure how needed these are with uBlock and Firefox set to block any tracking it can, but that's basically what it does. Find someone more educated on this topic than me for more info.

Https Everywhere - I... can't actually find the extension anymore, also Firefox has this as an option in its settings now, so this is probably obsolete, whoops.

Facebook Container - also comes with Firefox by default I think. Keeps FB from snooping around outside of FB. It does that a lot, even if you don't have an account.

WebP / Avif image converter - have you ever saved an image and then discovered you can't view it, because it's WebP/Avif? You can now save it as a jpg.

YouTube Search Fixer - have you noticed that youtube search has been even worse than usual lately, with inserting all those unrelated videos into your search results? This fixes that. Also has an option to force shorts to play in the normal video window.

Consent-O-Matic - automatically rejects cookies/gdpr consent forms. While automated, you might still get a second or two of flashing popups being yeeted.

XKit Rewritten - current most up to date "variation "fork" of XKit I think? Has settings in extension settings instead of an extra tumblr button. As long as you get over the new dash layout current tumblr is kinda fine tbh, so this isn't as important as in the past, but still nice. I mostly use it to hide some visual bloat and mark posts on the dash I've already seen.

YouTube NonStop - do you want to punch youtube every time it pauses a video to check if you're still there? This saves your fists.

uBlacklist - blacklists sites from your search results. Obviously has a lot of different uses, but I use it to hide ai generated stuff from image search results. Here's a site list for that.

Redirect AMP to HTML - redirects links from their amp version to the normal version. Amp link is a version of a site made faster and more accessible for phones by Bing/Google. Good in theory, but lets search engines prefer some pages to others (that don't have an amp version), and afaik takes traffic from the original page too. Here's some more reading about why it's an issue, I don't think I can make a good tl;dr on this.

Also since I used this in the tags, here's some reading about enshittification and why the current mainstream internet/services kinda suck.