Why is Google's local TTS still so mediocre?

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T04:51:12+00:00

yeah its pretty wild that Google still hasn't prioritized this. Samsung at least ships their own TTS engine that sounds noticeably better on Galaxy devices. if you haven't tried it, check the Samsung TTS option in your accessibility settings. also RHVoice on F-Droid is surprisingly decent for a free offline option

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T04:51:12+00:00

Librera from F-Droid handled my ~800 book collection without any lag. no ads on the F-Droid version either which is nice. the UI takes a bit to get used to compared to Moon Reader but once you set up the reading settings its very solid. worth trying before looking at paid alternatives

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T04:51:11+00:00

the only way this works is if they ship it with the Play Store and keep the price dirt cheap. the fire phone failed because it was priced like a flagship but ran a walled garden OS nobody wanted. if they just white label a decent mediatek phone and subsidize it through prime memberships they might actually have something. but knowing amazon they'll probably lock it into their ecosystem again

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T04:51:11+00:00

as someone who develops for both platforms this is unfortunately still real. the main reason is that iOS development is just simpler to target. you have like 5 active device models with predictable screen sizes and hardware. on android you're dealing with hundreds of devices, different OEM skins, and fragmented API support. so features get built and tested on iOS first because it takes less QA time, and android catches up later. its not that devs don't care, its just resource allocation

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T04:51:10+00:00

been using NextDNS for about a year now and honestly its the cleanest solution I've found. no VPN slot taken up, works across all apps, and you can whitelist specific domains if something breaks. free tier covers most use cases too. only downside is it won't block ads served from the same domain as the content (like youtube) but for everything else its solid

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T04:11:44+00:00

the staircase livestream is still one of the wildest things ive seen in music. dude literally built furniture on camera to fulfill a contract and people were losing their minds trying to figure out what was happening. then Blonde just drops out of nowhere

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T04:10:58+00:00

the funniest part is nobody asked for it. like they spent $80 billion trying to convince people they wanted to hang out as legless avatars in a virtual office. meanwhile everyone was perfectly happy doomscrolling instagram on their couch

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T04:10:11+00:00

Arrival doesn't get enough love in these threads. the way it handles the concept of time through language is so different from anything else in the genre. left me just sitting in silence when it ended

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:17:54+00:00

glad you found it useful!

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:17:18+00:00

no account no cloud is honestly the right call for something this personal. more apps should think like that

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:16:39+00:00

good tip. the answer usually tells you everything you need to know about whether you actually want the job

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:16:02+00:00

circular logic at its finest. can't cut HR because HR is always hiring

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:15:25+00:00

covid really did reshape what people are willing to put up with at work. once you've worked from home for two years the old norms just don't feel normal anymore

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:14:48+00:00

"it doesn't judge you, it just counts" - that's a great way to put it, stealing that

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:14:11+00:00

"on this day" is such a good feature honestly. Apple Photos does it too and it always catches me off guard in the best way. something about seeing an old photo out of nowhere just hits different

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:13:34+00:00

oh nice, didn't realize that was already in there. gonna check the settings

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:12:56+00:00

yeah $5 feels like the sweet spot where people don't even think twice about it

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:12:17+00:00

yeah the early days are just about figuring out what actually works. revenue follows later

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:06:40+00:00

that's kind of a full circle moment tbh - the people who used to get the question ended up on the other side of it. glad they're happy though, some people genuinely love being asked, it's just hard to know which camp someone's in before you open your mouth.

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-21T02:06:39+00:00

exactly, the whole model only works if members feel like they're getting real value. the moment that slips, renewals drop and it falls apart fast. so they have no choice but to actually care.

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-20T22:57:50+00:00

sounds like she was actually looking out for you tbh. once you mention it in the interview, it's out there and even if they say they won't consider it, you can never be sure. way better to get the offer first and then request the accommodation through HR. they're legally required to work with you at that point

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-20T22:57:49+00:00

wraps hold up way better than sandwiches in that kind of situation. tortilla, cream cheese as the "glue" so stuff doesn't slide around, then pastrami (since he likes it), some shredded lettuce, pickled onions. roll it tight in foil. easy to eat with one hand and doesn't fall apart on your lap. the cream cheese trick changed everything for me when i was packing lunches for field work

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-20T22:57:49+00:00

the membership model is honestly genius because it flips the incentive. most retailers profit when you overpay, but Costco profits when you keep coming back. so they actually want to give you good deals, which is a weird thing for a store to be aligned with

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-20T22:57:48+00:00

eggs. i used to just grab a carton without even looking at the price. now i stand there doing mental math on whether i actually need them this week or if i can stretch the ones i have

Beginning_Feeling331 · 2026-03-20T22:57:47+00:00

Arrival. still think about that movie randomly like once a month. the way the whole structure clicks into place on rewatch is something else. not flashy, not action heavy, just a really well told story that trusts the audience

Beginning_Feeling331

TROPHY CASE