Posts made by river

Captionz Update

Just shipped a new feature — you can now browse popular videos by language!

I've been working on making it easier to find content in specific languages, and this update lets you filter popular videos based on the language you want to watch or learn.

For example:

Learning Swedish? Find trending Swedish videos to immerse yourself in natural conversations
Studying German? Discover popular German content and pick up everyday phrases
Into Japanese? Browse top Japanese videos to improve your listening skills
This is especially useful if you're using Captionz to learn a language, as watching popular videos with captions is one of the best ways to pick up vocabulary and get used to how native speakers actually talk.

What's next?
I'm planning to add more language-specific features, like suggesting related videos in the same language so you can keep learning without breaking the flow.

Under the hood
I've also upgraded the framework of the site. Captionz is no longer embedded in an iframe, which means better performance, smoother keyboard shortcuts, and a more seamless experience overall. It's a technical change, but you should notice things feeling snappier!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

@Bobby-Lee

That's embarrassing. Thank you for pointing it out. Fixed.

Found a bug in v7.3.0: Different accents aren't working. Whether it’s UK/US for English or Mandarin/Cantonese for Chinese, the voice stays the same instead of switching to the correct regional accent.
So a patched version v7.3.1 is on the way:
Fix: Different accents (e.g., Mandarin vs. Cantonese) now use distinct voices.
Update: Clicking the options icon in the dictionary lookup result now opens lookup settings directly.
UI: Moved the ChatGPT Definition dictionary to the bottom of the list by default.

Hi,
Happy Spring February! I am so happy to start it with a big update! As a solo developer, I have been working hard (with lots of coffee) to make Dictionariez v7.3.0 better. It has more languages, a better design, and helps you improve your pronunciation.

New Languages: A Spotlight on the Philippines (and European languages)

I have added support for Filipino, Cebuano, Malay, Romanian, Hungarian, and Swahili to the floating definitions.

This update focuses on the languages of the Philippines. Now you can use both Filipino and Cebuano. Since I am writing this blog, let me share some fun facts I learned while adding these languages:

Fun Facts: Filipino vs. Cebuano

• Filipino is the national language. It is based on Tagalog. It is the common language used by people across the 7,000+ islands to understand each other.
• Cebuano (often called Binisaya or Bisaya) is the second most spoken language. It is used mostly in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
• Are they the same? No! They are related (like family), but they are different languages. People say they are as different as Spanish is from Italian. So be careful not to mix them up!
• Spanish Words: Both languages borrowed many Spanish words (like silya for chair, or kutsara for spoon). It is fun to find them!

️ Pronunciation Upgrades (Just the beginning!)

Hearing the word correctly is very important. I improved the audio features to help you:

• British vs. American: English lookups now clearly show the difference between American and British pronunciations.
• Cantonese Support: If you use Traditional Chinese settings, the app now has Cantonese audio. This is great if you are learning Hong Kong dialects or just like Dim Sum.

This is just a start! In the future, I want to add even more accents. Imagine choosing between Mexican Spanish and Spain Spanish, or Australian English and Scottish Accent.

But I need your help! I do not know every language well. If you can help me distinguish accents in your language (for example, which voices sound like Brazilian Portuguese vs. European Portuguese), please tell me! Your knowledge will help me improve the app for everyone.

Better Interface (Because looks matter)

• Redesigned Floating Options: The floating definitions look cleaner and work better.
• Auto-Closing Translator: The sentence translator is easier to use. Just click outside the box, and it will close automatically.
• Aligned Shortcuts: The Options page looks neater. Your shortcut settings are now perfectly aligned.

I want to hear from you!

I build Dictionariez for you (and for myself, because I use it too). If you find any bugs, want a new language, or just want to say hi, please send me a message!

{
    "dictName": "Mistral Definition",
    "prompt": "Give me the full definitions of \"<word>\"<language>, if possible try to include IPA, definitions each with at least two examples, etymology, conjugations, related words with explanations etc. And make a pretty output with formatting like bold, italics etc.",
    "promptWithContext": "Give me the full definitions of \"<word>\"<language>, which is used in the context \"<sentence>\", if possible try to include IPA, definitions each with at least two examples, etymology, conjugations, related words with explanations etc. And make a pretty output with formatting like bold, italics etc.",
    "windowUrl": "https://chat.mistral.ai/chat",
    "inputSelector": "form .ProseMirror[contenteditable]",
    "isRichEditor": true, 
    "submitButtonSelector": "form button[type='submit']"
}

Awesome dict, thank you. I edited the post to correct the JSON format in markdown, and changed the url to the correct one with the query param. Hope it works for you as well.

{
    "dictName": "Dict.com (Da-En)",
    "windowUrl": "https://www.dict.com/danish-english/<word>",
    "css": ".navbar, .menu { display: none; } body { margin-top: 50px !important; }"
}

{
    "dictName": "Dict.com (No-En)",
    "windowUrl": "https://www.dict.com/norwegian-english/<word>",
    "css": ".navbar, .menu { display: none; } body { margin-top: 50px !important; }"
}

{
  "dictName": "Glosbe (Da-En)", 
  "windowUrl": "https://glosbe.com/da/en/<word>",
  "css":".navbar, #topBannerContainer {display: none !important;}"
}

Here is Nynorsk version from Glosbe:

{
  "dictName": "Glosbe (Nn-En)", 
  "windowUrl": "https://glosbe.com/nn/en/<word>",
  "css":".navbar, #topBannerContainer {display: none !important;}"
}

{
  "dictName": "Glosbe (No-En)", 
  "windowUrl": "https://glosbe.com/no/en/<word>",
  "css":".navbar, #topBannerContainer {display: none !important;}"
}

Here is the one for Bokmål specifically:

{
      "dictName": "Ordbokene.no (Bokmål)",
      "windowUrl": "https://ordbokene.no/nob/bm/<word>"
}

Here is the one for Nynorsk specifically.

{
      "dictName": "Ordbokene.no (Nynorsk)",
      "windowUrl": "https://ordbokene.no/nob/nn/<word>"
}

{
      "dictName": "Ordbokene.no",
      "windowUrl": "https://ordbokene.no/nob/bm,nn/<word>"
}

Dear fellow Cultivators, Isekai protagonists, and late-night scrollers,

If you are like me, a web novel bookworm, you know the drill. It's 2:00 AM. You swore you'd stop three chapters ago. But then the MC finally slaps the arrogant young master, or the villainess drops a truth bomb that changes the entire timeline. You need to know what happens next.

But searching for that tiny "Next Chapter" button with tired eyes? It ruins the immersion. It breaks the flow of the Dao.

Welcome PNL Reader v2.7.0.

This update is a love letter to everyone binge-reading on Wattpad, RoyalRoad, ScribbleHub, and similar sites. I've optimized the "Reader Mode" specifically for these platforms.

The Best Part: Keyboard Navigation

No more fumbling with the mouse. PNL Reader now intelligently detects the navigation links on these sites.

• Right Arrow (→): Instantly load the next chapter.
• Left Arrow (←): Go back (but why would you? The cliffhanger is forward!).

It sounds simple, but when you are fully immersed in a 2000-chapter xianxia epic, it changes everything. You can now devour chapters as fast as you can read them, sinking deeper into the story without lifting a finger from your keyboard.

Supported Sites

I've added specific support to parse the content better and enable navigation for:

• Wattpad (because we all need a little romance drama)
• RoyalRoad (stats, systems, and LitRPG goodness)
• ScribbleHub (for the really specific tastes... We don't judge)
• Wuxiaworld (where the martial path begins)
• Worm / Parahumans (yes, it works on individual WordPress blogs too!)

And the list goes on! PNL Reader's intelligent parser is designed to work on the majority of reading sites out there. If you find one that isn't supported, let me know! (Or just send me the link, I probably need something new to read anyway).

Protect Your Spiritual Sea (and Your Eyes) 🧊

Reading 50 chapters in one sitting is a stamina test for your eyes. PNL Reader has always offered multiple themes to reduce eye strain, but v2.7.0 introduces a my-personal-favorite: The Nordic Theme.

Inspired by the cool, calming colors of the northern horizon, this theme uses muted slate-blues and deep midnight navies. It is designed to be gentle on the retina while keeping the text crisp.

Whether you prefer the classic warmth of Sepia for a library vibe, or the new cool chill of Nordic, switch up your themes to keep your eyes fresh for the next arc.

A Warning ️

I am not responsible for your lost sleep. By making it easier to say "just one more chapter," PNL Reader v2.7.0 might act as a potent sleep-deprivation formation array. Proceed with caution.

What are you reading?

Before I dive back into my trove, I have to ask: what is your favorite web novel?

My current cultivation ground is RoyalRoad, and my top recommendation is Mother of Learning. It’s a brilliant mix of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, time loops, and wild adventure elements all in one (Sci-Fi is my favorite genre, after all).

Let me know your favorite sites and genres as well. I'm always looking for new scriptures to study!

Happy Reading!

Captionz-ext has updated to v1.2.0. Now there is an options page so that you can disable the context menu item on YouTube video link, or hide the "Watch on Captionz" button on YouTube video pages. Also the app icon becomes a quick access toolbar button to open the current YouTube video directly on Captionz.

@yexet29937

I listened to your advice. Dictionariez v7.2.1 is out (available now on Firefox, under review on Chrome and Edge), with fixes of being able to navigate through dictionaries by shortcuts (Ctrl+Previous/Next Arrows) even when no query, and fixes of styles on some sites. It's a small patch, but I hope it makes your experience smoother. Expect the Chrome version in a few days!

So, maybe you can make the cursor change on the full length of each entry to suggest that it is an interactive element?

Yeah, good point. Thanks for the suggestion, I will see what I can do.

@yexet29937

Thanks for the explanation! It’s interesting to see how you’re solving this, and it gives me a better idea of how to proceed.

On my Firefox (-esr) there are only add more and restore default buttons. Drag and dropping doesn't work.

It should work. When you hover your cursor over the blank area next to the dictionary name, the pointer should change to a crosshair (move) icon. This indicates the item is draggable. You can then click and drag the dictionary to a new position in the list. Give it another try?

@yexet29937
Thank you for the feedback. Glad to hear that the translation tools work for you. Yep, DeepL is a great translator for large text. If you are looking for Leo, there are a few here: https://pnl.dev/tags/leo

One last suggestion would be to enable more shortcuts, because I personally can think of three things, I want to do regularly on a shortcut basis

This is a great suggestion. Yeah it has been requested for a few times. I am definitely going to do it, and it will be in the near future. Stay tuned

currently the Ctrl+arrow allows only to navigate the list of dictionaries exactly in order as provided in the settings, while there is no way to adjust the order.

Are you aware that in the Dictionariez' options, you can manage the dicts list? You can add / remove / re-order etc, just drag and drop. Comment here if it works for you or not.

Would be much better to save resources and being able to navigate faster to the desired dictionary by changing dictionary with the shortcut without needing a query entered

It's supposed to work, that's a bug Thank you for telling me this. It will be fixed in the next version..

{
    "dictName": "Leo CN-DE", 
    "windowUrl": "https://dict.leo.org/chinesisch-deutsch/<word>",
    "css": "header>nav, header>#topBranding {display: none;} header {margin-top: 20px !important;}"
}