diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 860c83c..23f2ec1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -189,11 +189,14 @@ If Claude Code changes its prompt UI, re-confirm against a live session and upda
 Everything tunable lives in [`config.toml`](config.toml): wake phrases, mode + PTT
 key, Whisper model/language/device, `[vad]` endpointing, and `[behavior]`
 (`type_autosend`, fuzzy thresholds, `filler_words`, `auto_target`, `print_heard`).
-The default model is **`small`** (~1s/command on a strong CPU — snappy, and good
-enough with initial_prompt biasing); `medium` is more accurate on the coined wake
-word but ~3× slower (noticeable lag), `large-v3` most accurate/slowest. Every `heard`
-line shows the STT latency as `(<ms>/<audio>s)` so you can see what a model change
-costs. `claudedo -c <path> ...` points at a specific config; otherwise it searches
+The default model is **`small.en`** (the English-only small model — ~1s/command on a
+strong CPU, more accurate on English than multilingual `small` at the same speed);
+`medium`/`medium.en` are more accurate but ~3× slower (noticeable lag), `base.en` is
+snappier/less accurate, `large-v3` most accurate/slowest. Every `heard` line shows the
+STT latency as `(<ms>/<audio>s)` so you can see what a model change costs. VAD
+endpointing ends a capture after `[vad].silence_ms` (700) of trailing silence, capped
+at `max_seconds` (15). `claudedo -c <path> ...` points at a specific config; otherwise
+it searches
 `$CLAUDEDO_CONFIG`, `~/.config/claudedo/config.toml`, then `./config.toml`.
 
 - **STT biasing.** The transcriber is seeded with an `initial_prompt` built from the
diff --git a/config.toml b/config.toml
index 5c8a041..c941c8d 100644
--- a/config.toml
+++ b/config.toml
@@ -49,8 +49,9 @@ min_utterance = 0.3
 # a real pause both ends the command AND separates it from following chatter (the
 # chatter becomes a separate capture that the wake gate then discards).
 silence_ms = 700
-# hard cap so continuous noise can't record forever.
-max_seconds = 10.0
+# hard cap so continuous noise can't record forever (also the ceiling for a long
+# dictated `type` phrase).
+max_seconds = 15.0
 
 [behavior]
 # dictation never auto-submits: "type <phrase>" inserts literal text only; you say
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ type_autosend = false
 # wakes, finds no command, does nothing), so wake is lenient; a false COMMAND fires
 # the WRONG action, so commands stay tight. lower = more lenient = more matches.
 # prefer expanding command synonyms over loosening command_fuzzy_threshold.
-wake_fuzzy_threshold = 0.6
+wake_fuzzy_threshold = 0.65
 command_fuzzy_threshold = 0.8
 # optional filler words that may precede a command and are ignored for matching:
 # "select yes" / "use yes" behave like "yes". (a filler word followed by a digit is
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index e6e8b95..250afef 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "claudedo"
-version = "0.1.3"
+version = "0.1.4"
 description = "voice-control daemon for claude code (local STT -> tmux send-keys)"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
diff --git a/src/claudedo/__init__.py b/src/claudedo/__init__.py
index aeb1223..0e768b4 100644
--- a/src/claudedo/__init__.py
+++ b/src/claudedo/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """claudedo — voice-control daemon for claude code (local STT -> tmux send-keys)"""
 
-__version__ = "0.1.3"
+__version__ = "0.1.4"
diff --git a/src/claudedo/config.py b/src/claudedo/config.py
index 3cbc8e0..2407d4f 100644
--- a/src/claudedo/config.py
+++ b/src/claudedo/config.py
@@ -118,10 +118,10 @@ def load_config(explicit: str | os.PathLike | None = None) -> Config:
         channels=int(_require(raw, "audio", "channels", (int,), 1)),
         silence_threshold=float(_require(raw, "audio", "silence_threshold", (int, float), 0.012)),
         vad_silence_ms=int(_require(raw, "vad", "silence_ms", (int,), 700)),
-        vad_max_seconds=float(_require(raw, "vad", "max_seconds", (int, float), 10.0)),
+        vad_max_seconds=float(_require(raw, "vad", "max_seconds", (int, float), 15.0)),
         min_utterance=float(_require(raw, "audio", "min_utterance", (int, float), 0.3)),
         type_autosend=bool(_require(raw, "behavior", "type_autosend", (bool,), False)),
-        wake_fuzzy_threshold=float(_require(raw, "behavior", "wake_fuzzy_threshold", (int, float), 0.6)),
+        wake_fuzzy_threshold=float(_require(raw, "behavior", "wake_fuzzy_threshold", (int, float), 0.65)),
         command_fuzzy_threshold=float(_require(raw, "behavior", "command_fuzzy_threshold",
                                                (int, float), 0.8)),
         filler_words=tuple(_require(raw, "behavior", "filler_words", (list,),
diff --git a/src/claudedo/console.py b/src/claudedo/console.py
index 616b090..fba3788 100644
--- a/src/claudedo/console.py
+++ b/src/claudedo/console.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ _COLORS = {
 
 SYSTEM = "SYSTEM"
 VOICE = "VOICE"
+HELP = "HELP"
 
 
 class Console:
@@ -56,3 +57,8 @@ class Console:
         """print one line: ``HH:MM:SS [prefix] message`` (message optionally colored)"""
         line = f"{self._stamp()} {self._paint(f'[{prefix}]', 'dim')} {self._paint(message, color)}"
         print(line, file=self.stream, flush=True)
+
+    def line(self, message: str, color: str | None = None) -> None:
+        """print a bare continuation line (no timestamp/prefix) — for multi-row blocks
+        like the help menu, indented under a preceding header"""
+        print(self._paint(message, color), file=self.stream, flush=True)
diff --git a/src/claudedo/daemon.py b/src/claudedo/daemon.py
index cdbf1bb..70e0c50 100644
--- a/src/claudedo/daemon.py
+++ b/src/claudedo/daemon.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 from . import audio, grammar, inject, target
 from .config import Config
-from .console import SYSTEM, VOICE, Console
+from .console import HELP, SYSTEM, VOICE, Console
 from .stt import Transcriber
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -204,8 +204,9 @@ class Daemon:
                                + (", ".join(sessions) if sessions else "(none running)"))
             return
         if action.name == "commands":
+            self._console.emit(HELP, "voice commands:")
             for usage, desc in grammar.command_menu():
-                self._console.emit(SYSTEM, f"  {usage:<26} {desc}")
+                self._console.line(f"    {self._console.paint(f'{usage:<26}', 'brightblue')} {desc}")
             return
         if action.name == "customs":
             self._console.emit(SYSTEM, "custom commands arrive in v0.2.0 (contexts.toml)")