Ask MetaFilter

I'm on my third secondhand HP EliteBook 840 G2 i7 5600u with a touch screen, which I love because it has an SD port and 4 USB ports, it's fast, maintainable, and the screen doesn't give me migraines. It's not durable, I'm forever breaking these, but durability is a factor for me, too. I'm out of spare parts again, it's time to find a newer old model. What do you recommend? [more inside]
posted by Mirth at 3:09 PM - 6 answers

My daughter will video call us using FB messenger, and there is always a two second lag when I talk. This does not happen with the iPad pro. I have a metal plate stuck to the phone for a magnetic mount, and a Crave case. I have to hold the microphone directly in front of my mouth. [more inside]
posted by mecran01 at 11:38 AM - 9 answers

For various irritating reasons, I frequently receive unsolicited emails from actual UK companies (not spoofed). These emails NEVER contain an unsubscribe link, forcing me to report them to GMail as spam in order to stop receiving them. Is there a reason for this? Is there a better approach to stopping them? [more inside]
posted by aramaic at 7:06 AM - 9 answers

Hey folks, I am a (mostly) self-taught programmer/developer, who works with the web stack (HTML/JS/CSS) and Android mostly. I've played with python here and there as well. Currently I'm trying to drink from the firehose of learning about LLMs and adjacent technologies, and yeah, it's overwhelming. [more inside]
posted by The Vice Admiral of the Narrow Seas at 12:04 PM - 4 answers

My computer's password auto-filler is always trying to use my friend's email address as an account name instead of my email address. How can I change this? [more inside]
posted by vanilla.extract at 9:22 AM - 4 answers

Is there a usable free podcast player that works on both Android and desktop? I've been tolerating Podurama since Google Podcasts went away, but they've started limiting free users to 3 downloads per day. I could work around this but given that the app has also annoyingly been pushing AI summaries and other nonsense on me and the fact that it sometimes straight up misses showing me new episodes from podcasts that don't update regularly, I'm looking for something new. [more inside]
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 7:50 AM - 3 answers

Embarrassingly, I'm only just now realizing that the reason Google seems so useless these days is that instead of doing exactly what my string said, they're using an AI to "helpfully" predict what sites I rEaLlY wAnT (or what sites they really want to promote). Are there any web search engines left that still do it the old-fashioned way, by mechanically following search syntax and matching keywords to website text? Or have those lists of hidden SEO keywords killed these tools altogether?
posted by Bardolph at 3:47 AM - 9 answers

My Mastodon feed is almost entirely political, and although that is important, I need an occasional break. Who are the artists, memesters, silly folks and smart essayists that you follow on Mastodon?
posted by mecran01 at 12:00 PM - 8 answers

What it says on the tin. Ages ago I listen to pod save America and I’m not going back to that. I would like to listen to a podcast that gave updates on what the hell is going on in the US politically and also made recommendations for action. The news is overwhelming and blue sky is overwhelming and I would just like a weekly podcast that gave me both information and actual recommendations for how to fight the current fascist regime.
posted by Bella Donna at 3:07 AM - 6 answers

I am in a months-long job hunt that is turning a bit desperate. I get a lot of advice to use A.I. tools in my job search. I am uncomfortable with this but my reasoning is vague, so I need to get a better understanding. Please help me better understand the pros and cons and how/whether I should use it. [more inside]
posted by bunderful at 2:57 PM - 11 answers

The MetaFilter Moderation Oversight Committee is looking for a few interviewees to test out our intake form. Please consider signing up! But also, we all have to fill out a zillion forms a year. Have you ever filled out a form that made you glad for the form itself? If so, please share your experience!
posted by warriorqueen at 5:38 AM - 4 answers

If I were to freeze my credit, what would be the most efficient way to do it? By phone or by creating an account and doing it online?
posted by memoryindustries at 5:03 PM - 5 answers

I need to purchase SSL certificates for websites that I manage. My hosting provider supplies these but they are expensive (€30+). I see basic ones available through other sources for about €5. Does anyone have recommendations for reliable and inexpensive sellers? (If there is a good reason why I should stick with my provider, do let me know as I am somewhat new to this.)
posted by Grinder at 2:51 AM - 12 answers

Suddenly the damn thing won’t show its contents (thousands and thousands of pictures) when I’m offline, even though I have everything set to “Make available offline”. [more inside]
posted by Lemkin at 5:14 PM - 2 answers

I'm doing a lot of work with others via zoom and google meets and I feel like I don't know how to "look my best" in terms of positioning my laptop and using lighting effectively. Assume I know nothing and want to look as nice (rested, symmetrical, with minimal wrinkles) as possible! [more inside]
posted by CancerSucks at 4:02 PM - 11 answers

I'm an aging person with a physical disability who is struggling to keep using a headmouse for computer access. Are there any hacks that would make it easier to move the cursor? [more inside]
posted by wintermute2_0 at 3:15 PM - 8 answers

Downloading 50gb from cloud to external drive. WHY IS IT SO SLOW [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 3:06 PM - 15 answers

A relative just "confronted" me about staying friends with someone they'd had a falling out with, and liking that person's posts. I have no intention of justifying my Facebook activity to anyone, but is there a way I can stop sharing this kind of information with mutual connections? [more inside]
posted by rpfields at 8:03 AM - 5 answers

I've always had iPhones - but now am looking at Android for a specific purpose & could use some help. [more inside]
posted by hilaryjade at 6:40 AM - 6 answers

I’m currently outside the US, my normal location. I have Mullvad VPN and it functions as expected for certain streamers (e.g., Peacock). Others (Prime, ESPN) detect the VPN and refuse to perform unless I disable it, but then of course it also refuses to perform. Why do people suggest VPNs if they frequently don’t function?
posted by billsaysthis at 10:03 PM - 7 answers