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  • Showing only topics in ~tech with the tag "recommendations". Back to normal view / Search all groups
    1. Advice/Suggestions on headphones or earbuds while listening to voices in the same room

      Scenario: I am frequently playing video games with my partner, and we have our PCs side-by-side. I am looking for a comfortable set of headphones or earbuds that will also make it easy to hear...

      Scenario: I am frequently playing video games with my partner, and we have our PCs side-by-side. I am looking for a comfortable set of headphones or earbuds that will also make it easy to hear each other so we can talk while gaming.

      Main priorities:

      • Openness / Ability to hear physical surroundings
      • Comfort for long wear duration (I wear glasses, which rules out most over-the-ear)
      • Budget

      Nice to haves:

      • Audio quality decent enough for gaming (doesn't have to be 3D positional or anything)
      • Audio quality acceptable for listening to music while playing some games (but nowhere near audiophile level, not expecting much bass from something light)
      • Wireless (but not against a wired option - can be USB or 3.5mm since this will be used exclusively with my PC)

      I've really only ruled out one thing: I'm not interested in bone induction headphones. I tried out a pair of JLab JBuds Frames that sit on your glasses, and while they aren't bone induction, the pressure against that area of my head, combined with nothing in my ears, would give me a headache after an hour or two. I suspect I'd have a similar issue with bone induction.

      In a world that seems to prioritize noise cancelling, my search for other options has been inconclusive. There's a lot of negative reviews about comfort in options like the Cleer ARC series and Baseus clip-on styles. I found some of the suggestions in a previous thread on bone induction headphones to be interesting, but nothing seems to meet all of my criteria perfectly.

      16 votes
    2. [SOLVED] USB hub with a detachable cable?

      My life story before the recipe. Been working on cable managing my desk, and figured that mounting a USB hub behind my monitor would be an easy way to keep some ports in reach without them being...
      My life story before the recipe.

      Been working on cable managing my desk, and figured that mounting a USB hub behind my monitor would be an easy way to keep some ports in reach without them being on my desk.

      I don't need anything fancy, just a couple usb ports. I thought it'd be pretty straightforward to find a cheap hub, that either had a long integrated cable or let me bring my own to route from my monitor to my desktop.

      Boy was I wrong.

      It seems that the vast majority of USB hubs have integrated cables, and those cables are super short. Detachable cables seem to only become common above my budget (~$50), and also include a bunch of features I don't need (charging, networking, display out, etc...).

      "but /u/zoroa, why not just grab the first hub you see, a usb extender, and call it a day?" As far as I understand, USB-C male to USB-C female cables aren't compliant with the USB standard and can potentially cause issues. My google-fu isn't good enough to tell whether the same applies to USB-A male to USB-A female cables, so I'm just assuming that they are also non-compliant.

      I'm looking for a USB hub that:

      • Has at least 4 usb ports
      • The USB ports are all along the same edge of the device. (For easy access even when the hub is behind my monitor)
      • Can be bus-powered (i.e. doesn't need to be plugged into an outlet)
      • Has a detachable cable for the connection from the hub to my computer

      It'd also be nice if it:

      • Was USB 3.0
      • Cost less than $50 USD
      • Had a mix of USB-A and USB-C
      • Didn't look ugly

      I've spent a couple hours looking, and the only hub I've found that hits my hard requirements the 4 port and 7 port variants of a hub from StarTech.com . I was curious if anyone was aware of anything better in this price range, before I just pull the trigger.

      17 votes
    3. Looking for a non-smart watch recommendation

      I'm looking for a digital watch with a step counter that ideally resets every day. I've had a few smartwatches and my latest Garmin is nearing the end of its life. I've decided that time and step...

      I'm looking for a digital watch with a step counter that ideally resets every day. I've had a few smartwatches and my latest Garmin is nearing the end of its life. I've decided that time and step counting is really all I need out of a watch. Can anyone reccomend a watch like this?

      35 votes
    4. Looking for recommendations for a new home router

      I currently have a Netgear R6700 - Nighthawk AC1750 router that has reached end of service and am looking for a replacement. When I set up the router, I had issues with some of my devices not...

      I currently have a Netgear R6700 - Nighthawk AC1750 router that has reached end of service and am looking for a replacement.

      When I set up the router, I had issues with some of my devices not connecting to either WiFi 6 or the 5 GHz band (I can’t remember which was the issue) so I had to set up a guest network for those devices to live on.

      I would like, if possible, to have one network that everything in my house can connect to, but that’s a preference not a necessity. Are modern routers fully backwards compatible with older devices?

      I’d also like something with a relatively long life ahead of it (though security is paramount and I’d rather have a secure router that I have to replace sooner over an insecure one that lives longer).

      My house is just over 1000 square feet so coverage area doesn’t need to be huge. I do stream a lot of games to my laptop via Moonlight though, so being able to continue to do that without lag/hiccups is a necessity for me.

      Let me know your recommendations and avoids, as well as any advice you have.

      29 votes
    5. Is there a lookup tool for credit card leaks?

      A few months ago, my credit card number was used in a few unauthorized transactions. The charges were reversed, and I got a new card, so overall, no big deal. But I am curious as to how the thief...

      A few months ago, my credit card number was used in a few unauthorized transactions. The charges were reversed, and I got a new card, so overall, no big deal. But I am curious as to how the thief actually got their hands on my information.

      Are there any lookup tools for leaked credit cards, similar to Have I Been Pwned, that might tell me how my credit card number was exposed? Since my card has already been cancelled, I don't even mind typing the number into a somewhat sketchy site.

      14 votes
    6. Looking for watch recommendations as my partners Apple Watch doesn't even last a day anymore

      She currently has apple everything, but is open to getting something like a Garmin watch. Rough requirements are: Batter life of at least a few days with normal use, ideally up to a week Physical...

      She currently has apple everything, but is open to getting something like a Garmin watch.

      Rough requirements are:

      • Batter life of at least a few days with normal use, ideally up to a week
      • Physical activity tracking for swimming. She isn't a runner and doesn't need running-specific features.
      • Heart rate / sleep tracking
      • Receive and view emails / texts / notifications from her iphone

      Some watches she is most interested in are:

      • Enduro 3 even though she's not doing multiple day expeditions, she loves the idea of the battery lasting that long, but it is a bit heavy / bulky and has a lot of features that she won't use for the price
      • Another apple watch, but even the upgrade is only a day and a half of battery
      • Garmin forerunner, we were taking a look at this comparison chart and if she doesn't care about all the running features, would the cheapest version like https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1611937/pn/010-02863-33/ to just act as a budget apple watch with better battery as long as she still gets all the notifications and it works with her iphone?

      Also taking suggestions from other brands, I'm just mostly familiar with Garmin and have an instinct solar 2 for 4 years that I really enjoy.

      23 votes
    7. Zen browser / chrome alternatives

      I'm getting a little bit worried these days about the tracking features in chrome and was looking into Zen Browser. Does anyone here use it? Any thoughts? Also looking for any simple non tracking...

      I'm getting a little bit worried these days about the tracking features in chrome and was looking into Zen Browser. Does anyone here use it? Any thoughts?
      Also looking for any simple non tracking browser alternatives!

      16 votes
    8. Are there any communities for selling used computers within Canada?

      I have a Starlabs Labtop in great shape that I would like to sell. Problem is, I can't garner much interest on Craigslist/Facebook Marketplace. Are there any computer Buy/Sell sites in Canada such...

      I have a Starlabs Labtop in great shape that I would like to sell. Problem is, I can't garner much interest on Craigslist/Facebook Marketplace. Are there any computer Buy/Sell sites in Canada such as Pinkbike.com for used bicycles?

      9 votes
    9. Cell phone advice

      My current phone is about 6 years old and has a lot of signal problems and I replaced the battery about 6 months ago and the new battery is even worse than the original one was and I think it's...

      My current phone is about 6 years old and has a lot of signal problems and I replaced the battery about 6 months ago and the new battery is even worse than the original one was and I think it's time to get a new phone.

      Things I want in my phone:

      • Android
      • I would love to have a microSD card but that seems impossible
        • if there's not microSD then I need min 512GB of internal storage and I would prefer 1TB if that's not like +1k to the cost
      • Headphone jack
      • If there's AI, then I can disable it
      • Excellent battery life
      • On the smaller end

      Things I don't really care about:

      • Camera quality (I'm a shitty photographer, the camera wont help)

      Things that might be nice:

      • Having a stylus but not at the cost of the phone being enormous. Reason I want this is because it gets cold in the winter in Chicago

      I hope this phone lasts another 6 years and will be pissed if it lasts under 4 years; at that lifespan and amount of use I get out of it I'm pretty price-agnostic. I live in the USA but expect to travel to Europe a few times next year so it should do decently well when traveling. Network is T-Mobile.

      This is not SUPER urgent right now so if your advice is "wait til January because the XYZ phone releasing then is probably better than anything available right now" I would be willing to do that. But my current phone is really not doing great.

      Happy to answer any other followup questions if anyone has any!

      Thanks!

      26 votes
    10. Paid e-mail providers - your experiences, how you use them and how I would use it

      I decided to spin off this topic based on the discussion in the Leaker reveals which Pixels are vulnerable to Cellebrite phone hacking. Since I kinda by chance got rid of my dependency on Google...

      I decided to spin off this topic based on the discussion in the Leaker reveals which Pixels are vulnerable to Cellebrite phone hacking.

      Since I kinda by chance got rid of my dependency on Google Photos (as I installed Immich on my server which does the same but on my own hardware) I decided I want to try and de-Google my life more.

      I was thinking about using my own domain to send e-mail from, but since I don't run e-mail server myself and I don't even want to - because of security reasons from multiple directions - I would like to use some paid e-mail service provider that would host the e-mail for me and I would append my domain to it.

      I probably know technicalities on how to do that - through setting DNS MX record on my domain provider and pointing it to my e-mail provider. But I don't know which provider to choose.

      I would like to sync my contacts (not through import/export feature via .vcf file, rather automatic synchronization like Google/Microsoft/Apple accounts do), I would like to sync calendar and have the ability to share it with other people (can be another account on the service if not outsiders) and of course e-mail, preferably one that doesn't rely on their own app so I can use ie. Thunderbird.

      I would like to kindly ask anyone here in audience to share their experience with their providers, if you use some. It would be great if you used the service as I would do or if you could try my proposed usage on your account.

      Thank you all who respond to me. I may have questions if you do :-)

      I know about Fastmail which is appealing for not being US (things are kinda unsettling there right now), for having contacts, calendar and plenty space, but isn't exactly cheap - not expensive though. I know about Tuta, which is cheaper for 1-3 accounts but not for 4 and above, it has less space (still enough) but I don't know about contacts there at the moment. I found this Wikipedia comparison page and had a look there, but I would like to hear personal experiences and thoughts.

      37 votes
    11. Is there a postman alternative without the bloat?

      use postman quite a bit at work as a backend developer and the recent updates have added alot more bloatware to the program. All I want is a simple program that does HTTP requests and not get...

      use postman quite a bit at work as a backend developer and the recent updates have added alot more bloatware to the program.

      All I want is a simple program that does HTTP requests and not get account promo and collections and their cloud stuff shoved down my throat.

      And my work computer is maintained by a central system so I can't freeze my Postman application at a past level, it auto-updates.

      So I am wondering if there is a good alternative that just does HTTP requests and nothing else?

      28 votes
    12. Controllers that work well with CachyOS?

      Pretty much the title. I want to move away from OEM 1st party controllers due to quality and inevitable joystick drift. I have an 8bitdo Ultimate, but it's not working for me on CachyOS. Anyone...

      Pretty much the title. I want to move away from OEM 1st party controllers due to quality and inevitable joystick drift. I have an 8bitdo Ultimate, but it's not working for me on CachyOS.

      Anyone else have experience with good quality controllers on Linux? The Flydigi Vader Pro 5 caught my attention, and I am a pretty competitive person for certain games (mainly Halo 3 and Halo Infinite), and like tight controls for platformers and souls-like games as well.

      Edit: I primarily used my controllers wireless, especially on the living room PC. I am more okay with wired on my personal computer.


      Found a solution!!

      Edit as of Tuesday, October 28th 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/1iceer5/8bitdo_controller_fixes_for_linux_my_impressions/

      Fixes for 8BitDo controllers running under Linux.

      sudo mkdir /etc/udev/rules.d
      
      sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-8bitdo-xinput.rules
      
      ACTION=="add", ATTRS{idVendor}=="2dc8", ATTRS{idProduct}=="3106", RUN+="/sbin/modprobe xpad", RUN+="/bin/sh -c 'echo 2dc8 3106 > /sys/bus/usb/drivers/xpad/new_id'"
      
      sudo udevadm control --reload
      

      Change Product ID according to your controller:

      Product ID 8BitDo Ultimate/Ultimate C 2,4Ghz: 3106

      Product ID 8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode 2,4Ghz: 200f / alternate Product ID: 201b

      Product ID 8BitDo Ultimate 2C 2,4GhZ: 310a

      14 votes
    13. Looking for feedback on a homelab design

      I wanted some help with a homelab server I am in the beginning stages of designing. I am looking for a flexible and scalable media and cloud system for home use, and I thought this community would...

      I wanted some help with a homelab server I am in the beginning stages of designing. I am looking for a flexible and scalable media and cloud system for home use, and I thought this community would be a good place to source feedback and recommendations before taking any real next steps! I really want to check that I am approaching the architecture correctly and not making any bad assumptions. I am open to all feedback, so please let me know what you think!
      I already run a simple home server and I have typical homelab FOSS apps, such as jellyfin, navidrome and audiobookshelf, but I am also interested in migrating away from cloud storage using nextcloud, immich, etc. In an ideal world, this setup would also allow me to leave windows on my main machine and use a windows vm for business related work that can’t be done on Linux. I will likely be the one primarily using the services, however I could expect up to 10 - 20 users eventually.

      High level setup is with two machines:

      • Proxmox Server
      • TrueNAS Scale server
        • JBOD with either 90 bay or 45 bay storage
      • 10G switch

      This might be a stupid setup right off the bat, which is why I wanted to discuss it with you all! I have read a ton about using TrueNAS as a WM within Proxmox, but I just like the idea of different machines handling different tasks. The idea here would be to set up the TrueNAS server so it can be optimized for managing the storage pool to allow for easy growth. While the Proxmox server can handle all the VMs and connecting users, with higher IO, etc.

      TrueNAS System Specs:

      • AMD ryzen CPU and motherboard
      • 64 or 128GB ram
      • Mirror 500GB M.2 NVMe OS Drives
      • GPU if necessary, but hopefully not needed
      • Dual 10gb pcie card if the motherboard doesnt already come with them
      • An hba for the JBOD something like the LSI SAS 9305-16e
      • SLOG and L2ARC as necessary?

      JBOD enclosure

      • While I am interested in a 90-bay enclosure, I would only realistically be starting with two vdevs which is why I think a 45 bay enclosure wouldn’t be an issue.
      • Im tentatively planning for an 11 wide Raidz2 vdev configuration. This would hopefully scale to 8 vdevs with 2 hot spares or 4 vdevs with 1 hot spare.
      • All drives would be HDDs

      Proxmox Server Specs:

      I am less familiar with the specs I will need for a good Proxmox server, but here is what I am thinking.

      • AMD epyc and motherboard if I can get my hands on a less expensive one. Otherwise I was thinking a higher end AMD ryzen cpu
      • 128 or 256GB ram
      • Mirror 500GB M.2 NVMe OS Drives
      • Somewhere between 2 and 8 TBs of SSD storage. Depending on the number of drives, I think this would be a single drive, mirror or raidz1.
        • This storage will be used for all the vm configuration and storage, except for something like Nextcloud where the main storage will go onto the TrueNAS mount.
        • I would also use this for temporal storage such as downloading a file before transferring it to the TrueNAS mount.
      • A dedicated GPU primarily for transcoding media streams, but also for testing and experimenting with different AI models.
      • Dual 10gb pcie card

      Questions:

      • I know Proxmox can do zfs right out of the box so I know I don’t need the TrueNAS server, but splitting it this way just seems more flexible. Is this a realistic setup or would it just be better to let Proxmox do everything?
        • Does anyone have experience creating NFS shares in TrueNAS for mounting in Proxmox? I would be interested in thoughts on performance, and stability among any other insights.
      • Do any of the system specs I listed seem out of line? Where and how do you think things should be scaled up or down?
      • If I ever did expand to a second JBOD shelf, assuming the first one was full first, is it be possible to create new vdevs that spanned across the shelfs without losing data?
      • Is SLOG and/or L2ARC necessary for this setup? What capacity and configuration would be best?
      • What else have I missed?

      Lastly, a quick blurb:

      I have been building PCs for a while and undertook building a home server a few years ago. I loved the experience of learning Linux (the server is running Ubuntu), picking up docker, and learning more about the FOSS community has been a joy! Part of this project is to learn along the way but also have a setup that I can build towards over time! Proxmox, TrueNAS and zfs would all be new to me so I really see it as an opportunity to explore. I want a solid media and cloud server setup, while also giving myself the freedom to explore new operating systems and general hypervisor functionality.

      22 votes
    14. I could use recommendations for an ultrawide monitor

      I recently had a bad monitor failure after six or so years of normal use. Specifically, my LG 34GK950F-B had an electrical failure that, in a limited sense, caught a ribbon cable inside on fire....

      I recently had a bad monitor failure after six or so years of normal use. Specifically, my LG 34GK950F-B had an electrical failure that, in a limited sense, caught a ribbon cable inside on fire. It is exactly the same failure as shown here, and I add a few images of documentation of my case here.

      Anyhow, I am now in the market for a new ultrawide, and I need one as soon as yesterday since my desktop currently has no display - I have been tunneling into it to do anything. General recommendations would be nice - but a few things specifically:

      • what is the burn in situation like on modern OLED monitors?
      • I would prefer not to spend a massive amount, is that doable while still supporting the following use cases?
        • lots of coding, needs to render text nicely as the top job
        • photo editing, needs to have good color accuracy or be trivial to calibrate such that it does
        • occasional gaming, I don’t game on my desktop much these days, but I don’t want the monitor to feel clunky when I do

      This post is a bit stream-of-conscience, so if any other questions or requirements come to mind I will edit it.

      Edit: I guess as much as I don’t want to spend a ton, I will also end up using this display for at least another five years - I don’t mind spending a little more to account for that.

      19 votes
    15. Forgot Chrome's unusable, any recommendations?

      I'm streaming Firefox to watch Riverdale, so I opened up Chrome to browse while I wait for them to join. Youtube has ads on it, and I realized I can't grab uBlock or anything (meaningfully)...

      I'm streaming Firefox to watch Riverdale, so I opened up Chrome to browse while I wait for them to join. Youtube has ads on it, and I realized I can't grab uBlock or anything (meaningfully) privacy focused. So, I wanna try out one of the cool new browsers, what do people use and recommend?

      I'm on Windows and a proper techie, so give me anything that's a bit strange and off the wall as well! The only one I tried out recently was Comet, but it needs more time to bake, total waste of time IME. I remember using IceWeasel for some reason lol

      33 votes
    16. Recommendations for a Linux based job/ticket management system

      Hi all! I'm someone who has ADHD/Autism spectrum issues and am dealing with problems related to executive function. To the point, I'm asking for help with a specific idea of better managing...

      Hi all! I'm someone who has ADHD/Autism spectrum issues and am dealing with problems related to executive function. To the point, I'm asking for help with a specific idea of better managing getting things done.

      What I'd like is a job tracker / ticket management system that would make it easy for me to keep track of all the different individual to-do items (I.E. jobs / tickets) that I have, keep notes on what I've already done, and have a separate notes section for 'this is what still needs to be done on this item'.

      Currently I have this information kind of scattered through different areas / folders. Calendar, work documentation folders, personal notes, etc...

      Needs:

      1. Free (open source is nice but not explicitly required). I don't want to add another expense to my balance sheet.
      2. Is user-friendly enough to save me more effort than it costs. I am a long-time tech so the bar on this one is reasonably low.
      3. A GUI. If there are CLI / command line interface programs that would not be convenient for me, I work much more efficiently when I work visually. If I need to install by CLI that's not a problem, just the daily use of the program should be graphical and not command-line text.
      4. (EDITED IN): Locally installed. I want to stay away from adding more company-hosted services which can change / become paid only / otherwise easily undergo Enshittification. If it is locally installed software, I can always decline to update or install a new version.

      Nice to haves:

      1. A tracker that gives datestamps for when I put in more information so I can easily know when I last picked up that task.
      2. A priority system so I can have it automatically sort to top for stuff that needs doing sooner vs long-term projects.
      3. Some kind of 'tagging' system which would allow me to tag things like 'personal' or 'work' or 'parts orders' which I could then use a search or sort function to look at only items tagged that way.

      My main desktop is Linux Mint 21.3 Cinnamon in case anyone needs that detail. That is the computer I want to install the ticketing system on.

      I've done some searching so far but I'm hoping that by laying out exactly what I'm trying to do with it someone here will have specific advice. My search results so far have found people recommending projects for others who have different use-cases or needs than me.

      17 votes
    17. Indecision: Get a camera despite having a phone

      Hi, Tildes. Another rambly post in an attempt to get authentic advice. Thanks in advance. :) -- I'd like to crowdsource your experiences before making a big purchase (a camera made for selfies)....

      Hi, Tildes. Another rambly post in an attempt to get authentic advice. Thanks in advance. :)

      --

      I'd like to crowdsource your experiences before making a big purchase (a camera made for selfies). If anyone was in a similar situation did you like having your phone and your camera separate, etc. I currently have an iPhone SE 2022 to provide more context.

      Why I'm considering buying a camera:

      • preserving high quality moments with high quality digital photos of people I'm with, don't care so much for all the fancy settings to get the perfect shot of a landscape (but that's a welcome bonus of course)
      • provides a way to be less dependent on a phone
      • maybe eventually taking videos or vlogs with it

      Why I'm hesitating:

      • is a smartphone already enough? + two devices may be a bit cumbersome but maybe worth it for the difference in quality?
      • is it annoying to always have to bring it?
      • too expensive for what a phone already does?

      I've done SOME research as well into this while I've been back and forth this idea for months: If I crack and decide to get a proper camera (without your advice of course), it would be a Sony ZV-1F. But open to suggestions for other models too! It's just to give an idea for people to understand what I'm sorta kinda looking for.

      18 votes
    18. I need headphone/mic recommendations for gaming before I rip my hair out

      Hi, Tildes! I'm being pressed to pick a present for myself (around 100€) and it happens the headphones I use for gaming at home (HyperX Cloud II) are starting to fall apart after several years of...

      Hi, Tildes!

      I'm being pressed to pick a present for myself (around 100€) and it happens the headphones I use for gaming at home (HyperX Cloud II) are starting to fall apart after several years of use. Whenever I buy tech, I usually spend a long time researching with the goal of finding the highest price-quality ratio for my budget, something that would last me a long time without glaring issues; but I've been having trouble doing that in this case.

      I often hear from audiophiles that gaming headphones are generally overpriced for their quality - something I can definitely imagine - and that you should try and go for a good headset with a separate mic. But despite my searching, I haven't seen anyone actually recommend any specific combo of headset and mic that fit my budget. If I may say, I'm also somewhat starting to doubt the advice of audiophiles: I've seen threads of people saying they didn't sense a difference in audio quality between their gaming headphones and the new audiophile headphones they were recommended, or even that they found it to be worse, and the response was that they'll get used to it or that they just have a bad ear (said a lot more aggressively than how I'm paraphrasing), which is making me think it's more of a subjective difference. Then again, I'm not very well educated about audio!

      What I need is a pair with surround sound, appropriate quality for the price point, that will last me a long time and without mandatory crappy software associated. This is for gaming, enjoying music and general use (I've been meaning to pick up some music production casually but this is very much secondary). For the mic, I just need something decent that won't be a pain to listen to for my friends on call and that doesn't cut me out when I laugh or whistle as my current mic does (sometimes someone tells me a joke and then doesn't hear my reaction at all and I feel very bad about that). Preferably one that doesn't take too much space on my desk but I have no scale of that, so I won't be picky about it. (EDIT: to be clear, it can be an attached mic, desktop mic, whatever mic, so long as it works!)

      Before considering the headphone + mic combo idea, I was looking at the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 or Logitech G PRO X because both were recommendations I saw, but the former has a fairly bad mic and the latter forces you to use G HUB, which pains me. What is there that's better for this usage?

      Thanks in advance!

      36 votes
    19. Has anyone here tried bone conduction headphones?

      I just found out that bone conduction headphones exist, and I’m admittedly intrigued. I usually wear only one earbud because I like to still be able to hear my surroundings (transparency mode...

      I just found out that bone conduction headphones exist, and I’m admittedly intrigued.

      I usually wear only one earbud because I like to still be able to hear my surroundings (transparency mode doesn’t feel the same to me). My husband feels similarly and also hates the feeling of in-ear buds. So a pair of two of these might work nicely for us.

      Does anyone have any hands heads on experience with them (any make/model)?

      Would you recommend them?

      How is the sound quality?

      Are they comfortable to wear?

      How do they compare to standard headphones?

      48 votes
    20. Automation for android, preferably FOSS

      I'm wanting to automate a thing on my android phone. I would like to activate and deactivate alarms based on calendar events (by keywords in their name or description). example I have an event...

      I'm wanting to automate a thing on my android phone.

      I would like to activate and deactivate alarms based on calendar events (by keywords in their name or description).

      example I have an event **work** with the description *shop* so I would like to activate the alarms "wake up work shop 1", "wake up work shop 2" and "wake up work shop 3".
      Do you have any suggestions?
      22 votes
    21. How are Framework Laptops?

      We had this topic a couple of months ago where Framework was mentioned in a few response threads, but the overarching discussion was across a wider subject. My 2016 (I think? It was snagged from e...

      We had this topic a couple of months ago where Framework was mentioned in a few response threads, but the overarching discussion was across a wider subject.

      My 2016 (I think? It was snagged from e waste) era thinkpad is struggling to keep up with my usage of it. The screen is small, the keyboard sucks, the touchpad is not quite right, it is beyond its useful life.

      I like the idea of a Framework laptop. I am leaning toward getting one on principal. It seems like this company is going to survive for a while. I think the last thing I am looking for is anecdotes.

      If you use or have used a Framework as a daily driver, what are the pros and cons that you have with them compared to a similar less-modular system? How is support?

      46 votes
    22. Photo digitizing

      Hi all, I've got (probably) a few thousand family photographs that I plan on scanning/digitizing. These photographs are organized into dozens or hundreds of envelopes with month/year and sometimes...

      Hi all,

      I've got (probably) a few thousand family photographs that I plan on scanning/digitizing. These photographs are organized into dozens or hundreds of envelopes with month/year and sometimes event description written on them. I'm on the fence between using a service to do it or DIYing it with a scanning machine.

      The way I see it is -

      Service pros:

      1. I don't have to do it myself

      Service cons:

      1. I may have no control over how the digitized photos are tagged or organized (date tagged, filename)
      2. Risk of photographs being lost/damaged
      3. $$$$

      DIY pros:

      1. I can tag and organize the photos exactly how I want
      2. Much less expensive

      DIY cons:

      1. I have little spare time and this project could be extremely time consuming.

      I would love to hear if anyone here has experience doing this and what techniques or pitfalls you may have discovered along the way.

      7 votes
    23. App request: Mobile and desktop remote assistance

      My elderly father has an android phone and so do I. Is there a reputable remote assistance app that we can both install so I can help him with basic phone stuff from far away? It has to be as easy...

      My elderly father has an android phone and so do I. Is there a reputable remote assistance app that we can both install so I can help him with basic phone stuff from far away?

      It has to be as easy to use as possible: it won't work if he has to open an app or toggle settings or punch in a buncha code. He doesn't even know how to take a screenshot and send it over WhatsApp. Ideally the app would just be sleeping until I send him a request, it'll have a pop up to allow, and he just has to click yes. I won't need full control, just be able to see what he sees and tell him what thingy to click.

      On the desktop front, I'm considering getting Mint for him to upgrade. All he wants to do is open browser and go to bookmark sites. Is there a Mint compatible remote assistance app that's super easy? Again I'm okay with minimal control trade off with ease of use from his side.

      Thanks Tildes :)

      12 votes
    24. European VPN recommendations

      As a Brit who's now effected by the Great British Firewall I'd like recommendations for VPNs that meet the following criteria either directly or via additional software/Firefox extensions: Use VPN...

      As a Brit who's now effected by the Great British Firewall I'd like recommendations for VPNs that meet the following criteria either directly or via additional software/Firefox extensions:

      • Use VPN only for specific apps on iOS (apply to Reddit, Discord, BlueSky and Twitter/X, Wikipedia (if it ends up banned) but not others)
      • Use VPN for specific websites on Windows/macOS (apply to Reddit, Discord, BlueSky, Twitter/X, Wikipedia (if it ends up banned) websites)
      • VPN considered generally trustworthy and not an American firm

      Personal recommendations that you have experience with only please.

      30 votes
    25. What dashcam do you use?

      My last dashcam was a total dud and wasn't even operational for 6 hours. I'm hoping to get some community recommendations on reliable units with good image quality. If you would also share the...

      My last dashcam was a total dud and wasn't even operational for 6 hours. I'm hoping to get some community recommendations on reliable units with good image quality. If you would also share the approx. length of time you've had/used it that would be a huge help as well. Thanks in advance!

      26 votes
    26. Low-end Linux tablet recommendations

      I love reading but lately I've found myself having to sit in front of my 2k monitor to read PDFs because they're technical documents and render poorly on my Kindle, even with using various tools...

      I love reading but lately I've found myself having to sit in front of my 2k monitor to read PDFs because they're technical documents and render poorly on my Kindle, even with using various tools to optimize.

      I've been considering getting a tablet primarily for this purpose. My main requirement is that I really don't want Android or iOS devices, leaving me with either purpose built Linux tablets or Windows tablets that I can replace with Linux. I really don't need much -

      • Fast enough that there's no significant lag between page turns/scrolls
      • 8"+ screen size
      • Video watching isn't necessary but a nice bonus
      • Wifi isn't absolutely necessary as long as there is an easy way of getting files on the device (USB transfer, SD card, external adapter, etc)
      • SD card storage would be nice but I can also make due with just internal flash
      • Keyboard is also optional - I wouldn't mind being able to run an IDE and connect to my gitlab instance for some simple coding on the fly or SSH into my homelab
      • Cameras are largely unnecessary
      • Decent battery life or the ability to upgrade down the road
      • Looking for something around 500$ CAD (362-ish USD, 312€, 269£)

      I've been eyeing the PineTab2 as it meets most of the requirements but reviews seem to be mixed on its usability. So I thought I would ask here if anybody has had similar requirements and found something that works for them. Or if the PineTab2 software has significantly improved - this reddit post seems to indicate that it is in a decent state now.

      If nothing like this exists, I suppose I could settle for an Android device provided it can easily take a custom ROM and be de-googled. I would just prefer Linux as I know it quite well and I much prefer the freedom of it. I've also used a touch screen monitor with Plasma on my Arch laptop and been pleasantly surprised at the experience - the hardware is just a bit too clunky to reliably read with.

      24 votes
    27. Looking for a low-profile desktop gaming PC

      Main constraint: The space it needs to fit in is 7¾ in (19.7 cm) high. Width and length aren't a concern. Primary use: Gaming. Doesn't need to be top of the line or cutting edge. Most of what I...

      Main constraint: The space it needs to fit in is 7¾ in (19.7 cm) high. Width and length aren't a concern.

      Primary use: Gaming. Doesn't need to be top of the line or cutting edge. Most of what I play isn't very demanding, though I would like the option to play newer stuff if I find something that interests me.

      Budget: Ideally less than $1500, but I do realize that I might have to pay out a bit more because I want something both pre-built and compact. $2000 is the hard limit.

      Important: I am NOT interested in building my own PC. (Yes, I have done it before, including one that was in a compact case that was HELL to get right.)

      Me being uninformed: This might be a silly question, but can I lay desktop towers down on their side? Any traditional tower isn't going to fit, but some of them are thin enough that, if put in landscape instead of portrait, they would. I've read conflicting things about this online, particularly regarding liquid cooling and airflow.

      If anyone has any recommendations, I'd appreciate it!

      19 votes
    28. Passkey vs smart use of passwords

      I went down the path of thinking about switching to Passkeys but it seems like more hassle than it is worth, so I hoped this community could tell me if I am crazy. I use Bitwarden to generate and...

      I went down the path of thinking about switching to Passkeys but it seems like more hassle than it is worth, so I hoped this community could tell me if I am crazy.

      I use Bitwarden to generate and save passwords for anything important and always use an authentication app when the option is present. I never use the same password. Sadly, most Canadian banks are awful and only allow SMS 2FA if anything at all. That said, of the two banks I primarily use, one does allow an authentication app and the other uses its own app to send authentication codes.

      I always read that Passkeys are better for people who are lazy/bad with their passwords. For someone like me, is the security practically the same or is there still some benefit to switching everything I can to Passkeys?

      31 votes