SurpriZe

As a lifelong Windows user I've just for the first time switched to Ubuntu and I'm learning how to navigate the system but I haven't found an easy way to update my Carbon's X1 Gen 6 BIOS from its hard disk and would appreciate any advice.

I'd be also happy to hear what I should do as a newcomer to Ubuntu to make my experience with it better and have an easier time overall.

I've just recently transitioned from Windows to Linux as a lifelong user and I can't for the life of me find a way to type with my voice. Ive tried some scripts and apps but I couldn't make it work after trying for a few days straight.

I mostly need it in Firefox but it'd be nice to have it systemwide.

I'm using ThinkPad Carbon X1 Gen 6 so Whisper AI is out of question as it requires a graphics card.

What could you recommend?

I need a portable laptop to:

• have a lot of online quality video calls
• type a lot during each meeting
• have a ton of browser tabs open
• have a few CPU-demanding apps running at the same time

I will use this laptop as my main PC.

I'm also considering:

• T480s
• Carbon X1 Gen 7-8
• Dell 7490

I have to work in very noisy environments such as near construction sites, near very loud music or highways, and due to the nature of my job I need to be in a lot of online meetings.

I need a clip microphone with a really good noise cancellation feature that would filter all of the noise out leaving only my voice.

Any recommendations? I've found Hollyland Lark M2 but it seems it lets a lot of noise through anyway.

I'm looking to replace my tower PC with a mobile option (only strictly for work, no gaming or video editing).

And I've found an online shop that sells ThinkPads: they are selling this FHD (no HDR) i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage used laptop (X1 Gen 6) for 400 usd and I'm wondering if you guys would recommend it.

They offer a 3-month warranty.

They also have a 310usd i5-8350U, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage option, in case this sounds like a better deal (also used and no HDR); and a 345usd i5-8350U, 16GB RAM, 512GB one.

I've looked far and wide and it seems like all shops here sell these at the same price.

This is all in Vietnam and here I cannot use Amazon/eBay etc.

Looking to develop my Data skills in all respects, especially programming (I'm at the beginner stage) with an IT coach/tutor online. I know of MentorCruise and the few well-known tutoring services but wanted to also check here with the popular wisdom 🙂

I know learning on your own is the go-to recommendation but I'm specifically interested in learn with a mentor. Would appreciate any advice!

What services have you enjoyed using that are similar to cloudhiker.net, a place to find random interesting sites?

I'm looking for something that's regularly updated.

Looking for an "AI" that would tackle my day-to-day issues that are not related to programming, for example acting as a personal assistant / life coach, creating lesson plans for classes I teach at school, explaining how things work and teaching me new skills effectively, etc.

I need it to be able to consider web search options for more comprehensive answers.

Doesn't have to be free, as I'd be happy to pay if it's truly worth it.

So far I've tried:

1. Most common options at Poe, including Claude Sonnet 3.5, GPT4o and others. The issue here is that I'm not seeing which one is actually smarter and which one hallucinates more.
2. Perplexity
3. Phind
4. Gemini
5. Bing AI

I have never had a GPT4 subscription so I might consider that if it's objectively the best option.

What can you recommend? 🙂

I've never owned a boat in my life and now that I live near the sea I would love to own a small boat to travel along the coast from one city to another.

I have no experience with boats so that's why I would love to hear some advice if you have any.

Would you recommend a used one or a new one?

And should I get a sailing boat or a motorboat and what type would you recommend? I don't think I'll have enough means to get a boat with a room inside, unless it's relatively cheap.

And is learning how to navigate a sailing boat a long process?

I've already looked at rtings.com and have tried XM5 which I didn't like because the ANC wasn't good enough.

Planning to get Bose Quietcomfort Ultra (the earbuds, not the headphones) very soon but unsure if there's going to be any new and quality release by any brand of high-end ANC earbuds that would be worth waiting for.

What can you recommend?

In case it matters, my preference goes like this, in order of priority:

1. Comfort of the earbuds within the ear (ideally something that won't damage the ear canal while sleeping on the side).

2. The quality of the noise cancellation. I need the strongest ANC because I live in an extremely noisy environment.

3. The sound quality as well as battery life come third.

I've found a good number of negative reviews of Bose QC 2 and quite a few good things said about Sony WF-1000XM5 so I'm leaning towards buying them but would love to hear the general recommendation on Lemmy first.

I live in a very noisy environment and need earphones for my sleep, when I work or relax, and for listening to podcasts as well as a bit of music. And since sleep is most important for me, I have in-ear comfort as the top priority.

Planning to enhance my professional qualifications and want to get a Master's in Education as I'm currently working in the education field, and I was wondering if this is one of the best options out there.

Would appreciate any advice, thank you!