u/StrongandCourageous

Hi everyone,

My laptop has been acting strange lately and I'm not sure what's causing it.

I have an Asus ProArt laptop that I purchased exactly 3 years ago.

Every other day, the fans suddenly get much louder even when I'm not doing anything heavy. The laptop also starts getting really hot and feels sluggish/slow for no obvious reason.

I'm trying to figure out if this is a software issue or something else. I'm wondering if I should reinstall Windows completely, or if deleting unused programs would help.

The only major software I can think of is Adobe Creative Suite stuff like Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop, which I barely use anymore. But I believe I already uninstalled most or all of that recently, so now I'm confused about what's causing this behavior.

Could background processes, Windows updates, malware, startup apps, dust buildup, aging thermal paste, or something else be causing it? Has anyone dealt with something similar before?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi everyone,

My laptop has been acting strange lately and I'm not sure what's causing it.

I have an Asus ProArt laptop that I purchased exactly 3 years ago.

Every other day, the fans suddenly get much louder even when I'm not doing anything heavy. The laptop also starts getting really hot and feels sluggish/slow for no obvious reason.

I'm trying to figure out if this is a software issue or something else. I'm wondering if I should reinstall Windows completely, or if deleting unused programs would help.

The only major software I can think of is Adobe Creative Suite stuff like Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop, which I barely use anymore. But I believe I already uninstalled most or all of that recently, so now I'm confused about what's causing this behavior.

Could background processes, Windows updates, malware, startup apps, dust buildup, aging thermal paste, or something else be causing it? Has anyone dealt with something similar before?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

This has been driving me crazy for weeks. My phone's internet works fine. When I share it as a WiFi hotspot to my laptop, everything works — Netflix, TikTok, fast.com speed tests, YouTube, all good.

But the moment I switch to USB tethering, specific sites/apps just die. TikTok videos won't load. fast.com hangs forever. Other stuff (Google, Reddit, Discord) works totally fine over USB.

Same phone. Same SIM. Same data. WiFi hotspot = everything works. USB tethering = fast.com and TikTok hang indefinitely. WHAT IS GOING ON?

I've tried different cables, restarting everything, disabling firewall. Nothing. Anyone have any idea what's causing this?

Hey everyone,

I’m planning my site structure and wanted to sanity-check this setup before I commit:

• Root domain (domain.com): WordPress site for personal blog + portfolio
• Subdomain (newsletter.domain.com): Substack for email newsletter

From what I understand, this is the cleanest setup long-term (SEO + flexibility), but I wanted to confirm if anyone here has done something similar and ran into issues later.

My main questions:

1. Is this the best long-term structure if I want WordPress to remain my main “home base” and Substack just for email/newsletter distribution?
2. Any technical or SEO downsides to running Substack on a subdomain instead of the root domain?
3. I also noticed Substack mentions a setup/custom domain-related fee in some cases—does anyone know if there’s a legitimate way to avoid or minimize that cost, or is it basically required if you want a custom domain setup?

I’m trying to avoid painting myself into a corner early on, so any real-world experience would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

About 2 years ago I ran Instagram/Facebook ads for my coaching business and built up around 2k followers on Instagram from those ads.

I’m planning to restart the coaching business now, but this time with much lower pricing because in the past a lot of people who were interested genuinely couldn’t afford my services.

My question is:

Is there a way to create/lookalike audiences from those old ads and followers, or is that data basically too old now?

Would it be smarter to:

use/lookalike audiences from old engagers/followers,

or just run brand new ads using the same interests/targeting I used before?

Also curious how much Meta ads have changed in the last 2 years. I keep hearing people say broad targeting now works better than detailed interest targeting.

For context, this is in the coaching/self-help niche.

Would love advice from people actively running Meta ads recently.

For indie/self-published authors… is it actually worth spending a ton of time researching AI editing tools for your book, or is it smarter to just pay a human editor like $50–$100 and move on?

I keep going back and forth on this.

On one hand, there are so many AI tools now for:

proofreading,

grammar editing,

rewriting,

readability,

even developmental editing.

But then I think about the amount of time spent researching/testing all these tools, learning workflows, comparing outputs, etc.

At some point I wonder if it’s just better to fork up the money and let a human editor handle it.

Especially since formatting itself seems pretty manageable now with tools like Reedsy or Kindle Create. And a lot of Fiverr editors seem to include formatting anyway.

Curious what most serious self-published authors are doing nowadays:

Fully AI?

Hybrid AI + human?

Human only?

DIY formatting + paid editing?

Would love honest opinions from people who’ve actually published books recently.

​

I’m trying to understand how people are really monetizing on Substack beyond just “write newsletters.”

For those of you selling ebooks, courses, memberships, or even coaching services through Substack — what’s the actual funnel/process that works?

Is it basically:

post consistently,

build trust/audience,

get traffic through Notes/recommendations/search,

and then casually mention your product or coaching in every post?

Or is there more to it behind the scenes?

For example:

Are most sales coming from free subscribers converting later?

Do people use Substack mainly as a top-of-funnel and then send people elsewhere?

How important are Notes vs long-form posts?

Do recommendation networks between Substacks matter that much?

Are people succeeding mostly because they already had an audience from YouTube/X/Instagram?

I’m especially curious about:

selling ebooks,

mini-courses,

premium newsletters,

and coaching/services (like consulting, mindset coaching, recovery coaching, etc.)

Can Substack realistically work for service-based businesses too, or is it mostly good for writers/journalists?

Would love to hear real experiences instead of generic “just provide value” advice.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for a monthly rental in Tagaytay for a longer stay (working remotely / relocation). Airbnb is way too expensive for anything beyond a few nights, so I want to go direct to owners or locals for better rates.

What are the best places to find affordable monthly rentals in Tagaytay right now? Houses, condos, apartments, or even rooms/bedspaces are fine.

Especially helpful:

Active Facebook groups for monthly/long-term rentals

Carousell or OLX tips

Condo buildings that commonly offer monthly leases (Wind Residences, Prime Residences, Serin, etc.)

Realistic monthly price ranges (studio/1BR/2BR)

Any other sites, agents, or local tips

Bonus if you know places with good internet, quiet environment, Taal view, or near restaurants/convenience stores.

Thanks in advance! Trying to avoid platform markups and high short-term rates. Any recent experiences or leads would be great! 🌄

Hey everyone,

I’m currently on US Mobile Unlimited Premium ($44/month), but now that I’m abroad and using a local SIM for cheap data, I barely use the US Mobile data anymore.

I mainly just need:

• US number active
• unlimited calls/texts
• OTP/bank texts
• Wi-Fi calling

I was looking at downgrading, but even their cheaper options still seem kind of expensive once you add international features.

So I’m wondering — has anyone here ever contacted US Mobile support and gotten:

• a loyalty discount,
• retention offer,
• temporary promo,
• cheaper grandfathered rate,
• or any custom plan

…by saying you were thinking about canceling or porting out?

Or are they pretty firm on pricing?

Curious what kind of success people have had before I decide whether to switch to something like Tello.

Hey everyone,

I’m currently abroad in the Philippines and just got a local Globe SIM for data because it’s insanely cheap compared to US plans. My phone is dual SIM (Samsung S21), so I can easily keep my US Mobile line active while using the local SIM for data.

At this point, I basically don’t need US Mobile data anymore — I mainly just want to keep my US number active for:

• unlimited calling
• unlimited texting
• Wi-Fi calling
• OTP/bank verification texts
• occasional US calls

Right now I’m on the US Mobile Unlimited Premium plan ($44/mo), which feels like massive overkill now that I’m using Globe for data.

I contacted support and they told me the cheapest option seems to be:

• Unlimited Starter = $25/mo
• plus $3/mo international calling/texting add-on
• and apparently roaming still isn’t included by default

So basically around $28/mo just to keep my US number usable abroad for calls/texts only.

Is that really the cheapest/best setup most people are using with US Mobile while living overseas?

Or are people doing something smarter like:

• Light plan + Wi-Fi calling only?
• pooled/shared plans?
• another carrier entirely?
• keeping US Mobile on eSIM only for texts/calls and local SIM for data?

I honestly don’t care about US data anymore since Globe here is super cheap and surprisingly fast.

Would love to hear what other expats/digital nomads are doing for the cheapest reliable “keep my US number alive” setup.

Hey guys, currently staying in a Tagaytay Airbnb and the internet here honestly sucks. The connection keeps dropping every 5–10 minutes, especially when a lot of people are using the WiFi at the same time. I rely heavily on internet for online teaching and Zoom/Google Meet calls, so it’s becoming a serious problem.

Right now I’m using hotspot/tethering from my Samsung phone as backup, but I’m thinking about buying a Globe At Home portable WiFi instead.

For people in the Philippines who’ve used both:

• Is portable WiFi actually more stable than phone hotspot?
• Better signal/speeds?
• Less overheating during long video calls?
• Better battery life?
• Worth going 5G or is LTE enough?

Also:

• Which Globe portable WiFi model is the best value right now?
• Better to buy from Shopee/Lazada/Globe store or FB Marketplace?
• Are FB Marketplace units risky because of fake units, bad batteries, or locked devices?

SIM questions too:

• Can I just move the same Globe SIM from my phone into the portable WiFi?
• Or is it smarter to get a separate SIM just for data?
• Does Globe care if you keep switching the SIM between devices?

And lastly:

• does Globe throttle hotspot or portable WiFi usage?
• what real-world speeds are you getting?

Would really appreciate advice from people actually using these in real PH conditions 🙏

I’m a newer tutor on Preply and wanted to ask experienced tutors here what the normal etiquette/protocol is for rescheduling a lesson as a tutor.

I have a single 30-minute class scheduled late Saturday night, and it’s my only lesson that day. I may need to reschedule it, but I don’t want to come across as unreliable or unprofessional.

A few questions:

• How much notice do you usually try to give students?
• Do students generally mind if it’s just a one-off reschedule for a short lesson?
• Is it better to message the student first, or directly send a reschedule request through Preply?
• Does occasional rescheduling affect tutor stats/profile visibility in any noticeable way?

Just trying to understand what’s considered normal/best practice on the platform. Thanks!

Trying to figure out which one locals here trust more overall. I’m still kinda new to ordering stuff in the Philippines and I keep hearing mixed opinions depending on who I ask.

Which one is better for:

• legit products
• refunds/returns
• customer support
• delivery speed
• electronics/gadgets
• vouchers and discounts
• less hassle overall

Also, do you notice one having more fake sellers than the other?

Would love honest local opinions from people who use both regularly.

I’m seeing a lot of conflicting opinions lately. Some people say Amazon/KDP doesn’t care at all as long as the content is good and not spam, while others say AI books get suppressed or flagged.

I know Amazon now asks whether AI was used in the creation process, but realistically:

• Are people successfully publishing fully AI-assisted books?
• Does disclosure affect rankings or visibility?
• Does Amazon mainly care about low-quality spam rather than AI itself?
• Are readers starting to care more than Amazon does?

I’m especially curious about people doing:

• children’s books
• nonfiction
• low-content/high-content books
• AI-assisted editing or illustrations

Would love to hear from people actually publishing on KDP right now and what your real experience has been.

I’m using a Samsung S21 originally from Verizon, and I’m getting really annoyed with Verizon App Manager / My Verizon Services automatically installing random apps and games on my phone without me asking.

Stuff like:

Bubble Shooter

Block Puzzle

Random weather apps

Triple Match games

CallApp, etc.

I’ll uninstall them, and then later more junk appears again. I’m not even actively using Verizon service anymore since I’m outside the US most of the time.

I disabled some Verizon apps already, but this popup still appears saying “Apps Installed by Verizon App Manager and My Verizon Services.”

How do I permanently stop this?

Is it safe to disable or uninstall Verizon App Manager?

Do I need ADB?

Is there a Samsung setting causing this?

Anyone successfully removed this bloatware completely without rooting?

Would appreciate a step-by-step because this is driving me crazy lol.

I’m a little confused about how the Audiobooks.com free trial works.

They advertise that you get free audiobooks during the 30-day trial, and some pages make it sound like the books are “yours to keep.” But when I looked deeper into the terms, it also seems like books claimed through trial credits might disappear if you cancel before paying for a membership.

So I’m trying to understand the real-world experience from people here:

• If you use the free trial credits and cancel before getting charged, did you keep the audiobooks permanently?
• Or were they removed from your library?
• Is there a difference between books bought with paid credits vs free trial credits?
• Did anyone lose access months later?

Just trying to avoid surprises before I sign up. Thanks!

Filmmakers who’ve used both Runway ML and Higgsfield — which one is actually better for AI short film creation right now?

I’m mainly trying to create:

• cinematic sci-fi shots
• consistent characters
• short film scenes
• realistic motion/camera movement
• possibly a 5–10 minute AI-assisted short film

A few questions:

1. Which platform currently gives more cinematic/professional-looking results?
2. Which one is more cost effective?
3. Which one handles character consistency better?
4. Which one is better for storytelling vs just “cool clips”?
5. Is Runway Gen-4 worth the extra cost?
6. How are people keeping costs low while making longer AI films?

What shocked me is I saw people on Facebook saying their 5–10 minute AI short films cost like $500–$1000+ in credits/rendering. Is that actually realistic?

I’m trying to understand the REAL cost breakdown because at first glance these platforms seem cheap, but once you start generating:

• multiple takes
• fixing generations
• extending clips
• upscaling
• image-to-video
• lip sync
• sound/music

…it feels like the credits disappear insanely fast.

Would love to hear real-world experiences from people who’ve actually completed AI short films recently.

Hey everyone, beginner question here.

If I get a VPS subscription from IONOS or Hostinger, can I also host my website directly on that same VPS?

For example:

• install WordPress
• point my domain to it
• host email/website/files on the VPS itself

Or do I still need a separate shared hosting/web hosting plan in addition to the VPS subscription?

Trying to understand whether VPS already includes everything needed for website hosting, or if VPS is mainly just for server access and needs additional hosting services added on.

Would appreciate any clarification, especially from people using Hostinger or IONOS VPS right now. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I have 1 eBook that's currently not enrolled in KDP Select. What other platforms do you recommend I upload it to ? I have been exclusively with amazon for over a decade and I feel dumb for not venturing out to other platforms. I know there is Barnes and Nobles and Ingram Spark. Are they good spots to publish ? What has been your experience thus far? It's a health and fitness book by the way.