Wonder Tools

Discover Tally, a user-friendly and visually appealing tool for creating surveys in under a minute. Learn how to design effective surveys with tips and important insights on their flexibility and features. The discussion includes comparisons with other platforms like JotForm and SurveyMonkey, highlighting their strengths. Plus, explore an innovative AI-driven survey tool that adapts questions based on your responses. Don’t forget to share your thoughts through a personalized survey to enhance future content!

Discover a minimalist bookmarking tool that transforms cluttered digital filing into a sleek, user-friendly experience. Explore six creative uses for this innovative tool, from crafting inspiration moodboards to curating quotes for presentations. Dive into other top-notch digital organization tools like Eagle and Milanote, and share your thoughts on streamlining your online finds. This episode is packed with practical advice for anyone looking to declutter their digital life!

Discover an innovative search tool that revolutionizes online research! This episode dives into Perplexity and its ability to provide concise answers with credible citations. Learn how it enhances efficiency in finding information and the unique features that set it apart from traditional tools. The conversation also touches on privacy settings to keep your searches anonymous and the balance between access and data retention. Perfect for those who value time and accuracy in their research!

Discover Chronicle, a groundbreaking tool that's changing the game for presentation design. It allows users to create visually stunning slides while offering control over every detail. The podcast dives into its unique features, including AI-assisted drafts and easy editing options. Compare it to PowerPoint and Canva to see how it stacks up. With its public beta just launched, explore the potential and limitations, plus tips on how to get started and share your work effectively.

Google’s AI Studio and Labs let you experiment for free with new AI tools. I love the way these digital sandboxes — like the one from Hugging Face — let you try out creative new uses of AI. You can dabble around then download and share what you make, without having to master a complex new platform. Read on for a few Google AI experiments to try. All are free, fast, and easy to use. 1. Transform an image 🎨Upload a photo and use Gemini’s AI Studio Image Generation to transform it with prompts. Iterate on your original image until you get a version you like. The model understands natural language, so you don’t have to master prompt lingo. 2. Generate an AI voice conversation 🗣️ AI-generated voices are increasingly hard to distinguish from human ones. If you’re surprised, try Generate Speech in the AI Studio or Google’s NotebookLM. How to use Generate Speech in Google’s AI Studio * Paste in text, either for a narration or a conversation between two people* Open the settings tab to pick from 30 AI voices. Each is labeled with a characteristic — e.g. upbeat, gravelly, or mature. * Click run to generate the conversation. Optionally adjust the playback speed.* Download the file if you want to keep it, or paste in different text to try again.* Example: a silly 90-sec chat between two violinists I scripted with Gemini and rendered quickly with this Generate Speech tool. * Use case: Make a narration track for an instructional video. ElevenLabs has a better professional model for this, but AI Studio’s is free, easy and quick. Alternatives* Google’s free NotebookLM has a new mobile app, and now lets you generate an audio conversation in any of 50 languages. Unlike Generate Speech in AI Studio, NotebookLM audio overviews summarize your material, they don’t perform words as written. Why NotebookLM is so useful. * Google’s Illuminate lets you generate, listen to, share, and download AI conversations about research papers and famous books. Here’s an audio chat about David Copperfield, for example. A bit dry to listen to, but still useful.* Google’s Gemini AI app can also now generate audio overviews from files you upload, if you’re on a paid plan. Sponsored Message 🧩 Full-Stack Engine for Modern EdupreneursVEGA AI lets Edupreneurs build Duolingo-style courses in minutes. It creates personalized tests, grades them automatically, flags learning gaps, recommends next steps. It even deploys your AI-avatar to answer questions 24/7 when you’re asleep.3. Make a gif 📺 Try Magical Gif Maker, one of 20 showcase apps in the Build section of AI Studio. Try making a moving visual featuring the name of your publication, group, or event. I experimented with kinetic text and word art. Also worth trying in the Build AI Studio: Flashcard maker, Video to Learning App & Maps Planner. Alternative: You can also make a static image with Google’s Imagen 3 or the new Imagen 4. Write a short prompt and select your preferred aspect ratio. So far I still prefer Ideogram (why I like it) and ChatGPT’s new image engine.4. Generate a short video 🎞️ Google’s Veo 2 and Flow let you generate free short video clips almost instantly with a prompt. Create a clip to add vibrancy or humor to a presentation, or a visual metaphor to help you explain something. Here are 25 other quick ideas for how you might use little AI-generated video scenes.How to create a video clip with Veo 2* Pick a length (5 to 8 seconds) and select horizontal or vertical orientation* Write a prompt & optionally upload a photo to suggest a visual direction* Example: Take a look at a parakeet photo I started with and the 5-second video I generated from the photo with Veo 2.* Tip: Convert short video clips into gifs for free with Ezgif or Giphy. Unlike video files, gifs are easy to share and auto-play in an email or presentation. What’s next: Remarkably lifelike clips made with Google’s newer Veo 3 model went viral this week. These AI-generated visuals — with sound — are only available on the $250/month(!) plan for now, so try Veo 2 for free. 5. Explain things with lots of tiny cats 🐈This playful mini app creates short, step-by-step visual guides using charming cat illustrations to explain any concept, from how a violin works to the concept behind the matrix. Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

One of the best AI models just got even better. Claude 4 launched yesterday and I’ve been using it for everything from analyzing files and planning projects to copy editing and creating visual dashboards. Read on for my take on its most useful features, limitations, and five ways to use it. 🚀 What’s new with Claude 4? 💭 More nuanced reasoning. Claude’s “extended thinking” mode is now even brainier. It more thoroughly analyzes complex queries. 🧑‍💻 Stronger coding. Claude could already produce code quickly, but now it’s even more useful for non-coders like me. I prompt it to design dashboards to visualize datasets, from reader analytics to public financial data. 🗣️ Better language mastery. Claude 3.7 was already good at analyzing your writing style and providing helpful editing suggestions. Now it’s even better. You can feed it your prior writings and train it to give you personalized feedback. Pricing: It’s free to use Claude 4 Sonnet on Web, iOS and Android. or $17/month billed annually ($200/year) for advanced features. Privacy: Claude’s parent company, Anthropic, prides itself on prioritizing safety and data protection. By default, Anthropic won’t use your inputs or outputs to train its models. Read more about its data policies, protections, and its privacy policy.Sponsored MessageYour data knows what it wants to beData doesn’t have to be dull. With Flourish, you go from spreadsheet to show-stopping visuals in seconds. Upload your data, get instant chart suggestions, and drop them right into your Canva design. It’s fast, easy, and looks amazing!Benefits of Claude Pro * Use Claude Projects to get dedicated spaces where you can provide instructions and relevant documents for ongoing projects. This is my favorite Claude capability. It’s more efficient than repeatedly making isolated queries.* Use Web Search to gather new, relevant information with citations. You can search with Perplexity, but Claude combines search with richer analysis. * Use Extended Thinking to slow down responses and have Claude proceed step-by-step through a challenging inquiry.* Use Claude’s top model, Claude 4 Opus to get more nuanced replies.* Connect Claude to outside material, e.g. Google Docs, Calendar and Gmail to apply AI analysis to your own material, as shown in this video 👇 My bottom line: Because I rely on Claude’s advanced features, I willingly pay the $200 annual fee as an alternative to budgeting for a personal (human) assistant. If you’re exploring Claude for basic queries, the free plan may be sufficient.Limitations and Caveats* Even as a paying user, I often run into usage limits. * The Projects I set up can only accept 30mb files. And after I add a bunch of files, Claude’s memory sometimes fills up and restricts further uploads.* Unlike ChatGPT 4o, it can’t generate images and lacks an advanced voice mode. Unlike Gemini, it can’t generate video. * Anthropic’s candid safety report notes that Claude, in rare cases, when pushed and prodded to behave badly, “sometimes takes extremely harmful actions,” that could even include trying to “blackmail people it believes are trying to shut it down.” (via Techcrunch) 😳 🧠 1. Teach YourselfMy PromptHelp me develop a learning approach …. If you need more information from me, ask me 2 key questions. If I should upload any documents that would help you do a better job, let me know…* Topic: I'd like to learn about how the most modern continuous glucose monitors work…* Further guidance: You can use a variety of methods to help me learn. You can ask me questions and then respond constructively to my replies…ResultSee for yourself: The full chat includes my prompt and Claude’s responses. Claude created an interactive visual (it calls these “artifacts”) to address my questions in an engaging, helpful way. Then it designed a learning plan for me. Bottom line Claude 4 is a great resource for learning in unconventional ways. The AI assistant can guide you step-by-step through complex topics. Coach it to act as a patient, engaging instructor that adapts to your learning style. Experiment with the kinds of interactions, explanations, exercises, and guidance that helps you most.Other examples* How can AI be useful for medical diagnosis? I asked Claude to explain some of the ways AI can be a useful ally for radiologists and other medical pros. In addition to a summary reply, it shared useful sources for me to explore. * What makes Claude 4 stand out? I asked Claude for a simple interactive visual to illustrate what’s distinct about its newest model.📊 2. Create a dashboardPromptHelp me analyze and visualize these analytics so I can better understand how readers are interacting with my publication and what potential adjustments might be worth considering…ResultClaude suggested a variety of visualizations to help me better understand and act on the analytics.* Engagement Heatmap Show open rates by subscription type and tenure* Revenue Flow Chart Visualize conversion paths from free → paid* Geographic Heat Map Show global distribution with revenue overlay* Retention Curve Plot subscriber activity over time by cohort* Churn Risk Dashboard Track at-risk subscribers by last engagement Claude also gave me a detailed list of insights about my data, ranging from conversion sources that work well to observations about my readership’s geographic distribution.Bottom lineI find interactive dashboards useful for turning complicated material into something I can see and explore. The dashboards are private by default. If you want, Claude can publish a dashboard and give you a link to share. How to make your own dashboard: Upload a file, paste in info you want Claude to visualize, or toggle on Claude’s Web Search option to look for source material. Then tell Claude the kind of dashboard you want and your design preferences, like company color palette, annotations, or source attribution you’d like included.Example: Visualization of U.S. newspaper circulation decline from 1940-2022✍️ 3. Edit thoughtfullyPromptAct as an experienced editor. Please first slowly read and analyze the following text without rewriting it. Then provide a numbered list of concise, specific, constructive, observations to help me strengthen the piece by noting any of the following issues in my writing…. (list includes grammar, spelling, syntax, sentence structure, redundancy, cliches, passive voice, etc). Full promptResultClaude serves as a consistently reliable AI copy editing assistant. Getting instant, specific, detailed, constructive, feedback on writing can help any writer improve. It helps catch errors and can point out opportunities for sharpening weak phrases or awkward sentences. Bottom lineRather than replacing your own voice with Claude’s, use it as a copy editing assistant that gives you a list of issues to consider. You retain agency in deciding whether and how to make specific changes. Unique feature: Claude is the only major model that lets you toggle particular styles for any given query. You teach it a style by feeding it a piece of your own writing. You can later toggle on any style you’ve taught it (e.g. “team onboarding manual” style) to help you edit a new version of your onboarding guide. To do something similar with ChatGPT or Gemini, make your own Custom GPTs or Gemini Gems with similar capabilities.🔎 4. Analyze a filePromptAct as a patient teacher and experienced explainer. I need help understanding a new academic publication evaluating the performance and accuracy of AI Deep Research agents… (See full prompt and the reply)ResultSee the conversation thread with my extended prompt and Claude’s reply. See Gemini 2.5 Pro’s response for comparison. I actually preferred Gemini’s reply in this case. I may have stuffed too much into my request of Claude, including the glossary. In general, both Gemini 2.5 Pro and Claude 4 perform well at analyzing, summarizing and helping me learn from complex materials. ChatGPT 4.1 also works well for this. See its helpful, concise response to this analysis query. Why use AI for file analysis? With the help of an AI assistant, I’m better able to make sense of jargon-filled, abstract academic papers. If my initial efforts to understand falter, Claude, Gemini or ChatGPT can assist me, just as I might ask a human expert for help.☑️ 5. Plan a projectPrompt Draft three potential structured plans that break down my upcoming new program development project into manageable phases. Given my outline of our overall timeline and rough project goals, suggest how we might map out the next 90 days, noting potential milestones, potential challenges to prepare for, and relevant mitigation strategies. Include decision points where we should evaluate progress before proceeding, and suggest relevant frameworks we can apply…ResultClaude gives me helpful, thorough, plans I can build on. After setting the original project parameters, goals, timeline and context, I can iterate on the specifics of the plan and explore multiple possible approaches. Tip: Start by generating multiple possible plans so you’re not limited to the first approach you see. Compare them to see what makes the most sense. Then ask for adjustments, iterate, and adapt the responses so you end up with a great plan. Bottom lineClaude Projects allow you to upload relevant documents and provide detailed context for something you’re working on. You can return to that project anytime you have a query without having to start from scratch. You won’t have to re-explain the specific context. I have projects set up for background research related to my volunteering work, subjects I’m studying, and repetitive technical tasks and dashboards. Here’s why I find Claude Projects so useful.Additional resources* Introducing Claude 4 — Anthropic [blog post]* Claude 4 Is finally here — Skill Leap AI [video]* Why everyone’s freaking out about Claude 4 — The AI Advantage [video]Partner Message 💫KnowTechie's Weekly DownloadFor 10 years, KnowTechie’s founder, Kevin Raposo, has separated tech substance from hype. Now, he distills it all into a single, potent weekly brief. Our 5,000+ subscribers stick around because we respect their inboxes and their intelligence.Each edition delivers:* The week's essential tech story — with context mainstream coverage misses* Brutally honest gear assessments — from actual use, not press releases* Reader-exclusive giveaways — no social media hoops, just reply to enter* Zero fluff. Zero sponsored opinions.Subscribe free today. Your future self will thank you every Sunday night.*AI was used to generate the top two “Claude 4” images (Ideogram) and the “product assistant” image (ChatGPT 4o). I also used AI to add an SEO text description to this post’s Substack settings, and to add alt-text to the image descriptions. Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

I’ve been curious lately — how might AI help my former students — and so many others looking for new jobs — in a challenging & complicated market? My conclusion: AI tools can serve as patient assistants. They can help you organize your search, reflect on career goals, and convey your strengths persuasively. Whether you're pivoting careers or moving up in your field, here's how to leverage AI to stand out and land a great opportunity.1. Explore career directions Recommended tool: Google’s Career Dreamer What it is: A career visualization tool. See a map of professional fields related to your interests. (See video demo below)How to use it: Start by typing in a current or previous role, or a type of job that interests you, using up to five words. Then optionally add the name of an organization or industry. The free service then confirms job activities of interest and shows you a variety of related career paths. Pick one at a time to explore. You can then browse current job openings, refining the search based on location, company size, or other factors you care about.Example: I’m not job hunting, but I tested out the service by typing in “journalist, writer and educator” as roles and then “journalism and education” as my industries of interest. See my quick video demo below to see the result 👇 Why it’s useful: I appreciate that Career Dreamer not only suggests a range of relevant fields, but also summarizes what a typical day in those jobs might be like. It also suggests skills you’ll develop and other jobs that might follow on that career path. Next step: After exploring potential career paths and looking at available jobs, you can jump into Gemini — Google’s equivalent of ChatGPT — for further career planning. Career Dreamer helpfully enables you to copy your career interests and skills— as a summary prompt to your clipboard. You can then jump to Gemini to paste that into a chat about your career plans. 2. Clarify your career prioritiesRecommended tool: Gemini Gem — Career Guide What it is: Gemini Gems are customized AI assistants. They are AI models tailored to be helpful in a specific context. One of the template Gems that Google created is a career guide. You can copy the Career Guide gem and edit it with your own professional interests. How to use it: Start by conducting a thorough "soul-searching" reverse interview with Gemini. Rather than Gemini answering your questions, task it to ask you the questions. Have it consistently nudge you to dig deeper into your own preferences, attitudes, objectives and needs. Then have it summarize what you’ve said. You’ll get better at understanding and articulating your own career perspectives. Try this career self-interview prompt: Give this prompt to Gemini or another AI tool of your choice to conduct a reverse interview. As Gemini — or another AI assistant— interviews you, you’ll develop a richer understanding of your own job preferences.Next steps: Use your Gemini Gem AI assistant throughout your job search to help clarify your own objectives and strengths, and to support you in developing your job search strategy. 3. Research target companiesRecommended tool: ChatGPT Deep Research What it’s useful for: Unlike typical AI chat queries, Deep Research requests enable an AI model to autonomously develop an exhaustive report after searching the Web, examining hundreds of sites and other research resources, and completing a detailed, multi-step analysis. See 9 ways to use Deep Research. You can use these personalized reports to learn more about industries of interest and specific aspects of companies that intrigue you. How to use it: Toggle on the “Deep Research” button in the ChatGPT box. Type a detailed query with your specific interests, skills, and the types of organizations you're curious about. Request a comprehensive table of relevant companies with detailed information about culture, growth trajectories, or whatever else.Example: Here’s a journalism industry query for Deep Research you can adapt for your own exploration. Benefits: Learn valuable context about companies you may apply to — and discover new organizations you weren’t aware of. Use this research to tailor your applications and to prepare for interviews by understanding industry trends.Pricing note: You get five free Deep Research queries a month on ChatGPT’s free plan, as of May 2025, or more on a paid plan. Gemini offers a good free Deep Research alternative. Perplexity also offers free Deep Research reports, though they’re not as thorough. Alternative tools: Exa’s Websets is a powerful—and pricey—new pro AI search tool that organizes results into a detailed table. It can draw on datasets like these, helping you identify great companies to target based on your own criteria.4. Organize your search Recommended tool: ChatGPT Projects What it does: Lets you set up a dedicated AI folder for your career search. You can provide instructions and resource files so that every chat you have in this project takes into account the relevant context of your job search. How to use it: Provide detailed instructions for how you’d like the AI assistant to help. Try having it guide you in building a realistic timeline for preparing applications, sending follow-ups, and reaching out for informational interviews. Ask it to assist you in designing a structured daily job search agenda. If you’re applying to many different positions and have lots of tasks to juggle, it can help to organize your plans. (Tools like Career Flow - not yet tested— also promise to assist with automated job tracking).Advanced tactic: You can upload examples of your past outreach messages or other writings as project resources. That will enable the AI assistant to help you draft new emails in your own style, whether you’re letting people know you’re open to new opportunities or reaching out to new contacts. Organize your job search tasks: ChatGPT’s “Scheduled Tasks" feature can help by sending you custom reminders. That could include an automated daily reminder of specific tasks to complete to maintain momentum. You can even ask it to periodically send encouraging messages to keep you inspired throughout what can be a lengthy, stressful process. Free alternative: ChatGPT’s Projects require a paid plan, which starts at $20/month. For a free alternative, create a Gemini Gem with similar functionality. 5. Polish your job application materialsRecommended Tool: Claude Projects What it does: Gives you personalized AI assistance to help polish any materials you’re creating. Give it specific instructions and upload background documents to ensure that it understands your preferences, strengths, and style. I have Claude Projects set up to assist with most of the things work on, from new classes I’m developing to volunteering projects. Here’s why I recommend this.How to use it: Upload past cover letters, resumes, lists of accomplishments, awards, vision statements or anything else you’ve created that you might want to build on for a new application. In your project instructions, guide the AI to maintain your authentic voice as represented in your prior writings. * Ask for feedback on writing you’re submitting, with prompts that specify the kinds of input that will be most useful, from grammar, spelling, and syntax suggestions to warnings about exaggerations, cliches, jargon, or redundancy. * Request suggestions for additional information to include based on the job descriptions you're targeting. Using the personalized AI assistant for feedback allows you to highlight your unique human value, avoiding generic AI-generated content.Alternatives* ChatGPT’s Projects & Custom GPTs have similar functionality. You can add resource files and instructions to adjust how the AI assistants support you.* Perplexity Spaces also allow you to organize prompt threads and add custom documents and instructions. * Gemini Gems, noted above, offer a free alternative. I prefer the quality of Claude’s responses and some of its features, like a custom editing style I’ve trained it to use. 6. Practice for interviews Recommended tool: ChatGPT Advanced Voice ModeHow to use it: Brainstorm interview questions specific to your target role, industry, and even the particular company you're applying to. Then practice answering these questions using voice mode for a realistic simulation. Build your confidence by practicing how you’ll answer various questions. Read more about 7 ways to use Advanced Voice Mode.Ask for detailed feedback on your responses. Prompt your voice assistant to highlight strong points and suggest areas for improvement. Ask it to be as specific as possible and to help you practice strengthening your responses. Ask it to help you prepare for whatever interview context you expect to encounter, from technical questions and case studies to fact-based questions or casual, open-ended lunch conversations.Pricing: Full access to ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode requires a paid plan, but free users can access a daily preview of advanced voice mode powered by a model slightly less advanced than the top paid models. Alternatives* Microsoft Copilot Voice is now completely free. Choose from eight voices. You can even adjust the voice speed. I like Wave, with his British-sounding accent, at 1.25 speed. * Gemini Live from Google is also an excellent voice AI assistant. Like ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, it can even use computer vision to comment on something you show it. Initiate a conversation while pointing your phone camera at a company’s leadership org chart, for example, or public balance sheet, or a list of questions you’ve handwritten. Bonus tip: If your job search involves speaking or understanding multiple languages, you can use these voice models to practice speaking or listening in any number of tongues. It’s a great way to practice live language skills. 7. Negotiate your salaryRecommended tool: Deep Research (from Perplexity, Gemini, or ChatGPT)How to use it: Research average salaries for similar positions in your industry, accounting for variables like location, company size, and experience level. Generate comprehensive salary data in table format so you’re ready to offer a data-backed rationale for your negotiating points. You can also research relevant benefits, company culture, and other factors. I’m not actually looking for a job, but I generated these reports so you could compare real Deep Research results. Compare the Deep Research salary reports: * Perplexity Report + original Perplexity thread* ChatGPT Report* Gemini ReportPractice negotiating: Use the aforementioned voice AI tools to role-play negotiations or to prepare for difficult benefits conversations. Practice responding to everything from a surprise dream offer to one that’s below your market value.More ways to use AI in your job search* Put together a video reel Eddie AI can streamline how you create a highlight reel where you need visuals showing how you stand out. Here’s why I like it. * Make a great deck Gamma, Beautiful.ai, Pitch, and the brand-new Chronicle are great tools for turning talking points into polished slide presentations. * Others I’m learning about: Check out Aakash Gupta’s list of AI job search tools, including Poised (interview feedback). Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

The AI search landscape is transforming at breakneck speed. New "Deep Research" tools from ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity autonomously search and gather information from dozens — even hundreds — of sites, then analyze and synthesize it to produce comprehensive reports. While a human might take days or weeks to produce these 30-page citation-backed reports, AI Deep Research reports are ready in minutes.What’s in this post * Examples of each report type I generated for my research, so you can form your own impressions.* Tips on why & how to use Deep Research and how to craft effective queries.* Comparison of key features and strengths/limitations of the top platforms.What’s new about Deep Research? Traditional AI queries deliver isolated answers to specific questions, while Deep Research tools conduct sophisticated investigations with dozens of interconnected searches. It’s like the difference between a quick reference check and a thorough research expedition.Why this matters for you: It’s now easy to generate your own reports to immediately advance work projects. ChatGPT’s Deep Research, the best I’ve tried so far, is now available on free accounts, with a limit of five reports per month. How to get started: After reading the guide below, customize a query for one of the AI models reviewed here. Start with one of the report types suggested below. First toggle on the “Deep Research” setting: Pick a work topic or any subject you’re curious about. Read through the resulting report and iterate on your query to get an even more useful second response. You’ll soon have a new research superpower to deploy anytime you need to dig deep into a complex subject. Security & privacy: When using AI platforms avoid sharing sensitive data, which can leak. Adjust settings so your data isn’t retained to train future models. Take the same precautions for AI Deep Research you’d adopt for other AI queries. Hallucinations? I expected substantial nonsense to pollute the reports. But extensive in-line citations help with verification and I’ve found fewer errors than I expected. Still, for subjects where data is sparse, autonomous research reports occasionally include weak sourcing, so keep an eye out for that. 9 Practical Ways to Use AI for Deep ResearchAI research tools shine when you need comprehensive information on complex topics. Here are specific use cases where they excel:1. Craft Custom Itineraries ✈️ Create detailed, personalized travel plans by specifying your destination, dates, activity preferences, budget, cultural interests, and whatever else is important to you. These AI-generated itineraries often surface unexpected gems. When planning a family trip recently, my wife and I discovered a fantastic farm stay in Pennsylvania through a Perplexity query. We wouldn't have found it otherwise. Use the results as a starting point to identify interesting possibilities, then follow up with targeted research.* Specify dietary preferences, accessibility needs, and your taste in accommodations, restaurants, and entertainment, for more tailored recommendations. I’ve saved a block of text about this to reuse. * Use follow-up queries to get more specifics on attractions or activities that appeal to you, or to compare and contrast potential itineraries.Example: Deep Research itinerary for a family vacation in Brookline, MA. Compare results from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Copilot. Note: If you spot errors in reports I’m sharing in this post, feel free to annotate the GDocs.2. Compile Organization Reports 📈Get comprehensive backgrounders on companies, non-profits, or any organization in minutes rather than clicking through dozens of search results. * Compare similar organizations or competitors* Specify format. Maybe you’d like a case study format, a topical report, a chronological history, or an industry context analysis.* Specify metrics of interest like funding history, revenue growth patterns, leadership changes, media coverage trends, law suits, or anything else you care about. For closely-held private organizations data may be scarce, so read results skeptically.* Advanced tip: Copy excerpts from Deep Research reports into Claude to transform them into visual dashboards— including charts and interactive elements— using Claude Artifacts. You can share those with colleagues. Watch: 📺 Grace Leung’s helpful video illustrates how and why to try this. Example: Deep Research report on Trader Joe’s 3. Research Notable People 🧓Explore backgrounds of news figures, historical personalities, or even fictional characters. Request specific information like podcast appearances, YouTube videos, or published works to build a well-rounded understanding of the individual.* Ask about connections between the person and influential contemporaries* Ask for lesser-known background details or contributions often overlooked * Specify time periods to focus on particular life phases or epochs🔎 Example: Deep Research on Michel de Montaigne4. Explore Complex Concepts 🧠 Learn about complex topics in any field — from botany 🌿 to venture capital 💰— with AI-structured explanations tailored to your knowledge level. * Ask for real-world examples, analogies, anecdotes, quotes, common misconceptions, and step-by-step explanations. * Ask for quiz or discussion questions to test your understanding. * After reading the report, generate an AI tutor with a Custom GPT, Gemini Gem, or Poe bot to further strengthen your understanding.🔎 Example: Applications for AI in medical diagnosis via Gemini & Perplexity5. Discover Places in Depth 🌍Investigate a place’s historical significance, cultural development, architecture, art, music, literature, or economic, social, or political history. I find this richer, personalized context can feel more resonant than a more generic travel guide.* Ask about little-known local events, hidden gems, or notable personalities* Specify your interest in fashion, architecture, history, sports, or whatever else* Products too: Get a backgrounder on a new type of oven 🧑‍🍳 you’re considering, or pianos 🎹 that might suit your home. 🔎 Example: Help me learn about Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Massachusetts6. Analyze Debates and Controversies 🤔Explore complex controversies from multiple perspectives. Examine international conflicts, ethical debates, or local issues. Deep Research reports can present multiple viewpoints with examples and evidence to deepen your understanding of nuances. You can also ask for notable quotes and an annotated reading list.* Ask how the debate has evolved over time and who has been involved * Specify that you want evidence-based arguments from multiple disciplines* Ask for areas of common ground between opposing viewpoints🔎 Example: Is generative art revolutionizing creativity — or devaluing it? 7. Decode Cultural Works 🎶 🎨Gain insights into books, paintings, music, or other creative works by exploring critical analyses, historical context, and expert interpretations. This works particularly well when you're in the middle of reading a book or have just encountered an intriguing piece of art. At the Metropolitan 🖼️ Museum of Art last week, I saw Tang Dynasty zodiac figurines and asked AI to help me learn about them. (More info & a generated image). Caveat: as a non-expert learning about something new, I’m not always in a strong position to assess the merits of AI analysis. When in doubt, it’s helpful to have cited sources for gauging the quality of the information. * Request info about a work's influence on subsequent artists or movements* Ask for analysis of technical innovations or stylistic elements* Compare interpretations of the book, play, poem, art, or piece of music from different time periods or cultural contexts🔎 Example: Help me deepen my appreciation of Mozart’s 5th Violin Concerto8. Explore Evolving Trends 👗Investigate linguistic, political, fashion, sports, arts, business, or cultural trends in a particular place or time period, or compare trends across cultures. * Ask for predictive insights about how the trend might evolve* Include in your prompt questions about counter-trends or critics* Request data visualizations if the trend has quantitative aspects, e.g. the Beanie Baby craze 🔎 Example: What are top AI training programs for journalists around the world?9. Examine Historical Context 📝Explore historical events through multiple lenses - political, economic, social, and cultural. Direct your AI research assistant to focus on specific date ranges, if relevant. Ask it draw from diverse sources across countries and perspectives.* Request primary source recommendations* Ask for comparisons across countries, regions or time periods* Specify your prior knowledge so the report is tailored for your context🔎 Example: Help me learn more about the history of the Dozier School for BoysWhen Deep Research isn't your best option ⚠️ Use other tools when you’re not looking for a comprehensive research report, but instead want something quick, or for:* Simple factual questions like award winners or sports results are better addressed with basic Google or Perplexity searches* Breaking news where online info is limited* Multimedia searches may work better with specialized search engines, like Listen Notes for finding someone’s podcast appearances* Paywalls If the open Web lacks relevant info, don’t expect miraclesFurther Caveats* Keep an eye out for errors. Verify info in these reports. The presence of citations doesn’t guarantee accuracy. For example, some sources may publish estimates that get treated by an AI search agent as definitive data.* Research is only as good as its sources. Some subjects lack extensive source material. AI research reports may, in such cases, rely heavily on publishers with flimsy fact-checking or an axe to grind.* The bottom line: Check the source list before diving into a report. When you know of high quality sources, reference them in your prompt. This Claude thread helped me include high-quality sources for my Trader Joe’s inquiry. How to strengthen Deep Research queries 💡 The quality of your prompt significantly impacts your results:Be detailed about your topic, reasons for interest, and how you'll use the informationUnlike standard Google searches where you only provide keywords, deep research queries benefit from detailed direction. Guide your AI research assistant on specific areas of focus, recommended sourcing, prior context, and formatting: how best to present its findings.Specify your preferred tone & format —tables, lists, pros/cons, bulletsRequest tables for comparing options, pro/con lists for debates, or categorized lists for resources like podcasts, videos, and books. You can even customize language complexity—graduate-level analysis vs beginner-friendly simplicity.Provide context about your existing knowledge and audienceMention what you already know. If you’ll be sharing a report with colleagues, clarify that specific audience’s context. If you want something brief, say so.Be patient. Quality research isn’t instant. While Gemini and Perplexity typically deliver results within a few minutes, ChatGPT's deeper analysis can take a half hour. The thoroughness of these results justifies the wait vs. instant but shallower search results.Top Tools for AI Deep Research 🧐ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity are the three most useful tools I’ve tested for deep research. All work on desktop and mobile and can be used for free. Paid vs free tiers: Paid Gemini and ChatGPT users ($20/month) get access to higher-quality models than free users. Perplexity Pro users ($20/month) avoid the free account limit of three research queries per day.ChatGPT Deep Research * Strengths: Most thorough results of any platform I tested. it can generate 30 to 50-page comprehensive reports customized for your needs.* Limitations: Results can sometimes take 30 minutes.* Cost: Free ChatGPT users get 5 queries per month, as of April 24, 2025. Plus, Team, Enterprise, and Edu users get 25 queries per month. Pro users get 250.* More guidance: Read ChatGPT’s Deep Research introduction and watch Andy Stapleton’s YouTube video on how to use it to save research time.Gemini Deep Research* Strengths: Available even on free accounts; you can generate instant, free, shareable audio overviews summarizing your findings, akin to what NotebookLM produces; handy button lets you immediately export results into a Google Doc; you can edit Gemini’s research plan after it responds to your initial prompt, giving you additional agency after the initial prompt. * Limitations: Reports aren’t quite as thorough as those from ChatGPT * Cost: Free to use, though Pro users get access to a stronger 2.5 model. Pro access is temporarily free for students with an edu address. Apply here. * More guidance: Google’s Gemini Deep Research overview, and 6 tips for getting the most of itPerplexity Deep Research * Strengths: Fast results in under 3 minutes, detailed citations that you can copy/paste with the content into a doc for editing or further research. Helpful follow-up questions are provided or you can ask your own follow-ups. * Limitations: Less thorough than ChatGPT's deep dives * Cost: Free for 3 uses a day, or unlimited for Pro * More guidance: Perplexity’s Deep Research overviewWhat insights or challenges have you encountered with Deep Research? Leave a comment below to share your experience.👇 Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

I wrote the first Wonder Tools post in April 2020 to help journalists and educators navigate the pandemic shift to remote work. I was sick and feeling isolated. I wanted to focus on something bright in that dark moment. Five years, 265 posts, and 200,000 words later, the newsletter’s archive documents what I’ve found useful for creative productivity. My aim has been to be relentlessly practical, not theoretical, and to help people make the most of technology. Here’s a snapshot of some numbers, lessons, & highlights. By the numbers: Wonder Tools' first five years637 apps on my phone. I only use 10% of them regularly, and another 10% occasionally.219 apps on my laptop, about a third of which I use often. ~$300 monthly software subscription costs.~3,500 reader emails answered. Most of my replies are quick personal hellos to new readers who have responded to my welcome email. I also often answer questions, whether about apps for scanning a family photo album or research resources for work. ~200,000 words written, many on Sundays and then Wednesday nights, when sentences composed earlier beg for revision.~137 tools tested but not featured because they weren't worth your time. 65,000+ tech-curious people from 201 countries subscribe to Wonder Tools, growing at ~3% a month. 277 Substack newsletters recommend Wonder Tools. Half of the current readership found this newsletter through a recommendation. ~2,000+ hours spent researching, testing, writing, editing, and publishing.265 posts on AI, note-taking, productivity apps, focus tactics, and myriad other aspects of our digital lives at home and work. What I’ve learned to be true Utility beats pontificationHeadlines and hot takes are widely available elsewhere. Instead of offering musings or abstract analysis, I prioritize practical guidance about how to make the most of digital tools. The 100 to 1 rule: For every minute you spend reading a post, I spend 100 creating it. Each phase takes time: research, experimentation, interviewing, outlining, writing, rewriting, editing, proofreading, designing visuals, and publishing. Survival of the fittest: I often prep several versions of a post — or drafts on multiple topics — before settling on a publishable piece. The hardest part? Converting various notes, ideas, and experiments into a clear, concise, readable— and hopefully relevant— narrative. Confronting the cold start problem: Voice AI apps — like Letterly — have helped me overcome blank pages. I can start with unstructured oral musings, then edit my jumble into shape. Consistent publishing requires sacrificeSpending hours each week on a passion project like this requires tradeoffs. I devote less time to streaming, social media, and watching sports than before starting this. I also read fewer magazines. There’s no free lunch. Most apps fail the endurance test 📆If I don’t use a tool regularly after initially exploring it, I usually don’t write about it. Lots of services have disappeared from my workflow over time. Sustainable utility is often evident only after a few months. Readers supply lots of terrific tips 💌Ideogram, Raycast, Eagle, and other apps I now rely on came from subscriber suggestions. I also explore discovery hubs to experiment with new tools, some of which I end up writing about.I delete more words than I publish ✂️The hardest part of writing is subtracting. What’s omitted is more important than what’s included. When I’m nearly done with a post, I edit out 10%. I learned that in college from John McPhee. The next 122 tools on my radar 🔭My near-term exploration list includes 122 sites and apps I’ll try out over the next few months. My backlog includes 328 services I’m curious about. In the early days of this newsletter, I wondered when I’d run out of writing material. Now I wonder how to keep up with even a fraction of the emerging services. Wonder Tools readers are biologists, bakers, and bowling coaches 🎳 … from tech novices to legendary pros. I originally envisioned this newsletter serving journalists and educators, but the readership has broadened. Every week I hear from readers who work in all sorts of fields around the world. From top political officials to online celebrities, I’ve been surprised by who pops up on the subscriber list. When I started my journalism career in Newsweek’s letters department, I spent my days reading missives to the editor. Now the middleman is gone, and I relish the opportunity to correspond directly with readers. So email me or message me on Substack. I’d be happy to hear from you. Sitting in my New York City kitchen, it’s exciting to hear about a new book from a retired South African engineer or about a new data analysis tool from a math teacher in Iowa. I’m now keenly aware of our common global need for smart digital tools that enhance our screen-based work. Wonder Tools is reader-supported. To receive upcoming posts by email, consider a free or paid subscription to support this newsletter.3 of the most widely-read past posts👇 My hall of fame tool list 💎After five years of testing hundreds of tools, my enduring favorites are those I rely on consistently and frequently recommend. I would be sorely disappointed if any of these disappeared. * Craft is my go-to for creating visual documents and handouts. [Read more]* Perplexity delivers relevant, citation-backed responses to queries, not just links, making it my preferred search tool for gathering actionable info quickly. [Read more]* Claude has become a valuable thinking partner for brainstorming ideas, proofreading drafts, developing project plans, and creating SEO description text and alt-text for my posts. [Read more]* Letterly transformed how I overcome writer's block by letting me talk out my ideas and transform rough early thoughts into editable drafts. [Read more]* ChatGPT remains my AI Swiss Army knife. It helps with everything from generating illustrations to assisting with structuring lesson plans. [Read more]* NotebookLM helps me extract insights from my notes, documents, links, and recordings. It creates text and audio summaries, draws connections between ideas, assists with timelines, and avoids hallucination, remaining grounded in my materials and providing citations for verification. [Read more]* Google Docs remains a reliable workhorse. Its collaboration features and ease of use make it indispensable. [Read more]* Wakeout, which I use almost daily, is my favorite app for movement breaks.* Substack enabled Wonder Tools to become a sustainable project by facilitating its creation, distribution, and monetization, and by building a network for writers to recommend one another’s work. p.s. these services I wrote about are no longer around: Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

Discover a tech arsenal that powers afternoons and evenings. From mindfulness apps like Healthy Minds for quick mental breaks to Libby for free audiobooks during commutes, there's something for everyone. Plus, explore helpful restaurant reservation platforms like Resy and OpenTable. Learn about unique fitness tools, including a surprising video game for workouts. This is all about enhancing productivity, relaxation, and fun, ensuring a fulfilling end to your day!