Discover the hidden gem that is Raycast, a productivity powerhouse for Mac users. This app allows you to manage tasks, perform quick calculations, and even access your clipboard history—all without your mouse! Learn how to create text shortcuts to save time and streamline your workflow. It’s not just about efficiency; it’s about reclaiming precious minutes for what truly matters, be it deep work or family time. Plus, find out about its upcoming compatibility with iOS and Windows!

OpenAI just made the most significant leap in image generation I've seen over the past year. You can now type a simple prompt using ChatGPT 4o and create a remarkable photo illustration, infographic, cartoon, or just about any other visual.What makes this special? * Versatility. Create nearly any kind of visual you can imagine. * Intelligence. The AI understands your intent based on an ongoing chat thread and its understanding of the world, rather than just focusing on prompt phrases. That means you don’t have to master technical lingo or explain common concepts.* Continuity. You can create variations on any image and use consistent characters or styles for ongoing stories, presentations, or projects. * Text. I’ve been amazed at the rendering of vast amounts of text inside images, as in the parking sign above. Other AI tools struggle with more than a few words. It’s available for all ChatGPT users, whether you’re on a free or paid plan, on any platform. Read on for how to make the most of it, limitations, and alternatives.7 ways to use ChatGPT's new image AICartoons I've always wanted to draw cartoons but never had the skill. Now I can quickly prototype visual sequences. While human cartoonists bring unique creativity that AI can't replicate, this tech allows anyone to experiment.Infographics What impressed me most as I beta tested this model in recent weeks was its extraordinary level of nuance, detail and text accuracy. I created explanatory infographics for AI learners and music appreciation students. If you've spent hours building infographics or relied on stock, this may be a turning point. Caveat: The model sometimes struggles to accurately render text in non-Latin languages. Posters Create event ads, announcements, social posts, or signage without having to rely on a template. Quickly test out visual ideas that might otherwise take hours to flesh out. Slides Generate compelling images for presentations. Create wide or tall slides with big words or numbers, stylish quotes, or clarifying flowcharts. You can now use ChatGPT for help with planning a deck and designing its slides. Determining the purpose, structure, style, approach, and delivery is still your human role. Illustrations While DALL-E 3 (ChatGPT's previous image tool) worked well for some illustrations, this new 4o image generation opens up a broader range of styles, including conceptual images (like this) for blog posts, newsletters, or videos. StoriesIf you write fiction or poetry, you can now generate consistent character images. I’m delighted to be able to experiment with illustration styles for fan fiction I’m working on with my daughters based on the "Not Quite Human" series about a robot disguised as a human teenager.Designs Create icons, logos, or micro-illustrations for your projects. You can ask for multiple versions of a design in different styles, then build on the one you prefer.How to prompt ChatGPT 4o for great images1. Iterate through conversation Unlike other image generators that require a new prompt each time, ChatGPT 4o now enables an ongoing revision dialogue. Ask it to change styles, adjust elements, or create multiple related images. Caveat: asking for a correction on one element sometimes results in unexpected changes to other parts of an image. And ChatGPT will refuse some requests on content policy grounds.2. Upload reference images The multimodal nature of the model helps it understand and incorporate elements from images you share. I uploaded an image from a well-designed invitation and used it as inspiration for a private book group visual. 3. Prompt for prompts Use ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini as a thought partner to suggest effective ideas or prompts based on your goals. This meta-approach helps you broaden your ideation.4. Compare across services Even with this major advancement, it's worth testing your prompts in other services, like the ones noted below, to see how results differ and which model works best for a particular project. 5. Save winning prompts When you find a formula that works well for the kind of images you'll want to generate repeatedly, save it. A snippet manager like Raycast, Alfred, or TextBlaze makes saving and reusing these prompts easy. Once created, you can just type "\illo" — or whatever keyboard shortcut you choose — to paste in your favorite illustration prompt. This allows you to add custom details while keeping your base prompt intact.LimitationsOpenAI has acknowledged several technical limitations of the new image generation model in their surprisingly candid launch post. 1. Cropping challenges When creating wide or tall infographics or slides, the AI sometimes misjudges dimensions, resulting in cut-off text or images. You may need to prompt again to fit all content properly.2. Complex information hallucinations For complicated requests like showing all elements in the periodic table, ChatGPT may struggle to track more than 10-20 items and hallucinate imaginary elements to fill gaps.3. Precise editing difficulties When you try to edit specific parts of an image, it might struggle with precision, either failing to make the requested change or altering too much. 4. Slow I feel guilty for commenting on speed for something this magical. But it can take one to two minutes to generate images, which is 10x as slow as image generation on Ideogram or other platforms. If you’re interested in ethical considerations associated with AI image generation, watch this Ted Talk by Ed Newton Rex, founder of Fairly Trained, a non-profit that certifies generative AI companies that respect creators’ rights. Then watch a counterargument from artist Greg Lookerse. Strong alternatives* Ideogram also launched its new version (3.0) this week. It’s terrific, especially for abstract or metaphorical images, or for merging text with striking graphics like this. [See what I like about Ideogram.] Unlike ChatGPT, Ideogram has a menu for specifying an image’s dimensions and color palettes. And you can choose from four distinct image renderings. Ideogram can’t accurately produce lengthy text inside images like ChatGPT, though, and it lacks other advanced capabilities. For now I'll continue paying $8/month for Ideogram, though the calculus is quickly changing. * Adobe Firefly has a new standalone site. Its model is trained exclusively on material it obtained permission to use, making it a good choice for commercial projects. [See its ethics page]. * Reve is another great new AI image generation model that launched this week out of Silicon Valley. It renders typography well and abstract imagery like this. I like how you can modify images generated for you with a simple text prompt.What image generation tools have you been experimenting with, and how? 👇 Special offer: reader discount on Letterly until April 1I use Letterly to get past writer’s block, for journaling, and for ideation. It transcribes my rambling and reformats it into organized text. I use Letterly so much that its founders and I compiled a list of 50 ways to use the app.Letterly’s founder is offering a lifetime deal specifically for Wonder Tools readers. Instead of paying for an annual $80 Letterly subscription, you can pay $149 once for lifetime access. You can get it through this unique link. The deal will be briefly active, just until April 1st at 11:59pm PST. * Works on iPhone, Android, Mac, Web, iPad* Unlimited recordings, transcriptions, and rewrites* 90+ auto-recognized languages* Record online or offline; widget for quick captures; screen-off recording* 14-day money-back guarantee. You can cancel if it’s not useful for you. * You won't find this deal elsewhere online. * Transparency note: The link above is an affiliate link, so I get a small commission if you purchase through it to help fund Wonder Tools. I’m sharing this because I rely on Letterly and you might find it useful too. Sponsored messageUnlock 5,000+ ChatGPT Prompts & Supercharge Your Productivity with AIInstantly access 5,000+ ChatGPT prompts and quick, actionable AI productivity tips. Trusted by 120,000+ subscribers.Join Cyber Corsairs free AI productivity newsletter and boost your efficiency.Ready to increase your productivity? It's your turn to get smarter with AI.Join Free Now → Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

In this discussion, Jeremy Kaplan, an educator at CUNY and creator of the Wonder Tools newsletter, shares his insights on the transformative power of AI in professional environments. He highlights tools like Perplexity, which offers concise summaries for quick understanding, and NotebookLM, enhancing research efficiency by anchoring responses in user context. Kaplan elaborates on AI as a creativity multiplier, emphasizing its potential to boost communication and productivity, while also addressing the challenges of slow adoption in education and work.

Hundreds of AI tools emerge every week. I’ve picked five new ones worth exploring. They’re free to try, easy to use, and signal new directions for useful AI. 1. Sesame ⚡️ Talk with a surprisingly lifelike AI Of all the AI bots I’ve communicated with, this one sounds the most lifelike. Pick either Maya or Miles to talk with for free in Sesame’s conversational demo. Try one of these topics. You can download your conversation afterwards. It’s deleted from the company’s servers within 30 days to protect your privacy. I’ll keep an eye on this company: Sesame aims to build “an ever-present brilliant friend and conversationalist, keeping you informed and organized, helping you be a better version of yourself.” Another intriguing new AI conversationalist: I’m also intrigued by my experiments with Natura Umana’s “AI people.” Rather than one AI bot that covers everything, the NatureOS ecosystem hosts multiple conversational bots, each with a different focus. I’ve talked with Hector about well-being and Athena about fitness. The NatureOS interestingly includes hardware, so you can summon these lifelike AI characters with a quick tap of special earbuds. (See a video demo).2. Convergence 🎯 Assign tasks to an AI agent Ask Convergence’s AI agent to buy groceries for you, find a gift on Amazon, get you a restaurant reservation, research what people say about your company, or do any number of other tasks. This is just one of many new AI agents trained to use a Web browser for you, and none are yet fully reliable. When I tasked Convergence with making a list of LinkedIn profiles of speakers at the upcoming Perugia International Journalism festival, it got some right and many wrong. With simpler tasks your odds of success are higher. You can request up to five tasks for free per day, or pay $20/month for an unlimited number of tasks. 3. Scribe 🖋️ Transcribe super accurately. Temporarily freeUntil April 9, Scribe — a remarkably accurate new transcription model from ElevenLabs — is completely free. In my tests it got the names of websites right, — — most transcription tools get those wrong. It also captured tiny speech nuances so well that I’d recommend this over other tools for anything requiring top accuracy. It works in 99 languages. 4. Google Career Dreamer 🚀 Imagine a new job Dream up potential new directions for your career with this simple, well-designed free site. You don’t have to log in, enter your name, or share any personal info. Just type in the kind of work you do and confirm whether you have certain skills and interests. Add your education if you want. The AI immediately gives you a “career identity statement” and shows you a map of jobs that might interest you. Hover over any to learn more about them. You can even open up nearby job openings in that field. You can then jump to Gemini, Google’s alternative to ChatGPT, to work on a cover letter or continue your career ideation. Gems are now free You can now create a free Gemini “Gem,” which is an AI tool customized with your specific instructions and up to 10 documents you upload. It’s Google’s answer to ChatGPT’s Custom GPTs. Try this: Create a new “Career Gem” by uploading your resume, past cover letters, career planning docs, and any other relevant materials. Provide instructions if you have a particular style, language, or approach in mind. This new trained AI assistant you’ve customized can then help you anytime you return to it to refine a cover letter, update your resume, practice for an interview, or even brainstorm career ideas. Alternative: You can use Google’s default “Career Guide” gem without uploading anything, but it’s not personalized.5. Adobe Enhance Speech 🎙️ Improve audioAdobe recently upgraded its audio cleanup tool. Upload any audio recording with background noise and immediately get a clean version to download. There are new sliders for adjusting the enhancement and background noise. You can then use Adobe Podcast to edit the cleaned audio by trimming the transcript just as you would in a Google Doc. It now works for recordings in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and English.If you’re making a podcast, you can choose from royalty-free sound collections with intros, outros, transition sounds, and background music. It’s free to try for a month and included with existing Adobe subscriptions. Catch up on recent posts 👇 Peek inside Shannon Almeida’s toolkitI love learning how creative people do the work they’re most proud of. I’m curious about the tools they rely on, so I’ve been interviewing people to discover more about their workflows. Below is an example:Meet Shannon: After growing up in Mumbai and studying finance and economics at Boston University, Shannon co-founded multiple ventures, including Benefactory and Volv, a social news app that delivers nine-second article reads.Tool Philosophy: Less is More “I'm about making the best out of the least amount of things because life is overwhelming enough. It's about how to make my life as simple as possible.”Favorite Tool: Endel Shannon says the Endel sound app’s "sorcery" has transformed her productivity. She relies on its focus sounds in 25-minute increments throughout her workday. It helps her block out external distractions.Her 4 daily tools * Apple Notes serves as Shannon’s morning “brain dump” destination for capturing thoughts and tasks before organizing them elsewhere* Apple’s iCal acts as her primary calendar, connecting to all her Google accounts* Notion functions as her "second brain," with multiple databases for learning projects, life management, and product research* Meco keeps her email inbox clean by redirecting newsletter subscriptions to a dedicated app, with customized notifications for favoritesBiggest workflow challengeSaving content across platforms. Saving screenshots and social posts is tricky, Shannon says, because these either get stuck online or pile up in her camera roll. Transferring valuable content to Notion requires 30-minute weekly sessions.Current CuriosityHow culture, design and technology shape consumer needs in the economy, particularly how brands can develop long-term identity in an era dominated by algorithmic taste-making.Shannon recommends* Newsletters: Puck Line Sheet & What I’m Hearing by Lauren Sherman, Matt Belloni and others* Books: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster by Dana Thomas, and The Politics of Aesthetics by Jacques Rancière* TV & Music: White Lotus and Doechii* Podcast: "Fashion Neurosis" with Bella Freud. The appeal? Fashion designers lying down (as if in therapy) to discuss their mindsets, not their collections.What’s in your toolkit?Share the top tools in your toolkit in a comment below, or in this short form. Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

Dive into the intriguing debate between traditional paper and modern digital note-taking. Discover the sleek reMarkable Paper Pro, a device that mimics the feel of paper while offering digital conveniences. The hosts share personal experiences on blending both methods for an ideal note-taking strategy. Learn how to navigate the paper-digital divide, enhancing your productivity with personalized solutions. The conversation reveals how to make the best of both worlds, helping you organize your thoughts effectively.

Summary: New AI models emerge weekly, but useful prompts are surprisingly stable. I’ve found nine versatile templates to be consistently useful after experimenting with hundreds. They work well even on the free versions of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot. Read on for the templates and tactics. How to benefit from this post: Adapt these prompts as foundational formulas for getting help from your AI assistant. They’re customizable recipes rather than rigid scripts. Experiment with them. Improve them. Make them your own. Each section below has a button that will take you to the full prompt template and an example. You can add comments to those prompt pages. Pick one for a current project to expand your command of AI. Iterate on it and share your results in a comment for others’ benefit.1. Interview me 🎙️Act as an experienced interviewer. Interview me thoughtfully and creatively about [topic /project /idea]…Goal: Overcome a blank pageUse this when… * You’re stuck battling writer's block* Your thoughts are scattered* You’re trying to crystallize abstract ideasTips:* Specify how you want to be interviewed (e.g., "Ask one question at a time")* Request follow-up questions that build on your previous answers* Ask for a summary of your responses at the end to clarify your thinking2. Help me edit ✍️Act as an experienced editor. Please first slowly read and analyze the following text without rewriting it: [paste or upload text]. 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… Goal: Polish your wordsUse this when… * You’re refining an important message* You don’t have a friend or colleague to help with editing* You want to strengthen an early draft before sharing itTips:* Request specific feedback on common weaknesses like clichés; weak verbs; passive voice; awkward or confusing phrases; redundancy; run-on sentences; or issues with grammar, spelling or punctuation. * Ask the AI not to change your text but to provide a numbered list of potential issues for you to address, along with concise explanations of the concern. That way it’s not making changes on your behalf. You remain in full control of the editing process and the language you choose. * If you find yourself overwhelmed with editing suggestions, prompt your AI assistant to proceed like a patient editing coach progressing step-by-step, noting only one issue at a time.3. Organize my rambling 🖊️Please organize the following information into a clear, structured format: [paste or upload notes/ thoughts/ transcript]. Identify the main themes or categories, group related points together, and create a logical flow…Goal: Structure messy materialsUse this when… * You have disjointed thoughts needing structure* Your meeting notes lack organization* You've brainstormed ideas and need help categorizing themTips:* Try different organizational frameworks (chronological, thematic, priority-based)* Request specific formats like bullet points, numbered lists, or sections with headers* Transform transcripts into actionable summaries with clear next steps in a format you customize 4. Push my thinking 🤔Help me explore unusual, creative, unconventional approaches to [topic/ challenge/ issue]. First, briefly summarize what conventional wisdom typically suggests in this situation. Then, provide 5-7 surprising, unexpected, or innovative alternatives…Goal: 10x your ideasUse this when… * You suspect your thinking is limited or conventional or you may have blind spots* You’re aiming for exceptional — not satisfactory— work* You’re open to new directions or radically distinct ideasTips:* Ask specifically for "surprising, unusual, unexpected, or unconventional approaches"* Request multiple options — 5-10 different possibilities to start. Then ask for even more ideas. The AI doesn’t tire, and it might be the 9th (or 17th) idea that finally resonates.* Consider how elements of multiple responses might be combined5. Help me plan 📆Act as an expert project manager. I need to plan [project/ task/ event] with these constraints: [time/resources/ team composition/ other limitations]. My goal is to [desired outcome], and my working style is [preferences]. Please draft 3 possible structured plans… Goal: Map out a day, a long-term goal, or a complex project.Use this when… * Tackling complex projects with multiple components* Feeling overwhelmed by a task or deadline* Needing an objective perspective on your approach* Coordinating work across team members with different skillsTips:* Include specific constraints (time, resources, team composition)* Mention your preferences and working style* Specify the level of detail you need in the plan* Ask for contingency options if certain approaches don't work6. Help me understand 🧠Act as a wonderful teacher and experienced explainer. I need help understanding [concept/ document/ idea] at a [beginner/ intermediate/ advanced] level. My background knowledge is [relevant context], and I need to understand this for [purpose]. Please explain this in clear, concise language… Goal: Simplify something confusing. Use this when…* Grappling with complex or technical material* Struggling with jargon, legal language, dense research, an exhausting PDF, or bureaucratic documentation* Stuck trying to grasp a confusing point* Trying to process complicated info while tired Tips:* Specify what format would help you understand (analogies, examples, summaries)* Indicate your current knowledge level on the topic* Upload any relevant files you have on hand* Mention why you need to understand this (to explain to others, make a decision, etc.) because that may impact the nature of the response* Specify a preferred explanation length or depth based on your need7. Help me clarify 💎Act as an expert in clear communication. I need to communicate about [topic] to [specific audience] through [medium: email/ presentation/ report]. Here's my current draft or thinking: [paste content or ideas]. Please help me clarify this message by identifying areas that might be confusing…Goal: Strengthen how you’re communicating.Use this when…* Crafting important communications that need precision* Struggling to articulate an idea concisely* Preparing content for presentations or public sharing* Wanting to ensure your message is clear to a specific audienceTips:* Provide details about your audience and their background* Specify the communication medium (email, presentation, website)* Indicate tone preferences (formal, casual, technical)* Ask for multiple versions to compare different approaches8. Help me make ⚡️Act as a patient, detail-oriented instructor. I want to create [project/ item/ content] and need step-by-step guidance. My skill level is [beginner/ intermediate/ advanced], and I have access to these resources: [tools/ materials/ software]…Goal: Get customized instructions for how to do something.Use this when… * Learning a new skill or process* Experimenting with unfamiliar tools or techniques* Seeking step-by-step guidance for a project* Troubleshooting challenges in creative workTips:* Use ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot's voice mode if you need hands-free instructions* Try ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode with video so the AI can see what you're working on* Ask for adaptations if you don't have all the suggested materials* Be cautious and skeptical at first when exploring a new skill area with AI assistance, because hallucinations do arise. When in doubt, double-check with a familiar reference link or fact-check with alternative research tools. 9. Help me find 🔎I need to locate specific information about [topic] within [my docs/ online/ this database or field]. I'm looking for [exact details of what you're seeking] for the purpose of [how you'll use this information] …Goal: Locate something buried in a document or somewhere online.Use this when… * You’re searching for specific points within lengthy documents* You need targeted research on a particular topic* You’re looking for connections across multiple sources* You want to confirm the source of a data pointTips:* Unlike the other prompts in this post, this one works best with specialized AI tools. These include:* NotebookLM, which looks only at your uploaded materials [read more].* ChatGPT and Perplexity’s new “deep research” models, which provide citations.* Consensus (example) and Elicit (example) can help you research and better understand a complex issue drawing on academic publications, and you can use a detailed query for more precision. * Be as specific as possible about what you're looking for and why* Request citations so you can verify the information independentlyPower phrases to boost your prompts 🚀Five simple phrases can strengthen the responses you get from nearly any AI query. Think of these as special ingredients for getting exceptional results from otherwise ordinary requests.1. “Be surprising…” 😳“Be surprising, unexpected, and unconventional in your approach” This phrase pushes the AI beyond conventional thinking, helping you discover innovative solutions you might never have considered otherwise.2. “Be concise…” 😑“Use concise, specific language and avoid technical jargon” This ensures responses are accessible and immediately useful rather than filled with complicated terminology or vague suggestions.3. “Adopt my style” 💇“Analyze the examples I've provided and match that style in your response” This helps the AI adapt to your preferred tone and format, creating more consistent and personalized interactions.4. “Ask me…” 🙋“Ask clarifying questions if you need more information to give me the best possible response” This transforms the interaction from a one-way request to a collaborative conversation, leading to more tailored and relevant answers.5. “Do better…” 🤔“Try again with a more detailed, nuanced response that specifically improves the [accuracy/depth/creativity] of your answer” This encourages iterative refinement, pushing the AI to elevate its initial response and deliver progressively better results tailored to your specific needs.Bonus tip: Use ChatGPT or Claude to help you refine your prompts. As language engines, these AI tools excel at sharpening prompt wording. What’s your reaction to this piece, or one of your go-to prompts? Drop a comment below to share👇 Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

Books offer a compelling, slower alternative to the onslaught of negative news. With terrific new free tools, it’s increasingly easy to access print, digital and audio books. Read on for an update on my favorite book sites and apps. Thanks for reading and sharing. Libby lends out free ebooks and audiobooks through libraries in 78 countries. It works for 90% of U.S. libraries. You can search for and check out nearly anything, instantly, for free, on any device.* Audiobooks Check out and listen to audiobooks at any speed. You may not need to pay for an Audible subscription. * Definitions Click on any word in an ebook you’re reading in Libby for its definition or to see where else that name or phrase appears. * Highlight Save memorable passages for your notes.* Multiple cards You can use multiple library cards within a single Libby account. That helps you check which library has the shortest waiting list for a book in high demand. (See where you can get non-resident library cards).Limitation: Libby is digital-only — you can’t use it for physical books. That requires a separate app or site, like the NYPL app in New York. Kanopy provides free access to top-notch feature films and documentaries. I log in with my library card. Watch on the Web, iOS or Android, or on a SmartTV app like Google TV, Roku, or Amazon Fire TV. Limitation: libraries limit the number of videos you can watch monthly. Hoopla is an alternative to Libby that works with 3,900 library systems in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Like Libby it hosts audiobooks and eBooks, but also bundles in comics, movies, TV shows, magazines, and music. Use Hoopla to read, watch or listen from the Web or on a mobile device. I recently discovered its free Bingepasses, which allow instant access to a collection of magazines or videos for a week.World Cat tells you which of 10,000 global libraries near you have a particular book. It works in multiple languages. Search for books in print, ebook, braille, audio, or other formats. Find your next read 📚* Most Recommended Books shows you a list of smart people. Pick an expert or celeb you like and see which books they recommend, along with brief quotes on why they like each book. Check Goodbooks.io and ReadThisTwice for more expert/celeb book picks.* Whichbook’s World Map offers a creative way to find a book about any part of the world. Select a country and see books set in that region (See gif 👇). * Where to find book recs is a nice list from a Writing About Reading post. I also like the eclectic recommendations in the NYTimes’s Read Like the Wind newsletter. * BookClubs lets you find a book group near you or organize your own. * Fable hosts book clubs & communities for sharing what you’re reading. Find free and cheap books 🔦* Project Gutenberg has more than 75,000 free ebooks and audiobooks. No registration required. See the top 100 list for free reading inspiration.* The Internet Archive has searchable e-books and a free library collection.* Bookbub is handy for bargain hunters. It shows discounted and free ebooks. Availabe as a newsletter or check the site for deals. Support Independent booksellers 🪟* Alibris has 200 million titles from indy booksellers around the world. * Powell’s is the world’s largest independent bookstore. * Bookfinder lets you search online to find any book at the cheapest price.* Indiebound helps you find a nearby real-world indy bookstore. * Abebooks has great deals from independents. Check its bargain books + collections. Caveat: Amazon has owned it since 2008.* Tertulia is a well-designed online co-op bookshop owned by readers.Make your own book list ✅* Listy is free. It’s easy to look up & add books, and later export your list. (See my prior post about it).* LibraryThing is free and easy for cataloging books & tracking reading.* Free Notion book tracking template lets you customize a collection page.* Free Airtable book list template & my Airtable example: 30 authors I like. Use AI to explore and expand your taste in books 📚After making a list of books you’ve liked or learned from, prompt an AI engine (ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini) for personalized reading guidance. Read my recent post for how & why this is so useful for analyzing your own reading tendencies and discovering new gems. Sponsored MessageFast & Flawless transcripts with Scribewave: trusted by journalists, researchers and creatives for its accuracy and privacy.* 🌍 Unmatched accuracy: Powered by industry-leading language models, Scribewave guarantees the most precise results on the market in 94 languages.* 📁 For power-users: Bulk upload and download files in seconds.* 📊 Flexible pricing: Choose between usage-based pricing or subscriptions.* 🔒 Self-learning: The only speech-to-text tool that learns your language.* 🖋️ Total control: Easily refine transcripts and export to Word, Google Docs, Adobe, and more.* 🚀 Save 3 hours per hour of content with Scribewave.✨ Ready to transform your workflow? Try Scribewave for free today at scribewave.com.💡 Bonus: Get 50% off your first month with coupon code WONDERTOOLS50Not enough time to read? Get the essence of great books with Shortform summaries. (affiliate link with Wonder Tools discount)Find great children’s books 🧒* Sora is a digital library for kids. Schools make ebooks and audiobooks available on the app. It works well with graphic novels, picture books, as well as comic books and textbooks. (We also use Libby for kids books).* Epic is another popular kids ebook app. It’s fun to use, but be aware that it leans into gamification and extrinsic motivation — using points and streaks to entice kids to repeatedly open the app.* Kanopy has a great kids section with video versions of books by Eric Carle, Mo Willems and other great authors to spark an interest in reading. It also has math and science lessons. Bonus tools: Check out a well-curated list of 55 useful apps for book lovers from Bookscouter, where you can buy and sell books.📚 What reading resource do you find most useful? Add a comment 👇Newsletter recommendation ✉️The Signal delivers global perspectives on tech, science and democracy—free of ideology, twice weekly. Join curious readers seeking deeper context beyond headlines. Sign up for free today. Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

Typing isn't always the best way to get your thoughts down. Sometimes talking through an idea leads to better clarity. New AI tools can reliably transform those spoken thoughts into clean, organized text. I've spent months experimenting with voice AI tools — first on my phone, and now on my laptop. They’ve been helping me pull ideas from my brain onto paper. The tools below have become crucial to my workflow. Read on for my five-minute guide to making the most of voice AI.Why voice AI beats traditional transcription ✍Traditional transcription simply converts speech to text. Modern voice AI does much more:* Instant transformation: Speak naturally and get a polished draft, outline, or summary* Smart cleanup: AI removes filler words and adds proper punctuation* Format flexibility: Convert speech into various formats like bullet lists or structured documents* Context awareness: AI understands context and organizes your thoughts logically. Because it’s grounded in your own words, it doesn’t hallucinate.5 ways I like using voice AI 💫Here are some scenarios where voice AI is particularly valuable:1. Journal entriesInstead of staring at a blank page, I speak my thoughts at day's end. The AI transforms my stream of consciousness into organized reflections.2. Meeting follow-upsAfter an in-person meeting, I open my voice AI app, hit record, and talk through key points while they’re still fresh. I don’t worry about the structure of my sentences or about pausing as I think. The AI waits for me and summarizes my rambling.3. Presentation planningSpeaking through presentation ideas helps me figure out my narrative flow. The AI helps me organize my thoughts into a structured outline. I can talk through multiple potential versions, then compare them on screen later. 4. Book notesTo preserve insights from something I’m reading, I turn on a voice AI app and flip through the pages or scroll through the text to remind myself out loud about intriguing passages or ideas. I then save the structured note the AI creates. I like being able to look back at the text while dictating the note. And the editing part of my brain interferes less when I’m talking than when I’m typing. 5. Daily planningStarting my day by verbally mapping out my priorities helps me think through what’s ahead more effectively than typing out a list. Voice AI apps to try 🎤Letterly 💌* Easy to use Just press the app’s big button. Up to 15 minutes per recording.* Cross-platform Record or access your past text-from-voice across automatically synchronized desktop, web, and mobile apps.* Smart format detection The magic transform option can automatically reformat your words, turning lists into bullets or structuring email drafts for quick copy-and-pasting into other apps.* Customizable outputs Transform recordings into LinkedIn posts, podcast or video scripts, structured documents, or your own custom formats.* Iterative refinement Try different transformations of the same recording until you get exactly what you need. * Multiple languages Record in any of 90 languages, or record in one language and have the app translate your text into another.* Offline and screen-off options Record anywhere, even without Internet access. Try using background mode without your screen on. I often record with my AirPods while walking with my phone in my pocket. Founder’s tip: “Don’t confuse it with dictation,” says Letterly’s founder and CEO Anton Lebedev. “You don’t need to pronounce the perfect text you want to write. Instead, think out loud, speak slowly, quickly, or even chaotically. AI will understand you. Think of it like a writing assistant you’re telling what to write. The assistant can understand you and figure out how to rewrite the text.”Letterly Pricing: $80/year after a free trialOasis 🏖️* Multi-purpose output Get your recording transformed simultaneously into various formats—from a memo or outline to a blog post or TED talk. * Make custom templates Create and name short prompts that reflect your preferred styles or formats. Those become part of your personalized prompt library for transforming future recordings. I made one for my journal entries.* Web accessibility Like Letterly and Audiopen, you can access your recordings and transformed text through a browser on any device.* Oasis pricing: $5/month or $50/year for enough credits for hundreds of monthly uses. * Read my previous post about why Oasis is so usefulAudioPen 🖊️* Customize rewrite length Customize the length setting if you’d prefer summaries of your transcribed recordings to be shorter or longer. Create and access them on your phone or on any device through your browser.* Shareable audio notes Send individual audio note links to colleagues or collaborators. Or send then to other apps with a Zapier integration. * Flexible organization Combine multiple audio notes or their summaries into larger collections. You can search for old notes or arrange them in folders. * Rich template selection Choose from various transformation templates.* AudioPen pricing: $99/year or $159/two years after a free trial. Bottom LineStart with Letterly if you want simplicity and reliability. Consider Oasis if you want a slightly cheaper option or need to simultaneously access multiple format variations of the same content. AudioPen is useful if you want to customize the length of your voice summaries or if sharing or combining audio notes is important to your workflow.Sponsored Message from Griff FoxleyFeeling creatively blocked? Dreaming up a life transition that’s overwhelming? Your internal mindset plays a crucial role in your success. As a coach, I help seekers, creatives, and solopreneurs overcome limiting beliefs, build confidence, and achieve big goals in a program tailored to you. Let's navigate the challenges of today's competitive landscape together.Book a free discovery call!Where to use voice AI 🎯Voice AI shines when typing isn't practical or when you want to think freely without your hands on a keyboard. Here are situations where you can try it:At home 🏠Comfy chair 📚 Capture book notes without interrupting your reading rhythmKitchen 🧑‍🍳 Document recipe adjustments or cooking notes while your hands are busy with ingredientsBedside 🛏️ Record late-night musings without disrupting your wind-down routine with a bright screenGarden 🌱 Log landscaping ideas or random thoughts while your hands are dirtyOn the move 🚝Walking 🚶‍♂️ Capture project ideas and inspiration during your daily strollCommute 🚊 Draft emails and plan your day while on the subway or busCar 🚗 Record thoughts safely after parking but before you forget an important ideaAt work ⚡️Quiet space 🪟 Create reflective journal entries while looking out the windowConference 🎤 Capture insights between sessions to avoid being overwhelmed when you get home.Doctor's office 🏥 Record appointment details and follow-up steps while the info is freshActive time 💫Exercise 🏃‍♀️ Outline presentations or brainstorm on the treadmill Shopping 🛒 Create lists or remind yourself about products Outdoors 🌳 Draft journal entries or creative ideas while surrounded by natureBonus resource: 50 ways to use voice AI Voice AI on your laptop 💻I used to rely exclusively on mobile voice AI apps, but lately I've been relying on laptop voice AI apps. These are less focused on transforming text and more on putting your spoken text on your clipboard so you can paste into any tool you’re using. It works with Google Docs, Word, email, or whatever else you’re using. I use these on my laptop because it’s quicker and easier for me to talk than to type. Here are three worth trying:Flow 🗣️* Quick to start Once you’ve installed the software, just hold down the function key to start recording in any of 100+ languages. Your recording gets instantly transcribed and the cleaned-up text is copied to your clipboard.* Works anywhere on your computer Paste transcribed text directly into any application—email, documents, or messaging apps.* Reduces screen and hand fatigue Record while looking away from your screen to reduce eye strain and give your hands a break. * Flow pricing: Free for up to 2,000 words/week; $12/month billed annually for unlimited words and extra features. $8/month for students and educators. TalkTastic 🎙️* Simple transcription Made by the team that created the Oasis mobile app, TalkTastic is designed to be simpler. Instead of transforming your speech into various text types, it just puts a cleaned-up version of what you say onto your clipboard to paste into any app.* Smart text transformation You can optionally set it to analyze your screen context to offer transformed versions of your text.* Free While in beta, there’s no cost for TalkTastic. MacWhisper 🧑‍💻* Advanced transcription Use this free software to transcribe online meetings, podcasts, or live dictation. You can even upload files to transcribe.* Pay once for pro features Enable YouTube transcriptions, batch uploads, translation, and top AI model usage with a one-time purchase.* MacWhisper pricing: Free for basic usage. ~$60 for pro upgrade; 20% discount with this link. Journalists, students, or non-profits can email support@macwhisper.com for 50% off.Other ways to use your voice to benefit from AI* ChatGPT has a powerful voice mode in its mobile and desktop apps. Rather than typing out AI queries, you can have a conversation with an AI bot. Here’s why that’s so useful. * Perplexity’s mobile app voice AI mode is terrific. I ask it a series of questions, like an oracle. It beats Google on many of my queries. The AI understands what I’m asking, then gathers and summarizes a helpful response. Citations in the app ensure I can check on its info sources.* Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot have recently-upgraded mobile voice modes. Converse with human-sounding AI bots without thumb typing.* Open-source options abound.📌 Share your voice with a comment👇 Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

When’s the last time you fielded a tech support call from a parent? You want your parents — or anyone you support — to benefit from email, photo sharing, and video calls. You also have to protect them from scams, malware, and unnecessary complexity. Or maybe you are that parent and want to stay safe online. Either way, today’s post aims to support you. I periodically help my parents make sense of confusing WebEx conferencing instructions or Microsoft Word settings. So when Wonder Tools reader and tech expert Paul Schreiber offered to write a guest post based on his professional and personal experience, I welcomed his input. Below he outlines specific hardware recommendations, security steps, and practical tips you can implement today. The next section of this piece is by Paul. Paul: Over the past few years, I’ve helped my parents and some friends’ parents stay safe online. Here are some things I’ve found work well.Simplify hardwareSkip the computer…Many folks don’t need a powerful computer. They just need access to email, messaging, and the web. An iPad or Chromebook for ~$300 provides this (along with thousands of apps), while reducing the burden of maintenance.… Or pick a simple oneA MacBook Air is a great choice if they do need a computer. There’s less malware and Apple provides a single, simple source of support. No need to worry about separate or conflicting instructions from hardware and OS manufacturers. Plus, if they already have an iPhone, the Air works with it seamlessly. Replace the routerReplace their current router with one or more eero devices. Eeros:* Automatically connect to each other in a mesh for large homes — no more clunky extenders with separate network names. They also work for apartments with thick walls.* Automatically configure themselves with the right network settings* Automatically stay up-to-date* Can be monitored and administered remotely from your phoneSponsored Message Tell stories with factsScroll.ai is the AI notebook for journalists, helping you turn your sources into stories. Think Claude or Notebook LM, built specifically for research-based writing.Just add any video, audio, or article and Scroll will translate, transcribe, and summarize, all in one easy-to-use notebook.Add guardrailsMake yourself the adminWhen setting up the computer, create two accounts:* One for yourself, with administrative rights* A standard account for your parentIf they accidentally install adware or other junk, it will only affect their account, not the whole computer, and it’ll be easier to remedy. Install an ad blockerAds slow down the page and trick people into installing malware. I recommend the free uBlock Origin for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. (Note: avoid the similarly-named uBlock.) For Safari, consider buying 1Blocker, Wipr, or AdGuard.Adjust settingsSet up a family accountApple (iCloud+) and Google (Google One) both sell cloud storage that can be shared with your family. For about $10 per month, you ensure everyone’s device is backed up and their photos are synced. You can also share some apps without repurchasing them.Make yourself the recovery contactAdd your email and phone number as a recovery contact (Apple, Google) for your parents’ important accounts. This lets you help when they forget their password. It also lets you reset it if they become incapacitated or die.Set up legacy contactsUnlike recovery contacts, legacy contacts control an account after someone dies. Setting these up gives you legal permission to access the account. Each service handles it differently, so read instructions from Facebook, Apple, and Google carefully.Today is trash dayGo through your parents’ computer and/or phone. Delete unused apps. Clean up the downloads folder, removing installers (such as .pkg and .dmg files) as well duplicate or outdated files.PasswordsPasswords are a pain. Good news: you no longer need to memorize them. With a password manager, the only two passwords you’ll need to remember are those for your computer and your email. Your password manager will automatically create hard-to-guess passwords and fill them in for all other log-ins. It won’t fill your password in on sites trying to steal your information.* Set up password autofill and teach them to use it. * Spend a few hours using Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or 1Password to generate new passwords for their 25 most important sites.* Share key account passwords with yourself.Final Tips* If you want personalized advice, visit Consumer Reports’ security planner. * If your parents or relatives are easily duped by fake reviews, set up bookmarks for Consumer Reports, Wirecutter, the Good Housekeeping Institute, Vetted, or other trustworthy review services.p.s. Bonus Tools — Recommended by Jeremy* Print Friendly makes it easy to print anything online.* Postlight Reader removes clutter from articles, making reading easier. * Permission Slip is a free app from Consumer Reports that helps you learn what companies are collecting data about you or your parents or children. You can send a request that they stop selling your personal info.* Consumer Reports testing found that paid data removal services often fail to fully scrub personal information from people-search sites. * I’ve been testing Incogni, which wasn’t assessed in that report. So far it’s been helpful in requesting that data brokers erase information about me that they’re storing and selling.* See the big data broker opt-out list for more info. * CleanMyMac is a simple Mac app that makes it easy to remove old installers, duplicate files, and other files cluttering up your computer or taking up space. I’ve used it for a few years and recommend it.* Yorba is another promising new service in beta. It can help in several ways: * Unsubscribe from emails.* Wipe old unused accounts and associated logins.* Cancel subscriptions you forgot about. It’s free to start.Have a thought or suggestion to share? Leave a comment 👇 Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

Imagine turning your reading history into a treasure map. By feeding a list of your favorite books and movies to an AI assistant, you can uncover hidden patterns in what you love. From your subconscious attraction to unreliable narrators to your love for stories that begin at the end, you may be surprised by what an AI assistant can reveal. Building a personal “taste atlas” helps you understand your reading self better. It can also surface blind spots in your cultural diet and point you toward unexplored literary territories you’re likely to love.Why analyze your preferences? ⚡️This isn’t just another recommendation engine. Netflix or Amazon may suggest what to watch or buy next based on viewing history, but a taste atlas goes much deeper. It analyzes themes, narrative structures, and emotional resonance across media formats. It can reveal connections between novels you adore and foreign films you’ve never heard of, or help you articulate why certain stories stick with you while others don’t. You can tune the atlas by adjusting the info and examples you give it. You can customize the analysis with your prompts, asking for particular kinds of observations or recommendations.With AI’s help, you can map out your own universe of awesome. As you scout out gaps in your reading or movie watching, you can discover authors and films that expand your horizons.Start by gathering your favorites 🤩You need to provide an AI assistant with a list of at least 10-15 titles that resonate with you for meaningful insights; 30+ is better. Here are the fastest ways to gather them. * Physical books or DVDs: snap a photo of your bookshelf. AI can read the titles. Or write a list of titles on paper. AI assistants can read handwriting surprisingly well. * Digital readers: refer to your Kindle library, your “read” shelf on Goodreads, listen history on Audible, timeline on Libby, or any doc or spreadsheet you maintain with your favorites.* Streaming: Apps like Likewise, Sofa, Listy, Listium, Letterboxd, Trakt, and Reelgood let you compile lists of favorites. You can use those collections to train your AI assistant. * Use your voice: If talking jogs your memory, use conversation mode in ChatGPT, Claude, Google’s Gemini, or Microsoft’s CoPilot. Let the AI interview you about your favorite books or movies. * Scan award lists. If you can’t think of favorites, check a list of Oscar-winning movies or book awards for reminders of what you’ve enjoyed. Criteria: Consider titles you often revisit or recommend. Include recent favorites and older resonant ones. Give extra weight to those that provoked emotion, changed your perspective, or prompted action. Ideally, note not just the title but one or more aspects of a work that particularly resonated. Prompt AI to analyze your list 🔎Once you've compiled your list, use your preferred AI tool to uncover patterns in your literary tastes. Prompt the AI assistant for insights to advance your self-understanding. After that, ask it to help you discover more books/movies you'll love. Start by writing a detailed prompt to elicit a thorough, subtle analysis of your taste in books or movies. Here’s an example you can adopt or adapt: You are a perceptive literary critic and cultural analyst with deep knowledge of literature across genres and cultures. Carefully analyze the attached list of my favorite books for patterns. Think deeply about connections between titles and topics that might not be immediately apparent. Where you notice interesting patterns, explain your reasoning and cite specific examples. Please analyze this list of my favorite books. Create a detailed literary taste profile that identifies:Core Elements:* Primary themes and topics* Genre preferences and style patterns* Narrative approaches and structure choices* Character types and relationships* Tone and emotional range»»»» Upload a file with your list or paste it. * Here’s a related prompt for film. * Additional taste atlas prompts to enrich your analysis. * Case study of a taste atlas I created for my book group. Which AI tool to use? 🎯* ChatGPT 4o worked well for me in importing Google Docs and PDFs with my favorites. Its analysis and recommendations were nuanced and helpful. * Limitation: Occasionally, it suggested authors who were already in my existing lists, despite being prompted not to. * Claude Pro provided an excellent overview of the kinds of books I’ve selected for the book group I facilitate over the past eight years. It helped identify gaps in our reading list and offered useful suggestions for future titles. * Limitation: Some documents I tried to import, like my Readwise reading highlights, were too large to fit in a Claude Project I created for my taste atlas.* Gemini 2.0 Experimental Advanced, Google’s newest model, was an excellent voice partner in analyzing my current reading interests. * Limitation: 2.0 couldn’t yet import documents, but Gemini 1.5 could. It helpfully analyzed the Google Doc with my complete Readwise Highlights archive. Use either free or premium AI tools for this analysis. For long book lists or extensive highlights, use a pro model for nuanced analysis. Sponsored MessageBecome the better version of yourself with GenYOU. Create AI-generated headshots, profile pics, or even full-body portraits right from your selfies. The advanced AI ensures your facial features remain accurate with every generation. Skip the photoshoot hassle and design personalized AI portraits your way. Expand your taste horizons ✨Once an AI tool has analyzed your book or movie preferences, prompt it to suggest new authors and titles. Ask about specific connections between the titles you liked and its recommendations, so you understand the rationale. * Cultural leaps: Ask AI to identify authors who write like your favorites but in different languages or cultures. * What’s missing? Try a prompt about negative space — what authors, titles, topics or genres are missing from your favorites. What notable titles might stretch your literary horizons? * Bridges to the past: Prompt your AI assistant to suggest "bridge authors" who influenced the writers you enjoy. This is most effective if the authors on your list are well-known.* Cross media: Ask for documentaries and feature films that share traits with your favorite books. To push the AI further, ask for plays and songs. Next Steps 💫Make it a project 💻If you use ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro, start a dedicated project (learn more) to house your taste atlas. This lets you refine and expand your analysis over time. * You can also create a Perplexity Space to combine AI search with analysis.* Or make a Custom GPT or an AI Poe bot to share a group taste atlas with a class, a book group, or others who share an interest.* NotebookLM (read more) is another great tool for analyzing collections of your favorite works in AI-powered notebooks. It accepts files of up to 50,000 words, up to 200mb, so it’s especially useful if you run into file size caps on other platforms. It’s also uniquely able to generate an audio summary piece about your favorites. (The video accompanying this piece has an excerpt of an audio piece generated with my reading highlights). Share for human insight 🧓Share your taste profile with a friend or librarian. They’ll spot patterns the AI missed or suggest unexpected connections. Expand to music and beyond 🎶Once you’ve mapped your reading and movie preferences, try a similar approach for your favorite music, art, food, and other interests. Case study: my own taste atlas 🗺️How I gathered my favorites: I had a Google spreadsheet with 80+ books I appreciated, so I exported it as a PDF to import into AI tools. I’m also gradually exporting my Day One book journal. For my movie list, I used Listy [here’s why it’s useful], which let me export an image and a CSV file of 30 movies I liked. Some apps don’t enable list exports, which requires screenshotting or copy and pasting.Behind the scenes: Here’s a ChatGPT analysis thread illustrating how I created an initial taste atlas with my book and movie lists. You’ll see that ChatGPT struggled to understand Listy’s CSV export, so I fed it a PDF instead. I’ve also experimented with Claude, NotebookLM and Gemini. Each offers unique insights, so it’s helpful to try more than one. My taste atlas has already been useful. My night table has a new pile of books inspired by connections to books and films I loved.Leave a comment to share your own taste atlas or to add thoughts, questions, comments, suggestions, or helpful resources 👇 p.s. Want to try something new this year? I’m looking for curious collaborators to work on exciting new projects. I’m also hiring a paid part-time assistant. Answer two quick questions if you’d like to work with me in either capacity. Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe