07/1/06
The problem: Nice road bikes that don’t have kickstands. You have to lean them against something but sometimes they roll …
06/22/06
You’ve probably heard about the Sawstop table saw — the one that instantly brakes itself to prevent its spinning blade …
One Task X is a simple task list that forces you to prioritize one thing at a time. You’re only allowed to have one “Today” task, and once it’s completed, you can drag another task into the box. Everything is stored in your browser, so there’s no sign-up or login needed—you can simply close the tab and return to it later. — CD
The next health frontier will be personal air quality; what are you breathing? The best measurable proxy we have right now is the level of CO2 in the air. The more CO2 present, the more likely it is full of the exhalations of others, and the greater chance of infectious agents. The small, lightest CO2 monitor is AirSpot ($144), which is smaller than the size of a thumb drive, and will give you instant CO2 levels. I carry it in my pocket when travelling; if the levels get high, I can choose to mask, or exit if possible. (The highest level I’ve seen so far is in the waiting room at the DMV.) — KK
The free Adobe Scan Mobile App converts physical documents into searchable, editable PDFs. It’s faster and easier to use than Apple Notes' built-in scanner. It automatically detects document edges, corrects perspective, and improves text clarity. The OCR is accurate, letting you extract and edit text from scans instantly. I recently digitized a 50-page puzzle book in minutes using the high-speed scanning feature — just flip through pages and it captures each spread automatically, then splits them into individual pages. I’m using it to digitize snapshots, too. It straightens, color corrects, and crops the images, then saves them to my photo library. — MF
Two ChatGPT tips: For a few minutes’ entertainment, let ChatGPT play 20 Questions. It is very hard to stump it. Just tell it you want to play 20 questions and it will usually guess your most obscure thing. Fun for kids. It can also play the other side. If you are an active user of ChatGPT, ask it to summarize your blind spots. It will be spot on, and most people find the succinct answer useful in its clarity. — KK
This article lists 20 verification tools for combating misinformation. Included are fact-checking sites like Snopes and Google’s Fact Check Explorer, as well as reverse image search engines, identity verification sites, and AI detection tools. While this list is intended for journalists, these resources are useful for anyone who wants to critically evaluate what they read or find online. — CD
I wasted a lot of money on sticky tape lint rollers until discovering the Scotch-Brite Lint Brush. The angled fibers grab pet hair and lint more effectively than disposable rollers, especially on wool and furniture. What I like most is never having to buy refills — swipe your hand across the brush in the opposite direction to clean it off and it’s ready to use again. — MF
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