Best productivity hacks
Dozens of different methods to increase one’s productivity are explained, compared, and ranked on this 16-minute video, The Best Productivity Hacks. The rankings are immaterial, but the brief explanations and evaluations are excellent and helpful. I learned a few new tricks, and was reminded of other hacks I had forgotten. It’s the best, most succinct roundup of productivity techniques I’ve seen. The few minutes I spent watching this have already repaid hours of better work. — KK

A better soldering iron
I used a cheap soldering iron for years, but recently upgraded to Toauto Soldering Station. The temperature control and fast heat-up make a world of difference. It’s also nice having a solid base to hold the iron instead of the lightweight springy stand my old soldering iron came with, which would slide around the table. — MF

Inconspicuous bookmarks
Levenger Page Nibs (50pk, $20) make all other bookmarks look primitive. They are beautifully made — stamped and made of copper. You just slide one on to the page and click it into place. They are paper thin and won’t damage your books. I find these are so useful for marking recipe pages, and passages I want to scan. — CD

How to sew a button
I’ve been sewing on buttons the wrong way my entire life. This wordless visual guide shows the right way to do it. — MF

Visual wit
Every couple of days the musician/artist David Byrne posts on his Instagram a picture of something interesting he notices: a juxtaposition of forms, an odd alignment of shadows, something offbeat, the unexpectedly original in the mundane, or one moment of aha. That’s it. Because he notices, I notice. And then I notice more on my own. Small joys. — KK

One sentence email tips
My work revolves around my inbox, so I really appreciate Josh Spector’s collection of40 concepts to help you write better emails and optimize your inbox. Below are some good ones. — CD

2. The more ideas you try to communicate in a single email, the more likely one will be overlooked.
5. You don’t need to sign your name at the end of your email — the recipient knows who it’s from.
7. The more your email sounds like you speak, the more effective it will be.
25. If you’re not working on email now, your inbox shouldn’t be open now.
29. The most important sentence in any email is the first one.
38. No one ever says “I wish the paragraphs in that email were longer.”
39. Every email should tell the recipient what you want them to do after they read it.

-- Kevin Kelly, Mark Frauenfelder, Claudia Dawson 09/19/21