{"id":47011,"date":"2026-10-04T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=47011"},"modified":"2026-10-02T06:27:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T13:27:11","slug":"smarter-siri-zoom-timer-sketchbook-artists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/smarter-siri-zoom-timer-sketchbook-artists\/","title":{"rendered":"Smarter siri \/ Zoom timer \/ Sketchbook artists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The key premise of Recomendo is that everything we have suggested weekly in the past 10 years has been a personal recommendation based on our own experiences. It is something we have seen, heard, visited, or used ourselves. For this Christmas, we\u2019d like to deviate from that principle slightly (and temporarily) to provide you with a dozen of recommendations from our subscribers. That is you. For our brand new Annual Christmas Reader Recommendations<\/a><\/strong> issue we will select the best personal recommendations submitted within the next 4 weeks by October 25. To keep it sane, just one recommendation per subscriber. Keep it short and personal. Suggest a product, tool, app, place, book, documentary, podcast, follow\u2014anything\u2014that you genuinely love, and few know about. No self-promotion. Beyond the dozen we share in the newsletter, we will post all of the vetted submissions on our website.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Reasons to have kids<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Recently I wrote a short piece on my Substack that got a lot of attention. Many found it helpful, and to some it was news: Six Selfish Reasons to Have Kids<\/a>. A better title might have been Six Selfish Reasons Why I Had Kids. \u2014 KK<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visual archive on verticality<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On Verticality<\/a> is an architect\u2019s research blog devoted to his theory of verticality and how our innate desire to ascend developed through human evolution and found expression in architecture, flight, religion, art, and stories. It\u2019s a vast visual archive organized around one question: \u201cWhy do humans have an innate need to escape the surface of the earth?\u201d This has definitely been an existential crisis for me, so I\u2019m fascinated by this entire body of research and will take my time exploring it. \u2014 CD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A timer for Zoom<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Zoom\u2019s Timer app<\/a> is a countdown clock you can keep private or make visible to everyone in the meeting. You can silence the alarm, choose a sound, and set one timer or queue up several for different speakers or parts of a meeting. I facilitate online groups, and this spares me from using my phone timer, which is distracting when I need to stay present and on screen. \u2014 CD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy screen protector<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whenever I get a new phone, I buy a case and a screen protector. But attaching a screen protector is finicky and nerve-racking: one tiny bubble or dust speck can ruin it. This screen protector from TOCOL<\/a> comes with a plastic frame that prevents misalignment, plus wet wipes, dust-remover stickers, and a squeegee to remove bubbles. Tip: buy it before you get your phone, then use it as soon as you remove the plastic sheet the manufacturer puts on the screen, so you don\u2019t have to deal with dust and smudges. Wearing nitrile gloves is a good idea, too. A kit costs about $10 and comes with two protectors. \u2014 MF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Siri gets smart<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Apple released OS 27 for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, and it comes with an AI version of Siri. It\u2019s a vast improvement over the earlier versions, which were almost unusable. The new Siri works with all of the Apple apps, including Mail, Messages, Notes, Calendar, Photos, and Music. Your personal data stays on your phone, and even Apple can\u2019t access it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In David Pogue\u2019s latest newsletter<\/a>, he shows you 125 different things you can tell Siri to do. I\u2019m using a lot of them already. Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n