Wonder Tools

• My Afternoon-to-Night Tech Stack 🌙

  Last week I shared the tools that power my mornings. Now let's explore what I rely on from lunch to bedtime. Below you’ll see sites, apps, and gadgets that carry me from noon to night. From a niche workshop platform to my quirky 'invisible' clock, these are the tech companions that help me wrap up a fruitful day.Catch up on the first part of this post 👇12pm Lunch and thinking break 🍽️I often abandon screens for my midday pause. Other times I use apps like these:* Healthy Minds 🧠 Short audio pieces help guide me through mindfulness practices. I like the 5-10 minute “active” lessons that work well for a walking meditation. The app is free and well-designed. If I’m feeling anxious, I sometimes use the Headspace meditation app, which I also use for focus music when working. * Libby 📚 is my beloved source of free library audiobooks. I listen when I’m walking to lunch or commuting. Now: I’m loving Tiny Experiments, a superb new audiobook written & read by Anne-Laure Le Cunff.* Resy and OpenTable 🍱 Handy for quick lunch reservations.* Too Good To Go 🌮 It’s fun to try heavily discounted local restaurant food, though the quality varies. I used MealPal for a while for local lunch deals when I wasn’t as often bringing lunch from home. * The Infatuation 🍲 Helpful lists of tasty new local restaurants.1-3pm Preparing to teach 🧑‍🏫After lunch, I develop teaching plans, prepare to lead workshops, or work on other school-related projects for my job as Director of Teaching and Learning at the CUNY Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. * Craft 📄 My go-to for creating visually engaging digital handouts. It’s easy to use and works wonderfully on mobile or desktop. [Why Craft is so useful]* Text Blaze ⌨️ When I’m typing a lot, keyboard shortcuts help. I use snippets for signatures, AI prompts, addresses, and commonly-typed phrases. Raycast also works well for these shortcuts. [Why I rely on Raycast]* Tangible notes 📝 I like writing notes away from my laptop periodically to get my eyes off the screen and to change my brain mode. I alternate between:* I use a Rocketbook reusable notebook for lists and reminders.* A $20 VersaTiles memo board is great for jotting passing thoughts. * A giant whiteboard helps me draw connections. * My reMarkable Paper Pro tablet hosts notes I will return to repeatedly. [What works for me, paper vs. digital] * Arc Browser 💻 I create custom spaces for specific classes or projects, with bookmarks and account settings tailored to that context. * Kahoot, Padlet, and Slido 🤔 I rely on this trio of teaching tools to power activities that promote active learning in classes or workshops — rather than passive listening. Here are more of my favorite apps for teaching. Protecting my afternoon focus 💭* Time Out ⏳ I set this app to remind me to give my eyes a screen break every 15 minutes. It pulses over the screen to nudge me to look out the window. * Paper book 📖 I sometimes take a short mid-afternoon reading break to relax, breathe, recharge my brain, and detach from my screen. Here’s the book stack I’m dipping into this month, reflecting a mix of my interests.* Raycast Focus Mode 🧠 Blocks email and distractions during short, focused, deep work sprints. Sponsored Message🗞️ Need a newsletter for your business, but short on time? Potions will design and write your newsletter for just $100/mo. Try it free3-5pm Meetings 👥I try to schedule meetings for late afternoon. When they’re fruitful, it’s great to conclude the day with collaboration. * Granola 🤖 My favorite new app for transcribing and summarizing meetings. Its three best features: * 1. Since it records locally on my laptop, there’s no awkward bot joining the Zoom. * 2. I can incorporate my own notes during the meeting, which get blended into the AI-powered summary. * 3. Granola can draft helpful follow-up emails or Slack messages, or I can query it afterward about a meeting topic. * Butter 🧈 is my favorite tool for leading live online workshops, including live demos for Wonder Tools paid subscribers. It’s thoughtfully designed for facilitators and teachers. It lets me easily incorporate interactive elements, from polls to collaborative brainstorming. If a meeting has to be hosted on Zoom or another platform, I can use Butter Scenes for interaction.* Camera tools: Camo lets me modify my camera to zoom in, adjust lighting, or add an overlay during video calls. Prezi Video and mmhmm enable lower-thirds, annotations, and overlay visuals I occasionally use for presentations.* Sony UX570 voice recorder is my reliable $80 hardware backup for recording audio. I like that it doesn't require an open laptop or running phone. I often transcribe the audio files with MacWhisper.6pm: After work 🌙Evening and nighttime tools help with relaxation, family time, and better sleep:Commute: Snipd This smart podcast app lets me triple-tap my AirPods to save highlights to Readwise, which syncs to my digital notebook. Recent favorite: Shell Game by Evan Ratliff. Season 1 is terrific, about AI voice clones.Break: Nex I love playing the sports and workout games on this family video game system. They’re all active games played with your body, not your thumbs, and there’s no violence. I play solo or with my wife & daughters. It’s like a next-generation Nintendo Wii, which we also still play — especially tennis, skiing, and the Wii Fit balance games. We also enjoy these family tabletop games. 11pm: Bedtime 🌙* Glocusent rechargeable reading light This little $13 light clips onto any book or magazine for nighttime reading. One battery charge lasts for months. * Yogasleep Dohm white noise machine This $50 gadget masks random night sounds in noisy New York City, making it easier to sleep. * Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones I bought my WH-1000XM3 pair seven years ago, and still rely on them for listening to music before bed and focus sounds while working. I’m planning to buy a new XM6 model when they’re released this summer.* Peakeep “invisible” alarm clock I turn off the display on this $12 bedside clock so it’s hidden at night. I can tap the top to see the time if I need to. I mainly use it for its gentle morning alarm, so I can keep my tempting phone out of my bedroom.Share a thought or reaction 👇 Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

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  7:32
• 7am to noon: my digital workflow ☀️

  Curious about my actual tech toolkit? I'm sharing the apps and tools that powered me through a recent morning, from wake-up alarm to lunchtime break. This builds on my recent focusing and timeboxing posts. I’d be delighted to hear about the tools you’re relying on today in a comment below or an email reply. 7am Get ready for the day ☀️I welcome the morning by getting my body and brain moving, picking a few words of gratitude, and gauging my wellness. When I’m exhausted, running late, or otherwise 🤪 off-center, this gets blurred. * Oura Ring — I check my sleep quality and resilience score to calibrate my expectations for the day. Having an objective measure of how well I’ve slept, my heart rate volatility, and other metrics helps me decide whether to push my exercise harder or give myself grace. It also helps motivate me on dreary days. (I posted about the Oura I bought four years ago).* Brain Games Playing the NYTimes’ Spelling Bee, Wordle, and Connections with my wife and daughters is a fun breakfast ritual, and less stressful than scanning headlines. I also like Pointed, Bloomberg’s new (first) game, & various other quick thinking games. * TickTime Cube Timer I flip this onto its 1-min side to initiate a simple countdown. Having this nearby helps me stick to a new habit: a trio of 1-min core exercises. Doing these at the start of the day helps get my energy going. It also means a busy day later won’t rupture my routine. * I learned from James Clear’s Atomic Habits that even a few (consistent) minutes is better than nothing. I also use the timer for quick work sprints, focusing on something hard for five, 10, or 20 minutes at a time.8am Walk my daughter to school 🏫No tech. No tools. 8:30am Plan the day 📝Commute While commuting to work, I listen to podcasts with Snipd (here’s why I like it). If my subway isn’t too crowded for me to lift my arms to read, I use Readwise Reader to catch up on articles I’ve saved for later (why Reader is great). I also use Superhuman’s email app to check for work emergencies.When I get to work, I map out what's ahead with a digital / analog mix.* Google Calendar 📅 I check GCal for meetings. I experiment with other calendars, including Vimcal, Akiflow, Fantastical, and Notion Calendar, but on this day the simple, free GCal is sufficient. * Apple Reminders ✅ I keep at most 3 priority tasks at the top of my list. I only add to that top tier when I’ve completed one. I adopted that tactic from Oliver Burkeman’s excellent Four Thousand Weeks. * Remarkable Paper Pro 📄 I timebox my day hour by hour based on priorities, energy level, and scheduled meetings. Having a detailed plan helps me avoid decision fatigue later. And when I lose focus, it pulls me back on track. * Sometimes I use Sunsama, a digital planner. I like varying my routine, so I rotate between planning there or on my Remarkable tablet [here’s why I use it], my office whiteboard, a Rocketbook erasable notebook, or paper. 9am Writing ✍️I tackle creative work early when my focus is freshest. Tools help minimize distractions and friction so I can concentrate and think.* Letterly I dictate my thoughts into this app, which cleans up filler words and formats my dictation into an outline, summary, or series of questions to explore. It's good for getting ideas flowing before more detailed thinking and editing. When I want an AI assistant to challenge my ideas, I use ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, but Letterly is great for bionic dictation. * Lex This writing tool provides a simple interface plus an AI editor that lets me check grammar, spelling, syntax, repetition, and more. (See my writing toolkit).* Google Docs / iA Writer Reliable blank canvases with minimal friction. * Raycast Without switching apps, I can quickly add items to my Reminders or Calendar, maintaining my writing flow. (Why Raycast is a hidden gem).* Headspace Focus music without lyrics helps with concentration and blocks out city noise around my Times Square office.10am Wrangle Email 📨I set up periodic sprints to process email so it won’t consume my day.* Superhuman I use keyboard shortcuts to move through routine emails quickly. Superhuman also has helpful tags and filters so I don’t drown in messages. The automated reminders ensure I follow up on open threads. Boomerang is a great alternative for follow-ups if you use Outlook or Gmail. * Shortwave I like this AI-powered email app for easily finding, organizing, and summarizing messages.* Lazy I use a quick keyboard shortcut to clip and file important info from an email into Lazy, my notes app, with contextual info automatically included (sender, date, subject line) without having to switch out of my email app.* Flow Dictating messages saves my hands from typing fatigue. It’s remarkably accurate compared with old-fashioned dictation software. Unlike Letterly, this plugs text directly into whatever app I’m working with. Sponsored MessageThinking about building a newsletter but don't have the time to write it? Potions will design and write your newsletter for just $100/mo. Try it free11am Break 💨Wakeout This app features gifs of ordinary people doing stretching and cardio. I can imitate their movements for a variety of one-minute exercises. The exercise is minimal but at least my brain briefly pauses and my body moves. These breaks help clear my head 3x a day.11:05am Craft a presentation 📊When preparing workshops or classes, these tools help me craft engaging visual materials. I like app-smashing — using multiple apps together to benefit from their best features. * Beautiful.ai Slides automatically adjust as I add content, saving design time.* Keynote This reliable Mac presentation software works offline, supports in-person + remote presentations, and offers slick moving slide backgrounds.* iA Presenter I use this to create a visual presentation out of an outline. When I’m turning text materials into visuals, I import my words into this (non-AI) app, which displays markdown text as visuals alongside presenter notes. * Claude Projects & NotebookLM These AI tools help me find common themes, key ideas, and examples in prior materials I’ve created, so I can build on my own past work. [More on Claude Projects & NotebookLM.]* Perplexity Provides thorough, citation-backed search results powered by AI models that understand my detailed queries. The helpful search summary ensures I’m not left with hundreds of raw (Google) links to sort through. [Here’s why I find Perplexity so useful.] * ChatGPT 4o Image Generation / Ideogram These help me generate custom images for slides when needed. [I recently wrote about how to make the most of the new ChatGPT image gen and why I like Ideogram.That's a glimpse into the first half of a recent day – tools that help me plan, write, communicate, and create. In a follow-up post I’ll share the rest of the toolkit carrying me through to bedtime. 🛌What tools are YOU using today? Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

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  3:27
• Raycast: My favorite hidden gem 🚀

  Raycast is one of my favorite free apps. It’s a hidden gem that helps you do almost anything on your computer—add to your calendar, list tasks, search files, do math, or control apps—without touching your mouse. It’s free for Mac and coming soon to iOS and Windows. I use Raycast dozens of times daily for tasks that might take seconds individually, but cumulatively interrupt my flow. It saves me half an hour a week I can reallocate to deep work or family time.Read on for seven of my favorite ways to use Raycast and some limitations and alternatives.1. Do quick math and conversions 🧩 * Convert temperatures, currencies, time zones, or measurements* Calculate dates, like "100 days from now" or "days until Nov 7, 2028"* Perform any math equation2. Find anything you’ve copied—even days ago 🌟* Easily summon your full clipboard history to paste anything you’ve copied * Retrieve text, links, and even images easily * Save frequently used text as favorites3. Save time with text shortcuts 💬 Create shortcodes that expand into text you frequently type:* Set up snippets for your address, signatures, or common responses* Type custom text like \addr to instantly paste your mailing address or set @@ to automatically paste your email address * Create snippets for links, instructions, or anything you repeatedly type4. Add tasks, events, and notes without switching apps 💫Interact with your favorite apps with keyboard shortcuts.* Add tasks to Apple Reminders, Todoist or other apps* Create Google Calendar events using natural language* Control Spotify playback without switching windows* Send quick messages in Slack* Add notes to your favorite note-taking app, or use Raycast Notes for easy access to a digital notepad For example, by typing ⌥+Space (or your custom shortcut) followed by "remind" and your task text, you can add something to your to-do list without ever leaving your current application.Try these app integrations 🎯* Notion Add to any existing page or search for something. It also works with Capacities, Craft, Obsidian or most other note-taking tools.* Chrome/Arc — Search your browser history or quickly find a tab* CleanShot X — Take a quick screenshot or screen recording* Zoom — Start, schedule and join Zoom meetings. Also works with Google Meet, Teams and other meeting platforms.5. Control your computer settings 💻Using Raycast lets you avoid navigating through system menus.* Raycast Focus: Set timers and block distracting apps to get work done* Adjust screen brightness* Split your screen between two or more windows* Lock your computer when stepping away* Toggle system settings like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth6. Find files, tabs, and web results instantly 🔎Find exactly what you need in seconds, without having to dig through folders.* Locate files anywhere on your computer* Search the web directly with Google or Perplexity* Look up word definitions* Find specific emails* Search within applications7. Get AI help right from your keyboard (Pro) 🦾You can add AI capabilities for $8/month * Get AI input anywhere on your computer* Use natural language to control your system or to find GDocs, for example.* Generate images through AI extensionsHow to get started* Download and install: Visit Raycast.com and download the free application (Mac only for now. iOS and Windows coming soon.)* Choose your launch key: This is the magic key combination that will quickly open Raycast’s pop-up window so you can use it for all of the efficiencies detailed in this post. By default, Raycast uses [Option] and [Space], but you can customize it. I use [Control] and [Space].* Add extensions: Browse the extension store and add integrations for apps you frequently use (Google Calendar, Apple Reminders, Spotify, Notion, etc.)* Set up the clipboard manager: Try copying a few different items and access them with ⌘+Shift+V or whatever key combination you choose* Create your first snippet: Add a snippet for your email signature or address with a simple shortcode like \sig* Configure quick keys: Set up custom keyboard shortcuts for your most-used actionsBonus resources* Watch to learn more: 101 things you can do with Raycast 📺 * Get free Raycast extensions for your favorite apps: raycast.com/store* Sample Quicklinks you can add to Raycast: ray.so/quicklinks * Simple snippets you can add to Raycast: ray.so/snippets Coming next* iOS app launch (April-May 2024): Raycast’s first iPhone version will launch soon for fast access to notes, AI chat, links, and snippets. Android will follow later.* Windows version: Hundreds of people are doing alpha testing to strengthen this before launch. Snippets & AI features will arrive in the next few months.* Cross-device synchronization: Your Raycast settings and data will flow between platforms when new versions launch.Alternatives* Alfred: Offers shortcuts like Raycast, but requires more manual customization for advanced workflows. I still sometimes use this for its clipboard manager.* TextBlaze: Has advanced features I like for text expansion* Mac Spotlight: Built into macOS but with fewer features and integrations * Windows options include Keypirinha & Flowlauncher, or join the Raycast Windows waitlistBottom line: These alternatives offer overlapping functionality, but Raycast combines their best features in one free package with a more intuitive interface.Caveats* Platform limitations: Currently Mac-only, though Windows and mobile versions are in development* Learning curve: Takes time to build the habit of using keyboard shortcuts instead of opening applications* Complex advanced features. Some of the 1,000+ integrations with other apps require API keys. These special codes are like digital permission slips from applications like YouTube or ChatGPT. They require multiple steps to set up.* AI features require payment: While most features are free, AI capabilities require a $8/monthly subscription or $12/month per person for teams. * Extensions vary in quality: Some third-party extensions work better than others, so you can’t always be sure how well lesser-used extensions will work. Raycast’s founder on avoiding context switchingCo-founder and CEO Thomas Paul Mann told me recently that Raycast grew out of the founders' experience as software engineers at Facebook. “If you think about how our workspace has changed in the last 10 years, the number of tools exploded,” Mann said over Zoom. He and his co-founder witnessed firsthand the inefficiency of constantly switching contexts: “We felt like when we were going out of the terminal, you had to navigate around, oftentimes in the browser, opening a tab, getting there, clicking here, then there.” Their solution, Raycast, makes digital tools’ essential functions more accessible. “The core promise was that you've got to work with all those different tools—that's non-negotiable. But you often only need 80% of the functionality. Can we make that 80% super quickly accessible?”Now hundreds of thousands of people use Raycast. Thomas and his team have raised more than $45 million to date to expand its impact and reach new platforms.Fortune 500 employees observed in a 2022 study in Harvard Business Review switched between apps on average 1,200 times a day. That ‘toggle tax’ reduces efficiency and diminishes focus. If Raycast saves you three seconds 1,200 times a day? The Raycast calculator tells me that’s an extra hour for you to enjoy. What’s your favorite app or time-saving digital tool? Share a thought or a favorite shortcut below.👇 Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

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  8:23
• ChatGPT’s New AI Image Creator 🎨

  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

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  7:35
• Essential AI tools for better work 💫

  Today’s post grew out of a lively conversation I had with Mahan Tavakoli on his Partnering Leadership podcast. Listen to Mahan interview me about AI and its impact and you’ll hear my enthusiasm spilling over. His podcast focuses on leadership; my take is that this tech is of tremendous potential value to all of us, whether we’re leaders, specialists, or independents. Listen to the full podcast above, watch it on YouTube, or read on for key points and my quotes in black and white.AI’s impact as a creativity multiplier 🌼The most powerful AI tools don't just save time—they expand our consideration of what's possible. These assistants help us consider 5 or 10x the number of creative options we’d otherwise think about. AI tools I consistently rely on 🏵️Research and analysis 🧐* Perplexity: Unlike Google's long list of links, Perplexity delivers concise, citation-backed summaries that work like a “presidential brief.” This is perfect when you need to quickly understand consumer patterns, industry trends, or a complex topic. Read more of my take.* NotebookLM (and Claude Projects): Upload your own documents, examples and data to get personalized AI assistance. That ensures the replies to your prompts are anchored in your own materials and context. Now you can work with huge collections of information more efficiently and creatively. Why NotebookLM is so useful.Communication efficiency 🗣️* Shortwave: This email tool uses AI to help you find messages using natural language rather than exact keywords. Many of us waste huge amounts of time hunting for messages. Shortwave helps. (See my email toolkit)* Letterly and other voice-to-text AI tools like AudioPen and Oasis have transformed how I capture ideas. I call this "bionic dictation" because these tools don't just transcribe your voice but transform it into organized text. This is particularly powerful for people — like me — who think out loud. As you think aloud, your AI assistant acts as an “idea mirror,” reflecting back to you a coherent summary of your own key pointsMultimedia creation 🎥* Gamma (and Beautiful.ai) Create pro quality presentations without design skills. Spin up slide drafts quickly from a link, a doc, a detailed prompt or an outline. Experiment with multiple styles quickly & easily. [Why Gamma is great]. Spend time thinking and strategizing, not fussing with menus.* Hypernatural For quick video creation, paste in text a link to a newsletter or blog post, or give it some text, audio, or video. From virtually any raw material you provide it will create an original video you can revise. See how I use it.* Eddie Edit video with simple text prompts. I recently trimmed an hour long workshop to an eight-minute highlight video just by instructing Eddie into what sections were most important using natural language. Here’s why I’m impressed with it.* Descript Edit audio and video without any technical expertise. The AI removes background noise, sound gaps and filler words. And you can customize your project by trimming the transcript just as you’d edit any text document. Why I rely on it.AI tactics that work surprisingly well 🎯1. Reverse interviews 🎙️Instead of just querying AI, have it interview you. Get the AI to interview you, rather than interviewing it. Give it a little context and what you're focusing on and what you're interested in, and then you ask it to interview you to elicit your own insights."This approach helps extract knowledge from yourself, not just from the AI. Sometimes we need that guide to pull ideas out of ourselves.2. AI-assisted planning 🤔AI is particularly helpful for strategic planning. Try this: create a Claude Project — or a ChatGPT Project — and detail for your AI assistant your objectives and operating context. Have it help you think through a plan for the next month based on your goals.The benefit is comprehensive thinking. Our planning falls short when we've left something out. We've forgotten to consider various factors or haven't fully analyzed how things could go wrong.3. Identify writing weaknesses ✍️Give an AI assistant like Gemini, Copilot, Claude or ChatGPT text you've written, with a prompt asking for specific feedback. For example: * Ask for questions your writing should answer but doesn’t yet. * Prompt for a blind spot or a key point a critic might say you’ve missed. * Tell your AI aid to point out a section of your text that’s boring or bland.This approach elevates your work. In this paradigm, your assistant isn’t writing for you. It's giving you objective feedback on your work and helping you strengthen your own eye for edits. It’s pushing you to reach a higher standard.📺 Watch a 3-minute excerpt from the interview 👇 (or full video here) Get full access to Wonder Tools at wondertools.substack.com/subscribe

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  51:44

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