Latest news with #writing
Android Authority
8 hours ago
- Android Authority
This free Android app helps me optimize my workflow — here's how
Saeed Wazir / Android Authority My life as a freelancer involves writing different articles for various clients daily. I also spend a significant amount of time caring for my daughter and attending to household chores. Balancing my workload and home life would be challenging without a time-tracking tool to log each task and monitor my progress. I use Clockify because I can accurately track the time spent on each project and analyze my performance with in-depth reports. Clockify is available for free on Android phones and Windows devices, so I can use it from anywhere. It has made a massive difference to the way I approach my work and manage my time, thanks to accurate data tracking and visual representations of my progress. The app is also user-friendly, and anyone can get the hang of it without prior training. Do you rely on smartphone apps to keep up with your daily tasks? 330 votes Only one or two apps. 50 % I have multiple apps to keep track of everything. 25 % I use a powerful all-in-one app with advanced features. 8 % No, I get by fine without needing any apps. 18 % Clockify tracks my working hours Saeed Wazir / Android Authority My main reason for using Clockify is to identify how much time I spend on each project per day. I sometimes start a project at a certain time, then take a break before continuing. At other times, I need to stop a project halfway and switch to editing another article to meet a deadline. Sometimes I don't have enough hours in the day. I start a project in the evening and continue the next day. None of these are issues because Clockify tracks each job down to the second, and lets me divide them between billable and non-billable hours. Clockify saves me from hours of admin per month and is more accurate than a manual system. Before using Clockify, I logged each job into an Excel spreadsheet and had to manually add the client names, rates, and other details daily. At the end of the week, I'd need to add up the hours worked and then try to divide them by each client. Now I create a new project, assign it to a client, and Clockify takes care of the rest. It saves me from hours of admin per month and is more accurate than a manual system. I see how much time I spent on each project Saeed Wazir / Android Authority Clockify's Timesheet is one of my favorite features because it breaks down my work for the week to see how much time I spent on each project. It creates a table with all the jobs I've done and displays the time spent on each per day. If I work on the same project for multiple days, it shows the days and time spent on it and calculates a total hourly figure. It does this every week to create a record of my work, which I can revisit at any time. Being able to see all the projects I worked on during the week helps me to plan better and strategise for the future. Being able to see all the projects I worked on during the week and the time spent on each helps me to plan better and strategise for the future. I usually asses why specific projects took longer than usual to complete, or why others were faster than normal. I can also identify which days I'm more productive than others, so I can organize my schedule more effectively. If I didn't work solo, I'd probably use the Teammates option to add my colleagues to the system and monitor our combined output. The in-depth reports track every metric Saeed Wazir / Android Authority The Reports feature in Clockify helps me optimize my work by viewing various metrics and analyzing my performance. The main screen displays the total number of hours I've worked per day, and I can break them down by project, billable, or non-billable hours. I can also see how much time I've spent on each client. Clockify displays the percentage allocated to each, enabling me to plan my workload more effectively. I often use the filter function further to break down the reports into easily digestible information. For example, I assign a tag to every project, such as 'list,' 'feature,' or 'review,' based on the type of article I'm writing. At the end of the week, I can see how much time I spent on each kind of article and which clients they were for. This helps me to improve my time management because I can allocate shorter jobs to specific days and longer jobs to others when I'm not as busy. At home and on the go Saeed Wazir / Android Authority I spend most of my days on the go and appreciate that Clockify syncs between my phone and laptop so I can access my information from anywhere. I often use the desktop app when working from home so that I can view all the charts and graphics on a large display. Running the desktop app while I'm working at my desk also serves as a timer, pushing me to focus on my work without getting sidetracked by social media and other distractions. Clockify syncs between my phone and laptop so I can access my information from anywhere. I use the mobile version when I have free time and want to view or analyze my progress while I'm relaxing on my couch. I also use it if I'm typing an article in Google Docs while waiting to pick up my daughter from school and want to log the time I'm spending on it. Both versions of the app run equally well and mostly display the same information. It's great, but not perfect Saeed Wazir / Android Authority The free version of Clockify works well for me, possibly because I'm a single-person organization and do all the work for myself. Having a timer running in the background motivates me to work without unnecessary breaks and has helped me increase my overall productivity. The TimeSheet and Reports provide detailed charts and graphs of my daily and weekly performance, which I use to improve my time management to fit my schedule. My only complaint about Clockify is that the mobile version doesn't display the dashboard as it does in the desktop app. The dashboard is helpful because it combines all the data onto a single page for easy viewing, and I wish I could view it from my phone. I'm fine with the free version, but Clockify offers various subscription-based alternatives, ranging from $4 to $11 per month. These are better suited for larger organizations and include features such as attendance reports, labor cost tracking, and an audit log to monitor employee performance.
Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Want a pay rise? Take this French writer's hilarious advice
Georges Perec was attracted by formal challenges to writing: his most famous achievement was his novel La Disparition, written without using the letter 'e' once. (This is particularly hard in French, but the late Gilbert Adair managed to translate it into English, under the title A Void.) There was serious intent behind this; it was an echo of the Nazis' efforts to remove every single Jew from Europe. (In the case of Perec's mother, as well as about six million others, they succeeded.) The Art of Asking Your Boss for a Raise is much more light-hearted, but is still the result of an act of literary restriction: an attempt to mimic, in prose, the recursive nature of a flow chart. First published in 1968, this delightfully unclassifiable text, now reissued by Verso, is short and exhausting, and features no capital letters, punctuation (apart from dashes), inverted commas or any other of the normal accoutrements of the printed page. In short, it looks like this: it is never very wise to approach a line manager at a time when his gastric functions are likely to overshadow the professional and managerial capacities associated with his hierarchical rank it is far better to go see him in the morning but what the hell he himself told you to come see him at 2.30 pm you have to take life as it comes so now it is 2.30 pm and you go to see mr x … and so on. I could have stopped anywhere. You can either put up with this kind of thing or you can't, but once you slip into its rhythms, it becomes both beguiling and hilarious (although you wouldn't really want it any longer.) For me it recalls Molly Bloom's soliloquy at the end of Ulysses, or some of the madder expressions of Beckett's prose works (and Lucky's speech in Waiting for Godot); or indeed, Don Marquis's Archy and Mehitabel, a similarly unpunctuated and lower-case text. There's something about this style which is particularly suited to the downtrodden, and in my experience there are few more miserable and downtrodden people than office workers. It first appeared in the journal Enseignement programmé, which was devoted to exploring computer programming (in those days, still in its youth); as it happened, Perec's day job was as a lowly information storage and retrieval technician, grade IIIB, which meant, as Bellos notes in his introduction, 'his prospects of getting a raise were quite as dim as those of the narrator of this tale.' And yet there's a kind of insane but helpless cunning behind his efforts: which day would be best to ask? (None of them, of course.) Look at the cafeteria menu, Perec says. Is fish being served? Then be careful, for your line manager may have swallowed a fish bone and be 'in a really awful mood'. Bellos uses the word 'circumperambulate' to describe the futile odyssey you must make around the building to find out where 'he' is; he seems at times as elusive as Godot himself. When he does call you into his office 'abandon all rancour and refrain from observing [that] … he could have bloody well given you an appointment three weeks ago'. You know the protagonist will exhaust all the possibilities of the flow chart and still not get his raise; it would, of course, destroy the comedy if he did. Even in the 1960s, people were becoming uneasy about the prospect of losing their jobs to computers; Perec's own job was one of the more fragile canaries in that particular coalmine. So this book, although describing a world from over half a century ago, still rings true: not only do we have the eternal dehumanised tedium of the office, which has been evoked ever since offices were invented (think of Dickens's worn-out clerks, or Melville's rebellious Bartleby), but the long shadow of the algorithm. 'It would have been nice,' says Bellos wistfully at one point, 'to translate this text without apostrophes either, which are not needed in French, but that might have tried readers' patience a little too much.' He acknowledges that the text is 'quite unreadable in the ordinary way', and you could say that now that I have given you the gist, I have spared you the task of reading the book yourself. But there is something delightful about its intent, a sympathetic humanity which is deliberately at odds with the relentless, machine-like persistence of the prose. It's a text that repays attention, and is timeless.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Best Drama Writing Emmy predictions: ‘The Pitt' takes a risk by submitting 3 episodes
Ballots for the 2025 Emmys have officially been released and voting is currently underway in all categories. For Best Drama Series Writing, there are 132 submissions, which means there will be six finalists for the category when nominations are announced July 15. When it comes to writing, there are two strategic approaches when it comes to seeking a slot: submit one showcase episode or flood the zone. This year, as is often the case, practically all of the frontrunners are opting for the former tactic. This includes the incumbent winner Will Smith for Slow Horses, who is the only nominee from last year eligible again. He could win his second consecutive Emmy for the Season 4 finale, a shattering, suspenseful episode surrounding River Cartwright (Jack Lowden). More from GoldDerby 'Jaws' at 50: How Spielberg's movie changes 'horrified' wife of novel writer Peter Benchley 'SNL's' 50th season takes on 9-time-champ 'Last Week Tonight' for the Best Scripted Variety Series Emmy 'Everything has an expiration date': Amy Poehler on her 'inappropriate' 'SNL' moments, including portraying Michael Jackson and Kim Jong-il Apple TV+ But what may stop Slow Horses in its tracks would be Severance, with "Cold Harbor," the Season 2 finale scripted by creator Dan Erickson. It's just as devastating, with a race against time and multiple story turns, capped by a final twist that has left fans wanting more. READ: The second episode of The Last of Us, written by showrunner Craig Mazin, features a brutal battle that ends in a tragic, heartbreaking death and changes the trajectory of the entire series. And there are standout, lengthy monologues in submissions from both The White Lotus — Sam Rockwell's 10-minute treatise on sex, incest, and suicidal attempts — and Andor, which features Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma delivering an all-too-relevant speech on the manipulation of power and truth -- a theme similar to teleplay that earned the Star Wars series a writing nomination in its first season. HBO READ: The Pitt, however, zagged while the competition zigged, presenting three choices on the ballot. There's first hour by creator R. Scott Gemmill (pilots historically do well in the writing category), the fourth episode penned by star Noah Wyle, and the eighth episode by medical consultant Joe Sachs, featuring a drowning child patient and an honor walk. The reason most shows shy away from multiple submissions is the threat of vote-splitting, especially when it comes to a debut show that hasn't yet established itself at the Emmys. Nontheless, we expect The Pitt pilot to make the cut. The other notable series to push multiple scripts was The Handmaid's Tale. For its final season, the Emmy-winning series submitted the last three episodes for consideration. Most of the rest of the top contenders put forward either their pilots/premieres or their finales. This include The Day of the Jackal, Black Doves, Paradise, and Squid Game for the former, and The Diplomat for the latter. Two other possibilities for those six slots are Bad Sisters, a previous nominee for last season, for its penultimate episode, and Industry, for its fourth installment, featuring some of the most intense dialogue and high stakes. Here is how we see the 2025 Best Drama Writing category breaking down. FRONTRUNNERS Severance (Dan Erickson, 'Cold Harbor') Slow Horses (Will Smith, 'Hello Goodbye') The White Lotus (Mike White, 'Full-Moon Party') The Last of Us (Craig Mazin, 'Through the Valley') The Pitt (R. Scott Gemmill, '7:00 A.M.') Andor (Dan Gilroy, 'Welcome to the Rebellion') POTENTIAL SPOILERS The Pitt (Joe Sachs, '2:00 P.M.') The Diplomat (Debora Cahn, 'Dreadnought') The Day of The Jackal (Ronan Bennett, 'Episode 1') The Pitt (Noah Wyle, '10:00 A.M.') Bad Sisters (Sharon Horgan and Perrie Balthazar, 'How To Pick a Prick') LONGSHOTS Industry (Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, 'White Mischief') Black Doves (Joe Barton, 'To Love Then') Squid Game (Hwang Dong-Hyuk, 'Bread and Lottery') The Handmaid's Tale (Bruce Miller, 'The Handmaid's Tale') Paradise (Dan Fogelman, 'Wildcat Is Down') SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2 Adam Brody, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actor interviews Kristen Bell, Tina Fey, Bridget Everett, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actress interviews Click here to read the full article.
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
How ChatGPT Broke My Brain (And Why I Still Use It Every Day)
I continue using ChatGPT daily—but I've learned to treat it how high performers treat ... More performance-enhancing tools—with structure, limits, and awareness. NurPhoto via Getty Images Even as a proponent of AI, I've learned the hard way: the biggest threat isn't automation—it's what I stop doing when I rely too heavily on machines. There was a stretch—weeks, really—when I couldn't finish a simple email without asking ChatGPT to do it for me. I'd start typing, feel unsure, and reach for a prompt. New tone. New angle. Just one more version. Every time, 'maybe this one' felt like the answer. And the dopamine hit? Instant. Novel. Addictive. What began as a tool to streamline marketing copy turned into paralysis. I stopped trusting my own phrasing. Iteration replaced decision making. And here's what surprised me most: the more I used AI to write small things , the harder it became to write important things . Tasks I've tackled confidently on my own for my entire life—like every Forbes article I've authored or even my own book—shifted from being sources of intellectual challenge and joy to overwhelming experiences filled with self-doubt. My thinking felt fuzzier. The inner voice I rely on to structure an argument or hold a tension had gone quieter. The Dopamine Loop of Prompting ChatGPT doesn't just give answers—it delivers a perfectly engineered cocktail of anticipation and novelty. Each version feels like it might be the one. Each response is a surprise, tapping into the psychological principle of intermittent reinforcement, famously demonstrated by psychologist B.F. Skinner, where unpredictable rewards significantly amplify behaviors, much like gambling addiction. For someone with an ADHD brain like mine—wired for pattern-seeking, shortcut-taking, and reward-chasing—ChatGPT is catnip. Every new draft becomes a low-effort opportunity to avoid doing the hard, focused work of starting and finishing something. It becomes a loop: Prompt → Output → Evaluate → Repeat. Each time I felt uncertain, I'd outsource the discomfort rather than work through it. Cognitive Offloading and the Erosion of Ownership This pattern has a name in cognitive science: cognitive offloading —relying on external systems to perform mental tasks we used to internalize. AI makes it easy to skip the generative friction that creativity often requires. I wasn't refining ideas—I was accumulating options. I wasn't editing—I was evaluating. And eventually, I wasn't writing—I was managing automated outputs. That doesn't just slow productivity. It reshapes the brain. Research by Adrian Ward and colleagues highlights how continuous dependence on digital tools for memory or problem solving reduces our ability to remember, process deeply, and engage analytically. Instead of actively shaping ideas, I found myself passively supervising generated content, weakening my own intellectual muscles. Even the Help Sometimes Gets in the Way I've known since high school that my best ideas emerge not at a desk, but while walking or in conversation—I literally think out loud. Colleagues joke that this clearly shows I was born to be a speaker, not a writer. When AI transcription tools arrived, they felt like the solution I'd been waiting for. Until I got the transcript back. It stripped the 'ums,' the tangents, the little asides to my kids mid-thought ('No, you can't have another popsicle, Daddy is working'), but it also erased the texture that made the thinking mine. I didn't need a cleaned-up version—I needed me in words. And I lost hours trying to get the AI to un-help. Why I Still Use It (And You Should Too) Such a horror story might naturally lead one to assume this article is tailor-made for the AI-resistant—something they can share aggressively with that one colleague who talks about ChatGPT as much as CrossFitters reminded you they did CrossFit in 2018. But here's the truth: I'm not anti-AI. Avoiding it is a recipe for irrelevance. I continue using ChatGPT daily—but I've learned to treat it how high performers treat performance-enhancing tools—with structure, limits, and awareness. When used intentionally, it's invaluable: It reveals blind spots. It lets me test structure and tone rapidly. It simulates collaboration when no one else is in the room. But here's the key: if I don't think first , AI doesn't help me—it replaces me. If I don't own my voice , it sounds like everyone else's. How I Reclaimed My Thinking—Without Ditching the Tech To preserve cognitive clarity, I built boundaries grounded in science: Start with your own sentence — I won't prompt until I've written my thesis, even if it's rough . This taps into The Generation Effect , a well-documented phenomenon showing that the act of creating information—not just reading it—builds stronger memory. — . This taps into , a well-documented phenomenon showing that the act of creating information—not just reading it—builds stronger memory. Avoid AI for first drafts — write first, then compare, not the other way around . Idea development followed by AI enhancement preserves individual voice and cognitive engagement. — . Idea development followed by AI enhancement preserves individual voice and cognitive engagement. Limit iterations — three options max, then decide . The Paradox of Choice and decision fatigue research —dating back to Schwartz and Iyengar's experiments—reveals that fewer options (e.g., 3 drafts max) reduce analysis paralysis and increase satisfaction. — . The Paradox of Choice and decision fatigue —dating back to Schwartz and Iyengar's experiments—reveals that fewer options (e.g., 3 drafts max) reduce analysis paralysis and increase satisfaction. Protect tech-free white space— schedule tech-free blocks, prioritizing clarity over speed . As I've previously explored , dedicated white space time can directly facilitate constructive and innovative thinking. This concept is supported by multiple studies , which consistently show that taking breaks—especially through walking—boosts creativity by as much as 60%. These aren't just habits—they're boundaries preserving the part of me no machine replicates. The Real Risk for Leaders This isn't just about writing—it's about attention, judgment, and trust: the core ingredients of leadership. The danger isn't AI replacing us—it's AI eroding our capacity for deep, sustained human thinking, tempting us away from uniquely human work: wrestling with ideas, navigating ambiguity, and staying with the slow burn of unfinished thought. AI is here to stay—and I'm grateful for it. It's powerful. It's essential. But if we don't approach it with intention, it won't just alter how we work. It will reshape how we think. That's not a technical shift. It's a leadership risk. We're not at risk of being replaced by machines—unless we stop doing the very things machines need from us. Let's protect our minds, not just optimize our prompts.
Geeky Gadgets
a day ago
- Business
- Geeky Gadgets
Microsoft's Copilot Turns Notepad Into Your Ultimate Writing Assistant
What if the humble Notepad, a tool synonymous with simplicity, suddenly became your most powerful writing assistant? With the integration of Copilot, Microsoft has transformed this classic text editor into a innovative productivity powerhouse. Imagine drafting a report, only to have Notepad suggest clearer phrasing, summarize your key points, or even format your ideas into a polished layout—all in real time. This isn't just an upgrade; it's a reimagining of what Notepad can be, blending its lightweight charm with the intelligence of AI. For a tool that's been a staple for decades, this leap forward is nothing short of innovative. In this piece, Aldo James explore how Copilot's AI-powered tools are reshaping the way users interact with Notepad. From rewriting and summarizing text to tailoring tone and structure, these features promise to save time and elevate the quality of your work. But what makes this update truly remarkable is its accessibility—offering advanced capabilities without overwhelming the simplicity that users love. Whether you're a professional juggling deadlines or a student organizing notes, this evolution of Notepad is designed to meet your needs in ways you might not expect. It's a shift that raises an intriguing question: could this be the future of everyday writing? Notepad Enhanced with AI AI-Powered Tools Embedded in Notepad The addition of Copilot brings a robust suite of AI-driven tools directly into Notepad, allowing users to perform a variety of tasks with efficiency and precision. These tools include rewriting text for improved clarity, summarizing lengthy content into concise points, and formatting text for enhanced readability. Whether you're drafting quick notes, preparing detailed documents, or brainstorming ideas, Copilot offers intelligent suggestions tailored to your specific needs. For instance, you can refine a lengthy paragraph into a more concise version or convert a block of text into a structured bulleted list. These capabilities are designed to save time while improving the overall quality of your writing. By integrating these features into Notepad, Microsoft has made advanced text editing accessible to users without requiring them to switch to more complex software. Customizable Text Tailored to Your Needs One of the standout features of Copilot in Notepad is its ability to adapt to your personal preferences. You can customize the tone of your writing to suit different contexts, whether you need a formal tone for professional documents, a casual tone for informal communication, or even a marketing-oriented style for promotional content. Additionally, Copilot allows you to adjust the length of your text, making it suitable for tasks ranging from drafting brief emails to creating comprehensive reports. The tool also offers flexible formatting options, allowing you to structure your text into lists, paragraphs, or other layouts. This adaptability ensures that the output aligns with your specific goals, making Copilot a valuable resource for a wide range of writing tasks. Whether you're a student, a professional, or a casual user, these features provide the flexibility needed to meet diverse requirements. MS Copilot in Notepad 2025 Watch this video on YouTube. Stay informed about the latest in AI-powered text editing by exploring our other resources and articles. Interactive Editing for Enhanced Precision Copilot's interactive editing capabilities make the process of refining text more dynamic and user-friendly. When you highlight a section of text, the tool generates multiple rewriting suggestions, giving you the opportunity to evaluate and select the best option. If none of the suggestions meet your expectations, you can use the 'try again' feature to request alternative edits. This iterative approach enables you to refine your content until it meets your standards, making sure a polished and professional final result. This feature is particularly useful for users who want to experiment with different writing styles or improve the clarity of their text. By providing real-time suggestions and allowing for multiple iterations, Copilot makes the editing process more efficient and less time-consuming. This interactive functionality sets it apart from traditional text editors, offering a level of precision that enhances the overall writing experience. Streamlined Productivity with Quick Shortcuts Efficiency is a core focus of the Copilot integration in Notepad. The tool includes quick shortcuts for common tasks such as summarizing, rewriting, or formatting text. These shortcuts are designed to integrate seamlessly into your workflow, allowing you to perform complex actions with minimal effort. For example, you can instantly summarize a long document into key points or reformat text for better readability with just a few clicks. By embedding these advanced capabilities into a lightweight application like Notepad, Microsoft ensures that users can harness the power of AI without the need for resource-intensive software. This approach not only enhances productivity but also preserves the simplicity and accessibility that have made Notepad a trusted tool for decades. Seamless Integration with the M365 Ecosystem To access Copilot in Notepad, users need an M365 subscription, which is available in personal, family, or business plans. The integration is designed to be intuitive, with a Copilot icon conveniently located in the top-right corner of the application. This ensures that the advanced features are easily accessible without disrupting the familiar Notepad interface. By linking Copilot to the broader M365 ecosystem, Microsoft provides a cohesive experience across its suite of productivity tools. This seamless integration allows users to transition effortlessly between applications, enhancing overall efficiency. Whether you're working on a document in Word, creating a presentation in PowerPoint, or drafting notes in Notepad, the consistent functionality of Copilot ensures a smooth and productive workflow. Notepad Transformed for the Modern User The integration of Copilot into Notepad represents a significant evolution for this classic application. By combining the simplicity of Notepad with the advanced capabilities of AI, Microsoft has created a tool that caters to a wide range of users, from casual note-takers to professionals managing complex projects. With features like customizable text editing, interactive suggestions, and seamless integration with the M365 ecosystem, Copilot in Notepad redefines what a text editor can achieve. Whether you're looking to streamline your workflow, enhance the quality of your writing, or organize your ideas more effectively, this update ensures that Notepad remains a relevant and powerful tool in an increasingly AI-driven world. Media Credit: Aldo James Filed Under: AI, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
