Is note-taking becoming tiresome? Try this virtual assistant
Ask any student: The worst part of any project is the notes. The endless pages of notes. Sometimes it’s a whole separate job just making sense of and — transcribing — the scribbles you wrote a few hours ago.
That’s true whether you’re talking about a thesis paper or a research-heavy work project. But as they say, you’ve got to work smarter, not harder.
In the old days, you might hire a stenographer. Today, you’d get something even better (not to mention cheaper): A dictation program like the stellar Dictanote Pro.
This app is a whole lot more than just a voice-to-text app, though it does that with impressive accuracy. In case peripherals like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri haven’t shown you how far voice recognition has come, try out Dictanote’s intuitive AI.
Just dictate your daily notes, grocery lists, story ideas or anything that needs to get on file fast, and the program turns that audio into text with over 90% accuracy. That outperforms even some leading offline dictation services like Dragon.
You’ve also got a suite of audio tools available to keep those notes organized and readable for the day after. With Voice Commands, you can set line breaks, add punctuation or even set your own special phrases to be translated into custom text.
All this is useful enough, but the service can even switch between languages if you need to collaborate with a non-native speaker or just get a quick translation. And, although your voice will work best, you can convert any file into text with the press of a button.
Need a little visual aid? Simply snap a picture of your sketch or doodle and add it to your notes for easy access. It’s a personal assistant that will save you a ton of time on any project, and you’ll wonder how you were able to work without it.
If it got you coffee, you’d be obligated to send it a card on Secretary’s Day. But as it is, the service is on sale for a steal. Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to Dictanote Pro for desktop or Android browsers for almost 90% off the original retail price.
You can’t beat free! Get $70+ worth of premium Mac apps for free today!
Prices subject to change.
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Say goodbye to aches and pains with this discounted massage gun
With no work to think about, it should be easy enough to relax in the company of family and friends over the holidays. Fast forward to the New Year, and things might get a little more hectic.
Before you settle back into the daily grind, it might be worth investing in the ExoGun DreamPro Percussion Massage Device. By stimulating your muscles with small vibrations, this versatile massage gun is able to relieve pain and stress. It also helps you recover faster after workouts.
You can back up handwritten notes online with these erasable notebooks
Although apps like Evernote and Google Docs are great for storing text, they cannot replace a pen and paper. There is something more intuitive about scribbling notes, and you have the option to sketch your ideas.
The Rocketbook Everlast Mini is a notebook that offers the best of both worlds. It works just like a traditional notebook, but you can back up every page to the cloud using your smartphone. Better still, you can easily erase the whole thing and start again.
Best after-Christmas and year-end sales to shop
After weeks of shopping for others, it’s about to be your turn. And the timing couldn’t be better for self-gifting.
The days between Christmas and New Year’s Day are full of sales, as retailers know shoppers will be dropping in to make returns. Stores are also motivated to offload everything that didn’t get sold as gifts.
This portable power bank doubles as a wireless phone charger
When you rely on your phone or tablet to stay connected, carrying a power bank is a wise move. Most are pretty lightweight, and they can restore your devices to full battery.
But what happens when you leave your charging cable at home? With the HyperCharger X Wireless Charger, that won’t be a problem. This power bank is no bigger than an iPhone X, and it doubles as a wireless charging pad.
Want to protect your privacy? Here's what to buy and what to skip
With new tech items hitting the market all the time, it’s opened a whole new world for gift-giving. Kids and adults alike would rather have the latest and greatest gadgets and video games than the old-school board game or necktie.
Buying guide: Best smart speakers on sale right now
Ready to get new smart speakers for your home or office? Luckily, there are always tons of sales going on, and we’ve got the inside scoop.
Gone are the days of paying full price for smart speakers and other tech. If you’re a savvy shopper, you know how to hunt down deals. Tap or click for the best tech deals to upgrade your business.
Buying guide: Best TVs on a budget
It doesn’t matter what time of year it is — a new TV is a new TV! And who doesn’t want a new television to stream content and watch sports?
Everyone seems to want a new TV, but how do you know which sets are worth the money? Here’s a simple guide to the best TVs you can buy on a budget, so you’ll have enough leftover cash to spend on yourself or to take the family out for a nice meal.
Save money with this shopping tool that alerts you when prices drop
If you regularly shop online, this tool could help you save a bundle each time prices drop.
Streaming devices compared
There are two types of steaming gadgets: set-top boxes and HDMI sticks. Streaming boxes are larger and more expensive but tend to be more powerful. HDMI sticks are the size of USB drives and plug right into your TV’s HDMI port. That means less clutter in your entertainment center and less impact on your wallet.
6 big screen 4K TVs worth buying right now
This time of year is a paradise for sports fans. College and pro football are underway, baseball playoffs have just begun, hockey hits the ice this week and we’re only a couple of weeks from tip-off for the new basketball season. Talk about needing more hours in a day.
6 fitness gadgets that you'll actually use
When it comes to losing weight and staying healthy, there’s a long history of snake oil. They’re still out there, but technology is shaking things up for the better.
If you do your homework and are prepared to do the physical work as well, you’ll be sure to find high-tech gadgets that will help you get healthy. Some of the gadgets are wearable, others get you moving, but all are aimed at keeping you fit.
5 affordable laptops starting as low as $140
School is back in session, and you know what that means: leaves falling, weather cooling, and great deals on school and office supplies! And when it comes to school and office supplies, none is more desirable than a new laptop — but finding one for a price that fits your budget can be a struggle all its own.
Kim recommends: Dash cams and dash cam apps
On the July 13, 2019, episode of The Kim Komando Show, a caller asked about dash cam technology to install on his vehicles to help with some family issues.
Kim recommended that you can find dash cams for over $100, but you don’t need to spend that much. She also recommended to the caller that he and his wife try dash cam apps for their smartphones or smart devices.
Grab millions of free e-books for your summer reading
What’s on your summer reading list? OpenLibrary.org is the largest online library with millions of books available for free download. It’s part of the Internet Archive, creators of the Wayback Machine, which crawls and indexes billions of web pages.
Find the best laptops now at Amazon
When was the last time you upgraded your laptop? If it’s been years, you should probably think about replacing the one you have.
Laptop and desktop computer technology is constantly improving, some might say at an alarming rate. Newer machines are faster, more powerful and have more storage capacity, to name just a few upgrades you can look forward to.
Free product samples sent right to you
What’s the best way to test out a new product? Free samples, of course.
A good site to look at for free samples is It’s All Free Online. This site is popular for deals on top brands and contests. The site collects links and instructions to sign up for freebies.
How to get the lowest price on Amazon
Online shopping has revolutionized the way we buy things. You can find whatever you want, from car accessories and groceries to office supplies and sporting equipment. It’s the perfect way to get what you’re looking for without too much effort. But with so many good deals all around, how do you know that you’re really getting the absolute lowest price?
Top 5 free coupon sites that'll save you big money
Looking for some easy ways to save money while shopping online? These five useful online coupon code sites will help you get back cash in no time.
Smart speaker comparison chart
Amazon may have had a head start with the Amazon Echo but with the launch of the Google Home, Apple HomePod and Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Home, the other tech giants are quickly catching up.
Click here to read more about the Amazon Echo vs. Google Home.