Canva has jacked up its prices: By 316%, to be exact. Canva Teams (up to five users) is going from $120 to $500 per year. If you use it, be sure to snag the 40% discount for the first 12 months. Canva usually announces price changes, but this time, they’ve quietly emailed customers instead. No wonder.
Best AI tools for search, productivity, fun and work
In the past week, I’ve used AI to analyze a loved one’s health care records, create replies for a bunch of emails and map out two weeks in Europe. I used it to make a pic of me look better, too.
I know the wide world of AI tools is overwhelming, so I’m breaking it down today. Consider what’s below your primer on where to start if you’re brand new to the AI game or want to try out some new tools.
💸 FYI, almost all these tools offer at least some free access when you make an account. I never pay for an app or service until I try it out and make sure I truly like it.
Smarter search
Google slaps AI results at the top of its search pages now, but their AI stinks. Try these instead when you’re looking for info:
- ChatGPT: I use it as a brainstorming buddy. Type in what you need and it can help you generate ideas, break down tasks, clean up your writing, fix your spreadsheets — whatever.
- Perplexity: It’s built for research and learning, and it’s my go-to for questions like “How do black holes work?” or “Explain the Ninth Amendment.”
- Poe: Try dozens of AI models, each with its own “personality” and specialty. StableDiffusionXL is A+ for creating art, and Claude-3-Haiku is popular for creative writing. You can make your own bots, too. Heads-up: Full subscription access to Poe costs a lot — $200 a year.
Get stuff done
My favorite part about AI is all the time it saves. Another perk is correcting its occasionally wrong answers. 💁♀️ Always double-check the results if you’re using AI for something super important, OK?
- Google NotebookLM: I’m super impressed by this one. Upload audio, notes, documents or any other files, then you can search them, find citations (from your own docs) or even produce a snazzy podcast based on your files.
- Revamp your resume: For free options, check out NovoResume, Teal or Rezi. Try them all, then pick your favorite or do a little testing and apply to jobs with all three!
- Canva’s Magic Studio: Create graphics, presentations or your family Christmas card. Easy to use and there are a ton of templates that look great.
For a little fun
Feeling creative? I’m no artist and still have a lot of fun playing around with these.
- Riffusion: This app lets you upload a picture and get a whole song about it. Here’s mine about an owl hanging out by my pool. Get it here for Apple and Android.
- Sonoteller.ai: Type in an artist and song (or drop in a YouTube link) for a full analysis of the lyrics and music. Today, I learned “Uptown Girl” is in E major.
- Make a video about anything: Synthesia.io and Hypernatural.ai both offer a few free videos to try out their services.
5 free resources to grow your business
Entrepreneurs and small business owners need all the help they can get. When you’re a self-starter, you’re constantly on the go, multitasking and doing all you can to grow your company quickly. Luckily, there are a ton of free small business resources that can help you along the way.
Money tight? 14 great things you can get for free
There’s always something new to spend money on regarding tech. Here’s a secret some companies don’t want you to know: You can get a lot without spending a dime.
Speaking of money, I hear from people all the time who want to cut Netflix, Hulu, and other expensive streaming services. Did you know that mobile carriers offer free streaming service subscriptions as part of their plans? Here’s what T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T are offering.
4 tools to easily create and share memes
Memes and emojis express our thoughts and emotions in a way words just can’t. The perfect meme can elevate your mood or put a laugh on someone’s face when needed.
Millions of memes circulate on the internet, and you can grab quite a few good ones from social media. But you can’t always find the perfect one, even with so many choices.
Handy site generates color palettes for websites, room redesigns and more
Where can you turn when you’re short on time and need to spruce something up? Presentations, graphic design projects, web and app development. These different media genuinely need the right color palette to come alive. Tap or click to learn to use a popular graphic design tool.
5 small biz freebies to save you some cash, from shipping materials to logos
Owning or working for a small business is full of joys: Seeing your business take off, working closely with a small team and watching your ideas flourish.
It’s not all a walk in the park, though. Small teams, limited budgets and not enough time in the day can make things challenging.
Oh, happy day! These are the happiest states in the U.S. (and the least happy)
Sometimes, a change of scenery is all you need to boost your mood. That’s why we’re sharing the happiest states in America. Of course, we’ll also tell you the important stuff, like how to be happy no matter where you live.
Looking for work? 3 sites to find free resume templates
If you’re looking for a new job, you have a long road ahead of you. Not only do you have to hunt down the perfect position, but you also have to craft the perfect resume, which means hours of formatting and designing. Luckily, you can save yourself a lot of time with free resume templates you can find online.
5 simple Canva tips and tricks for better designs and graphics
For years, if you wanted to play with graphic design or create beautiful photos, you needed to be an Adobe Photoshop expert. Tap or click here for free templates to create digital photo collages. This brings us back to the era of needing an expensive camera to get quality photographs.
Free templates to turn your photos into creative collages
There is an endless list of tasks to undertake with the holidays upon us. Whether you bake Christmas cookies for the neighborhood or go caroling with your family, you’ve got lots to do. Tap or click here to spice up your cooking (and skip the oil) with our favorite air fryer.
9 free software copycats that work better than the real expensive programs
There are more features and tricks hiding in your Mac or PC than most people will ever know. You can do even more if you know the right software to download.
If you’re relying on your computer’s built-in spell check to catch all your grammar mistakes, for example, it’s time to upgrade. Here are five stellar options to make you sound smarter.
Photoshop too expensive? Use these free alternatives instead
Most smartphones today are powerful enough that anybody can take professional-looking photos without needing an expensive camera. In fact, the one in your smartphone is probably better than an old digital camera you have lying around.