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5 free AI tools you’ll want to try the second you see them

Midjourney

You’re really gonna love this.

I’ve been diving into the latest AI tools, and some of them are so jaw-dropping I couldn’t wait to get them in your hands. They don’t feel like tech. They feel like creative black magic.

These aren’t dry “watch me demo an algorithm” kind of tools. These are “I just accidentally made a Pixar short about a pizza delivery robot who questions reality” kind of tools.

Best of all, you can play with them right now. No downloads, no special skills required. Just your browser and a little imagination.

👉 Before you get started

Yes, you’ll need to make a free account for each one. Most give you a set number of free credits every month. A credit is one action, like generating a video or creating a piece of art. When you run out, you can wait for the next month or pay for more.

Smart sign-up tip: If you have Gmail, keep your inbox clean by adding a plus sign and a word to your address. If your email is myname@gmail.com, sign up as myname+ai@gmail.com or myname+music@gmail.com. All the messages still land in your inbox, but you’ll know exactly which service sent them and you can filter or block them anytime. Apple users, try Hide my email.

Google Veo
Hollywood-level video from a sentence. Type “a drone shot over snowy mountains at sunrise,” and Veo creates it in cinematic quality. Join the wait list now, it’s worth it.

Adobe Firefly
Add, remove or transform anything in a photo in seconds. “Put a rainbow over the lake” or “erase the car in the background.” Done, no Photoshop required.

Runway Gen-2
Type a scene like “a cat surfing a giant wave in Hawaii,” and get a video clip back. You can even upload your own footage and change the entire style from realistic to wild and surreal.

Suno Music
Describe the style, mood and vibe, and it will compose a fully original song, vocals and all. Yes, even “jazz lullaby for robots” works.

Midjourney Web Beta
Truly, I saved the best for last. The most stunning AI art and video generator out there, now in your browser. “Steampunk city at night” turns into a masterpiece in seconds.

Continue reading →

Power plays

👩‍💻 Life runs on tech. Here’s the gear that’ll keep you connected.

🤖 Upgrading your Android? Save $250 on the slim, lightning-fast Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (20% off).
⌚ Band together: These elastic nylon Apple Watch bands (15% off, three-pack) feel comfy from work to the gym.
📱 Twist of genius: Scroll hand-free or film your next viral overhead video with a gooseneck phone holder (10% off).
🔋 Fast fuel: This portable charger (10% off) can power up to four gadgets at once. Bonus: built-in wall plug.
🔊 Big sound, small box: Over 35,000 shoppers gave this waterproof Bluetooth speaker (15% off) 4.6 stars.

🎉 Labor Day came early: Why wait? Click this secret link for the first steals. Then, swing by my Amazon page to shop smarter, not harder.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

I tracked my stolen phone to China

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Thomas got pickpocketed at a bar. Using Apple’s Find My to track it down, he watched it go from a pawn shop to a church … and then all the way to China. Plus: Mark Zuckerberg’s AI manifesto, Epstein video updates, and why you might soon get delivery in 15 minutes or less.

🎙️ Finding her voice: I love this. Only eight seconds of fuzzy ’90s home video, that’s all it took for AI to bring back Sarah Ezekiel’s real voice after 25 years with motor neurone disease. Her kids had only ever heard her speak through a robotic voice. Until now. This is what AI gets right. Changing lives in ways we never imagined.

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That’s the critics’ score for Ice Cube’s War of the Worlds remake. When critics and audiences agree, you know it’s … something. This Prime Video disaster-piece did the impossible though. People are actually watching it.

Add subtitles to YouTube videos: They’ll help you reach a bigger audience. On desktop, go to YouTube Studio and select Subtitles on the left. Choose your video, Set the language and Confirm. Then click Add under Subtitles. Upload a file or type them out manually. When you’re ready, hit Publish.

Got videos eating up space on your PC? HandBrake is a free tool that shrinks them down. Drag and drop your video into the app, choose a Save location, pick a Preset like Very Fast 1080p30, and click Start Encode. FYI: Quality may drop depending on the Preset, so keep testing until you find your sweet spot. This tip alone is worth the price of this newsletter.

🤯 Fake YouTubia: A Wired report found at least 120 YouTube channels cranking out AI-generated celeb drama, like phony talk show fights using still images and robotic voice-overs. One video shows Mark Wahlberg getting roasted on The View. Didn’t happen. This isn’t fake news, it’s full-on delusion theater.

💻 Buying a new computer? Know the specs you need. For basic browsing and streaming, look for at least a dual-core 2.0 GHz processor, 4-8 GB of RAM and an SSD for quick loading. For heavier stuff like gaming or video editing, get a recent multi-core 3.0 GHz+ CPU, a dedicated graphics card and 16 GB+ RAM. Click here for 20 laptop and desktops I trust. You’re welcome.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

▶️ Control Facebook video autoplay: You can choose whether videos in your feed play automatically. On PC, go to Settings & privacy > Settings > Media and toggle off Autoplay animations. On mobile, go to Settings & privacy > Settings > Media > Autoplay and tap Never or On Wi-Fi only.

🌡️ Stop your Android from overheating: First one’s obvious, don’t leave your phone in direct sunlight. Next, avoid using it for heavy tasks, like streaming video, while it’s charging. And make sure it’s running the latest updates! Go to Settings > Software Update and follow the prompts.

▶️ Find your liked videos on YouTube: Tap the three-line menu in the top left and select Playlists. Your liked videos will be right there. To keep something for later, tap the Save button below the video player and select Watch Later. Head back to Playlists to find it in the list.

🗣️ AI’s new favorite party trick? Stealing your TikTok rants, word-for-um-filled-word, and deepfaking them with a totally different face and voice. A wild “incinerator at Alligator Alcatraz” video hit 20M views, copied from a real person, made by a robot. And TikTok barely flinched. Next up: a deepfake of you reacting to this deepfake.

Swifties, avert your eyes: Grok’s “spicy” video mode just casually turned AI Taylor Swift into a nude dancing avatar on the first try. No warnings, no real age checks. While other tools block NSFW celeb content, Grok was like “Sure, let’s get weird.” Somewhere, a lawyer just woke up sweating and didn’t know why.

A stolen iPhone's trek around the world

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🖥️ Pick the right refresh rate: Resolution isn’t everything when buying a monitor. Refresh rate affects how smooth motion looks and helps cut down on choppy images. For everyday work, anything over 60 Hz is fine. Gamers and video editors should go for 180 Hz. And if your kids are serious about Fortnite, they’ll want 240 Hz or more.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

📹 No cellfies here: Turns out the FBI does have the “missing minute” from the Epstein prison footage. You know, the one that mysteriously vanished from the DOJ’s public video. The metadata shows it was recorded, just not released. Officials now claim the raw footage exists and shows nothing sketchy, obviously.

😳 Oklahoma school board scandal: During a Board of Ed meeting, someone streamed a video of nude women gathered around a “chiropractic table” on the big screen. So there’s a full-blown investigation, and fingers are pointing at Ryan Walters, the state’s head of education. He’s denying everything, of course.

🍏 iPhone 17 Pro rumors: It’s getting a major camera upgrade, like 8x optical zoom instead of the 16 Pro’s 5x. Apple’s also working on a special pro camera app and adding a new button on the top edge for quick shots. It might even support 8K video recording. Now everyone can see your nose hairs.

YouTube sleep timer: You can play white noise before bed without it running all night. While watching a video, tap the cog icon (on mobile and desktop), select Sleep timer and choose a time like 30 minutes or End of video. Fingers crossed, no loud ad sneaks in to ruin your dreams.