I tried Photoshop, Affinity, and GIMP for a month and the winner isn’t what you think
…I didn’t expect Photoshop’s AI tools to impress me this much. And then there is GIMP, and while it’s lightweight and open-source, I didn’t prefer its UI…
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VS Code's task runner saves me hours every week, but almost nobody knows it exists
…Tasks are configured per project because different projects have different workflows, commands, and environments. Once your folder is open in VS Code, open the Command Palette, then search for Tasks: Configure Task…
I added these MCP servers to my local LLM stack, and one of them replaces a $249 paid tool
…and Qdrant lets me semantically search across the whole pile later. Playwright MCP lets small models drive a browser All thanks to accessibility controls Microsoft maintains the Playwright MCP server directly, and…
Someone built a tiny AI that lives next to your cursor, and it's the most useful thing I've tried in months
Mahnoor Faisal Apr 19, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT Mahnoor Faisal is a tech journalist covering AI and productivity tools with bylines at XDA , SlashGear , MakeUseOf , Laptop Mag , and Android Police . She…
6 underrated Apple CarPlay apps and widgets I use for a distraction-free drive
…seamless navigation, effortless audio control, and glanceable information. Here are the apps and widgets I use to transform my dashboard into a distraction-free environment that keeps my eyes where they belong…
7 things I stopped paying for after getting a NAS
…like face tagging and keyword search. Now, my photos are stored in full quality with virtually unlimited space and much better privacy. They live on a server I control, away from the…
I ignored NotebookLM Tools tags for too long, and now I cannot work without them
…I knew I had a Claude research notebook somewhere, but I had no idea if I had called it “Claude,” “Claude research,” or “AI notes.” So I would scroll and see if…
I set up Claude Code's newest model the way its creator does, and it makes a bigger difference than I imagined
Mahnoor Faisal May 5, 2026, 4:30 PM EDT Mahnoor Faisal is a tech journalist covering AI and productivity tools with bylines at XDA , SlashGear , MakeUseOf , Laptop Mag , and Android Police . She…
I love NotebookLM, but its biggest update yet is making it feel less like itself (for better and worse)
…source you'd uploaded, citation and all. That closed, you-control-the-inputs setup is exactly what made it feel trustworthy in a way most AI tools just don't. It's…
I just started using n8n to automate my workflow, and I wish I had sooner
…Recently, they’ve added a ton of new features, including a native AI Agent. After trying it out, I am hooked and, honestly, in awe of how powerful and easy to use…