Tips & tricks

Test Data on Demand: Fictional but Realistic

Testing a spreadsheet, a form, or a mailing? Have AI generate fifty fictional rows with names and amounts instead of copying real data.

Regex Without the Learning Curve: AI Writes It, Explains It, Tests It

Describe in plain words what you want to match, and AI returns a regular expression with a part-by-part explanation and test cases. For Sheets, editors, and bulk edits.

winget: install and update programs with one command

No more hunting for installers across the web: winget install installs a program from a verified source, and winget upgrade --all updates everything at once.

Quake mode: a terminal that slides out from anywhere on Win+`

Win+`

Windows Terminal has a mode like an old game console: Win+` slides it down over the top half of the screen, press it again to hide it. Always at hand, never in the way.

Black screen? Win+Ctrl+Shift+B restarts graphics without restarting the PC

Win+Ctrl+Shift+B

The display freezes or turns black after connecting a monitor, but the computer is still running. Win+Ctrl+Shift+B restarts the graphics driver — the picture comes back and you lose nothing.

Ctrl+Shift+C copies the full path to a file

Ctrl+Shift+C

No need to describe to a colleague where a file lives. Ctrl+Shift+C in File Explorer copies the complete path — just paste it into chat or a dialog.

Type “cmd” into Explorer's address bar

A terminal opened exactly in the folder you're looking at: just type cmd or powershell into Explorer's address bar and press Enter.

PowerRename: rename a hundred files by a rule

Replace text across all filenames, add a date, number them. PowerRename from PowerToys renames whole batches at once — with a preview before anything actually happens.

Color Picker: grab any color on screen with one click

Win+Shift+C

What's the exact color of the client's logo? Win+Shift+C from PowerToys reads the color from anywhere on screen and copies its code to the clipboard.

Awake: your computer won't sleep until the job is done

A long export, a recording, or a presentation — and Windows puts the computer to sleep in the middle of it. Awake from PowerToys keeps it up for an hour, two, or until you say otherwise.

Shift+Click on the Taskbar Opens a Second Window of an App

Clicking a running app's taskbar icon just brings it to the front. Shift+click opens a new window, Ctrl+Shift+click launches it as admin — three tricks in one icon.

In-depth guide · 26 min

A custom website with Claude Code, git, and Vercel: from idea to domain

A guide with prompts: a website without hiring a developer — from scaffolding through git as a safety net to a domain and Vercel. Proven on this site.

In-depth guide · 23 min

Reproducible Data Analysis: Turn a One-Off Query into a Procedure That Always Gives the Same Number

A guide with prompts: why the agent writes a different script every time, when to move from chat to a file, scheduled runs, and catching silent breaks.

In-depth guide · 27 min

Which tools have an MCP connector, and what you can actually do with them

A complete guide with prompts: how connectors get added, what Buffer, Canva, Notion, or Supabase can really do — and two honest ways to bring in Gemini.

In-depth guide · 27 min

Data Analysis in Plain Language: A Persistent Skill Built on DuckDB

A guide with prompts: why a chatbot silently gets math wrong, how a persistent DuckDB skill lets you query CSV or Excel in plain words — and check results.

In-depth guide · 18 min

Notion vs. Obsidian vs. Built-In Notes Apps: What to Pick

A fair comparison of three camps across eight criteria — from capture speed to price. With a comparison table, a pick for your situation, and an exit plan.

In-depth guide · 21 min

MCP connectors: USB-C for AI

A complete guide with prompts: what MCP is and why it's the USB-C of AI, connecting mail, calendar, or Notion, and least-privilege permission setup.

In-depth guide · 21 min

Images for your project on autopilot: one style, one script

A complete guide with prompts: one visual identity, one command — a style prompt, an AI-written script, batch generation, WebP compression, a safe API key.

In-depth guide · 20 min

A second brain that talks back

A complete guide with prompts: connect AI to Notion or a notes folder, ask questions in your own words, and have the archive fill itself in every week.

In-depth guide · 18 min

Subagents: let AI manage AI

A complete guide with prompts for orchestrating subagents: when one agent isn't enough, splitting work into batches, and checking results with a script.

In-depth guide · 20 min

Claude Code: a personal automation engine, not just for developers

A guide with prompts: installation, the first half hour, five typical tasks from folder cleanup to reports, and safety rules. It's how this site is made.

Clipboard with history: paste anything you've ever copied

Win+V

Windows can remember everything you copy. Just press Win+V instead of Ctrl+V.

Win + 1 through 9: apps at a single keypress

Win+1

Open apps pinned to the taskbar by their position number. No more hunting with the mouse.

Select an entire line with a single press

Shift+End

Shift + End selects text from the cursor to the end of the line, Shift + Home to the start. No dragging with the mouse.

Win + L: lock your computer every time you step away

Win+L

The fastest security habit there is. One keypress and nobody can see what you're working on.

Smart home scene: Deep Work Mode in one tap

Lights, do-not-disturb, a timer, and music with a single command. A ritual that tells your brain “it's work time now.”

A height-adjustable desk: alternate, don't just stand

The trick isn't standing all day — it's alternating positions, plus a bit of movement that fits into your work without interrupting it.

Noise-cancelling headphones: focus and a signal, both at once

ANC headphones solve two problems at once: ambient noise, and coworkers who can't tell you don't want to be disturbed.

Top edge of your monitor at eye level

A neck that hurts from a monitor set too low. A stand or arm for a few dollars fixes years of discomfort.

A docking station: one cable and you're working

Monitor, keyboard, network, charging — all through a single USB-C cable. Connecting your laptop stops being a five-minute ritual.