By rethinking my approach to Task View—and by taking advantage of some new Windows features—I’ve finally made a habit of using it in a way that saves time and helps me focus.
Published work, shop talk, and stray thoughts.
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The extremely hacky way to have a pop-up notepad with a keyboard shortcut in Windows
If you use Raycast for Mac, there’s a neat “Floating Notes” feature (now called Raycast Notes) that summons a little pop-up notepad, and you can have a single keyboard shortcut that both opens and closes it again—helpful for temporarily jotting things down.
I’ve looked around and found nothing similar for Windows, but I did come across a workaround involving a free app called Webcatalog.
Webcatalog bills itself as an “app store for web apps.” Once installed, it allows you to install other websites as freestanding apps on your desktop.
For most things, this isn’t really necessary, because most web browsers can install websites as desktop apps on their own. But when you install a site as a desktop app using Webcatalog, there’s a feature that lets you toggle the app open and closed with a keyboard shortcut. Aha!
So the process looks like this:
- Sign up for a free Webcatalog account.
- Install the Windows app.
- Search for a suitable notepad app from the Webcatalog store. (I suggest Numbr, which is both a notepad and a calculator in one.)
- In the notepad app you’ve selected, head to Menu > File > Settings.
- In the Appearance tab, select “Define a keyboard shortcut to switch to the app window quickly.”
- Enter the keyboard shortcut you want to use and hit “Save.”
It’s not a perfect solution. The keyboard shortcut only works after you’ve launched the app manually, and it stops working if you quit the app with the X button.
So, the field is wide open for someone to create a proper floating notepad app for Windows. Otherwise we’ll have to wait until Raycast makes its way over.
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About those Apple Intelligence ads: “AI will make you a worse person,” by hapax – https://hapax.bearblog.dev/ai-will-make-you-a-worse-person/
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Might blog more about this later but I cannot recommend UFO 50 enough. And that its roots are in Klik & Play—a tool and community that consumed a lot of my early teenage life—warms my heart. 50games.fun
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Say Goodbye to Passwords (FastCo)
Passkey adoption is up, and problems are being fixed.
It’s been a couple of years since Apple, Google, and Microsoft started trying to kill the password, and its demise seems more likely than ever.
– https://www.fastcompany.com/91220674/is-this-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-the-password?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss
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These tweaks will make your iPhone simpler to use (FastCo)
How to hide or disable iOS’s increasingly complex features.
This story first appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up for free to get more tips every Tuesday.
– https://www.fastcompany.com/91225497/these-tweaks-will-make-your-iphone-simpler-to-use?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss
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Bluesky’s starter packs are such a clever idea. Feels like every aspiring Twitter-alike should offer something like it (Plus a directory for discovering them, like this https://blueskydirectory.com/starter-packs )
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10 years of columns, Tennis Channel unbundles (Cord Cutter Weekly)
A decade’s worth of streaming TV coverage can’t all be right.
The post 10 years of columns, Tennis Channel unbundles appeared first on Cord Cutter Weekly.
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Dealing with data brokers, Wi-Fi advice, and more tech Q&A (Advisorator)
Even more of your tech questions answered.
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So, what happened with that subscription version of Alexa that was supposed to launch in October? https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/amazons-alexa-revamp-could-be-here-by-october-with-claude-ai-says-report/
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Streaming remote battle, Netflix’s shareable “Moments” (Cord Cutter Weekly)
The remote control can make or break your streaming experience, which might explain why device makers are offering increasingly better ones.
The post Streaming remote battle, Netflix’s shareable “Moments” appeared first on Cord Cutter Weekly.
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Had no idea Beelink made an eGPU dock for its Mini PCs. It’s adorable! Wish it worked with cheaper PCs (the GTi12 costs around $640), but apparently they’re open-sourcing the design for others to use.
Via GamingOnLinux – https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2024/10/beelink-have-open-sourced-their-multi-functional-ex-docking-station-for-mini-pcs/
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Thinking about rolling the dice on one of these AliExpress phone controller grips. This one supports both USB-C and Bluetooth and is also large enough for tablets. $29. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807674109908.html
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I cannot fully express how much the Morning Music blog is extremely up my alley. Jazzy, fusiony, smooth, a lot of Japanese artist but not exclusively. https://morningmusic.bearblog.dev
Would love to share this appreciation with the author but they seem to have posted no contact info whatsoever.
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There’s so much to sort through with Apple Intelligence that I wrote this mostly for myself, but you are welcome to read it also! https://advisorator.com/members/2024/10/29/apple-intelligence-a-hype-free-explainer/