Hi Team!
Welcome to this week’s edition of Tech Notes!
Whether you’re here for a new tool, a productivity tip, an AI recommendation, or just a quick read with your morning coffee, I hope you find something useful.
Happy reading!
QUICK WINS IS YOUR LAPTOP RUNNING SLOW?
If your laptop has been feeling a bit sluggish lately, don’t panic just yet. Before you start thinking you need a new one, there are a few simple things you can do that often make a noticeable difference.
The Cause: Memory Usage (explained)
Think of RAM as your laptop’s desk space. Every program or browser tab you’re using sits on that desk while it’s working. If the desk gets too cluttered, your laptop has to keep moving things back and forth to its much slower storage drive. That extra shuffling takes time, which is why your computer can start feeling slow or unresponsive. Keeping fewer apps and tabs open gives your laptop more room to work efficiently.
Here's how you can fix it...
1. Close apps you’re not using
Every app you have open uses a portion of your laptop’s working memory (called RAM). The more apps running in the background, the less memory is available for the things you’re actually trying to do.
2. Tame your browser tabs
We all do it (myself included), but having dozens of Chrome tabs open can quickly eat up your computer’s memory, and Google Chrome is a big memory hog. Chrome has a built-in feature called Memory Saver that automatically puts inactive tabs to sleep, freeing up memory while keeping them available to reopen instantly. It’s a great setting to have switched on. (you can find it here: chrome://settings/performance)
3. Keep your laptop up to date
Installing updates isn’t just about getting new features. Updates often include performance improvements, bug fixes, and important security patches that help keep your computer running smoothly and safely.
KEEP LEARNING MY TOP YOUTUBE CHANNELS + PODCASTS
My unofficial academy of youtube channels + podcasts that have taught me everything I know!
Chase AI: Open original link ↗ Short, practical videos covering the latest AI news, useful tools and clever ways to use AI in your work. Great if you want to stay up to date without spending hours watching videos.
Systems Made Better: Open original link ↗ A fantastic channel for AI workflows, productivity, digital organisation and creating systems that genuinely make your work easier. Lots of practical ideas you can steal for yourself. -
Ali Abdaal: Open original link ↗ One of the original productivity creators, and someone I’ve watched for years. Expect practical advice on productivity, habits, learning and getting more out of your day without the hustle culture. -
TED Talks: Open original link ↗ Want to learn something new? Chances are there’s a TED Talk on it. From leadership and psychology to technology and science, they’re a great way to learn from experts in 10-20 minutes.
"Why AI Agents are either the best or worst thing we’ve ever built" Open original link ↗: A really interesting experiment that pushes AI agents to their limits and reveals both the opportunities and the risks of autonomous AI.
STAY INFORMED AI BEYOND THE HYPE
AI is one of the most exciting technologies of our generation, but it’s important to understand both its benefits and its challenges.
Like any powerful technology, AI comes with trade-offs + serious impacts. Training and running large AI models requires significant computing power, which uses electricity and water to cool data centres. AI can also produce convincing misinformation, inherit biases from the data it learns from, raise privacy concerns if sensitive information is shared, and change the way many jobs are performed. On the other hand, AI is accelerating scientific research, improving healthcare, increasing productivity, supporting accessibility, and helping solve complex problems across countless industries.
The goal isn’t to fear AI or blindly embrace it. It’s to use it responsibly, think critically about the information it produces, and stay informed as the technology continues to evolve.
Learn more about AI + its impacts...
UNESCO: Open original link ↗ AI ethics, human rights and responsible development. -
OECD AI Principles Open original link ↗: International guidance on trustworthy AI. -
NIST AI Risk Management Framework: Open original link ↗ Practical guidance on managing AI risks. -
MIT News: Open original link ↗ Balanced articles on AI, including its environmental impacts and emerging research.
BONUS RECOMMENDATION GROUND NEWS
In a world where AI can generate convincing information faster than ever, tools like this are a great reminder to slow down, check sources, and think critically.
Ground News is a news platform designed to help you understand how different media outlets report the same story. Rather than relying on a single source, you can compare coverage from a wide range of publications, along with information on media ownership, bias ratings and reporting trends.
As AI makes it easier than ever to create and share information, developing strong media literacy skills is becoming increasingly important. Ground News won’t tell you what to think, but it can help you recognise different perspectives, identify potential blind spots, and make more informed decisions about the information you consume.
Find out more here Open original link ↗
I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Tech Notes!
I really enjoy putting these together for you! Thanks for reading. Something positive to end your week! Click here!! Open original link ↗
Over & Out,
Bethy 🎀