All posts tagged: Tools

Best AI Tools for Work: ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini

Best AI Tools for Work: ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini

Published by skeptic

Artificial intelligence is increasingly applied to critical business tasks, but its effectiveness varies widely depending on the context. In an evaluation by The AI Advantage, three platforms, ChatGPT Work, Claude Cowork and Gemini Spark, were tested on challenges like analyzing meeting transcripts, extracting insights from customer feedback and managing email workflows. ChatGPT Work stood out for its accuracy in summarizing complex data and identifying actionable steps, while Claude Cowork delivered concise recommendations but occasionally faltered with inaccuracies. Gemini Spark, on the other hand, struggled with consistency, underscoring the uneven performance across these systems. Gain insight into how these platforms handle real-world scenarios, from analyzing nuanced business contexts to managing communication workflows. Discover which system performs best for precision-driven tasks, how their creative outputs compare and the role pricing plays in assessing overall value. This explainer provides a detailed breakdown to guide your understanding of AI’s practical applications in professional settings. ChatGPT Work vs Claude Cowork vs Gemini Spark TL;DR Key Takeaways : ChatGPT Work emerged as the most reliable AI tool, excelling in precision, versatility …

How to check if ChatGPT and other AI tools cite your website – and improve your chances in 2026

How to check if ChatGPT and other AI tools cite your website – and improve your chances in 2026

Published by skeptic

MARTIN LELIEVRE / Contributor via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways AI traffic grew 66% in 2025 but remains under 0.15% of visits. AI citations can build exposure even without direct traffic. These tactics can improve your visibility in AI search.  You’ve been quietly losing traffic from organic search even though your rankings haven’t changed. Does that mean traditional SEO no longer works? No. But should you then treat AI as a black box to simply accept and ignore? Also no.  All the things that used to score points with traditional search engine algorithms, like backlinks, website authority, performance optimization, and quality content —  they haven’t just stopped existing. AI search just treats them very differently, which is at once both better and worse.  Also: Tired of AI Overviews? I found 9 Google Search alternatives that showed me links again Sometimes, that means good content is more likely to be cited by AI tools, even if your website doesn’t have a high domain authority (DA) ranking. …

Vick Hope: Books gave me the tools to understand my world — today’s children need that gift

Vick Hope: Books gave me the tools to understand my world — today’s children need that gift

Published by Sam Flores

Growing up, my mother always taught us the importance of giving back where we can. Along with working, she would always spend a day a week at a local hospice, and she’s now volunteering in a local primary school. It’s therefore always been engrained in me that if we’re in a position where we’re safe, we have food and we’re happy; then we should pay it forward. When I found the opportunity to volunteer at the after-school reading programme with the Literacy Pirates charity, it really clicked for me. As a person who loves reading, I’m passionate about helping children discover the joy that comes when you get lost in a book. While new research from the National Literacy Trust shows a modest upturn in children’s enjoyment of reading (from 32.7 per cent to 36.1 per cent) and daily reading habits (from 18.7 per cent to 20.3 per cent) after hitting a 20-year low in 2025, engagement levels remain significantly lower than a decade ago (when each was 58.6 and 32 per cent respectively). There …

Reddit, LinkedIn and other unexpected tools savvy travellers are using to plan and enhance their trips

Reddit, LinkedIn and other unexpected tools savvy travellers are using to plan and enhance their trips

Published by Sam Flores

FIND HIDDEN FEATURES IN BIG APPS  Nic Blais, a marketing manager, likes bringing games with him when he travels, “for the boring parts”. And one particular source he turns to, surprisingly, is Netflix.  “You can download amazing full-fledged mobile games that work offline through the app. I was playing Civilisation V (a strategy game) on my phone on the endless flight from Singapore to Canada,” he said. Don’t like the existing games out there? Create your own. That’s what Alex Boulton, a consulting executive and father, does. “I made a children’s word search game using ChatGPT. I built it to keep the kids entertained, during airport waits and flight delays, with something interactive, versus relying on YouTube,” he said. Just make sure you input a detailed prompt, so you generate something worth playing, he shared. His included details like “build a polished, mobile-friendly kids word search app themed around movies. Use a bright, playful design … include a hint button, progress tracking, encouraging feedback, and a celebratory win screen.” Hey presto, the kids have a new …

ICE Is Using Data Broker Tools to ‘Identify Unaccompanied Minors’ and ‘Fraud’

ICE Is Using Data Broker Tools to ‘Identify Unaccompanied Minors’ and ‘Fraud’

Published by skeptic

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to renew its contract with a subsidiary of data broker giant Thomson Reuters at a rate of up to $25 million per year for up to five years in order to accommodate an urgent, “multiplied” demand for data that can identify “unaccompanied minors” as well as anyone involved with “any type of fraud of government funds,” according to a document published in a federal contract register on Tuesday. “Due to ICE’s re-prioritized mission,” the document reads, “there is a need for the data to be readily accessible to support the presidential mandate of the identification of Voters fraud, Immigration Fraud, and National Security.” The document does not explain why ICE would need to identify unaccompanied minors, which is typically the remit of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or how Thomson Reuters’ data would be used to combat voter fraud or immigration fraud. When reached for comment, Thomson Reuters spokesperson Kat Hanley tells WIRED that its identification work for ICE may include “vetting the sponsors of children …

I install these free quality of life tools before using any new Windows computer

I install these free quality of life tools before using any new Windows computer

Published by skeptic

Windows is a great operating system, but it doesn’t always feel that way out of the box. The actual magic comes from third-party apps that help fix various Windows annoyances, let you customize the look and feel, and add features Microsoft forgot to include. Over the years, I’ve curated a list of such apps that I always install on a new PC. Related I Can’t Use a New Windows Computer Until I Change These 9 Settings I like to start off on the right foot with my new PC. Winhance Free your PC from the bloat image credit – self captured (Tashreef Shareef) – No Attribution RequiredCredit: Tashreef Shareef/MUO It’s no secret that Windows PCs have a bloatware problem, so before I install anything I actually want, I use Winhance to remove all those useless pre-installed apps. I simply have to select everything I don’t want and Winhance runs a script to uninstall those apps. For me, this involves getting rid of Edge, OneNote, Copilot, Clipchamp, OneDrive, and any tools from the manufacturer. Beyond this, Winhance …

Why Communication Tools Can Fail in Couple Therapy

Why Communication Tools Can Fail in Couple Therapy

Published by Jenni Sidey

Couples frequently come to session focused on communication tools. They want worksheets, the ‘I’ statements, active listening scripts, strategic timeouts when conflict escalates, and concrete, actionable steps. They often assume therapy centers on skill-building, arriving ready to practice, prepared to share how their partner has erred, wanting to know what they can do differently, and wanting specific communication and behavior change quickly. It is completely understandable. Tools can feel tangible and concrete. You can write them down on an index card, practice them at home, and feel like you are actively improving your relationship. And still, it is almost entirely backwards. Like Dr. Ryan Rana, EFT trainer, would say, “teaching a couple communication skills before they feel safe with each other is a bit like trying to teach a depressed person to smile.” I’m not claiming communication skills are useless by any means. But after over 15 years of sitting with distressed couples, the clinical reality is inescapable: the tool-delivery model has it flipped. The tools, when they work, only work because something much deeper …

Back-to-School Shoppers Are Using More Tech Tools but Buying Fewer Tech Goods

Back-to-School Shoppers Are Using More Tech Tools but Buying Fewer Tech Goods

Published by skeptic

Back to school doesn’t mean back to tech upgrades. As inflation rises without wage growth matching it, and consumer confidence worsens, parents are going online more to find deals, even if they aren’t necessarily buying new tech products, according to Deloitte’s 19th Back-to-School survey. For the fourth straight year, back-to-school shoppers will spend less per child — $557 — as inflation continues to rise, and 57% of parents believe the economy will get worse in the second half of the year. That’s the highest percentage since the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020, the survey said. And that spending will be lower on tech, averaging $417, down 16% from $498 last year. Conversely, parents will spend $323 on clothing, a 22% increase over last year’s $264, as clothing costs rise. To gather its findings, Deloitte tabbed an independent research panel, which conducted an online survey of 1,207 parents with at least one child entering grades K to 12 this fall. The research was performed from May 22 to May 29, with a margin of error of …

Political campaigns turn to AI tools to text, engage voters : NPR

Political campaigns turn to AI tools to text, engage voters : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

In this file photo, a man using a smartphone passes through the arched windows at Grand Central Terminal in New York City on March 24, 2025. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images Stay up to date with our Politics newsletter, sent weekly. AI-powered platforms are training bots to sound like political candidates in text messages, holding personalized conversations with thousands of potential voters simultaneously. The bots are also gathering data, learning what each voter wants from their representatives and using that information to shape future campaign messaging. Aaron Sheeks, the CEO of Akillion, an AI platform that lets people run their own Large Language Models or bots, said many of his current clients are running for political office. “Our goal is to put the microphone back in the hand of the voter,” said Sheeks. “We’re giving agencies and political campaigns the ability to have a trained AI employee that can go back and forth and answer questions on police reform or education or tax changes.” Some in …

Forget typosquatting; slopsquatting is the software supply chain threat created by AI coding tools

Forget typosquatting; slopsquatting is the software supply chain threat created by AI coding tools

Published by skeptic

Slopsquatting represents an emerging supply chain threat made possible by AI hallucinations. As developers increasingly rely on AI coding assistants, they unknowingly grant cybercriminals access to their software from day one.  Understanding what slopsquatting is Slopsquatting is a new type of supply chain attack that uses large language model (LLM) hallucinations to inject malicious code into development workflows. The term combines “AI slop” and “typosquatting,” a deceptive practice where attackers register misspelled or lookalike versions of popular domains to prey on users who enter URLs incorrectly. This novel attack vector exploits LLMs’ tendency to generate fictitious software package names, which threat actors can then register and populate with malicious code. During AI-assisted coding, the model may generate fake open-source packages — bundled collections of files, programs and installation tools. This alone is not necessarily harmful. However, if an attacker registers that fake package name, they can inject malware that gets incorporated directly into a developer’s codebase. How AI creates a supply chain risk Traditionally, AI safety risks stem from hallucinations, which can adversely affect users …