My favorite new email tool

A clever way to "listen" with your eyes  ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ [Cool Tools, by The Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [Keeper security logo]()​ When we talk about email tools, we typically talk about apps or services that help you tame the wild jungle of your ever-overflowing inbox. Today's tool is a twist. It's about email, through and through — but it's actually a smart new service that adds something into that environment. And as counterintuitive as that may sound, it's become one of the best and most useful additions my rusty ol' inbox has seen in ages. [JR Raphael, Author of Android Intelligence] JR Raphael​ Author of [Android Intelligence]()​ --------------------------------------------------------------- SPONSORED MESSAGE Don’t roll the dice on password security 🔒 [dice rolling]()​ Real quick, first, a special slice of savings to share with ya: Y'see, there are times in life when taking a risk is warranted. Trying something that scares you? Most likely. Going on that vacation you’ve been dreaming of? You betcha. Chasing after your dream job? Absolutely. Password security? Not so much. Whether you're using the wrong password manager or (gasp!) not using one at all, now is the time to make sure you’re protected. ​[Keeper Security]() ensures your company’s data is secure with top-tier encryption and seamless team integration. And for a limited time, new customers can get 30% off their first year on the business starter plan and 50% off personal plans! ➜ [In today’s digital age, you can’t afford weak password management — protect yourself with Keeper now.]() [STRENGTHEN YOUR SECURITY ➜]() ​ Podcasts in your inbox — no listening required All right — so, see if you can relate to this: In theory, I enjoy podcasts. I reality, I rarely have the time to keep up with all the interesting-seeming podcasts I encounter — both regular shows I enjoy for pleasure-based listening and random audio interviews I run into that seem like they could be enlightening in some way. The problem, for me, is I generally find it to be faster, more efficient, and all-around easier to read something than to listen to it. Listening is a luxury. I like it — I just rarely have the time to do it, especially considering the endless mountains of material I'd ideally want to beam into my ear-holes. ➜ And that, m'dearie, is precisely where a tastily named service called [PodSnacks]() comes into play. PodSnacks has actually been around for a while. I remember looking at it a couple years back, when it was [a simple newsletter]( with hand-picked snippets from different podcasts each week. I lost track of the service for some time and then recently rediscovered it — and discovered it had pivoted to a whole new focus within that same general domain. ✨ Now, PodSnacks relies on AI to programmatically generate summaries of the specific podcasts you're interested in — and then email those summaries to you each and every time a new episode arrives. It's one of the rare cases where AI is actually being used in a thoughtful way that adds something valuable into a product instead of just awkwardly being tacked on for the sake of marketing. ⌚ And it couldn't be much easier to use, either. In fact, you'll need only about two minutes to get your personal PodSnacks menu up and running: - First, [open up the PodSnacks website]() in any browser, on any device you're using. - Click or tap the Get Started For Free button at the top of the screen. - Select whatever podcasts you want to keep up with — either by tapping them in the selections that show up initially or by using the category chips or search box at the top of the screen to find exactly what's on your mind. [A screenshot showing a selection of available podcasts for the PodSnacks podcast-summarizing service] ​ Once you've got everything you want selected, click the Confirm button at the top of that same screen. You'll then have to enter your email address, so the site can send you the summaries you want as they become available. And you'll have to look for and click on a one-time verification email to confirm your address. After that, that's it: From that point forward, anytime one of the shows you selected has a new episode available, you'll get a simple single email with all the high points from the entire episode — along with a link to scan, search, or read through a complete transcript, if you're so inclined. [A screenshot showing an AI-generated summary of a recent episode of the Hard Fork podcast] ​ It's a handy way to keep up with all sorts of info you'd otherwise end up missing — and even when you do find the time to listen, it's a nice little preview and heads-up of what's on the way. 📌 PodSnacks exists primarily over email, with the initial sign-up and setup taking place [on the web](). You don't download or install anything, and it works in a completely device- and platform-agnostic way. 💰 The service is free for up to 25 podcasts per email address — which oughta be plenty for most people. If you want summaries for even more different shows, you can bump up to 50 for $10 a month. 🕶 PodSnacks does inevitably require your email address in order to do what it needs to do, but the company doesn't share or sell info in any shady-seeming way. In all the weeks I've been using it, I've yet to receive a single email beyond the show-specific summaries I requested. Now, speaking of podcasts: Time to test your tech-specific podcast knowledge... ​ This Week's Cool Tools Quiz Which of the following is not an actual tech-focused podcast? Remember: NO CHEATING! Anyone can look up info on the web. Stick with the spirit of the game and test your actual knowledge without searching. It's just for fun, anyway! [iDiot]() [Pivot]() [Waveform]() [Big Technology]() Answer correctly before next Wednesday and secure your spot on the [Cool Tools Leaderboard](=)! 👉 Last week's question and answer: Google once had a product named Google Buzz. What was it? A social sharing tool built into Gmail. Buzz launched in 2010 as an “update-sharing tool” within its existing Gmail service. Google axed it in 2011, encouraging people to use Google+ instead. 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up](=) [Thumbs Down]( Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let us know. ​ Want less email? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications — or [unsubscribe entirely]( from all of our newsletters. New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up for our newsletters](): Cool Tools, Android Intelligence, or Windows Intelligence (or all three!). Hungry for even more? 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