Save time and do more with AI.

This blog assumes that you heard enough about AI but you have not tried to use it yet.

Here is the simplest way to get started:

🌟 Save Time and Get More Done with AI – A Simple Guide

If you know how to use Google Search, you're already halfway there! This guide shows how to use Google’s free AI tool (called Gemini) to help with things like writing, planning, and answering emails — no tech skills needed.

🔹 Step 1: Open Google’s AI Tool

Go to this website: gemini.google.com/app

You’ll see a box where you can type.

🔹 Step 2: Ask Gemini for Help

You can type questions like:

“Help me plan a 3-day trip to New York”

“Summarize this email for me” (just copy-paste the email)

“Fix the grammar in this message: i hope your well”

Gemini will give you a fast, helpful answer — kind of like a smart assistant.

✈️ Example: Planning a Trip

Let’s say you're going on vacation. Here's what to do:

Type something like:

“I'm going to London from June 5–10. I like museums, walking, and food tours. Can you plan a trip for me?”

Gemini will give you a sample itinerary.

You can reply with: “Make it slower paced” or “Add a day trip to Oxford” to change the plan.

✉️ Example: Email Help

If you get a long email and don’t want to read it all:

Copy the email text.

Paste it into Gemini and type: “Summarize this”

You’ll get a quick overview.

Want to reply? Type a response and ask Gemini to fix spelling, grammar, or tone.

💡 Tip: Try Other Tools Too

Gemini is great, but you can also try:

ChatGPT (chat.openai.com) – good at writing and chatting.

Claude – helpful for writing stories or documents.

Perplexity – great for finding information quickly.

✅ You Don’t Need to Be a Tech Expert

Just type like you would in Google Search, and these AI tools will do the hard part. It’s like having a super-smart helper that works 24/7.

Want help using AI for something specific? Just ask!

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So now that you know the basics, how about something more interesting way to use AI?

If you have never used AI:

The first step is understanding how to use it. I'll assume you've used Google before, have a Google account, and are already logged in. If not, you can still follow these steps without a Google Account.

Go to https://gemini.google.com/app

You will see

First try clicking on Tell me what you can do.

You will see

Get more done

• Write emails: Ask me to write or re-write emails and even change the tone based on who will read it.
• Refine work: Request feedback, discuss different perspectives, and get help with research and outlines.
• Streamline tasks: Go from multiple tabs to one conversation by asking me to find information for you and complete tasks directly in the chat.

Learn something new

• Help with studying: Generate study plans, quizzes, and practice questions to test your knowledge.
• Create summaries: Get an overview of reports or lecture notes, including key points and takeaways.
• Translate text and check grammar: Ask me to translate text or edit your grammar and sentence structure. I can even help you practice your pronunciation.

Boost your creativity

• Generate images: I can quickly design images, mock up logos, illustrate bedtime stories, and add text to photos.
• Compose a song or story: Prompt me to write something that will capture a memory or delight a loved one.
• Explore different styles: Envision your work across a range of approaches, visual genres, and copy formats.

Since you are used to searching on Google, you can try the same search at Gemini to begin with.

When you get a response, reply with what your needs are more specifically. Example: You asked for "How do I use Google Gemini for my travel"

Do that first in Google search.

Do the same in Gemini.

Let's imagine you're already visiting a place and your trip is booked. Open a Google Document (or Microsoft Word document). In any format, type the details of your trip: From, To, Departure, Arrival. Then, describe how much free time you have and on which days. Describe your likes and dislikes, as well as your physical capabilities and limitations. At the end, ask a question in the same document, such as: 'Suggest a detailed plan for me.'

Now copy and paste all this in Gemini.

If you want a different response, tell Gemini what you didn't like about the previous one and what you're looking for.

Now, copy and paste that into the document.

Finally, ask Gemini to summarize it.

Congratulations! You've started using AI.

You can do the same with other topics besides travel by first creating a document outlining your plan and interests, and then asking a question at the end. This document provides 'context' for the question you're asking the AI. It's often referred to as a 'context file.'

You can now use the same context file and try the same at

https://chatgpt.com/

and a bunch of others which I will not mention here.

One common way of using AI is to summarize a huge document in the form of a PDF file or a link to a public web site with lots of info or a youtube video.

Then simply ask

"Summarize it" or "explain it to a retired person" or "explain it to an elementary school kid"

If you have a long email from someone, copy and paste it in Gemini and ask for Summary. 

Then you can go back to the email and start your reply and compose the reply.

Copy and paste the reply and ask "rewrite it to correct grammar" or "rewrite it to make it short and concise and yet polite and professional"

Problem with your Wifi? Last updated Apr 30 2025.

Follow simple steps and see if that helps.

If you are using the ISP provided modem:

Wi-Fi built-in to the modem provided by Comcast/Xfinity, ATT, T-Mobile or another ISP usually is not the best Wi-Fi.

If you are in a small apartment, just place the modem at a high point like on the top of a bookcase (not behind the TV or on the floor). Don’t place it at floor level, or where it can be blocked by a device such as a TV, fridge, kitchen or laundry appliance, or microwave. Any of these things can block the signal.

If relocating the modem fixes things, you are done.

If you disable wifi in the ISP modem and use your own single router:

Be aware that there are security concerns with TP Link routers. Right now, brands like Asus or Netgear are often recommended. The ASUS RT-BE58U is a good choice. 

Disabling Wi-Fi in the ISP modem is easiest if you connect a laptop with an Ethernet network cable to the ISP provided modem. Then, follow the instructions on the back of the router to login to the router. You must do this anyway to change the administrator password on the ISP provided router for your security. 

Your ISP-provided modem has a router which gets what is called WAN (Wide Area Network) IP address from your ISP, and your router performs “DHCP,” which provides what are called LAN (Local Area Network) IP addresses, typically 192.168.1.x. If you use your own Wi-Fi router, look for a YouTube video of your ISP-provided modem to disable DHCP, so that it passes through the WAN IP address to your router. Otherwise you have what is called double NAT (External to internal Network Address Translation). With double NAT, things will still work, but you’ll have additional latency or loss of performance.

Remember to place your wireless router to a high vantagepoint.

If that helps, you are done. Your own router is much better than the ISP.

If you need better coverage because you have a big apartment or townhouse or single family home with 2 or more floors:

You will need a Mesh router. Be aware that you are now getting into more complex territory. You need a minimum of 2 units. Some systems connect to your main router using an Ethernet cable, while others connect wirelessly. At the time of this writing in Apr 2025, Eero such as Amazon Eero 6+ mesh wifi system - Supports internet plans up to a Gigabit, Coverage up to 3,000 sq. ft., Connect 75+ devices, 2-pack $180 is probably the cheapest.

The connection of the main mesh unit which connects to the ISP Modem and guidance for the placement is the same as a single router.

The 2nd one gets complex. If you are super lucky, a 2nd unit placed high in the weakest location of coverage connected wirelessly to the main unit is all you need.

If you are not lucky and you are renting and cannot run a wire from the main mesh unit to the 2nd unit, your next best choice is called Powerline network. Welcome to more trouble. 

If the wireless connection between the mesh stations isn't great, there's a trick using your power outlets called "powerline." Imagine sending the Internet signal through your electrical wires. It can work, but it's a bit complicated. For it to work well, both outlets you're using need to be on the same "electrical phase" (think of it like being on the same main wire).
Figuring this out can be tricky. If you're lucky, the outlets are connected to the same circuit breaker in your electrical panel. 

If not, you might need a voltmeter set to  (a tool to measure electricity) and a long extension cord to test it. If the reading between the hot (smaller rectangular) and both ends is zero, they're likely in the same phase. If it's a higher number (like 240v), they're not. Find another outlet.

There are devices like the TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Adapter that you can plug in. One end connects to your main mesh unit local port with a short network cable, and the other Powerline adapter on the receiving end has a network outlet to connect to your 2nd mesh unit. In the image below, the router on the sending end is your main mesh unit and on the receiving end instead of the TV you connect the 2nd mesh unit.

If it works, you are done. If you still need more coverage, adding more mesh units might or might not help because they interfere with each other.


What if the mesh unit is not working well and you have dropped connections?

Now you are in prosumer territory. Look at devices such as unifi cloud gateway.

https://techspecs.ui.com/unifi/cloud-gateways/ucg-ultra?s=us
The gateway connects to your ISP modem. The one called Cloud Gateway Ultra has 1 port to connect to your modem and 4 ports for your devices which are meant to be connected to your own access points. If you came this far, look at you-tube videos on unifi.

The minimal unifi system is a cloud gateway with a builtin wireless router. That may just be enough for your apartment instead of 2 mesh units.
https://ui.com/us/en/cloud-gateways/wifi-integrated/express
https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/cloud-gateways-wifi-integrated/products/udr7?s=us&l=en

If you own your own home, best to connect the access points to the main unit with cat 6 or better cable without a coupler or a network jack in between.

Hope this helps.

Is it time to buy OLED TV? Do you need 8K TV?

LG was the first to market with OLED and Sony uses LG panels. Sony is known to have the best video processor. For a 65" TV Sony is about 50% more than LG and you really may not see the difference IMHO.

However, it has been documented and observed that 2018 model LG OLED TVs have burnin. If you watch a channel like CNN for a long time and you change channel, you will see the CNN logo on the bottom right.  I followed all the announcements by LG on the 2019 OLED TVs and I see no mention of a fix. So, buy it at your own risk.

What is the next best?

It is Quantom Dot LED. Samsung calls it QLED. You can get it for much less if you buy Vizio P series Quantum.

I own a Vizio P Series non-Quantum and it is more than OK. In fact a friend bought Vizio M series 65" for $800 and if I have to comment on visual quality with 10 for Vizio P Series non-Quantum, I would say Vizo M Series is a 7 and QLED or P series Quantum is probably a 12 and OLED a 15 (but there is burnin).

Want to get the best bang for the buck? Look into TCL 6 Series.

Do you need 8K? Hardly any content even at 4K for video. Forget about 8K. In fact, quite a bit of broadcast, cable and streaming is 720p and some 1080i, 1080p and I cannot tell the difference on 4k TV. My photos and video clips are the only use case for 4K TV. For 8K TV, the only use case would be photos. Unless you have lot of cash to burn and want to be the bleeding edge adopter, I would wait for 8K  TV 65" to come down to $3k and then buy a 4K Quantum LED for a bargain. When LG and Sony do not even mention the burnin issue, I am not sure when they would find a solution.

If you use streaming services consider Google TV builtin and mini led.

Hope this helps a bit.