I travel with a mini-pharmacy in my day pack, particularly overseas. I use inexpensive pill organizers to hold common non-prescription remedies. These small plastic strips are sold as “7-day” containers for folks who need to take multiple pills per pay, but I put just a few doses of different medicines in each slot. I carry remedies for semi-emergencies like motion sickness, allergies, colds, diarrhea, pain, sleep aid, coughing, upset stomach, etc. I stick a tiny label on each compartment with the name and dosage, which is enough. I restock the few doses before each trip. Off-the-shelf medicines are not rare abroad, but language and branding differences often make it a chore to secure them. Using these light and compact containers I (and traveling companions) have access to a wide range of immediate treatments. — KK

My preconception of the mega-speaker Tony Robbins was shattered by a Netflix documentary on him. For decades I had the image Robbins as an over-the-top motivational speaker, a fast-talking get-rich salesman, a new-age be-yourself booster. But he is more of a fast-talking therapist or shrink. I really enjoyed the streaming doc I Am Not Your Guru and learned some things, although I still feel no need to attend his seminars. — KK

Les Revenants (The Returned) is a French supernatural television series (with English subtitles) that my wife and I are enjoying. The first episode opens with a terrible school bus accident in the alps that leaves 38 children dead. Four years later, some of the children return home, un-aged and unharmed. Spooky and fun. — MF 

More people should know about Nuzzel. It’s the sane and efficient way I consume social media without having to read it. Nuzzel displays the six most recommended links each day among all the people I follow on social media. So instead of reading those endless feeds, I read my one page Nuzzel digest and get the six best articles that are most read by my friends. — KK

Every day I get the entire internet compressed into a single page. My first stop is Hvper, which is a super aggregator that collects the top headlines of every news source out there into ONE single page. I see what’s at the top of mind in the both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, plus HuffPo and Fox News, plus Al Jazeera and the Drudge Report. Plus Reddit, Digg, BuzzNews, Twitter, CNN, ABC, Verge, Wired, and on and on. All of it! The whole news media landscape in a one-page dashboard. Each headline is clickable directly to the source. It is fast, clean (no ads!), free and magical. Must read. — KK

I feel it is important to keep up with the advent of AI, so I subscribe to a daily email one-pager which succinctly reports the news in AI each day. There is a lot happening, but this email is short and to the point. Get it from Inside AI. — KK

and 

The juiciest source I know for what’s new in the world of artificial intelligence, biotech, and the near future is the free weekly newsletter from Azeem Azhar called “Exponential Review”. His succinct list of links, annotated with his remarks and degree of confidence of its importance, are a telegraphic way to keep up easily and quickly. I’ve found much more good stuff from him that no one else is pointing to. — KK

The Crimson Petal and the White, Michel Faber’s 922-page novel about a Victorian era prostitute and a soap-and-perfume industrialist, was a full-sensory immersion into 1875 London. I haven’t had this much fun reading a novel about Merrie Olde England since Pillars of the Earth. — MF

A science fiction novel I really liked is The Three-Body Problem. It is the first Chinese-written novel to win a Hugo award. It is making waves in China and, in a new English translation, with the rest of the world. Complicated, deep, and steeped in a different view of China, it’s a masterpiece. — KK 

A fantastic two-part podcast episode from Reply All (Russian Passenger, Part 1 + Beware All, Part 2) delves very deep into the mystery of how producer Alex Blumberg had his Uber account hacked by Russians. Could it be malware, phishing, man-in-the-middle exploits, or what? Arriving at a solution required the participation of the full technical teams of Google, Uber, and independent security experts over several weeks, and still the final aha was surprising. Along the way, it’s an entertaining detective story, dishing out a serious but still understandable education in global cyber security. The bottom line: You need a password manager right now. My family and I use 1Password, which has been great. — KK

My favorite podcast these days is Reply All. It’s sort of Wired in audible format. Smart, surprising stories about the culture around digital technology. They are especially good in chasing down internet “mysteries.” Just for example, listen to episode #76 which is about the Google ad scam around lost phones; it goes way deep. Each episode never fails to enlighten and entertain me. — KK

For sketching and painting I favor alcohol-based markers. They let you blend colors like a watercolor brush, but with the convenience of a felt marker. The preferred premier markers are the extremely expensive Copics. An inexpensive equivalent for blendable markers with dual tips (fat or point) are Bianyo. I can paint quickly easily in a notebook using a travel set like these 72 Bianyo markers. — KK

These erasable highlighter pens really work as advertised, at least on non-glossy books. The eraser is smooth and by rubbing on the paper, it produces heat which causes the highlight mark to vanish completely. — MF

The best way to schedule a meeting for a bunch of busy people is via Doodle, a free easy website. No need to sign up. Just lay out all possible time slots and let everyone else go to the site, and click the times that work for them. The site sorts out the best time/date. No email tag. Quick. Painless. I’ve been using the site for years. — KK

I learned about the the task manager, WorkFlowy from a Cool Tools review. It’s a hierarchical list maker with a couple of bells and whistles, but its power is in its simplicity and ease of use. I’ve tried more task managers than I’d care to admit, but this is the one I’m going to use from now on. I pay $5 a month just to support them, but the free version is all I really need. — MF

Prices on Amazon oscillate week to week far more than you might think. Paste an Amazon url into Camelcamelcamel.com to see the chart of an item’s price history. If you are not in a hurry, you can use the chart to set a plausible low target price and Camel will send you an alert and buy button when (if) it reaches that price. — KK

Before buying something on Amazon enter the URL for the product at fakespot.com. This free service will analyze how many shill reviewers have rated a product, and award a “Fakespot Grade” from A to F. A low grade doesn’t necessarily mean a product is bad, it just means you shouldn’t take the reviews and user ratings into consideration when making your decision to buy something. — MF 

For internet security pay extremely close attention to the url bar in your browser. For just reading it’s not so important, but if it is a site that you want to log into with a password you should make sure it is secure by examining the url in Chrome. Sites that are insecure will say “Not Secure” to left of the url. (Secure sites will not display anything beyond the url.) If not secure, enter info with great caution. — KK

If you are not already using a password manager like 1Password, Dashlane, or LastPass you are inviting trouble. I am not a very security minded person generally, but a password manager on your phone, tablets, laptops and desktops is outright essential today. Let it generate strong passwords for you, keep your credit card and bank info, and supply them wherever and whenever you need them. No regrets. — KK

I’m a very happy Amazon Prime customer. The free shipping and other benefits make the $119 annual fee well worth it. I also have the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, which I use to make all my purchases on Amazon, because you get 5% on every purchase you make on the site. Amazon is offering a $70 Amazon.com Gift Card instantly upon credit card approval when you apply for a card. — MF