In your browser search bar, enter “five minute timer” (or whatever time you need) and Google will display a timer that beeps when it runs out. — MF

Because the batteries of cordless power tools cost almost as much as the tools themselves, I, like everyone else, tended to lock into one tool brand to make the most of shared batteries. But new inexpensive adapters allow me to use my existing set of batteries for any brand of tool. I can now get the best bargain tool no matter the brand of battery. This guy (Sixtyfiveford) on YouTube has compiled a fantastic list of cordless battery adapters for any of the 60 different possible tool/battery brand combinations. Check his shownotes for the purchase links. — KK

This free iOS app called Breathwrk makes it incredibly easy to start a consistent habit of daily breath exercises. I schedule to practice different methods of breathing for different times of the day. Like “Awake” to get energized at 7AM, and “Unwind” to reduce stress at 5PM. This is one of the few apps from which I enjoy receiving reminder notifications. What I appreciate the most about this app is that there are different sounds played for the duration of breathing in and exhaling, and this lets me just close my eyes and focus on breathing. — CD

Earlier this month I tweeted: “I have been trying to get better at touch typing since I switched over from hunt-and-peck two years ago. I am not improving — speed and accuracy are terrible. Does anyone know of an app or method that works?” Of the many useful suggestions offered, the best app for me was keybr.com and the best advice (which is obvious only in retrospect): “Focus on accuracy when practicing. Practice every day. When making too many mistakes, slow down. Without accuracy, speed will be tricky to increase.” — MF

On a recent episode of the Cool Tools podcast, our guest Jane Metcalfe recommended the BUBM Office Desk Pad, a 31-inch x 17-inch mouse mat ($12). I have a desk with a glass top and didn’t like how the cool glass sucked heat from my arms and wrists, so I bought the mat and it turned out to be a great purchase. It feels like textured leather and looks nice. Best of all, it provides excellent insulation between my wrists and the glass. — MF

My two favorite sources for what’s happening in China are these two blogs. Say I want to know, what are Chinese youth watching, reading or listening to? SupChina is a big sprawling website with axillary podcasts and newsletters, that comprehensively covers China’s culture and politics. Based in NYC, it’s slick and professional. Sixth Tone is a smaller publication based in Shanghai, a slower rate, often deeper pieces, more off-beat and less headline-driven. Both give me a good pulse of a rising China and can be subscribed to via RSS. — KK

When you rent or borrow a car and you pull up to a gas station to fill it up, what side is the gas tank on? Look down. In the gas gauge on your dashboard there’s a little arrow to the side of the fuel pump icon. Its direction — left or right — will accurately point to the gas tank side. — KK

Ideas always hit me right before I fall asleep. So I bought these Glovion LED Light Pens ($15/3pk) to write them down without waking up my husband. The light is bright enough to write under, but not bright enough that it pulls me out of my half-awake state. I love that I no longer have to fight that nagging urge to get up and write something down before I forget. – CD

Sometimes my obstacle is when I’ve taken something personally that shouldn’t be. Like when my husband asks me if I unloaded the dishwasher “yet” and I interpret it as an all-out attack on my productivity. My therapist has advised me to listen to the request, not the tone. But that’s easy to forget. Here is a good printout to keep nearby if you also struggle with the same thing. — CD

One of the most useful bits of advice I ever got, came from the writer Anne Herbert who said that whenever she got an invitation to do something months away or even a week away, she asked herself whether she would accept the gig/meeting/task if it was tomorrow. The answer was often no. I use that immediacy trick all the time, and it has served me very well. — KK

I have a height-adjustable chair and a sit/stand desk, but my work area was not complete until I bought this AmazonBasics Under Desk Foot Rest ($17). It helps me be mindful of my sitting posture, and I like that it swivels back and forth because I can stretch out my legs and calves. — CD

I’ve been wow’d by the Netflix series Messiah, and binged all 10 episodes in a few sittings. The initial premise is: What if a Jesus figure came to the Mid East today and started doing miracles? Would he be declared a fake? A Prophet? By what religions? A potential revolutionary terrorist? All of the above? It goes on from there in unexpected ways, including becoming a CIA thriller. The Messiah’s lines are really good. — KK

I recently read I Am Strange Loop, by Douglas Hoftstadter, which makes the argument that one’s sense of self is a mirage that arises out a cognitive feedback loop. I struggled with many parts of the book, but want to reread it because I believe Hoftstadter is onto something. In the meantime, I enjoyed Will Schroeder’s 20-minute video, called You Are A Strange Loop, which summarizes the book in an approachable way. — MF

One of our Cool Tools readers, Jon Bonesteel, recommended Rain-X Waterless car wash. He wrote, “This stuff is magic! It saves a LOT of water and washes a car better than soap and water. The resulting finish beads water like wax and it’s so easy. I was skeptical, but I will never wash a car with water again.” I decided to try it myself and I agree with him. It’s easy to use and my car is shinier than it’s ever been. — MF

Julie Zhuo, Product Design VP at Facebook, asked “What’s your most important life lesson that you wish you learned ten years earlier?” and Twitter answered. My favorite replies were “Better understand your inner child issues so that your subconscious becomes conscious.” — @AmandaMGoetz, and “The grass is always greener because it’s been fertilised with bullsh*t. Enjoy what you have.” — @pTah_XV. Here’s the full thread. — CD

My Los Angeles Library card entitles me to 8 free movies on Kanopy a month. Your local library probably has a similar Kanopy offering. It’s like Netflix for classic, foreign, documentary. and indie films. Visit the site to see what they have. — MF

For my Twitter feed I like following people who surprise me, and ideally, delight me. (Outrage is exhausting.) No one reliably surprises me with delight as much as Kurt Kohlstedt, director of the 99% Invisible podcast. His Twitter feed delivers a steady stream of unexpected discoveries and insights. — KK

While failure is to be avoided, no teacher is as powerful. The tech startup General Magic failed big time, but it was also one of the most influential companies of all time that no one has heard of. Its all-star team of tech wizards invented the smartphone 15 years too early. General Magic is a fantastic documentary about the dilemma of dreaming big versus paying attention to reality. It’s now streaming on Amazon Prime ($0.99). — KK

I enjoy browsing this website of 500+ words that don’t translate, because I’m always intrigued by the concepts I had no idea existed, like “qarrtsiluni,” a North Alaskan Inupiatun word for sitting in the darkness, waiting for inspiration to strike you, or “ razbliuto,” a Russian word to describe the feeling for someone you used to love but no longer do, or “vellichor,” which I think may be made up but is a much needed word to address “the strange wistfulness of used bookstores.” It’s weird how once I learn a word for something I was hardly aware of before that I can instantly recall feeling it in the past. I would like to know the word for that. — CD

My daughter needed a lamp to light up her drawing board, so I bought this $15 CeSunlight LED clip-on lamp with a flexible neck. She can adjust the brightness and color temperature and to provide the ideal illumination for her work. — MF