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THE USEFUL TECH
5️⃣ THE USEFUL FIVE · FRIDAY ROUNDUP · ISSUE #002
👋 HEY, IT'S RAJA
Five quick, useful things to send you into the weekend. One app, one trick, one read, one deal, and what I published this week.
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1️⃣ The app: Benkyo Box
A flashcard app that deliberately skips the streaks, badges, and guilt. There is no pressure to open it daily, because the point is learning, not engagement. You can even print your cards into a small foldable paper zine and study away from the screen. It is free to build cards, and around three dollars a month if you want it to auto generate study aids from a webpage. If you have ever quit a language app because the streak stressed you out, this is the antidote.
2️⃣ The tip: Reminders that sort themselves
Open any messy Reminders list on iOS 26, tap the three dot menu at the top, and choose Auto-Categorize. Apple Intelligence reads your loose tasks and groups them into sensible sections on its own, groceries in one pile, work in another, errands in their own. Toggle it off and your sections stay put. It takes five seconds and makes a chaotic list usable again.
3️⃣ The read: Jason Snell on macOS 27
Six Colors has an early look at macOS 27 Golden Gate, and it is the rare Apple review that sounds relieved. After a divisive year, Snell's take is essentially that Apple slowed down and got the details right this time. Worth it for the calm, clear framing of where the Mac is heading.
4️⃣ The deal: CleanShot X, 10% off
CleanShot X is the screenshot and screen recording tool I reach for daily, and Efficient App keeps a standing code, EFFICIENT, for 10 percent off. The individual license is a one time twenty nine dollars for one Mac, with a year of updates and some cloud storage included. This is an ongoing code rather than a flash sale, so there is no rush, but it is the cleanest way to try it for less. Codes do change, so confirm it at checkout.
5️⃣ What I published this week
Have a great weekend. See you Monday with a new find.
Keep it useful,
Raja · The Useful Tech
P.S. Enjoyed this? Forward it to a friend who loves their Apple gear a little too much.