Tech Productivity Issue #308 (Using a 4K TV as a Monitor)

Issue #308 (Using a 4K TV as a Monitor) 01/06/25

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I guess it was inevitable to see this suggestion at some point: Use an 8K TV as a monitor. The author suggests this for programming, word processing, and other types of work, to replace a dual-display setup that's common among programmers and other tech professionals.

While he does recommend it, he also provides a valuable list of pros and cons and covers some specific types of work that could benefit from such a display.

If you're interested in a further discussion of the topic, there's an extensive Hacker News thread where the author answers some questions.

Space and cost are factors to consider for such a change, but I can definitely see how this would be productive for certain types of work. It would be interesting to see if this becomes more common in the years to come now that large, high-resolution displays are much lower in cost.

Now on to this week's hand-picked productivity links!

Tools & Apps

Pointer AI — A Chrome extension that adds an AI-powered copilot to your Google Docs experience, with similar copilots coming soon for Sheets and Slides.

Invoice.pizza — A simple online tool made by someone frustrated with similar complex tools, to generate invoices for freelancers and small businesses.

Shared Team Calendar — A Microsoft Teams plugin that lets you add a manageable combined calendar for team and channel events, so you can view your team's full schedule of appointments, meetings, vacations, etc.

Meco — A newsletter reader that includes AI audio roundups, newsletter recommendations, and bookmarking. Supports email signup via Gmail, Outlook, or your own unique Meco email address. sponsor

Focu — A mindful productivity app for Mac that lets you transform your work day through AI-powered guidance, meaningful conversations, periodic check-ins and focused work sessions.

Resumatic — A ChatGPT-powered resumé builder with sharing features, pixel-perfect formatting, resumé analysis, writing guidance, sorting/grouping, and more.

GetOverview — A tool to simplify project management with features to easily plan projects, track progress, and manage timesheets.

Articles & Resources

The Key Lessons from 10 Important Books on Productivity — The intro includes a quick summary of five important points gleaned, followed by the ten larger points with links to all the books.

5 Ways to Escape “Survival Mode” and Reduce Stress at Work — Some practical strategies to help you conquer burnout and achieve a state of calm and focused productivity.

Stop Protecting Your Old Self (The Real Root of Procrastination) — "The more something feels like a threat to your identity, the more likely you are to avoid it." There is certainly some truth to that statement from the article.

Tim Ferriss's 5-Bullet Friday — The popular author and lifestyle consultant has a newsletter you might enjoy where he sends out the five coolest things he's found or explored that week. sponsor

The Difference Between a Growth Mindset and a Reset Mindset — A short excerpt from a new book by productivity expert Penny Zenker that discusses the two concepts (growth vs. reset), the latter of which helps to reassess and reinvent.

Exercising Helps You Live Longer No Matter When You Start, Study Says — Some data-based good news for those getting older and worried about health, based on a large-scale study published in JAMA Network Open.

Schedule the Meeting Before Completing the Work — A short but interesting take on meetings, encouraged here but normally blamed for hindering a team's productivity.

Suggestions?

Have a suggestion for a productivity-related tool, article, or other resource? Send me a direct message via X (@LouisLazaris) and I’ll consider including it in a future issue.

Stay productive!

Louis
techproductivity.co
@LouisLazaris

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