Blog
Plain notes on automation, software, and small-business tech decisions.
n8n: The Free Automation Tool That Can Replace a Lot of Zapier Work
Remember those 5 Zapier automations from last year? Here's how to run them for $0-20/month instead of $50-100. n8n is the open-source alternative that charges per workflow, not per task.
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So You Have an App Idea: What Nobody Tells You Before You Build
You've got an app idea that could solve a real problem. Before you start getting quotes, here's what actually matters for success - and it's not the technology.
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Why I Now Use Both Gemini and Claude (And When to Use Each)
Gemini 3 is incredible for large text work - summarizing documents, research, long-form analysis. For code, I still reach for Claude. Here's my actual daily workflow and why AI Studio finally earned a permanent browser tab.
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nano-banana: The $0 Design Tool That Changed How I Make Client Content
I used to pay $50 per stock photo. Now I describe what I want in plain English and get something better - for free. Here's my workflow with Google's Gemini image generation.
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2025 in Review: Why AI Became 'Standard Infrastructure' This Year
The question isn't 'should I use AI?' anymore. It's 'which AI for which job?' Here's how 2025 changed everything for Central Coast small businesses.
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Your Website Probably Has Outdated Plugins With Security Holes – Here's How to Check
One outdated plugin is an open door for hackers. Here's the 10-minute audit you can do yourself—and what to do if you find problems.
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Multi-Party Approvals: The New Workspace Tool That Prevents One Hacked Account from Ruining Your Business
If one employee gets phished, they can wipe everything. Google Workspace's multi-party approvals feature requires a second admin to sign off on catastrophic changes. Here's what it protects and how to turn it on.
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The 'We'll Handle Your SEO' Cold Email is Almost Always a Scam
Got an email promising first-page Google rankings? Google itself says to be wary. Here's how to tell if an SEO pitch is legit (spoiler: most aren't).
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The 2025 Scam Recap: Why ‘Guaranteed Growth’ is This Year’s Red Flag
Anyone promising ‘guaranteed results’ in marketing doesn’t understand how marketing works. Here’s why that phrase became 2025’s biggest red flag.
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Claude Sonnet 4.5 is Anthropic's Best Model Yet - My Testing vs. GPT-5
After two weeks with Claude Sonnet 4.5, here's my honest scorecard against GPT-5. Spoiler: Claude is still my daily driver, but both have their moments.
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