I played Ransom Notes with my family a couple of weeks ago and we laughed ourselves to tears. Each player grabs a handful of about 75 words printed on magnetic strips (they look like refrigerator magnets) from the inventory. Someone draws a card from the deck and reads the instructions. Example: “Tell someone you’ve clogged their toilet during a party.” Each player has to use their word magnets to form an answer on a small metal plate. Example, “I have elaborate booty chaos please not mad,” or “did dump tough disappear.” You are supposed to vote on the “best answer,” but we were too busy laughing hysterically to keep score. — MF

I stopped using mood tracking apps a while back, because I got better at recognizing slight mood shifts and anticipating my own needs in the moment — whether that’s asking for space, taking a screen break, or hugging my dog. But now I’m back on the mood tracking app bandwagon, because How We Feel is more than just a mood tracker — it’s created by scientists, therapists, designers and engineers, so not only does it help you find the right word for your feelings, it helps you understand the science behind emotions and provides strategies to regulate your mood with elegantly produced videos, and the analytics of your mood over time are displayed in beautifully-designed patterns and colors. It’s free and I believe it’s in beta, so it will only get better. — CD

Before oil, empires fought over gold. And before gold, empires fought over spice. There were six spices that opened up the Americas, and bound Asia and Europe together permanently. Kate Humble, a BBC host, journeys to the remote geographical sources of these 6 spices in her series The Spice Trail. The depth of her research and travels are astounding. I am in awe of how ignorant I was about these substances, and now I am grateful how intimate with them her travels made possible. There are 3 sessions available on YouTube: 1) Pepper and Cinnamon. 2) Nutmeg and Cloves. 3) Saffron and Vanilla. History + Travel + Food. Highly recommended. — KK

At least once a week, I move a tabletop mirror (similar to this one) onto my desk to help with my sitting posture. I keep it just to the right of me so it’s not distracting and I position it so that if I can see myself in it out of the corner of my eye, I know I’m sitting up straight. — CD 

I only recently learned that you can configure an iPhone to perform an action by double- or triple-tapping the back. You can use it to take a screenshot or go to the home screen, for instance. I use it to open the camera app. Here’s how to do it. — MF

One of our Cool Tools podcast guests, Jeff Waldman, author of Tools: The Ultimate Guide, turned me onto the best construction screw there is. It’s the GKR R4, used to bolt together wood framing, decking, or cabinets.  As he describes in our Cool Tools Show-and-Tell video, the engineering in this tiny piece of metal is amazing. It is designed to be super easy to attach large pieces of wood together very securely very fast. In my experience the GKR R4 screws are stronger and faster than comparable screws. — KK

— Kevin Kelly, Mark Frauenfelder, Claudia Dawson

Dirt is a daily newsletter about the cutting edge of digital pop culture. Every morning we send you an insightful short essay catching you up on topics like streaming, TikTok, video games, and web3, from a rotating group of critics.

Find out why over 4 million people read Morning Brew — the free daily newsletter covering everything from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Try it out

Looking for the best business and investing insights in under 5 minutes? Check out The Daily Upside — written by a former investment banker, it’s a quality newsletter that delivers insights to make you smarter every day. Plus, Recomendo readers can sign up completely free.

Stay up to date on the latest tech affecting our world by reading Emerging Tech Brew. It’s free and over 400k people already subscribe. Subscribe for free

Read something not controlled by billionaires. There are thousands of brilliant newsletters by independent writers on every subject, from Web3 to weekly drops of new music to biographies of medieval English women. (Seriously.) All the best work is hidden away in the inbox. Inbox World helps you find it. 

Level up your career today. Sign up for Sidekick - a 3x/week free email that delivers practical ways to live your best life, while enjoying your work-life. Try it!

There’s a reason one million readers subscribe to the 1440 newsletter: it’s the ultimate source for unbiased news stories. Get the impartial rundown on topics across culture, sports, business, politics, and science distilled into a five-minute read. Upgrade your inbox when you sign up for free today.

Big projects start with small steps and small inspirations. The Orangutan is the daily newsletter that every morning sends you a short “lesson” from the best of the business. Tips, strategies, or ideas that can inspire you, give you the right push to go, or make you curious.

Recomendo Unclassified Ads work! Here’s how to reach over 55,000 subscribers.