One thing worth your time

Research that runs while you do something else

Gemini has a mode called Deep Research. You give it a question, it reads dozens of pages, then writes you a report with the links it used. It takes five to ten minutes, and you can close the tab while it runs. Google lists two requirements: be 18, be signed in. Free accounts get a daily limit.

Point it at supplier shortlists, competitor prices, or a rule you need to understand. Read the links before you act.

→ Google’s guide to Deep Research

One prompt to try

Get the job out of your head

Every owner has three or four jobs that live only in their head. Ai will not do them for you, but it will turn a rough description into something a new person could follow.

Turn this into a checklist someone else could follow.
The job: [what it is], done [how often].
How I do it now: [describe it roughly, in any order].
The bit people get wrong: [what you always have to fix].
Write it as numbered steps in plain English, twelve at most.

Start with the one you would hate to explain twice.

One thing to ignore

The panic that free Ai is being taken away

On 18 August Microsoft retired three things from the Copilot app: Podcasts, Group Chat, and its own deep research mode. The coverage read like the free tier is being squeezed and a subscription is the answer.

Microsoft’s own page says you can still chat, create images and upload files for free. One feature is gone from the free app, and the same job is free in Gemini. Nothing here needs your card.