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Justin Pot

Justin Pot is a freelance journalist who helps people get more out of technology.

If you've ever searched online for a specific tech problem you've read Justin's work, because he's been doing it for a long time. Since 2009, he has written tutorials and essays about technology for outlets including WIRED, The Atlantic, PCMag, Popular Science, How-to Geek, and The Wall Street Journal. For Lifehacker, he mostly writes about software, with a particular focus on open source programs and indie apps.

Justin has a bachelor's degree in Communications and International Relations. He once worked in marketing for a software company and hated it, but it did teach him a lot about why software tends to get worse over time in large companies. He lives in Oregon with his cat (and his wife). He enjoys brewing beer, exploring nature, and spending time with friends. You can follow Justin on Mastodon and Bluesky, or sign up for his newsletter, Connectivity.

MORE BY Justin

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Digg Is Coming Back (Sort Of)
 
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This Tool Turns Any Wikipedia Topic Into an Interactive Timeline
 
A screenshot of Copilot for Mac explaining who Justin Pot, who wrote this article, is.
I Tried Microsoft Copilot’s Mac App, and You Probably Shouldn't
 
Three screenshots of the app Drinkable. The first shows a checkbox of ingredients, the second the recipe for a gimlet, the third a short list of cocktails you can make with the current ingrediants
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The Obsidian page on the iOS App Store
This Note-Taking App Can Replace Four of the Most Popular Productivity Tools
 
A beautiful faux-MySpace page complete with Nyan cat background, stripped panels, and an obscure song choice
This Site Gives Your Bluesky Profile a MySpace Makeover
 
A powershell window with the command "sudo make me a sandwich"
Windows Finally Has a 'Sudo'-Style Command Too
 
Three screenshots from Android—one showing the file being downloaded, one stating that unknown apps aren't allowed, and a third showing the setting that needs to change.
How to Sideload Android Apps (and What to Watch Out For)
 
A screenshot of WinUtil showing various tweaks alongside checkboxes.
This Is the Ultimate Tool for Setting Up a New Windows Computer
 
Screenshot of Beeftext
'Beeftext' Is the Best Free Text Replacement Tool for Windows
 
Two pictures of me in front of AI-generated backgrounds—one in space and one at an underwater dinner party
I Tried YouTube's AI Video Generator, and I'm Scared
 
OCRmyPDF can be used to highlight and copy text in a PDF document, as shown here
This Free Tool Can Help You Search and Copy (Nearly) Any PDF
 
A screenshot of a CSV file
Use This App Instead of Excel to Directly Edit CSV Files
 
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NewPipe Is an Ad-Free, Privacy-Respecting YouTube App for Android
 
An Android home screen in a window on a Mac
How to Control an Android Phone From Your Computer
 
Laptop with modified Google home search page showing the Google logo with censored letters
Swear at Google Until It Hides AI Search Results
 
A LosslessCut window showing a video of macaws at a claylick.
This Tool Lets You Trim Videos Without Converting Them
 
A screenshot of a playlist
'Liked Songs Manager' Automatically Turns Your Spotify Likes Into Playlists
 
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Your Phone Makes a Great Reading Device, Actually
 
A screenshot of the text replacement feature on macOS
How Autoreplace Fixed My Worst Writing Habit