About & FAQ

New Tricks Tuesday is a short weekly letter from Uncle Gus: 5 easy AI tricks, plus 1 to get you thinking. Gus pokes at these AI gadgets first, figures out which buttons actually matter, and passes along the tricks worth your time. He’s not selling anything, and if a trick has a catch, he’ll tell you.

Questions folks ask

Can I share a trick?

Please do! Reply to any issue and tell Gus. Each week I test one reader trick and feature it, only with your OK and credited the way you like (say, “Linda in Ohio”).

Is it really free?

Yes. The newsletter costs nothing, and the five easy tricks each week work on the free version of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Copilot. The +1 Thinking Trick is a little more advanced and sometimes works best with a paid plan; when it does, we label it clearly with the plan name and price, and we tell you about any free way to try it. You never have to pay for anything to enjoy the newsletter.

Do I need a computer?

Nope. A smartphone or tablet works fine, using the free app or the web browser. A computer works too; use whatever you're comfortable with. ChatGPT and Gemini don't even need an account to get started.

Is AI safe to use?

Safe enough, with a little common sense. Don't share private numbers (Social Security, bank, insurance ID), double-check health and money advice with a professional, and remember AI can sound sure and still be wrong. Also good to know: these companies may use your chats to improve their AI, and most let you turn that off in settings.

Will you sell my email?

No. We don't sell or rent your email address. The newsletter is delivered by Beehiiv, a newsletter service, and every email has an unsubscribe link at the bottom. One click and you're off the list, no hard feelings.

What if I get stuck?

Every how-to page has big numbered steps and a copy button for the prompt. And you can hit reply to any email and tell Uncle Gus where you got stuck. That helps make the next guides clearer.

Which free AI should I use?

You only need one. ChatGPT and Gemini work right away without an account. Claude and Copilot ask you to sign in with a free account first. Free plans, honestly (checked October 13, 2026):

Google Gemini (gemini.google.com): Free, and works without signing in. Signing in with a Google (Gmail) account is optional; it saves your chat history. Lets you attach photos, up to 10 per message. Google doesn't publish exact free limits; they refresh every few hours.
ChatGPT (chatgpt.com): Free, and works without signing in. A free account is optional; it saves your chats and unlocks extras like the read-aloud button. Unlimited everyday text chat, but only 3 file or photo uploads per day, and voice chat is limited (OpenAI doesn't say how many minutes).
Claude (claude.ai): Free, but you must sign in with a free account before you can chat. Photos and voice work on the free plan, but there's an overall usage cap that resets every 5 hours.
Microsoft Copilot (copilot.com): Free, but you must sign in with a free Microsoft, Google, or Apple account before you can chat. Microsoft has been redesigning the app, so screens may look different.

Three safety rules

Never type or photograph your Social Security number, insurance ID, bank or credit card numbers, or passwords into an AI chat. Cover them up first.
Double-check health and money advice with a real professional: your doctor, pharmacist, plan, bank, or accountant.
AI can sound confident and still be wrong. Ask “How do you know?” and check another source.

More guides

AI companies change their free plans often. If a screen looks different, the idea still works. To attach a photo, look for a +, a paperclip, or an Upload & tools button.