Gemini Advanced’s Deep Research feature was first announced for users early this month for English language.
The feature is now being expanded to more languages and regions.
Deep Research allows users to explore complex topics and convert them to an easy-to-read report within minutes.
Google has rolled out impressive upgrades for its Gemini, and as part of the upgrade, it also announced a new tool dubbed Deep Research for Gemini Advanced users, which is now expanding to more countries and in additional new languages.
Deep Research is a personal AI research assistant tool for Gemini AI users, and it is now available in over 45 languages and across 100 countries worldwide, the company announced for Gemini Advanced users just before the holidays. Users can try it by selecting “Gemini 1.5 Pro with Deep Research” from the Gemini Advanced drop-down menu.
Deep Research aims to save hours of time by “deeply analyzing relevant information from across the web,” making the AI assistant even more helpful than it already is.
For instance, if you raise a question, Deep Research “creates a multi-step research plan for you to either revise or approve. Once you approve, it begins deeply analyzing relevant information from across the web on your behalf.”
The new feature will try to explore complex topics and convert them to a more comprehensive and easy-to-read report, which can further be exported to your Google Docs.
The organized report will also include links with original sources, relevant websites, or businesses if users want to dive in further for more details. Since it’s an AI assistant, users can further ask follow-up questions or ask it to refine, and it will generate reports within minutes.
The search giant began the Deep Research rollout early this month for Gemini Advanced users on Desktop and mobile web. While the initial rollout was for English-speaking users, the latest announcement adds languages and more countries as aforementioned. The Gemini mobile app users, however, can expect the feature rollout as early as next year, according to the announcement blog post.
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Updated December 25, 12:21 p.m. Pacific: Added details of xAI’s valuation and Kingdom Holdings’ contribution.
xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company, has raised $6 billion in a Series C financing round.
The company announced this week that Andreessen Horowitz , Blackrock, Fidelity, Lightspeed, MGX, Morgan Stanley, OIA, QIA, Sequoia Capital, Valor Equity Partners, Vy Capital, Nvidia, AMD, and others participated.
Kingdom Holdings, the Saudiconglomerate holding company, invested roughly $400 million in the round, according to a public filing. The filing also revealed that xAI is now valued at $45 billion, close to double its previous valuation.
The new cash brings xAI’s total raised to $12 billion, adding to the $6 billion tranche xAI raised in May.
According to the Financial Times, only investors who’d backed xAI in its previous fundraising round were permitted to participate in this one. Reportedly, investors who helped finance Musk’s Twitter acquisition were given access to up to 25% of xAI’s shares.
“xAI’s most powerful model yet … is currently training and we are now focused on launching innovative new consumer and enterprise products,” xAI said in a statement. “The funds from this financing round will be used to further accelerate our advanced infrastructure, ship groundbreaking products … and accelerate … research and development.”
Ramping up AI
Musk formed xAI last year. Soon after, the company released Grok, a flagship generative AI model that now powers a number of features on X, including a chatbot accessible to X Premium subscribers and free users in some regions.
Grok has what Musk has described as “a rebellious streak” — a willingness to answer “spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems.” Told to be vulgar, for example, Grok will happily oblige, spewing profanities and colorful language you won’t hear from ChatGPT.
Musk has derided ChatGPT and other AI systems for being too “woke” and “politically correct,” despite Grok’s own unwillingness to cross certain boundaries and hedge on political subjects. He’s also referred to Grok as “maximally truth-seeking” and less biased than competing models, although there’s evidence to suggest that Grok leans to the left.
Over the past year, Grok has become increasingly ingrained in X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. At launch, Grok was only available to X users — and developers skilled enough to get the “open source” edition up and running.
Thanks to an integration with xAI’s in-house image generation model, Aurora, Grok can generate images on X (without guardrails, controversially). The model can analyze images as well, and summarize news and trending events — imperfectly, mind.
Reports indicate that Grok may handle even more X functions in the future, from enhancing X’s search capabilities and account bios to helping with post analytics and reply settings. X recently got a “Grok button” designed to help users discover “relevant context” and dive deeper into trending discussions and real-time events.
xAI is sprinting to catch up to formidable competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic in the generative AI race. The company launched an API in October, allowing customers to build Grok into third-party apps, platforms, and services. And it just rolled out a standalone Grok iOS app to a test audience.
Musk asserts that it hasn’t been a fair fight.
In a lawsuitfiled against OpenAI and Microsoft, OpenAI’s close collaborator, attorneys for Musk accuse OpenAI of “actively trying to eliminate competitors” like xAI by “extracting promises from investors not to fund them.” OpenAI, Musk’s counsel says, also unfairly benefits from Microsoft’s infrastructure and expertise in what the attorneys describe as a “de facto merger.”
Yet Musk often says that X’s data gives xAI a leg up compared to rivals. Last month, X changed its privacy policy to allow third parties, including xAI, to train models on X posts.
Musk, it’s worth noting, was one of the original founders of OpenAI, and left the company in 2018 after disagreements over its direction. He’s argued in previous suits that OpenAI profited from his early involvement yet reneged on its nonprofit pledge to make the fruits of its AI research available to all.
OpenAI, unsurprisingly, disagrees with Musk’s interpretation of events. In a mid-December press release, the company characterized Musk’s lawsuit as misleading, baseless, and a case of sour grapes.
An xAI ecosystem
xAI has outlined a vision according to which its models would be trained on data from Musk’s various companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, and the models could then improve technology across those companies. xAI is already powering customer support for SpaceX’s Starlink internet service, according to The Wall Street Journal, and the startup is said to be in talks with Tesla to provide R&D in exchange for some of the carmaker’s revenue.
Nevertheless, the deals — and xAI’s developer and consumer-facing products — have driven xAI’s revenue to around $100 million a year. For comparison, Anthropic is reportedly on pace to generate $1 billion in revenue this year, and OpenAI is targeting $4 billion by the end of 2024.
Musk said this summer that xAI is training the next generation of Grok models at its Memphis data center, which was apparently built in just 122 days and is currently powered partly by portable diesel generators. The company hopes to upgrade the server farm, which contains 100,000 Nvidia GPUs, next year; in a press release, xAI said it plans to fully double that number. (Because of their ability to perform many calculations in parallel, GPUs are the favored chips for training and running models.)
In November, xAI won approval from the regional power authority in Memphis for 150MW of additional power — enough to power roughly 100,000 homes. To win the agency over, xAI pledged to improve the quality of the city’s drinking water and provide the Memphis grid with discounted Tesla-manufactured batteries. But some residents criticized the move, arguing it would strain the grid and worsen the area’s air quality.
Tesla is also expected to use the upgraded data center to improve its autonomous driving technologies.
xAI has expanded quite rapidly from an operations standpoint in the year since its founding, growing from just a dozen employees in March 2023 to over 100 today. In October, the startup moved into OpenAI’s old corporate offices in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood.
xAI has reportedly told investors it plans to raise more money next year.
It won’t be the only AI lab raising immense cash. Anthropic recently secured $4 billion from Amazon, bringing its total raised to $13.7 billion, while OpenAI raised $6.6 billion in October to grow its war chest to $17.9 billion.
Megadeals like OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s drove AI venture capital activity to $31.1 billion across over 2,000 deals in Q3 2024, per PitchBook data.
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Room 237 is a documentary that plumbs the depths of The Shining, using various people’s voice-overs to guide the viewer through interpretations of Stanley Kubrick’s seminal 1980 horror film. I have no real thoughts on it; I love The Shining, but have avoided Room 237 mostly by nature of having heard about so much of it secondhand. But Pitch Perfect 237 is the sweet nexus of truth that we should all succumb to this holiday season, letting its light guide our way to 2025 and perfect goofs.
I won’t spoil it for you; it’s right there embedded at the top of the post, and I believe you came here not in search of some YouTube video to abate some holiday season slump, but rather, to really engage with something. And what better than a movie that pulls back the layers on acclaimed cultural juggernaut Pitch Perfect?
There’s a side of this that you can pull on further. You can push past the gentle ribbing of Pitch Perfect 237 and onto its larger reflection of us, the way in which humankind likes to pull at something and find patterns so obsessively we don’t know which way is up. Many have made the case that Room 237 goes too far as it fanatically drills down and down and down into a stone-cold masterpiece in an effort to find something more revealing than the engrossing madness already on the screen. The way brains can make connections so easily that you stop noticing when a hop and a skip becomes a jump and a leap. The way, if you follow a trail long enough, it all goes back to 9/11 conspiracy theories —
But no! We don’t have to. That’s the beauty of Pitch Perfect 237, a film that gives itself over so cleanly to parody that we can give into our bursts of giggles. Whether you’re familiar with Room 237’s game or not, Pitch Perfect 237 is the six-minute, 48-second masterpiece to unwind with.
I have Visual Studio 2022, and I have dotnet 9 installed.
During build, (before the build starts, actually,) I need to create a symbolic link, and I need to do so in a cross-platform way, because I am on windows, but github actions runs ubuntu.
error CS0117: 'File' does not contain a definition for 'CreateSymbolicLink'.
I found this: https://stackoverflow.com/a/51194833/773113 (from 2018) and I tried using the string interpolation syntax, and that one works, but not the CreateSymbolicLink() method.
How can I get this to work, or otherwise achieve my original goal, which was to create a symbolic link to a file in a cross-platform way before build begins?
Interactive product demos using 3D motion graphics are now one of the most recognized effective tools to put your sales engagements all the way to the top, building a more solid connection with your products or company and your existing and potential clients. These types of demos allow you and your companies to show off new products creatively, highlighting key features to efficiently convey important details to clients.
Table of contents
What are 3D demo services for products?
Interactive 3D demo services involve presentations, typically a slideshow or video, which allow users to have a more immersive engagement with products. These 3D demos explain the nature of products and their different features.
3D demo services offer a uniquely immersive experience that highlights the features of a product in a way that is more dynamic than traditional slideshows with static images.
Interactive 3D product demos are now becoming an important part of the sales process because they allow prospective customers to have a deeper and more engaging interaction with the product. This one-of-a-kind experience allows them to understand the functionality and value of a product more effectively.
Letting potential customers engage with the product through interactive demos is essential because it offers them a more unforgettable and enticing experience that traditional product presentations can never offer.
If the prospects can see the product in full action from different angles, it can dramatically enhance their overall understanding of all its use cases and features.
The use of interactive product demos as part of the sales cycle can also add a more personal touch to the sales process. The best way to craft product demo videos is with the help of 3D graphics. The most reliable 3D demo services use different software programs to come up with complex 3D visualizations of a product that can adapt to any environment or setting.
3D demo services can create more impactful and relevant presentational content by making sure that the demo is tailored to the specific interests and needs of potential customers.
Some of the best practices for developing interactive 3D product demos include understanding the profiles of the target audience, determining the key features of the product to focus on, and structuring the product demo in such a way that will encourage active participation. It also usually involves the use of storytelling tools such as 3D motion graphics to produce compelling narratives.
Interactive walkthroughs, simulated product usage scenarios, and 3D virtual tours are some of the most popular types of interactive demos for products.
How to personalize 3D product demos for specific uses and applications
Sales teams can tailor their product demos to address the specific requirements and preferences of every prospect by embedding them into personalized sales experiences. This level of personalization can improve the relevance of the demo and its effect on the sales process in general.
The use of interactive 3D product demos for live demos including during sales meetings or demo calls makes use for the real-time adaptation of presentations according to the feedback and reactions of the prospect. This kind of interactivity makes the demo more effective in engaging prospective customers.
Making sure that both the marketing and sales teams work together in using interactive 3D product demos also plays a key role in the effective presentation of the value proposition of the product and making sure that the prospect will receive and understand a cohesive message.
This professional collaboration is also a great way to ensure that the interactive 3D product demos will resonate with the potential customers and are in line with the marketing strategy as a whole.
Why use 3D demos in product tours?
The use of interactive product tours when engaging with potential customers can help effectively highlight the unique selling points and capabilities of the product.
The distinct immersive nature of these interactive demos is what makes them impactful and memorable in conveying the value proposition of a product.
Using interactive demos to showcase the use cases of a product also allows prospects to envision how the product addresses their specific challenges and needs.
This personalized approach can significantly enhance the product tour’s relevance and increase the chance of more conversions.
Adding a personal touch to the product tour experience of potential customers is possible with the help of interactive software that makes way for customizing the content of the demo according to the specific interests, role, and industry of the prospect.
Here are some of the benefits of 3D demo services that will surely convince companies to use them for their new product inventions and innovations.
VR and AR technologies’ increased recognition is greatly rooted in the sense of involvement and excitement that they can give by allowing people to have real-life, high-resolution 3D models. If you have ever been to the movies, chances are you choose 3D if it is one of the available options to fully experience and immerse in the scenes. 3D has this magic of tricking the mind and making you believe that you are in a different world or reality.
It is no secret that 2D images are usually unsuccessful when it comes to conveying everything about a product even if these images are of high quality. This is why more and more brands are now starting to invest more in visualization after realizing a bit late all its potential effects on the overall shopping experience.
Today, 3D demo services can trigger excitement among customers while promoting products at the same time. 3D product demos can be viewed by customers and even shared on their social media profiles. This can even start a new trend. There’s no need to say that the company is using 3D demo services because the technology itself is already self-explanatory.
Ability to connect with e-Commerce
3D demo services allow marketers to drive more sales online. Imagine a 3D product demo that showcases a consumable element and connects the viewer directly to the page where to buy a kit for that part. Interactive 3D demos can develop a direct path to better engagement in e-commerce.
Gain customer insights and analytics
3D product demos can be monitored and measured. That self-guided discovery that is critical for interactive 3D product demos allows customers to show the B2B marketers the things they might be interested in as well as their specific needs that they might not realize just yet.
This level of engagement with potential customers also offers an indication of the warmth of the prospective sale and helps the sales members to respond accordingly.
Reduce expenses and create better efficiencies
Interactive 3D demo services can also help the sales team save more time. Travel, logistics, and shipping expenses often linked with live demos can be reduced as well. Aside from this, the whole process of developing these 3D product demos doesn’t require significant labor at all.
For instance, most 3D demo services only need CAD files and a few background details on the functions and features of a product to come up with interactive product demos or other similar products that use augmented reality.
The final product may be slick, but the entire process required to get there is quite simple. Some marketers also get more mileage from 3D product demos by repurposing and using them again in other marketing materials.
Bring product benefits and features to life
As the adage goes, seeing is believing. 3D product demos can share the story of your product most compellingly and educationally. You can use these 3D product demos to make sure that the best benefits and features of your product will resonate with potential customers and give them the chance to stay informed with the help of this augmented user-friendly 3D format.
Generate more leads and enable more sales
Interactive 3D product demos are also effective tools that can facilitate the journey of buyers and generate more leads through a sales process with the least amount of friction.
Imagine an ad in Google taking a potential customer to an engaging landing page with interactive 3D configuration with a form to complement it. The customer can then use the form to get in touch with a chatbot or salesperson who can automate initial inquiry communications.
Other supplemental content like case studies and videos nested in interactive product demos can also offer additional resources to customers that can help facilitate conversion and engagement.
Make great first impressions
3D product demos can offer your customers an engaging and inviting experience with your products. Without limitations like physical barriers, 3D product demos generated digitally can give a realistic and an even more personalized environment by being able to look at the products up close. This level of user engagement in interactive 3D demos makes them more memorable, interesting, and fun.
How Cad Crowd can help
You can never stand out while being ridiculously similar with each and every one of your competitors. Contact Cad Crowd today to fully utilize and enjoy the perks and benefits of 3D demo services for all your company’s products and innovations.
MacKenzie Brown is the founder and CEO of Cad Crowd. With over 18 years of experience in launching and scaling platforms specializing in CAD services, product design, manufacturing, hardware, and software development, MacKenzie is a recognized authority in the engineering industry. Under his leadership, Cad Crowd serves esteemed clients like NASA, JPL, the U.S. Navy, and Fortune 500 companies, empowering innovators with access to high-quality design and engineering talent.
Here we are, the final voyage of 2024. This is the last advent calendar entry of PC gaming website Rock Paper Shotgun. Days elapsed: 24. Writers employed: 8.
Visual Studio 2022’s Connected Services features are being updated to help you start secure. In the past, for example with Azure Storage, we’d inject the entire connection string into your configuration. With this update, we’ve removed the secrets from the UX – and from what we save to configuration – altogether. This means your code has fewer secrets in it, so you won’t push those into your source control repository inadvertently.
Prior to this update, Connected Services would inject secret-inclusive connection strings for resources like Azure Storage into your secrets. If you were using secrets.json for local storage, this would result in your secrets being stored in files on disk.
After this update, your secrets.json will contain no actual secrets, but rather the Azure Storage endpoints for your service instance. Using the latest Azure SDKs, your code connects to your Azure resources using your Visual Studio or Azure CLI login. Locally, your logged-in credential does the magic; in Azure, the app service’s managed identity takes over!
Enhanced security: Fewer secrets on disk means your development process is automatically more secure, since you mitigate the potential for these secrets to be inadvertently committed to source control.
Simplified development and deployment: Focus on what you do best – coding – while Connected Services handles the tedious parts, more securely than ever.
Automated configuration: During publishing, your app is seamlessly configured with the necessary identity and roles needed to access resources, making the process smoother than ever.
Your invaluable feedback drives our continuous improvement. We’re thrilled to bring you these enhancements and can’t wait to hear about your experiences with the new Connected Services feature. Happy coding!
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has been breaking records since the day it launched as the fastest space mission in history. Now, six years after it embarked on its quest to study the Sun, Parker has set yet another record. Early on Dec. 24, the spacecraft shot past the Sun at a distance of just 3.8 million miles. No other vehicle has accomplished this feat, which could help scientists better understand solar processes.
This event was Parker’s 22nd close approach of the Sun. Previously, the closest it got to the star’s surface was 4.51 million miles (7.26 million km). NASA set up Parker’s record-setting path back in November when the spacecraft made its final pass of Venus. The solar system’s second planet has seen numerous visits by Parker, which uses the planet’s gravity to slingshot it closer to the Sun.
According to NASA, the big moment came at 6:53 AM EST—at least, that’s the assumption. The environment around the Sun is bathed in radiation that prevents the probe from communicating with mission control for several days. NASA expects Parker to peek out from behind the Sun on Friday, at which time it will be able to reestablish contact with NASA.
Parker was constructed with a unique heat shield made of carbon composite sandwiches. This allows it to withstand the intense heat during each pass. The shield is so effective that the probe’s internal temperature barely gets above room temperature, averaging 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.4 degrees Celsius). Still, Parker’s speed is also key to its continued survival after numerous solar flybys. NASA calculated that Parker would be moving at a record-breaking 430,000 miles per hour as it hit the 3.8-million-mile mark.
The data gathered by Parker is invaluable to science. The Sun is the only star which we can observe up close, and what we learn from it can help us understand the stars we can’t fly past. Parker can also help explain some perplexing aspects of the Sun. As it zipped past the Sun, Parker traced the flow of heat across the surface and into the corona. This could help scientists learn how the corona becomes hundreds of times hotter than the surface of the star. To reach its current location, Parker had to fly through the corona—it was the first spacecraft to do that in 2021.
This record-setting spacecraft isn’t done yet. With this maneuver, assuming the probe is not a cloud of atoms orbiting the Sun, Parker begins the final year of its mission. The spacecraft will remain in its current orbit, swinging past the Sun’s surface at about the same altitude four more times in March, June, September, and December 2025. You can follow Parker’s progress in NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System tool.
It’s time to find the perfect gift for the writer in your life…but the only idea you can come up with is a pretty notebook.
As writers who have spent our whole lives getting notebooks under the tree, we’re here to tell you: you can do better!
The gift ideas for writers below range from the ridiculously silly (“Poe-pourri”, anyone?) to the wonderfully useful (fingerless writing gloves). Use one of these clever gifts to make your favorite writer laugh, or simply to show you understand just how much writing means to them.
Gift ideas for the writer in your life
We created this gift guide with holidays, birthdays and anniversaries in mind. Choose one of the thoughtful gifts below, and that special writer will know just how much you care.
Here are some of the best gifts for writers:
1. Adult coloring book for writers
Yup, adult coloring is totally a trend. Why should kids have all the fun?
Studies have shown that coloring reduces anxiety, creates focus, and helps people become more mindful. Plus, it’s a perfect non-writing activity to declutter your writer’s brain. No wonder there’s an adult coloring book specifically for writers!
2. Online course for improving their writing
If your favorite writer is always looking to improve their craft, gift them a course or ebook they can absorb on their own schedule.
You can never go wrong with giving a writer a book, especially when the book is about writing. After all, most of us are self-proclaimed bookworms, and we’re eager to improve our craft.
Here are five books every writer should read more than once:
Know how you often get your best ideas in the shower? And then immediately forget by the time you’re out?
Instead of letting your gems swirl down the drain, let Aqua Notes help you capture them. This waterproof notepad, which mounts to the shower wall, allows you to document the greatest of ideas and grocery lists…or leave notes for whoever showers after you.
Gift your writer with their very own domain name, giving them the boost they need to make their writing public or start blogging.
Bluehost makes it easy to grab the domain name of your choice, and most domains cost around $12/year. If you’re not sure which domain to buy, your writer’s first and last name is a good bet, like this: SusanSmith.com. If that’s not available, try SusanSmithWrites.com.
6. Literary socks
Gone are the days when socks were a lame gift your ancient aunt gave you.
You could easily fill a whole dresser with the cool socks available these days. The writer in your life is sure to like:
7. Clever coffee mug
Keep your writer caffeinated and amused with a clever coffee mug.
Shhhhh! Writer at work! While some writers prefer the energetic buzz of a coffee shop while they write, many writers crave peace and quiet.
Noise-canceling headphones can give the writer in your life the silence (and productivity) they need to put pen to paper. Bose has a number of options that range in price.
9. Fingerless writing gloves
Fingerless gloves could help your favorite writer stay warm, while still allowing them to keep typing away—it doesn’t hurt that they’ll look stylish in the process.
Even better, we found pairs that are covered in text from classic novels. Storiarts fingerless gloves come in lots of colors and themes, including “Alice in Wonderland,”“The Great Gatsby,” “The Raven,” “Still I Rise” and “The Night Circus.”
Fashionable and practical, this is one of the best gifts for writers out there.
Photo credit: Storiarts
10. Literary jewelry
Know a stylish writer? Here are a few pieces they could add to any outfit:
Whether your writer loves Austen, Shakespeare or Poe, the JezebelCharms Etsy shop is filled with literary-inspired jewelry and accessories.
11. Novel Teas
Is your writer a tea-lover, or do they want to be one?
Novel Teas could be the perfect present, one they can enjoy while working on their novel or freelance project.
Each bag comes with 25 individually wrapped tea bags containing English breakfast tea and a quote about books from a variety of authors.
12. Literary perfumes
Inspire your writer with the scent of the masters who have gone before. Immortal Perfumes’ Dead Writers Perfume uses scents like black tea, clove and tobacco to evoke memories of first editions in old libraries.
One fun example is Pemberley: A Jane Austen Inspired Perfume. It features hyacinth, honeysuckle and peony—all flowers found in the garden of Chatsworth House, the estate believed to have inspired Austen’s Pemberley.
13. Literary tattoos (temporary)
If you want to give your writer something that lasts a little longer than a spritz of perfume—but not so long that it becomes a permanent life decision — shop from Litographs’ Literary Tattoo Collection.
Photo credit: Litographs
These temporary tattoos include famous literary quotes such as Lewis Carroll’s, “We’re all mad here,” and Jane Austen’s, “My feelings will not be repressed.”
14. T-shirt that features your (entire) favorite book
But if you look closely, you’ll see the designs on each Litograph product are created from teeny tiny words—every word in the novel the design represents, in fact. Each T-shirt contains roughly 40,000 words!
15. Literary action figures
These action figures are a good reminder that writers are superheros, too.
Your writer could use these to add some personality to their home office or stage an elaborate battle when they should be revising.
With Kindle Unlimited, your favorite reader can access over a million books, plus thousands of audiobooks, for a flat monthly fee.
If your writer already has a Kindle, this could be a good option!
20. Comfy pajamas
Every writer has days where showering and changing into “real” clothes takes a backseat to getting that draft finished. (For some of us, that’s most days.)
Why not give them a set of comfy pajamas that explains why they’re greeting the UPS driver disheveled at 3 in the afternoon? CafePress has lots of fun options.
21. Personalized embosser
Create custom stationery, give your party invitations an official flourish or ensure those who borrow your books remember to give them back.
A customized embosser allows you to stamp a raised seal with your name, address and more.
22. Edgar Allen Poe air freshener
Freshen up your car with some “Poe-pourri.” This Edgar Allen Poe air freshener is perfect for a self-proclaimed literary nerd.
Plus, according to reviews, it smells pretty good. Enjoy scents like Emerald Sea, Island Breeze and Cucumber & Fresh Mint.
23. After-work glassware
Write drunk, edit sober? Er…something like that.
Photo credit: Amazon
This literary-themed shot glass set features the likes of Dorothy Parker, Oscar Wilde, and more.
24. A Starbucks or Amazon gift card
When you want to support a writer but you’re not sure what to get them, a gift card is a safe bet.
If you don’t know which books your writer has read already, give yourself a break—and make your writer happy at the same time—by giving them a gift-wrapped Amazon Gift Card. This one even says, “Happy reading” so they’ll know it’s for books.
You also can’t go wrong with credit to their favorite locally-owned cafe or a nationally-available shop like Starbucks.
25. Writer’s clock
Give your writer the gift of soft nudges and a bit of direction with this humorous writer’s clock where each hour is labeled with a task.
Now when your writer aimlessly stares at the clock, they’ll be reminded to either “review” or “edit” something, or know it’s time to “drink heavily” and “cry.”
26. The Writer’s Toolbox
Writers everywhere are familiar with the frustrations of writer’s block—that’s what makes this gift a perfect choice.
Help the writer in your life cure theirs with this toolbox designed specifically to nourish creativity. It includes 60 exercises, as well as games, prompts and more that are sure to get stories across the finish line.
The Writer Emergency Pack is another great gift for writers struggling with writer’s block.
27. A subscription to try different literary journals
Journal of the Month sends different print literary journals to subscribers on a regular basis. It’s an ideal gift for new writers eager to learn about the small magazine scene, emerging writers seeking a home for their writing, or experienced writers in need of fresh inspiration.
The price varies depending on how frequently your writer receives journals, and if they already subscribe to some, you can opt out of those.
28. A poster for keeping track of books they’ve read
Perfect for the voracious reader, the 100 Books Scratch-Off Poster lets your writer track progress as they read a variety of books ranging from classics to contemporary hits.
This is a fun challenge, a cool piece of art to hang in at home, and a #humblebrag, all in one.
They’ll keep your writer from making embarrassing grammar mistakes before submitting to magazines or literary agents, at a fraction of the price of a real-person editor.
30. Writing-themed coasters
We love coasters as gifts because they’re both creative and practical.
Add some sparkle to your writer’s desk or living room, while giving them a place to put their coffee or tea mug (or tumbler of whiskey) with any of these cool coaster sets:
If you love a writer, tell them how much you care in a language that will make them fall head over heels: a personalized Love Book. You can customize everything from the cover to the number of pages and choose from a wide selection of illustrations and text to make a book that’s unique to your love story.
The Write Life contributor Kelly Gurnett got one of these as a gift from her husband for their anniversary, and she wrote, “It was the best gift I think he’s ever given me.” Talk about a personal touch!
33. “Being a writer is easy” mug
Writing can be tough, stressful work. Make your writer laugh a little with this “Being a Writer Is Easy” mug. It’ll be a good reminder for your writer to not take the craft too seriously when it gets complicated.
This gift also pays tribute to your recipient. Hopefully, they’ll be inspired to write 100 notes to loved ones or 100 very, very short stories.
35. Bananagrams
Writers tend to be word nerds who enjoy word games. But Scrabble feels…boring. So how about Bananagrams?
Bananagrams is an anagram game similar to Scrabble, but requires no pens, notepads or playing board. This makes it extremely easy to transport and play on-the-go.
Players race against each other to build a crossword grid off each others’ words. Perfect for a writer who loves a little competition!
Image credit: Amazon
36. Reading is Sexy swag
For a great stocking stuffer that will make your writer smile, grab a Reading is Sexy, mug, bumper sticker or button.
Photo credit: Buy Olympia
37. Literary poster
Pop Chart is known for its beautifully designed infographic posters, and its literary themed posters are just the gift for a writer with blank wall space to fill.
Check out The Cocktail Chart of Film and Literature Poster, which is available as a framed or unframed print. The company describes it as a “catalog of 49 drinks culled from great works of film and literature, depicting everything from Philip Marlowe’s Gin Gimlet to Fredo Corleone’s Banana Daiquiri.”
We also love Women of Letters: A Literary Fiction Scratch-Off Chart, which showcases the work of more than 50 female fiction writers.
38. Things that smell like books
Any true book lover savors all aspects of the reading experience—the feel of a page between their fingers, watching as a cover slowly becomes dog-eared, and, of course, the smell of books.
(If you don’t know what books smell like, then you’ve been found out, because you are clearly not a book lover.)
Give your beloved book nerd the smell of their favorite thing. If they love reading by candlelight, try these Library Set candles with scents like “antique books” and “ancient scrolls.” If they enjoy a little cologne now and then, consider The Library of Fragrance’s Paperback cologne, which the company describes as “sweet and just a touch musty, a lot like Pym’s world come to think of it.”
39. Book-lover pillow
“Just one more chapter…”
Does your word nerd say this all the time? Especially when they should be sleeping?
Then this book pillow is the perfect way to get comfy in bed.
40. High-tech pen
Why use a regular pen when you can have a cool techy one? Invest in this Livescribe Smartpen, which saves notes and audio recordings directly to your computer.
41. A bathtub book caddy
Help your favorite writer relax at the end of a long day with a hot, luxurious bubble bath, some candles and a favorite read, thanks to this bathtub book caddy.
It’s even got a spot to hold a glass of wine!
42. Bookish jewelry
Let your writer keep their favorite book close to the heart (or wrist or ears) with these pieces of literary jewelry made from real pages of popular novels like “Treasure Island,” “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
43. Literary wine
If you’ve got a wine-drinker on your hands, they’ll get a kick out of these Writer’s Block wines. You can choose from Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and more.
This fun mixology book contains 65 literary-inspired drink recipes like A Rum of One’s Own and The Last of the Mojitos.
It’s also full of clever illustrations and commentary, bar snack recipes and drinking game ideas.
45. Be Brave mug
Inspired by a Dear Sugar column written by Cheryl Strayed to a young, aspiring writer, The Rumpus Mug is an anthem for all writers, no matter what their specialty, genre or level of experience.
It’s a good reminder to go along with your morning coffee.
If that special writer in your life is a huge Scrabble fan, you might also throw in the Scrabble tile mug.
47. Out of print t-shirt, sweatshirt or tote bag
Some writer nerd clothing can be downright—well, nerdy. Out of Print tees, hoodies and totes, which feature the covers of iconic and often (you guessed it) out of print books, buck the norm and are actually fashionable.
Plus these gifts do good; for every item they sell, Out of Print donates a book to literacy programs around the world.
48. Literary insults chart
We love Uncommon Goods’ description of this product: “Relish the caustic creativity of this collection of zingers from great authors.”
The Literary Insults Chart includes some splashes of color, so it makes great wall art… and shows off your writer’s personality, too.
49. Adjustable footrest
Writing requires a comfortable setup to ease the pain of sitting in the same spot for hours on end. To ergonomically support your writer, buy them this adjustable footrest that can slide right under their computer desk.
Photo credit: Amazon
50. Back rest for desk chair
If you want your writer to be able to knock out long works of writing without crawling away in upper, middle and lower back pain, buy them this lumbar support pillow.
Most lumbar support cushions use ineffective materials like gel—this one, on the other hand, uses thick memory foam that keeps its shape and feels both soft and comfortable.
51. Subscription to MasterWriter
MasterWritersays it’s the “leading songwriting, lyric writing and creative writing software.” If your writer is a songwriter or a creative writer, consider purchasing a monthly, yearly or two-year license.
With this software, they can access a suite of writing tools that will encourage them to express themselves in “a unique and meaningful way,” whether they create songs, poems, scripts, novels or blogs.
You never know—they might be moved enough to write something just for you.
52. Rocketbook smart reusable notebook
The Rocketbook smart notebook takes the traditional pen-and-paper experience and brings it into the digital age.
This year, upgrade your writer’s musings and doodles with a notebook that is infinitely reusable (as long as it doesn’t get lost) and connects to cloud services.
Photo credit: Amazon
Yup, with this notebook, they can connect to their iPhone or Android smartphone. Even if your writer prefers the authentic feel of writing, this paperless notebook is still a great option because they’ll use dry-erase markers or a Pilot FriXion pen to write handwritten story ideas or quick thoughts—just clean off the surface with water and a cloth.
53. Give the gift of writing time
Finding the time to write is often difficult to do, especially with hectic work schedules, children, pets and house chores.
Over the holidays, support your writer by lightening their load so they can actually, you know, write! Here’s what you do: Volunteer to take 5 or 10 hours off their hands — but don’t let us stop you there—by handling their responsibilities, such as making dinner, doing laundry, cleaning the house, or watching the kids.
If you think your writer needs extended writing time, send them on a writing retreat or writing residency and split the cost. Take our word for it: they’ll be really grateful for either gift.
54. Give them writing time (but with discipline)
With this gift, you’re giving your writer time to write plus the gift of making sure they actually get it done—the most important part.
Just because we’re at our computers doesn’t mean any magic is happening, what with at-home distractions or email and social media distractions.
Help your writer solve this age-old problem by giving them undisturbed writing time that leaves them out-of-the-loop of any fires that need putting out (except for real ones), like running errands, helping kids with homework and any last-minute duties. Try to block out two or three hours.
55. An annual subscription to their favorite tool
There are a ton of awesome writing tools your writer likely has their eye on but can’t afford since they tend to be costly. Fulfill their desire to have a nifty writing assistant that will catch the errors that always manage to slip through. Start with these popular options:
If you want to be extra sure, it never hurts to ask them directly.
56. Donation to a literary cause, in the name of the receiver.
You can never go wrong with the gift of charity. Everyone’s philanthropic at heart, so it’s a safe bet your writer will feel honored you wanted to better the world in their name.
This holiday, donate to a library, literary charity or other nonprofit organization you think your writer would love to support—perhaps one that encourages children’s imaginations.
57. A one-on-one with an expert
Does your writer follow a certain author, writer or publication? Do they swoon over a particular writing coach? You know what that means: they’re dying to talk to them.
Reach out and request and/or purchase a one-hour virtual chat, or even a three-hour mentoring session. If possible, gift them a package of sessions because you know your writer has a boatload of questions.
Pro-tip: Besides Googling their name, LinkedIn and Twitter are great platforms to find professionals and their websites, so be sure to include those platforms in your search.
58. Professional photo shoot
Writer websites and social media profiles look a lot more credible with well-lit and expertly shot photos. When people see you invest in yourself, they might be more inclined to do the same—that’s why a professional photoshoot capturing both casual and executive looks makes a great gift for your writer.
Albeit pricey, think of it this way: what your writer will eventually earn from these professionally shot photos will far exceed the cost. Plus, former Managing Editor Jessica Lawlor did it and she said it was “well worth it.”
Pro-tip: Search Groupon or your Facebook Marketplace to start looking for affordable photographers near you.
59. Ergonomic wrist rest pad
Similar to the footrest and backrest, snag these wrist rest pads for your writer’s computer keyboard to complete the ergonomic setup that helps prevent carpal tunnel, arthritis and other pains. (Writing shouldn’t be any more painful than it already can be.)
We updated the post so it’s more useful for our readers. Farrah Daniel, Nicole Dieker, Kelly Gurnett, Jessica Lawlor, Meryl Williams and Betsy Mikel contributed to this article.
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life, and we thank you for that!
TL;DR: Live stream Australia vs. India for free on 7Plus. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Australia and India continue to do battle in their electric Test series, with everything still on the line. The fourth Test between these two juggernauts is going to be tense, with the eyes of the cricketing world locked on the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
If you want to watch Australia vs. India (4th Test) for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Australia vs. India (4th Test)?
The 4th Test between Australia and India takes place from Dec. 26 to Dec. 30 (in Australia). This Test match takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The full schedule for India’s five-Test tour of Australia is as follows:
Australia vs. India (1st Test) — Nov. 22 to Nov. 26
Australia vs. India (2nd Test) — Dec. 6 to Dec. 10
Australia vs. India (3rd Test) — Dec. 14 to Dec. 18
Australia vs. India (4th Test) — Dec. 26 to Dec. 30
Australia vs. India (5th Test) — Jan. 3 to Jan. 7
Fans can live stream every Test match in this series without spending anything.
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How to watch Australia vs. India for free
Australia vs. India (4th Test) is available to live stream for free on 7Plus in Australia.
If you’re abroad for this Test series, you might need to use a VPN to unblock 7Plus. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can access free live streams of Australia vs. India from anywhere in the world.
Access free live streams of Australia vs. India by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia
Stream Australia vs. India for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Australia vs. India (4th Test) without committing with your cash. This clearly isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream this Test series before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for 7Plus?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live cricket on 7Plus, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Australia
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Australia vs. India (4th Test) for free with ExpressVPN.
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