Tech Tools for Fall: A Little Support Goes a Long Way (Part 3 of 3)

We live in a time when information about nearly anything is instantly within reach, and while I feel fortunate for that, it can also feel overwhelming. There’s so much I want to read, watch, and learn, but never enough time to get to it all. And with the holidays and end of year looming, my to-do list seems to be filling up faster than pumpkin spice coffees. That’s why in this third (and last) installment of my fall tech tools blog series, I’ll be covering resources that help consume online content smarter and keep your to-dos organized and on track.

October also happens to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to revisit best practices and share resources on navigating online content safely and responsibly. Did you know that October is also full of observances that celebrate innovation and technology from National Techies Day and U.S. Media Literacy Week to Back to the Future Day? I’ll be sharing some of those as well.

Efficiency Tools for Consuming Online Content and More

One reason why I really enjoy audiobooks and podcasts is that I can do other things at the same time (ex: clean, shelve, set up a display, decorate) and I found myself wishing that I could do the same with the online articles that I bookmarked for later. Well, it turns out that I can! Microsoft Edge Read Aloud and Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader allow me to do that:

Microsoft Edge Read Aloud is a built-in browser tool that reads webpages aloud. For a more natural sounding voice I prefer the Microsoft Guy Online (Natural) – English (United States) option. You can also speed up or slow down the pace.

Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader is a Chrome extension that also reads webpages aloud and allows you to step away from your screen to do other tasks. For a more natural sounding voice I like the following options: Google UK English Male, Google UK English Female, and Google US English. You can adjust the speed and pitch to make it sound as natural as possible.

Read Aloud extension options window showing voice selection menu with 'Google UK English Male' highlighted, plus sliders for speed, pitch, and volume.

The read aloud feature is also available on your iPhone and Android devices. However, not all websites support this feature.

For a more focused reading experience, I use Reading mode on Google and Immersive Reader on Microsoft Edge. These built-in browser features simplify webpages into clean, distraction-free layouts, no images or ads. You can also adjust the font, text size, letter and line spacing, and background color.

Image on the left: Google Chrome menu open, showing options including Reading mode and More tools, with red circles highlighting menu button, Reading mode, and More tools.
Image on the right: Microsoft Edge menu open with Immersive Reader option highlighted in red.

Tools to Keep You on Track

The following tools help you stay organized and focused as you juggle projects and daily tasks.

Momentum – I love this Chrome extension. It replaces new tabs with to-do lists (tasks), daily inspiration, and focus reminders. You can customize it to match your interests and goals, and the beautiful images paired with motivational quotes make tackling my to-do list feel less stressful and more manageable. Momentum not only keeps me organized, but calm, too.

Browser new tab dashboards showing daily goals, tasks, time, and inspirational quotes with background photos, some elements highlighted in red.

Google Keep is an oldie but a goodie. This tool allows you to create to-do lists easily and quickly. Also:

It syncs across devices, so your lists are always with you.
You can share this with others for collaboration or project management purposes.
You can set reminders tied to time or location.

Trello is a more advanced organizational tool, but it’s easy to use. It is also an older tool, but it’s still very effective. In addition to creating to-do lists, you can create visual project boards that can be used for group projects, planning events, managing grants, budget planning, staff training schedules, and more. You can also:

Assign tasks to specific people with due dates and checklists.
Comment, attach files, and tag others right inside cards.
Track progress together since updates happen in real time.

Side-by-side view of task boards: Trello with columns for Upcoming, In Progress, and Done, and another task board showing an inbox and to-do list with drag-and-drop tasks.

October: More than Pumpkins

I knew October was full of important observances like Breast Cancer Awareness, National Bullying Prevention Month, and Digital Citizenship Week, but l recently discovered it celebrates many techie, fun, and nerdy themes too. Here are a few I wanted to highlight:

Tech and Innovation

Banner reading “Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Building a Cyber Strong America” with a shield graphic featuring images of technology and infrastructure.

Promotes online safety, digital responsibility, and keeping your digital life protected. The following are great resources to use not just with patrons but in our everyday life as well:

Person relaxing on a beach chair facing the ocean with the words “Information Overload Day October 20, 2025” written across the image.

October 20 – Reminds us that being flooded with too much information can be overwhelming and stressful and encourages us to slow down and find balance and focus in this age of information overload.

Illustration for International Animation Day 2025 showing a person looking toward a beam of light filled with animated figures and symbols.

October 28 – Honors the art of animation and celebrates the first public showing of moving pictures in Paris in 1892.

Image showing a calendar note for October 29th and an internet cable, with text reading “International Internet Day October 29.”

October 29 – Marks the anniversary of the first internet connection between two computers made on October 29, 1969.

Vintage microphone and radio on a wooden table with text reading “World Audio Drama Day October 30.”

October 30 – Recognizes the creativity of audio storytelling and marks the anniversary of the famous 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds, which showed how powerful sharing stories through sound can be.

Fun and Nerdy
- National Frankenstein Day – October 31
- National Candy Corn Day – October 30
- Punk for a Day – October 25
- Smart is Cool Day – October 22
- Dictionary Day – October 16
- I Love Yarn Day – October 11

I love that October has so many days celebrating technology, creativity, and learning, and these are just a few of them!

Black stage spotlight shining a beam of light downward and the words “Resource Spotlight.”

Reading Rainbow is back! This show meant so much to many of us growing up, and it’s wonderful to see that a new generation will get to enjoy the same magic we did. It relaunched on October 4, and you can check out the first episode here.

Wrapping Up the Fall Tech Tools Series

We’ve reached the end of the Tech Tools for Fall series! Over the last three months, we’ve looked at smarter ways to manage information, take care of ourselves, and stay safe online. Whether you’ve adopted one new app or explored a new idea, my hope is that a few of these tools have made your day-to-day a little easier.

Questions? Let’s connect! Have a tool to share? Send it my way and I’ll spotlight staff picks! etdominguez@tsl.texas.gov

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