One Cool Tip Newsletter

July 9, 2025

Your daily dose of tech-savvy brilliance!

😀Hello Rodger, Happy Wednesday, Cool Tipper!

Get ready to streamline your digital life with simple, actionable tips delivered straight to your inbox.

Today's Cool Tip Theme: Markdown in Notepad

IN THIS ISSUE

• 🚨 FBI Cyber Warning.
• 🦅 Big Bear Bald Eagles Return.
• 🤖 AI Prompt Power-Up.
• 📚 ChatGPT Prompt for Learning.
• 📝 Notepad Gets Markdown.
• 💡 Markdown in Google Docs.
• ➕ Notepad Tabs.
• 📊 Notepad Character Count.
• 🎉 Notepad Easter Egg.

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• 😂 Laugh with Us! Enjoy our Tech Joke of the Day, Haiku and Cool Tip Comics.



• 🌐 Stay Informed! Check out ICYMI, and our One Cool Tip Video.

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Check the Junk folder - Move the newsletter to your Inbox. And reply to this email with a “Hey, Rodger” or “I got it.” That tells your mail service you want this newsletter!

Today's Tech Trivia

What was the original name of the text-based markup language developed by Tim Berners-Lee that laid the foundation for the World Wide Web?

A) HTML

B) SGML

C) ENQUIRE

D) XML

Answer at the end of this newsletter.

3️⃣

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🚨FBI Warns of Ramp-and-Dump Stock Scams on Social Media🚨

The FBI has issued a new warning about cybercriminals targeting U.S. investors through fake “investment clubs” on social media and messaging apps.

These scammers promote low-priced stocks, inflate their value through coordinated buying, then sell off their shares, leaving victims with worthless investments.

Watch for these red flags:

• Unsolicited stock tips via text or social media
• Pressure to act fast on “exclusive” opportunities
• Claims from impersonated financial advisors or brokers
• Promises of guaranteed returns or reimbursement

📌 What to do:

Never share personal or financial info with unknown contacts. Verify any investment opportunity independently.

Report suspicious activity to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. More info.

And in Other News...

• Big Bear’s Bald Eagles Return After Fireworks Scare

Jackie and Shadow, Big Bear’s beloved bald eagle pair, have safely returned to their roost after fleeing during the July 4th fireworks show. The loud booms startled the birds into flight, a risky move since eagles have poor night vision and rarely fly after dark.

These eagles are internet-famous thanks to live nest cams operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley. Their sudden disappearance sparked concern among wildlife watchers, especially for their fledglings, Sunny and Gizmo, who remain unaccounted for.

🔍 One Cool Tip: You can follow Jackie and Shadow’s journey via the Big Bear Eagle Cam and learn how human activity impacts wildlife behavior. It’s a reminder that even digital nature lovers can help protect real habitats—by staying informed and advocating for responsible celebrations.

• 🚀 Make It a Great Week!!

Try this AI prompt!

Copy/Paste this AI-powered prompt. Use with your favorite AI assistant: Gemini, Copilot, Grok, DuckAI, Meta and ChatGPT.

"It's Wednesday, and I want to finish the week strong. Help me create a focused action plan for the rest of the week. Here's what I need:

– My top 3 goals:

[Insert your goals]

– Tasks I’ve already completed:

[Insert what you've done]

– Obstacles or distractions I’m facing:

[Insert challenges]

– Time I can realistically commit each day:

[Insert available hours]

Based on this, give me a simple day-by-day plan with priorities, time blocks, and quick wins I can feel good about."

Markdown Comes to Notepad

What if your most overlooked app suddenly became your most powerful? 

That’s exactly what’s happening with Notepad, the no-frills text editor that’s been tucked into Windows since 1985. 

Here's a Cool Tip: Try Markdown in Windows 11 Notepad.

Notepad just got a jolt of modernity with native Markdown support, and for anyone who writes, formats, or takes notes, this update is worth a closer look.

Most of us know Markdown as the whisper-light formatting language used on GitHub, Reddit, and countless blogs. 

But with Microsoft’s newest update to Notepad in Windows 11, Markdown gets its own toolbar, live preview, and a faster workflow—without needing plugins or third-party editors.

What You'll Gain

• Speedy Formatting: Style text in seconds using Markdown shortcuts.
• Live Preview: See your edits and formatting in real time.
• Reduced Friction: Write structured content without extra apps or tabs.

What Is Markdown in Notepad?

The new Markdown mode lets you write plain text using Markdown syntax and instantly see the formatted output in a split view. 

Headings, bold, italics, lists, links, it’s all supported. 

Notepad now includes a formatting toolbar with quick-insert buttons, plus shortcut keys for seasoned typists.

This isn’t a full-fledged Markdown IDE like Obsidian or Typora but it’s clean, fast, and shockingly effective for rapid drafts and readable notes.

🧭 Step-by-Step Instructions

Here's how to do it.

This new Markdown support is rolling out to Windows 11 Notepad. 

It's largely automatic once you update the app via the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft Windows 11 Desktop:

Update Notepad: Ensure your Notepad app is updated to the latest version via the Microsoft Store. 

The feature is rolling out generally.

1. Launch Notepad as you normally would.
2. A new, lightweight formatting toolbar appears at the top of the Notepad window. 
3. You can highlight text and click the H1 icon for headings, B for bold, I for italics, or the list icons to apply formatting.
4. Formatting is turned on by default (Settings, Formatting toggle)
5. Start a New Markdown tab
6. Go to File → New Markdown Tab
7. Begin Writing with Markdown:
8. Headings: For a main title, type # My Title and press Enter. For a subheading, use ## My Subheading, and so on, up to three hash marks (###).
9. Bold Text: Enclose text with double asterisks: **Important Point**
10. Italic Text: Enclose text with single asterisks or underscores: *Emphasis* or _Emphasis_
11. Bulleted Lists: Start a line with a hyphen, asterisk, or plus sign, followed by a space: - Item 1
12. Numbered Lists: Start a line with a number followed by a period and a space: 1. First Item
13. Hyperlinks: Use the format [Link Text](URL) like [One Cool Tip](http://www.OneCoolTip.com).
14. Switch between formatted and markdown syntax
15. Go to View → Markdown → formatted or markdown syntax.

iOS and Android

• Markdown mode is not yet available on mobile Notepad apps. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Instant formatting for clean visual structure.
• Zero setup needed—built right into Notepad.
• Great for quick content, blog drafts, documentation, or meeting notes.

Cons

• No cloud sync or folder organization, unlike OneNote.
• Limited support for advanced Markdown features (like tables or footnotes).
• Still desktop-only. No mobile or web support (yet).

Real-World Examples

Educator Tip: A history teacher preps lecture notes in Markdown with bullet lists and section headers, easy to share, clean to print.

Content Creator Workflow: A blogger drafts posts offline during travel using Notepad, then pastes into WordPress with formatting intact.

Dev Diary: A software engineer logs daily progress using ## Feature, - Completed, - Bugs Found structure—and keeps a readable local archive.

Feature Access

Available to:

• All Windows 11 users with the latest update.
• Not currently supported on Windows 10, mobile, or web versions.

Score

Criteria Score Rationale

Value 9

Great for everyday writing, note-taking, and content structuring. Saves time and reduces the need for external tools.

Usability 8

Extremely easy to access and use. Minor limitations in feature depth.

Wow Factor 7

A pleasant surprise for Notepad users. Not flashy, but undeniably useful.

Total Score: 24/30 — 👍 Good Recommended for writers, educators, and productivity-focused users.

Key Takeaways

Markdown in Notepad adds subtle power and polish to a classic tool. 

You get real-time formatting without needing plugins or pro-level software. 

It's the kind of simple upgrade that quietly improves your workflow.

Try It Yourself

Open Notepad today and try writing your next email draft or meeting notes in Markdown. 

Got thoughts or tricks to share? 

Comment below, subscribe for daily Cool Tips, and share this article with your team!

READ MORE

• Notepad Gets a Brain: How Microsoft's AI-Powered Feature Supercharges Your Text Editing
• Notepad Rewrite: Revolutionizing Text Editing with AI
• How to Use Notepad’s New Spell Check in Windows 11

Read the Full Cool Tip

🆒Tell Me More

• Markdown support is enabled by default in the latest Notepad update.

• You can toggle between formatted view and raw syntax using the toolbar or status bar.

• Notepad now supports bold, italics, hyperlinks, lists, and headings.

• Files can be saved as .md for Markdown or .txt for plain text.

⏩Quick Tips

• 🧠 Use Markdown for structure Start lines with #, ##, or ### to create headings.

• 🔗 Insert hyperlinks easily Use [Link Text](https://example.com) or press Ctrl + K.

• 📝 Switch views anytime Click the “Formatting View” button to toggle between syntax and preview.

• 💾 Save as .md for Markdown Choose “Save As” and select .md to preserve formatting.

• 🧹 Clear formatting fast Use the toolbar’s “Clear Formatting” button to revert to plain text.

✅ More Must-Read Tech Tips

🤷‍♂️How Do I Enable Markdown in Google Docs?

Are you tired of the cumbersome formatting options in Google Docs? 

Do you crave the simplicity and elegance in writing? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Use Markdown in Google Docs.

Google Docs has a hidden gem that allows you to enable Markdown for a smoother, more streamlined writing experience.

What is Markdown and Why Should You Care?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that uses plain text formatting syntax. 

It's designed to be easy to read and write, allowing you to focus on your content rather than getting bogged down in complex formatting menus. 

With Markdown, you can effortlessly add headers, lists, links, and other formatting elements using simple symbols and shortcuts.

Here's how to do it.

1. Start by opening any Google Doc.
2. Go to "Tools" in the menu bar and select "Preferences."
3. In the Preferences window, check the box next to "Automatically detect Markdown."
4. You can now use Markdown syntax to format your text!

Here are a few examples of how to use Markdown in Google Docs:

• Headers: Add one or more # symbols before a line of text to create headings (e.g., # Heading 1, ## Heading 2).
• Bold: Surround text with ** or __ (e.g., **bold text** or __bold text__).
• Italics: Surround text with * or _ (e.g., *italic text* or _italic text_).
• Links: Use [link text](URL) to create hyperlinks (e.g., [One Cool Tip](http://www.onecooltip.com)).
• Lists: Use *, -, or + followed by a space to create unordered lists. For ordered lists, use numbers followed by a period and a space.

You can export the document as Markdown for use in another application. You’ll download a Markdown file (.md).

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
2. Click File and then Download.
3. Select Markdown (.md).

Markdown simplifies formatting, allowing you to write faster and more efficiently. 

By using plain text, Markdown helps you focus on your content without distractions.

Imagine you're a blogger who frequently writes articles with headings, lists, and links. 

Using Markdown in Google Docs can significantly speed up your writing process. 

For instance, instead of manually selecting heading styles from a menu, you can simply add a # symbol before a line to create a heading.

By embracing this simple yet powerful markup language, you can enhance your productivity, focus on your content, and streamline your writing process.

Read More HERE.

👀 How Do I Open a New Tab in Notepad?

Who doesn't like a nice surprise?

Microsoft enhanced Notepad, first introduced in 1983 for MS-DOS and then 1985 in Windows, with tabs to improve the app experience.

The updated app with tabs provides a quick and easy way to keep your data organized and enables you to switch between notes.

Here's how to use it:

1. Open the updated Notepad app 
2. Click the + icon to create a new tab.

Notepad with Tabs

Besides the introduction of the tabs feature, Notepad has been updated to support emoji input and auto-saving of unsaved files.

Discover more HERE. 

🤔 Have You Ever Wondered How to Write Better with Windows 11 Notepad’s New Character Count Feature?

Have you ever wondered how many characters are in your text file? 

How about the number of words, lines, or paragraphs? 

If you are a writer, a student, a programmer, or anyone who works with text files, you might find these statistics useful for various purposes. 

For example, you might want to check the length of your tweet, your essay, your code, or your email. 

Or you might want to analyze the readability, the complexity, or the style of your writing.

Here's a Cool Tip.  Use the new Windows 11 Notepad character count feature.

Windows 11 Notepad, the simple and handy text editor that comes with every Windows operating system, has a new built-in feature that can help you with that. 

Available in version 11.2311.29.0 and greater, it is called the Character Count feature, and it can show you the number of characters, words, lines, and paragraphs in your text file with just a few clicks. 

How to Use the Character Count Feature in Windows 11 Notepad

1. Open Windows 11 Notepad by clicking on the Start menu and typing “Notepad” in the search box. 
2. Alternatively, you can press the Windows key + R and type “notepad” in the Run dialog box.
3. Create a new text file or open an existing one by clicking on the File menu and choosing New or Open.
4. Type or paste your text in the Notepad window. 
5. Edit, format, or save your text as usual.
6. When text is selected, the status bar shows the character count for both the selected text and the entire document. 
7. When no text is selected, the character count for the entire document is displayed, ensuring you always have a clear view of your document’s length.

The Character Count feature in Windows 11 Notepad is a useful tool for anyone who works with text files. 

Ready to write better with Windows 11 Notepad’s Character Count feature? 

Find more HERE. 

🙋‍♂️ Here's How to Find the Notepad Easter Egg.

Did you know that there's a hidden Easter egg in Windows 11 Notepad? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Spin the gear icon in the top-right corner of the window. 

It's a fun little distraction.

The gear icon opens the Notepad settings, where you can change things like the font, the text size, and the line spacing.

Here's how to do it:

1. Open Notepad.
2. Click on the gear icon in the top-right corner of the window.
3. Hold down the mouse button and drag the gear icon around.

You can also spin the gear icon by right-clicking on it.

If you want to spin the gear icon really fast, you can use the scroll wheel on your mouse.

Learn more HERE. 

❓Did you share this newsletter with three friends yet?

😎 Cool Facts with Numbers

• 2004: Markdown was created by John Gruber as a simpler alternative to HTML.

• 100%: Markdown formatting in Notepad uses no extra CPU or memory. Source

• 40: Notepad has existed for 40 years, but only recently gained formatting abilities.

⌨️Today's Cool Keyboard Shortcuts

Cool Keyboard shortcuts:

• Ctrl + B: Bold selected text (Windows Notepad)
• Ctrl + I: Italicize selected text
• Ctrl + K: Insert hyperlink
• Ctrl + S: Save file as .md or .txt

✍️Today's Haiku

Notepad finds its voice,

Markdown whispers structure clean,

Old tool, new purpose.

🔎 Do you have a Cool Tip or tech question? Email us at onecooltip.com@gmail.com.

😜 Tech Joke of the Day 😅

Why did the Markdown file apply for a promotion?

It wanted to move up to # Heading 1 status!

Try Big Mike's Jerky!

bigmikesjerky.com

What Does 50% Chance of Rain Actually Mean?

Master Excel Formulas with Copilot’s ‘Explain this Formula’

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How to Use Version History in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 

How to Enable Dark Mode in Microsoft Paint

Do you find yourself squinting at your screen at night while using Microsoft Paint? 

If so, you're not alone. 

The light-colored interface can be harsh on the eyes, especially in low-light conditions.

Here's a Cool Tip:  Set MS Paint to the New Dark Mode in Windows 11

Watch

When Markdown meets Grandma, things get loud fast.😁

Trivia Answer: C) ENQUIRE

While HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the language most associated with the early web, it was preceded by a system called ENQUIRE.

Tim Berners-Lee created ENQUIRE in 1989 as a personal information management system at CERN.

It allowed users to link information using "hypertext," a concept that would later become central to the World Wide Web.

ENQUIRE was never widely released but served as a crucial precursor, allowing Berners-Lee to develop the ideas and technologies that would eventually become HTML and HTTP.

It was essentially his personal knowledge base, demonstrating the power of interconnected information.

----------

Tomorrow's Cool Tip is waiting to amaze you.

Until then, go forth and conquer the tech world with your newfound knowledge!

And be sure to visit www.OneCoolTip.com for Cool Tech Tips for a Cooler Life!

Enjoy!



Rodger

Chief Cool Tipper

onecooltip.com@gmail.com

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