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Guides · 51 articles

Guides

These guides cover recording conversations and running AI on your own computer. Start with the task you want to complete, then choose the hardware or software that supports it. Every guide names what its judgement rests on: hands-on use, manufacturer figures or published tests. The evidence policy is the same as the one on our methodology page.

EXPLAINER · 9 MINAI NOTE TAKERS What good sales call notes capture (besides the transcript) Good sales call notes record what a transcript cannot show at a glance: the buyer's problem and its cost in their own words, who decides and how, budget and timing, objections and competitors mentioned, and the agreed next step with an owner and a date.

EXPLAINER · 10 MINAI NOTE TAKERS What IT should check in a meeting recorder for Zoom, Teams and Google Meet Before approving a cross-platform meeting recorder, check five things: how it captures meetings on Zoom, Teams and Google Meet (bot, desktop app or both), whether SSO and SCIM are on the plan you will actually buy, what admins can enforce (auto-join rules, retention, AI-training opt-out), whether its bot is recognised by the platforms' bot defences, and where audio and transcripts are stored.

EXPLAINER · 11 MINAI NOTE TAKERS What to compare in AI interview note-taking tools Compare eight things: where the tool can record (video, phone, in person, with or without a bot); how its notes map to your scorecards and sync to your ATS; whether its AI only summarises or also scores candidates; how candidates are told, opt out and get data deleted; how long recordings are kept and searched; accuracy on accents, jargon and speaker names; security and model-training terms; and the real price per interviewer.

EXPLAINER · 9 MINAI NOTE TAKERS Why speaker identification matters in interview transcripts Speaker identification matters because an interview transcript is only evidence if each line is pinned to the right person: a quote, a hiring judgement or a search for "what did the candidate say about salary" all depend on it.

EXPLAINER · 10 MINAI NOTE TAKERS Why transcription tools struggle with overlapping speakers Transcription tools struggle with overlapping speech because most speech recognisers are built to decode one voice at a time and most speaker-diarization systems assign each moment to a single speaker.

EXPLAINER · 7 MINAI RECORDERS Does Plaud need a subscription? Plans and free minutes explained Explainer on Plaud's plans: what the free Starter tier includes, what Pro and Unlimited cost, and when a subscription is worth paying for.

EXPLAINER · 8 MINAI RECORDERS Does Pocket AI need a subscription? What is free and what is not A researched guide to Pocket's free core features, what Pocket Pro adds, and how Pocket's subscription cost compares with Plaud's minute-based plans.

EXPLAINER · 5 MINLOCAL AI How much RAM do you need to run a local LLM? A researched guide to local-LLM memory needs: weights, context cache and runtime by model size and quantisation, and which mini PC tier fits each model.

PowerShell on Windows 11 running a model with ollama run, the reply on screen

HOW-TO · 8 MINLOCAL AI How to install Ollama on Windows 11 (Ryzen AI mini PC) How-to guide for installing Ollama on a Windows 11 Ryzen AI mini PC: installer, Radeon iGPU offload, model sizes and Open WebUI, from upstream documentation.

Laptop showing a video meeting with the recording menu open, a card recorder on the desk beside it

HOW-TO · 10 MINAI RECORDERS How to record a Microsoft Teams meeting A step-by-step guide to recording a Microsoft Teams meeting: the menu path, who has permission, where the recording is saved, and how to get a transcript.

Hand holding an iPhone with a card-sized AI voice recorder attached to the back

HOW-TO · 8 MINAI RECORDERS How to record a phone call on iPhone (built-in, apps and AI recorders) How to record a phone call on iPhone: the built-in iOS feature, what it announces, and when an AI recorder such as Notta Memo or Plaud Note Pro is the better route.

Laptop showing a video call with the meeting controls visible, a card recorder on the desk beside it

HOW-TO · 9 MINAI RECORDERS How to record a Zoom meeting (and get an AI transcript) A step-by-step guide to recording Zoom meetings as host or participant, finding the files, and getting an AI transcript, with the AI-recorder alternative.

Hands holding a phone with the Plaud app open next to a Plaud Note Pro recorder

HOW-TO · 8 MINAI RECORDERS How to use the Plaud Note Pro: setup to first summary A step-by-step guide to using the Plaud Note Pro from unboxing to your first AI summary, based on Plaud's own setup, app and help-centre pages.

A closed notebook and a slim wearable recorder on a white desk

EXPLAINER · 6 MINAI RECORDERS Is Plaud HIPAA compliant? A researched guide to Plaud's HIPAA position: what Plaud promises, what a BAA covers, and what clinicians must check before recording patients.

HOW-TO · 7 MINLOCAL AI llama.cpp with Vulkan on a Radeon iGPU A documentation-based guide to running llama.cpp with the Vulkan backend on Radeon integrated graphics, including the Vulkan-versus-ROCm choice and a first model run.

A Windows mini PC beside a Mac mini on a desk

EXPLAINER · 5 MINLOCAL AI Mini PC vs Mac mini for AI Researched guide to choosing between a mini PC and a Mac mini for local AI: platforms, memory, price and software support, with prices checked 2 October 2026.

Simple bar graphic comparing an NPU and a GPU on the same task

EXPLAINER · 8 MINAI PC HARDWARE NPU vs GPU: which runs AI better on a mini PC? Explainer on NPU vs GPU for local AI on a mini PC: what each processor does, which runs local LLMs and background AI features better, and how the Radeon 890M and XDNA 2 NPU split the work.

EXPLAINER · 6 MINLOCAL AI NVIDIA DGX Spark vs Strix Halo mini PCs A researched platform comparison of NVIDIA DGX Spark and Strix Halo (Ryzen AI Max+ 395) mini PCs: ecosystems, memory, bandwidth, prices and which to buy.

EXPLAINER · 8 MINAI RECORDERS One-party vs two-party consent states: can you use an AI voice recorder? Plain-English guide to one-party and all-party (two-party) consent states, which states require everyone's permission, and what that means for AI voice recorders.

Two silver mini PCs side by side, labelled HX 370 and AI Max+ 395

EXPLAINER · 5 MINAI PC HARDWARE Radeon 890M vs Radeon 8060S: what the iGPU means for AI and gaming Researched guide to the Radeon 890M and Radeon 8060S: compute units, the mini PCs that use each, and what the difference means for local AI and gaming.

HOW-TO · 8 MINLOCAL AI Run local LLMs on the Ryzen AI NPU with Lemonade Server A documentation-based walkthrough of Lemonade Server on Ryzen AI hardware: what it is, how to install it, how to run a model on the NPU, and how the NPU and iGPU routes differ.

Two silver mini PCs with Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 and HX 370 badges

EXPLAINER · 6 MINAI PC HARDWARE Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 vs HX 370: what changed? A researched comparison of AMD's Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 and HX 370: specs, NPU throughput, the mini PCs that use each chip, and which version to buy.

Silver mini PC on a desk with its rear ports visible

EXPLAINER · 6 MINAI PC HARDWARE Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo) explained A researched explainer of AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo): what the platform is, how the Max+ 395 differs from the 390, 388 and 385, which mini PCs use it, and what it is good and bad at.

EXPLAINER · 7 MINAI PC HARDWARE What is an AI PC? (and is a Copilot+ PC different?) An explainer of what the AI PC label covers, what Microsoft's Copilot+ class requires, where Windows Recall fits, and whether you need one at all.