Vol. I · No. 185Saturday, July 4, 2026Alice 93° · Sunny· Forecast →

The North Point Daily

“All the work that’s fit to ship.” The week in review from a one-person shop in Alice, Texas.

Written by an AI newsroom from the shop’s real code, every day.

Week of July 2 to 4, 2026

Saturday, July 4, 2026 · Alice 93° Sunny

« 2026-07-02Back issuetoday all back issues

14 ships · 3 projects this week

Big week. We opened a laser engraving service for custom gifts and signs after it passed safety and legal checks. We launched a course on how computers and AI actually work. And we fixed the phone number for North Point Computers, a one-person repair shop here in Alice, so it shows the same number everywhere online instead of three different ones. The real work was invisible: we made sure Google Maps and other directories recognize the shop as a real business, and we rebuilt how service pros show up in search results so people don't call someone who doesn't know they're listed.

Landscape with river, wind turbines, reeds, farmhouse, and cloudy sky.

New ServicesClipSat, Jul 4

Custom engraved gifts and signs are ready to order.

Upload a design, pick what you want engraved on it, and we ship it to you.

By The Shop · Dispatch from Alice

We opened a laser engraving service this week. You upload an image or text, tell us what you want it engraved on (wood, metal, acrylic, whatever), and we handle the rest. It's live and taking orders.

The service had to pass safety and legal checks before we could open it. That's done. We made sure the tool handles images the right way and fixed the last few things that were holding it back.

Read the full story See the laser shop

“Your tutor remembers what you asked last time.”

On New Services

This Week

New ServicesLearnFri, Jul 3

New course teaches how computers and AI actually work.

We launched a course on computers and artificial intelligence. You can take it whenever you want, wherever you are. It's designed to be honest about what's real and what's marketing.

Read the full story

New ServicesLearnFri, Jul 3

Your tutor remembers what you asked last time.

When you take a lesson with our AI tutor, it remembers what you talked about the last time. You don't have to explain what you were working on or ask the same question twice.

Read the full story

Finding A ProNPCLocalThu, Jul 2

North Point Computers phone number is now the same everywhere.

North Point Computers is a one-person computer repair shop here in Alice. Their main number for service work is 668-0599. We had it listed wrong on some websites and right on others. This week we fixed it everywhere.

Read the full story

Finding A ProNPCLocalThu, Jul 2

You can only call service pros who actually signed up.

When you look up a service pro on our site, you only see a call button if that person actually signed up and confirmed they're there. No more calling someone who doesn't know they're listed.

Read the full story

Finding A ProNPCLocalThu, Jul 2

Unclaimed business pages show you how to reach them.

If you land on a business page for someone who hasn't signed up yet, you used to get a generic number that might not work. Now you get real options. The page shows you Google Maps, their website if they have one, and a form you can fill out to contact them.

Read the full story

Finding A ProNPCLocalThu, Jul 2

North Point Computers is now registered on Google Maps and other directories.

We registered North Point Computers on Google Maps and other business directories this week. When you search for the shop online, these services can now compare information and confirm it's a real, legitimate business.

Read the full story

Off The Wire

More that shipped this week, in brief. Some of the build runs under the hood and stays there, so this is just the part we can show.

Find local service pros who actually signed up
North Point Computers phone number works everywhere now
Unclaimed business pages show how to reach them

From The Workshop

Short videos of real pieces coming off the laser. Watch one get made, then order your own.

NPC Laser

11MM SOCKET

NPC Laser

NPCLOCAL.COM BUSINESS CARD

NPC Laser

USB DRIVE

NPC Laser

LOCKOUT TAG

See all the videos Order one of your own

From The Web

Worth your time, from around the web. We follow this stuff so you don’t have to, then point you to what’s good and how it touches the Coastal Bend.

Some gear links below are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them, we earn a small cut at no extra cost to you.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) · Guide
Cybersecurity for Small Business
We like this one because it comes straight from the FTC and covers all three threats in plain language, from spotting phishing emails to backing up files and what to do right after an attack hits. No login, no paywall, no fluff, just a solid checklist any Coastal Bend shop owner can read in one sitting and actually use.
Lock down your shop’s tech Gear we’d grab: a hardware security key
Fit Small Business · Guide
59 Free QuickBooks Tutorials: Learn QuickBooks Fast (+Video)
We found a full free course — 59 step-by-step lessons with videos, written by certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors — that walks you through setup, invoicing, expenses, bank reconciliation, and reporting from scratch. No sign-up, no paywall, just sit down with your QuickBooks account open and follow along at your own pace.
Get a hand with your shop tech Gear we’d grab: a bookkeeping guide
No Dead Zones (no-dead-zones.com) · Guide
How to fix Wi‑Fi dead zones and dead spots fast
We like this one because it tells you to run a quick walk test first so you know whether your problem is weak coverage or a bad hop between nodes, and that keeps you from buying gear you do not need. It is written plain, covers small offices just like homes, and points you toward wired backhaul fixes before it ever suggests spending more money.
We fix business networks Gear we’d grab: a mesh wifi system
iFixit Answers (community forum) · Discussion
How do I get started with device repair?
We bookmarked this one because real repair folks share exactly where to start when you want to fix your own phone or laptop instead of paying someone else to do it. Out here in the Coastal Bend where the nearest big-box repair shop can be a long drive away, knowing how to swap a battery or crack open a screen yourself is just plain useful.
See what repairs cost near you Gear we’d grab: a repair tool kit
CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) · Guide
Cyber Guidance for Small Businesses
This is the free, no-sales-pitch playbook straight from the federal agency whose whole job is keeping businesses safe from ransomware, phishing, and hackers. We like it because it skips the outdated advice and tells you exactly what to turn on first, starting with multi-factor authentication on every account.
Lock down your shop’s tech Gear we’d grab: a hardware security key
iFeeltech IT Blog · Guide
3-2-1 Backup Rule Explained: Implementation Guide for Small Business (2026)
We like this one because it skips the jargon and walks you straight through what the 3-2-1 rule actually means for a small shop, including real tool picks and a cost example you can steal right now. It also clears up the big trap most folks fall into: your Dropbox or Google Drive sync is not a backup, and this guide explains exactly why that matters when ransomware shows up.
Talk to us about backups Gear we’d grab: a solid backup drive

The bigger storyHow one person ships like a crew of nine

Browse by topic

New Services Finding A Pro Straight Talk For The Pros Jobs Board Your Calls Just For Fun For Businesses More Towns In The Mail For Hire

The Shop Directory

The rest of what this one shop builds and runs across the Coastal Bend.

NPCLocal

A local-services site for the Coastal Bend that helps people find the right pro fast.

NPC Laser

Custom laser-engraved gifts and signs, with short videos that show each one being made.

Adhere

Coastal Bend direct mail: one shared postcard to 5,000 homes, one local business per kind of work.

All Brands STX

Repairs for commercial kitchen and restaurant equipment across the Coastal Bend.

brandstx

Websites, software, and branding for Coastal Bend businesses, built in public.

Boothpress

Custom photo magnets and event photo products for other shops to sell.

Get it in your inbox

The week and month in review, sent when there is real news. No spam, one-click out.