Scratched, faded, or torn family photos? AI tools can restore them in seconds. Here’s how to do it yourself.
Real-life prompts that go way beyond work, from sleep to date night
Image: Midjourney
After I shared my list of the best AI prompts for work, the comments poured in. “OK, Kim, but what about real life?”
What, my work life isn’t real enough for you? Kidding, great question! You know AI can plan a trip and meals or write a to-do list. But let’s go beyond that.
Here are some powerful, personal prompts to ask ChatGPT, Gemini or your favorite AI assistant. PSA: If you don’t want AI saving your chats or using them other ways, sign up and ask using a burner email address.
💭 For when you’re stuck
You don’t need a scented candle to dive deeper.
- “Ask me questions to figure out what’s stressing me out.”
- “Give me a plan to break a bad habit.”
- “I’m in a rut. Help me brainstorm five things for more energy and joy.”
Bonus: Use Scheduled ChatGPT Tasks to have it check in with you weekly. Boom! Robot accountability buddy.
❤️ For your people
AI can be surprisingly thoughtful when it comes to people you love.
- “How can I support my anxious teen without being a helicopter parent?”
- “Help me write a kind message to a friend I’ve drifted from.”
- “Create a no-screens weekend plan for family laughs.”
Bonus: Plan a night for a fun game you haven’t played yet, and suggest on-brand snack recipes.
😏 For love, flirts and deep convos
Read this before your laptop or e-bike becomes fireworks
ChatGPT
Maybe this photo is a little bit dramatic. BUT, electronics are exploding.
Everything from your phone to your e-bike runs on lithium-ion. While batteries are small energy wonders, they’re also tiny explosives just begging for an excuse to ruin your day. Or your house. Or your entire block.
📦 “Help me”: A brave woman in Florida whispered that to her Amazon delivery driver, who saw marks on her neck and called 911. The police arrested her ex-husband, Frank Mandolini, for allegedly choking her. He still lives with her and their daughter. His excuse? He told the cops he didn’t “cause her to lose her breath.” Sound familiar to you? Call 911 or 800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233), text START to 88788 or go here. I care about you.
Psst … keep it down: Got a late-night request for your Amazon Echo? Just say, “Alexa, turn on whisper mode.” Now whenever you whisper to Alexa, she’ll whisper right back.
You didn’t search it, but the ad still found you
ChatGPT
Mention taking a trip to Antarctica near your phone, and suddenly every screen you own starts pushing parkas. You didn’t search it. Didn’t type it. Definitely didn’t ask your smart speaker to recommend thermal underwear. But the “Visit Antarctica” ads found you anyway. So how did they know?
Try these April Fools' tech tricks on friends and family!
© Mbellun | Dreamstime.com
Tuesday is April 1, and I can’t let it go by without recommending some techy April Fools’ pranks! If you know me, you know I love a good gag. If you know Barry, you know he’s my most frequent victim.
These sneaky tricks are harmless (and hilarious), but be forewarned — they require a little bit of device snooping. Hey, what else do you have going on this weekend?
Your next iPhone could cost $2,300 — April 12th, Hour 1
Here’s how much tariffs will drive up the price of your tech. Wild story: Jean from the Midwest faces 29 years in prison after losing $200,000 in a romance scam. Plus, an Amazon driver saves a woman’s life, and an AI gadget records everything you say.
💸 Unused subscriptions? Fix that on Amazon. Hover over Account & Lists and click on Memberships & Subscriptions. You’ll see what’s active there. Pick the one you want to cancel and hit Cancel subscription > Cancel my subscription to confirm. Stop paying $7.99/month for “what even is this?”
One app to rule them all: Amazon never wants you to leave their app. That’s why they’re testing a “Buy for Me” button that lets you shop other sites within their app. It uses AI to handle checkout securely. Amazon says they won’t take a cut of the purchases, but let’s be real, this undercuts their competition.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🛰️ Mark your calendars: Amazon’s finally launching its first internet satellites tomorrow, April 9 at 12 p.m. ET. It’s their shot at taking on SpaceX’s Starlink and bringing high-speed internet to the whole planet. Sure, Starlink already has thousands of satellites up there, but Amazon’s betting it can win you over by cranking out cheaper terminals. Fingers crossed the satellite doesn’t come with “some assembly required.”
🎧 Old headphones, new tricks: Still clinging to those trusty wired earbuds like it’s 2012? Make ’em wireless with a Bluetooth adapter. Plug the adapter into the 3.5mm jack, pair it with your phone, and boom, you’re listening wirelessly. Here’s one for $11 on Amazon.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🎶 DJ, hit it: No need to pay for Amazon Music. Link your music service to your Amazon Echo. Open the Alexa App > More (three lines) > Settings. Under Alexa Preferences, tap Music & Podcasts > Link New Service (+) > choose your provider and follow the prompts. Now just say, “Alexa, play [song] on [Apple Music, Spotify, etc].”
75 more days: That’s how long President Trump extended TikTok’s deadline to find a U.S. buyer, and the line of interested parties is wild. Everyone from MrBeast to Amazon, Oracle and even the founder of OnlyFans is reportedly tossing around offers, with numbers hitting $100 billion or more. ByteDance hasn’t said a word about selling, though … so stay tuned.
📦 The flying chain saws are back: Amazon’s drone deliveries have officially resumed in College Station, Texas, and Tolleson, Arizona, after a two-month break. Why? Dust. Yep, good old-fashioned dust was messing with the drones’ altitude sensors. There weren’t any incidents, but Amazon hit pause to be safe and fixed it with a software update.
📦 Prime, who? Score free shipping without signing up for Amazon Prime. Just add at least $35 worth of goodies to your cart and pick “Free Amazon Shipping” at checkout. That way, you can save $14.99 a month for something fun instead. So good to know!
Alexa+ is here … kinda: The gall! Amazon’s new $20/month (Yikes!) AI assistant is rolling out to newer Alexa devices, but a few hyped-up features are MIA. Right now, you can order an Uber, get cooking advice and upload docs for summaries. Storytelling for kids, recognizing who’s in the room and chore reminders are coming. FYI, smarter Alexa is free if you pay for Prime.
Got this question from Sharon in Chicago: “How much can I make selling books on Amazon?” Be careful how you price your books. For e-books priced between $2.99 and $9.99, you’ll get 70% in royalties. Anything above or below that range drops your royalties to 35%. For paperbacks, you’ll get 60% of the list price (minus printing costs, which depend on page count, size and color). What a novel way to make a living!
Is Google the new Kodak?
Nobody’s Googling. We’re ChatGPTing now. Alphabet stock is down 25% from its peak. Ford wants fake stick shifts in EVs, scientists are growing human organs and Amazon just picked a new producer for 007. Hello, Mr. Bond. And Kim talks to Phil Michaelson, CEO of Fast Growing Trees, about how he’s able to ship trees from A to B — along with some great tips for selling online.