The MSG Sphere in Vegas, the world’s largest spherical building, lit up its exterior for the first time with a stunning display of 1.2 million LEDs.
Tech that rescues your family lore
Kim Komando via Remini
That’s my dad in the photo. I used a tool called Remini (more about it below) to sharpen and enhance the image. Pretty amazing, right? The original is on the left, and the clearer, AI-upgraded version is on the right.
I bet you probably have boxes (or albums or old hard drives) full of family photos, some faded, some scratched and some that never made it past black and white. But here’s the thing, they’re priceless. They’re time machines. And right now, they’re just degrading.
That’s where tech comes in, and the tools out there now are incredible. You can bring your old photos back to life with just a few taps. I’m talking full color, restored detail, even animation.
Here are my favorites. PSA: You’ll find both free and paid plans.
🧙♂️ Deep Nostalgia
This one gives me chills (in a good way). Upload a portrait, say your grandfather in uniform, your great-grandmother as a child, and it animates the photo. They blink, smile and move gently like they’re in a video.
It’s eerie. It’s beautiful. And it’s something you’ll want to share with your family.
🔗 myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia.
✨ Remini
This AI app sharpens old, blurry or grainy photos with stunning results. It works wonders on faces, smoothing out noise, brightening eyes and making even out-of-focus shots look camera-ready.
🌈 Colorize
Tips to take the best holiday photos
© Dragoscondrea | Dreamstime.com
Forget getting everyone together at Christmas for a photo opp and having them all say, “Cheese!” Instead, use words that end in ‑ah. These sounds put the muscles around the mouth to work, creating a genuine smile. Try “yoga,” “mocha” or “banana.”
Outside’s calling
☀️ The weather’s heating up. Here’s how to make the most of it.
- Keep your cool with a portable fan (23% off) that hangs around your neck.
- These outdoor string lights (37% off) give your patio space a glow-up.
- Bring the bass to the pool or beach with a waterproof speaker (25% off).
- Old seat cushions? Freshen up with comfy new chair pads (20% off).
- This dog doormat (26% off) catches dirt before it hits your floors.
- Stick on a mosquito repellent patch (28% off) instead of a messy spray.
👩💻 “Kim, what tech do you use?” Glad you asked, check out my page for gear I love and rely on daily.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
📺 Dolby Vision 2 announced: The next generation of TV picture quality is coming, going beyond HDR. It’ll use “Content Intelligence” (AI) to adapt your TV to what you’re watching and the room’s lighting. Think clearer dark scenes, sharper contrast, richer colors and higher brightness. Hisense will get it first.
$50,000
That’s how much a 20-year-old makes monthly on TikTok Shop. Grayson Finks treats TikTok like a 9-to-5, but with better lighting and fewer naggy coworkers in 10 videos a day. She’s made more than $3 million in revenue, with 176,000 followers.
📺 Calibrate your TV: Most TVs come way too bright out of the box. Go to Settings > Picture (or Display) and switch to Movie or Cinema mode instead. Then adjust the Brightness, Contrast and Sharpness to match your room’s lighting. Warmer color tones are easier on your eyes.
How to look younger and thinner in pics
© Fotoluminate | Dreamstime.com
It’s summer, and that means you’ll be taking a lot of photos. I want you to look your best. When it comes to posing, you need to be strategic. And if that doesn’t work, I share the photo-editing app Kim Kardashian uses.
Make the most of your DSLR with this photography course
StackCommerce
As ubiquitous as cell phone photography is these days, there’s still no substitute for a sturdy DSLR camera. If you’ve seen one in the hands of a professional, you know what we mean.
Still, it takes a lot more than equipment to make a photographer. A properly kitted-out DSLR brings a lot more tools to the table — but you have to know how to use them.
Bit by the DIY bug?
🔨 It doesn’t have to be hard. Here are some little products that make a big difference.
- Fill up paint pens ($25 for a set of five; 17% off), and touch up scratches on doors and walls without having to redo an entire area. Easy!
- If there’s one thing that ruins the front of a house, it’s oil stains in the driveway. It’s a good thing concrete oil stain remover is under $20.
- While you’re waiting to scrub the oil remover, why not install new garage door handles ($10)? They make a boring door look way classier.
- Decorative stick-on ceiling tiles add a ton of personality to a room. Click the box for $10 off.
- Motion-sensor cabinet lights ($30) are a game-changer. We have them in our garage.
🔋 Charged up: I found this battery organizer ($24) after spending 20 minutes digging through my junk drawer for one AA. The name’s so funny, too.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🤳 Look your best: Ever been caught checking your hair in a video call? Kind of embarrassing. Adjust yourself and the lighting before the meeting. On a Windows PC, open your Start menu and search for the Camera app; on a Mac, open Photo Booth.
Up your phone photography game
🤳 Who has an actual camera anymore?
- Spend $13 on a phone tripod (12% off) instead of leaning your phone on a pile of books every time you want to take a family photo. It comes with a remote, too.
- Beach vacay planned and don’t want to buy a GoPro? A waterproof phone pouch saves you $200.
- No amount of Photoshop will save that smudged Christmas dinner pic. (Blame the ham.) If only you’d had a microfiber cleaning cloth (30% off, $7) …
- Facebook Marketplace hack: If you use a white backdrop, the stuff you’re selling looks a lot fancier. Only $10!
- A clip-on selfie light is great for stuff like selfies, Zoom meetings and taking your own passport pictures (with the white backdrop!).
🤑 FYI: Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program can save you a bunch on the essentials you always use. I use it for vitamins and other things I never want to run out of.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.