Welcome to your Monday, friend. Let’s jump in with trivia. What Christmas tradition started in 1990 and has become an annual event? Is it … A.) Livestreaming Santa's reindeer, B.) Playing a Christmas-themed VR game, C.) NORAD’s Santa Tracker following Saint Nick around the world or D.) A global Secret Santa gift exchange conducted entirely online? Answer at the end!

Just $1.23 a month: That’s all it costs to stop worrying about passwords and manage them the smart way. More on my pick, NordPass, below. On to the tech smarts! — Kim

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."

Now, I've got more great tips you can use for your perfect Christmas pics!

Just a few of you?

Focus on capturing candid moments. Take a few selfies, and use your phone's timer to take a group shot or two.

• Pro tip: For selfies, switch your camera to .5x or .7x magnification for a wider, unique perspective.
• AI tip: Use portrait mode to blur the background and add focus to faces, even for selfies.

Lots of folks?

Give your photo some depth and dimension by having some people standing and others sitting. If someone else can take the photo, have them use Burst mode by holding down the shutter button.

Switching to Burst mode allows you to capture multiple photos in quick succession, increasing your odds of a really great shot. If everyone needs to be in the photo, use your phone's timer to make sure no one is left out.

Let there be light

Lighting is the most critical factor in whether your pics turn out great, so-so or downright terrible. Here are a few tips:

• Avoid direct overhead light: It highlights bumps, wrinkles and blemishes — not what anyone wants to see!
• No squinting: Have your subject face the light so it illuminates their features. Ask them to look toward the light or sun (just not directly at it).
• Cloudy days are perfect: Soft, diffused light on cloudy days eliminates harsh shadows and squinting. It’s a photographer's dream.
• Shoot for the “magic hour”: The hour before sunset and the hour after sunrise provide warm, soft lighting that’s perfect for capturing holiday memories.

Spice up your photos

Tired of the same old, posed Christmas shots? Here are some fun ideas to add flair and capture the true spirit of the season:

• Cozy fireplace moments: Gather everyone around a roaring fireplace decorated with stockings and twinkling lights. Capture the warmth and glow reflecting on their faces.
• Pajama party: Break out the matching pajamas! Snap photos of your family cuddling on the sofa, playing games or sharing holiday memories.
• Winter wonderland: If you have snow, head outdoors to build a snowman, have a snowball fight or make snow angels. Let the action unfold naturally!
• Add some AI flair: Use apps like Canva (free with premium options) to add holiday-themed overlays, frames or filters to your photos for a festive touch.

Learn something new

We all get in a rut and just edit the brightness or crop a photo. Apple has some great tutorials online to help you take your skills to the next level. Use this one for help editing your photos and check out this one to remove people or objects from photos.

Google Photos also has a built-in photo-editing tool called Magic Eraser. Here’s how to use it.

My best advice: Don’t stress it

You’ll get better photos if you relax and let moments happen naturally instead of trying to wrangle every child (and adult) into smiling the "right" way. I love the candid shots where people are actually enjoying themselves. These pics often turn out to be the most memorable.

🎅 Speaking of … Why is Santa always smiling? Because he knows where all the naughty girls are. (Oh, I know you’re going to use this one!)

A passkey is the new, secure, password-free way to log into your online accounts. You sign in effortlessly using your fingerprint, face scan or a PIN.

And here’s the kicker: Unlike passwords, passkeys can’t be guessed, stolen or phished. They’re a game-changer for online security.

NordPass securely stores your passkeys, so you can log in to any account from any device. It also keeps your traditional passwords safe and sound with super encryption. It autosaves and autofills your logins; identifies your weak, old and reused passwords; and makes checking out and filling forms so much faster.

🏥 1 million Americans exposed: Hackers got private communications between doctors and patients using ConnectOnCall. The breach includes names, health conditions, treatments, medications, Social Security numbers and more. If your name’s on the list, look for a letter in the mail.

You can’t trust the ratings: Apple’s App Store is packed with inappropriate apps rated safe for kids (paywall link). Anonymous chat platforms, sexual games and body-tuning filters are slipping through, even with parental controls enabled. The loophole? Apple lets developers set their own age ratings. Parents, it’s your job.

AirPods rake in over $18 billion a year: They’re on pace to outsell iPads, becoming Apple’s third-biggest product behind iPhones and Macs. Teenagers and young adults love ‘em most. Around 62% of Gen Zers own a pair. Psst, the AirPods Pro 2 are on sale (24% off). Perfect holiday gift for yourself.

👰🏻🤵🏻 Billionaire wedding: So many news outlets are reporting Jeff Bezos, 60, is tying the knot with fiancée Lauren Sanchez, 55, next weekend in an Aspen, Colorado, wedding rumored to cost $600 million. Jeff says, “The whole thing is completely false.” Phew, now I don’t feel so bad I didn’t get my invite yet.

Snapchat lawsuit: Some 64 families are suing Snap, claiming its Snapchat app connected their kids with drug dealers who poisoned them with fentanyl. With geolocation tools for easy handoffs and messages that vanish in 24 hours by default, it’s a dealer's paradise. Snap’s defense? They’re not responsible for what others do or say on their platform.

🔞 AI porn star: A 33-year-old adult film star sold her likeness to an AI company to lighten the load of her, ahem, demanding career. Chloe Amour says she loves connecting with fans, but she can’t always fulfill all their desires. Enter AI: Now she can be everything they want, anytime they want it. Business is booming. One guy says he’s dropped $10,000 a month on AI “girlfriends.”

Shady streaming: Spotify is filling playlists with “ghost artists” so they don’t have to pay so much in royalties. Just 20 songwriters are behind over 500 artists and thousands of tracks. The genres most affected? Classical, jazz, ambient and lo‑fi hip‑hop.

📸 Saving memories: A North Carolina woman is using Instagram to reunite families with photographs lost during Hurricane Helene. Taylor Schenker has collected hundreds of photos from the debris and shares them on her page, Photos from Helene. Folks can reach out to claim them or have them mailed back. Only about 15% have been returned. Spread the word if you can.

🫨 It’s now or … go to the mall. Good thing you can overnight these.

PSA: Check the shipping date! When I did, these all arrived before Christmas.

• This instant-print camera (10% off) is made for toddlers and kids.
• For your fave birdwatcher, binoculars (20% off) with low-light vision.
• These inkless handprint kits (13% off) are perfect for couples, parents, fur parents and anyone else who loves sentimental gifts.
• There’ll be no more stuffed animal casualties at the hands (paws) of your pup with a stuffed animal storage hammock (38% off, $10). Cute and practical.
• This clip-on strainer ($10) will become their new kitchen must‑have.
• This desktop CD player has built-in speakers and Bluetooth. CDs are totally back in.
• Some people don’t realize how much time they spend hunched over their iPads. Get them a holder (62% off, $9!).
• This travel backpack ($24) is water-resistant and has a USB charging port, a shoe pouch and a laptop pocket. It’s basically five gifts in one.
• For the organizer, a Bluetooth label maker (under $30).

💳 Oh, crap: You forgot to buy a present for your cousin, Linda, and she’s coming over tomorrow. Grab an Amazon gift card online now, and write something kind in a lovely card. Bam, done.

HIT CAPS LOCK? I didn’t mean to scream; I could’ve used convertcase.net. The website transforms text into different formats so you don’t have to rewrite a whole email or doc. Change it to UPPER, lower, aLtErNaTiNg cAsE and more. There are generators for s̶t̶r̶i̶k̶e̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶e̶x̶t, social media and coding, too — all free!

🦶 No more stubbed toes: When you’re navigating a poorly lit area, don’t waste time fumbling with your phone. Simply call out “Hey, Siri” or “OK, Google,” then say, “Turn on the flashlight.” Quick, easy and toe‑friendly.

Free AI test drive: Nothing has changed our lives quite like AI has — and will. That’s why you need to start using AI in your business before it’s too late. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim.* No one does data better than Oracle.

Subtitles rock: My son, Ian, switched them on one day and I won’t go back! You can change how they look to make them easier to read. On the Netflix TV app, pause your show and open Settings. Choose Size and Style to change ‘em. On the Hulu TV app, go to your profile > Settings > Subtitles and Captions. Change the color, opacity and shadowing.

📶 Goodnight, kids! If yours sneak back onto their phones, tablets and computers at night, disable the Wi‑Fi after a specific time. You can do this for all your devices or just certain ones, like your kiddo’s iPad. If you use an app to control your internet, pop in there. Otherwise, log into your router’s web interface. Steps here!

Elf yourself: Yep, I’m talking about those videos where you turn your favorite people into dancing elves. Instead of downloading the app, just use the website. So fun!

Get it? There’s no “L.” Whoa, tough crowd!

The answer: C.) NORAD’s Santa Tracker following Saint Nick around the world. It’s the best! I’ll show you how to use it tomorrow.

😂 One more for the road … What ethnicity is Santa? North Pole‑ish! (Oh, I laughed when I wrote that, so I’m sure you did, too, when you read it!)

It’s a losing battle: Don’t go another day trying to remember passwords. Upgrade to a password manager and you’ll never look back. Hit that link to get my pick for 58% off. Dang, can’t beat that.

See you back here tomorrow, friend! Until then, thanks for being here with me. It’d be pretty sad if I were just writing this email for myself. — Kim