Your 10-second photo transformer

Old images have never looked so good  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Cool Tools, by The Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [Aura logo]()​ These fancy-schmancy phones of ours sure can take some phenomenal photos, but you know what? That incredible quality also highlights just how awful our older images are in comparison. I don't know about you, but I've got tons of small-sized, almost comically fuzzy old photos in my collection. And there's not a heck of a lot the cutting-edge camera in my current phone can do to help 'em. So what if there were a super-simple tool for sprucing up older images and bringing 'em into reasonably modern resolutions — while also making 'em crisper, clearer, and generally just better all around? My fellow photo-finessing friend, have I got just the tool for you today. [JR Raphael, Author of Android Intelligence] JR Raphael​ Author of [Android Intelligence]()​ --------------------------------------------------------------- SPONSORED MESSAGE Before we get to all that, though, a quick question for you — is your personal data on the dark web? Data from 73 million AT&T customers was recently leaked on the dark web. Were you one of the people impacted? ​ Hopefully not, but remember: Regardless of what you are (or aren’t) doing online, data brokers can still sell your personal info to scammers in the web's shadiest corners. So how do you protect yourself? Easy: [Download Aura](). Rated #1 by Security.org, Aura is your one-stop shop to protect yourself from scammers and identity thieves across every device. There's a reason Aura scores an A+ from the Better Business Bureau: 🔐 Actively monitors the dark web for your sensitive data ⏰ Alerts you in just minutes if your credit file is compromised 💪 Backs you up with $1 million in identity theft insurance and 24/7 fraud support Best of all? As a reader of The Intelligence newsletters, it's completely free for you to try on any device you're using. ➜ [Protect your personal data for F-R-E-E with a two-week trial from Aura.]()​ [TRY AURA RISK-FREE (FOR REAL)​ ➜]() ​ From old to new, in no time 'Twas a time when trying to take an image and make it both larger and higher in quality was a near-impossible feat. If you somehow managed to pull it off, it'd take tons of time and complex programs to master. ➜ Not anymore. An incredibly cool new tool called [Upscale]() makes it easy as can be to — well, upscale any old photo you've got in front of you. ⌚ You'll only need about 10 seconds to do it, in fact: - Just open up [the Upscale website]() and hit the button to sign in. You can either use your Google account or create a new account on the site itself with any email address you want. - Once you're signed in, hit the button to choose an image from your device. Or, if you're using a computer, drag and drop an image directly from your desktop into the site. - The site will take a few seconds to process and will then give you a sized-up, cleaned-up version of your image at twice its original resolution. [The Upscale website showing a photo increased by 2x in size] ​ - You can then download the image, if you'd like — or you can click or tap a "Change resolution" option to switch to four or even eight times the original photo's size. And man, lemme tell ya: The results are something else. I've used the tool on a bunch of older images, including one of me dressed up as my namesake Ninja Turtle — as one does — many moons ago. The image started out tiny and not exactly exceptional in quality, outside of the stunning splendor of the subject itself: [A photo of the author in a Ninja Turtle costume, prior to Upscale processing] ​ (Have I ever mentioned how much of an honor it is to have a warrior shellback named after me?) After a couple quick clicks on the Upscale site, the image transformed into something larger, less grainy, and generally just much more usable. Here's the photo at four times its original size, with all the included enhancements: ​ Now, that's one ravishing reptile. 📌 Upscale is [available on the web]() on any device — phone, computer, tablet, you name it. 💰 It's completely free to use, with a limit of a handful of upscales per email address per day. 🕶 The tool comes from a company called Sticker Mule, which creates stickers and other printed products (including some of the ones we've made up here over time!). They're a reputable organization, and they don't do anything disconcerting with your data. Creating an account will result in your getting a few emails about their services — from which you can easily unsubscribe — and that's it. Now, before we call it a day, time to put your photography knowledge to the test... ​ This Week's Cool Tools Quiz Outside of smartphones, many traditional high-quality cameras are known as DSLR devices. What does DSLR stand for? Remember: NO CHEATING! Anyone can look up info on the web. Stick with the spirit of the game and test your actual knowledge without searching. It's just for fun, anyway! [Digital single-lens reflex]() [Digital super-lens refractor]() [Dynamic scenic-lens radius]() [Dedicated single-lens rodeo]() Answer correctly before next Wednesday and secure your spot on the [Cool Tools Leaderboard](=)! 👉 Last week's question and answer: Which company created the first touchscreen “smartphone”? IBM. The IBM Simon was a handheld touch-screen phone combined with a PDA. IBM showed off a prototype in 1992 and released it as a product in 1994. It had just an hour of battery life and is widely considered the first true smartphone — in retrospect. 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up](=) [Thumbs Down]( Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let us know. ​ Want less email? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications or unsubscribe entirely. New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up for our newsletters](): Cool Tools, Android Intelligence, or Windows Intelligence (or all three!). Hungry for even more? [Learn about becoming an Intelligence Insider,](=) our one-of-a-kind community where you'll have access to power-packed advanced resources, an on-demand help desk, and tons of free apps and services. Independent journalism relies on you. 🤝 [An Intelligence Insider membership](=) allows you to support our work and keep this newsletter sustainable! # #