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Slay your vampire electronics
Since Halloween’s in the air, let’s talk about something spooky: vampire electronics. These everyday gadgets quietly suck electricity (and money) when you’re not using them.
They’re called “phantom loads” or “standby power,” and they’re everywhere from your cable box to your soundbar to your printer. Even when they’re “off,” they’re drawing power.
The Department of Energy says this ghost power costs the average household $165 a year. That’s not nothing.
🧄 Use the tech garlic
You can hunt these energy vampires with a device called a Kill A Watt. It’s a plug-in meter that shows exactly how much power something’s using whether it’s running, idle or supposedly off.
It’s super easy to use. Simply plug your gadget into the Kill A Watt, plug that into the wall, and boom, instant readout. You’ll find out fast which “off” things are actually draining juice.
So what should you check first? Start with the sneaky stuff:
- TVs, cable boxes, game consoles
- Microwaves and coffee makers with digital clocks
- Chargers plugged in with nothing attached
- Smart speakers and smart home hubs
- Laptops that never fully shut down
You don’t need to check your fridge or Wi-Fi router. This isn’t frontier living.
Want to go all out? Snag a smart home energy monitor system that hooks directly to your circuit breaker. They cost a bit more, but they’ll save you even more money. I found a great one that’s $70 off right now.
🦇 Slay your energy vampires
Yank the plug, or better yet, use a power strip with on/off switches. These ones with a flat plug are top-rated and 25% off. One flip and you’ll drive a stake through a whole row of vampires.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Fang-tastic Halloween faves
You’ve got two weeks to go from “meh” to “monstrous.”
📺 Mini smart projector (44% off): Stream spooky movies right in your front yard. You’ll be an instant trick-or-treating hot spot.
Balloon lights (41% off, 100 pieces): Turn any balloon into a glowing orb. Reusable for any party that needs extra sparkle.
🍫 Assorted candy bars (25% off): Butterfinger, Crunch, Baby Ruth … these classics vanish faster than a ghost at midnight.
Wreath hanger (20% off): No nails, no tape. Change it up for every holiday without leaving a mark on your door.
🔦 LED flashlights (13% off, six-pack): Easy to carry and bright enough to spot lurking ghouls or just the driveway steps.
Promo code of the day: DENIM15 gets you 15% off new Amazon Essentials denim, but only through tomorrow.
🍬 Treat yourself: From creepy to sweet, click here for more scary-good deals.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Protecting yourself from voice scams
Voice cloning has left the lab. Soon enough, you might hear your voice and think, Wait, is that me or an AI?
AI isn’t just being used to revive dead rappers or prank your boss with Drake impressions. Scammers are generating voices to fake kidnappings, drain bank accounts and impersonate your kid in crisis.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: In Microsoft Word, you don’t need to dig through menus to find tools. Click the search bar at the top and type what you need, like “table.” Works in Excel, too. Nice.
FDA chokes out Dechoker: A Colorado couple made $8.2 million selling “Dechoker,” a plunger-for-humans they claimed was FDA-approved. Spoiler: It wasn’t. The FDA told them to stop in 2023, but they kept selling on Amazon anyway. Now the feds have seized their cash. The Dechoker didn’t even clear airways, just mangled tongues, and it was more of a Tom and Jerry prop than lifesaving device. If you have one, throw it away.
The gold rush is back
Gold’s soaring toward $5,000 an ounce while crypto takes another hit. Here’s what to know.
ChatGPT caught the arsonist
He thought he got away with starting one of California’s worst fires, until investigators checked his ChatGPT history. Yep, AI turned him in. Plus, landlords are using algorithms to hike rent, and a listener finds out his chatbot is a surprisingly good therapist.
📬 Recover deleted Outlook emails: Accidentally trashed an important message? Don’t stress. In Outlook’s left panel, open Deleted Items, select the email, and hit Restore. If it’s missing, click Recover items deleted from this folder at the top. Choose your email, restore it, and it’ll pop back into your Inbox like nothing happened.
AI for the rest of us
Don’t know where to start with chatbots? There are now free online classes to ease your way in. Try these and let me know what you think!
🤑 Whoopsie on the blockchain: Get this. Paxos, PayPal’s crypto partner, accidentally minted $300 trillion worth of PYUSD stablecoins, more than double the world’s GDP. It was only an internal test gone sideways and got deleted 20 minutes later. No hacks. No lost funds. Just … a minor blip involving more imaginary dollars than Earth can handle. Sounds like a ghost story for economists. OoOoOh…
Everyday essentials to save your sanity
Your secret weapons to help you feel better and cleaner.
🌡️ No-touch thermometer (16% off): Wave, beep, and boom, instant readings for squirmy toddlers and even half-asleep adults.
Cetaphil ceramide serum (44% off): Sensitive skin? This one’s packed with dermatologist-tested ingredients for deep hydration.
🧴 Arm & Hammer hand soap (10% off, six-pack): Tough on dirt, gentle on skin and comes in four scents you’ll love.
Bamboo cotton swabs (16% off): One box = 1,000 fixes. These double-tipped buds are as soft as they are tough.
💅 Nail polish remover (42% off): A kinder way to clean up gel, dip and acrylic while moisturizing your nails.
Promo code of the day: Use code 9D7CMAWZ for 50% off this travel-size polish remover until Oct. 30. Don’t wait, supplies won’t last.
💰 Full price is optional: Head to Amazon’s deal page to catch today’s markdowns before they disappear.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Sora 2: The AI video tool that’s already out of control
I have to tell you about Sora 2. It’s OpenAI’s new video-generating app that’s both mind-blowing and terrifying.
It’s the first tool from any AI company that lets you give it a prompt, and in literally seconds, you get a full-blown, AI-generated video up to a minute long. The results aren’t perfect, but they’re close. Like Hollywood close.
Use a mouse with your phone: You can connect a Bluetooth mouse to your Android instead of swiping with your finger. Turn on the mouse and put it in Pairing mode (the light should flash). On your phone, go to Settings > Connections > Bluetooth, toggle it on, and select your mouse under Available devices. Tap Pair, and you’re set.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🏗️ North Korea’s new side hustle: North Korean operatives aren’t just scamming crypto, they’ve graduated to architecture. Researchers found fake résumés, stolen seals and CAD files for U.S. homes and businesses. Scammers made plans for restaurants, pools and homes, then sent the cash straight back to Kim Jong Un’s nuclear fund. Now that’s one HGTV episode I’d love to see.
🌐 iPhone Safari shortcuts: iOS 26 made opening tabs a bit clunkier, but there’s a faster way. Normally you’d tap the ellipsis in the bottom right, then choose New Tab or All Tabs. Instead, swipe left on the address bar to open a new tab, or swipe up (or double-tap the ellipsis) to view all tabs.
Help! I’m in Amazon jail
Caller Gee from Virginia Beach got hacked ($2,500 gone) and somehow he’s the one in trouble. Amazon’s calling him the culprit. Plus, ChatGPT goes to court, Waymo’s cars get pulled over, and Hollywood’s newest starlet is pure code. It’s a wild lineup.
Real-life energy vampires
In today’s AI-powered podcast, find out which everyday electronics are draining your power bill. Spooky! Also, how easy (and fast) it is for scammers to clone your voice. Don’t miss these simple ways to protect your privacy, save money and stay tech ahead!
🌟 Get the best for free: If you’re building your team, this is the perfect time. The best candidates are on LinkedIn right now. With my link, you can post a job for free. Go get your next superstar!
Space leak: Researchers from UC San Diego and Maryland snagged T-Mobile calls, texts and even military comms, all from unencrypted satellites. Literally anyone with $800 and a rooftop dish could’ve done it. Companies assumed “no one would look up.” Which, frankly, explains a lot about our cybersecurity situation. Somewhere, aliens are listening to your spam texts.