Sunday is here! Today’s a strong contender for my favorite day of the week, and trivia is a solid candidate for my favorite part of this newsletter. Elon Musk (SpaceX, Tesla and X) believes underpopulation problems need to be solved. How many biological children does he have? Is it three, five, eight or 11? Friends, the answer’s at the end.

💛 Love this newsletter? It loves you back (and so do I!). Now, share this important tech know-how with friends and fam by using the sharing buttons below the main story. You can also send them your referral URL at the bottom of this newsletter, forward the email, or write a poem about it and perform it. It’s your call! — Kim

Ah, sleep — the one thing we all love but never seem to get enough of. You're tossing and turning, counting sheep, or maybe out like a light but still wake up feeling like you've pulled an all-nighter. How can you crack the code of quality slumber?

Luckily, there's an array of gadgets and apps designed to tell you if you're sleeping like a baby or need to rethink your nighttime rituals. So, let's dive in and find out what's hot in the world of sleep tech.

Wearables: More than just step counters

First on deck is the Fitbit Inspire HR. It goes beyond the basics by tracking sleep patterns. And don't let its size fool you — this thing packs a punch! A standout feature? It maps out your sleep stage cycles, from light sleep to REM. Other pros: Affordability and battery life. Con: Its sleep stage feature isn't always spot on.

Next, there’s the Apple Watch. If you're fully plugged into the Apple ecosystem, this one's a no-brainer. Its sleep tracking is precise, and the privacy features are top-notch. But all this comes at a price, both in dollars and battery life. Did you know the Apple Watch is so keen that it can track the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe?

The Whoop is the most accurate. Designed as a lightweight, screenless bracelet, the Whoop’s five LEDs and four photodiode sensors offer ultra-accurate health metrics. It suggests your optimal sleep and wake times and uses a gentle haptic alarm to wake you at the ideal moment in your sleep cycle. The downside? You'll need a paid subscription to access all this sleep wisdom.

Finally, Garmin isn’t the cheapest option, and some say its sleep tracking isn't as accurate as the competition. But it’s unique because it also tracks stress. Who knew stress hormones could mess up your sleep?

Beds and mattresses

Yes, mattresses have entered the digital age. Sleep Number leads the pack here with its customizable firmness and advanced sleep tracking. But you'll need to open up that wallet, with prices ranging from $1,000 for basic models to $5,000 for models with more advanced features.

Eight Sleep is a sleeping pad worth noting. It’s like sleeping on a cloud — if that cloud also recorded every toss and turn and adjusted your bed’s temperature accordingly. You'll sleep like a baby, but you might cry like one, too, when you see the price tag — starting around $2,695 for a queen size. Fun fact: Cranking down the temperature can spike your REM sleep by 20%.

Let's not forget standalone gadgets

Withings Sleep slides under your mattress and syncs with your smart home setup for around $180. It's a little limited, though, compared to others when it comes to features. It does dim your lights as you drift off. Talk about setting the mood.

Hapbee tracks sleep under your pillow and comes with an app to get your scores. The manufacturer says you may be able to stop taking sleep supplements, but, as always, your mileage may vary.

Finally, apps like Sleep Cycle offer a lot for the frugal sleep enthusiast. They're user-friendly and provide sleep analyses right on your phone. The caveat? Accuracy can be hit or miss. Btw, I will try the Oura ring (and its slew of competitors!) soon, so I didn’t include it on this list.

😂 I once told my son, "Go to bed. The cows are sleeping in the field." Puzzled, he asked, "What's that got to do with anything?" I chuckled, "Well, that means … it’s pasture bedtime!” (That was so bad, it was good!)

Another Airbnb nightmare: Seattle landlord Jason Roth lives in a van, while his renter lists Roth's home on Airbnb for $150 per night. That's not all. His tenant owes $33,000 in rent and utilities. And Roth has to wait four months for an eviction hearing. Yikes. Know your local rules, folks. Deadbeats are taking advantage of owners.

Apple’s “Scary Fast” event: A Bloomberg (paywall link) article might've leaked everything Apple will announce tomorrow. Expect high-end MacBook Pro models, an M3 iMac and new accessories featuring USB‑C. Mark your calendars for Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. PDT.

👁️ More than meets the AI: Is that photo you found online real or fake? With Google’s new "About this image" tool, you can look at the metadata to see if AI generated it. Click the three-dot button next to an image in Google Search to try it out. It’s rolling out now, so you might not see it yet.

StandBy (your phone): Love the new iOS 17 StandBy feature that turns your phone into a clock while it’s charging. If you’re not using it, go to Settings > StandBy to enable it. Now, plug in your phone and turn it on its side. Swipe left or right to switch between widgets, photos and clocks. Swipe up or down to scroll between options for each of these views. And here’s a sleek little stand if you need one.

🚮 Don't be trashy: Texas game wardens busted a litterbug who dumped 200 pounds of construction trash near a creek, thanks to a barcode found in the junk. They tracked it to a local store, and from there, right to the guy's credit card. Turns out, he just wrapped up a home remodel. Busted.

Sound like a tech pro, even if you're not one. Try my award-winning, daily podcast. Search for my last name with "K" wherever you get your podcasts and "Go Komando!"

Choose your platform below to listen:

One of the best parts of my week? Talking to interesting people like you on my national radio show! I’m on more than 425 radio stations, so find yours and tune in. On the show this week:

• Brian Christopher is a gambling influencer. Thousands tune in to his YouTube channel to watch him play slots at casinos. He’s made a business out of his livestreams, despite losing $300,000 at the machines last year.
• Pastor Eddie Cook in Denver, Colorado, is a busy guy — he also owns a popular Christian store and a cleaning service. He’s now got his eye on AI to level up his business, and I’ve got some advice for him.
• Lam Thuy Voh, a data journalist at The Markup, researched how Amazon Ring cams partner with law enforcement agencies. She looked into more than 200,000 emails sent from Amazon to the LAPD.

Plus, Ross got a new iPad from me for having over 100 newsletter referrals, Dreux needs a cam setup for his daughter’s equine therapy, Cathay wants advice on sorting through her late father’s old computers, and more!

That’s why I’m so excited to tell you about the latest innovation from SimpliSafe Home Security: 24/7 Live Guard Protection and the new Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Camera.

With a Fast Protect Monitoring plan, if an intruder breaks into your home, SimpliSafe monitoring agents can actually see, speak to and deter them through the camera, warning them they’re being recorded and police are on their way.

Right now, get 45% off any SimpliSafe system with a Fast Protect Plan. This huge offer is only available for a limited time.

Read: The story of why the heck those giant skeletons from The Home Depot are all over your neighborhood again this October.

🥣 Cook: Team Komando is in full soup mode. I’m making this Italian wedding soup, and Content Queen Allie says she’s trying homemade ramen. OK, one more: Baked potato soup!

Watch: I’m tired of getting wrapped up in a series, so I’m watching movies. I’m a sucker for true stories, especially, and here are two I really liked on Amazon Prime Video. First, “The Burial,” starring Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx, is about saving a family business. And “80 for Brady” was just fun to sit back and watch.

Play: Miss your Nokia? That little brick phone never died and had Snake. I can’t take you back in time, but Slither is basically Snake in your browser.

🍂 Go: On a nice nature walk to see the fall leaves. TrailLink has hiking and walking path suggestions if you want to venture out of your neighborhood.

Upgrade: I’m sick of buying plastic baggies. These silicone bags are an excellent alternative to the super-expensive name brand.

A 1950s driver’s ed class. Watch the video — it’s awesome!

🍼 The answer: Elon Musk is the father of 11 children, including a pair of twins and a set of triplets.

His children with musician Grimes got a lot of attention for their names. One son’s name is X Æ A‑A12. Grimes said the “X” stands for “the unknown variable,” “Æ” is “my elven spelling of AI,” and “A‑12” is the “precursor to SR‑17 (our favorite aircraft).”

Their daughter is named Exa Dark Sideræl. “Exa” is part of the supercomputing term “exaFLOPS,” “Dark” represents “the unknown,” and “Sideræl” means “the true time of the universe.” The pair has a third child named Techno Mechanicus, or “Tau,” for short.

😂 And I thought I had a strange name. Be sure to forward this email to a few folks. Together, we can make this world a better, safer tech place. See you tomorrow morning with another issue of the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim