GoKawiilProject turns old phones into AI-voiced Talking Jack-O-Lanterns
A new DIY web app lets people repurpose an unused smartphone into a voice-interactive jack-o'-lantern by linking it to a free Google API key or a paid OpenAI key. The base pumpkin personality is free to use indefinitely, while a $1.99 one-time unlock adds extra characters, voices, and colors. Users can also transfer a key from their main phone to an old device via a QR-code scan feature.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The project illustrates how accessible AI voice APIs have become, letting hobbyists build conversational devices cheaply or for free using hardware that would otherwise be discarded. It also highlights a common pricing pattern in small AI-powered apps: free entry via consumer-friendly APIs like Google's, paired with microtransactions for added features, while OpenAI's usage-based billing remains a cost barrier for some users.
- A free Google API key powers the basic pumpkin voice assistant indefinitely.
- A $1.99 one-time payment unlocks additional characters, voices, and colors.
- OpenAI keys can be used instead but incur per-conversation costs of a few cents.
Anker PowerCore 10000 Portable Charger — If you're repurposing an old phone to sit outside as a talking jack-o-lantern, it'll need steady power without being tethered to an outlet all night. A compact power bank like this keeps your pumpkin chatting with trick-or-treaters for hours. It's small enough to tuck inside the pumpkin alongside the phone.
See Anker PowerCore 10000 Portable Charger on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: jack-o.io, 2026-10-13
Published there as: “Turn an old junk phone into a Talking Jack-O-Lantern”
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