Happy Sunday and happy Easter, tech friend! While I’ve got pastel eggs on my mind, here’s a fun fact — the very first software Easter egg appeared in 1968 (a pivotal year of the Vietnam War). Back then, a programmer hid code in a text editor called TECO. If you typed “MAKE LOVE,” up popped the phrase “NOT WAR.” ✌️

I’m spending Easter morning at church and brunch with my family. I keep my faith first by using the Hallow app. Try this great app free for three months with my link. Today is a fabulous day to do that! You’ll love it. — Kim

Here’s a shocker: We’re not the only ones being tracked by targeted online ads — so are the world’s top leaders. It turns out the Pentagon’s best-kept surveillance secret isn’t pen cameras but cookies.

Buckle up for the wild story of how the U.S. government used targeted ads to track down its target: Vladimir Putin.

Not so anonymous

If you have a smartphone, you also have an "anonymized" advertising ID. These are numbers assigned by Apple or Google to track our location and other data.

Corporations spend massive amounts of cash to access this data — and so do governments. Because it's legally collected and sold by civilian companies, it's way easier to obtain than hacking or getting a court order.

These advertising IDs are technically anonymous, but how we move around the world is as unique as our fingerprints. You could monitor an ID's daily patterns and easily determine where a person lives and works based on their time spent in a given location.

Even spies advertise

It’s not worth the effort for companies to triangulate the identities of folks like you and me. But for high-profile marks, like Putin, the juice is worth the squeeze. Pentagon researchers created a system called Locomotive to track advertising IDs and narrow in on world leaders.

All it took was some Russian ID data to pinpoint Putin using the phones of his drivers, security personnel and support staff. They could predict where Putin was headed and track who was in his inner circle.

Locomotive is now known as VISR (Virtual Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance). It's used widely by the U.S. intelligence community to solve crimes, track down those living in or entering the U.S. illegally, and locate border tunnels. All good things, but …

It’s a double-edged sword

The Pentagon realized if they could easily purchase ID data, so could Russia and China. Locomotive was able to pick up phones at American military locations that were supposed to be kept secret for special operations.

Israeli companies have since built their own versions of VISR and sell the data to public safety organizations worldwide. One company, Rayzone, even has the technology to deliver malware through targeted ads. Yikes.

What does this mean for you and me?

Well, if you use apps with targeted ads, you can just about guarantee a log of your movement patterns is saved in a databank somewhere. This data can be accessed by anyone willing to pay for it, including intelligence agencies, foreign governments and even private investigators.

Cheated on your spouse? Checked into rehab? Took a sick day and went on an interview instead? The data showing your locations at specific times most likely exists. All it takes is someone with a reason to dig it up.

A few settings to change

For starters, use a VPN on all your devices. My pick is ExpressVPN.* This way, you can anonymize your traffic and change your location.

The next best thing? Turn off your device’s location settings. Do it now — for real. Here’s how:

• On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, and slide the toggle next to “Location Services” to the left.
• On Android, go to Settings > Personal > Location Access.

Note: You might have to turn on your location settings again when you need services that rely on your exact position, like Maps or the Uber app.

✅ Share the know-how. If you found this story interesting, do me a solid and use the sharing icons below to send it to a family member or friend.

I make it no secret that I’m a Christian. I am proud of my beliefs and how it is truly the foundation of my business and personal life. I’ve been using the incredible prayer app Hallow for years and so when they wanted my endorsement, I was thrilled.

Hallow is the No. 1 prayer app in the world, with over 10,000 pieces of content. There’s something for everyone.

• Try daily readings with Jonathan Roumie from “The Chosen,” prayers with Mark Wahlberg, Bible stories, Christian music and lots more.
• Some of my favorites are Fr. Mike Schmitz with his Bible in a Year series and his Sunday homilies. I never read the entire Bible in my life until I got Hallow.
• I listen to Daily Reflections on my way to work and nightly prayers before I sleep.

That’s the thing: You can pick and choose how you use Hallow so it suits you. This app is amazing, truly.

Right now, millions of folks (including ME!) are doing Hallow’s Easter prayer challenge. It’s a powerful way to reflect on the amazing gift of our salvation. I’ve arranged for Hallow to give you a free three-month trial. How great is that?

🚨 Deepfake kidnapping: A Cincinnati dad got a tearful call from his daughter, Brooke, before a man came on the line and demanded $5,000. Luckily, a coworker of the father overheard what was going on and called the real Brooke, who was totally safe. Parents, I recommend a family safeword.

Nerfs for cuffs: Police are using sticky foam darts with GPS to tag fleeing cars. They just have to get close enough to attach the dart, and then they can follow at a safer speed and distance. Cop cars are getting outfitted with these in states like New York, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. Hopefully, this will help end dangerous chases.

🙏 Chromebook owners, rejoice: Google is splitting its Chrome browser from ChromeOS. This fixes the “auto-update expiration” date issue that arises when Chromebooks age out of their security patches. I’ll let you know when this update officially drops. Nice.

Don’t buy an iPad now: New iPads are dropping in early May. Expect a Pro with an OLED display running on the new M3 chip and, for the first time, a big-boy iPad Air with a 12.9-inch screen. FYI, the iPad Air will probably rock the old (but still fast) M2 chip. I bet the new M3 stays Pro-exclusive.

This is how I roll: American Airlines is the first airline to roll out self-driving wheelchairs, starting with airports in Los Angeles and Miami. No more airport employees carting you to your flight. Just sit down, punch in your gate on the screen, and you’re off, luggage and all. It’s even got cameras and obstacle sensors, and it dings to tell people to get out of the way.

I get bored drinking water all the time. Let’s make it fun to drink! Heck, maybe you’ll actually drink eight glasses of water a day.

• True Lemon packets are like keeping lemon wedges in your purse or desk.
• A rainbow’s worth of silicone straws for colorful sipping.
• When your water comes in those big, blue five-gallon jugs, this convenient pump replaces the bulky dispenser.
• DIY nugget ice gives you the Sonic experience at home.
• A little light-up sensor to put on your water bottle to remind you to drink every hour.

The password is … Wait, I don’t have to remember any of mine anymore! I use Keeper Security to do it for me. Get off the password train and let tech do the work for you. It’s safer, faster and much less frustrating. Use my link to get 50% off!*

Screen timer: Let the timer be the bad guy and set screen time limits for the kids. On Apple devices, go to Settings > Screen Time. For Amazon Fire tablets, go to the Amazon Kids parental controls. Assuming you have a child’s profile created, time limits are under Set Daily Goals & Time Limits.

Get travel advice: When’s the best time to drive from [home] to [destination]? ChatGPT can flag info and considerations like mountain roads that ice over. It’s not perfect, but it’ll give you the basics.

Windows winddown: Open your Windows Settings, then choose System and Display. You'll come across a Night light feature. Turn this on, and you'll get warmer screen colors in the evening — better for sleep!

That tracks: Your MacBook trackpad does more than you think. Case in point: Reverse pinch with a thumb and three fingers to see the desktop. You can set up your own gestures and tap combinations, too. Click the Apple menu > System Settings and Trackpad.

❓ Every week on my national radio show heard on over 400 stations, I talk with interesting folks and those who could use a little help with something digital. Catch these convos this weekend on a station near you or as a podcast on Apple or Spotify.

• Sarah in Portland, Oregon, has been stalked on and off for years. Now, she has a sinking feeling her estranged brother, who works in IT, is behind it.
• Pat in Vancouver, Washington, spent $7,000 on a new website for his metalworking business. Looks great — but now he needs to know how to get people there.
• Phil in Indianapolis is fed up with his kids’ mom constantly showing up on video on their phones while they’re at his house. He called me for advice to get his ex to stop.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg! Tune in to hear these great calls and lots more. It’s fun!

Explore: Just how many satellites Starlink has on a map. This shows all the live sats and those under construction. Crazy, right?

Simmer: Get out of your rut with a delicious soup. Making this for lunch this week!

Shake or stir: Yourself a spring cocktail. Every one of these looks better than the last.

Share: This cute vid with someone who needs a smile.

Spruce up: Your space with a vase that looks expensive — but only costs $15.

Take a free AI test drive: If you’re trying to figure out how to work AI into your business, get the know-how with a free test drive at Oracle.* Nobody knows data better.

Some-bunny loves chocolate. It’s me. I’m some‑bunny.

🐰 A few fun Google Easter eggs to see you off: A meteor shower, a DVD screensaver and a barrel roll (motion sickness warning!). And, finally, a nausea-free Easter egg chuckle: Anagram.

I’m here to help you. Drop your questions for me here. I read every single note!

Have a great Easter, and I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow with a smart privacy step that I just took and you should, too. — Kim