It’s a tech-marvelous Monday, friends! For today’s trivia, come back with me to the year 2007. (Dang, Ian was only 7!) On this day, an operating system was unveiled that would lead to an explosion of smartphones. Was it … A.) iOS, B.) Android, C.) Symbian or D.) Windows Mobile? You’ll find the answer at the end.

✅ If you’re tired of wasting a ton of money on ink, be sure to check out today’s sponsor, Epson. Its EcoTank printers are tops! I have more details below, so don’t miss that. Thank you for being here! — Kim

I’ve heard it all on my national radio show. There was the guy totally freaked out because, he said, too many strangers in public knew his name for it to be a coincidence. Uh … his name was Buddy.

There was a woman who swore one of the guys from Metallica hacked her iPhone to stalk her after she rejected him online. And another who bought and sold three cars because she thought they all had hidden trackers.

All too often, I hear from folks with a question like this: “Is it me or is someone/something tracking everything I do on my device?”

Tracking happens, no doubt, and it’s getting worse, given how easy these tools are for anyone to use. But I also know sometimes, it’s more like paranoia at work.

Before you panic, let’s talk through a few scenarios.

I see ads for things I talked about

I was talking to my husband about taking a hiking trip in Patagonia. I walked upstairs, sat at my laptop and travel ads for a Patagonian getaway were on my screen. Tech companies insist this is a coincidence.

If you don’t want to believe Big Tech (and I don’t blame you), take privacy into your own hands. Skip the smart speaker or turn off its microphone when it’s not in use. On your phone or computer, pop into your settings to turn off your mic for specific apps and sites, or force your device to ask you each time before enabling it.

They know where I am

Dana called my show with a frightening story. Her daughter is a college student who was afraid to leave the house because unknown numbers sent her threatening texts no matter where she went. “They know what time we eat dinner, our workplaces and our schedules,” Dana told me.

This case was true harassment. I called friend of the show and digital forensics expert Ricoh Danielson, who helped track down the guy — someone Dana’s daughter had talked to on a dating app. Here are his tips if something like this happens to your family.

Is Google stalking me?

I once had a caller concerned Google knew his schedule too well. A few weekends in a row, he drove to his son’s house to mow his lawn while he was out of town. The following Saturday, a pop-up from Google Maps told him how long it would take to get to his son’s home in current traffic.

He called me worried a privacy setting was enabled that shouldn’t be. That’s exactly how Maps is supposed to work. Your navigation app looks for patterns in where you go, and sometimes, it’s just creepy. Fortunately, on Google Maps, you can change a few settings to stop that tracking.

The bottom line

There’s a huge difference between a healthy dose of skepticism and true paranoia. When I hear from someone I’m genuinely concerned about, I privately recommend they call the National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline at 1‑800‑950‑6264.

📩 We all know someone who’s convinced they’re being watched. If you need me to step in, drop me a line here. It’s my mission in life to lend a helping hand whenever I can.

I have to tell you about my favorite printer — and good timing because I just got another email from someone annoyed when their ink ran out right when they needed it.

Expensive ink cartridges always run out when you're in the middle of printing something important. The Epson EcoTank has big bottles of ink and easy-to-refill tanks. Seriously, it comes with a ridiculous amount of ink. Stop rationing the ink in your printer, and print all you want!

I've heard from so many listeners and readers over the years who love their EcoTanks.

Auto-malware: Watch what you click in Google Search. Some ads are auto-created by Google, and if a trustworthy site is hacked without the owner’s knowledge, the ads will include malware. If you spot an ad description with jumbled words, move on.

Jam or no jam: When Russia installed a GPS jammer in southern Ukraine, Ukrainians hit back. They took out the jammer — with a bomb. The JDAM bomb is GPS-guided and uses an inertial guidance system that figures out the target from its starting point.

That doesn't belong: Graphic ads from the Israel-Hamas conflict are popping up in children's mobile games like Angry Birds. One ad shows a scene with Hamas militants, a scared Israeli family and blurred graphic images with a stern message from the Israeli government. This is happening in Europe now, but check what your little gamers are up to.

🛰️ Prepare for takeoff: Elon Musk’s Starlink is no longer a money pit. From losing $20 million a month last year, it’s now breaking even, according to Musk. Looking forward, Starlink is on track to put all 37,000 satellites in space by next year (only 5,000 are up there now).

Small-biz owners, take note: The click isn't the trick. Google AdSense is shifting from a pay-per-click to a pay-per-impression model starting early next year. Publishers will get paid when an ad is displayed — which probably means you'll spend more on ads.

May the odds be in your favor: ESPN is unleashing its sports betting hub, ESPN Bet, in 17 states. Yeah, its official odds will also be used in ESPN's editorial coverage. Thin line between the betting and journalism worlds, don't ya think?

It comes back to one thing: What would billionaire Mark Cuban do if he only had $500 and six months to rebuild his wealthy status? Easy — find a sales job, he told Wired. He says everything goes back to sales, no matter what. That’s so true. Even parents sell their kids ideas on how to act.

🐈 People just want their cat vids: YouTube stops you from watching videos if you have an ad blocker, saying it's against the site's terms of service. The results? Great — a record number of ad-blocker uninstalls last month. I love how young YouTubers are getting into classic rock. They always tell everyone, "Don't forget to like Cher and subscribe."

Tracking cookies on your computer and phone to tell websites and companies what you’re into, what you buy and what you do online.

Yes, cookies do helpful things, like save your shopping cart and passwords, but some people feel better kicking them out. I’ll show you how on the most popular smartphone browsers.

Safari on iPhone:

Chrome on Android:

❗ “Kim! I use Chrome on my iPhone/Firefox on my Android.” All good. I gotcha. Steps for way more browsers are here on my site!

☕️ All websites use cookies, except English websites; they use biscuits. (What, exactly, was that sound you just made?)

I turn tech complexity into simplicity with my Daily Tech Update podcast. I’ll give you the top tech news and a useful digital life hack, all in under two minutes. It's the perfect match for your daily routine — no tech expertise required.

Choose your platform below to listen:

Faster, faster! Move through your open tabs with just your keyboard. Press Ctrl + Tab on Windows or Cmd + Tab on a Mac to cycle. To quickly close your active tab, hit Ctrl + W on Windows or, on your Mac, Cmd + W.

Search smarts: Next time you're eyeing a European something-or-other online, type "[price] euros to dollars" to get a quick conversion, like "55 euros to dollars." The exchange rate updates in real time. It works in every search engine we tried.

📋 Copy that: Before you share a Google Doc, make a copy. Rename it (by default, it’ll be called “Copy of” and your original file name) and share that. Otherwise, anyone with access to the original doc can review all your edits, changes and versions. Hit File > Make a copy. Reverse this idea to see someone else’s edits and changes.

For teeny-tiny print: On your iPhone, open Settings > Accessibility > Touch, then activate the Magnifier. Triple-click the side button and voila! Your camera becomes a magnifying glass. I used this to see my router’s model number.

🖼️ Need a headshot? Skip the cropped group pic or obvious selfie. For professional photos, go with a slight smile over your biggest grin. Pro tip: Blur the background so the person viewing your profile can focus on your face. If your phone has Portrait mode, use it!

📱 Up your game: Even new-ish phones have cameras good enough to take great pics, but a lens can make a big difference if you’re serious about photography. This super-popular Moment lens works with most smartphones. It’s a splurge, but it’s still cheaper than a DSLR. It’d also make a fantastic gift.

The truth is shaping up.

The answer: B.) Android. Here’s what happened. The iPhone was released on June 29, 2007. The Open Handset Alliance, a group of 34 hardware, software and telecommunication companies, basically said, “We’re screwed unless we work together.” They came up with the Android operating system to compete with Apple.

🖨️ One more thing before you go: Your printer. You can save a ton of money on ink with an Epson EcoTank. It’s fast, too!

💌 Know what’d make this even more fun? Having one of your friends on board! Share me with that person using your unique link below and invite them to sign up. See you tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! Until then, stay awesome, my friend! 👋 — Kim