Author: Martin Brinkmann

When I was young, I studied German, History and English at Essen University in Germany. I worked in computer support for several years at the time to help other computer users when they ran into issues. Writing started out as a passion project, as I wanted to help more users and not just the ones that I handled in support. This lead to the founding of Ghacks Technology News in 2005. First, as a side-project, but shortly thereafter as a full-time project as the site's popularity exploded. I sold Ghacks to Softonic some years ago, but stayed on as Editor. You can still read my articles on the site. I do publish on Betanews as well. In recent years, I started to write and publish technology books, including my latest book "Windows 11 From Beginner to Advanced", which is available on Amazon. I'm also a freelance writer for the German publisher Gamestar. Chipp.in is my newest project. I want to use it to talk about my book projects, sell my books directly, and write about technology, as this is what interests me.

Google about to roll out YouTube Lite plan in select regions

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

YouTube users who do not want to see ads have three main options until now: subscribe to YouTube Premium, use a content blocker, or a third-party app that does away with ads as well.

Most YouTube users would probably agree that there are too many ads on the site. This hurts the viewing experience and wastes a lot of time. Google is also finding new ways to show ads to users. Recently, it introduced pause ads on YouTube.

YouTube Premium Lite

Recently, Google has tested YouTube Premium Lite in select regions. Not available for everyone, the plan offers a cheaper subscription with limited functionality.

The main differences to YouTube Premium are that there are still some ads, notably on music videos, and that YouTube Music is not included. There are a couple of other restrictions. There is no option to download and play videos offline and no background play either.

Bloomberg reports today that Google plans to roll out YouTube Premium Lite in select regions. Means, anyone may subscribe to the new plan once it becomes available in a region.

YouTube Premium is available for $13.99 per month in the US currently. Pricing varies from region to region. The price of YouTube Premium Lite was about half of that during the test phase. Google has not yet announced the final price for the product. Since it is a subscription, you can be sure that it will be raised regularly.

YouTube Premium Lite will become available in select countries, including the United States, Germany, and Australia.

Who is it for? YouTube Premium Lite is for users who want an ad-free experience on YouTube, do not watch many music videos, do not need offline playback or background playback.

Yes, third-party apps like NewPipe offer all of this for free.

Now it is your turn. Is YouTube Premium Lite something that you would subscribe to? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Vertical Tabs in Firefox

Firefox: give vertical tabs and tab groups a try in Firefox Stable

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Mozilla is working on two highly requested features, tab groups and vertical tabs, for its Firefox web browser. These features are still in active development at the time of writing, but that does not mean that you can give them a go already in stable Firefox.

This guide provides you with everything you need to get started. It explains how to enable the features and highlights the current functionality.

Vertical Tabs in Firefox

What is it? Vertical tabs move the tab bar from the horizontal placement to the sidebar. Firefox users can display tabs on the left or right side of the browser.

Why do some users prefer vertical tabs? Vertical tabs give tabs more room in the browser window. This gives users more control and an improved overview, especially on widescreen monitors.

How to enable it? Here is how you enable the functionality:

  1. Load about:config in the Firefox address bar.
  2. Confirm the security page that is displayed.
  3. Search for sidebar.verticalTabs.
  4. Click on the toggle-icon to set the preference to True.

To disable, set the preference to False.

Firefox switches to vertical tabs right away. The default displays just icons, but you can use the Expand Sidebar button to display page titles as well. There is also a shortcut, Alt-Ctrl-Z, to switch between icon and expanded view.

A click on the settings icon in the sidebar displays a few related options. There you find the option to move the sidebar to the right side, if you prefer that.

The implementation supports several features already:

  • Create or close tabs.
  • Move tabs using drag & drop.
  • Right-click on open tabs to get he tab context menu.

But it is beta, right? Yes, Mozilla has not enabled the feature yet in Firefox Stable. It worked without any issues in my preliminary tests though.

Tab Groups in Firefox

Firefox Tab Groups

What is it? The ability to group tabs together. This improves organization and management of tabs in the browser.

How to enable Tab Groups in Firefox? Here is how that is done:

  1. Load about:config in the Firefox address bar.
  2. Confirm that you will be careful.
  3. Search for browser.tabs.groups.enabled.
  4. Use the toggle to set the preference to True.

To disable, set the preference to False.

Firefox enables the tab grouping functionality right away. It works with horizontal and vertical tabs, which is great.

You can create a new group by right-clicking on a tab and selecting the “Add tab to group” option. You get the option to create a new group or add the tab to an existing group.

Each group has a name and a color.

The following functionality is supported at the time of writing:

  • Create and delete Tab Groups in Firefox.
  • Move tabs into groups or remove them from groups.
  • Change the position of groups on Firefox’s tab bar.
  • Save and close tabs.
  • Move tab groups to new windows.
  • Collapse tab groups to show only the icon/title.

The feature is also in development. It worked well and without any hitches during tests in Firefox Stable.

Closing Words

Mozilla is playing catch-up in regards to the two features. Chromium-based browsers have supported tab groups for ages and more are starting to support vertical tabs.

While that is the case, it is still welcome that Mozilla is implementing the features finally in Firefox, as they may improve usability when used.

Now it is your turn. Vertical or horizontal tabs? Tab groups or individual tabs? What is your preference in this regard and why?

Facebook changes Live Video policy to the detriment of its users

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Facebook users have plenty of options to communicate with friends, other Facebook users, and the entire world via the platform.

One of these options is via live video. These are recorded and shown on Facebook. The recorded videos were stored by Facebook indefinitely, but this changes with the new policy.

Here are the details:

  • Live video is stored for 30 days only on Facebook.
  • Any Live video that is older than 30 days will be deleted.
  • This applies to all live videos retroactively.

In other words: Facebook will soon start deleting old live videos from its users en masse.

Thankfully for users, this is not done automatically. Facebook says that it will inform users with live videos about the new ruling by email and in the app. Facebook users have 90 days from that day to download or transfer their content for safekeeping.

Facebook explains that users have several options to save videos. There is a single download option, which is listed under the three-dots menu when selecting Menu > Activity log > Live videos.

This is probably not very practical for most users, unless only a few videos need to be saved.

There is also a bulk download option according to Facebook. Note that this requires the notification that informs you about the deletion of the videos.

Here is how that works:

  1. Click or tap on the notification to get started.
  2. Select “Download live videos”.
  3. Pick a location to download and a date range for the live videos.
  4. Select “Create File”.

There are other options, including transferring videos, e.g., to Google Drive, and to convert parts of live videos to reels.

Facebook explains both options on its website.

Why is Facebook making the change?

    Facebook has a simple explanation for limiting storage of live video on its network:

    People all over the world use Facebook Live to share their experiences with their communities in real time. Because most live video views occur within the first few weeks of broadcasting, we’re updating how long live videos can be stored on Facebook.

    In short: storing live video indefinitely is not financially viable. Facebook has to pay for storage and the earnings from the videos do not justify indefinite storage.

    Closing Words

    If you do broadcast live on Facebook and want to keep your videos, you may want to start downloading or transferring them as soon as you get the notification that the content will be deleted.

    Facebook does not really say when content will get deleted, only that it can be deleted at any time after day 91. Users may also request an extension.

    In about a week, Amazon is removing the ability to download Kindle ebooks to non-Amazon devices

    Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

    Ebooks can be a great alternative to traditional books. They do not weight anything, which means that you can carry around hundreds if not thousands of books effortlessly. They also come with extra features, like the ability to search books.

    If you have bought ebooks in the past, you may know that you do not really own the books. Like most digital content, you get a license to use the book. This license can be revoked at any time and you do not have any say in the matter. If you are lucky, you get a refund. Besides outright removal, rightsholders may also update books at any time.

    You are probably wondering what this has to do with Amazon. Well, Amazon is taking away a fundamental feature of its ebook store that existed for a long time: the ability to download your ebooks to your PC, Mac, and other devices that are not owned by Amazon.

    Here is why that is bad. Currently, you have an option to download any ebook you bought from Amazon to a computer, say, a Windows PC. When you do that, you store the book in a place that Amazon has no control over. It cannot remove the book from the computer nor can it updated the book. Even if the book gets removed from Amazon’s ebook store, you retain that copy on your device.

    This option is removed on February 26, 2025. Means, you only get the option to load ebooks onto Amazon Kindle devices. Amazon does have control over these. It can remove books from Kindle devices or push updates to the devices.

    Another example of why that is bad for you. If you get locked out of your Amazon account, close it, or get banned by Amazon for whatever reason, you will lose access to all of the books that you bought.

    So, if you own Kindle ebooks, you may want to download them before February 26 to a device that Amazon has no control over. You can do that by accessing the Content Library on Amazon’s website, selecting the “more actions” option, and then download & transfer via USB.

    Note that you cannot do so anymore when you buy books after February 26th, as Amazon is removing it.

    Now it is your turn. Do you buy digital content or prefer to buy physical content, if possible? Let us know in the comments.

    Chromium’s feature to limit installed extensions is still great

    Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

    Browser extensions are great. They improve usability and functionality on the Internet. From blocking ads and tracking over creating screenshots to improving password management or games.

    All extensions come with a manifest file. This file defines rights and permissions. One of these sets the websites the extension is designed to run on. This can be a single website, part of a domain, or on the entire Internet.

    Chromium has a great usability feature to limit the access of extensions. You can use it for the following:

    • Allow an extension to only run on sites you select.
    • Block an extension from running automatically. Make it run only when you want it to.

    This may sound complicated, but it can increase privacy or performance significantly. Here is how you use the feature.

    Limiting extensions in Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers

    Chrome menu to limit extensions

    Make sure you have one extension installed. This works in Chrome, Brave, and many other Chromium-based browsers.

    1. Right-click on the icon of the extension in the toolbar of the browser. Some extension icons may not be displayed. You find them when you click on the general extensions icon in that case.
    2. Move the cursor over “This can read and change site data”.
    3. Select one of the following options:
      • When you click the extension: this prevents the extension from running automatically when the website is opened. You need to click on its icon to load it.
      • On “sitename”: this allows the extension to run on the active website.
      • On “all sites”: this allows the extension to run on all websites (it is configured for).

    Some notes:

    • Functionality of some extensions may be reduced or not available when you select the click to run option. A prime example for this are ad blockers, which need to run when the site loads.
    • When you select the option to run an extension on a specific site, it is set to “click to run” on any other site you have not picked.
    • You may modify the setting at any time.

    The list of allowed sites is manageable. You find it under Chrome menu > Extensions > Details of the extensions.

    There you see “site access”, which lists all allowed sites. You may also add new sites there, if you prefer that.

    Closing Words

    The ability to restrict extension access in Chrome can be mighty useful. While it depends on the installed extensions, it may limit extension access to sites that you want to use the extensions on.

    Sometimes, you may need extension functionality on a single site only. With this feature, you can do that exactly.

    Mozilla has the feature “under development” apparently, but this has been the case for more than three years. Will it ever be a part of Firefox? I do not know.

    What is your take on the feature? Do you use it actively, or is it the first time you hear about it? Let everyone know in the comment section below.

    Microsoft is deprecating Windows 11’s Location History feature

    Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

    After two months of not adding anything new to the list of deprecated features, Microsoft has added another feature to the list of features that will eventually be removed from its Windows 11 operating system.

    This time, it is the Location History feature that has been put on the list by Microsoft.

    Microsoft says that it is an API that was used by Cortana to “access 24 hours of device history when location was enabled”. With Cortona no longer playing a role at Microsoft, it is put to rest as well.

    As far as the effect of the removal is concerned, Microsoft notes that location data will “no longer be saved locally”. Furthermore, the corresponding settings under Settings > Privacy & Security > Location will also be removed in the process.

    Location History in Settings of Windows 11 24H2

    The option to clear the Location history in the Settings will be removed.

    As always, Microsoft does not say when it plans to remove the feature exactly. Best guess is that it could be removed as part of the 2025 feature update for Windows 11. For now though, it remains available on Windows 11 devices.

    The end of Cortana

    Back in 2023, Microsoft announced that it would retire the Cortana application for Windows later that year. The personal assistant Cortana was created at a time when personal assistants were en vogue. Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa were popular services back when Microsoft created its personal assistant.

    Microsoft removed Cortana in Teams and other apps in the fall of 2023 and several other Cortana-related features in 2024 in favor of AI. It is rather funny that Cortana’s Windows-specific features have been more powerful than those of Microsoft’s AI Copilot.

    Display the weather on the Windows taskbar (without Widgets)

    Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

    Microsoft’s Windows 11 operating system displays the Widgets icon on the taskbar by default. It was updated recently to show weather information. If you do not use Widgets, but like the weather information, you can use a third-party alternative.

    Tray Weather is an open source application for Windows to display weather information in the System Tray area.

    Weather Tray shows two icons in this configuration (weather and temperature)

    Good news is that it supports multiple weather providers, and one of them does not require an account or API access.

    The details:

    • Weather Tray is compatible with Windows 7 and newer versions of Windows, including Windows 11.
    • Setup is a bit fiddly, but not too complicated.

    You can download the latest version of the program from the project’s GitHub repository.

    Windows will display a security dialog when you execute setup, because the application is not signed. Setup itself is straightforward, but it is necessary to make a few changes in the configuration and in Windows.

    Lets talk about the program’s configuration first. Here you make a number of important decisions regarding the program:

    • Select OpenMeteo API under Weather Data Provider to get weather data without API requirement.
    • Make sure the set location is correct or change it.
    • Switch the measurement units, modify graph temperatures, and opacity.
    • Pick an icon for display on the taskbar. The default displays a representative icon of the weather, e.g., a sun or clouds. You can switch that to temperature or combinations.
    • Add or remove information from the icon’s tooltip. The default displays the location, current weather, and temperature only. You may add information such as air quality, wind speed, humidity, ground pressure, and more to it.
    • Change the time between updates from the 15 minute default.

    Windows may not display the icon of the app by default in the system tray area. On Windows 11 for example, you need to enable it first so that it displays all the time.

    Right-click on a blank space on the taskbar and select Taskbar Settings. Expand “Other system tray icons” on the page that opens and toggle Weather Tray to display it permanently.

    That is as far as configurations are concerned.

    Closing Words

    Weather Tray may not have the prettiest icons, but it works well, is open source, and does not get in your way with other content that you may not want. It is an excellent option for Windows users who would like to display weather information on their systems.

    What is your take on this? Do you use little helper apps like Weather Tray on your devices? Let us know in the comments down below.

    Reddit

    Reddit plans to improve search with AI-powered answers

    Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

    Search engines were among the first to push AI answers. These use artificial intelligence to generate answers for user queries and are often placed prominently.

    If you ask me, these are hit or miss. Sometimes, they provide answers that are dead on. At other times, they recommend to eat one rock per day.

    Reddit, which calls itself the homepage of the Internet, has launched its own AI-tool Answers some time ago.

    Answers works like other AI communication tools. You write something and get a response. You may then refine or ask follow-up questions, and get another response.

    In its latest earnings call, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman announced that the company was working on AI-powered search results.

    Reddit’s integrated search feature does not use AI currently. It returns subreddits and posts based on the user’s query. Since it works so-so, some users prefer to use regular search engines instead to find content on Reddit.

    Techcrunch reports that Reddit plans to launch an “upgraded search experience” this year. This is achieved by integrating Answers into search.

    For Huffman, the integration is just the first step to go head-to-head with search engine giant Google.

    He said:

    I think helping the user be able to search directly on Reddit, refine their queries on Reddit, eventually come directly to Reddit for those types of queries, and even integrating search into something like onboarding over time..

    So, instead of going to Google, Bing, or another search engine to find answers, Reddit users might start their searches on Reddit and stay on Reddit. That seems to be the vision of Reddit’s CEO.

    How search engines will react to this remains to be seen. Reddit may be a massive site, but it still pales in comparison to the traffic that Google or Microsoft gets.

    I expect more AI integration in more search tools and more communities going forward. Good news is that these can be ignored largely or removed.

    What is your take on AI-powered search? Something that you use, are interested in, or ignore? Feel free to leave a comment about it below.

    Obscura client macOS

    Obscura VPN partners with Mullvad to create two-party VPN service

    Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

    VPN services offer an excellent way to improve privacy while online. To be precise, good VPN services do, while bad ones either leak your data or sell it outright.

    Mullvad is considered to be one of the best when it comes to online privacy. The Sweden-based provider gets audited by third-parties regularly and offers several options to purchase access anonymously.

    Mullvad announced this week that it has entered a partnership with Obscura VPN.

    The core idea is simple: Obscura VPN uses Mullvad’s servers as exit nodes for its customers. This means, in essence, that the traffic of Obscura VPN customers flows through two independent systems.

    In other words, neither Mullvad or Obscura have full control over the data. This may remind you of how Tor operates, or how some VPN services offer multi-hop connections.

    The latter pushes the connection through two or more servers in different countries to improve privacy. The difference is that a single VPN provider is in control of all servers.

    As for Tor, it uses a three-hop system and comes close to what Obscura offers. Tor is largely operated by volunteers, which means that it can be slow at times and that denial of service attacks happen regularly on top of that.

    I published a guide about using multiple VPN services on a single system. It involves virtual systems, which allow you to chain-link as many VPN connections as you like.

    Privacy by design, says Obscura

    The system that Obscura uses to protect the privacy of users connected to the service. Source: Obscura

    Obscura claims that the system that it uses never sees a user’s browsing history while using the VPN. Here is how Obscura explains it on its website:

    • Obscura uses Mullvad for exit hops. This means that it does not know which websites users access.
    • Mullvad operates the exit hops, but it does not know the customer. Obscura says that it is masking a user’s real IP address when traffic is relayed to the exit server.

    Obscura is available for $6 per month as a starting offer. The regular price is $8 per month according to the website. Users can pay via Credit Card or Bitcoin over Lightning.

    One downside right now is that there appears to be a client for macOS only.

    Closing Words

    The idea behind Obscura VPN is interesting. Combine two VPN services to increase security. The new company still has to prove itself and pass audits. The app code is open source, which is a good start. Support for additional platforms is a must.

    What is your take on this? Do you use a VPN service? Would you use a service that offered Obscura’s system? Please leave a comment down below to let us know.

    Stellantis testing annoying ads in infotainment systems of cars

    Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

    Most modern cars come with infotainment systems. These control a variety of functions, including the radio, calls, navigation and more.

    It was only a matter of time before some car manufacturers started to play with the idea of displaying ads on those screens to their customers to increase their profit margin.

    Stellantis, the fourth-largest manufacturer of cars, owns brands such as Jeep, Fiat, Maserati, Opel, Peugot, or Chrysler. It seems that someone at Stellantis must have that idea of displaying ads to customers, as owners of Jeeps are now flocking to social media to report that their car’s infotainment system is pestering them with ads.

    Here is what happens: ds are displayed whenever the car stops. They display on the screen and may be closed with a tap on the close icon. Problem is, there does not appear to be a setting to disable the display of ads entirely.

    This means that, whenever an affected owner stops at a red light, an ad is shown. Drivers who want to look a the navigational map or make changes to the radio cannot, unless they close the ad first.

    The ad, interestingly named “Purchase Peace of Mind”, is always shown. There is no variance, and there is no option to get rid of it by saying “no”. The reason for that is simple: the ad uses dark patterns. There is no “I do not want to, please do not bother me again” option.

    The response would probably be better if Stellantis would sell an adblocker called “Peace of Mind” to its customers.

    You can only close it, only to see the exact same thing again on the next stop of the car. Talk about frustrating experiences.

    Here is a video in which the issue is discussed in detail:

    This development may lead to the rise of adblockers for cars or specialized services that block ads in cars or disable online connectivity.

    What is your take on this? Would you buy a car that had an infotainment system with these kind of ads? Feel free to leave a comment down below.