This small tool tames ads in Windows 11

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

With ads starting to appear in numerous places in Windows 11, users are trying to find ways to stop these on their devices.

Microsoft does not call these integrations ads most of the time. The company prefers terms such as promotions, experiences, or tips instead.

Recent integrations include ads for apps in the Start menu, advertisement on the Settings homepage, ads for Microsoft services like OneDrive in various sections, including when clicking on the profile icon in the Start menu or Explorer.

Users face several issues when it comes to these changes:

  • Only some of the features can be disabled on non-managed devices.
  • Settings are all over the place to make the changes.

OFGB (Oh Frick Go Back) — disable ads on Windows 11

The open source tool OFGB is a relatively new program for Windows 11 to disable ads and experiences.

The program has an easy to use interface. It displays the available options, most checked and applied automatically when it is run.

Here is the list of available preferences:

  • Disable File Explorer Ads
  • Disable Lock Screen Tips and Ads
  • Disable Settings Ads
  • Disable General Tips and Ads
  • Disable “Welcome Experience” Ads
  • Disable Personalized Ads
  • Disable “Tailored Experiences”
  • Disable Start Menu Ads.

Note: it may be necessary to run the application with elevated rights, especially if you sign in with a regular account and not an administrator account.

Second note: the program requires the .NET 8.0 Desktop Runtime, which you can download here.

Closing words

The program is for users who prefer graphical user interfaces over Registry files. It is trivial to create a Registry file that makes the same changes. If you are interested, let me know and I will create it.

The program’s UI is bare bones. It has no apply or reset option, which the developer should consider adding to improve its user friendliness.

All in all though, it offers a quick option to disable ads on Windows 11 devices.

Now it is necessary to keep up with the changes that Microsoft introduces to release updates that reflect these changes. You can check out Winaero Tweaker as well, which offers similar tweaks and many more.

What is your take on ads in operating systems? Do you use tools or programs to disable them?

How to disable the HP Insights Analytics Service on Windows

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

HP Insights Analytics Service is a service that runs on many HP devices by default. It may run, even if you install Windows 10 or 11 from scratch. It is usually an effective way of reducing bloat that manufacturers of PCs like to add to their devices.

A quick check of the Windows Task Manager returns several HP processes. Among them is HP Insights Analytics Service. The service’s actual name is HP Touchpoint Analytics Service.

It is set to run automatically on Windows start and is set up to collect and submit Telemetry data to HP.

HP says that it is using the data to improve its products and services. It may also use the data to troubleshoot issues that users experience, and to give personalized recommendations.

It is recommended to keep this enabled if you are communicating or may communicate with HP support.

Find out if HP Insights Analytics Service is running

HP Insights Analytics Service
  • Press the keys Ctrl-Shift-Esc simultaneously to open the Windows Task Manager.
  • The service is listed as one of the processes.
  • You may also switch to Details on Windows 11 devices to check if TouchpointAnalyticsClientService.exe is running.

The directory of the process is C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\hpanalyticscomp.inf_amd64_b76d40fc96db3872\x64

How to disable the service on Windows

Disable HP Insights Analytics Service

You can disable the process on your Windows device in the Services Manager. Here is how that is done:

  1. Open the Start menu.
  2. Type Services.msc.
  3. Run the Services result.
  4. Scroll down to the letter H in the management window.
  5. Double-click on HP Insights Analytics.
  6. Activate the stop button to stop the process from running.
  7. Switch the startup type to disabled.
  8. Restart the PC.

Note: the stop option kills the process on the running machine. You can verify this in the Task Manager of the operating system.

Closing Words

There is a chance that the service is going to get enabled again. This may happen after updates or when other HP software runs.

Do you check Services or Processes regularly to make sure that no unwanted programs run on your devices?

Edge PWA Search Suggestions

Microsoft testing Search Suggestions in Edge’s titlebar

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft is testing a new search suggestions feature in Microsoft Edge Canary currently. These are shown in Progressive Web Apps (PWA) windows based on activity.

Sites and services like YouTube, Google Maps, the Financial Times, or Alibaba are available as PWAs. The main idea is to give websites a few features of dedicated apps.

This includes pinning them to the taskbar or start menu, or launching them in a window without browser UI.

How to install PWAs in Edge

Installing a PWA in Edge is simple. The browser displays an icon in the address bar when a PWA is available.

Just click on the icon to display the install prompt. Edge explains the advantages of using the site as a PWA.

Activate install to add it to the system. Here you get options to pin it to various places and auto-start it on device login.

PWA Search Suggestions

Edge PWA Search Suggestions

Microsoft added a new feature to PWAs in Edge. The feature, which is available in the Canary version only, displays search suggestions in the title.

The screenshot of the YouTube PWA visualizes this. A search for Nintendo and the opening of some videos resulted in Edge suggesting to search for Nintendo Switch.

Another video resulted in IndieWorld being suggested by Edge. A click on the suggestion displays Bing search results in the sidebar in Edge.

Edge Search Suggestions results

The suggestions appear to be based on the content that you are viewing in the PWA. The usefulness seems limited, even though you cannot run searches directly from the PWA’s window.

There is a chance that the search suggestions feature won’t make it into Edge Stable.

How to disable Edge PWA Search Suggestions

Microsoft added an option to disable these search suggestions. Not everyone may find them useful. Here is how you disable the feature:

  1. Launch the PWA.
  2. Open the three dots menu at the top (next to the window controls) and select App settings.
  3. Toggle Search Suggestions so that its value is Off.

Microsoft describes the feature in the following way:

Search suggestions. Get suggestions from content that may interest you. Seamlessly search for relevant keywords in the side panel without interrupting your viewing.

Note: you need to repeat the steps for each installed PWA.

Closing Words

First revealed by Leopeva on Twitter, search suggestions in PWA windows seem to better integrate Bing Search functionality into these windows. Functionality is limited, but it may be something that some PWA users might want.

If you do not, and the chance is high, you can disable the feature and stop worrying about it altogether.

What about you? Do you use PWAs on your devices? What is your take on the search suggestions feature?

Android buttons navigation bar

Android: how to switch between buttons and swipe gesture navigation

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Depending on the Android phone that you use, you may either use a navigation bar at the bottom of the screen or swipe gestures to navigate.

Google Pixel devices, for instance, use swipe gestures by default. Most, if not all, Android devices let you switch between the two options. If you prefer one over the other, you may make the change in the settings.

Good to know: the navigation bar takes up permanent space on the screen. This is the main reason why manufacturers such as Google or Apple have switched to gesture-based navigations.

Not all Android users may know that they can switch between the two options. This guide helps those users.

How to switch the navigation bar option on Android

Note: the path to the preference may differ slightly depending on the Android device. Try searching for the option if you cannot find it on your device.

Here is what you need to do:

  1. Open the Settings on the Android device.
  2. Switch to Display.
  3. Find Navigation bar on the page that opens.
  4. Switch between Buttons and Swipe gestures on the page to change the method. Tip: you may change the order of buttons under “more options”.

The change takes effect immediately. You can repeat the steps to switch back to the previous method.

Closing Words

I dislike swiping to navigate with a passion. My wife had this on here Google Pixel device and it never really worked reliable enough. While the navigation bar takes away space for other content, I have to say that I prefer it. My wife is also a lot happier now after I changed the option to buttons again in the preferences.

But maybe it is the other way for you. Maybe you prefer swiping because of the extra bit of space on the screen you get.

Which method of navigation do you prefer on your mobile devices? Buttons or swipe gestures? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Firefox 125.0.3

Firefox 125.0.3 fixes five non-security bugs

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Mozilla plans to release Firefox 125.0.3 later today. The point update fixes five non-security issues in the browser.

Here are the bugs:

  • Firefox tried to load https://0.0.0.1 in a blank tab when trying to launch another instance of the browser.
  • Fixed incorrect font selection for Japanese locale users in some situations.
  • Fixed a unicode character text dragging issue on Linux systems.
  • Fixed an issue that caused inconsistent focus handling of <select> elements.
  • Fixed a correctness error when using arguments.length.

Firefox users affected by one of the issues may want to update the browser as soon as possible. Everyone else should not feel in a hurry to update to the new version.

The next major Firefox release, Firefox 126, will hit the servers on May 14, 2024.

Firefox 125 release history

Firefox 125.0.3 is the second point update for Firefox 125 already. Technically it is the third, but Mozilla decided to release Firefox 125.0.1 instead of Firefox 125 to address a “high-severity quality issue” in Firefox 125 shortly before release.

Firefox 125.0.1 introduced a number of improvements. Highlights were:

  • Support for AV1 codec for Encrypted Media Extensions, which enables higher-quality video streams using the technology.
  • Text highlighting in the Firefox PDF viewer.
  • Proactive blocking of “more” untrustworthy downloads.
  • Address saving and auto-filling for users in the United States and Canada.

Firefox 125.0.2 pulled the proactive blocking feature again from the browser as it was causing “unexpected problems”. Mozilla plans to reintroduce it in the Firefox web browser in a future version.

How to check for updates

Most Firefox installations are configured to update to new versions automatically. Users who want to install updates early may select Menu > Help > About Firefox on desktop devices to do so. Note that this works only after the official release by Mozilla.

Have you tried Firefox lately? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Firefox AdBlitz extension

Trying AdBlitz, another YouTube advertisement skipper

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

While Google is intensifying its fight against adblockers on YouTube, developers of adblocking solutions are pushing back.

A recent development introduced a new category of tools that improve the user experience on YouTube: so-called ad skippers.

Unlike adblockers, which block advertisement using filter lists or AI, ad skippers either skip ads, hence the name, or fast forward them.

This new type of extension is designed specifically for video ads.

AdBlitz

AdBlitz is a browser extension for Firefox and Chromium-based browsers such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. It is an open source extension; you can check out its source on GitHub.

One downside to using the extension currently is that it is not available in the official extension stores. While it is doubtful if it ever will make its way to the Chrome Web Store, it could one day land on Mozilla’s add-ons store.

Since it is not available there yet, it is necessary to install the extension using development options.

First Step in all browsers:

  1. Download the extension from the official website. Just click on the icon of your browser to do so.
  2. Extract the downloaded archive.

Firefox:

  1. Load about:debugging in the address bar.
  2. Switch to “This Firefox”.
  3. Select “Load Temporary Add-on”.
  4. Browse to the folder you extracted the archive to and select the manifest.json file.
  5. Confirm the installation of the extensions.

Google Chrome and other Chromium browsers:

  1. Load chrome://extensions in the browser’s address bar.
  2. Toggle Developer Mode on the page.
  3. Select “Load unpacked”.
  4. Navigate to the directory you extracted the archive to.
  5. Confirm the installation of the extension.

Using the extension on YouTube

Firefox AdBlitz extension

AdBlitz works only on YouTube at the time of writing. Depending on the browser, you may need to allow it to run on YouTube.

In Firefox, you’d click on the general extension icon in the browser’s toolbar and select the preferences icon of the installed extension. Here you select the “always allow” option while on YouTube.

The extension works automatically from that moment on. In other words:

  • Some ads are skipped entirely.
  • Other ads are fast forwarded (16x).

While the second option still shows some of the ad, it usually means that the entire ad block is done in a second or two.

The extension works with single video ads and multiple ads that YouTube plays one after the other.

Closing Words

Content blockers like uBlock Origin work well at the time of writing. Ad skippers offer an alternative that may continue to work when Google decides to play hardball.

My advice: keep on using uBlock Origin or other content blockers that work at the time of writing. These are a must-have anyway on today’s Internet.

It is a good idea to keep an eye on ad skippers and their development, just in case.

What about you? Have you tried ad skippers?

YouTube ad

Google has been testing Pause Ads on YouTube

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Do you pause videos on YouTube sometimes? Soon, the popular video hosting site may show you ads whenever you pause videos.

During Alphabet’s earning call for the first quarter of 2024, Senior Vice President at Google Philipp Schindler, revealed information about a test that Google conducted on YouTubed in the quarter.

Google tested a “new non-interruptive ad format” on connected TVs that “appears when users pause their organic content”.

So, whenever YouTube users hit pause, YouTube would show an advertisement on the screen.

Schindler said that these pause ads are “driving strong brand lift results and are commanding attention”.

Pausing videos on YouTube

Pause is an essential YouTube feature. It allows users to stop playback while keeping the video active on the screen.

Pausing differs slightly on different devices. In browsers, pause freezes the screen. On mobile and YouTube’s official app, pausing darkens the screen and displays control buttons.

The experiment showed an ad on the screen instead. Schindler did not describe pause ads in detail. A report from last year suggests that Google has been testing this type of ad format since 2023. Back then, Google showed popup banners around the video that users could hide with a click on the dismiss button.

It is unclear if the first quarter experiment used the same format.

Google’s record revenue and fight against adblockers

Google reported strong earnings for the first quarter of 2024. YouTube revenue increased by 20% in the quarter to $8.09 billion. At least part of the jump can be attributed to Google’s fight against content blockers on YouTube.

Google started to show warning prompts to users with adblockers. Not all saw these, but a sizeable number reported these prompts. While these differed, some blocked access to YouTube until users would either turn off the adblocker or subscribe to YouTube Premium.

Expect increased ads on YouTube in 2024 and beyond. As long as YouTube is the go-to destination for video, Google is going to push ads on the platform and intensifying its fight against adblockers.

Ads drive most of Google’s revenue. Make them annoying enough, and you drive subscriptions as well.

Would you use YouTube if you either had to sit through ads or pay for access?

DeepL Write Pro: AI writing assistant launches

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

DeepL Write Pro is a subscription-based AI writing assistant by DeepL, maker of the popular translation service.

The target audience is organizations and professionals. DeepL Write has been available as a free service for some time. You can feed it text to get improvement suggestions.

DeepL Write Pro takes the concept a step further. While it continues to give suggestions, these are now provided in real-time. Subscribers may also set different writing styles and tones to create results for specific audiences.

DeepL Write Pro launches with business, casual, academic, and simple writing styles, and friendly, diplomatic, confident, and enthusiastic tones.

DeepL says that Write Pro is available on the official website, desktop and mobile apps, browser extensions, and as integrations in services such as Gmail, Microsoft Outlook and Word, and many more.

Limitations: The main limitation at the time of writing is that DeepL Write Pro supports only the languages English and German. The creators promise to improve language support in the future.

DeepL promises maximum data security. Text are never stored without user consent and never used for AI training, according to the company. Organizations and businesses benefit from additional security features, including SSO-enabled logins and administrative controls.

As far as pricing is concerned, a single user DeepL Write Pro subscription is available for $10.99 per month, if paid annually. Switch that to monthly and the price jumps to $16.50 per user and month.

Closing Words

A lot of AI assisted writing helpers are coming on the market. Not all of these will be around in the coming years. DeepL Pro Write benefits from DeepL’s image as a company and its other services. The free version of DeepL Write is great for quick suggestions and it may help drive pro version signups.

These services can be useful, but this is up to the individual user or organization to decide. One question that will come up is whether they are useful enough to pay for them. Some AI writing services are free to use.

I like them, especially when writing in a foreign language. While it is still necessary to verify the output, they may help reduce spelling and grammar mistakes that you make, and also improve the tone or style of the text.

What about you? Have you tried AI writing assistants yet?

Vivaldi 6.7 launches with a massive number of improvements

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Vivaldi Technologies has released Vivaldi 6.7 for the desktop today. The new version of the web browser improves it in several ways.

Vivaldi is a highly customizable web browser that gives users a lot of options. The new version enables a memory saver feature, improved feed detections on sites like Reddit, password exporting, and more.

Note: the new Privacy Guard feature is still in testing.

How to install or update Vivaldi

Vivaldi 6.7 browser update

New users may download the latest version of the Vivaldi web browser from the official website.

Existing users may select Menu > Help > Check for updates to download and install the new version. A restart of the browser is required to complete the installation.

Memory Saver

Vivaldi 6.7 includes the Memory Saver feature. Its aim is to reduce memory usage of the browser by putting unused tabs into hibernation. The tabs remain open in Vivaldi, but the websites are unloaded.

This frees up memory, which is then available for other tasks on the system. A click on an inactive tab reloads it immediately.

Note that Memory Saver is disabled by default. Here is how you enable the feature in Vivaldi:

  1. Select Vivaldi Menu > Settings to open the preferences.
  2. Switch to the Tabs section of the Settings window.
  3. Change Memory Saver to one of the following states:
    • Automatic — this gives the browser full control over the feature.
    • After 1,2,3,6 hours idle — This puts a tab into hibernation if it was idle for the selected period.

Note that you may turn off the feature at any point by changing its state to disabled.

Tip: right-click on any tab in Vivaldi to get options to hibernate background tabs. This includes websites open in tab groups.

Better feed detection

Vivaldi includes a feed reader to read RSS feeds. The latest version of the browser improves the discoverability of feeds.

Just visit any page that supports feeds to subscribe to them. A feed icon is displayed by Vivaldi automatically. Click on it to subscribe to any of the listed feeds.

The feed discovery feature works on sites like Reddit, YouTube, or GitHub now.

If you always wanted to follow a channel or user on Reddit, or a publisher on YouTube, it is now easier in Vivaldi using the feed reader.

Other features of Vivaldi 6.7

Here is a quick rundown of other features new or improved in the browser:

  • New option to export passwords and feeds.
  • Improved creation of a workspace. Use Ctrl-click to select tabs and then right-click on them to create a new workspace (by selecting the move > Workspace option).
  • New window split view option on Mac.

You can check out the full Vivaldi 6.7 changelog on the official website.

Do you use Vivaldi? Feel free to share your thoughts on the browser in the comments below.

Stepify: gives summaries of YouTube videos

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Stepify is a new online service that uses AI to create summaries of YouTube videos. The core idea behind the service is to create step-by-step instructions of tutorial or lecture videos. While that may be the intended use, it works with other types of videos as well:

  • Top list videos: say, the top 50 music videos of the 90s, top 100 Sony PlayStation games of all time, or the top action movies of 2024.
  • Hands-on videos, such as cooking videos or repair videos.
  • News videos: get summaries of news videos. This works for financial reports and other types of reports as well.

How Stepify works

Stepify YouTube video summary

Stepify is simple to use. Just open the website of the service and paste a video URL into the field. It takes just a brief moment to get a summary of it.

The layout of the summary resembles a step-by-step guide, even if it is not one. This is not much a problem, as you can easily ignore the structure and extract the information that you want from the summary.

Several tests went surprisingly well. When tasked to create a summary of a top 25 Sega Saturn games video, Stepify did return all 25 mentioned titles.

Not only that, it also revealed why each game has been picked by the creator of the video.

Tests with other top lists and tutorial videos worked really well.

Some tests returned less useful information. When tasked to summarize financial videos, Stepify did return core information, but not all relevant information.

While that may still be okay for a first overview, considering that you get it in a matter of seconds, it is necessary to look up additional information for the full picture.

The developer explains on Hacker News that Stepify gets the transcript from an API and passes it on to GPT.

Closing Words

Stepify is an interesting service. It is free to use and works fast, even for longer videos. While it is still necessary to verify the returned information, it may help users get a quick overview of the content of videos.

It may also be useful to users who prefer text-based information over video.