Weekly Tech Updates is an easy and convenient way to keep up with all the happenings in the tech world. Stay tuned every Friday for all the latest updates.
1. YouTube cracks down on anti-climate change content
YouTube will no longer allow ads for, and monetization of, content that contradicts well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change. This includes content referring to climate change as a hoax or a scam, claims denying that long-term trends show the global climate is warming, and claims denying that greenhouse gas emissions or human activity contribute to climate change.
This policy change comes shortly after YouTube begun taking down anti-vaccination content.
2. TM is Migrating Customers from Public to Private IPs
TM is making a controversial move to migrate existing customers of unifi 30Mbps, 50Mbps and 100Mbps from public IPs to private IPs, as part of a move to increase security. If you use public IPv4 IPs, you may find yourself affected soon as you will be shifted to private IP.
This move has not been well received by the community as it is seen as move from TM to force users to upgrade their plans should they require a public IP.
The absence of a public IP will greatly affect users whom are involved in any form of hosting. Here are examples of applications that will be affected: 1. Non cloud based CCTV’s 2. Server hosting services (i.e. email server, VPN) 3. Online games – Multiplayer video games where content is hosted by customer (ie: ‘rooms, ‘worlds’ or ‘servers’)
Squid Game has officially reached 111 million fans — making it our biggest series launch ever! It’s the first Netflix show to top 100 million viewers in the first month, the company said. The series easily smashed the previous record from “Bridgerton,” which was watched by 82 million households in the first 28 days.
4. Samsung Unpacked Part 2 and Apple Unleash
Samsung and Apple are both having a follow up event to launch new products on the 20th and 19th of October respectively. Despite Samsung having just launched the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3 while Apple launched its iPhone 13 series, it seems like there are more exciting products coming our way.
Fans are anticipating the launch of the Galaxy S21 FE, new AirPods and a redesigned MacBook Pro. We’ll have to tune in to these events to find out!
Constituting over half of the overall Internet browser markets share, Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser available. It is also likely that you’re reading this article on Chrome right now. On its own, the browser is efficient, well-designed, and includes essential features. It also offers a range of extensions on the Chrome Web Store which are free and easy to install.
So without further ado, here is a curated list of free Chrome extensions to enhance your browser experience when working or studying from home.
Replaces new tab page with a customisable personal dashboard
(Image credit: Momentum)
One of the most popular productivity-related extensions among Chrome users is Momentum. The extension replaces the default page that appears when you open a new tab with your own personal dashboard.
The dashboard features a new inspirational photo and quote every day and you can keep track of your day by setting a daily goal/focus and making a to-do list which you can cross off as you go. Definitely check out this extension here if you’re looking to make your Chrome browser experience more exciting and less mundane.
Speechify is both a Chrome extension and mobile app that allows you to listen to anything on the internet. It uses text-to-speech AI technology to read out your text, and you can adjust the language, accent, and reading speed to your liking.
Anyone can use this reading assistant but it is super helpful for people with dyslexia, ADHD, low vision acuity, concussions, and other reading disabilities. You can install this extension here.
Screenshot the entire webpage and save it as an image or PDF
(Image credit: GoFullPage)
If you want to take a full page screenshot of your current browser window, then GoFullPage is great for this. Once you install the extension, you can simply click the extension button in the top right corner of your browser or press Alt+Shift+P. Unlike similar extensions, GoFullPage can handle more complex pages that include inner scrollable elements as well as embedded iframes.
After the extension captures each part of the page, you will be transported to a new tab where you can download the screenshot as an image or PDF. This is especially useful if you want to do some offline reading or save a webpage for later reference. You can install this extension here.
Suspend tabs that you’re not using to free up RAM and boost performance
(Image credit: The Great Suspender)
Chrome is known for taking up a lot of your device’s RAM, especially with many tabs open. The Great Suspender solves this problem by suspending tabs that are not currently in use.
There are also options to whitelist particular URLs and domains that you don’t want suspended. Once you’re ready to use a suspended tab again, simply just refresh the page. You can install this extension here.
Automatically summarise any text online with just a click
(Image credit: TLDR This)
TLDR This is a Chrome extension that can take any piece of text online and summarise it. With the power of Natural Language Processing (NLP), the extension will sum up articles, texts, documents, webpages, or essays into five easily digestible bullet points.
This is a great time saver because you don’t need to scan through long blocks of text to find the relevant information you need which is extremely useful if you’re a student on strict deadlines. You can install this extension here.
Provides reminders to help you keep healthy while on your computer
(Image credit: Healthy Browsing)
When browsing on the web for extended periods of time, we can often forget to blink, stay hydrated, or to fix our sitting posture. Healthy Browsing is a simple extension that allows you to set reminders that notify you to blink, drink water, correct your posture, and stretch.
Hopefully this extension can help you to feel less tired and numb from sitting at your computer. You can install this extension here.
Increase your productivity by setting limits on browsing time
(Image credit: StayFocusd)
StayFocusd is a great extension for those who tend to get distracted when trying to complete a task or assignment. It can help you to stay focused by limiting the amount of time you are allowed to spend on ‘time-wasting’ sites. Once the given time has been used up, the websites you have blocked will not be accessible on the device for the rest of the day.
It’s very customisable and allows you to block or allow entire sites, specific subdomains, specific paths, specific pages, and even specific in-page content (videos, games, images, forms, etc). You can install this extension here.
If you need to record video presentations for work or school, Loom can be a great and efficient tool to use. After adding Loom to Chrome, you can record anything on your screen (and yourself), even if it’s outside of the browser window.
Once you’ve finished recording, you can instantly share the video with others using the generated Loom link. You can install this extension here.
For people who are fond of using dark mode while browsing, you’ll know that not all webpages feature the option. However, with Night Eye, you can enable dark mode on any page you want as well as giving you the ability to control the built-in dark modes that some websites already feature (such as Gmail and Google Docs).
Night Eye is a great extension to consider if you want to reduce your eye strain while using your laptop or PC for long periods of time. You can install this extension here.
