We’re thrilled to introduce Defragg, a free newsletter designed to bring you the best in tech tips, productivity hacks, tech-related side hustles, gaming, nostalgia, and a dash of humor. We aim to deliver a mix of practical advice and entertaining insights right to your inbox.
With that, here’s the first issue of Defragg!
Tech Tips
Learn Computer Repair Using a Free Computer Repair Simulator – Have you ever wanted to learn how to repair a computer but weren’t sure where to begin? The Computer Repair Simulator is here to help. With this free tool, you can practice diagnosing and fixing common computer issues without the fear of causing real-world damage or making costly mistakes.
Our Favorite Free Scanner App for a Paper-Free Life – We’re living in an increasingly digital world. If you’re looking for software to help you quickly and easily digitize your documents and pictures and move towards a paper-free utopia, NAPS2 is our favorite solution!
Tool of the Week
Snappy Driver Installer Origin – Most driver update utilities are often bundled with malware. This is why we highly recommend Snappy Driver Installer Origin. It’s completely free, open-source, and you don’t have to worry about malware. We’ve personally relied on this tool for years to update drivers, and it’s particularly useful after reinstalling Windows.
Quick Tips
Bypass Paywalls With Archive.today – If you want to read an article that is blocked by a paywall, simply go to archive.today, paste the URL in the archive field, and click “Save”. If someone has archived it previously, it will load and you can now read the full article!
Windows Clipboard History – Did you know on Windows 10 and 11 you can access a full history of items you’ve copied to the Windows clipboard? Instead of just pasting the most recently copied item with the traditional Ctrl + V shortcut, try pressing Windows Key + V instead. This opens the Clipboard History, allowing you to see all the items you’ve copied recently and select the item you want to paste. It’s perfect for quickly switching between multiple copied texts, links, or images. You can even pin frequently used items to the top of the list for quick access! Make sure Clipboard History is enabled in Settings > System > Clipboard. Give it a try to speed up your workflow!
Productivity
Our 10 Favorite Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) Tools – Ever feel like you’re drowning in information and ideas but can’t keep track of any of it? That’s where personal knowledge management tools come in—apps designed to help you capture, organize, and easily access your thoughts and information. These tools have been a game-changer for us at Defragg, allowing us to connect insights, boost creativity, and make better decisions. After trying out many, we’ve narrowed down our 10 favorite apps.
Life Hacks
How to Sell a Mac for a Fat Wad of Cash – Apple products are known for retaining their value, making the sale of a used Mac a great way to earn extra cash. Whether you’re selling your own Mac or looking to start a business buying and selling them, this guide is designed to help you.
How to Save Money on iOS App Subscriptions – Here at Defragg, we’re all about saving a few dollars, especially when it only takes a few clicks and a couple of minutes. So let’s take a look at a simple trick that has the potential to help you save some of your hard-earned paycheck on App Store subscriptions.
Blocking YouTube Ads Has Never Been This Easy & Fast – We recently discovered this very clever way to skip YouTube ads on almost any device without installing software or browser extensions.
Nostalgia
The Forgotten History of AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) – AOL Instant Messenger wasn’t just a messaging platform; it was a cultural phenomenon! Join us as we relive the golden days of the internet and dive into the history of AIM, the chat app that defined a generation. We’ll discover how it all started, how it captivated millions, and what led to its eventual demise.
Evolution of Windows Startup Sounds – What’s your favorite Windows startup sound? My personal favorite is the Windows 2000 / ME sound. Pure Nostalgia! This very cool video revisits the iconic sounds of every version of Windows from Windows 3.1 to Windows 11.
Retro Gaming
Play Original King’s Quest Games Free (PC & Mac) – King’s Quest, a series by Sierra On-Line, has left an indelible mark in the annals of video game history. We’ve put together an article that details how to play each game for free along with some modern remakes. Please reply and let us know which King’s Quest was your favorite.
Tech News
Windows Control Panel will soon be phased out – For many of us, the Control Panel has continued to be the go-to tool for tweaking system settings in Windows. While the new Settings app in Windows 10 and 11 tries to fill the gap, it often leaves much to be desired in terms of functionality and user experience. Our take? Microsoft has a chance to create something more cohesive and intuitive with future updates. But until then, we’re rooting for a third-party developer to step up with an alternative that brings back the simplicity and control we’ve all come to love and rely on.
AI startup, Safe Superintelligence, has raised $1 billion – The company co-founded by OpenAI veterans including former OpenAI Chief Scientist, Ilya Sutskever, raised the seed round from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital. Word is that the funding values the company at roughly $5 billion. Not bad for a 10-employee company founded in June! SSI has remained fairly secretive about their operations so far. What they have said is that they are laser focused on developing AI systems that align with human values and interests and far exceed human intelligence and capabilities. But don’t get too excited to see what they’re working on anytime soon. SSI Chief Executive Daniel Gross says they plan to “spend a couple of years doing R&D on our product before bringing it to market.”
On This Day in Tech
Dennis Ritchie, creator of the C programming language and Unix operating system is born (1941); Sony releases the original PlayStation console in North America (1995); Apple announces the Apple Watch and iPhone 6 (2014); NASA’s Viking 2 mission to Mars is launched (1975)
Bytes of Insight
“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” – Bill Gates