We’re excited to bring you the next installment of Defragg, loaded with fresh content!
Welcome to our new subscribers, and thank you to everyone who shared their feedback on our first newsletter—we loved hearing from you! Your thoughts and ideas are shaping the content we create, and we’re excited to keep building this community with you.
In this second edition, we’ve packed in even more of what you love—tech hacks, nostalgia, and a double-dose of humor. We hope you enjoy!
Tech Tips
15 Tips to Make Your Computer Run Faster – Over time, both PCs and Macs can slow down due to clutter, unused apps, and hidden malware. Regularly cleaning up your system can help improve performance and free up valuable space. This guide will show you some simple tips using popular tools that work on both PCs and Macs to get your computer running smoothly again.
Tool of the Week
BlueScreenView – As you probably know, Microsoft Windows ‘Blue Screen of Death’ (BSOD) errors are very vague and difficult to understand. Fortunately, NirSoft’s BlueScreenView can make sense of them. This free program scans the minidump file that is automatically created when a BSOD crash occurs on your computer. It then provides detailed information about the crash such as the error codes and the specific drivers or files involved. This makes it much easier for you to identify the root cause of the problem and take steps to fix it. I’ve used this tool many times over the years to help fix Windows problems.
Quick Tips
How to Make Google Old-School – Google recently rolled out a new “Web” search option that removes many of Google’s “helpful” modern additions such as AI Overviews, maps, shopping products, and more, letting you enjoy a cleaner, more focused web search, just like the original Google. TenBlueLinks helps you make this new option default across your various browsers.
Simple Way to Bypass YouTube Ads on an iPhone
- On your phone, instead of using the YouTube app, open YouTube in a web browser on your phone (Safari, Chrome, Firefox).
- Use the search bar to find the video you want to watch and open it.
- Tap to play the video. The video player will start to play within the browser.
- When the ad starts playing, simply click the refresh button in your browser to skip it.
Productivity
How to Block Time-Wasting Websites on a PC or Mac – If you’re anything like us, you probably find it harder day-by-day to avoid distractions on your various devices and keep your focus on the more important things like work and family. Our attention is a commodity that is constantly being bought and sold by developers and advertisers, and they are experts at mining every ounce of it. Today, we’ll look specifically at ways we can avoid time-wasting websites. In the future, we’ll home in on tips to help us overcome other productivity killers such as distracting apps or never-ending notifications.
Life Hacks
Listen to YouTube Videos While Phone Screen Is Off – If you’re like me, there are times when you’d rather listen to YouTube videos than watch them. The good news is that I’ve found a trick to listen to YouTube audio even when your phone is locked. This can be really handy when you want to keep your phone in your pocket while doing other things, like mowing the yard. Here’s how you can do it.
Nostalgia
Watch ‘Pirates of Silicon Valley’ For Free – Out of all the films that delve into the history of Apple, ‘Pirates of Silicon Valley’ holds a special place in my heart. It’s my favorite movie depicting the history of Apple and Microsoft. Yes, it was a made-for-TV movie, but don’t let that fool you. This film delivers great storytelling, compelling character portrayals, and a fascinating glimpse into the tech world that many big-budget movies struggle to capture. Here’s how to watch it for free.
Dude, Guess What Happened to the Dell Dude – If you were a computer fanatic in the 90s and 2000s like me, you probably remember the infamous ‘Dude, you’re getting a Dell’ commercials. What you may not know is that ‘Steve’ was arrested for marijuana possession and was ultimately fired from his Dell gig. In this video, 15 years later, Ben Curtis tells the story of his experience as the Dell Dude and what really happened to him.
Retro Gaming
Play Windows 3D Space Cadet Pinball for Free – Space Cadet Pinball became a well-loved game when it was first included with Windows 95 Plus! and later with Windows XP. Unlike other games that came with Windows, this one had faster gameplay and a more impressive 3D look. Even though it was removed from later versions of Windows, many people still feel nostalgic about it. Luckily, you can still play Space Cadet Pinball for free today, either in your browser or by downloading it on a PC or Mac.
Humor
Prank Someone With This Fake Windows or Mac Update Screen – Fed up with those never-ending Windows updates? Here’s a quick and easy trick to make any computer display a fake Windows or Mac update screen that keeps ‘updating’ long past 100%.
22 Hilarious xkcd Comics About Technology – xkcd – a webcomic that brilliantly and hilariously captures the unique quirks, challenges, and humor of the tech world – has been a favorite of ours for many years. So, we’ve sifted through the thousands of xkcd comics to bring you the most side-splitting episodes related to technology. Whether you’re a seasoned programmer, a sysadmin, or just someone who appreciates witty stick figure commentary on technology and life, these comics are sure to resonate.
Tech News
Encrypted Messaging Coming for iPhone-to-Android Chats – The GSMA announced plans to implement end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for messages sent between iPhones and Android devices using Rich Communication Services (RCS). This follows Apple’s adoption of RCS in iOS 18, improving messaging with features like read receipts and media sharing, but currently lacking E2EE. While Google Messages and iMessage already offer E2EE, the new update aims to provide encryption across platforms. A timeline for the rollout hasn’t been provided yet.
Microsoft Names New COO to Drive AI and Business Transformation – Microsoft appointed Carolina Dybeck Happe, former CFO of General Electric, as its new EVP and COO. She will work with Microsoft’s senior leadership to enhance business processes and drive AI transformation efforts. Dybeck Happe played a key role in GE’s turnaround, helping restructure the company into independent entities. She brings extensive financial leadership experience and will oversee several key Microsoft divisions, marking the company’s first COO appointment since 2016.
ChatGPT learns to think more like a human – OpenAI has released a new AI model called o1, which is better at complex tasks like coding and math problems than previous models. It uses a new training method that helps it think step-by-step, similar to humans. While o1 is more accurate in some areas, it’s slower and more expensive to use than older models. It’s available to paying users of ChatGPT now with plans to bring it to all free users soon.
Stream Windows Anywhere with Microsoft’s New App – Microsoft has released Windows App for a variety of platforms including macOS, iOS, Android, and browsers. The app is essentially a way to stream Windows from a variety of sources that include Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Remote Desktop Services.
On This Day in Tech
RSA algorithm patent awarded to MIT (1983); First Fortran program runs (1954); Red Hat 2.0 released (1995)
Bytes of Insight
“A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history — with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila.” – Mitch Ratcliffe (Author and Journalist)