Google Chrome is the most preferred web browsers across the world. Unlike its competitors that take forever to load because of their media-heavy landing pages, Chrome is a minimalist browser that runs at top speed. But, like any expandable browser that allows features and extensions to be installed, Chrome can slow down because of the […]
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Google Chrome is the most preferred web browsers across the world. Unlike its competitors that take forever to load because of their media-heavy landing pages, Chrome is a minimalist browser that runs at top speed. But, like any expandable browser that allows features and extensions to be installed, Chrome can slow down because of the extra weight. If you’re experiencing snail-like Chrome performance, use these handy tricks to speed up your browser again.
Chrome stores a cached copy of a website you visit, so it can load the page faster when you visit it again. It also keeps a database of your browsing history and cookies for the same purpose. As you visit more and more websites, these pieces of data accumulate in Chrome and can slow the browser down.
Thankfully, the solution to this is easy: clear your cache. To do this, simply access your browsing history by entering chrome://history on your address bar. From the left panel, select Clear browsing data. Choose which data will be deleted by clicking on the checkboxes of all items you want to delete, like cached images or cookies. You can also select the time range that will be affected by the deletion. You can delete your history for the past hour, the last 24 hours, the last 7 days, the last 4 weeks, or from the beginning of time. Once you’ve selected the files you want to delete and their corresponding time range, click Clear data.
Extensions are downloadable programs from the Chrome Web Store that you can add to your browser to give it more functionality and a personalized touch. For example, you can add an extension that blocks ads, one that shortens URLs, or one that shows you your most important tasks of the day. While these extensions are useful, they can slow Chrome down when there are too many installed at once.
Most extensions will show on Chrome’s address bar, and you can quickly uninstall them by right-clicking on their icons and selecting Remove from Chrome. You can also manage all extensions by typing chrome://extensions on your browser and hitting Enter. From there, you’ll find a list of all the extensions you have (even those you don’t remember installing). Simply scroll through the list and click Remove to delete the extensions you don’t need.
Sometimes, Chrome slows down because of malware or adware extensions. Extra toolbars, recurring pop-up ads, and web pages redirecting to other addresses are clear indications of these. Google once had a downloadable app developed for Chrome that scans and removes unwanted programs called the Clean Up Tool. In 2018, Google discontinued that app and made malware scanning even easier. Just go to chrome://settings/cleanup on your browser, and click on Find to find and remove harmful software on your computer.
A top-performing web browser benefits your business in many ways, including upping employees’ productivity and speeding up communication processes. It’s therefore critical that yours is fast and reliable. If your web browser is performing poorly or takes forever to load a page, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us so we can identify and fix the problem right away.
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There are only so many hours in a workday, so making the most of your time is vital. If distracting websites, unorganized files, and cluttered inboxes prevent you from getting work done, consider these tips to better manage your time and stay productive at work. Monitor productivity levels Start by tracking how much work you […]
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There are only so many hours in a workday, so making the most of your time is vital. If distracting websites, unorganized files, and cluttered inboxes prevent you from getting work done, consider these tips to better manage your time and stay productive at work.
Start by tracking how much work you complete on an average day. There are useful apps for this such as Google Chrome Extensions like RescueTime, which record your most frequently visited sites and track how much time you spend away from your computer. Running the app will provide you with a productivity rating and a detailed log of how you spend your time at work.
If you discover you’re wasting a huge portion of your time on social networking and other productivity killers, you’re more likely to make conscious adjustments on how you manage your time.
You can also decrease distractions and increasing output by deleting old files, uninstalling unused programs, and organizing documents into appropriately labeled folders. This makes files easier to find and improves your computer’s performance.
As for the clutter in your email inbox, Gmail and Outlook both have features that filter out unimportant messages. Simply enable Priority Inbox on Gmail or Clutter on Outlook to get a clean, spam-free inbox.
Visiting non-work-related websites hinders productivity. A quick five-minute break to check your Facebook feed may not seem like much, but a few of those per day add up to a lot of time.
If you and your employees have trouble staying away from social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, it’s a good idea to block access to them using URL filters.
Alternatively, you can use apps like StayFocusd or Strict Workflow. These allow you to set a limit on how long and how many times users can visit non-work-related sites.
To-do lists help you break down large projects into manageable, bite-sized tasks. Crossing things off the list is surprisingly satisfying since it gives you and your employees a sense of accomplishment and total visibility of your progress.
You can choose from a wide variety of digital to-do lists like Google Tasks or Trello. These platforms allow you to set deadlines for small tasks and write clear instructions for each. What’s more, they’re incredibly easy to use and are great for keeping track of your workflow.
Mastering keyboard shortcuts will make it easier to perform simple functions. There are more than a hundred useful shortcuts, but some that you should always keep in mind are:
For many more like these, take a look at this list of advanced shortcuts for Windows.
In this digital age of short attention spans, focus is key to achieving business success. Drop us a line today if you’d like to know more about how tech can induce focus and improve overall productivity.
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If malware infects your computer, it would either crash at random, display annoying ads or notifications, or slow down. An Android device that has been breached by malware will not immediately show any signs of infection, unless it’s ransomware. How does ransomware make it onto your Android device? Like its desktop equivalent, mobile ransomware needs […]
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If malware infects your computer, it would either crash at random, display annoying ads or notifications, or slow down. An Android device that has been breached by malware will not immediately show any signs of infection, unless it’s ransomware.
How does ransomware make it onto your Android device?
Like its desktop equivalent, mobile ransomware needs to be installed on your device before it can do damage. For Android devices, this means mobile apps that hide their true intent. There are two ways to install programs on your mobile device: downloading them from app stores like Google Play and Amazon Appstore, or downloading them directly from websites and email links.
Surprisingly, both come with risks. Unverified sources often advertise free apps that hide malware, and the best of these can occasionally avoid detection and be allowed into monitored app stores.
What does mobile ransomware look like?
Similar to ransomware on personal computers, mobile ransomware holds data stored on your device hostage and demands ransom. For example, the popular Russian social network app OK was infected by ransomware in early 2018. The malware prompted users to change device settings. There was no option to close the prompt, and tapping Accept locked everything down and left victims with nothing but a ransom note.
How do you protect yourself from mobile ransomware?
First and foremost, avoid downloading apps directly from websites or third-party app stores. Additionally, make sure you turn on Google’s security system — Verify Apps — which scans all the apps about to be installed on your device for potential threats. You can do so by opening Settings > Security > Verify Apps, and activating :Scan device for security threats.”
Second, install antivirus software on your device and keep it up to date.
Third, back up important files from your device to either a USB disk, a computer, or any cloud-based service. This way, you won’t lose valuable data if you are forced to factory-reset your smartphone or tablet.
Last, if ransomware made its way onto your device, don’t pay. According to IT security company ESET, mobile ransomware very rarely includes programming to reverse the damage it has done.
Losing any type of data is at least an annoying inconvenience or at most an enormous legal liability. Businesses need to be especially careful about careless employees. Data loss could result in lawsuits or regulatory fines, so it’s important that everyone knows how to safeguard their Android devices against ransomware.
For more in-depth advice on how to protect yourself and your business from this threat, get in touch with our experts today.
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