Martin Brinkmann

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Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News back in 2005. Martin started his career as a tech support representative at a large German financial corporation which he used to finance his college education in English, Information Technology and History.


He quit college and his job when Ghacks began to attract a large enough readership. He made the decision to become a full time blogger and webmaster, and has not looked back since.


Martin is interested in all things tech. His primary focus is on desktop operating systems, web browsers, Internet services, and privacy related topics.


He published the book The Complete Windows 10 Privacy Guide: Windows 10 Fall Creators Update version in 2017. Martin writes a weekly column for fellow tech site Betanews as well.


You can reach Martin on Facebook or on Twitter. Please use the contact form at the bottom of the page to contact the author directly.


Martin has been quoted or mentioned in many major online and print publications, including Forbes, Lifehacker.com, ComputerWorld, LinkedIn, Reddit, Betanews.com, Bleeping Computer, TechCrunch, PC World, Tom's Hardware, Slashdot, Hacker News, The Register, and more.


Martin's articles on Ghacks

Microsoft launches Edge 130 with lots of security patches and feature changes

Microsoft released Edge 130 Stable today. The new release fixes plenty of security issues, but it also rolls out the updated Settings page and makes a few other changes. To update, select […]

Google revives YouTube Premium Lite, but this time with "limited ads"

When it comes to Google and YouTube, the most likely news that you have heard in the past year is that Google is intensifying its fight against content blockers, increasing ads on […]

Google Chrome: removal of uBlock Origin and other unsupported extensions has started

More and more Google Chrome users are receiving popup notifications that inform them that one or multiple extensions have been turned off because they are unsupported. The popup is shown directly on […]

Windows 10 Start Menu will soon display ads for Microsoft 365

Windows 10 Support ends in exactly 1 year - here are your options

Microsoft plans to end support for its Windows 10 operating system on October 14th, 2025 officially. This means that the company won't release any updates or changes anymore for the 10-year-old operating […]

Mozilla releases second Firefox 131 security update

Mozilla plans to release the third point update for Firefox 131 later today. It is the second security related update for Firefox 131. Just last week, Mozilla released Firefox 131.0.2, a critical […]

Rufus 4.6 bypasses Windows 11 24H2 compatibility checks automatically

The latest beta version of the open source app Rufus supports additional means to bypass compatibility checks during the installation of Windows 11 24H2. The cat and mouse game continues. Microsoft allowed […]

Windows 11 24H2: Cleanup is no longer deleting all temporary files

Running cleanup after a successful update to a new Windows version allowed you to free up gigabytes of disk space in the past. Windows would remove old update files that it no […]

Windows

Microsoft releases the October 2024 security updates for Windows

Microsoft has released the October 2024 cumulative updates for all supported versions of the Windows operating system. It is the last month that Windows 11, version 22H2 is receiving an update as […]

How to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 on unsupported hardware

If you have installed Windows 11 on a PC that does not meet the system requirements of the operating system, then you face an issue with every new feature update release. Regular […]

WordPad interface

How to restore the WordPad text editor in Windows 11

Microsoft released the 2024 feature update for Windows 11 last week. The new update is rolling out to eligible devices already. While it will take weeks or months before it is reaching […]

Adobe will disable Adobe Elements 2025 three years after purchase

Adobe announced new Adobe Elements 2025 Family releases this week. The two products, Adobe Photoshop Elements 2025 and Adobe Premiere Elements 2025, come with "Ai magic" according to Adobe and several other […]

What you need to know about Microsoft Office 2024

Microsoft released a new non-subscription version of Microsoft Office for home users and businesses. This one differs from the subscription-based Microsoft 365 version of Office in several meaningful ways. The following paragraphs […]

Windows 11 2024

Windows 11 2024 is now available - what you need to know

Microsoft announced the release of Windows 11 2024, also known as Windows 11, version 24H2, a moment ago. The new feature update for Windows is rolling out to eligible devices starting today, […]

Mozilla's massive lapse in judgement causes clash with uBlock Origin developer

Software developers who publish their products on third-party stores face all kinds of problems sometimes. From rejected apps or extensions to removed products or unjustified claims about them. Raymond "gorhill" Hill, maker […]

Windows Recall - Screenray and Topics

Windows Recall: Microsoft's second launch attempt after devastating criticism

When Microsoft announced the AI-feature Windows Recall earlier this year, it was confident that it would receive praise for the feature. The main idea behind Recall was to give users AI-powered access […]

HP is preventing printer users from using third-party ink

Print AI: HP injects AI into its printers

HP jumped on the AI bandwagon today when it announced Print AI for its printers. Is it a ploy to extract even more money from unsuspecting customers, or something truly useful? Here […]

You need a final BIOS update to fix the Intel CPU stability issue for good

Intel has released another microcode update for 13th and 14th generation Intel Core processors to address a serious issue that can cause crashes and even damage the processors in the long run. […]

Windows 11: optional update KB5043145 restores removed Start feature and more

Microsoft has released a new optional update for Windows 11 version 23H2. This version of Windows is still the most recent for most Windows 11 users. Microsoft has yet to announced the […]

Netflix price increase 2023

Netflix launches cheaper extra members subscription with a catch

Netflix announced the launch of a new extra members option. Standard and Premium subscribers may add extra members to their account for a discounted price. These members do not have to live […]

YouTube Premium: another massive price increase in some regions angers users

While Google continues its fight against content blockers and third-party YouTube viewing solutions, it appears to have started another round of price increases. The details: The price of a subscription has increased […]

Thunderbird email support won't be extended for older Windows and Mac systems

Users of the open source email client Thunderbird who still run it on old versions of Windows or Mac will no longer get updates for the program from next month onward. The […]

Tor anonymity infiltrated: Law enforcement monitors servers successfully

Tor is an important service on the Internet when it comes to anonymity. It is free and can be used by anyone to hide information such as a device's public IP address. […]

Google Chrome 129: new features and security fixes arrive on all platforms

Google released Chrome 129 Stable for all supported channels. The update fixes several security issues in the browser and introduces new and changed features. As always, desktop users may select Menu > […]

Next Windows

Exclusive: Microsoft announces release date of the Windows 11 24H2 feature update

While Microsoft still has to make a public announcement regarding the new feature update for Windows 11, the company has revealed the schedule in a hidden announcement. Windows 11 version 24H2 has […]

Windows 11

Windows 11: Pay attention to the Windows Photos App - it may be slowing down your PC

Many Windows users use the Microsoft Photos app to view images and videos. The main reason for that is simple: it is the default app for media on Windows. When you click […]

Google Chrome

Google Chrome: big security feature enables automatic security actions

Google is updating Safety Check and improving the handling of site notifications and website permissions. It is also giving Chrome control over certain security features. Google is rolling out a new security […]

Microsoft is deprecating Legacy DRM services - these clients are affected

Microsoft has added another feature to the list of deprecated Windows features. After tagging Paint 3D and Adobe Type1 fonts as deprecated in August 2024, it set its eyes on legacy DRM […]

Microsoft releases the September 2024 security updates for Windows

Microsoft released security updates for all supported versions of its Windows operating system and other company products a moment ago. The updates are already available via Windows Updates and other update management […]

If you run an old version of Windows 11, Microsoft may force-upgrade your system

Every version of Windows is someday reaching its end of life. For Windows 11, that is after two years for consumer-based editions of the operating system. A few things may happen when […]

firefox

Mozilla extends Firefox 115 support for old Windows and macOS devices

Firefox 115 is the last version of the Firefox web browser that is compatible with several old versions of Windows or macOS. This affects Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, and macOS 10.12 […]

Windows 10

It is not surprising that Windows 11 is growing and Windows 10 is falling - but here is what is suprising

Every month, dozens of articles appear online that reveal how much the usage of a particular version of Windows has grown or fallen. Most use Steam data and the data that Statcounter […]

This extension may soon no longer be supported

Google will disable some of its own Chrome extensions soon

If you run extensions in Google Chrome, you may one day find yourself without access to some of them. This is true for third-party extensions, but also some extensions that Google created […]

Intel Core Ultra

Windows 11 AI features are coming to Intel PCs this November

The 2024 feature update for Windows 11 is a confusing one. Released already for Copilot+ PCs, it is still unclear when it is going to basically all existing Windows 11 devices. Only […]

Firefox 130: Translate improvements, automatic Picture-in-Picture mode, and security fixes

Mozilla has released Firefox 130 Stable today. The new version of Firefox introduces several new features, including the already reviewed automatic Picture-in-Picture mode, improvements to the browser's translate feature, and a new […]

The Windows Windows App is real - replacing Remote Desktop app

Microsoft is once again shifting things around and making things confusing for users of its products. After the Microsoft Teams debacle, it is now renaming the Remote Desktop app to the Windows […]

Here is why App Updates from Google Play may feel like they install faster now

Google has tweaked how application updates are downloaded from the official Google Play Store. While it does not guarantee lightning speeds, the change should improve downloading for many Android users. The details: […]

Windows Recall - Screenray and Topics

You can remove Recall from Windows if you do not want it (Update: or not)

Microsoft is currently preparing a second version of its controversial AI-feature Recall. The company hopes to get it right this time. A look back: when Microsoft announced Recall A quick refresher. Microsoft […]

AMD Ryzen

AMD backports its Performance patch to Windows 11 version 23H2: how to install it right now

The next Windows 11 feature update includes a performance patch for AMD silicon. AMD has now backported the patch to Windows 11 version 23H2. Microsoft released a new optional update for Windows […]

Picture in Picture

Firefox's automatic Picture-in-Picture mode is a time-saver for those who use it

If you watch videos in your web browser, you probably have come upon the Picture-in-Picture functionality. Most modern desktop browsers support it to display the video stream in an overlay on the […]

Your next PC may come with the Google Essentials app - what you need to know

Many PCs come out of the factory with third-party apps installed. Companies pay the manufacturers for the inclusion of their apps. A good percentage of PC users does not like these and […]