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

WinRAR security issue more wide-reaching than thought [Update]

A recently disclosed security issue in the archiving software WinRAR is affecting other software programs as well. The developers of WinRAR released version 6.23 of the popular archiving software earlier this month. […]

There are two different Gmail users, the messy ones and the "others." Today, we will show you the best ways to organize Gmail like a pro!

Gmail: Google improves security of sensitive actions

Google announced today that it is improving protections for certain sensitive actions on Gmail to improve security for all users. The company's email service, like any other email service, is a lucrative […]

Google addresses five security issues in Chrome 116 point update

Google published a point update for Chrome 116 today that addresses five security issues in the desktop versions and the Android version of the web browser.  The update is available already, but […]

firefox

Firefox users may import Chrome extensions now

One of the main arguments brought forth for the switching to the WebExtensions system for browser extensions was that it made cross-browser extensions easier. Firefox users may now reap the benefits of […]

bitwarden

Bitwarden launches Secrets Manager for teams

Bitwarden Secrets Manager is an open source end-to-end encrypted service that teams may use to "store, manage, automate, and share secrets at scale". Aimed at development teams, who often need to share […]

Windows 10 users may now attach Microsoft Edge's sidebar to the desktop

Microsoft has published Microsoft Edge 116, a new stable version of its Chromium-based browser. Released on August 21, 2023, Microsoft Edge 116 includes security updates and two new features. Existing installations of […]

Privacy is Sexy: custom privacy scripts for Windows, Linux and macOS

Privacy is Sexy is a free service that allows users of desktop operating systems to improve their privacy by creating and executing custom scripts. The service is available for Windows, Linux and […]

Open Source Office Suite LibreOffice 7.6 is now available

The Document Foundation has released the open source office suite LibreOffice 7.6 Community Edition today. The new version is packed with new features and improvements. It is also the last major release […]

X ID verification may require selfies and photos of IDs

X, formerly known as Twitter, is working on integrating ID verification into the service. The integration appears to be a reaction to the chaos that ensued after Twitter launched Twitter Blue labels […]

Mozilla disables Pull-to-refresh by default in Firefox for Android

Android users who download Mozilla's Firefox web browser to their devices for the first time may notice that the browser's pull-to-refresh feature is not turned on by default. Mozilla introduced pull-to-refresh relatively […]

xbox 360

Microsoft is closing the Xbox 360 Store in 2024: here is what that means

Microsoft plans to shut down the Xbox 360 Store on July 29, 2024 according to an announcement on the company's official Xbox website. Games and DLC continue to be available, if already […]

Google Keep is getting a version history, but only on the Web

Google Keep is a note taking application and service by Google. It is available natively on many Android devices, for iOS and also as a web-based version. Google is rolling out a […]

HP is preventing printer users from using third-party ink

HP in hot water again over restricting functionality on its all-in-one-printers

HP is facing a class-action lawsuit in the United States that centers around the accusation that HP is intentionally bricking functionality on all-in-one printer models when ink is running low. All-in-one printers […]

New Android features

Android: how to disable 2G cellular connections to improve security

Google Android users may (soon) disable 2G cellular connections on their devices thanks to a recently integrated feature. The option is designed to harden network security on Android by disabling 2G functionality […]

Soon, Windows 11 users may uninstall more Microsoft Stock Apps

One of the main points of criticism leveled against Microsoft and its Windows 11 operating system is that many of the stock apps can't be uninstalled easily. Users who attempt to uninstall […]

Proton Sentinel: next level account security protection for (almost) everyone

Proton, maker of Proton Mail, VPN and several other services, announced the launch of Proton Sentinel earlier today. Proton Sentinel is a security add-on for Proton accounts that enables higher levels of […]

Brave Browser 1.57 released with Forget by Default mode and security fixes

Brave Software has released Brave Browser 1.57. The new version of the web browser is a smaller update, but it includes several new features and also security fixes. Brave installations should receive […]

Google Chrome 116: more Telemetry and 26 security patches

Google has released a new stable version of its Chrome web browser for desktop operating systems, Android and iOS. Chrome 116 is a security update first and foremost, as it addresses a […]

Your memories have a permanent place now in Google Photos

If you are using Google Photos, the default photos application on most Android phones, you may get the occasional trip down memory lane when the app reminds you about an event that […]

Vivaldi 6.1 point update fixes a critical security issue in the browser

Vivaldi Technologies has released a point update for Vivaldi 6.1 that addresses a critical security issue and a crash in stable versions of the web browser. The update is already available and […]

The latest reports show that Google has come a long way and offers new privacy settings in Chrome Canary and Chrome Dev apps.

This extension reveals network activity of other Chrome extensions

Little Rat is a new extension for Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers that monitors and reveals that network traffic of any installed browser extension. Extensions for web browsers come in all […]

lastpass

LastPass improves passwordless logins with FIDO2 authenticator support for desktops

Lastpass, maker of the password management service of the same name, announced today that customers may now use FIDO2 compatible authenticators on desktop devices for passwordless logins to their vaults. The new […]

Microsoft's new Windows Backup app is coming to Windows 10 as well

Microsoft released the new Windows Backup app to Insider builds of Windows 11 in May 2023. The very same application will soon also be available on Windows 10 devices. The latest Windows […]

Google Translate is coming to Gmail on mobile devices

Google is rolling out translation support in the mobile Gmail applications for Android and iOS. The integration of Google Translate in the official Gmail application adds the much-requested feature, which has been […]

YouTube tightens thumbscrew to crack down on ad-blockers

Google has been testing several ways to combat users who use ad-blockers on its YouTube video streaming site. One of the first tests informed users that ad blockers are not allowed on […]

Bing Chat Enterprise

Microsoft limits use of AI Services in upcoming Services Agreement update

Microsoft plans to update its Services Agreement on September 30, 2023. The company is informing customers about the change currently via email and other means. If you take the time to go […]

Next Month, Windows 10's Start Menu will highlight the advantages of Microsoft Accounts to users

In early 2023, Microsoft started to test Start Menu promotions in its Windows 11 operating system. These have since then landed in release versions of Windows 11 and will launch on Windows […]

Google claims it has improved Chrome scrolling by the factor 2 on Android

Chrome users who run the web browser on Android and iOS devices may have noticed that the scrolling of Chrome on Android feels jankier than that on iOS devices. Soon, Chrome users […]

How to manually scan for unknown tracker devices in Android

When Apple launched AirTags, small devices that Apple users can use for tracking purposes, some heralded the company for launching another useful feature. Others, including many privacy advocates, noted that these devices […]

Firefox for Android will soon support all extensions

After years of waiting, Firefox for Android users may soon install any browser extension in the mobile browser. When Mozilla launched a redesigned Firefox web browser for Android, it limited extensions to […]

chinese hackers breach us government

Microsoft Authenticator will soon provide codes via WhatsApp

Microsoft is working on two improvements for its Microsoft Authenticator application. The first tests the delivery of authentication codes via Meta's WhatsApp application instead of SMS, the second attempts to limit Authenticator […]

Disney raises price of Disney+ to $13.99 and will block account sharing

Disney is increasing the price of its Disney+ streaming service, as well as that of Hulu, in the coming months. The company plans to charge 13.99 USD for an ad-free Disney+ plan […]

0Patch promises to support Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 with 3 years of security updates

Microsoft is ending support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 in October 2023. Just like the recently dropped operating systems Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 will […]

Intel rebranding

Intel's latest graphics driver includes Telemetry

Computer users who operate devices with Intel graphics processing units may soon have Telemetry collected by the driver, reported to Intel and potentially shared with Intel partners. To make matters even less […]

YouTube showing "Your watch history is off" instead of videos

YouTube users who sign-in to a Google or YouTube account while using the video streaming site may have their watch history recorded automatically. The feature is turned on by default and YouTube […]

Windows 11 23H2

The Windows August 2023 security updates fix critical vulnerabilities and Internet Explorer

It is the second Tuesday of the month, and that means it is Microsoft Patch Tuesday. The company has released security updates for all supported client and server operating systems as well […]

microsoft edge

Microsoft Edge for Business launches next week: here is what you need to know

Microsoft plans to launch Microsoft Edge for Business Stable next week. A new blog post on the company's Tech Community website confirms Microsoft intention to launch the new business-focused Edge web browser […]

Meta's WhatsApp is working on getting its hands on user email addresses

When users create a WhatsApp account, they can only do so by linking a phone number to the account. While that makes sense logistically to a degree, it has also been criticized […]

Firefox 116.0.2 is the second point update in a week

Mozilla plans to release Firefox 116.0.2 later today. The second Firefox 116 point update follows Firefox 116.0.1, which Mozilla released last Friday. The two updates were released less than a week after […]

Microsoft removes 44 Intel CPUs from Windows 11's Processor Compatibility list

Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system has different hardware requirements than Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and previous versions of Windows. A modern processor is one of the requirements; Microsoft published three lists of […]