Martin Brinkmann

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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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: […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

Google Chrome: security update fixes 38 issues, including one that is actively exploited

Google released security updates for Google Chrome on various platforms today. The update fixes a total of 38 unique security issues in the web browser. To make matters worse, one patches a […]

Microsoft’s controversial Windows Recall feature is coming back in October

If you thought that Microsoft was done with Recall after its catastrophic reveal as the main feature of Copilot+ PCs, you are mistaken. Microsoft wants to bring it back this October 2024. […]

Teams: Microsoft launches unified app for everyone to end two-version-chaos

Today, Microsoft has put an end to the Microsoft Teams chaos that has plagued Windows users for years. The company announced today that there will only be one Microsoft Teams app for […]

How to send files between Windows and Android using Link to Windows

Remember the time when you had to connect your smartphones via a cable to your PCs to transfer files? This process was disliked by many users for a number for a number […]

Microsoft blocks one way of installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware

Over the weekend, there has been quite a bit of panic about Microsoft blocking one of the ways to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Some news sites claimed that this was […]

Latest Windows 11 update is reportedly causing freezes and lags for some users

If you have installed the latest batch of Windows 11 Updates and could boot fine into the system after installation, congratulations. Reports suggest that the update is causing issues on some systems. […]

Google is killing uBlock Origin in Chrome, but this trick lets you keep it for another year

Google is switching the ruleset for extensions in Chrome soon. The updated version is controversial, as it will end several popular extensions for Chrome, including the world's most popular ad-blocker uBlock Origin. […]

Proton VPN: free VPN users can use the browser extensions now

Proton announced today that it has made the decision to allow free users of its service to use the Chrome and Firefox extensions. Up until now, access was limited to paying customers. […]

The Windows Security Updates of August 2024 are now available - BitLocker Recovery issue fixed

Microsoft has released security updates for all supported client and server versions of Windows. Other company products, including Microsoft Office, have received security updates as well. Our monthly overview is designed to […]

Windows Utility WinUtil is a one-stop shop to customize Windows

Windows Utility, short WinUtil, is a popular open source customization tool for Microsoft Windows devices. It is free and can be run from an elevated PowerShell prompt. It is difficult to describe […]

Firefox Nightly: Mozilla makes it easier to test vertical tabs

The latest Firefox Nightly release makes it easier to test vertical tabs and the browser's new sidebar. Mozilla launched support for the, much requested, vertical tabs feature in Firefox in June. Back […]

Security researcher discovered attack to downgrade Windows permanently

One of the most important advices when it comes to the security of electronic devices is to make sure that they are up to date. A security researcher discovered a new attack […]

The end of Patreon? Google is implementing micro-payments into Chrome

Google is working on integrating what it calls Web Monetization functionality in its Chrome web browser. One of the main intents is to add a way to reward good content on the […]

Firefox 129.0: Reader View enhancements, HTTPS and DNS improvements, and security fixes

Mozilla has released Firefox 129.0 Stable as well as Firefox 128.1 ESR and Firefox 115.14 ESR. Firefox 129 makes several important changes to the browser. Notable are the switch to HTTPS first […]

How to fix low audio volume on Windows 11 devices

If you experience low audio volume playback on Windows 11, then you may be affected by the same issue that I ran into over this weekend. When I turned on my HP […]

Here is another reason why you should never click on ads to download software

Imagine the following scenario. You want to download Google Authenticator, run a search on Google for the company's application, and click on the first link that appears. The link looks good even […]

Firefox update makes watching videos a more enjoyable experience

Mozilla is working on a new feature for its Firefox web browser: automatic picture-in-picture mode. It is currently available in Firefox Nightly 130 and could launch in Firefox Stable later this year. […]

Microsoft 365 includes a VPN now, but there is a catch

Microsoft has added a VPN service to Microsoft Personal and Family subscriptions. It is available as part of the subscription plan, which means that there are not any additional costs. Here are […]

Thunderbird 128 Upgrades are now enabled

Users of the Thunderbird email client who still use Thunderbird 115.x will be upgraded to the new version automatically starting today. The team released the new major version of the Thunderbird email […]

About Chrome's "These extensions may soon no longer be supported" message

When you update Google Chrome to the latest version, you may notice a new section when you manage installed extensions in the browser. Google now displays extensions that may soon no longer […]

Linux Mint 22 is an attractive option for migrating away from Windows

The Linux Mint team has just released Linux Mint 22, a new major version of the free Linux distribution. With Windows 10's end of support coming up quickly next year, at least […]

Windows: latest security update is causing huge issues for some users

If you have installed the July 2024 security updates for Windows and managed to boot into the desktop after the required restart, congratulations. Microsoft has just confirmed a new known issue that […]

Google stops the sale of TV Shows from Google TV - What you need to know

Google announced today that it is making a far-reaching change to its Google TV service. Starting today, Google customers may no longer purchase TV episodes or seasons from Google TV on "Google […]

Google gives up: third-party cookies won't go away after all in Chrome

Google announced "a new path" for its Privacy Sandbox initiative for the Web. The company's plan was to eliminate third-party cookies on the Internet and replace them with new technology that it […]

CrowdStrike in a nutshell: how a faulty software update took down millions of Windows PCs

A software update by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike was responsible for taking down millions of Windows PCs, some of them in critical industries. Last Friday, reports started to come in from companies and […]

Google is killing all links of its URL Shortener goo.gl

Millions of links will stop working next year as a consequence of Google shutting down its URL Shortener service goo.gl. Google announced the change on its Developer blog this week. According to […]