Top extensions for securing your web browser

Every now and again in this column, we like to go through and update our list of the best add-ons for securing your browser

These are the very top add-ons for making you safe from tracking cookies and metrics, from malicious website code and from hackers trying to intercept your browser traffic. They will block ads and bypass geoblocks and content filters as well — the latter particularly relevant now that certain websites are being blocked by Australian ISPs. All of these are available in the Chrome Web Store and in the Firefox Add-ons directory.

Minimising mobile data usage

Short on your gigabytes when out and about? Here are the tools you need to grab yourself some extra data

While monthly quotas for landline broadband services have (thankfully) finally grown to the point at which you generally don’t have to stress over your data usage, the same is not true for mobile services. Most mobile services offer only a few gigabytes per month, the kind of quota that can be easily wiped out with system and app updates, plus casual browsing. Worse, most post-paid mobile services will charge a ludicrous excess usage fee if you do accidentally go over your quota.

Luckily, there are tools to help you deal with quota anxiety. This month, we’re going to look at some of the top techniques to reduce your mobile data usage.

Troubleshooting Android bugs

Android is a fantastic operating system, but its numerous versions and thousands of hardware variations mean that frustrating bugs do pop up from time to time.

Most of these nasty bugs can be fixed quite easily, but the more stubborn ones can take a little digging to find and rectify the root problem. To help get you started on troubleshooting, we’ve put together a guide to the most common potential issues and how to fix them. We tested with a Nexus 6P running Android 7, so your phone’s menu layouts and options may vary somewhat.

Manage your monitor settings

Like much of the news these days your monitor isn’t always as accurate as it should be. Mike Plant reveals the tools to fine-tune your screen so that it displays everything flawlessly

Before you start reading this article (and certainly before you start applying any of our tips here), open a photo on your PC and take a few seconds to look at it. Though it might look perfectly fine, the chances are that its reds aren’t really red, its blues are far from blue and its greens… well, you get the idea.

That’s because monitors don’t come pre-calibrated to suit the unique conditions of the room you are in, meaning what you see on screen is a far-from-accurate rendition. In fact manufacturers of PC monitors and TVs often crank up the brightness levels and oversaturate colours so that their screens look vivid – even garish – in order to stand out on the shelf of your local PC World store.

That’s why it’s important to properly calibrate your monitor’s brightness, contrast and colour settings. This not only helps reduce eye strain, but displays photographs and images as they should be. Here we’ll explain how to tune up your monitor for a truer picture.

SuperB new uses for your old tablet & phone

Don’t just dump your old portable devices. Anthony Enticknap explains how to dust them off and give them a new lease of life

Unlike PCs, when tablets and phones get too old and sluggish to be useful anymore, there’s no easy way to upgrade them. Instead, we simply buy new ones. The question then is: what should you do with the old one?

You could bin it, but that feels like a waste. You might even donate it to a friend, family member or charity. But we all know most devices get consigned to cupboards or drawers, where they lie forgotten, gathering dust. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to dig out that old tablet or phone, because there are plenty of ways you could still make use of it.