Browser boosters that save time, help you focus and laugh at cat jokes
presents you with a cartoon cat every time you open a new tab.
If you’re not adventurous (or still have a AOL email address), you might prefer to stick with the software your machine comes with. That means Mac users will be surfing on Safari, which is not quite as customisable as Chrome but still has some good add-ons. For lazy internet users Autopagerize simply removes the effort of clicking “Next” when you’re scrolling through a list of search results and automatically loads them, while the F B Purity extension is there to help you doctor your Facebook homepage so you’re only getting the content you really want to see. It filters out adverts, People You May Know and sponsored posts so you can concentrate on the important stuff like what that girl you went to primary school with picked as table centrepieces for her wedding.
For the ultimate internet hack Shut Up removes all comment sections so you won’t be tempted to head below the line and find your anger levels rocketing after reading comments from anonymous Trump supporters.
If you’re still using Internet Explorer you might as well still get your photos developed on the high street. The original web browser has reached its 21st birthday and even its makers have realised it’s past it. With the launch of Windows 10 last year came Edge, the new Microsoft browser. Reportedly it’s great for saving battery power but that is difficult to prove seeing as few people are using it. So few in fact that the Microsoft Rewards scheme now offers points and vouchers for using it, with the catch being that you must also use Bing as your search engine. Which is a bit like asking us all to stop using WhatsApp and get back on MSN Messenger. But even Edge has a few extensions on offer, such as ad blockers and screenshot clippers, and the range will presumably expand with usage.
Finally, one click of the Panic Button (available on Chrome, Safari and Firefox) and all tabs and pages are quickly hidden. So when your boyfriend walks in just as you’re researching his birthday present you won’t give the game away. We can’t think what else you’d use it for.