Grounds Tech Talk

  This has been a big month for web browsers! Brave The Brave web browser now features its own privacy-friendly search engine as the default search option for users. Brave Search is an excellent search engine that respects user privacy, has reliable results, and is quick to load results. You can download Brave here . Waterfox Waterfox may not be quite as well known as Brave, it is certainly an excellent web browser that respects privacy. On the 19th, Waterfox version 4.0.0 was released. This new version brought ARM specific support to the MacOS version of the browser. You can download Waterfox here .

  Your browser's add-ons have just as much of an effect on your privacy as your browser does. Having the right, or the wrong, browser add-ons (AKA "extensions") can make or break your online privacy. Most add-ons have access to your browser tab and history, which means that anyone can know where you bank or who you know just based on tab content.  This list has no particular order. These add-ons I have used extensively and found that they all work well and I use most of them together. Privacy Badger The EFF's privacy add-on. This one does a great job of blocking trackers and ads. For Chrome For FireFox uBlock Origin UBlock Origin is a beautiful add-on that does an amazing job of blocking ads, trackers, and any other script/script content you don't want. For Chrome For FireFox Decentraleyes Deceltraleyes replaces CDN content with scripts that do not track you. It also has a really cool name. For Chrome For FireFox Ghostery I have used Ghostery for the longest o...

  These days there are so many search engines out there. Those with good privacy, those with good results, those with good privacy and good results. But which category does the Brave Search engine fall into?  I believe that Brave Search falls into the good privacy AND good results category. When searching random things and using it as my default search, I was always able to find what I was looking for within the top three results, which is REALLY good. I have done this same kind of test with others and they do not always past the test. So, if you value privacy, or just don't want to support big tech, I highly recommend Brave Search for you to use. You can find Brave Search here . ★★★★★

  Opera GX is the best web browser that we have used. Opera GX has all of the same features as Opera and then some. Opera GX and Opera share all of the same privacy resources and sync options. The biggest difference is the customizability of GX and its optimization options. With Opera GX, users can customize the colors of the browser's UI without having to downloading extensions. Opera GX's optimization options allow users to make sure that websites do not overload their CPUs or RAM. ★★★★★ Download Opera GX here .

  Our suggested privacy browsers Opera GX Top features: • Free built-in VPN • Built-in ad blocker • Built-in tracker blocker • CPU, RAM, and networker limiter • Built-in ambient music player • Customizable appearance  • Built-in battery saver • Opera Add On Store • Compatible with Chrome extensions. • Built-in social messengers • Tab groups Brave Top features: • Compatible with Chrome extensions. • Built-in ad blocker • Built-in tracker blocker • BAT Rewards (Cryptocurrency reward program) • Built-in news page  • TOR capable Min Top Features: • Fast loading • Built-in ad blocker • Built-in tracker blocker • Minimalist design • Tab groups Honorable mention Fruity (Beta) Fruity is in beta and unstable. However, I suggest you still check it out. Top Features: • Minimalist design • One-click cookie delete • Auto cookie and history delete on exit • Quick links

 Keybase is an excellent data security tool. Keybase is an excellent tool for encrypted chat and file storage. Keybase's file storage includes a way to host a website securely through the company. The Keybase website is also available as an Onion site . This means that people can securely access the service without their IP being seen. I highly recommend using Keybase . ★★★★★

Venturify Session Tracking is revolutionary. Venturify's web analytics platform is the best one I have used. Its abilities and ease of use far surpass any of its competitors'. I highly recommend Venturify's Session Tracking. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Learn more HERE

Step one: Throw out Chrome and Firefox. You did not hear me incorrectly. Both browsers automatically report data back to their developers and they record usage and browsing data. There is no way to prevent this in Chrome. Firefox has a way to prevent tracking but it has a tendency to reset to default sharing settings when it updates. Step two: Start using a privacy-oriented browser. The top three web browsers that I recommend for privacy and security are Brave , Opera , Waterfox , and TOR . These browsers are free for use. Step three: Install additional security addons. There are so many addons/extensions that give you full control of your privacy and security. Some of the best ones that I have found are, Ghostery, Avast Web Security, Privacy Badger, DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials, CyDec Platform, and Touch VPN. With these extensions you can prevent website trackers, cookies, fingerprinting, and more! These tools allow you to have total control of your browser. Step four: Enjoy ...

Privacy Web Browsers Rated (5 Stars maximum) Brave Pros: Built-in Ad, tracker, and fingerprinting blockers. It also has a built-in crypto wallet. Uses Chrome Add-ons. Has its own cryptocurrency. It can also use the Tor network. Cons: Occasional cryptocurrency outages ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cliqz Pros:  Built-in Ad, tracker, and fingerprinting blocker and a news page. Uses Firefox Add-ons. Cons: Occasionally crashes and has a few bugs when opening on MacOS (Just click the home button and the bugs are resolved). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Waterfox Pros:  Built-in Ad, tracker, crypto mining, and fingerprinting blockers. It has a password manager that syncs to all of your devices. Cons: The security blockers do not block as many security/privacy threats as its competitors.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Opera Desktop Browsers Pros: Built-in ad and tracker blocker, VPN, crypto wallet, and news page. It can use Chrome add-ons and its own. It has a sync feature for all of your devices. Cons: Opera's VPN has occasional out...

Microsoft Office 365 Review I recently invested in an Office 365 account and I have not been disappointed! There are a lot of convenient features and tools. Far better than the Windows '95 version (The last one I used). I have been using Office on my MacBook, my Surface Pro, and my iPhone, and they all work well together.  I highly recommend Office 365!

Microsoft Edge Beta Review The new Microsoft Edge is absolutely amazing! This new version brings advanced security, improved load times, and so much more! The new Microsoft Edge is a wonderful browsing choice for all of your devices. Download and use with caution as it is still in beta. Download Edge Beta

Privacy Web Browsers Rated (5 Stars maximum) Brave Pros: Built-in Ad, tracker, and fingerprinting blockers. It also has a built-in crypto wallet. Uses Chrome Add-ons. Has its own cryptocurrency. It can also use the Tor network. Cons: Occasional cryptocurrency outages ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cliqz Pros:  Built-in Ad, tracker, and fingerprinting blocker and a news page. Uses Firefox Add-ons. Cons: Occasionally crashes and has a few bugs when opening on MacOS (Just click the home button and the bugs are resolved). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Firefox Pros:  Built-in Ad, tracker, crypto mining, and fingerprinting blockers. It has a password manager that syncs to all of your devices. Cons: The security blockers do not block as many things as its competitors. On macOS it occasionally is unable to open links from other apps (Only when it acts as the default browser). ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Opera Pros: Built-in ad and tracker blocker, VPN, crypto wallet, and n...

No One Likes Being Followed. 1. Use a privacy browser like Brave , Cliqz , Tor , or Opera . 2. Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) like Proton VPN. 3. Use ad-blocker add-ons with your web browser(s). Ghostery is an excellent one.

     Web Development can be difficult and tiresome, but with the right tools it can be a breeze. When scripting use  Atom  or  Visual Studio Code . These have HTML, CSS, and JavaScript support. These applications also have a large amount of add-ons available.      Your web browser also effects you web development.  FireFox Dev ,  Cliqz , and  Brave  are great for web development. FireFox and Cliqz have a lot more built-in tools than Brave. However, Brave has a lot more add-ons available. Check out our web design tips!

Out of the cryptocurrencies I have used, Monero and Basic Attention Token (BAT) are the best for consumers/individuals. Monero is a privacy based crypto-coin that a user can mine using their CPU. BAT is "mined" (More of obtained) through viewing ads on the Brave web browser. You can mine Monero with  Cudo Miner. You can get BAT with  Brave.

Developing for the internet can be difficult. Making sure your website is secure, optimized for all platforms, and loads properly takes a long time. Thankfully there is a lighthouse of hope (Or speed and optimization in this case).  Google Lighthouse  is an excellent tool that aids you in web development and optimization.

Designing good websites can take a long time, be grueling, and they require creativity. I have compiled my best tips to help you! 1. Use a CSS or JavaScript library to help speed up the development process or to produce content you may not know how to build. Some of the most popular libraries are Angular JS, React, and Bootstrap. 2. Use resources like Google Lighthouse. Lighthouse will help you find flaws in your website's design and will have suggestions on how to improve the design. 3. If you can't figure something out, ask! There is no shame in asking a question. 4. Refresh your knowledge regularly. Find books and online courses to help keep your mind fresh on the best web development practices. 5. If you ever hit writer's block (Or in this case "coder's block") take ten minutes and walk outside.

5 Tips to Stay Safe Online (1) Never give your account(s) password(s) to ANYONE. (2) When you receive an email saying that your account has been compromised, do not click the link in the email. Instead, contact the help center of the account. (3) Use strong passwords. When creating a password, don't use basic words. Create long passwords with letters, numbers, and special characters. (4) Use privacy extensions in your web browser(s). Download privacy extensions like  Ghostery  to help secure your browser. (5) When entering private information on a website, do it in an incognito window/tab.