This week, I’m covering some security and performance apps for Chrome. If you are like me, you probably like opening up multiple tabs at any given point, which drains memory. In addition, browsing through the web opens a computer to all sorts of security and privacy related issues, which in turn affects performance. There are already a myriad apps out there to enhance PCs (CC cleaner, Glary Utilities, etc.). Yet, I have narrowed my focus to Chrome because it is the most widely used browser and the traditional solutions rarely address issues related to Chrome extensions.
The Great Suspender: Even with 4GB worth or RAM (still moderate by today’s standards) Chrome can begin to slow your system down. I have a second generation i5 processor to go with my system. However, I’ve noticed that on average, while at work, my processor utilisation rarely exceeds 10%. My memory utilisation, however, usually stays constant at 77%. This is partly because I enabled Chrome background apps. The great suspender, as its name suggests, suspends tabs when not in use. The effect is amazing. After installation, memory usage has decreased to 65% on average. You can programme the app to automatically suspend tabs and restore them when focused. On the downside, in some cases, this means you’ll need an active internet connection when restoring the tabs. As always, the trade-off between performance and versatility can never be completely eliminated.
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Disconnect : This app allows users to visualise and block sites and functions that may seem invisible. These features usually track your search and browsing patterns. By blocking these features, the app promises to load pages up to 27% faster. Moreover, it also promises to halt tracking from more than 2,000+ third-party sites. Encryption (secure Wi-Fi) is also a feature when interacting with major sites. Apart from performance and security, it also promises to reduce bandwidth usage by up to 17%.
Text by Navam Niles
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