The Latest From Kevin The Tech Guy - Friday, March 7 2025

Taking a look at Zen Browser, Bluesky still figuring out what it wants to be, and why Right to Repair is making progress.

💡 Introduction

Hey there,

I’m KevinTheTechGuy.ca. This newsletter is FREE and always will be. If you appreciate my work, please support me monthly or on a one-time basis on my website.

It’s been a long and very stressful week for me, so I haven’t done much in terms of work. So, I’ll spend this issue reminding you of a couple of blog posts that seem timely again, as well as some recent tech news stories you might have missed.

Browsers keep getting more complicated, but I’ve been trying out Zen Browser, and what stands out is how little it asks of me. I quickly switched to it. No extra prompts, no built-in ads, no constant requests to turn on features I don’t need. It feels focused in a way that’s hard to find now, and with Google making changes to Chrome that break things like uBlock Origin, I think it’s worth a look.

I’m also reminding you of an app, PatchMyPC, that easily keeps my apps updated without adding more to my routine, and some thoughts on where Bluesky is heading as it tries to be something different from the usual social platforms with problems that have burned us.

In recent tech news: Skype is finally shutting down, refurbished iPhones are getting more attention as people compare them directly to the new iPhone 16e and realize they can get something just as solid for less money, and Right to Repair laws are finally gaining ground across all 50 US states, further pushing for your ability to fix your own devices, or take them to whoever you want, without being locked into the manufacturer’s overpriced options.

More on all of that below.

—Kevin The Tech Guy

🚀 What’s on Tap

• 🧘‍♂️ Zen Browser – A calmer, distraction-free alternative to Chrome and Firefox

• 🛠️ Patch My PC – The simplest way to keep your apps updated without thinking about it

• 🌐 Bluesky – Where the platform is headed, what it’s getting right, and what’s still missing

• 📱 Refurbished iPhones vs. the iPhone 16e – Why secondhand is getting harder to ignore

• 🔧 Right to Repair – All 50 states are pushing back against overpriced, locked-down repairs

• 🗨️ Tech News – Skype’s shutdown, a new Bluesky app from the Tweetbot team, Google’s latest privacy update, and more

🧘‍♂️ Kevin’s Picks: Zen Browser

⏳ The Short Version

Google continues to roll out changes to Chrome, including removing functionality that third party browser extensions like uBlock Origin rely on. In fact, they had a huge falling out late in 2024, with the guy who maintains it (yes, one guy) immediately dropping development for it in Chrome. If you really want to continue using it, of course Firefox is still an option, but I would honestly recommend giving Zen Browser a try, which is based on Firefox.

🔍 Know More

Zen Browser might just be what you’re looking for in terms of an alternative to both Firefox and Chrome/ You open it up, and it’s just... calm. No notifications fighting for your attention, no random toolbars popping up, no ads from the browser itself trying to sell you something. It's designed to stay out of your way so you can focus on whatever you actually opened your browser to do.

And honestly, that's rare. Most browsers these days are packed with features you didn't ask for, or they’re constantly reminding you to try this, or sign up for that. Zen skips all that. It's lightweight, fast, and simple, which makes everything feel smoother—especially if you're someone who gets easily distracted online or just appreciates a clean, clutter-free experience.

So if you've been feeling like your browser is doing too much, Zen is a really nice reset. It’s like clearing off your desk so you can actually get some work done.

To be clear, Zen Browser is in it’s very early days. It’s only recently entered beta, but it’s my default browser and I rarely have problems. One issue was nearly a dealbreaker regarding tabs, so if that happens to you, here’s the solution.

🛠️ System Cleanup Series: How To Use PatchMyPC to Keep Your Programs Up to Date

⏳ The Short Version

As Patch Tuesday rolls around again for another month, I will once again depend on PatchMyPC to update many of the programs I use on each of my computers, but to be honest, I use it at least once a week and there are ALWAYS updates. So I can’t help but recommend this app again to painlessly take care of that.

🔍 Know More

Patch My PC is basically the easiest way (and it's FREE for personal use) to keep all your programs up to date without thinking about doing each one manually. You install it, run a scan, and it checks a big list of common apps—stuff like browsers, Zoom, VLC, and tons of others. If anything's out of date, it just updates them all at once. You don’t have to visit each website, download installers, or click through a bunch of “Next” buttons.

What I like about it is how hands-off it feels. If you want to get a little more serious about it, you can schedule it to run automatically, or just open it when you remember, and either way, it handles all of those updates. And it’s not one of those apps that sit in the background using up resources or getting in your way. You open it, it does its job, and that’s it.

If you're the kind of person who forgets about updates until something breaks—or just doesn’t want to deal with them, give this a try.

🌐 Bluesky’s Promise of User Control: What Bluesky Gets Right, and the Challenges it Faces

⏳ The Short Version

Bluesky has quickly emerged as a serious competitor to social media giants like X (yes, Twitter is dead) and Meta’s Threads. With over 32 million users and counting, it’s gaining attention not just for its growth, but for its radical approach to empowering users and fostering openness, but it’s promise of being decentralized has not been realized yet.

🔍 Know more

Bluesky is starting to feel like a real alternative to the usual social media heavyweights. It's growing fast, and people are excited because it’s supposed to give users more control and keep things open, instead of locking everyone into one company's rules.

But the whole "decentralized" part—the thing that would really make it stand apart—still hasn’t been realized, despite promises. Right now, it’s basically an improved version of what Twitter was 15 years ago. Nothing is stopping yet another billionaire from swooping in and taking over, and Twitter has already burned us. Until they actually open it up the way they’ve promised, it's hard to say if it can really deliver on that bigger vision. But for now, it’s familiar, so people are using it.

⚡ Tech News You Might Have Missed

• Microsoft Will Pull The Plug on Skype in May (Thurrott)

• Why a Refurbished iPhone Might be Better (and Cheaper) Than a Brand New iPhone 16e (iFixIt)

• Tweetbot’s developers are making a Bluesky app (The Verge)

• Apple updates iPad Air with faster M3 processor (Apple Insider)

• Google Delivers March 2025 Pixel Drop (Thurrott)

• Google Makes it Easier to Remove Personal Information From Search Results (Thurrott)

• All 50 States Have Now Introduced Right to Repair Legislation (404Media)

📝 Final Thoughts

That’s it for this week. If you end up giving Zen Browser a try, I’d be interested to know how it stacks up against what you're used to. Reply to this email and let me know—especially if Chrome’s recent changes have you thinking about alternatives.

If you’re the type who usually ignores software updates until something breaks, Patch My PC might quietly become one of those tools you don’t know how you went without.

I’m also keeping an eye on how Bluesky evolves. Right now, it’s familiar enough to pull people in, but whether it can actually deliver on its promise of being a more oper platform is still an open question.

The same goes for the growing interest in refurbished phones over buying the latest iPhone 16e—it feels like more people are starting to do the math on whether “new” is really worth it.

With Right to Repair finally gaining traction across the US, the way we think about fixing and keeping our devices running for longer might finally start to shift.

Thanks for taking a few minutes to check out my newsletter. See you next time!

—Kevin The Tech Guy

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