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Prone to web surfing? Google Chrome’s new Focus Mode fights internet distractions

Finding yourself distracted by the web when you need to get work done? A new flag in Google Chrome could hint at a new Focus Mode. The feature may allow computer users to block distracting websites or notifications.

Have you ever tried to concentrate hard on your work, but found yourself quickly becoming distracted by adorable cat photos on Reddit or videos on YouTube? Google might have a solution to help us fight our short attention spans and it’s called Focus Mode. While it may not exist yet, Focus Mode appears to be right around the corner. A new flag has been detected within Google Chrome that signals whether or not the mode is switched on.

Different applications have tackled the problem of getting people to focus while working on a computer, with software solutions available for both Mac and PC. Now, Google will also be stepping into the ring. Little information is known about the feature, except that it will soon be making its way to the world’s most popular web browser. The flag notes that if “#focus-mode” is enabled, it allows a user to switch to Focus Mode.

But what exactly is Focus Mode and how could it work? At the moment, we can only speculate on what features the new option might offer to users — or should we say lack of features? Typically, enabling a focus mode will restrict specific websites or applications from being accessed. It is possible that once activated, Focus Mode may stop a user from browsing sites such as YouTube, Reddit, and Facebook. Some have suggested that the mode may integrate with Windows 10‘s Focus Assist.

Available on PCs running Windows 10, Focus Assist is a feature that allows users to silence notifications and other distracting pop-ups. Could it be possible that Google Chrome’s Focus Mode works with Windows 10 to stop websites from screaming out for your attention or to minimize announcements that might come from sites such as Gmail or Twitter?

As Focus Mode is currently non-functional, Google Chrome users will need to wait a bit longer before learning more about the new incoming feature. We will most likely see Focus Mode in a test build such as Chrome Canary before it makes its way to the mainstream. Stay tuned to Digital Trends as we update you with more information as it becomes available.

The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.

The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.

Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.

"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.

However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.