Time Machine (Google & YouTube) — Zaki Aslam

Time Machine

Overview

Time Machine is a lightweight, privacy-focused Firefox extension designed to give users total control over the chronological relevance of their search results and video feeds. It allows users to set a specific "Cutoff Date" to either filter out the future (maintaining a "retro" web experience) or filter out the past (ensuring only the most recent information is visible).

The extension targets the two most high-traffic platforms where chronological accuracy matters most: Google Search and YouTube.



Key Features

• Dual-Directional Filtering: * Hide Newer: Removes any results published after your target date. Perfect for researchers looking for historical context or users who miss the "old web."
• Hide Older: Removes any results published before your target date. Ideal for finding the absolute latest tutorials or news.
• Intelligent "Time Math": The extension doesn't just look at years; it parses relative timestamps (e.g., "2 weeks ago", "5日前") and calculates the exact publishing date in real-time to compare against your settings.
• Multi-Language Support: Fully compatible with both English and Japanese date formats and relative time strings.
• Platform-Specific Cleaning: * Google: Automatically hides AI Overviews and modern snippets when in "Hide Newer" mode.
• YouTube: Banishes YouTube Shorts, Live Streams, and Premieres that fall outside your selected timeline.
• Retro Aesthetic Dashboard: A glowing, terminal-style popup menu allows for quick toggling and precision date selection.

Technical Implementation

• Architecture: Built on Manifest V3 using pure JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3.
• Privacy First: The extension operates entirely on the client side. It does not collect user data, track browsing history, or communicate with external servers.
• Performance Optimized: Uses a MutationObserver combined with a debounced scanning logic to ensure minimal CPU impact, even on infinite-scroll pages like YouTube.
• Secure DOM Manipulation: Avoids unsafe methods like innerHTML, utilizing textContent and createElement to maintain high security standards and compliance with Mozilla’s Add-on policies.

Use Case

Whether you are a researcher trying to find primary sources from a specific era, a developer looking for documentation that isn't outdated, or simply someone who wants to escape the modern "AI-generated" search landscape, Time Machine provides a clean, automated way to browse the web at exactly the moment in time you choose.