Google independent Adblock Plus for Android released
Less than a week ago Google started to block ad blocker apps from its Play Store. Ad blockers are used for a variety of purposes on mobile devices, including blocking advertisement in apps but also when users browse the Internet using their mobile devices. Popular apps such as Adblock Plus or AdAway were removed over night from the store and developers were informed about the fact by email. Google let the developers know that their apps were not in line with section 4.4 of the developer distribution agreement that listed prohibited actions.
While apps were removed from Google's Play store, they were still available in other stores and usually also on the developer website. The reach is lower for obvious reasons, but users of Android devices can still install those apps on their devices if they know where to download those applications.
Adblock Plus users for instance can install the application by visiting the official site. The process requires some preparation though, as Android devices block the installation from unknown sources by default. To change that, open the settings of your device and either find the unknown sources option under security or applications. You can now download and install apps from third party websites as well.
One of the issues that the Adblock Plus developers ran into was that their program did not support automatic updates anymore, as this was handled by Google Play initially. Today's version of Adblock Plus for Android introduced automatic updates in the application again. Note that this runs independently from Google, and that there is currently no option to turn off that feature in the options.
This new version also explains how to manually modify the proxy settings of the device. This is only important for non-rooted Android devices running version 4.1.2 or higher as Google made a change to that version of Android that prevents the automatic manipulation of proxy settings by applications.
Other changes in this version of the ad blocker include a switch to the Holo user interface theme, improved icon hiding, and a fix for urls that contain apostrophes.
It is likely that the removal of ad blockers by Google will have consequences on the growth of those applications. Experienced users on the other hand should not have issues finding those apps on third party sites or the developer sites.
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Uhh, this has already been possible – I am not sure how but remember my brother telling me about it. I’m not a whatsapp user so not sure of the specifics, but something about sending the image as a file and somehow bypassing the default compression settings that are applied to inbound photos.
He has also used this to share movies to whatsapp groups, and files 1Gb+.
Like I said, I never used whatsapp, but I know 100% this isn’t a “brand new feature”, my brother literally showed me him doing it, like… 5 months ago?
Martin, what happened to those: 12 Comments (https://www.ghacks.net/chatgpt-gets-schooled-by-princeton-university/#comments). Is there a specific justifiable reason why they were deleted?
Hmm, it looks like the gHacks website database is faulty, and not populating threads with their relevant cosponsoring posts.
The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk that it’s about to be deleted from my ‘daily reads’.
It’s really like “Press Release as re-written by some d*ck for clicks…poorly.” And the subjects are laughable. Can’t wait for “How to search for files on Windows”.
> The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk…
Sadly, I have to agree.
Only Martin and Ashwin are worth subscribing to.
Especially Emre Çitak and Shaun are the worst ones.
If ghacks.net intended “Clickbait”, it would mark the end of Ghacks Technology News.
Ghacks doesn’t need crappy clickbaits. Clearly separate articles from newer authors (perhaps AIs and external sales person or external advertising man) as just “Advertisements”!
We, the subscribers of Ghacks, urge Martin to make a decision.
because nevermore wants to “monetize” on every aspect of human life…
“Threads” is like the Walmart of Social Media.
How hard can it be to clone a twitter version of that as well? They’re slow.
Yes, why not mention how large the HD files can be?
Why, not mention what version of WhatsApp is needed?
These omissions make the article feel so bare. If not complete.
Sorry posted on the wrong page.
such a long article for such a simple matter. Worthless article ! waste of time
I already do this by attaching them via the ‘Document’ option.
I don’t know what’s going on here at Ghacks but it’s obvious that something is broken, comments are being mixed whatever the article, I am unable to find some of my later posts neither. :S
Quoting the article,
“As users gain popularity, the value of their tokens may increase, allowing investors to reap rewards.”
Besides, beyond the thrill and privacy risks or not, the point is to know how you gain popularity, be it on social sites as everywhere in life. Is it by being authentic, by remaining faithful to ourselves or is it to have this particular skill which is to understand what a majority likes, just like politicians, those who’d deny to the maximum extent compatible with their ideological partnership, in order to grab as many of the voters they can?
I see the very concept of this Friend.tech as unhealthy, propagating what is already an increasing flaw : the quest for fame. I won’t be the only one to count himself out, definitely.
@John G. is right : my comment was posted on [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/23/what-is-friend-tech/] and it appears there but as well here at [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/07/08/how-to-follow-everyone-on-threads/]
This has been lasting for several days. Fix it or at least provide some explanations if you don’t mind.
> Google Chrome is following in Safari’s footsteps by introducing a new feature that allows users to move the Chrome address bar to the bottom of the screen, enhancing user accessibility and interaction.
Firefox did this long before Safari.
Basically they’ll do anything except fair royalties.