blocker

Users in search of ad-blocking apps on Google Play won't have any luck as of today. Google has reportedly launched a campaign to remove apps that interfere with advertising from its app store.

Several app developers for apps such as AdBlock, AdAway, and AdFree received notices from Google today saying that their apps had been taken down, according to Phandroid. Apparently, these apps were in violation of Google Play's Developer Distribution Agreement.

This agreement says that developers must agree not to "engage in any activity with the market, including the development or distribution of products, that interferes … Read more

Process Blocker is a simple utility that lets you block access to specific programs or processes. If you need to keep children or employees off of chat, solitaire, and other time-wasters, this is an easy solution. It's also an effective way to block some types of malware while you figure out a more permanent way of dealing with the attack.

Process Blocker has a simple interface that's easy to navigate. The blocked applications list displays a list of everything that the program has been set to disable; to add to the list, click the Add button and then … Read more

Sick of spam? For many users it's the bane of the e-mail experience, a time-sucking hassle that's also a major security risk: spam leaves the door wide open for viruses, phishing, and other threats.

My preferred solution is to route my domain's mail through Gmail, which offers excellent spam filtering. But that won't work for everyone. If you feel like you're losing the war on spam, consider another solution.

Today only, BitsDuJour is offering Firetrust MailWasher Pro 2012 (Windows) anti-spam software for free. That's for a three-PC license, which regularly costs $29.95.

When … Read more

Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer are the three most popular Web browsers, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. If you find yourself primarily using one browser but occasionally having to switch back to another for a specific purpose, Lunascape might be just the browser for you. Lunascape combines rendering engines from Firefox, Chrome, and IE and makes it easy to switch between them.

Lunascape has a sleek tabbed interface that doesn't exactly resemble any one browser, but it's familiar-looking enough to be intuitive. It comes with three rendering engines: Trident (from Internet Explorer), Gecko (from Firefox), … Read more

It's really easy to accidentally click on ads when using your phone to browse the Web. Many of us are spoiled by the ad-free browsing we experience on our desktop computers, and wish we could experience the same on our rooted Android phones that have less screen real estate to work with. The solution is simple, AdFree, an app by BigTinCan, offers the ability to block out all ads--if it's the right option for you.

Note: This particular application requires that you have a rooted Android phone. Even though you will still be able to install the app … Read more

Want to wipe location-tracking data that's being stored on your iPhone without your permission? There's an app for that, but you've got to jailbreak your iPhone first.

Several tools have cropped up as a fix for people riled up about the fact that iPhones (and iPads) are surreptitiously logging unencrypted location-related data on the device, including cell tower coordinates, time stamps, cell operator and Wi-Fi networks used, and longitude and latitude from GPS signals--basically a when-and-where of your phone's location going back at least a year.

Police have known about and been using this information, and cellular operators have access to it and can provide it when served with a court order. But anyone with physical access to the phone (and access to a desktop backup of the data) is now able to see an iPhone owner's whereabouts over time.

The fact that consumers don't realize that their phones are recording and storing this information in clear text has come as a big surprise to many people, including consumer advocates who say it's a big privacy violation.

You can hide the data that may be on your desktop by encrypting your iTunes backups. And you can turn off GPS to stop the logging of at least that information, but that doesn't clean up any data stored on the device, and it will severely limit use of the device for location-based services like mapping. There is no way to disable the tracking, because it's baked into the operating system. … Read more

Parents, librarians, business owners, and anyone concerned about inappropriate and adult content on the Internet may want to check out The Web Blocker from Webstart Studios. TWB is freeware that lets you filter and block inappropriate content, monitor Internet use, and build customized Block Lists for various users, situations, and content.

We downloaded, extracted, and opened TWB's installer, which prompted us to create, confirm, and enter a password to begin the installation. During the installation, a pop-up message stresses the importance of making sure that none of the users who will be affected by TWB's filters has administrative … Read more

The Internet is a wonderful thing, but not all of the content available online is appropriate for every user. This fact can be particularly anxiety-inducing for parents who want to give their kids access to the fun and educational aspects of the Internet but are wary of adult content, online predators, and other dangers. Integard Home is an extremely powerful and customizable program that prevents all kinds of problematic content from being viewed.

We've seen programs like Integard Home before, but none of them have been quite so comprehensive. The program offers six preconfigured profiles--young child, young teenager, late … Read more

Relationships come. Relationships go. Sometimes relationships outstay their welcome. But that doesn't mean that scars aren't left and bruises aren't felt, in deep recesses, for days, nay, years.

So might I introduce you to a browser plug-in called Ex-Blocker? This fine invention claims to be able to remove all traces of your Tracy or Sam from the lifeblood of your Web experience.

The Ex-Blocker home page is a little light on how it might actually get rid of those who have caused you pain, grief, or merely bankruptcy of pocket and ideas.

However, at the time of … Read more