Latest news with #uBlock
WIRED
27-03-2025
- Business
- WIRED
Vivaldi Partners With Proton to Put a VPN in Your Web Browser
Our favorite VPN service is now integrated into our favorite web browser. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more. Vivaldi Technologies has announced a new partnership with Proton AG that will integrate the free version of Proton VPN into Vivaldi's web browser, allowing every user a quick and easy way to access a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN protects users' privacy by hiding their real IP address. It acts like a protective tunnel, allowing users to pass through a public network without anyone being able to snoop on their data, whether that's a scammer at the coffee shop or a data-gathering behemoth like Google. Vivaldi and Proton VPN have positioned the partnership as a 'challenge to the dominance of US Big Tech giants,' according to the press release. Vivaldi CEO Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner has long been a critic of the surveillance capitalism model, as far back as his previous browser company, Opera. David Peterson, general manager of Proton VPN, goes further, saying, 'Together, Proton VPN and Vivaldi are setting a new standard that challenges the dominance of tech giants, providing a viable European alternative that helps people retake control of their digital lives.' Vivaldi is a Norwegian company, and Proton is based in Switzerland. Vivaldi, which I've previously called the web's best browser, is already full of privacy features you won't find elsewhere, like an integrated ad blocker, which isn't as robust as what you'll get from add-ons like uBlock, but is nevertheless sufficient for most users, and most importantly, right there in the browser. It also offers integrations with privacy-friendlier search engines like Brave and StartPage (though neither is the default). Vivaldi also has a full email client, calendar, and RSS reader. The new Proton VPN integration fits well with Vivaldi's all-in-one philosophy. Like the other features, if you aren't interested, the new Proton VPN integration stays out of the way. Proton VPN has long topped our Best VPNs guide for its robust security, along with an excellent privacy record and no-logs policy. Proton VPN has been independently audited and maintains a warrant canary page. It has long had the best free VPN offering, which is what's being integrated into Vivaldi. Unlike most services, Proton VPN's free version gives full access to all the regular plan's features. The limitations are that it's only for a single device and only three server locations: Japan, the Netherlands, and the US. Vivaldi tells WIRED that the Proton VPN integration may come to the mobile versions of the browser at some point, but for now, it's only available in Vivaldi's desktop browser. Access is through your Vivaldi account—just log in and you'll see an option to use Proton VPN's free VPN as well as a way to upgrade to a paid version.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apple is revisiting the idea of placing ads in Apple Maps
In 2022, Mark Gurman warned that Apple was considering putting advertisements in Apple Maps (and in other areas of the iPhone), but that ultimately didn't happen. Now it looks like Apple is revisiting the idea, according to Gurman's most recent Power On! newsletter. Apple already shows ads in the Apple News and Stocks app, and Gurman says 'Apple is giving this notion more thought.' The company said it's exploring potential monetization avenues, but there are no concrete plans or a timeline yet. In theory, businesses could pay to appear higher in search results or to make their icons appear larger on the map itself. It also opens the door for Apple to offer ad-free services for an additional fee, or perhaps roll that benefit into its existing Apple One subscription. Placing specific businesses higher in Apple Maps raises the question of how this decision would benefit users. The system would likely work similar to the way Google's ad results. The business would likely show a tag marking it as a sponsored advertisement, with the more relevant search results lower on the page. However, if Apple chooses to use a more traditional ad system, it risks alienating users who have enjoyed an ad-free experience until now. In a situation like this, ad blockers wouldn't work. Tools like uBlock and others restrict outside content from being shown on the page, but an ad setup like the one Apple proposes would deliver ads from the same source as its normal content. This is the same way ads work for certain streaming services, and it makes it difficult for an ad blocker to do its job. If Apple does implement this plan, it won't be for some time yet. Gurman says no 'active engineering work' is being done, so it would likely be several months, if not a year, before the ads come to fruition.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apple is revisiting the idea of placing ads in Apple Maps
In 2022, Mark Gurman warned that Apple was considering putting advertisements in Apple Maps (and in other areas of the iPhone), but that ultimately didn't happen. Now it looks like Apple is revisiting the idea, according to Gurman's most recent Power On! newsletter. Apple already shows ads in the Apple News and Stocks app, and Gurman says 'Apple is giving this notion more thought.' The company said it's exploring potential monetization avenues, but there are no concrete plans or a timeline yet. In theory, businesses could pay to appear higher in search results or to make their icons appear larger on the map itself. It also opens the door for Apple to offer ad-free services for an additional fee, or perhaps roll that benefit into its existing Apple One subscription. Placing specific businesses higher in Apple Maps raises the question of how this decision would benefit users. The system would likely work similar to the way Google's ad results. The business would likely show a tag marking it as a sponsored advertisement, with the more relevant search results lower on the page. However, if Apple chooses to use a more traditional ad system, it risks alienating users who have enjoyed an ad-free experience until now. In a situation like this, ad blockers wouldn't work. Tools like uBlock and others restrict outside content from being shown on the page, but an ad setup like the one Apple proposes would deliver ads from the same source as its normal content. This is the same way ads work for certain streaming services, and it makes it difficult for an ad blocker to do its job. If Apple does implement this plan, it won't be for some time yet. Gurman says no 'active engineering work' is being done, so it would likely be several months, if not a year, before the ads come to fruition.
