AdTrap Aims To Block All Internet Advertising In Hardware

cylonlover writes "AdTrap is a new low-power, zero configuration device which promises to banish adverts from computers, tablets, and anything else connected to the local network. AdTrap's creators point out that their device works not only with full-sized PCs, but everything else connected to your home internet, such as Apple devices running iOS 6 – and without the need of third-party apps or jailbreaking. In addition to blocking web browser ads, AdTrap is also reported to remove ads from streaming devices like Apple TV and Google TV. A configurable 'whitelist' is offered too, so that users can allow adverts on websites of their choice."

no

[lister king of smeg]

If they hardwired the blocking in to it the ad sites could simply play a name game and get away with serving adds so it is obviously software just on another box, second this won't stop ads that are encrypted traveling over ssl if embeded in the site correctly. It is more convenient for me to block ads at my own device using no script and adblock plus, as for my mobile devices I could simply blacklist IP addresses and domains at my own router and do everything this box claims to do already. Fail fail and more fail. All this will do is give people a false since of security.

Re:SSL ads?

[i kan reed]

Presumably even encrypted communication has to come from a url, which is how most adblockers identify ads.

Re:Countermeasures Deployed

[Anonymous Coward]

Google lets you block entire sites from search results. You'll never see them.

The feature is kind of hidden at....

http://www.google.com/reviews/t

(its amazing what blocking facebook here does. amazing and nice.)

Re:blocked already

[davewoods]

I work for an IT contracting company, and my co-workers do not have Adblock of any type. They go around on the web, VIEWING ADS. I do not understand it, they know a lot about IT, yet do not sterilize their browsers? Who would do that willingly? One of them even uses IE, ON PURPOSE.

I do not think I will ever understand their logic as to why they do not use Adblock, which, when questioned, results in a shrug.

Re:Embed ads into directly into HTML

[nschubach]

I'll bet Ad Proxies will become common before they host the files locally... it will look like it's coming from the server you are getting the content from, but the server is just relaying the ad from their ad host.

Re:I am opposed to this.

[JohnFen]

The problem isnt advertising. The problem is F***ing obnoxious advertising! FLASHFLASHFLASH HEY THING ITS HEY THING!

For me, the bigger problem is the tracking that goes along with the ads. If no advertising did tracking, I probably wouldn't bother to block them.

Re:Countermeasures Deployed

[Quirkz]

I subscribe to a magazine called 'Imbibe' which is focused mostly on alcoholic drinks, with a little coffee and other such things thrown in. All the ads are of course for various forms of booze, many of them interesting. A lot of times I actually have to force myself to stop and look at the potentially good ads, because it's such an ingrained habit to try to tune them out.

Re:Countermeasures Deployed

[uberdilligaff]

Also, many brick-and-mortar merchants encode whether a price has been marked down or not in the final digit. X.99 may represent a normal price, and X.98 or X.97 may represent a temporary sale price or a final markdown, usually to clue the register operator that other coupons or discounts may not apply. Most shoppers don't even notice, but the staff can tell.