Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

blog.mozilla.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 272 posts

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#111

Post by frik »

mikeash wrote: post #71
talktime wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And try changing the default browser on your iPad - not possible. I don't know why Apple gets away with anti-competitive behavior that MS was hauled over the coals for two decades ago.

Try obtaining a different browser on your iThing. It can't be done (unless you build one and sideload it through Xcode, or jailbreak). There are "third-party browsers" out there, but they all use the same engine as Safari, by decree of Apple. However, the reason why Apple gets away with it while Microsoft doesn't should be obvious if you're at all familiar with Microsoft's history and current market share numbers. (H…

Even Microsoft, who should be really ashamed to do it again, only allows Edge browser engine on Windows 10 Phone/Mobile!

IDC released the mobile market share 2015 statistics the other day:

http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS40664915

Android: 81%

iOS: 15%

WinMobile: 2%

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#112

Post by lmm »

emilsedgh wrote: post #40
lmm wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mozilla is no longer an ideological organization, if it ever was one. This gets them media attention and may attract more donations, which will perpetuate the organization's existence.

Mozilla is no longer an ideological organization [Citation needed]

This is one example. Pocket is another.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#113

Post by newscracker »

mikeash wrote: post #76
st3fan wrote: post #54

We just pushed the button on stage at the Mozilla All-hands. It should by live in most countries now. https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1055677337 Ask us anything you want to know about this product. Also, keep an eye on the Github repo. https://github.com/mozilla/focus We are still watching the Keynote but will flip the switch soon.

What's the two-word summary of why I'd want to use this app over one of the other content blockers?

Again, can't sum up in two words, but can sum it up in two points. This would be better because:

* It's by Mozilla, and it's more likely (probability wise) to be maintained and kept up-to-date than those that happen to be a single person's hobby project.

* I believe that big players in the web like Mozilla and EFF (eff.org) really fight for us, the common people. :) The more these things become popular, especially from bigger names, the better the chances of the whole ad-tracker-privacy ecosystem to improve for our good.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#114

Post by 01Michael10 »

FussyZeus wrote: post #67
0942v8653 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And even worse, it's for (and only works with) Safari, not Firefox.

Content blockers are only supported in Safari, per Apple.

What? When is someone going to sue Apple? Why would anyone even create a browser on iOS with all the restrictions?

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#115

Post by themartorana »

stephenr wrote: post #110
hardwaresofton wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wording makes it sound like you pushed a button and an app was on the app store globally in less than a week... Are you a magician?

I was under the impression a developer had the final say in when an app goes live once it's passed Apple's review, thus allowing them to submit it in advance, have it reviewed, and then make it public at a time of their choosing?

You are correct. Google Play just added this feature as well.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#116

Post by profmonocle »

stephenr wrote: post #110
hardwaresofton wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wording makes it sound like you pushed a button and an app was on the app store globally in less than a week... Are you a magician?

I was under the impression a developer had the final say in when an app goes live once it's passed Apple's review, thus allowing them to submit it in advance, have it reviewed, and then make it public at a time of their choosing?

Yep. I used this a few times back when I did App Store development. (Though it still takes a few hours to show up for everyone, at least as of a few years ago.)

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#117

Post by mikeash »

newscracker wrote: post #113
mikeash wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the two-word summary of why I'd want to use this app over one of the other content blockers?

Again, can't sum up in two words, but can sum it up in two points. This would be better because: * It's by Mozilla, and it's more likely (probability wise) to be maintained and kept up-to-date than those that happen to be a single person's hobby project. * I believe that big players in the web like Mozilla and EFF (eff.org) really fight for us, the common people. :) The more these things become popular, especially fr…

The "two word" thing is a joke, but your two points are pretty good. The combination of "maintained by decently large organization" and "non-evil" is probably unique in this space.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#118

Post by mikeash »

profmonocle wrote: post #116
stephenr wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was under the impression a developer had the final say in when an app goes live once it's passed Apple's review, thus allowing them to submit it in advance, have it reviewed, and then make it public at a time of their choosing?

Yep. I used this a few times back when I did App Store development. (Though it still takes a few hours to show up for everyone, at least as of a few years ago.)

Still does. Apple continues to completely fail at any sort of distributed system. It amazes me that Google is able to index the entire web so quickly that I can post a comment on a random web site and have it show up in search results two minutes later, while Apple takes hours and hours for something to show up in their store after you push a button on their own control panel.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#119

Post by bad_user »

josefresco wrote: post #107
bad_user wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean no offense, but out of all complaints I've heard about Mozilla's work on Hacker News, this is probably the stupidest. What the web really needs is less vitriol against those that actually do something.

Not really. This irks people (rational or not) who are put off by inconsistencies with naming and branding. I understand why the Firefox brand was chosen, but it feels "messy". We'll get over it.

Please explain why on such a project announcement that parent comment is the second one in the thread (instead of technical discussions, platform limitations, privacy, trackers, alternatives, you know, things that would actually make sense). I'm having a hard time right now to not liken HN to a cesspool and this time the offense is intended.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#120

Post by MiguelHudnandez »

dubcanada wrote: post #91
dan1234 wrote: post #5

A 7MB png on that page (4418x3206) - that'll be the first thing I want to block…

That 7MB png should be a jpg :) Here I fixed it for you http://s27.postimg.org/pupcpnbkh/focus_blog.jpg And it's still 7x larger then it needs to be.

Fwiw, Focus by Firefox allows ads on this postimg page. There's a pop up ad and banners at the top and bottom. Reloading the page redirects to another URL as if I had clicked an ad.
Post reply on HN