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Waze officially launches its ad program for small businesses

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Re: Waze officially launches its ad program for small businesses

#41
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Waze ads are an area where I feel an audio ad would be a better approach.

I think if Waze did audio, they'd cause more accidents - usually I have Audible or Music running at the same time if I'm using Waze. Perhaps that's why they're partnering with Spotify (well other than you can't run Waze on Carplay)?

I may be dating myself, but why would a waze audio ad cause accidents more than a radio ad? There might be logic to make sure the ad doesn't overlap audio navigation guidance, but that seems like a feasible constraint.

Re: Waze officially launches its ad program for small businesses

#42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought the ads only pop up when the car is stopped?

and the one time I feel comfortable looking at Waze to scan the route ahead is when I'm stopped, and an annoying ad is in the way. It's utterly obnoxious and given Google's warchest is unnecessary.

I don't think it's reasonable to assume that other Google properties will perpetually subsidize groups like Waze.

Re: Waze officially launches its ad program for small businesses

#43

Does anyone else open Waze only momentarily to make sure their primary route does not have significant traffic? I don't need it to direct me the entire drive, so I just quickly check to make sure there isn't some catastrophic accident that will block my path. After that I shut it down, put on a podcast, and go on my merry way.

Yeah, I tend to do this, but rarely (about once in a couple of months) traffic gets so bad on a specific part of my commute (where I literally have no viable alternative routes) that I'd wished I'd kept it on so I could turn around and just WFH.

Waze has saved me a couple of times where I find that out 5-10m through the drive and just turn around so I don't sit through important meeting in the car.

Google/Apple maps just don't update fast enough as they're not crowdsourced.

Re: Waze officially launches its ad program for small businesses

#44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use AdAway - https://f-droid.org/packages/org.adaway/ on my Android phone. Downloads lists of advertising hostnames and blocks them via /etc/hosts. It's licensed under GPL-3.0. Requires you to have rooted your phone.

Another option for Android users (that doesn't require root) is Blokada - https://f-droid.org/packages/org.blokada.alarm/

Just looked into how it works without root access. It apparently creates a local VPN interface and routes traffic through it. Which is a fine way of doing it, except it prevents you from using other VPNs on the same device at the same time - https://blokada.org/api/v3/content/en/help.html#howitworks - FWIW, this is also how Tor on Android (using Orbot) works for non-rooted devices (if you want to routes apps that don't have socks proxy support).

Just to clarify re "VPN", it's not actually a VPN to any third party service, it's just a local "fake" VPN interface to intercept traffic.

Re: Waze officially launches its ad program for small businesses

#45
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How long until Waze collaborates with Waymo (Wazemo?) and the ads are just for the captive passengers, not the driver?

Portable VR headsets are going to have a killer app. Not having to pay attention to self-driving car ads.

I'm imagining Google releasing an AR app that perfectly represents the reality around you, except stripped of all ads.

(Except the subtle consumer friendly ones that they put in, of course.)

Re: Waze officially launches its ad program for small businesses

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just to nitpick, if they earn $6, you add $5 then it'll be $11, rouding to next ten will make it $20, not $10...

He's saying that adding $5 and rounding to the nearest ten is same as rounding to the next ten. So 6+5 = 11 rounds to 10. 6 rounded up to the net is 10.

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