Samsung introduces adblocking into its mobile web browser on Android

Samsung is hoping to help out users who don’t want to see any ads on their Galaxy devices with a new over-the-air update. The company updated its web browser on Android for 5.0 users to include the new adblocking capability. If you’re using Chrome, you won’t be able to take advantage of this as it just works on Samsung’s own mobile browser. Developers can build adblocking extensions for Samsung’s browser. The first extension available is Adblock Fast is the first to take advantage of the API and it supposedly raises speeds of loading a page by up to 51 percent on average with ads blocked.

If you’re not a Samsung user but want access to the browser and its adblocking capabilities, Samsung has made it available for Android users running version 5.0 and up. Android 4.0 users should be getting the feature in the coming months.

Source: The Next Web | Download: Adblock Fast (Free) + Samsung Internet (Free)

Captain Phasma will be in ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’

If you thought Captain Phasma (played by Gwendoline Christie) met her demise in the hands of Finn and company at a trash compactor, it seems you have that wrong. According to the Game of Thrones actress, she will be coming back in Episode VIII, which is slated for release in December 2017, and she had “very overexcited” for her role in The Force Awakens. Now, it seems we might get to see more of her in the second Star Wars film of the new trilogy, which is welcome for us since she got what we thought was a small part.

“I made no secret of the fact that I really campaigned for the part for a long time,” she said. “And then I was delighted when J.J. Abrams wanted to have me in the film and then wanted to cast me in this role that had originally been designed for a man.”

Source: People | Via: The Verge

Here’s a selfie of the Curiosity rover on a Martian dune

This is a selfie we don’t mind seeing. As Curiosity continues to roam the Martian landscape it takes self-portraits along the way. The latest one it captured is at a place called “Namib Dune.” The image above is a composite of 57 images taken on January 19^th by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), which was attached to the end of the rover’s arm (think high-tech selfie stick).

This area is part of the dark sand dune field northwest of Mount Sharp. Curiosity was in the area to collect sand for lab analysis as part of NASA’s plans to study how Martian winds move and get a better picture of the planet’s environment.

Source: NASA | Via: Engadget

How-to: Find repair for a broken iPhone

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla 

My wife’s iPhone 6 recently took one too many spills and despite having a thin case and a screen protector, it still fell around four feet into bathroom tile screen first. The result, a long crack across the display. While the device could still be used, there was no other choice but to get that display and digitizer replaced.

The iPhone was no longer under warranty and I did not purchase AppleCare for this device, which worried me. I checked out local repair services like iRepair and the cost of materials and labour were around $180 plus tax, so I decided to check what the Apple Store would charge. 

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