• AdGuard for Android Review

    In 24 hours, AdGuard for Android blocked 2,710 ads and stopped me from downloading 40.36MB. I was absolutely shocked, it almost seemed to good to be true. The app logs every single blocked ad, it was fascinating to scroll through and see everything.
    Who is this for?
    Anyone and everyone! AdGuard works perfectly on stock / non-rooted devices.
    The only caveat is that it cannot be installed form the Android PlayStore (perhaps not surprising given Google’s vested interest in ads).
    Instead, you can navigate to this link on your phone:
    https://adguard.com/en/adguard-android/overview.html
    Hit download, and allow installations from remote sources (easy enough!).
    Costs
    I used the 7 day free trial AdGuard for Android, but the pricing for mobile protection comes in at $0.83/mo with the subscription model or $24.95 for a lifetime license.
    There are some costs to AdGuard, but none of them made me think twice about this amazing software.
    Battery
    In 24 hours, AdGuard used less than 1% (0.39% to be exact) of my battery. I also have to imagine that the added benefit of not having to download 40.36MB and make network requests for tracking pixels offset even that negligible cost.
    Logs
    AdGuard comes with a searchable filtering log so you can see every blocked request. Although I’ve never had an issue, if something mistakenly gets blocked, you could likely figure it out from this page.
    Whitelist
    AdGuard allows you to specify whether it should be used on a per app basis! If an app detects that you’re blocking ads and refuses to run, you can tell AdGuard not to block ads for that app. AdGuard also allows you to whitelist domains
    Dashboard
    AdGuard also comes with a dashboard that shows how much battery it has consumed, how many ads it has blocked, and how much network transfer you have saved.
    Overall, AdGuard is a beautifully designed, simple to use app that is a must have for every user.

  • Lenox Dinnerware and Lead

    Turns out, Lenox Dinnerware is not lead-free!

    Lenox is one of the largest dinnerware companies that makes bowls, glasses, and silverware.

    Lenox products are technically considered safe by the FDA as their lead contents are under the required maximums, but their products are definitely not lead-free.

     

  • Do Kate Spade Plates or Glasses Contain Lead

    Lots of wedding registries have Kate Spade plates, glasses, bowls, and even forks, knives, and spoons on them.

    What people don’t realize is that many Kate Spade items like Plates, Bowls, and silverware contain lead, as they are made by Lenox.

    While they are under the FDA recommended quantities of lead, they still contain lead nonetheless.

     

  • What is vegetarian at Sprinkles Cupcakes?

    Sprinkles is one of the fastest growing cupcake chains with dozens of locations, and even a Sprinkles cupcake ATM!

    Here’s a full list of vegetarian Sprinkles cupcakes, including my favorite of peanut butter chocolate cupcakes.

    If you’re looking for vegan specifically, there is even a Vegan Red Velvet cupcake at Sprinkles

  • Vegetarian menu options at Auntie Anne’s

    I was walking by Auntie Anne’s and wondered which items are vegetarian or vegan.

    Turns out most of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and vegetarian, and the dips are too.

    If you’re wondering what is not vegetarian or vegan, stay away from the latte products, butter dipped pretzels and the meat items like pepperoni pretzels.

     

  • Google Express Feed Specifications

    Google Express is an interesting marketplace where you sell your products on Google. The conversion rates and CTRs are significantly better, especially on Mobile, and it’s very compelling to sell there.

    The feeds are not so simple though, because the Google Express feeds require multiple steps with a product feed, local inventory product feed, and order and tracking feeds sent via the Google Content Shopping APIs.

    The latter Google Express feed API involve Acknowledging the Order, Submitting tracking, and updating shipping through the APIs.

    If you can get on Google Express, it’s well worth the effort as you can now be found on a great channel through web and mobile apps.

  • Google Merchant Center Feed Specifications

    Google Manufacturer Center is a channel much like Google Shopping, but lets you have finer control over your product attributes.

    The Google Manufacturer Center feed specifications are simpler than those for Google Shopping, but allow you to have preference on attributes like title, description, and image links when there are other merchants selling your products.

  • Jet Feed Specifications

    Jet is a marketplace owned by Walmart, but run separately from them. It’s a great place for price comparison and for bulk buying.

    Selling on Jet is done through listing products APIs rather than through feeds, and by adhering to the Jet Feed Specifications.

    It’s a great marketplace to try selling assuming you can get your products to conform to the Jet feed specs.

  • FireFox 57 Jetstream BrowserBench Benchmarks

    The new FireFox 57 has been announced, and I just got the latest copy and while it feels significantly faster, I decided to run the latest Browser Bench Benchmark against JavaScript performance.

    The results are significantly worse than Chrome and Edge. This might just show how contrived the Jetstream benchmark actually is.

     

  • Rakuten Marketing

    Rakuten marketing does affiliate, display, and search advertising.

    Rakuten Marketing’s feed format isn’t too complex, but does have some import fields that should be properly optimized, like title, category, and description.

    This is especially true for search feeds, as Rakuten Marketing functions as an agency by advertising on Google Shopping.