ItsGeekToMe.co

Q:  Have you seen or tested the “Ad Trap” as shown on www.getadtrap.com? It looks like something that would be very popular if it is as advertised.

– Johnny W.
Miramar Beach, Florida

A: No, I had not heard of this, but you’re absolutely right – if it does what they claim, it could be extremely popular.  For those of you unfamiliar with what Johnny is asking about, AdTrap is a zero-configuration, plug-in hardware device that claims to remove all advertising before it can reach any of the devices on your home network.  This supposedly includes online video streaming devices such as Roku and BD players, apps on smartphones and pad computers, web browsers and pretty much any device that connects to the Internet.  At $139 it’s not cheap, though it’s not a bank-breaker either, for the promise of returning your online experience to the days when pretty much everything ran 100% ad-free.  If any of my readers are actually using this device, I would very much like to hear whether it works as advertised, and whether it has given you any problems.

I personally see a bit of a down-side to a device like this.  Something capable of blocking all ads, if widely adopted, could very well kill the golden goose that is the “free” Internet.   Free sites are not really free – you just don’t pay money to use them.  What you do pay is the burden of having advertisements displayed as you use the service.  The sponsors that pay for these ads are the ones who are paying the real money to the web site on your behalf.  What do you think they are going to do if everyone starts blocking their ads?  If it was me paying money for ads that don’t get viewed, I would pull my advertising dollars and redirect them somewhere more effective.  If that begins to happen, site owners will be forced to change their tactics as well.  After all, most sites aren’t online just for the good of the users; they’re there to make money for the sites’ owners.  When that revenue dries up, you will see the “free” Internet begin to disappear, replaced with sites that you must pay to use.  So be cautious about a strong desire to eliminate advertisements.  They keep your favorite sites free.

Q: Well, I’ve got another problem with my computer that I can’t seem to fix. Running XP Pro on a Dell 8150 (I really love antiques!) with CenturyLink DSL. When I view YouTube or any other video, it plays fine in the tiny format but if I try to go to full screen, I get audio but no video. The screen is black. Some videos allow the option to play in a slightly enlarged format and that works fine. It is just the full screen format that won’t show the video. Solutions? 

– Crystal G.
Baker, Florida

A: Crystal, I’m sorry to have to say this, but I believe your problem may stem from your love of antiques, as you put it.  A video player has to manipulate a computer’s video card drivers to go full-screen, and there is some problem in that process with yours.  Since it’s happening with more than one video player, that would seem to eliminate the video players themselves as source of the problem.  That puts the focus on your video drivers.  For a system old enough to be running Windows XP, updated drivers may not be available.  My recommendation is to visit your computer manufacturer or video card manufacturer’s website, and see if newer drivers are available.  While you’re at it, make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Flash installed, as it’s used by many online video providers, including YouTube.  Good luck!

With that, my fellow Geeks, I bid you adieu for 2013.  Happy New Year to all!  See you in 2014!