12
Dec
ap

Lawsuit Claims Airpush Ads Responsible For Shady Premium Rate Charges

Posted by in News

As if you needed another reason to hate the very concept of Airpush ads in Android apps, there is now a lawsuit alleging that these ads have been used to bilk consumers out of some real cash. The class-action complaint, filed in U.S. District Court of Colorado takes aim at developer GoLive Mobile and the Airpush ad network. If the claims are accurate, there has been some seriously seedy stuff going on.

example Airpush

Maybe you've never seen an Airpush ad on your device, but plenty of users have. Airpush basically sticks ads in your notification area that often look like real system notifications.

28
Jun
image

One Of Jelly Bean's Best Features - Say Goodbye To Notification Spam By Selectively Disabling Notifications For Individual Apps

Posted by in Jelly Bean 4.1, News, Videos

Airpush and similar notification spammers, your days are numbered. The people have spoken - everyone universally hates these types of ads, and Google actually listened to our numerous complaints.

In Jelly Bean, you can not only figure out exactly which app caused a notification by long-pressing it and selecting App Info - you can actually disable notifications on a per-app basis altogether. That, my friends, is not just a slap in Airpush's face - it's a swift kick in its private parts.

This is exactly how it's done, in case you wanted a demonstration:

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Awww, yeah!

16
May
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[Updated] Infographic: Here Are The Top 10 Ad Networks Used By Android Apps - Bet You Won't Guess Where AirPush Is On The List

Posted by in Apps/Games, News

Appbrain, which we here at AP use to this day thanks to a few handful features that the Play Store still hasn't implemented, analyzed 140,000 Android apps and came up with a list of the top 10 ad networks.

While they don't openly state the source of this data, I am willing to bet that it comes from analytics reported by their Ad Detector app which hit the Play Store a few months back. The app itself, much like Lookout Ad Network Detector, is very handy - it lets users figure out what ad networks, social SDKs, and even developer tools are used by apps installed on their devices.

13
May
image

[Pure Evil] SellARing "Replaces The Ring-Ring With A 10 Second Ad," Vies For Title Of Most Intrusive Ad Network Ever

Posted by in Android OS, Applications, News

Remember Airpush, the ad network that was widely considered one of the most intrusive, irritating methods of advertising in existence (so much so that Lookout released a special app to fight it off)? Well, it looks like the folks at SellARing (pronounced "sell a ring") have come up with something even more insidious.

SellARing's ad network essentially allows associated apps to replace the familiar "ring ring" sound you hear after dialing a number with a selection of 10-second audio ads.

The service lists NBC, Walmart, Vodafone, FOX, and others as among already-enlisted audio advertisers, and boasts a booked campaign calendar for May 2012, noting that they "have demand for more Android apps," while promising five-minute integration with a proprietary SDK.

11
Feb
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No, There Is No Proof Instagram For Android Is Around The Corner - Just Fake Crap Advertising More Fake Crap

Posted by in Applications, News

Last week, a "report" by InFlexWeTrust showed a screencap of a popup that invited users to download a "featured" app - Instagram for Android.

With all the crapware pushing AirPush ads to your notification bar that we've seen last week (including the fake Pinterest, Temple Run, and - drumroll - Instagram) and all the clues regarding this so obviously fake Instagram app, one would have thought a bit of caution by the blogosphere would have been a good idea. Unfortunately, the Instagram hype is so strong that plenty of blogs ran with "Instagram was leaked" and "Instagram is almost here" stories.

09
Jun
hi-256-0-84d21c2f1122afcce96572384fb9c3ff2928194e

[Tip] Identify Airpush-Laden Apps Or Just Get Rid Of Them Once And For All With Airpush Detector And Airpush Opt-out

Posted by in Applications, News

I am not a big fan of unsolicited ads, so you can imagine how annoyed I was when I started receiving ads in the notification area of my phone prompting me to install random apps. I wasn't sure when or why it started happening, but after a little research I quickly discovered that I was not the only unhappy recipient of this type of ad.

notification

Look familiar?

These ads are known as Airpush advertising. As described by the company itself, Airpush is "a mobile ad network based around an innovative ad unit - the push notification ad." The company goes on to tout itself as "a paradigm shift in mobile advertising, which provides a superior experience for developers, advertisers, and users.” That last part is quite questionable, though.