All articles tagged with #ads
Samsung’s new New Zealand ad features a Tim Cook lookalike from Palmerston North promoting the Galaxy Z Fold 8, spoofing Apple’s cinematic launch style and poking fun at Cook’s updated profile picture as Apple unveils the iPhone Duo.
A Trump-aligned political action committee, MAGA Inc., is spending at least $10 million on a Texas Senate ad blitz, signaling heavy continued investment by Trump’s camp in pivotal GOP races. The article notes Trump’s willingness to deploy substantial personal funds for GOP causes, including backing for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton amid past scandals, and suggests the spending could extend into future election cycles.
Trump continues to claim prices are falling, despite inflation rising about 4.3% since his return to office. CNN notes that some Republican ads acknowledge the higher cost of living with empathetic messages about gas, groceries, housing and healthcare, signaling a cautious shift in inflation messaging, while polling suggests Democrats remain less trusted on inflation, making the cost‑of‑living issue pivotal in 2026 races.
Ads appear in Apple Maps at the top of search results and in the ‘Suggested Places’ section, marked with a blue ad icon; rollout began in the US and Canada after Apple said businesses could pay for top spots, with Apple claiming ads don’t link to Apple IDs and data stays on-device, with 9to5Mac noting broader rollout in coming weeks.
Ads have begun appearing in Apple Maps in the US and Canada, showing up in suggested places and search results. Apple says the ads are privacy-forward, with location data kept on-device and not linked to the Apple ID, but critics argue the move tarnishes Apple’s privacy image and harms user experience, though some see potential map-data improvements; rollout is expanding in coming weeks.
Apple Maps is rolling out advertisements in the United States and Canada, appearing at the top of search results and in Suggested Places. There is currently no way to turn them off, though ads are clearly labeled with an Ad tag. Apple says interactions with ads aren’t tied to your Apple account and data isn’t shared with third parties. The rollout includes incentives for advertisers (like a 15% credit toward future spend) and follows Apple’s ad policy, which restricts certain categories.
Ads and tracking once confined to smart TVs are spreading to computer monitors, with LG’s Monitor App Installer pushing ads onto connected PCs (a move Microsoft forced LG to reverse). The piece notes that smart monitors run OSes and can use ACR to track activity, meaning data could be shared with advertisers under current privacy policies from LG, Samsung, and Acer. It calls for clearer privacy disclosures, easier setup-based privacy controls, and maintaining dumb, non‑advertising monitors to prevent a privacy‑nightmare trajectory.
Google has started delivering ads through the Pixel’s My Pixel app, but you can mute them by using Android’s notification controls: long-press the My Pixel icon, go to App info > Notifications > My Pixel, and switch off the New products and offers category (you can keep other categories on). Disabling the app is possible but may remove some features, so the article guides keeping useful updates while silencing ads.
The built-in MSN Weather app in Windows 11 reportedly consumes about 1.2 GB of RAM merely to display forecasts, even when idle, and it shows ads. This bloated footprint is concerning on devices with 8 GB RAM and contrasts with macOS’s lighter weather app, prompting calls for Microsoft to optimize built-in apps and remove ads.
Microsoft says Windows 11 will be faster and leaner, with fixes already shipping: a Low Latency Profile boosts responsiveness, RAM usage is being reduced via WinUI 3 and cross‑component optimizations, and the OS is getting faster File Explorer, search, and UI elements while trimming ads in the home screen, Widgets, and related apps. The improvements target 8GB RAM PCs and above, though the mandatory Microsoft account setup remains, and a debunked rumor about a hidden tracker was clarified by Microsoft’s engineers as not impacting performance.
TrueAchievements poses a poll on Microsoft’s new ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming for non‑Game Pass owners: you can stream titles you own for up to an hour after a 2‑minute ad, and it won’t affect Game Pass subscribers. The feature is in testing and has sparked discussion on whether readers will give it a try.
LG has agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up ads delivered through its Monitor App Installer after pressure from Microsoft and widespread Windows 11 user complaints that a hidden app was installed via automatic Windows Updates and then served ads. LG said the installer is distributed through Microsoft’s process and would not install McAfee without user consent, but it did not fully explain the automatic ad behavior. If you’re affected, uninstall the LG Monitor App Installer in Settings > Apps to remove the ads.
Microsoft is piloting a free, ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming tier that lets users stream games they own for an hour on supported devices (web browsers, Samsung TVs, iPad/iPhone, Android, Xbox). Ads will only play before the session and won’t interrupt gameplay; paid Game Pass tiers remain ad-free. The expansion aims to attract new users and give access to a catalog of over 1,500 titles across platforms as Xbox seeks to scale cloud gaming beyond consoles.
Xbox is running a limited test of free ad-supported cloud gaming for Xbox Insiders, letting players stream certain owned titles for up to an hour on supported devices with pre-session ads (about two minutes total); players can extend sessions by watching more ads, a move meant to make streaming more affordable while keeping gameplay uninterrupted.
Kotaku reports widespread user backlash after Roku's June UI overhaul, which replaces a fast, simple home screen with a cluttered, ad-heavy layout driven by recommendations, introduces bugs, and prompts calls to revert or offer an old-interface option.