Mac OS X | Internet | Browsers | GlimmerBlocker

GlimmerBlocker - 1.4.1

Ad blocker for Safari.

Download v 1.4.2

(File Size: 2.5M)

Free Product Alerts!

All Time:	(3.8)
Version 1.4.1:	(3.7)
Selected Version:	1.4.1
Release Date:	2009-09-13
License:	Freeware
Downloads (version 1.4.1):	492
Downloads (all versions):	4,883

Information Related to Version:

Broken Link? Newer Version? Tell us!

Product Description:

The problem with other ad-blockers for Safari is that they are implemented as awful hacks: as an InputManager and/or ApplicationEnhancer. This compromises the stability of Safari and very often create problems when Apple releases a new version of Safari. GlimmerBlocker is implemented as an http proxy, so the stability of Safari isn't compromised because it doesn't use any hacks. It is even compatible with all other browsers. You'll always be able to upgrade Safari without breaking GlimmerBlocker (or waiting for a new release); and you'll be able to upgrade GlimmerBlocker without upgrading Safari. This makes it much easier to use the beta versions of Safari and especially the nightly builds of WebKit. Because GlimmerBlocker doesn't hack Safari, there is a few things it isn't able to do: adding a block by right-clicking an image, stopping pop-unders, and filtering cookies from 3rd party sites. But you win a lot in stability, and GlimmerBlocker provides much easier methods for adding your own modifications to pages by adding css rules, pieces of Javascript or by transforming the html before Safari receives it. So I'll hope you're happy with the tradeoff. If you can program in Javascript you'll be able to add your own modification to pages. See the included filters for examples, e.g. adding a download link to YouTube.

What's new in this version:

Important bug fixes.
Fixes QuickTime Streaming: an extraneous CRLF sequence was added when sending http headers when GlimmerBlocker in advanced knew that the connection could not use keep-alive.
Fix problem with uploads to MobileMe/iDisk which takes a long time. The upload would cancel because GlimmerBlocker? would timeout waiting for a reply from the server when it was still sending the file.
Fix of keep-alive bug: if server said keep-alive was valid for 45 seconds, GlimmerBlocker would reuse the connection only in the next 45 milliseconds. This would make some sites slower.
Don't use keep-alive on an http-server connection when the full request body has not been read. This can happen when an upload is denied by the server, and GlimmerBlocker would try interpret the file as an http request.
Installer script: Better diagnostics for non-working java installations and permission problems on e.g. /Library/PreferencePanes.
Don't change content-type to text/html when a transform script has modified the content. This made it impossible to change javascripts without having Safari receive it as text/html, which it then would ignore and still use it as a script, but it was still wrong. If rule authors change the content-type, they must explicit set the content-type.
New feature for filter authors: Allow request scripts to set the 'Accept-Encoding' header to one of: null, empty string or (exactly) 'gzip'. No other values are allowed as GlimmerBlocker must be able to decode the response.

Operating System Requirements:

This product is designed to run on the following operating systems:

Mac OS X 10.5 Intel
Mac OS X 10.5 PPC

Feedback Summary:

Version 1.4.1:
Overall Rating:	(3.7)	Features:	(4.0)	Support:	(3.0)
Ease of Use:	(3.7)	Quality / Stability:	(3.7)	Price:	(4.3)

Key to Types of Feedback:

Reviews Reviews Troubleshooting Usage Tips Developer Notes Commentary Featured Reviews

I tried the others and no joy... - Version: 1.4.2, 10/28/2009 10:30PM PST

(0 of 1 users found this comment useful)

Gennx30

what a feeling of relief when videos that I post which are copyright flagged-if they dont pull them-then they put a popup ad for Amazon on them; I feel that
For FREE;
I am providing high quality content for YT-TV stations have to pay to get programs, ya know
I am doing free publicy and promotion for the record company and group by making a video
all for art and personal satisfaction and no life
So how irksome to see ads pop up over my titles
and now NOT ONE of them pops up-in fact the ad flag and Amazon pull down menu is gone!!!

5 cheers for Glimmer!

This is my new ad blocker - Version: 1.4.2, 10/7/2009 09:30AM PST

(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)

rskinner

I've used GlimmerBlocker off and on for a couple years, but was a loyal PithHelmet user, so I never switched until recently. GlimmerBlocker does not slow down Safari at all, which was the motivating factor in the switch. It hasn't caught as many ads as PH, but the offending ad sites can easily be added to GlimmerBlocker's black list. Adding sites is easy.

Works fine - Version: 1.4.1, 10/6/2009 01:07PM PST