Tag Archives: block

Firewall App Blocker : Add Applications To Firewall Block List via Drag & Drop

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Windows Firewall is a vital system security and packet filtering component of Windows. This celestial feature enables users to create inbound and outbound data traffic rules to protect their PCs and network from malicious external sources, such as trojans, viruses, and hack attacks. The major function of Windows Firewall is to restrict third-party applications from sending and receiving data to unauthorized users/apps. Firewall generally automatically identifies trusted sources and adds an exceptions. Likewise, if a software seems fishy, it asks you about manually granting or blocking the permission. However, the Windows Firewall is not utilized up to its full potential by most users because it seems a bit tedious to configure and unleash its prowess. Most casual users cannot get the hang of its inbound and outbound rules. Back in 2008, we brought you a detailed guide on How to Create Exceptions in Windows 7/ Vista Firewall. Today, we have an application for Windows, which might provide an alternative and easier solution. It is called Firewall App Blocker, and allows you to add applications to the Windows Firewall block list via simple drag and drop operation. In addition, the application lets you set Windows Firewall policies by providing you with easy access to Windows Firewall with Advanced Security dialog box. Read More

Block Certain Channels From Appearing In YouTube Suggestions List [Chrome]

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While listening to music or watching our favorite videos on YouTube, we often get distracted by the related or suggested videos in the sidebar. While we can always choose to ignore those, there might be one persistent enough to make you lose focus and skip to that video instead of what you were watching. While getting distracted is not as big of a nuisance, if you get tired of misleading thumbnails or titles, then RE:Channel Blocker, a Chrome extension, is what you need. This neat utility lets you block videos from unwanted channels of your choice hat keep appearing in the Suggestions list. It gives you a nice way to filter out videos from particular channels that can ruin your YouTube experience. Read More

Set Reminders For Visiting Websites & Block URLs For A Defined Time [Firefox]

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Wasting time online is nothing new for an avid internet user, and even more so if you work in a rather-relaxed environment and require browsing all day long for performance of your tasks. If you have been wasting too much time on distracting websites like Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, then Time Limiter, a useful Firefox add-on, may be able to help you focus. This nifty tool blocks these time sinks, but a lot of others do that too, so why use Time Limiter, you ask? The extension not only blocks websites, but will also let you set reminders for visiting a certain domain later, making sure you don't forget where you were actually supposed to be heading. Additionally, the Advanced options allow you to block URLs for particular days and hours. Read More

360MobileSafe: App Locking, SMS/Call Blocking & Anti-Theft App [Cydia]

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If you are an iPhone user and value your privacy, then chances are that a simple passcode is usually not enough for you. The lockscreen passcode in iOS devices does protect users from a casual trespasser, but for those who want security at a more comprehensive level, there are a few third-party apps, both in Cydia and the App Store. The apps found in the Cydia store generally provide a deeper level of security owing to the fact that they can access more areas of iOS compared to ordinary apps. This fact is personified by the Cydia app 360MobileSafe, which deals with just about all areas of privacy and security that you can possibly imagine. You can use the app to block undesirable calls and SMS, put any app (system or third-party) under password-protection and prevent misuse of your device remotely via the Anti-theft menu. 360MobileSafe has more features than just that, so let’s discuss them past the break. Read More

Modify Hosts File To Block A Website On Mac OS X Lion [Tip]

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If you use a Mac at work and have access to sites like Youtube and/or Facebook  blocked, you might have experienced a mixture of disappointment and anger trying to access them. Understandably, these feelings probably helped fuel the search for a way around it. As annoying as these  blocks are, they can sometimes be useful and if you’re wondering how it woks on Mac OS X Lion, this post details how you can block websites and domains. The process involves modifying the hosts file on your Mac via the Terminal. Once the domain or website is mapped with localhost, the website/domain is blocked on your system regardless of which browser you use. To unblock a site, you need to access the file again and edit out the modifications you’ve made. You must have Administrative rights to make these modifications or your user account must belong to the administrative group. Read More

SMSNinja: Block & Screen Unwanted Calls Or SMS, Password-Protect Messages [Cydia]

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Every once in a while, you are bound to feel like switching off your iPhone, taxed by to the amount of junk texts you get, or maybe while you're busy, and a friend keeps prodding you with calls. There are many apps and tweaks out there that provide a convenient solution to that, but none as feature-rich and comprehensive as SMSNinja. This Cydia app lets you block text messages and calls from contacts you would rather avoid. Not just that, it can screen incoming SMS that contain a user-defined keyword, lets you password-protect the native Messages and Phone apps, and view all texts from a particular contact within the app's own interface instead of Messages. Read More

The Web Blocker: Block Websites Using Read-Made Category Templates

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With billions of webpages, parental control on the internet usage of young kids is a big issue. Many parents are concerned about not knowing what their kids are watching or reading on the internet when they are alone. Other than that, it is very easy to get distracted from the work at hand. It starts with you opening a random link on YouTube or Facebook, and ends with an hour or two wasted before you even realize that you haven’t finished your work. Some months ago, we covered a very good web based parental control application called Qustodio, that allowed you to easily block websites and keep track of your kids’ online activities. Today, we have another website blocker for you called The Web Blocker that lets you block selected websites, and also provides you with built-in templates to block a certain category of websites, such as Social Networking, Adult Material, Games, Videos etc. Read More

How To Block Time Wasting Websites Using Focal Filter & Unblock Them

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With millions of websites currently on the internet, it is very easy to get distracted from the work at hand. It starts with you opening a random link on YouTube or Facebook, and ends with an hour or two wasted before you even realize that you haven’t finished your work. Previously, we have covered  a lot of tools to help you increase your concentration, including web extensions, such as Website Blocker, an extension for Google Chrome that allows you to block specific time wasting websites, and desktop apps, such as Cold Turkey, an open source application to temporarily blocking predefined, custom websites and games. Today we have another, very simple and easy-to-use, website blocker for you, named FocalFilter. It allows you to block websites for pre-specified time intervals without making any confusing configurations. Once the timer is up, you have the option to unblock the websites or block them again for a specified time interval. Read More

Temporarily Block Access To Time-Wasting Websites With Cold Turkey

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Whenever you are working on PC, everything else suddenly starts seeming a lot more interesting than the actual work. Websites like Facebook, YouTube, 9gag and Memebase can be a big distraction, and have the potential for becoming a cause of missing those important deadlines. It all starts with someone sending you a link to a funny video, and you then spend hours and hours going from video to video. This wastes a lot of your time and makes makes it hard for you to complete your work on time. So what do you do to stop yourself from getting distracted while working? We suggest Cold Turkey. It is an open source application that helps you concentrate on your work by temporarily blocking predefined/custom websites and games. The access to specified websites is blocked on all browsers, with the ability to block the sites for intervals of 10 minutes to a week. The application cannot be stopped from the system tray or task manager, practically disabling you from wasting your time. Read More

Activity Monitor: Regulate And Control Online Activity On A System

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Many parental control applications are restricted to checking and/or blocking content according to some defined parameters. However, before one can block inappropriate content, sometimes it is necessary to profile the habits of children to find any loopholes that may remain open even after a block is set in place. For example, you might be interested in blocking webpages which may be displaying ads with explicit content, whereas your child might require using the same website (to which the webpage belongs to). SurveilStar Activity Monitor is a free parental control application that records the activity of a system, and allows imposing precise blockage rules to control online content that can be accessed from a computer. Read More

Call Master: Schedule-Based Call & SMS Screening App For Android

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If there is one Android app that offers comprehensive control to the users for all their incoming texts and calls, then Call Master has to be it. Call Master, currently in open beta, provides fully customizable screening options for your texts as well as calls and lets you put a lid on all unwanted content in such a way that you’d never even know that a ‘blacklisted’ number ever tried to contact you. That’s not all; you can pick from a wide pool of blocking/notification actions for selected content with customized vibration and LED settings, auto-reply to a caller with a custom SMS, indulge in Private conversation without anything being recorded in the logs and much, much more. For each call that you wish to block, the app can reject/ignore it altogether, hang up the call after answering it or simply allow it to be silently recorded in the call logs without any kind of ring or notification. Text messages can also be allowed or blocked in the same manner. In-depth privacy settings, password-protected access to the app, scheduled profile switching and the option to tweak every single facet to the very core are some of the other strengths of Call Master. Read More

Easy Filter For Android Makes Blocking Unwanted Calls And SMS Simpler

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Easy Filter is a free app for Android that provides an easy yet efficient way to block incoming phone calls and SMS. The freeware allows you to choose from multiple blocking scenarios, selectively block/filter SMS or calls from numbers added to the blacklist (Block List) and view the history of filtered calls and messages while keeping the said blacklist and filter records secure behind password protection. Read More

Block Spam Links From Google Search Results In Chrome

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When searching a keyword on Google, we often come across spam links. Many websites automatically pick the searched term and generate a similar result to attempt phishing. While sometimes these links are easy to identify (e.g. when one searches the term Whitehouse and a link says “buy Whitehouse”), at other instances, they can be quite convincing. Google Search Spam Blocker is a Chrome extension that warns against spam links and allows users to block unwanted URLs from appearing in the Google search result. Read More

Block Access To Domain / Sub-Domains With Any Weblock

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If you’re looking for an application which lets you gain control over web content accessibility whilst offering a simple way to block specified domains/sub-domains on your PC, give Any Weblock a shot. It is a simple application, requiring absolutely no extra knowledge to block websites. When blocked website is accessed, it shows a fake error message preventing user to surf through blocked content. The application can be used anywhere on any system to block access of explicit sites, torrent sites, social media websites, online games, gambling platforms, online chat rooms, etc from all installed browsers. Furthermore, it comes with a staunch password protection to prevent others from changing application’s configurations or unblocking blocked domains. Read More

How To Block And Filter Out Annoying Ads in Firefox

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Are you annoyed by ridiculous ads that either pops up during browsing session or are displayed in  almost all websites or blogs? Advertisements can be effective when they are relative and informative where users can actually get useful information about certain products but with ridiculous ads running all over in the website to generate profit is unacceptable. You may have received marketing messages  while browsing either by pop ads or banner ads, despite these service details it gets annoying when random ads are bombarded in the middle of the browsing session. If you hate such kinds of ads, Firefox has a built-in pop up blocking feature. And to further block or filter out ads you can use Adblock plus.

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