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Anybody know how to read techcrunch articles on an iPad these days? I get fifteen seconds of article, then get redirected to that "download our app" thing. No

Anybody know how to read techcrunch articles on an iPad these days? I get fifteen seconds of article, then get redirected to that "download our app" thing. No combination of back/forward or clicking "no, let me read the article" results in me being able to actually read the article. I'm not about to pollute my iPad just for one site, so I guess from here on out I just have to make a mental note to stay away from techcrunch articles when they come through here.

zerostar07 14y ago
There is a 'click here to continue' link in white link but it has been (intentionally?) blended into the screenshot image. Even so, clicking the link does not make the nag go away. So basically i can't read TC on the ipad
timc3 14y ago
It's <insert swear word here> awful isn't it. I have to hit the stop button really quickly. I am also trying to stay away but it seems like a good percentage or article posted on HN come from techcrunch.
Steko 14y ago
Apple should threaten action on any media company app whose corresponding website has an egregious iOS device only popup. That or enable desktop user agent reporting via a toggle ala third party browser apps Atomic and Sleipnir.
- trekkin 14y ago
  Why would Apple do that? The website promotes Apple's appstore, which can cross/up sell other stuff that Apple receives money from...
- RexRollman 14y ago
  It's annoying but I don't see Apple addressing it.
citricsquid 14y ago
Try readability maybe? http://readability.com/articles/ihkslo2n http://readability.com/articles/ihkslo2n
mmariani 14y ago
Hitting the reader on mobile Safari does the trick (I'm on iOS 5.1.1). I also find this TC "feature" very annoying.
highace 14y ago
I use m.techcrunch.com when I'm on my pad or phone. Both safari and chrome crash trying to load the behemoth otherwise.
hcarvalhoalves 14y ago
Techcrunch wants you to install their app so they can steal your mobile data while you read about how Facebook steals your personal data... Everything is an app today! Yay!
- denzil_correa 14y ago
  Is that allowed though? Microsoft was penalized heavily for not providing options to Internet Explorer. Can this fall under a lawsuit?
  - xorbyte 14y ago
    Not sure how that's relevant. Are you implying that Apple is like Microsoft regarding anti-trust, because TechCrunch makes itself hard to read in Mobile Safari without downloading a specific app?
dirtyaura 14y ago
It's super-annoying, but the easiest alternative is to wait that the page has loaded and click Safari's Reader button. It doesn't matter that the page is showing the iPad ad at the same time, the content is still there but hidden.
- brador 14y ago
  You can click the X to stop page load once the article has loaded up. That's the X on the address bar that's a refresh circle icon as you read this.
pajju 14y ago
You must stop page loading, but you must act fast - i.e Press fast, stop loading button in your iPad broswer/chrome.
SquareWheel 14y ago
If you're using Chrome, you should be able to "request the desktop version", which I expect changes your user agent and stops the popup.
esolyt 14y ago
Can you do user agent spoofing on an iPad? Because iPad browser is perfectly capable of viewing desktop websites except those with Flash.
- 7402 14y ago
  Yes. I use the 'Atomic Web Browser' for that. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/atomic-web-browser/id347929410?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/atomic-web-browser/id34792941...
- snsr 14y ago
  Safari does not, but iCab mobile lets you change browser agents.
RexRollman 14y ago
That is a real problem. My wife just bought me an iPad and ESPN does the same thing as well. I've considered installing a 3rd party browser because of this.
8ig8 14y ago
Try this... http://tcfast.com/2012/08/25/5-design-tricks-facebook-uses-to-affect-your-privacy-decisions/ http://tcfast.com/2012/08/25/5-design-tricks-facebook-uses-t...
jfb 14y ago
If it leads to fewer people reading techcrunch, that's all to the good.
karpathy 14y ago
This exceptionally annoying trend is not even limited to Techrunch but is becoming more common on other sites too. I started to avoid Techrunch links for this reason as well. In addition, does anyone have an issue with font resizing on Techrunch? When I zoom in to the text it becomes pixelated and unreadable. I end up being forced to read tiny text at original site resolution. Horrible UX. I expect more tech savvy from Techrunch.
acqq 14y ago
Install Opera Mini. Opera (the company) hosts the servers that will preprocess and send you significantly less bandwidth and processor demanding results. You don't have to do anything special for that, just use Opera Mini as a normal browser. There are pages that can crash Safari on iOS which are no problem to be read in Opera Mini. I've just followed the link and the whole page is fully readable.
neddesmond 14y ago
We have pulled the offending ad. Sorry about that. -Ned
notatoad 14y ago
It's better than it used to be. Today, the only consequence of their stupid banner is that i'm unable to read techcrunch. previously, that banner has always locked up the browser on my iPad, so that the whole internet app was unusable until i did a hard reset of the device.
TravisDirks 14y ago
This has been driving me insane lately. Every site I follow a link to gives me an app splash page. What is particularly frustrating is that usually its a complete waste of both of our time since I already have the app. LinkedIn in particular drives me nuts with this.

zerostar07 14y ago

There is a 'click here to continue' link in white link but it has been (intentionally?) blended into the screenshot image. Even so, clicking the link does not make the nag go away. So basically i can't read TC on the ipad

timc3 14y ago

It's <insert swear word here> awful isn't it. I have to hit the stop button really quickly. I am also trying to stay away but it seems like a good percentage or article posted on HN come from techcrunch.

Steko 14y ago

Apple should threaten action on any media company app whose corresponding website has an egregious iOS device only popup. That or enable desktop user agent reporting via a toggle ala third party browser apps Atomic and Sleipnir.

trekkin 14y ago
Why would Apple do that? The website promotes Apple's appstore, which can cross/up sell other stuff that Apple receives money from...
RexRollman 14y ago
It's annoying but I don't see Apple addressing it.

citricsquid 14y ago

Try readability maybe? http://readability.com/articles/ihkslo2n http://readability.com/articles/ihkslo2n

mmariani 14y ago

Hitting the reader on mobile Safari does the trick (I'm on iOS 5.1.1). I also find this TC "feature" very annoying.

highace 14y ago

I use m.techcrunch.com when I'm on my pad or phone. Both safari and chrome crash trying to load the behemoth otherwise.

hcarvalhoalves 14y ago

Techcrunch wants you to install their app so they can steal your mobile data while you read about how Facebook steals your personal data... Everything is an app today! Yay!

denzil_correa 14y ago
Is that allowed though? Microsoft was penalized heavily for not providing options to Internet Explorer. Can this fall under a lawsuit?
- xorbyte 14y ago
  Not sure how that's relevant. Are you implying that Apple is like Microsoft regarding anti-trust, because TechCrunch makes itself hard to read in Mobile Safari without downloading a specific app?

dirtyaura 14y ago

It's super-annoying, but the easiest alternative is to wait that the page has loaded and click Safari's Reader button. It doesn't matter that the page is showing the iPad ad at the same time, the content is still there but hidden.

brador 14y ago
You can click the X to stop page load once the article has loaded up. That's the X on the address bar that's a refresh circle icon as you read this.

pajju 14y ago

You must stop page loading, but you must act fast - i.e Press fast, stop loading button in your iPad broswer/chrome.

SquareWheel 14y ago

If you're using Chrome, you should be able to "request the desktop version", which I expect changes your user agent and stops the popup.

esolyt 14y ago

Can you do user agent spoofing on an iPad? Because iPad browser is perfectly capable of viewing desktop websites except those with Flash.

7402 14y ago
Yes. I use the 'Atomic Web Browser' for that. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/atomic-web-browser/id347929410?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/atomic-web-browser/id34792941...
snsr 14y ago
Safari does not, but iCab mobile lets you change browser agents.

RexRollman 14y ago

That is a real problem. My wife just bought me an iPad and ESPN does the same thing as well. I've considered installing a 3rd party browser because of this.

8ig8 14y ago

Try this... http://tcfast.com/2012/08/25/5-design-tricks-facebook-uses-to-affect-your-privacy-decisions/ http://tcfast.com/2012/08/25/5-design-tricks-facebook-uses-t...

jfb 14y ago

If it leads to fewer people reading techcrunch, that's all to the good.

karpathy 14y ago

This exceptionally annoying trend is not even limited to Techrunch but is becoming more common on other sites too. I started to avoid Techrunch links for this reason as well. In addition, does anyone have an issue with font resizing on Techrunch? When I zoom in to the text it becomes pixelated and unreadable. I end up being forced to read tiny text at original site resolution. Horrible UX. I expect more tech savvy from Techrunch.

acqq 14y ago

Install Opera Mini. Opera (the company) hosts the servers that will preprocess and send you significantly less bandwidth and processor demanding results. You don't have to do anything special for that, just use Opera Mini as a normal browser. There are pages that can crash Safari on iOS which are no problem to be read in Opera Mini. I've just followed the link and the whole page is fully readable.

neddesmond 14y ago

We have pulled the offending ad. Sorry about that. -Ned

notatoad 14y ago

It's better than it used to be. Today, the only consequence of their stupid banner is that i'm unable to read techcrunch. previously, that banner has always locked up the browser on my iPad, so that the whole internet app was unusable until i did a hard reset of the device.

TravisDirks 14y ago

This has been driving me insane lately. Every site I follow a link to gives me an app splash page. What is particularly frustrating is that usually its a complete waste of both of our time since I already have the app. LinkedIn in particular drives me nuts with this.