Filters
iCab Mobile provides a filter feature which can be used to filter out advertising banners and other stuff. The build-in filters do provide some basic ad filters which do filter out many ads, but not all. An iCab user has converted the "fanboy" adblocker list into a format that can be imported in iCab Mobile. This filter list has over 3000 filters and filters much more ads than the default filters. But it also needs much more memory and especially on the older and slower devices, the large filter list might slow down page loading. In any case, if you are insterested in this list, you can download it from here: fanboy_adblock.txt. Use the Export/Import feature to import the filters list from your PC/Mac to iCab Mobile.Modules
The modules feature of iCab Mobile provides a way to add new functionality without updating the iCab Mobile app itself. Modules are JavaScript applications which can be run in the context of the currently displayed web page so they can modify the page or get data from the page. Every person who can program in JavaScript should be able to write Modules for iCab and also be able publish them so these modules can be used by other users as well. All that is needed is a link on a web page to this module. If the user taps on this link, iCab will download and install the module (the user only has to confirm this).The documentation of the API for developement of your own modules can be found in the iCab Blog.
The modules that are currently available do already show a overview of what can be done with these modules:
- GoogleReader
- This module looks for RSS feeds on a web page and and adds the feed to your GoogleReader account. So users of GoogleReader do no longer need to manually add RSS feeds on the GoogleReader web site, a simple tap with your finger is all you need to do...
- Instapaper, ReadItLater
- These modules can add the current web page to your Instapaper and ReadItLater account so you can read these pages later with the "native" Apps for these services.
- Scroll page to the top/bottom
- These modules just scroll the web page to the top or bottom. This makes it easier to navigate withen very large web pages.
AppLink
AppLink is an API which makes it easy for Apps to find out which other Apps are installed on the device to open certain URLs and to open the URL in these Apps.For example, using AppLink a Wikipedia App like "Wikipanion" is able to open links not only in Safari, but also in iCab Mobile. And this is possible even though the iOS does not allow to change the default browser. Also a browser like iCab Mobile can provide a special button when the user opens a wikipedia page which will pass the page directly to the "Wikipanion" app.
AppLinks makes it easy for Apps to work together when URLs are involved. And there are many Web-based servives with specialized Apps, where this would be useful: Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia, etc.
Users don't have to copy & paste URLs from one App to the other, or even manually. A tap with a finger is all they need to do.
A description of the AppLink API can be found in the iCab Blog.
A few examples of AppLink compatible Apps...
- NewsTap (Usenet Reader)
- This App can open links in iCab Mobile and Safari (and also in other AppLink compatible browsers). It can also bookmark a link directly in iCab Mobile.
- SEP, Wikipanion
- Both Apps are specialized readers for a special web site. They can open links in Safari or iCab Mobile or other AppLink compatible browsers.
- Zeichen, Turing
- These Apps open their support web pages in and AppLink compatible browser.
- iCab Mobile
- The browser shows a special button whenever a web page is displayed, which can be processed by another (AppLink compatible) App that is installed on the device.