What's the best & cheapest ad blocker for Chromium? Where & how do I get the right version? I'm gradually switching from Brave to Chromium for sites that no longer work with Brave on High Sierra. (Unfortunately I've already discovered a couple of sites don't work in Chromium either.) Brave has served me well, and has spoiled me with no ads.?
(I believe I have a free version of AdBlock on Safari. I don't know how to find out, except the next time I get a window asking me to subscribe to a paid version.)
Patsy
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Re: YouTube Premium to download videos
Did you click the download button? ?
- Below the video, click?Download.
Once the video is downloaded, the download icon will turn black below the video.
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On May 5, 2025, at 11:03?AM, jimrobertson via groups.io <jimrobertson@...> wrote:
I did exactly that, and the YouTube.app just complained that I was offline. I’m thinking that the “download” just retains what I’ve streamed and perhaps makes it available AFTERWARDS, but that it doesn’t download anything faster than actual initial streaming. So, I’ll leave my Mac connected to the internet for 2 hours while I’m away, then see if I can do better on the plane while disconnected from the internet this evening.
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Bev in TX
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Re: YouTube Premium to download videos
On May 5, 2025, at 8:07?AM, Bev in TX via groups.io <countryone77@...> wrote:
In one of the YouTube Prime approved browsers, while online open YouTube. ?Then when you are disconnected, open YouTube again.
I did exactly that, and the YouTube.app just complained that I was offline. I’m thinking that the “download” just retains what I’ve streamed and perhaps makes it available AFTERWARDS, but that it doesn’t download anything faster than actual initial streaming. So, I’ll leave my Mac connected to the internet for 2 hours while I’m away, then see if I can do better on the plane while disconnected from the internet this evening.
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Jim Robertson
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Re: YouTube Premium to download videos
In one of the YouTube Prime approved browsers, while online open YouTube. Then when you are disconnected, open YouTube again. You should be able to access the hamburger icon on the top left as noted earlier. I tried it in Google Chrome (not the video part, just accessing the YouTube website offline).
This does NOT work in Safari, in which you would get an error about not being connected to the Internet.
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On May 5, 2025, at 9:21?AM, jimrobertson via groups.io <jimrobertson@...> wrote:
One thing I’ve not sorted out yet is just HOW I can watch a “downloaded” video from YouTube Premium without an internet connection, which YouTube’s own discussions say is possible (they specifically talk about doing it while traveling; e.g., on a flight, without signing up for the paid WiFi service for that flight.
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Bev in TX
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Re: YouTube Premium to download videos
Sorry. ?That’s only for mobile devices.
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On May 5, 2025, at 9:42?AM, Bev in TX via groups.io <countryone77@...> wrote:
Have you tried their app?
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Bev in TX
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Re: YouTube Premium to download videos
Have you tried their app?
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On May 5, 2025, at 9:21?AM, jimrobertson via groups.io <jimrobertson@...> wrote:
One thing I’ve not sorted out yet is just HOW I can watch a “downloaded” video from YouTube Premium without an internet connection, which YouTube’s own discussions say is possible (they specifically talk about doing it while traveling; e.g., on a flight, without signing up for the paid WiFi service for that flight.
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Bev in TX
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Re: YouTube Premium to download videos
On May 5, 2025, at 6:57?AM, todhop via groups.io <hoplist@...> wrote: I believe the “download” function is an "off-line" viewer function, not a file download. Hence their ability to delete the files after the fact. They are cached for off-line playback, not downloaded as playable files. You must still play the files via the YouTube interface either in a browser or in the app.
Here is Google’s support page explaining off-line playback.
Thanks so much for that. One thing I’ve not sorted out yet is just HOW I can watch a “downloaded” video from YouTube Premium without an internet connection, which YouTube’s own discussions say is possible (they specifically talk about doing it while traveling; e.g., on a flight, without signing up for the paid WiFi service for that flight.
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Jim Robertson
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Re: YouTube Premium to download videos
I believe the “download” function is an "off-line" viewer function, not a file download. Hence their ability to delete the files after the fact. They are cached for off-line playback, not downloaded as playable files. You must still play the files via the YouTube interface either in a browser or in the app.
Here is Google’s support page explaining off-line playback.
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/11977233?sjid=11407788843130514416-NA#zippy=%2Cdownload-videos-to-watch-offline?
As far as I know, there is no way to legally download a video from any streaming service unless the author has actively allowed this, and I don’t believe YouTube has this function at all. Only the original uploader can download a file.?
Cheers,
???????????????tod
Tod Hopkins
Video Producer?Editor?Technologist?
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On May 5, 2025, at 8:53?AM, jimrobertson via groups.io <jimrobertson@...> wrote:
I’ll be traveling quite a bit over the next 6-12 months. I watch a fair number of YouTube videos, and I’ve just created a “Premium” trial subscription, whose purpose for me is primarily to download videos from YouTube, LEGALLY.
I’ve discovered that requires using the Chrome, Edge, or Opera browsers. First question is that I don’t know whether there IS an Edge browser for the Mac, or whether when the requirements say “Chrome,” that truly means GOOGLE’s browser, which I suspect IS the case (I’ve not tried others).
Even within Chrome, I’m not really sure how it works. If I begin watching a video, the “ellipsis” (more options here) control-click menu lists “download,” but it’s not clear to me what actually happens; i.e., is the video saved in a Mac file format as it’s being played in real time, or does it download to a folder on the Mac? The latter seems NOT likely, because several minutes in to a 2 hour video being played in Chrome, there’s no new file in my /Downloads folder.
YouTube Premiums terms of use say that downloaded videos are automatically removed after 30 days. How can YouTube erase files that are ON my Mac?
I’ve just learned about Private Relay and turned it on. I think it only works in specifically chosen apps, perhaps only in Safari on the Mac. Chrome is not listed as an app in which it can be toggled to “on,” nor are any other browsers listed (but Safari and Chrome are the only browsers currently on my Mac)
I’d be interested in other list members experiences with Private Relay, beyond those pertinent to YouTube file downloads. ?
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Re: YouTube Premium to download videos
?From what I just read, you can only access the downloaded videos via YouTube. ?In YouTube I a browser, click the hamburger icon (3 horizontal lines on top left), and choose Downloads from the menu. ?I don't use their app, so I don't know where it would be there. ?The highest resolution for downloaded videos is 1080p.
Per Apple, "iCloud Private Relay is an internet privacy service that lets you connect to virtually any network and browse with Safari even more securely and privately." ?So, yes, it only works in Safari. ?I don't have any experience with it.
Edge browser for multiple platforms, including Macs:
The Google support article says that you can also use Firefox.
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On May 5, 2025, at 7:54?AM, jimrobertson via groups.io <jimrobertson@...> wrote:
... Even within Chrome, I’m not really sure how it works. If I begin watching a video, the “ellipsis” (more options here) control-click menu lists “download,” but it’s not clear to me what actually happens; i.e., is the video saved in a Mac file format as it’s being played in real time, or does it download to a folder on the Mac? The latter seems NOT likely, because several minutes in to a 2 hour video being played in Chrome, there’s no new file in my /Downloads folder.
YouTube Premiums terms of use say that downloaded videos are automatically removed after 30 days. How can YouTube erase files that are ON my Mac?
I’ve just learned about Private Relay and turned it on. I think it only works in specifically chosen apps, perhaps only in Safari on the Mac. Chrome is not listed as an app in which it can be toggled to “on,” nor are any other browsers listed (but Safari and Chrome are the only browsers currently on my Mac)
I’d be interested in other list members experiences with Private Relay, beyond those pertinent to YouTube file downloads. ?
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Bev in TX
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YouTube Premium to download videos
I’ll be traveling quite a bit over the next 6-12 months. I watch a fair number of YouTube videos, and I’ve just created a “Premium” trial subscription, whose purpose for me is primarily to download videos from YouTube, LEGALLY.
I’ve discovered that requires using the Chrome, Edge, or Opera browsers. First question is that I don’t know whether there IS an Edge browser for the Mac, or whether when the requirements say “Chrome,” that truly means GOOGLE’s browser, which I suspect IS the case (I’ve not tried others).
Even within Chrome, I’m not really sure how it works. If I begin watching a video, the “ellipsis” (more options here) control-click menu lists “download,” but it’s not clear to me what actually happens; i.e., is the video saved in a Mac file format as it’s being played in real time, or does it download to a folder on the Mac? The latter seems NOT likely, because several minutes in to a 2 hour video being played in Chrome, there’s no new file in my /Downloads folder.
YouTube Premiums terms of use say that downloaded videos are automatically removed after 30 days. How can YouTube erase files that are ON my Mac?
I’ve just learned about Private Relay and turned it on. I think it only works in specifically chosen apps, perhaps only in Safari on the Mac. Chrome is not listed as an app in which it can be toggled to “on,” nor are any other browsers listed (but Safari and Chrome are the only browsers currently on my Mac)
I’d be interested in other list members experiences with Private Relay, beyond those pertinent to YouTube file downloads. ?
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On May 4, 2025, at 10:34 AM, Budd Turner wrote:
Several updates ago, I noticed Safari "Tracker blocking" statistics.
I thought it was interesting and would check it every time I launched.
I noticed it was always between some number between 80 - 100.
A recent Safari update increased the statistics had doubled…but that statistic is now twice what that 80-100 range it used to be.
Is it really valid?
It’s hard to say. But I have over half a dozen browsers installed on my machine so that I can keep track of which currently seems to be the best. While several of them block trackers, none of them are reporting such outlandish numbers. Frankly, while I believe that Apple is making a stab at security with Safari, I don’t believe that they are as motivated in that regard as some third party browsers that hang their hat on security. I always keep coming back to the Brave browser. It’s just a nicer Web browsing experience, and they seem to be all-in on security. Have a look at: Note that Brave is the top recommendation for security, and Safari doesn’t even rate a recommendation. __________________________________________________ Randy B. Singer Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions) Essential But Hard To Find Macintosh Software and Advice __________________________________________________
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Re: Safari "tracker blocking"
Your question made me curious. ?I'm far from being a security "expert", so please take the following with a grain of salt.
I found this 2024 PC Mag article on this topic: Lose the Trackers: The Best Private Browsers for 2025 Although the article's title says "2025", it was last updated in October of last year. ?It mentioned a couple sites that can be used to check this:
Privacy Tests It has several tabs across the top, for different browser categories (desktop, desktop private modes, iOS, Android, etc). ?Each category only uses a browser's default settings. ?I was amazed by the number and types of trackers.
Cover Your Tracks
Apple's webpage says, "Some companies use this data to try to uniquely identify your device — known as?fingerprinting. To prevent this, whenever you visit a website, Safari presents a simplified version of your system configuration. Your Mac looks more like everyone else’s Mac, which dramatically reduces the ability of trackers to uniquely identify your device." ?So Apple doesn't try to fully hide your system. ?Instead it tries to make it look like a generic Mac. ?Take that into consideration when reviewing "Cover Your Tracks" results.
I had "Cover Your Tracks" test Safari on my iPad (iPadOS 18.4.1) in both regular and Private browsing modes. ?The latter did better than the former. ?This is contrary to articles that I've read, which all said that Private browsing only removes data at the end of the session, and therefore doesn't provide much tracker protection. ?So, if you're concerned about trackers, use Private browsing modes, but I think that will require you to login more often to sites that you frequently visit (cookies automatically deleted).
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On May 4, 2025, at 12:38?PM, Budd Turner via groups.io <n7eoj@...> wrote:
Several updates ago, I noticed Safari "Tracker blocking" statistics. ?
I thought it was interesting and would check it every time I launched. ?
I noticed it was always between some number between 80 - 100.
A recent Safari update increased the statistics had doubled…but that statistic is now twice what that 80-100 range it used to be. ?
Is it really valid?
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Bev in TX
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Safari "tracker blocking"
Several updates ago, I noticed Safari "Tracker blocking" statistics. ?
I thought it was interesting and would check it every time I launched. ?
I noticed it was always between some number between 80 - 100.
A recent Safari update increased the statistics had doubled…but that statistic is now twice what that 80-100 range it used to be. ?
Is it really valid?
?
M1 iMac 2021
Sequoia 15.4.1
Safari 18.4
?
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Re: Time Machine - Not connected? But on desktop
Because for certain operations hardware needs to be plugged directly into each other.?
My best guess is that some of the needed status signals between the two pieces of hardware get muddled when going thru a hub.?
In my own experience I have a proprietary RAID, a Drobo, that has a proprietary software dashboard. The dashboard only works if the two are connected directly.?
But since the model I have doesn’t do NAS, I plug it into my Airport, which also acts as a wired hub or router to my various Macs. In my case, since I am not looking for a scheduled, automate event like a backup to occur, it doesn’t matter. When I need the dashboard, maybe once a year, then I plug it in directly, run the dashboard, then switch it back.?
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On May 4, 2025, at 07:29, Jim Willett via groups.io <jimwillett@...> wrote:
? Thank you but I am a little uncertain as to what you mean. ?The Mac Mini (is this what you are referring to as "the unit"?) works fine on its own. ?I have plugged the hub into the Mac Mini with two different cables. ?I tried an external drive (not the hub) and Time Machine worked as expected with it. ?
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Re: Time Machine - Not connected? But on desktop
Thank you but I am a little uncertain as to what you mean. ?The Mac Mini (is this what you are referring to as "the unit"?) works fine on its own. ?I have plugged the hub into the Mac Mini with two different cables. ?I tried an external drive (not the hub) and Time Machine worked as expected with it. ?
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Re: Time Machine - Not connected? But on desktop
You don’t appear to have tried the unit without the hub??
Try plugging directly into the Mini and see what happens.
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On 4 May 2025, at 3:17?am, Jim Willett via groups.io <jimwillett@...> wrote:
Yes, exactly, I named the disk Time Machine. ?And it displayed in Disk Utility as ?well as my desktop. ?Today I did your suggestions:?
-verified that the disk is APFS
-verified that Time Machine settings are correct
-verified that the OS is up to date
-disconnected the USB-C cable from the hub and Mac and connected back, swapping ends?
-rebooted the Mac Mini
-verified that there are no files on the drive
-rebooted into Safe Mode
-rebooted back into normal mode
-at this point the drive disappeared from the desktop and in Disk Utility. (the hub is on and other devices work with it)
-tried a different USB-C cable?
-at this point I intended to reseat the SSD. ?However, I did not see a way to easily get into the drive. ?There may be screws beneath the rubber feet, but I did not want to at this time pry them off. ?It is a MoveSpeed hub that came with a pre-installed 1TB NVMe SSD. ?I have written MoveSpeed and asked for advice. ?If that fails, I will return the hub to Amazon. ?
Thank you for your advice. ?
_._,_._,_
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Re: Time Machine - Not connected? But on desktop
Yes, exactly, I named the disk Time Machine. ?And it displayed in Disk Utility as ?well as my desktop. ?Today I did your suggestions:?
-verified that the disk is APFS
-verified that Time Machine settings are correct
-verified that the OS is up to date
-disconnected the USB-C cable from the hub and Mac and connected back, swapping ends?
-rebooted the Mac Mini
-verified that there are no files on the drive
-rebooted into Safe Mode
-rebooted back into normal mode
-at this point the drive disappeared from the desktop and in Disk Utility. (the hub is on and other devices work with it)
-tried a different USB-C cable?
-at this point I intended to reseat the SSD. ?However, I did not see a way to easily get into the drive. ?There may be screws beneath the rubber feet, but I did not want to at this time pry them off. ?It is a MoveSpeed hub that came with a pre-installed 1TB NVMe SSD. ?I have written MoveSpeed and asked for advice. ?If that fails, I will return the hub to Amazon. ?
Thank you for your advice. ?
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Re: Time Machine - Not connected? But on desktop
I thought of one more after sending that. ?A while back I watched a YouTube review of the "RayCue M4/2024 Mac Mini Hub & Stand with NVMe" He indicated that he had problems getting a WD NVMe drive to work in the hub. ?One commenter said the same thing. ?You didn't say which brand of SSD you're using, but I'm mentioning this just in case your SSD is WD. ?In any case, IF you happened to have an extra NVMe SSD on hand, you could try it.
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On Apr 30, 2025, at 2:24?PM, Bev in TX via groups.io <countryone77@...> wrote:
I'm not sure what you meant by the drive showing up in Disk Utility as Time Machine? ?When I look at my TM (Time Machine) drive in Disk Utility, the only indication that it has anything to do with TM is its label, which I manually gave to it (TM2024).
Have you: - verified the TM disk is using APFS? - verified in TM Settings that there are no unexpected exclusions for that TM disk? - updated the OS for new revisions, if any? - disconnected and reconnected the hub? - rebooted the Mac Mini? - checked whether you can browse the files on the TM disk in Finder? - tried it while booted into Safe mode (expect things to run slower)? - verified the connection to the hub is tight? - tried a different cable to connect the hub to the Mac Mini, if using a cable? If all else fails, you could try reseating the SSD in the hub.
That's all that I can think of. On Apr 29, 2025, at 2:54?PM, Jim Willett via groups.io <jimwillett@...> wrote:
I got my wife a new Mac Mini and a hub containing an MVMe SSD that I set up as the Time Machine drive. ?This all about ten days ago. ?I checked today and found that the Time Machine is not backing up. ?In Time Machine settings it states: Next backup after disk is connected. ?However, the disk is on the desktop and also shows up in Disk Utility as Time Machine. ?I reformatted it and also ran First Aid. ?
Any idea as to how to proceed with this??
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Bev in TX
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Re: Time Machine - Not connected? But on desktop
I'm not sure what you meant by the drive showing up in Disk Utility as Time Machine? ?When I look at my TM (Time Machine) drive in Disk Utility, the only indication that it has anything to do with TM is its label, which I manually gave to it (TM2024).
Have you: - verified the TM disk is using APFS? - verified in TM Settings that there are no unexpected exclusions for that TM disk? - updated the OS for new revisions, if any? - disconnected and reconnected the hub? - rebooted the Mac Mini? - checked whether you can browse the files on the TM disk in Finder? - tried it while booted into Safe mode (expect things to run slower)? - verified the connection to the hub is tight? - tried a different cable to connect the hub to the Mac Mini, if using a cable? If all else fails, you could try reseating the SSD in the hub.
That's all that I can think of.
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On Apr 29, 2025, at 2:54?PM, Jim Willett via groups.io <jimwillett@...> wrote:
I got my wife a new Mac Mini and a hub containing an MVMe SSD that I set up as the Time Machine drive. ?This all about ten days ago. ?I checked today and found that the Time Machine is not backing up. ?In Time Machine settings it states: Next backup after disk is connected. ?However, the disk is on the desktop and also shows up in Disk Utility as Time Machine. ?I reformatted it and also ran First Aid. ?
Any idea as to how to proceed with this??
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Bev in TX
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Re: Time Machine - Not connected? But on desktop
Have you checked the preferences to make sure that there’s not some condition not being met?
Otto
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On 29 Apr 2025, at 20:54, Jim Willett via groups.io <jimwillett@...> wrote:
I got my wife a new Mac Mini and a hub containing an MVMe SSD that I set up as the Time Machine drive. This all about ten days ago. I checked today and found that the Time Machine is not backing up. In Time Machine settings it states: Next backup after disk is connected. However, the disk is on the desktop and also shows up in Disk Utility as Time Machine. I reformatted it and also ran First Aid.
Any idea as to how to proceed with this?
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todhop
Brent