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(First of all: A word for German readers who accidentally subscribed to the English newsletter:
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Wenn du den Newsletter lieber in Deutsch erhalten möchtest, kannst du dies hier ändern.)
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Hello Newsletter Subscriber,
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Today we would like to inform you about the news of the last weeks:
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eBlockerOS 2.5 nearing final release
The further development of eBlockerOS based on the open source code is progressing well. We have fixed numerous bugs and the stability is so good that we can leave the beta status soon. In addition, we have added first monitoring functions by popular request, so that besides HTTPS now also HTTP connections can be analyzed and eBlocker's behavior becomes more transparent. The monitoring can be found in eOS 2.5 under Settings>Blocker>Analysis Tool.
We are currently working on numerous detail improvements, which should especially simplify the initial setup and lead to a better user experience. You can find more details in the Release Notes, which we will extend until the final release.
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Update for "white cube" eBlocker devices
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The preparations for the upgrade of the "white cubes" are complete and we have very good news: After extensive adjustments, the beta version of eOS 2.5 now also runs on the white devices (tech. Banana Pi M2+ boards). For DIY enthusiasts who want to upgrade to eOS 2.5 quickly, we have already provided the corresponding eOS image for download. However, please note that previous settings are lost when installing on SD card. You can find more detailed information about the manual upgrade in the forum.
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We are continuing to work hard on a friction-free update for all "white cube" users, which will also automatically adopt all settings. We hope to complete this implementation in July. By then, all eBlocker devices will be on the same software release, which will speed up future development. As soon as the update is available, we will inform all users via newsletter and in the forum.
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Updates for other device platforms
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In order to gain more time for new features and further project development, we need to focus better. Therefore we have decided to reduce the number of supported device platforms. We will now offer eBlockerOS for Raspberry Pi (min. 1GB RAM) and the "white cubes" (Banana Pi M2+) only.
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We recommend all Raspberry Pi users to upgrade to the current eOS 2.5 beta already now, as we cannot implement an automatic upgrade from eOS 2.4 to 2.5 for Raspberry Pi for technical reasons (due to missing eMMC memory).
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Website optimization disrupted donation form
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To speed up website loading times, we have put new servers into operation and carried out various optimizations, which has had a positive effect. However, the effects on the donation form were not so positive, which did not work for about a week. Due to the already very low amount of donations, the error was firstly noticed by a donor. Thanks to Marcel B. for the valuable hint!
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Fortunately, we were able to cover almost all of the costs for Q2 with donations, so there was only a small deficit. We are still highly motivated to continue the project despite the funding gap. However, we are not able to cover all costs on our own and are therefore happy to receive donations to cover costs in Q3. Only thanks to your donation we can operate the technical infrastructure and make sure that your eBlocker is permanently up-to-date so that you remain fully protected.
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Crowdfunding project suspended
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Originally, we had planned to develop a crowdfunding campaign together with a Hamburg university. This was intended to raise funds for the development of eBlocker 3, but also to gain more reach and users. However, due to the Corona crisis, the university has put the project on hold and without additional manpower we are currently unable to develop such a campaign. If you have the time and motivation to work with us on this topic, we look forward to hearing from you: voluntary@eBlocker.org
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Current growth and outlook
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We are very happy about the great press coverage in Germany and the active word-of-mouth propaganda, through which we currently gain about 500 new users per month. Without any marketing costs!
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Our team of volunteer supporters is also growing steadily and now numbers 12 people. The newsletter distribution list already has around 3,000 recipients, over 900 supporters have donated and almost 600 users are registered in the forum. All in all we are super happy about the great growth since the beginning of the year and the numerous positive feedback we receive.
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Thank you all for being with us and moving eBlocker forward together. You are awesome!
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The next big milestone is the migration of all "white cube" devices to eOS 2.5. Afterwards we can develop new features on a consistent code base. You can help decide which features will be developed next by voting for "your" feature or sharing your feature request with the community.
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We are confident that further growth will enable us to receive more donations and thus remain financially stable in the long term. In any case, we are happy about every support: through your participation in the team, your donation or your word-of-mouth recommendation.
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Thank you so much for your support!
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Best regards from Hamburg
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Boris, Christian and the whole eBlocker team
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--
eBlocker Open Source UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
Hudtwalckertwiete 10
22299 Hamburg
Germany
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office@eBlocker.org
www.eBlocker.org
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Geschäftsführer/General Manager:
Dipl.-Math. Christian Bennefeld
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Sitz/Registered office: Hamburg
Register: Amtsgericht Hamburg, HRB 160491
Steuernr./TaxID: 49 / 717 / 02295
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