Wikipedia fanatics have long had to rely on a third party service to browse the user edited encyclopedia natively on their Android smartphones, but just as the knowledge bank shutters its site to protest SOPA the official app has hit the Android Market. The app has several key features including the ability to save an article for offline reading and search for articles based on a user’s location in the world. Now when visiting Washington, DC to deliver letters to congress urging lawmakers to vote ‘nay’ for SOPA and PIPA, the Wiki app will offer knowledge-seekers results that include nearby monuments and historical information. We’ll still need some time to determine how the official offering stacks up to third-party alternatives, but at first glance the native reader looks as good as any.
Android Market Link: Wikipedia
It was a lame promo blackout. If you select the language it does its stupid liberal speal, if you actually do a search you’ll see they don’t have the balls to actually protest. Just pretend like they’re protesting.
Crappy app and it has ads at the bottom… Wtf
I haven’t seen any ads. Are you sure you are using the official version?
As bozzykid implies, the official Wikipedia app has no ads.
But as the articale says, there are several _unofficial_ apps, one of which — “Wiki Encyclopedia” — runs banners at page-bottom. It also offers some interesting features, including a desktop view of the site.
Also, it’s easy to download the wrong app, since they all have similar names and at least two of the 3rd-party apps also use either the official Wikipedia logo (black ‘W’ in a white box) or something very close to it.
Thanks, I was probably using an unofficial app.
Has anything been changed on the site? currently getting malware warnings when I come to it..
Ok so that’s not just me. Happened both at work and now at home. Was wondering about that.
Also good to know it’s not just me. haha
They are working on it.
same here I thought it was my machine but apparently I’m not the only one.
fuck SOOOOOOOOOOOOPAAAAA!!!