Elias Saba

MediaFire, the popular file hosting service, has made a server change that is preventing files from downloading on many Android-based devices, including through my Downloader app. I’ve submitted a version 2.0.4 update to Downloader to both the Google Play Store and the Amazon Appstore that should be able to bypass the issue.

Many consumer electronic products with RAM and internal storage have seen prices increase in recent months, thanks to the shortages caused by AI data centers buying up the world’s supply of memory chips. Streaming devices seem extra susceptible, since RAM and storage chips make up a larger percentage of the device cost than most electronic products.

A couple of years ago, Walmart’s Onn streaming devices began checking the user’s internet connection location and blocking the setup process if the device was being used outside of the US, Canada, or Puerto Rico, where the devices are officially sold. That hasn’t been much of an issue for those importing them into other countries because simply using any VPN connection to the US during the initial setup was enough to bypass the block.