Engadget feeds report too many redirects

17 replies [Last post]
Sun, 01/24/2010 - 15:51
eric
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Joined: 11/06/2008

UPDATE: The workaround mentioned below does not work. The next release will include a different workaround for the engadget problem that does require users to make any configuration changes.

The Engadget feed servers are refusing connections from DoggCatcher. A temporary workaround is to edit your user-agent preference and enter the following:

Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-us; dream)

What seems to be happening is that the engadget servers are rejecting connections that are identified as android. This is how DC identifies itself to the server by default. Notice that by chaning Android 1.0 to Windows NT 6.1, the engadget servers will accept connections.

Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 1.0; en-us; dream)

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Sun, 01/24/2010 - 16:17
#1
jelle
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Joined: 08/09/2009
Doesn't' seem to work for me.

Doesn't' seem to work for me.

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Sun, 01/24/2010 - 16:29
#2
eric
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Joined: 11/06/2008
First value right

You tried setting it to the first value, not the second right?

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Sun, 01/24/2010 - 18:15
#3
Kodros
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Joined: 01/16/2010
Doesn't work for me either.

Doesn't work for me either. Used the first one.

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Mon, 01/25/2010 - 00:27
#4
eric
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Joined: 11/06/2008
Engadget update

So the problem with the engadget feed is what I suspected. Requests with DC's user-agent are getting redirected to a bad url. I verified this with useragentswitcher as suggested by funktrooper in another thread. With DC's useragent, your url ends up being this - http://www.engadget.com/tag/i/tag/i/tag/i/tag/i/tag/i/tag/i/tag/i/tag/i/... which point the redirect fails.

The reason you guys can't get DC to work with an altered user agent is because there's a DC bug causing it to not work. I created an issue for this - http://mantis.snoggdoggler.com/view.php?id=395

I was able to get DC to work earlier by changing the user-agent in the code, rather than in the UI (much easier than typing that user-agent). Unfortunately you guys are going to be able use this technique to fix it.

I guess the next step at this point would be to contact engadget.

Sorry for all the confusion.

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Mon, 01/25/2010 - 01:14
#5
eric
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Joined: 11/06/2008
Engadget feed

I've been testing this a little more. When you access engadget.com via the android browser, it's not the standard site that you see. It's a mobile version.

They are probably doing so OS specific redirecting to the mobile site and have recently added android to be handled this way.

I contacted them and let them know.

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Sun, 02/07/2010 - 04:08
#6
trauta
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Joined: 02/07/2010
ETA for new version including user agent fix?

Is there an ETA when the new version will be released to the android market?

Thanks.

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Sun, 02/07/2010 - 16:08
#7
eric
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Joined: 11/06/2008
This coming friday

I plan on releasing the next version this coming friday.

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Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:49
#8
jraggio
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Joined: 02/10/2010
Just to be clear then,

Just to be clear then, version 1.1.1128 does not have the fix for the Engadget issue yet? I read on your home page that the "next version would have a workaround", but that was in the note on 1/24 which predated the 1/29 release of 1.1.1128

http://www.snoggdoggler.com/

I'm fine with the fix not being released yet, but wanted to make sure that it was not supposed to be part of 1.1.1128. When do you intend to release the fix? I purchased this on the market the today thinking it had the fix.

Love the app, but am starting to miss my Engadget fix on the go.

Thanks,
John

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Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:58
#9
jraggio
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Joined: 02/10/2010
Disregard, just saw on the

Disregard, just saw on the release notes that it will be part of the next release (after 1128)

http://mantis.snoggdoggler.com/changelog_page.php

Looking forward to it.

Thanks,
John

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Mon, 01/25/2010 - 07:18
#10
FunkTrooper
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Joined: 01/02/2010
Untested beta build with fixed user agent?

Eric, you say you were “able to get DC to work earlier by changing the user-agent in the code”...
Is there any chance you could release this modified (if completely untested) build of DoggCatcher so we can use that until the fix is integrated into a properly released version?

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Mon, 01/25/2010 - 10:10
#11
justin@engadget
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Joined: 01/25/2010
Working on it

Just to let everyone know, I'm working with Eric to resolve the issue with the Engadget podcast.

Thanks,
Justin / Engadget

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Tue, 01/26/2010 - 02:17
#12
Dudeington
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Joined: 01/26/2010
Same thing happening here. It

Same thing happening here. It does seem to have started when they switched to the mobile layout.

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Fri, 01/29/2010 - 11:06
#13
mick4394
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Joined: 01/28/2010
Yesterday, the Engadget feed

Yesterday, the Engadget feed was back up and running for me. Today, it's back down again.

Any ideas on why it was working yesterday, but not today?

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Fri, 01/29/2010 - 13:08
#14
mobilehavoc
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Joined: 11/12/2009
Same here..."too many

Same here..."too many redirects" again.

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Tue, 02/02/2010 - 09:50
#15
bcpk
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Joined: 02/01/2010
same

Getting the same error, with Nexus One, even after changing user string.

The Engadget podcast is one of the three podcasts that I listen to :(

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Tue, 02/02/2010 - 19:27
#16
eric
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Joined: 11/06/2008
Workaround #2 in next release

There's a bug in the workaround, it's mentioned below. I have another workaround that will be included in the next release.

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Wed, 02/03/2010 - 21:27
#17
bcpk
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Joined: 02/01/2010
great

OK, thanks. I emailed Justin myself and he said he'd take a look at it sometime next week.

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