Ookla

Summary: To help you sort through the deluge of apps, here’s a list of 20 tried-and-true Android smartphone apps that are worth your time to download. Another one of the great things about Android (if you’re a geek or a tinkerer) is that you have lower-level access to the system itself. Astro is an app that lets you navigate the Android file system, which is mostly just interesting, but can be handy once in a while. I’m obsessed with running speed tests to check my bandwidth in various places, both to see 3G/4G fluctuations and to check the quality of Wi-Fi. There are a number of really good speed test apps, but my favorite is the Speedtest.net app. It’s generally consistent and it has some of the best graphics and options. I’ve never completely warmed up to the Amazon Kindle e-reader, but I’m a big fan of the Kindle mobile app. Since it was released I’ve read a lot more books simply because my smartphone is always with me and I can pull it out and read a few pages anytime I’ve got a couple minutes free. I’ve written a lot about Google+ since it launched in July and I’m pretty active over there (+Jason Hiner). One of the great things that Google did was to release a Google+ Android app at the same time it launched the service as a beta. And, surprisingly, the app was actually pretty good and has been improved since. It immediately became one of my most used mobile apps and definitely stole some of my time away from Android’s Twitter app, mostly because Google+ is a little more interactive. The TED conference features a meeting of the minds of some of society’s most influential thinkers. You’ll disagree with some of them since there’s a large diversity of viewpoints, but many talks are worth listening to in order to catch the latest creative thinking on society’s biggest challenges. The cool thing is that they’ve taken the videos from the conference and made them freely available on the Web. The TED Air app provides a great way to access the videos on a mobile device. I hope more conferences follow TED’s lead on this. This is a fun app that is a little bit ahead of its time. It does visual searches. You can take pictures of things and then the app tries to tell you what they are. Read More

You’ve probably heard that AT&T has starting throttling data speeds for customers who tether their mobile Internet connection. If you think you may be in the “affected group,” you should call AT&T and ask them what’s happening. Before doing so, make sure to know what you’re talking about… Install a free application called Speedtest.net Mobile Speed Test and use it to measure the mobile Internet connection speeds: Now before you call AT&T (or whichever operator you happen to use), you should know that your mobile connection can vary dramatically. Try starting Speedtest.net for few times during couple of days before yelling at your carrier’s representative. Speedtest.net Mobile Speed Test (FREE) [iTunes link] Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis. Read More

  So you want some more apps installed on your favorite Android device, but don't know exactly what to download? Fear not, we bring you another edition of our favorite applications, in hopes that they will soon become some of your favorites as well. Take a jump past the break, and check out our favorites for this past week! There's nothing more frustrating than being half way through a podcast just to have the app reset on you an lose its position. (I'm looking at you Listen). As a podcast addict, I've tried several podcasting applications, both paid and premium, but I just discovered Doggcatcher, and I'm happy I did. Doggcatcher has a ton of advanced features that I'm still working through, but the important thing is that it works right right from first boot. Adding a podcast is as simple as clicking on the RSS link from my browser and it's ready to go. And most importantly, it remembers your location, even if you power cycle your device. At $4.99, it's not the cheapest app around, but I think it was well worth it for how often I listen to podcasts and audiobooks. It's even on sale this week for $2.99, and if you purchase it all of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross-Horn of Africa drought fund. If you're looking for a podcasting application that looks great, is feature rich, and "just works," be sure to check out Doggcatcher. [Market Link] One of the main functions a lot of people (myself included) find most important in a tablet is the ability to replace your smartphone when you want it to. I'm not saying as a permanent solution, but it would sure be nice to be able to keep your phone in your pocket while you have your tablet in hand. One app that brings us closer to that dream is TexTab, one of a slew of new SMS syncing apps for Honeycomb. TexTab connects your tablet with your smartphone via Bluetooth, and syncs incoming and outgoing text messages between your two devices. When your phone receives a text, it will show up in TextTab on your tablet. And instead of having to reach for your phone to reply, simply reply to the message on your tablet and it will be sent from your phone. What sets this app apart from the others like it is Read More

The Speedtest.net Mobile by Ookla app is extremely well designed speed testing app that shows the download and upload speed at which your mobile device is currently operating at. The interface on the Speedtest app engine was recently updated and is much more user friendly, with more statistics then the older engine. There are not very many options within the ap itself, as it does exactly what it is supposed to do and most of that process is completely automated with the exception of you, the user, having to push the begin test button. After the test is run your results will be logged and you may examine the history inside the app to see how consistent the speeds in your area are, as well as, how accurate the results of the speedtest by Ookla are. As soon as you open the Speedtest.net by Ookla app the interface will load, and based on your phones GPS locator, the speed test will automatically choose the server site closest to you. You may change this in the settings as you wish. Once the begin test button is pushed the initial ping test will begin, then the ping speed will be displayed. Shortly thereafter, the download test will run for approximately 15 seconds or so, and it will be mapped out on a line chart for you. After the download has completed a brief upload speedtest will commence as well. Once both are one your results will be shown, stored in the logs, and then you will have the option of sharing the results with anyone you like. Overall, this is a great speed test application on the Android market. At the time of this review Speedtest.net Mobile by Ookla was free and comes highly recommended! Thumbs up! Popularity: 3% [?] Read More

When it comes to testing bandwidth throughput of your Android device, the Speedtest.net app is considered a de facto standard - it's functional, the UI is gorgeous, and there is a good chance they have a server pretty close to your location. I've tried all the speed testing programs in the Market, and always kept coming back to this one. For a long time the app has remained unchanged on the Market, lagging behind its iOS counterpart and its shiny new user interface. Well, no more. Ookla, the company behind the Speedtest.net app, just dropped version 2.0 into the Market, and I can tell you that their final product is simply gorgeous (especially if you've never seen the iOS version). The UI is completely revamped, the Thunderbolt upload bug seems to be fixed (I tested using my loaner Thunderbolt, and it no longer reported 30mbps+ speeds), the server selection process no longer puts me somewhere in Kansas, and the whole experience is a lot more polished. Older devices will benefit from the new animation quality vs. performance slider in the settings, while newer, larger devices will enjoy more native support for high resolution screens. Check out the changelog and our screenshots below, followed by a link to the app's Market page:       Speedtest.net Read More

Increasingly, many developers are producing the same apps for both iOS and Android. However, according to, these like apps look better on iOS devices. Is this really true? And if so, why? First, some clarification: It goes without saying that Android Gripes is anti-Android. After all, the title of the blog itself gives that away. In fact, according to the writer’s blog page, he says, “I admit that I am a “fanboy,” if you really want to use that word.” Therefore, the entire premise of his argument is biased, at best. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Android Gripes compares three apps, Meebo IM, Facebook, and Speedtest.net. Each is available on both platforms and are produced by the same company. They state: The one on Android pretty much looks like a programming class project. The contact items are too narrow and thus hard to click. They also look bad. The conversation interface is like a geeky IRC client. Those smiley icons are disproportionately small. On the other hand, the interface on iPhone looks much much more polished. Take a look at each example, which compares Android to iOS: Meebo IM, Android vs. iOS Facebook, Android vs. iOS SpeedTest, Android vs. iPhone Android Gripes states: Since the apps of interest are from the same company, they should have the same user interface standard, even if the iPhone versions and the Android versions are developed by different people. But why do they look so different? Is it because iPhone developers are better at user interface design? Is it because the iPhone development environment is better than the Android’s? Is it because iPhone users care more about user interface? Or is it because Android itself implants the ignorance of beauty, usability and focus on details into the community at the first place? Is Android Gripes conclusion correct? Let us know by using the comments below. Read More

The Web is flush with Android applications that sound great, but don't necessarily deliver. Some of these apps cost a few dollars and offer functionality provided for free via other applications. The challenge is finding free Android applications that perform as well, or better, than their paid counterparts. That's where I come in, as I constantly comb the Android Market and third-party app stores for the best free downloads available. This latest installment is one you won't want to miss. Why? Every single one of these free Android apps has found a permanent home on personal Android smartphone, because they offer real value. Click on for details and download links. (Note: The following apps were tested on a Motorola (MOT) Atrix 4G running Android v2.2.1, but most should run on all new Android devices in the United States.) Read More

One of the ways around the issues of security and control that make some businesses wary of cloud computing is to build a private cloud -- one that remains within the corporate firewall and is wholly controlled internally. Private clouds also increase the agility of IT an organization's IT infrastructure and make it easier to roll out new technology projects. Download this eBook to get the facts behind the private cloud and learn how your organization can get started. Read More

Applications -- they make the world go 'round. OK, maybe not exactly, but there sure are a ton of great ones in the Android Market, and finding the right one can be a bit difficult. Take a look after the jump, as we bring you another edition of our weekly selections. Google's App Inventor was meant to be a way to educate and allow users to build useful applications for themselves, but it's great for tom-foolery too. Enter my pick for this week, Whack the Hillbilly. It's a simple game -- try to tap on the roving hillbilly to get a point. But beware, each time the hillbilly get a sip of his beer, your points start to trickle away, or freeze in place for a few seconds. While it might not have the best plot, and the graphics won't exactly knock your socks off, it's fun to fool around with, harder than it looks, and you can only get it at Android Central. Grab it here, and have fun. It should work on any Android device running 1.5 and higher, but it's tested on Eclair and Froyo. XKCD is a webcomic you should be familiar with (and lets face it, if you are reading this site you probably are). Suffice to say, its a hilarious blend of science, tech, math, and general geekery. In other words, perfect for me. I am bad about checking the site regularly, so I use XKCD Viewer app to keep up to date. You can view the comics in landscape or portrait, and can quickly skip to your favorites if you remember the number. Really, you have no excuse to NOT download this app. Take a gander at the attached picture if you still have lingering doubts. [Market Link | AppBrain] Speedtest.net is a great little application to run in various locations to see what kind of speeds your device is running on. Many people think their data connection is great, or quite the opposite, but there is never a great way to tell. This application is rather simple, its basically a single click that runs some tests to determine you upload and download speed. Inside the application it will store your results so you are able to compare speeds by day or between location. [Market Link | AppBrain] Google Voice is one of the best apps available on Android and certainly one of the Read More

By Rene Ritchie, Sunday, Jul 25, 2010 | A bunch of readers are telling us AT&T and Alcatel Lucent have fixed the issues with HSUPA (high speed uploads) and their iPhone 4′s a positively racing up the information superhighway again. Not everyone in every place seems so lucky, however, as our good friend @TCPJ_Mickey, still seems to be chugging along sub-100 in Arizona. You know what this means, right? Speed test! We use speedtest.net’s app [iTunes link] but whatever your choice of measure, post where you are and what your upload speeds look like today and we’ll see if we can figure out if AT&T really is giving more Mbps in more places. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in, sorry to Mickey!] Read More