FCC Speed Test Android app launched, runs in the background

The US Federal Communications Commission, lovingly known as the FCC, has just unveiled its FCC Speed Test app that will enable users to reliably assess their mobile broadband speeds. It’s even released as open source! That is all well and good, at least you read a bit of the fine print.

The FCC Speed Test app is described as an open source, crowdsourcing program. That last part is due to the fact that, aside from simply telling you about your mobile Internet performance, both 3G and Wifi, it sends the data back to the FCC as part of its Measuring Broadband America program that will help consumers, service providers, and the government gain an insight into mobile network performance throughout the whole country. In fact, the FCC plans to launch next year interactive maps that will do just that, in a more presentable and visual style.

That alone might not be much of an issue except for the fact that the app will periodically run in the background to test network speeds, whether you know it or not. The implications of this is quite myriad, but the more immediate concern is data usage. The FCC promises that not more than 100 MB a month will be used by the app for its testing purposes. Fortunately, they also provide a way to change those settings, which, of course, are all enabled by default.

The biggest promise that the FCC makes, however, is that the no personal or uniquely identifiable information will be collected, that all data will be anonymous. It’s not like other companies or speed test tools do not do this as well. But given the government’s rather stellar track record, the question is how many users will use the app? And consequently, if too few users participate in this data harvesting mission, the FCC’s assessment of the nation’s mobile broadband situation will hardly be representative or reliable.

SOURCE: FCC

[Communiqué] AwoX StriimLINK, écoutez la musique de votre téléphone sur votre chaine Hi-Fi

Récemment lancé par AwoX, leader mondial des technologies de communication entre objets, le récepteur audio réseau sans-fil AwoX StriimLINK permet de lire sur une chaîne Hi-Fi les fichiers audio numériques, qu’ils soient sur votre téléphone, sur une clé USB ou sur votre ordinateur. AwoX StriimLINK se commande soit avec une application téléchargeable, soit nativement sur les smartphones HTC et pour cela, a passé la prestigieuse certification « HTC Connect ».

Avec l’AwoX StriimLINK, votre chaine audio retrouve une seconde jeunesse : elles peuvent diffuser avec une qualité incomparable votre bibliothèque musicale qu’elle soit sur votre Smartphone, tablette, clé USB ou sur PC.

Très simple à installer, l’utilisateur a juste besoin de connecter l’AwoX StriimLINK au réseau domestique en WiFi ou via une connexion Ethernet. Votre smarthone peut ensuite le contrôler soit avec HTC Sense sur votre smartphone HTC, soit avec AwoX StriimControl, une application gratuite disponible sur Android. Vous pouvez alors sélectionner les morceaux, gérer des listes de lecture ou encore choisir des stations de web radio. L’AwoX StriimLink dispose également de boutons de contrôle situés sur le côté du châssis (réglage du volume et coupure du son).

Afin de profiter d’une qualité de décodage optimale, ce récepteur est équipé d’une sortie numérique S/PDIF, idéale pour conserver la qualité numérique de bout en bout sur les chaines Hi-Fi les plus modernes. L’AwoX StriimLink peut aussi décoder les musiques numériques stockées dans votre ordinateur s’il est connecté au réseau grâce à une application disponible pour Windows et Mac. Enfin, le port USB permet aussi la lecture directe de vos fichiers audio numériques au format MP3, AAC, WMA et FLAC.

L’AwoX StriimLINK est « HTC Connect » !

La certification HTC Connect de l’AwoX StriimLink lui garantit un fonctionnement parfait avec l’application HTC Sense des smartphones HTC, sans même devoir télécharger l’application AwoX StriimControl.

Après Pioneer, AwoX est le second fabricant au monde à obtenir la certification « HTC connect » pour son récepteur audio sans-fil AwoX StriimLINK. Elle permet ainsi à tous les possesseurs d’appareil HTC de profiter de leur musique sur des chaines hifi ou home cinéma reliées à l’AwoX StriimLINK.

AwoX StriimLINK est ainsi automatiquement détecté par les Smartphones HTC et permet à l’utilisateur de jouer le flux audio avec les qualités musicales de votre chaine Hi-fi, ou de votre amplificateur.

Nicklas Jonsson, Vice President du Global Partner Management à HTC, a déclaré : “Nous envisageons un monde où le smartphone sera le centre de notre vie. Le programme HTC Connect permet à tous de lire les vidéos et musiques de leur smartphone dans leur maison ou voiture. La combinaison des téléphones HTC et des technologies de partenaires comme AwoX crée un écosystème ouvert, et plus important, une fabuleuse expérience pour les utilisateurs.”

Caractéristiques techniques de l’AwoX StriimLINK :
- Audio : MP3 (jusqu’à 48 kHz, CBR & VBR, 16 bits) – AAC (jusqu’à 48 kHz, 8-320 kbps, 16 bits) – WMA (jusqu’à 48 kHz, CBR & VBR, 16 bits) – LPCM (jusqu’à 48 kHz, 16 bits) – WAV (jusqu’à 48 kHz, 16 bits)
- Réseau : Wi-Fi : 802.11 b/g/n – Ethernet: RJ45 10/100 – WPS : PBC Appli iOS et Android gratuite à télécharger
- Accessoires fournis : Alimentation 5V/2A DC, câble Jack vers RCA, Adaptateur RCA-jack, Mode d’emploi, mini CD
- Connectique : 1x Ethernet RJ-45 – 1x USB 2.0 – 1x sortie analogique stéréo mini-jack – 1x sortie audio numérique S/PDIF
- Certification : HTC Connect, UPnP et DLNA (DMR et DMS).
- Dimensions: 125 x 25 x 95 mm – Poids : 150 g
- Adaptateur secteur fourni (100-240 V).

Prix : 99 €
Réseau de distribution : http://www.awox.com/FR/distributors.html#France

A propos d’AwoX :
Crée en 2003, AwoX conçoit et développe pour les professionnels des applications et des technologies de connexion entre téléviseurs, tablettes, Smartphones et ordinateurs, permettant aux utilisateurs de partager, de jouer et de contrôler leurs contenus multimédia entre ces différents appareils. Déployés sur plus de 70 millions d appareils, ses logiciels sont utilisés par les leaders de l’électronique grand public pour interconnecter les appareils audio / vidéo. Fort de ce savoir-faire, AwoX commercialise depuis 2013, sa propre gamme d’accessoires multimédia connectés à destination du grand public, sous la marque AwoX Striim. Ces produits innovants – distribués en 17 pays – permettent aux consommateurs de profiter de leurs musiques et de leurs films à tout moment sur l’appareil de leur choix au sein de la maison. Membre du conseil d’administration de la Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), standard de certification d’interconnexion d’appareils audio/vidéo, AwoX détient de nombreux brevets internationaux majeurs sur ses technologies et produits multimédias connectés. La conception ainsi que la recherche et le développement d’AwoX sont réalisés dans la maison-mère à Montpellier (France), tandis que la gestion de la production est réalisée par sa filiale industrielle basée à Singapour. AwoX dispose de filiales commerciales à Shenzhen (Chine), Taipei (Taiwan) et Palo Alto (USA).
Pour en savoir plus : www.awox.com

Google Now website updated, gives a better idea of what Now really is

Google has updated the Google Now website, and it’s impressive. Chock full of animations, and a lot of detail regarding situational uses for Google’s contextual data monster. With Google Now’s presence becoming more important to Android, some new users may not be sure about what it does. The revamped website does an excellent job of explaining.

It also does a wonderful job of showing users what they are getting. For Google Now, a text-based website full of information may not have accurately relayed the message. the card-based interface is a much different animal altogether, and walking people through their new system is a great way to encourage adoption.

The site also runs us through a few scenarios in which we may find Google Now most useful. Leaving work and being updated with the traffic, or an alert to pick up items at the store — when you’re near the store. The site also shows a full listing of the cards you should be seeing.

If Android 4.4 is really coming to a wider swathe of devices (we’ll believe it when we see it), an explanation of what Google Now is might be a good idea. The site also details which partners are on board with Google Now, so you can see just who you should be shopping/making restaurant reservations/buying tickets from.

L’atelier des Lutins

Grâce à l’atelier des Lutins, votre enfant pourra faire sa liste au Père Noël directement depuis votre Smartphone ou Tablette.

Finis les découpages de catalogues de Noël, les morceaux de papiers qui traînent, les risques de coupures…

Depuis 2008, Pubeco.fr vous permet de consulter les promotions, catalogues et horaires de tous vos magasins depuis votre ordinateur ou appareil mobile. Aujourd’hui, l’ère numérique ouvre ses portes à vos enfants.

Un petit lutin facétieux les accompagnera au fil de centaines de jouets pour leur permettre de créer et d’envoyer facilement leurs listes de souhaits.

Dans un premier temps, et pour les parents, vous pourrez accéder à la zone qui vous est réservée (protégée par une question mathématique). C’est ici qu’il vous sera possible d’entrer les noms des enfants, et de choisir de récupérer leurs listes. Vous pourrez également vous envoyer vous-même ces dernières par e-mail.

Les enfants pourront parcourir ce qui les intéresse (donc probablement la totalité du catalogue… ) et envoyer ensuite leurs listes au vieillard barbu.

La prochaine étape consistera à télécharger l’application “officielle” du Père Noël afin de suivre sa tournée : http://www.android-software.fr/google-santa-tracker

Auteur : Pubeco
Site Internet : http://www.atelierdeslutins.fr/
Prix : Gratuit
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Taupographie, update: product list

Taupographie, the application that allows you to ' alert ' was launched an invasion of the moles at home participating in updating in real time on the map of France of the Taupographie at the beginning of the year.

The application has to be updated, as well as the fact that it improves the performance of the application and corrects some minor bugs, now can check the same that on the website of the Detaupeur the list of the products offered to get rid of moles!

Feel free to update the application of Taupographie available on iPhone and Android!

Download the application on Google Play or the AppStore

Mon univers géométrique

Il y a des matières que l’on préférerait ne voir qu’en “table”.

Une fois de plus, et de manière toujours aussi agréable, Chocolapps invite les enfants à un enseignement qui ressemble beaucoup plus à un divertissement.

Avec cette application, vous pourrez ainsi découvrir gratuitement la première forme en 2D et 3D, dans le premier univers fantastique : la chambre d’enfant.

Votre enfant prendra son crayon, sa règle, son compas et son équerre pour tracer de nombreuses formes géométriques. Ensuite, il pourra découper ces formes pour construire de vrais objets.

Ces objets une fois créés seront ensuite à placer dans trois univers magiques :
- La chambre d’enfant
- L’Egypte ancienne
- Le moyen âge

Des formes supplémentaires pourront être achetées par les parents directement depuis l’application. L’application est composée de 6 formes basiques en 2D, et plus de 30 objets en 3D à placer dans les différents univers.

Cette application, développée avec l’aide d’un professeur des écoles, est un outil de découverte ludique de la géométrie.

Des fonctions d’aide sont disponibles en cliquant sur les petites icônes. L’enfant pourra ainsi obtenir des définitions et explications quant à l’exercice en cours.

Les applications Chocolapps sont destinées à favoriser l’épanouissement de l’enfant, en participant au développement de sa capacité d’observation, de sa concentration, et de son autonomie.
Mon univers géométrique, et l’ensemble de ses fonctionnalités, sont disponibles en 11 langues dont le français.

Auteur : Chocolapps
Site Internet : http://www.chocolapps.com
Prix : Gratuit
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Amazon launched WorkSpaces, brings Android app with it

The new Amazon WorkSpaces was quietly introduced yesterday to little fanfare. Essentially, it’s a virtual machine for an existing for existing environments. Users can access their stuff via the Amazon cloud, and work remotely. It’s a very sneaky B2B service, and one that could garner Amazon a lot of enterprise customers.

One way users enjoy working when mobile is via their mobile devices. With Amazon being the more widespread interface, Amazon was smart to release their Amazon WorkSpaces app for Android. It’s free to download, and from what we can tell, looks the part. The interface looks clean, and appears simple to use with a touchscreen device. It mimics your desktop, on your Android phone or tablet, from anywhere.

This doesn’t quite make much sense for the consumer, though. You’ll have to be running IT on a corporate scale, and the service is said to run between $35 and $75 monthly. Of course, if you’ve already got a system in place and want to use an Amazon WorkSpace, the utility becomes sublime. Amazon is touting that the service works on any mobile device, and even hints that it could work with wearables in the future.

Between an Amazon WorkSpace and various mobile devices, we see this as something that could catch on widely. With BYOD becoming a popular option for employers, and tablets catching on in the workplace, it’ll be exciting to see just how services like Amazon WorkSpace catch on.

HTC M8 spec leak tips 5-inch 1080p display and Snapdragon 800 processor

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The HTC One was the subject of frequent leaks. That handset was originally known as the HTC M7, and well, it is looking like the next-generation device is going down the same path. The handset has been dubbed the HTC M8 and going all the way back to mid-July we were hearing reports of how this is expected to be an HTC flagship device for 2014.

More recently some images have leaked, sadly though, they didn’t offer all that great of a look at the device. That isn’t totally unexpected in terms of image leaks, however these (as you can see above) were on the rougher side. Needless to say, they did provide an early look at the handset. We are now seeing some specs though, and they have come by way of the Chinese language CTechCN.

Only the basics have been mentioned so far and those include details on the display, processor and version of Android. The leak suggests a 5-inch 1080p display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and Android 4.4 Kit Kat. There was also mention of an UltraPixel camera on the back, which put all together, is not a huge bump from the current model HTC One.

In comparison, the HTC One sports a 4.7-inch 1080p display along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor. The HTC One has yet to get Kit Kat, but that will arrive in time. Otherwise, it appears as if the HTC M8 may have the same UltraPixel camera as the HTC One. The other interesting, and still unknown aspect here, comes with the image above.

If you look at the picture on the right side, there appears to be an extra opening. The bigger circle would likely be the camera lens, with the LED flash sitting next to it, but there is something else sitting just above. Time will tell what that ends up being, but for now, we are certain the speculation will begin and that more leaks will follow.

VIA: SlashGear

Jolla smartphone to launch in Finland on November 27

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Smartphone users in Finland will soon have a new device to choose from once Jolla, a company born from Nokia‘s abandoned projects and employees, releases its first smartphone in two weeks’ time. While the device runs its own mobile platform, called Sailfish OS, it might be interesting even to Android users on both a hardware and software perspective.

The Jolla phone is somewhat based on the Nokia N9 but adds, almost literally, a new layer. While the phone itself comes in a plain black color, it features what Jolla calls the “Other Half”, an interchangeable backplate almost the same thickness as the phone. What makes this particularly curious is that the backplate can be used to transfer data or control the device via NFC. Different backplates can be configured to automatically change the phone’s color theme and wallpaper upon attaching, making it possible, for example, for studios or artists to sell backplates that contain their music as well as album art and color schemes. As far as the other specs go, the Jolla smartphone is, unfortunately, rather mediocre.

On the software side, Sailfish OS can run Android apps directly via a compatibility layer. Just yesterday, Jolla announced a partnership with Russian Internet giant Yandex to provide thousands of Android apps via the Yandex.Store. Jolla is definitely not unique in doing this. Even BlackBerry has some amount of support for running Android apps on its BlackBerry 10 OS. It even teased yesterday the upcoming improvements to its Android Runtime once BlackBerry OS 10.2.1 rolls out. With the enormous amount of Android apps already in existence compared with native BlackBerry 10 apps, let alone Sailfish OS apps, it is quite possible that Android apps might overtake or even make obsolete the native apps on these platforms.

The Jolla smartphone will be available from the Finnnish carrier DNA for a price of 399 euros, roughly $540, so it’s not exactly cheap. Fans outside of Finland might have to wait a while though, as Jolla has not indicated whether it plans to make the smartphone directly available in international markets.

VIA: GSMArena

Samsung Galaxy Gear Manager app update improves notifications

One of the chief complaints of the Galaxy Gear smartwatch was in regards to notifications. In this case, the lack of them. That said, Samsung has rolled out an update for the Gear Manager application and seems to have addressed that issue. First things first though, in order to grab this latest Manager app update, you will need to make sure the firmware of the watch itself is up to date.

If you remember back, Samsung rolled-out a small firmware update last week. Provided that is installed, grab the latest Gear Manager app update and you will be able to begin selecting which apps you want to receive notifications for. The update brings the ability to get alerts for just about any app and they are in full detail when they show up on your wrist.

Basically, launch the Gear Manager app, dive into the More Notifications section and begin choosing which apps you want to send to your smartwatch. Setting an app is as simple as checking the box to the right of the app name. That said, you should be able to grab this update from the Samsung Apps store on your device immediately.

Bottom line here, this is the way the notifications should have been when the Galaxy Gear originally launched. Needless to say, this is certainly still a case of better late than never. Otherwise, another of the big complaints also seems to be getting worked out over time — device support. Initially this was limited to the Galaxy Note 3, however Samsung has been rolling Android 4.3 out to other devices. Now if we could just get Samsung to do something about the price.

VIA: SamMobile

Banque en ligne

Cette application vous aidera à trouver toutes les informations concernant les banques en ligne, les services bancaires, les produits, et de les comparer facilement.

Vous pourrez ainsi analyser tranquillement les différentes offres proposées par les établissements bancaires : compte courant, compte épargne et demande de carte de crédit auprès des banques telles que ING Direct, Monabanq, Fortuneo, HelloBank et d’autres.

Le comparateur quant à lui vous offrira le moyen de choisir la banque en ligne qui correspond à votre besoin et selon certains critères (carte gratuite, conseiller dédié, versement minimum à l’ouverture, versement mensuel requis).

Vous pourrez également effectuer des simulations de vos intérêts d’épargne, optimiser votre capital et trouver la banque en ligne qui donne le résultat le plus avantageux avec vos propres informations (apport initial, versement mensuel, durée d’épargne).

 

Chaque jour une actualité du domaine financier sera publiée, pour rester bien informé.

 

Auteur : ELIRAWEB
Site Internet : http://www.banques-en-ligne.fr
Prix : Gratuit
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Philips Amio tablet details leak out, touts low to mid range specs

It’s been more than a year since we last heard about Philips planning on launching a new Android tablet. Since then the consumer electronics manufacturer has practically fallen off the Android radar. This latest leak, however, puts the company back on track with its Amio tablet that surprisingly sports acceptable hardware for a budget price.

Just to make it clear, this is definitely a low-end tablet. It has a 7-inch display that supports a rather low 1024×600 pixel resolution. No indication is given on the panel technology used, but given how things go, it will most likely be a TFT screen. It has an unnamed 1.5 GHz dual-core processor. It will be interesting if it turns out to be MIPS-based, in line with Philips’ plans last year. RAM is capped at 1 GB, which sounds just about right for tablets in that range.

Things get slightly better from there, though, which gives the Amio tablet a bit of a mid-range streak. It has a storage capacity of 8 GB, quite good for the price, and is even expandable via the micro SD slot. It even has a micro HDMI port for video output. The battery is a good 3000 mAh, though battery life is something still to be determined by actual usage. Philips is boasting of a FullSound audio feature on the tablet, which it claims improves audio quality via digital signal processing, something you don’t see on your run of the mill budget tablet. It also runs Android 4.1, which, while definitely not the latest Jelly Bean, at least partly improves the device fragmentation problem.

Of course, the price tag is what makes the Philips Amio a budget tablet. The device is expected to hit European markets at 100 euros, which makes it around $135 when converted directly. No news yet on when its availability and whether it will arrive in the US at all.

VIA: SlashGear

Moto G US launch will include Android 4.4 Kit Kat

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Putting an end to a long stream of rumors, Motorola officially announced the Moto G at an event that took place in Brazil earlier in the week. The event included details on the hardware and software as well as the pricing and even a bit about the availability. Motorola has the Moto G launching with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and while they promised a Kit Kat update by January, it looks like some markets will see the handset launch with Android 4.4.

Basically, whether the handset will launch with Android 4.3 or 4.4 depends on the wave. According to details coming from Omio, there will be two waves in total. The first will have the handset launch with 4.3 and get updated to 4.4 in January. The second wave will launch with 4.4.

Some of the countries included in wave one are Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico and the UK. The first wave also looks to include Canada and in fact, TELUS and Koodo Mobile have said the handset will be arriving “this month.” The second wave hasn’t been fully detailed just yet, however Motorola has said that will include US and Southeast Asia. And for that second wave, shipments are expected to begin sometime after Christmas.

In total, Motorola has said the Moto G will be available in more than 30 counties and through 60 carrier or channel partners. As for the US market, we have already heard from Verizon Wireless, who have announced the handset will be joining the prepaid lineup in early 2014. Below you can see a bit of the Moto G from our initial hands-on time.

Aside from the Moto G, there has also been some talk of Android 4.4 Kit Kat coming for the previously existing Moto handset — the Moto X. This one will ultimately come down to carrier approvals and timelines, however Motorola does expect the update to arrive in a “matter of weeks.” For that, there has been some speculation that it may be arriving for Verizon Wireless users sooner rather than later.