Tag Archive

FCC comes through with a Consumer Broadband Test app for iPhone, Android and the home

By Vladislav Savov

We talk about the FCC a lot here, but usually the ways ye olde Commission affects our lives are indirect. A little extra spectrum here, a nice leaked image there, that kind of thing. Not this time, though, as the FCC is getting involved directly with its own Consumer Broadband Test app, designed to probe network latencies and download speeds on your home connection or mobile device. Part of the hallowed National Broadband Plan, this will furnish the FCC will useful data to show the discrepancy between advertised and real world broadband speeds, and will also — more importantly perhaps — serve as a neat way for users to directly compare network performance in particular areas. It’s available on the App Market and App Store right now, with versions for other operating systems coming up, so why not get with the program and give it a test drive?

FCC comes through with a Consumer Broadband Test app for iPhone, Android and the home originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seven alternatives to the Apple iPad

By Matt Burns

Wait! Stop. Before you hand over Apple your credit card and pre-order the iPad, you may want to check out the other touchscreen options available now and in the near future. The iPad isn’t the only game in town. Sure, it might have a fancy-pants interface, but each of the follow seven tablets win the hardware fight, which is just as important to a lot of consumers.

Of course the hardware only tells part of the story. The iPad has a leg up on all of these options because of the user-friendly iPhone interface, but it’s not like you’re dropping $600+ on a tablet for your parents, right?

Guitar/headphone interface for iPhone

By Jimin Brelsford

The slew of music recording / creation apps for the iPhone all share the same weakness. They rely on the internal microphone, and a recording quality microphone it is not. The Guitarbud from PRS Guitars gives you a direct input into your iDevice without taking away headphone capability.

It’s a simple, yet effective little cord. All [...]

Barnes & Noble eReader app for Apple iPad

By Ubergizmo

Barnes & Noble eReader app for Apple iPad

Barnes & Noble has made it known that they will be releasing their version of the eReader app for the Apple iPad sometime near the device’s launch, but apart from that, they have remained mum on the other details. We do know that the app will be free though, as it offers you access to all of the books, magazines and newspapers available in Barnes & Noble’s eBookstore. Does this mean we could cross our fingers for a Kindle app as well?

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DARPA looking to develop iPhone and Android apps, App Store

By Joseph L. Flatley
Sure, in the past we’ve got a hearty chuckle out of initiatives that involved Redfly terminals and Clippy variants, but the question remains: how can we get cutting-edge tech into the hands of soldiers faster? We’ve recently come across some RFIs for DARPA projects aimed at developing apps and an App Store for Android and the iPhone OS, with two in particular — Mobile Apps for the Military (DARPA-SN-10-27), and Transformative Apps (DARPA-BAA-10-41) — catching our eye. The agency is calling for apps for battlefield, humanitarian, and disaster recovery missions, including command and control, mission planning, surveillance, reconnaissance, and language translation. Of course, if you start taking commercial smartphones out to the field there’s the small matter of network coverage — if you thought that getting a reliable connection in midtown Manhattan was an issue, what about downtown Kabul? Looks like DARPA also has plans for a military that brings its own towers with them, light-weight mobile base stations that could create a “secure mobile tactical network … compatible with commercial smartphones.” What do you think? Looking to help your country out, make a bit of money, or maybe a little of both? Check the links below to start your lucrative career as a military contractor. And tell ‘em Engadget sent you.

[Thanks, Sriram]

DARPA looking to develop iPhone and Android apps, App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes & Noble promises B&N eReader app for iPad near launch

By Donald Melanson

Need a bit more evidence that the e-book download business is a whole lot different than the music download business? Then look no further than Barnes & Noble, which has just announced that it plans to make its B&N eReader app available for the Apple iPad “around the time” of the device’s launch. Details are otherwise a bit light, but the app will be free, and is apparently “designed specifically” for the iPad, giving you access to all of the books, magazines and newspapers available in Barnes & Noble’s eBookstore. Could a Kindle app be far behind?

Barnes & Noble promises B&N eReader app for iPad near launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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App Magnets are geekily cool

By Ubergizmo

App Magnets are geekily cool

Check out these cute looking app icon fridge magnets from Jailbreak Toys, where there are 18 different magnets to choose from, measuring 7/8? square and look set to turn your regular fridge into – yup, you’ve guessed it, an iFridge. Too bad they can’t launch any programs when touched, and we can only think of this as $13 well spent to spruce up your home, making it a great gift for Apple evangelists.

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Microsoft XNA Game Studio 4.0

By Ubergizmo

Microsoft XNA Game Studio 4.0

Windows Phone 7 will feature Xbox integration, but apart from that, Microsoft didn’t let any other cats out of the proverbial bag. Well, this could change soon with more clues unearthed about the future of mobile gaming on Microsoft’s new mobile platform. The introduction of XNA Game Studio 4.0 will go some ways in making game development for the Windows Phone 7 platform a whole lot easier, since developers can create a game/app and make tweak it to run the Xbox 360 and Windows-based PCs as well. Microsoft has confirmed that it will be equipped with hardware accelerated 3D APIs specific for Windows Phone 7. Kudos to Microsoft for letting their hair down with this – the ball is in the developer’s court to come up with something good now!

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PRS Guitarbud jacks your axe, ego into iPhone / iPod touch

By Darren Murph

Whatever happened to that dreamy Line 6 / Apple tie-up? Who knows, right? While those two sort out their future behind the scenes, Paul Reed Smith Guitars is stepping up to take advantage of an obvious market opportunity. The newly announced Guitarbud is a simplistic accessory that allows axe slingers to jack their guitar into an iPhone or second-generation iPod touch, all while providing a headphone output in order to keep the noise making to yourself. We’re told that the device works with pretty much any recording-supported app (even Apple’s own Voice Memos), though PRS obviously recommends that you check out its JamApp guitar amp simulator / tuner / training tool. Best of all, it’s available today for £29.95 (or $29.95 here in the States), putting you just a few yard mowings away from securing your own personal aural sanctuary. Too bad the reviews from early adopters aren’t so promising…

PRS Guitarbud jacks your axe, ego into iPhone / iPod touch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ShinyShiny  |  MusicRadar, Musician’s Friend  | Email this | Comments

Daily Crunch: Pixeled Edition

By Bryce Durbin

Video: Pixel-bots to the rescue!
Even as tiny blocks, you’ll recognize Super Mario Bros. in this Arduino project
Aw, iPhone app fridge magnets
Move over Humping USB Dogs. Here comes the Dodobongo USB Dog.
NES game harmonicas let you blow on your cartridges for fun and profit

iPhone 3.2 Beta SDK Hints At New Gestures

By Ubergizmo

iPhone 3.2 Beta SDK Hints At New Gestures

Folks who are keen to dabble with Apple’s latest iPhone 3.2 Beta 4 SDK might be interested to check out some new gestures that have appeared in the gestures folder. Upon inspection, you’ll notice the 3Tap.plist and LongPress.plist files, which seem to indicate that the iPhone will get the triple tap and long press interaction methods. Can you imagine any scenario or app that would benefit from such additional interaction methods, or do you think that the gestures that the iPhone already has are good enough?

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Aw, iPhone app fridge magnets

By Devin Coldewey

Take a break from reading our hard-hitting news coverage and take a look at these cute little things. Perfect stocking stuffer (I know, a little early) for your favorite app developer and/or iPhone fanatic. What with these things, those Android pillows, and all the other tech knickknacks I’ve been seeing, it seems that pretty soon they’re going to need a whole online store just to hold all of them.