Hi,
I was about to post about an accessible app for testing your network
connection upload and download speeds, but noticed that a new version was
just released and, guess what, the app is suddenly inaccessible. This is
a free app called Speedtest.net Mobile by Ookla.
The way the app used to work (and still does on my iPod Touch and iPad,
which run the older version) is that you open the app and hear VoiceOver
say, "Speedtest, start test, button", with focus on a button near the top
center of the screen. Flicking right would take you to 4 buttons at the
bottom of the page: (1) "selected, Speedtest" (the main screen,
automatically selected when you enter the app) at the bottom left, (2)
"settings", which allows you to manually change your nearest server,
choose the units of upload and download speed, specify whether your
history should be sorted most recent date first or oldest first, and
reports the internal and external network IP address of your device, (3)
"results", which lets you review your history of network speed test
performance results for download and upload speed, both in summary list
format and in detailed record, and (4) "about" in the bottom right corner,
which was the only inaccessible item, and apparently had a graphics logo
about the company.
The way the old version works, is that after double tapping the
"Speedtest, start test, button", there would be a short pause as the app
performs a trial download and upload. If you flick right while this is
going on, you get a status message "download test in progress" or "upload
test in progress" just above the row of buttons at the bottom of the
screen. As each test is finished, you can read off the speed results at
the top of the screen. So assuming that I wait the 4 or 5 seconds for
each test to run, and then flick right from the top of my screen, I'll
hear the server location (top right, below battery status), then the
download speed (e.g., 9.78 Mbps ) at the top left, followed by the upload
speed (e.g. 1.05 Mbps) at the top right, followed by the ping time
(inverted with units of "ms" announced first, then the number) at the
center of the screen, followed by a "restart button" at the bottom, just
above the 4 option buttons (where the "download test in progress" message
shows up). I do typically need to touch the top of the screen to get the
download and upload speed stats to start reading while the test is going
on (typically I just move my finger horizontally across the region of the
screen below the server while I'm waiting for the download and upload
tests to complete). After the tests complete I can just flick through or
do a two-finger flick up or down "read all" to get the summary. The
"restart" button lets you rerun your tests.
The most complete information is in the "results" (third buttom from left
on bottom of main screen), which gives the history of your results in list
format with date/time stamp. Double tapping any of the entries gives a
"Details" screen which reads off full details. Entries have date and
time, results fully identified with labels of download, upload and ping,
information about your network and location -- whether you were using
WiFi or 3G, which server you were using identified by geographical
location, your external and internal IP address, and even the latitude and
longitude. If there are network performance issues that depend on using
particular sites or servers, or unusually poor performance at certain
times of the day, you can track these down in the historical records, and
send them to your IP provider to help troubleshoot.
Anyway, this is the way that the Speedtest.net Mobile app worked with
VoiceOver up to the version 2 release that just came out, and this post
was originally drafted as an info post for the app. Since the revision
for upgrading the app for the iPhone Retina 4 display, everything just
"boinks". The screen comes up with a "Begin test" button, but nothing
else gets announced. I can't be sure whether it's running any tests or not
when I double tap. If I manage to find another active button like
"results" and double tap, I can't read anything on these screens with
VoiceOver. It mostly behaves as though VoiceOver can't contact most of
the information, regardless of where I touch or how I navigate.
Occasionally a piece of something may get announced almost at random, but
generally you just don't hear anything.
The main page for the developers is :
http://www.speedtest.net/
But the site uses Flash to run the tests, and has access issues. They're
also on Twitter as teamookla and maybe someone who is proficient at
dinging developers on Twitter could give them a nudge and create a short
link to this post.
The app is
Speedtest.net Mobile (free) by Ookla:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speedtest-net-mobile/id300704847?mt=8
Low vision users might take a look to see what's going on.
Thanks. Sorry I didn't get this write-up posted when the accessible
version was available!
Cheers,
Esther
