AT&T purchases 700MHz LTE spectrum from Qualcomm for $1.9 Billion

While we can always use some comfort food for a pick-me-up after a bad day or event, AT&T just goes shopping for LTE frequencies; and who can blame them – after the T-Mobile merger failed they lost a pretty penny. Qualcomm will sell their 700MHz spectrum for $1.9 Billion, and the purchase should be finalized by the end of the year.

For the deal to go through, the FCC states that AT&T will not only have to meet FCC enforced interference requirements, but they may have to offer up a percentage of the spectrum for data roaming on other carriers. And currently, that includes Verizon Wireless as that had acquired most of the FCC’s 700 MHz C Block spectrum some time back.
These newly acquired airwaves should help to boost up their 4G LTE network for many new markets in the near future. And in early 2012 we’ll find out if they’ll actually be required to offer their newly acquired spectrum to other carriers. That would be quite interesting. When roaming on a 4G network, imagine how quickly the data charges will add up!
[via Electronista]

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Qualcomm announces its own Snapdragon game store

As Android’s gaming prowess (or at lest the hardware it requires) becomes more and more evident, Qualcomm has decided they want to highlight the potential of their Snapdragon series of mobile processors. To that end, they’ve announced Snapdragon GamesCommand, a showcase app filled with “console-quality” and casual games exclusively for Snapdragon devices. Like Nvidia’s Tegra Zone, at least some of the games in GamesCommand will not appear anywhere else – those with other hardware are out of luck.

The company is also revamping their Snapdragon GamePack, adding three games to the mix: The Ball, Fight Game Heroes and GALAGA Special edition, all expected by early 2012. These high-profile titles join more than 100 games already available in the GamePack, and will be the first of a new crop designed to shop off the graphical prowess of the latest generation of Snapdragon processors. Qualcomm did not give exact dates on availability of the expanded GamePack or GamesCommand.
The latest hardware-contingent game store is an interesting divergence from the idea that the Android Market is the best place to showcase Android software. The hardware split might remind you of ATI/AMD and Nvidia duking it out over desktop graphics cards, but in truth, it’s a lot more like the console gaming market. In order to get access to all the latest high-end games, Android users may have to purchase multiple high-end devices, or more likely, simply go without. The precedent is a disturbing one – I’d much rather have developers create games that can run across different types of hardware. It looks like your next tablet purchase might be a tricky one, since you’ll have to consider not just how fast it will run software, but which software it will run.
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Is HP just making up excuses now to keep webOS in the dark?

HP’s gone a little bit up and down over the last few months. Actually, many would say that there has been a lot more downthan up, and I would tend to agree. I am a fan of any company out there that stands behind their products to the end, and shows that they are pushing ahead despite the hardships. I’ll support those companies along with them, even if I know there’s an obvious dead end ahead. It’s one of the reasons I bought a TouchPad in that crazy fire sale that was happening. Even when I was seeing HP’s dismissal of the hardware front, I was holding out hope for the software. And now that HP is supposed to make a decision on webOS itself, I find myself holding my breath here and there, waiting to hear something.


While we’ve been reporting that things could change for the worse for webOS as of late, it would seem that HP is set on keeping things the way they are. What that means is anyone’s guess at this point, at least deeper than face value. For the rest of the world, we see a mobile operating system that is literally in a state of limbo. We see that HP’s webOS is still there, still being talked about, and still wanted by plenty of people out there. But, we also see HP not really making a move on anything. We see HP literally balking at the idea that webOS is still around or could be left adrift. The truth is it seems to me that HP has no idea what to do and they are trying to bide as much time as they can before someone, anyone forces them to make one.


That has never been so clear to me until just recently, when webOS GPU VP Stephen DeWitt offered his two cents on the life of webOS. Of course, this is coming from an “insider,” so this isn’t entirely set in stone quite yet. But, we’ll take it for what it’s worth for now. And that’s why I’m thinking HP is seriously trying to just come up with any excuse they can to make sure that they keep webOS under their wing, in this constant state of flux and mystery. What I’m talking about is DeWitt mentioning that webOS is designed to work on Qualcomm chips, and that potential companies would “likely want webOS to work with other kinds of chipsets.”


Really? This just seems like we are trying too hard to make sure that no one else gets their hands on webOS. Yes, webOS is designed to work on Qualcomm chips, but last time I checked there were still manufacturers out there using Qualcomm chips in smartphones. So . . . That can’t honestly be a huge issue, right? I understand that those companies using Qualcomm chipsets in their phones might not want to get their hands on webOS, but at the same time, I would be shocked to hear that not one of those companies would like to use webOS. For a nominal licensing fee there’s obviously still money to be made from webOS – why not bank on that? And then, on the flip-side, why not get one of those hundreds of intelligent people out there who have been working on webOS since day one to get the mobile OS to work on something other than a Qualcomm chipset? That’s possible, right? If it isn’t then that’s a realistic dilemma that could really be holding things up. If it is possible, then let’s get this moving, shall we?


I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that HP is making these kinds of moves, blaming these kinds of situations on the hold up because they can’t find anyone to license webOS in its current state. No, not because the likes of Samsung and HTC don’t want to manufacture phones with webOS, but because they don’t want to deal with HP. To me, that makes the most sense. Considering how “wishy-washy” HP seems to be with one of the most fan-crazed mobile operating systems out there, I wouldn’t want to work directly with them right now, either. Someone in HP’s upper management seriously just needs to make a decision on webOS, even if that means they officially declare webOS dead, or that they’ve passed the reigns over to someone else. Just make a decision. We’re all waiting to hear it, seriously.


But, if we’re left to deal with these ridiculous reasons, and continue to get stonewalled, then you’ll only have one choice, and it will be completely on you: kill it.

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• HP Windows 8 tablets arriving next year, CEO says; webOS future up in the air (tech-gadget.co.in)

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Qualcomm’s Skifta app streams video and manages your DLNA devices

Qualcomm-Atheros is making a cloud push in a big way with their new Skifta service and app. Skifta is a system for DLNA-certified devices that allows streaming media by way of your phone from either your phone or your home computer, giving you options that previously required separate apps. Built-in free content from the likes of Picasa, Revision 3 and TED Talks rounds out the package.

Basically, Skifta (man, it’s hard to find good non-copyrighted names these days) aims to be a one-stop-shop for all of your media, streaming easily to connected televisions, computers and speaker systems. Video, audio and photos are currently supported. Skifta works on DLNA and UPnP-compatible devices, including Windows 7 computers and the PlayStation 3. The promotional video lays it all out:




Skifta’s a free download from the Android Market, and no, you don’t need a Qualcomm processor inside your phone or tablet to use it. The software is in its 1.0 release, so there may very well be some compatibility or stability issues. But hey, it’s free – what have you got to lose? This may be a good indication of similar systems from OEMs, like Motorola’s upcoming MotoCast.

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Qualcomm teases Snapdragon efficiency, 100% bug powered smartphone [Video]

Yes you read the title right, that says 100% bug powered smartphone and that is exactly what we have. Today Qualcomm has presented us with the “Bug Circus Generator” where they’ve neatly gathered a few speedy Praying Mantis and tossed them on unicycles and a Tarantula on a treadmill and rigged them to generate tiny amounts of electricity. What do you get? A 100% bug powered smartphone thanks to the extremely efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.

Qualcomm recently unveiled details about their upcoming S4 mobile processors and how extremely powerful, yet efficient they will be compared to current generation mobile processors and SoC’s. The new Qualcomm S4 is built using a much refined and smaller 28 nm processing fabrication that allows for smaller more efficient chips, that also use less power and output less heat. All of this combines into an extremely great performing mobile chip and we can expect to see Qualcomm S4 chips in our smartphones soon.
This video we have for you today is just so awesome I don’t even know where to begin. Unicycles being ran by Praying Mantis and beetles running on ping pong balls all wired to produce electricity. This is actually very clever and extremely amusing if you ask me. I’ve seen a flea or ant circus but this takes things to a whole new level. Each “generator” is fixed to a capacitor that is then wired to what appears to be an HTC Sensation that is being fueled by the circus. Without further ado — I present you with the Qualcomm Bug Circus Generator:


I must say that ending is pretty epic — nailed that landing and I’d give her a solid 9.8 score for great form. Surely that canon blast was CGI effects though, no one risks the wrath of the ASPCA these days, even for bugs. Right? For all the details and information on Qualcomm, Snapdragon, or their new S4 mobile processors head over to facebook.com/snapdragon to see and hear more. I must say, the unicycle and praying pantis was by far my favorite of the bunch, that and the death defying shot at the end — Well played Qualcomm.

What does everyone think about this, a neat video or do bugs creep you out?

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The new gesture technology that could kill the touchscreen

Qualcomm has demoed a new gesture system at its Innovation Qualcomm event in Istanbul. It allows the user to control an interface without even having to touch the phone or tablet’s screen, and could spell the end of the touchscreen as we know it.
In move that anyone who has complained about smudges on their phone or tablet would be proud of, the system, which was briefly demoed by CEO Paul Jacobs on stage at the event, uses ultrasound picked up by the device's microphone to work out where your hands are.
In the demo, the CEO waved his hand over the phone, flicking through a carousel of images.
Qualcomm has said that the new technology should be in phones and tablets by the end of next year.
The technology, which Qualcomm claims is the digital sixth sense, will be embedded into the company’s chips in the future.

The CEO also demoed a new Augmented Reality app that the company has been working on, which allows people in a video shop to watch a trailer of a movie just by pointing their phone at a DVD case.
Pocket-lint is at the event and will try and get more time and details on the new features shortly.

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