Big PlayBook update coming October, adds Video Store, Android, email and more

Posted by on September 15, 2011 No comments

New features promised
Big PlayBook update coming October, adds Video Store, Android, email and more

RIM has promised a "big update" for its PlayBook tablet in October as it moves to try and improve lacklustre sales over the last quarter.

In a conference call following the company’s latest earning report, that saw revenue down 15 per cent and profits down by 47 per cent compared to the previous quarter, the company told those listening that rather than trickle out small updates it would, instead, be opting ones which will have a bigger impact in the future. ?

The update, due in October, would include the long promised native email, calendar, and contacts as well as the Android App Player and BlackBerry Balance; all previously promised for the "summer".

RIM has also promised improved BlackBerry Bridge support, enhanced web browsing, and the launch of a BlackBerry Video store that would offer over 10,000 films and TV shows playable on users TVs via the HDMI out socket on the RIM tablet.

The new BlackBerry PlayBook?2.0 update would come after the company’s annual DevCon conference in San Francisco in October, where RIM has said it will be showing the next generation of QNX smartphones. Sadly, unlike the PlayBook update, it has hinted that those phones won’t be available until 2012.

Tags: Tablets BlackBerry PlayBook RIM BlackBerry QNX Operating Systems Updates

Big PlayBook update coming October, adds Video Store, Android, email and more originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:07:00 +0100

Poor BlackBerry PlayBook sales see profits crash at RIM

Posted by on September 15, 2011 No comments

200,000 PlayBooks and 10.6m smartphones
Poor BlackBerry PlayBook sales see profits crash at RIM

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has had to admit that its shiny new tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook, isn’t doing as well as it had hoped.

The company has reported that it has shipped just 200,000 to shops in the last 90 days. To put that into perspective, Apple sells 200,000 iPads in a little over 2 days.

The number is considerably lower than the 500,000 shipped in the previous quarter and even lower than the 700,000 Wall Street was expecting. What’s worse is that the actual number of sold devices is likely to be even lower as the earnings report details units shipped, not units sold.?

And the bad news doesn’t stop there with the company shipping (again not necessarily selling) approximately 10.6 million BlackBerry smartphones in the same time frame, below what analysts were expecting, and half that of Apple’s iPhone for the similar period.

As you might imagine that’s had a negative impact on revenue with the figures down 15 per cent from the previous quarter and down 10 per cent from the same quarter last year.

Profits are down 47 per cent on the previous quarter.

It’s not all bad news however. RIM says the latest BlackBerry Bold 9900?and Curve BB OS 7 smartphones have been well received by shoppers:

"We successfully launched a range of BlackBerry 7 smartphones around the world during the latter part of the second quarter and we are seeing strong sell-through and customer interest for these new products," said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion trying to put a good spin on what the markets are bound to call a bad quarter for the company and blaming “lower than expected demand for older models."

Where next for RIM? Balsillie says that the company is going to continue to push the new phones and focus "our development efforts on delivering the next generation, QNX-based mobile platform next year."

RIM has said in the follow-up conference call that it plans to offer discounts for the PlayBook in the hope of boosting sales whilst also releasing a major software update for the tablet in October at the company's annual DevCon event in San Francisco.?

Read

Tags: Phones Tablets BlackBerry PlayBook RIM Biz Reports BlackBerry Bold 9900 Apple iPad 2 iPad

Poor BlackBerry PlayBook sales see profits crash at RIM originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:43:00 +0100

Qualcomm: Windows 8 blurs product lines, expect Snapdragon clamshell devices

Posted by on September 15, 2011 No comments

When is a tablet a PC?
Qualcomm: Windows 8 blurs product lines, expect Snapdragon clamshell devices

Qualcomm has said that Microsoft’s Windows 8 will blur the lines of what is a PC and what is a smartphone even more, as companies look to bring out devices that merge traditional form factors.

In an exclusive one-to-one chat at the company’s IQ event in Istanbul on Wednesday, senior vice president Christiano Amon told Pocket-lint that "the line is blurring" between traditional mobile devices and laptops.

"If a tablet comes with a keyboard is it a tablet or a laptop?" questioned Amon.

The comment comes off the back of Microsoft’s announcement that Windows 8 would allow manufacturers to build desktops, laptops and tablets, all running the new touch-friendly operating system.

In a move that is likely to scare its rivals, Amon described a future that saw Qualcomm go up against Intel and AMD, as well as its more traditional mobile chip competitors Nvidia and Texas Instruments, for the right to power the Windows devices of tomorrow.

"You could see Snapdragon in mobiles, tablets and clamshell devices in the future - if manufacturers wanted to do that," he explained.

Amon knows that such a move is now possible thanks to the next-generation of processors rolling out from Qualcomm to PC, phone and tablet makers over the next couple of months. The company’s top Snapdragon offering is a quad-core 2.5GHz processor that comes with a number of extra features like 3D, HD playback, 3G and LTE built in - something that is certainly appealing to device makers.

So is it the death of the PC as we know it? Amon isn’t ready to answer that "rather big" question yet, but is happy to admit to us that "the form factors for the PC are being redefined", adding that "two sectors are likely to become one".

Exciting - and scary - stuff.

Tags: Laptops Windows 8 Microsoft Snapdragon Tablets Phones Qualcomm

Qualcomm: Windows 8 blurs product lines, expect Snapdragon clamshell devices originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:27:00 +0100

iPhone and iPad to get Qualcomm augmented reality boost

Posted by on September 15, 2011 1 comment

SDK comes out of Beta
iPhone and iPad to get Qualcomm augmented reality boost

The iPhone and iPad are about to see an influx of augmented reality apps following the announcement that Qualcomm will open up its AR SDK to iOS developers, so that they can submit their wares to the Apple App Store.

The new service, which goes live at the end of September, has been available on Android for some time but has only just come to Apple devices in Beta from.

"We will have a commercial version of our AR SDK by the end of the month," Qualcomm’s Michael Gervautz - an AR industry veteran for 15 years - told Pocket-lint at the company’s Innovation Qualcomm event in Istanbul.

After a popular response from developers, Gervautz?said that Qualcomm is taking its software formal, thereby allowing the 2,000 Apple developers already signed up?to submit their apps and make money.

At the moment, while developers can download the tools and mess around with the possibilities, they haven’t been able to actually submit them to the App Store to generate revenue.

The SDK has already had over 10,000 Android developers sign up, with plenty of AR apps showing up in the Android Marketplace.

Popular games include Inch High Stunt Guy, which sees you map out a course for a motorbike stunt man, and was also demoed on an iPad in Istanbul. There's also?Zombie Gate and Paparazzi, a game that allows you to snap a virtual celebrity.

Qualcomm is expecting plenty of iOS developers to publish apps and says the tools are already iOS 5 ready.

Tags: Phones Tablets Qualcomm Augmented Reality iPhone iPad Apple iOS apps

iPhone and iPad to get Qualcomm augmented reality boost  iPhone and iPad to get Qualcomm augmented reality boost 

iPhone and iPad to get Qualcomm augmented reality boost originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:15:00 +0100

iPhone and iPad to get Qualcomm augmented reality boost

Posted by on September 15, 2011 No comments

SDK comes out of Beta
iPhone and iPad to get Qualcomm augmented reality boost

The iPhone and iPad are about to see an influx of augmented reality apps, following the announcement that Qualcomm will open up its AR SDK to iOS developers so that it can submit its wares to the Apple App Store.

The new service, which goes live at the end of September, has been available on Android for some time but has only just come to Apple devices in Beta form.

"We will have a commercial version of our AR SDK by the end of the month," Qualcomm’s Michael Gervautz - an AR industry veteran for 15 years - told Pocket-lint at the company’s Innovation Qualcomm event in Istanbul.

After a popular response from developers, Gervautz?said that Qualcomm is taking its software formal, thereby allowing the 2,000 Apple developers already signed up?to submit their apps and make money.

At the moment, while developers can download the tools and mess around with the possibilities, they haven’t been able to actually submit them to the App Store to generate revenue.

The SDK has already had over 10,000 Android developers sign up, with plenty of AR apps showing up in the Android Marketplace.

Popular games include Inch High Stunt Guy, which sees you map out a course for a motorbike stunt man, and was also demoed on an iPad in Istanbul. There's also?Zombie Gate and Paparazzi, a game that allows you to snap a virtual celebrity.

Qualcomm is expecting plenty of iOS developers to publish apps and says the tools are already iOS 5 ready.

Tags: Phones Tablets Qualcomm Augmented Reality iPhone iPad Apple iOS apps

iPhone and iPad to get Qualcomm augmented reality boost  iPhone and iPad to get Qualcomm augmented reality boost 

iPhone and iPad to get Qualcomm augmented reality boost originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:15:00 +0100

Qualcomm not buying webOS, but will support platform

Posted by on September 15, 2011 No comments

EXCLUSIVE: CEO likes it, but not that much
Qualcomm not buying webOS, but will support platform

Qualcomm has exclusively told Pocket-lint that it will continue to invest and support webOS in the future, but has ruled itself out of buying the operating system itself.

"We are happy to support webOS, whoever buys it," said Cristiano Amon, senior vice president, Product Management at Qualcomm, in a one-to-one chat at the company’s Innovation Qualcomm event in Istanbul.

“We don’t make hardware. And it wouldn’t make much sense to own another operating system,"?he added.

The statements put to bed a rumour that started when the company’s CEO, Paul Jacobs, sidestepped and somewhat confused the issue just hours earlier in a Q&A; session with journalists and analysts.

Asked whether the company was looking to buy webOS from HP, Jacobs told the crowd that he really liked the web-centric operating system and that Qualcomm has put a lot of effort into "that relationship". He also added that the company was "waiting to see exactly what happens".

"More choice is better for developers. But it’s really HP’s call at the moment," was the rather cryptic answer.

That immediately led some analysts to wonder why Jacobs hadn’t just said "no".

Amon also dismissed some reports that suggested a webOS acquisition would help bolster its own mobile phone operating system, BREW:?"We build BREW to show operators that 3G has allowed phones to be more than just voice and text," he told us.

If HP does find a buyer, at least it knows that it will be able to run on the latest Qualcomm processors.

Tags: Tablets Phones HP webOS Qualcomm Operating Systems

Qualcomm not buying webOS, but will support platform originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:59:00 +0100

HTC Jetstream hands-on

Posted by on September 14, 2011 No comments

10-inch Honeycomb tablet action
HTC Jetstream hands-on

When it comes to tablets, HTC has two. A 7-inch Gingerbread powered HTC Flyer, and the new 10-inch Honeycomb powered HTC Jetstream just announced in the US on AT&T.;

Keen to see how Honeycomb works on the new 10-inch model and what it looks like in the flesh, Pocket-lint flew to Istanbul of all places, to have a play with the new tablet courtesy of Qualcomm.

In the flesh and the tablet is big, considerably bigger than the 7-inch Flyer, and more akin to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - moving away from its original design ethos.

The front is dominated by the large screen, so much so that there are no buttons to distract with the Jetstream; instead you can use Honeycomb’s on-screen button options to give you control. That said there is still just about enough room to give you a forward facing camera, as well as the respective logos of HTC and AT&T.;

The WXGA HD display is bright and crisp, although by no means stand out stunning.

The sides are void of detail too with a simple power button LED light and headphone socket on the top; a micro USB charging port is situated on the bottom.

The rear of the device, thankfully, offers up more stuff. There is a speaker and an 8-megapixel camera for those moments you need to take a picture.

Inside and there's a Snapdragon 1.5 GHz dual core processor and LTE/HSPA connectivity. It will also support 1080p playback and capture.

It runs the Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) operating system and represents the first iteration of the HTC Sense user experience on Honeycomb.

Like the company’s 7-inch offering, the HTC Flyer, the Jetstream will work with the company’s stylus - the HTC Scribe - an optional digital pen accessory; although sadly Qualcomm didn’t have one to hand for us to try out.

In the flesh and it’s business as usual with the Jetstream, offering a very friendly Sense UI interface for those that love it along with the added benefit of Honeycomb and all it offers to Android tablet users.

Like the HTC Flyer - it uses the same innards - the Jetstream was quick and responsive to our commands and requests.

On the design front, it is a touch on the heavy side, and the brushed metal casing seems out of kilter with HTC’s overall design ethos; something we suspect AT&T; requested on seeing the Galaxy Tab back at the US phone trade show, CTIA, in March.

The HTC Jetstream is available in the US now, and although nothing is confirmed, is expected to make it to the UK at some point in the future.?

Tags: Tablets HTC HTC Jetstream Honeycomb Gingerbread HTC Flyer Qualcomm AT and T Photos

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HTC Jetstream hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:06:00 +0100

Windows 8 gets Qualcomm Snapdragon support

Posted by on September 14, 2011 No comments

Tablets at the ready
Windows 8 gets Qualcomm Snapdragon support

Qualcomm has confirmed that its new, next-gen S4 class processors will be Windows 8-friendly when the new Microsoft operating system comes out.

"We are supporting Windows 8 with a comprehensive upcoming family of S4 Snapdragon processors," said Christiano Amon, the man in charge of Snapdragon in Europe.

The new chips, which will work up to speeds of 2.5GHz and come with a? number of connectivity and technologies built in as standard, are expected to be in devices and on sale to consumers in the first half of 2012.

Qualcomm said that, in particular, the new Dual-Core MSM8960 and Quad-Core APQ8064 will be ready to play with Windows 8.

Those who like to quote numbers will also like the fact that the new S4 class chipset will offer Adreno Graphics, 3D, 1080p HD, and sport 3G and LTE connectivity as standard.

The new processors will be available to manufacturers by the end of the year, meaning we should see new 2.5GHz phones launching at Mobile World Congress in February, the world’s largest phone trade show.

But it’s not all about speed according to the company’s CEO, Paul Jacobs:

"It’s not about how many cores or how many gigabytes, it’s how well you can optimise the system."

Tags: Tablets Windows 8 Microsoft Qualcomm Snapdragon Operating Systems

Windows 8 gets Qualcomm Snapdragon support originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:14:00 +0100

Qualcomm details next-gen 2.5GHz Snapdragon processors

Posted by on September 14, 2011 No comments

Need for speed
Qualcomm details next-gen 2.5GHz Snapdragon processors

Your phone is only going to get faster and better in the future, according to Qualcomm, as it's outlined the next step for its Snapdragon processor at its Innovation Qualcomm event in Istanbul.

The company’s processors, which power the majority of today’s smartphones from HTC to BlackBerry and beyond, will boast even higher speeds, better graphics, and greater connectivity in the near future, Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon told those gathered.

In numbers terms that means a single, dual, or quad-core chip with speeds of 2.5GHz, almost double of what is currently available on the market.

Those who like to quote specs will also like the fact that the new S4 class chipset will offer Adreno Graphics, 3D, 1080p HD, as well as sporting 3G and LTE connectivity as standard.

The new processors will be available to manufacturers by the end of the year, and expected to be in consumers' hands at the start of 2012, says Qualcomm.

That means we should see new 2.5GHz phones launching at Mobile World Congress in February, the world’s largest phone trade show.

But it’s not all about speed according to the company’s CEO, Paul Jacobs:

“It’s not about how many cores or how many gigabytes, it’s how well you can optimise the system.”

Tags: Phones Tablets Qualcomm Snapdragon

Qualcomm details next-gen 2.5GHz Snapdragon processors originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:03:00 +0100

The new gesture technology that could kill the touchscreen

Posted by on September 14, 2011 No comments

Qualcomm demos new tech
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.

Tags: Phones Tablets Qualcomm

The new gesture technology that could kill the touchscreen  The new gesture technology that could kill the touchscreen. Phones, Tablets, Qualcomm 2 

The new gesture technology that could kill the touchscreen originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 08:28:00 +0100