Semiconductor company Qualcomm has joined Power Matters Alliance (PMA), the “big tent” of wireless power standards. It is the 100th member to join the organization, which includes the likes of AT&T, Google and Starbucks. Qualcomm will help PMA standardize worldwide specifications for both “low frequency induction” and “high frequency resonance” wireless charging. The bredth of […]
As the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 appears on US-shores we’ve seen talk of not quite on-the-level benchmark boosting by the likes of what, at first, would seem to be the manufacturer of the smartphone. This report originates with Ars Technica where they suggest that the smoking gun is the fact that this smartphone brings up […]
Competition is really heating up in the wireless charging space. Last month, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) shared news that Qualcomm joined its board, and now the competing Power Matters Alliance (PMA) is making a similar announcement. Qualcomm has also signed on with the PMA, and will be taking on a “senior leadership role” at the organization. The chipset manufacturer is reportedly aiding in the development of a new specification that will enable PMA devices (such as Powermat) to receive wireless power using both low-frequency induction and high-frequency resonance. If that tech is implemented, certain smartphones and other gadgets will be compatible with a wider range of wireless charging devices. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on product announcements from other members, such as AT&T, which previously committed to lighting up several devices with PMA charging by 2014.
Three is the magic number. Three is lucky. Three’s a crowd. Okay, ignore that last one, but the number 3 does also apply to the latest Galaxy Note, and we’re curious to know which of those maxims might apply. What are the marquee features this time around? Well, there’s the usual bevy of specification improvements (a 5.7-inch display, quad-core Snapdragon 800 and 3GB of RAM), Android 4.3, some new S Pen features and the small matter of the Gear, that optional, polarizing companion watch.
Samsung makes a great many products, even if you just consider the mobile ones. However, since it burst into existence in 2011, the Note has been up there with the Galaxy S series on the flagship pedestal. So, it’d be fair to say that we’re expecting big things from this big phone, but with a SIM-free price in the UK of £620, it requires even deeper pockets than its predecessor did at launch (that one cost around £530). That said, if you want one, you’ll need big pockets anyway. While you check their size, we’ve scribbled, doodled and gestured the Note 3 with abandon to see if it’s worth the bounty. Read on to find out if it is.%Gallery-slideshow99481%
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Qualcomm former executive vice president, Jing Wang, has been indicted by the U.S. government for obstruction of a federal investigation and for the use of insider information in a financial scheme for tax evasion and ill-gotten wealth. The former executive is no longer working at Qualcomm, reports Reuters, and was arrested earlier today by the […]
Qualcomm, the founding member of Alliance for Wireless Power (or A4WP in short), made a surprise move today by joining the management board of the rival Wireless Power Consortium (or WPC), the group behind the already commercially available Qi standard. This is quite an interesting development considering how both alliances have been openly critical of each other, and yet now there’s a chance of seeing just one standard getting the best of both worlds. That is, of course, dependent on Qualcomm’s real intentions behind joining the WPC.
Source: Wireless Power Consortium
HTC is expected to release its new phablet, the much rumored HTC One Max, later this year. There have been a lot of rumors about this device, it is seen in leaked photos almost on a daily basis. Specifications have been leaked as well, but since nothing has been officially confirmed, one can’t really be sure at this point in time. As per the super chatty Taiwanese supply chain, HTC might have to go for an old Qualcomm processor for the One Max apparently because it is unable to secure “sufficient supply” of the company’s high-end Snapdragon 800 quadcore processor.
The rumor has been circulated by infamous trade publication Digitimes, which claims that HTC is being “forced” to opt for old processors due to supply issues. As per the report, HTC One Max might tout the old Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.7GHz quadcore processor. Other sources cited in the report claim that there’s actually no shortage of Snapdragon 800 processors as Qualcomm has increased production owing to high demand, according to them, HTC is opting for the S4 Pro primarily due to cost concerns. HTC hasn’t commented on these rumors, so they should be taken with a grain of salt. The company is expected to announce HTC One Max next month.
HTC One Max Will Reportedly Have An Old Qualcomm Processor original content from Ubergizmo. 
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If Internet.org ever hopes to be successful with its goal of bringing affordable internet to the next 5 billion people, the cost of delivery will need to be much cheaper than it is today. Today, members of the coalition — which includes Facebook, Qualcomm, Ericsson and others — released a substantial 70-page white paper that outlines some of the initial steps that are on the drawing board. According to the group’s estimates, data delivery is currently 100 times too expensive to execute the vision of Internet.org, but all of that could change within the next decade.
To accomplish this, Internet.org is seeking ways to bring a tenfold improvement to the cost of delivering data, along with apps that are 10 times more efficient. For Facebook’s part, it highlights technologies such as HipHop for PHP and the HipHop virtual machine, which allows its existing servers to accommodate 500 percent more traffic than before, and its Air Traffic Control system, which allows it to simulate different mobile networks and congestion systems around the world. Similarly, Facebook is looking to compression technologies such as WebP — currently in use on its Android app — to replace image formats such as PNG and JPEG, which alone could reduce network traffic by 20%.
Another challenge is looming, however, as Qualcomm estimates that the demand for data will double each year over the next 10 years, ultimately increasing 1000 fold over where it is today. To meet that demand, it’s lobbying for a substantial spectrum reallocation, along with technologies such as carrier aggregation, LTE-Broadcast and LTE Direct. Combine this with more unconventional approaches that it’ll reveal at a later date, and you begin to appreciate the massive undertaking that lies ahead for the partners of Internet.org.
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Facebook
Source: Facebook, Internet.org (PDF)
The next-generation Kindle Fire HD has appeared today in both a set of photos and with a reminder that Amazon wont be letting this unit slip under the radar with high-end specifications. This unit will be popping up with a 7-inch display, a resolution at 1920 x 1200, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor […]
We went to IFA Berlin, the largest consumer electronics trade show in Europe, and saw a heap of new tech from the industry’s major players. Here are some favorites.
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