Qualcomm wants to help bring better augmented reality apps to mobile phones, especially those powered by its Snapdragon chips. Today, it is releasing an augmented reality software development kit for Android phones, along with a $200,000 challenge for the best Android AR apps. The challenge goes through January, 2011, and the best apps will be showcased at the next Mobile World Congress.
AR apps are popular among developers because they allow them to add a layer of digital information on top of the real world as seen through a cell phone camera. Different AR apps include video games triggered by printed QR codes, in-stadium/sporting event guides, and local directory and product information (point your cell phone camera at a building and see what’s inside). But many of these are still gimmicky. We are still waiting for a killer AR app to emerge.
Qualcomm’s new SDK may or may not help to produce one, but Qualcomm wants to encourage AR apps because they take advantage of the visual and graphics capabilities of its chips. If AR apps become a must-have for smartphone users, Qualcomm can sell more chips.
In July 1985, seven industry veterans came together in the den of Dr. Irwin Jacobs’ San Diego home to discuss an idea. Those visionaries—Franklin Antonio, Adelia Coffman, Andrew Cohen, Klein Gilhousen, Irwin Jacobs, Andrew Viterbi and Harvey White—decided they wanted to build “QUALity COMMunications†and outlined a plan that has evolved into one of the telecommunications industry’s greatest start-up success stories: Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm started out providing contract research and development services, with limited product manufacturing, for the wireless telecommunications...
Android is a software platform for mobile devices based on the Linux operating system and developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. It allows developers to write managed code in Java that utilizes Google-developed software libraries, but does not support programs developed in native code. The unveiling of the Android platform on 5 November 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 34 hardware, software and telecom companies devoted to advancing open standards...
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