Hardware
Cabinet okays uplink and downlink guidelines
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet today gave approval to a host of stringent media related issues including mandatory sharing of sports content by private broadcasters with pubcaster Prasar Bharati.
The government has said that such shared content will be telecast by DD on its terrestrial and Direct-to-home (DTH) service.
The above conditions shall apply to all future events including those covered by existing contracts.
However, in case of cricket event whose broadcasting rights have been obtained by sports channels prior to the proposed law coming into effect, DD will get a feed for all matches featuring India and the finals.
The mandatory content sharing is effective for all sporting events held within and outside the country, Information and Broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy said during a media briefing.
The advertising revenue that accrues from the sale of such events on Doordarshan will be shared in the ratio of 75:25 in favour of rights holders.
Asked by indiantelevision.com whether DD would also share content private sports broadcasters, Reddy that it should be done, but it cannot be mandated.
The proposals relating to uplink and downlink guidelines that were approved today by the cabinet have been reported by indiantelevsion.com in the past. The new proposals have to be notified by the government before they become a law.
The cabinet also approved granting of uplink permission to foreign channels on an annual basis depending on fulfilment of certain conditions.
According to Reddy, foreign news channels would be granted ladling rights in India on a case to case basis, if they have content and advertising specially targeted at the Indian audiences — on the lines of guidelines for printing of facsimile editions of foreign newspapers in the county.
Television channels and teleports have been allowed to uplink in KU-band, apart from C-band, through Indian satellites only, subject to the conditions that this permission is not used to operate a DTH service without proper licence.
The cabinet gave the green signal for amendments in the cable TV network rules 1994 and DTH guidelines to ensure that only those satellite TV channels that have been registered under these guidelines are transmitted / retransmitted through cable networks and/or DTH services.
FIIs and NRI investment have been allowed in news channels uplinking from India, subject to foreign investment cap of 26 per cent.
Hardware
Specs Inc. partners with Qualcomm for next-generation smart glasses
Snap subsidiary to power future Specs with Snapdragon XR platforms.
MUMBAI: Snap’s Specs are about to get a serious upgrade and this time, they’re teaming up with Qualcomm to make sure the future looks crystal clear. Specs Inc., a Snap subsidiary, has announced a multi-year strategic agreement with Qualcomm Technologies to power future generations of its advanced smart eyewear with Snapdragon system-on-a-chip (SoC) technology.
This marks the first flagship engagement for Specs Inc., which is preparing to launch its standalone, see-through smart glasses for consumers later this year. The Specs are designed to seamlessly blend digital experiences into the physical world, allowing users to see, hear, and interact with digital content as if it were part of their real surroundings.
By integrating Snapdragon XR platforms, the glasses will benefit from edge AI and high-performance, low-power computing. This combination enables intelligent, context-aware experiences to run directly on the device, delivering faster and more private interactions.
The partnership builds on more than five years of collaboration between Snap and Qualcomm, during which Snapdragon platforms have powered multiple generations of Snap’s Spectacles.
Snap Inc., co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel said, “We believe the future of computing will be more human and grounded in the real world. Our work with Qualcomm provides a strong foundation for the future of Specs, bringing advanced technology and performance that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible.”
Qualcomm Incorporated president and CEO Cristiano Amon added, “The next era of computing will be defined by devices that understand what you see, hear and say, and respond instantly to the world around you. Our collaboration on Specs will enable power-efficient interactive AR devices that feel natural and intuitive.”
The agreement establishes a scalable foundation for developers and partners building experiences for Specs, supporting a predictable product roadmap and increasingly sophisticated digital interactions over time.
In a world racing toward augmented reality, Specs Inc. and Qualcomm are ensuring that the next pair of smart glasses doesn’t just look good on paper, they perform brilliantly in real life. The future of wearable computing just got a powerful new lens.
