Hardware
China to supply 50 per cent of world’s digital STBs by 2010:IMS Research
MUMBAI: China supplied 35 per cent of the worldwide digital set-top box market (including the Chinese market) in 2004, and more than 50 per cent of all worldwide digital set-top boxes are forecast to be produced in China by 2010.
This data is contained in a new report from IMS Research called The Chinese Market for Digital Set-Top Boxes.
This study reveals that China produced more than 17 million digital set-top boxes in 2004, which accounted for around 35% of the total worldwide market (including China). This figure has already made China the largest digital set-top box production base in the world. The production volume of digital set-top boxes in China is forecast to grow at a 21 per cent CAGR over the next five years to reach 56 million units in 2010. This means that over 56 per cent of the worldwide digital set-top box supply in 2010 is envisioned to come from China.
IMS Research’s Ann Yi-Yen Bird said, “In 2004, more than 50 per cent of the digital set-top boxes produced in China were destined for export markets. Despite high growth predicted for the domestic digital set-top box market, the proportion of total Chinese production output for export markets is forecast to maintain at above 50 per cent over the next five years. Currently, the majority of digital STBs produced in China are basic satellite boxes. As deployments of digital cable TV, digital terrestrial TV and IPTV in both China and the rest of the world intensify, the proportions of digital cable, digital terrestrial and IP set-top boxes within total Chinese digital STB production are expected to increase over the next five years.”
IMS envisions that the number of digital satellite TV households in China will continue to grow over the next five years and will reach 60 million by the end of 2010, provided that the Chinese government launches its Direct-To-Home satellites on time and the grey market continues to be tolerated.
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.
