Hardware
STBs considered as telecom equipment to encourage indigenous production: Javadekar
NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued orders confirming that set top boxes (STBs) are part of telecommunication equipments. This has been done to promote indigenous production of STBs.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar today informed the Lok Sabha that this was done after his ministry along with other ministries took up the constraints of Indian manufacturers in the production of indigenous STBs, in view of the fact that an estimated 110 million STBs would be required for the third and fourth phase of digital access system (DAS).
While the earlier government had introduced digitisation in the country, it failed to chalk out a clear path for it, especially for boosting indigenous production of STBs. The new government had assured all the players that it would look at every sector’s problems and work on them. This thrust to indigenous STB makers seems to be a step forward in that direction.
Javadekar also said that a task force has been set up to finalise the modalities and study the implementation of the last two phases of DAS which need to be completed by 31 December 2014. A Deloitte report prepared for ASSOCHAM recently said about 12 million STBs have been seeded and 80 per cent consumer application forms received as of December 2013. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) claims 100 per cent digitisation has taken place in the second phase of DAS.
TRAI has also said that recommendations on the new direct to home (DTH) licences would be brought out very soon. HITS licences have been issued to two players and are expected to enable digitisation in Phase III and Phase IV markets.
Meanwhile, the report notes ‘complaints have poured in against STBs. People in the city are complaining about digital STBs installed in their residences and commercial organisations. Visual and sound disturbances coupled with channels going off air from time to time have left viewers unhappy.’
It also noted that ‘in the haste to install STBs in the city, cable operators have overlooked a crucial step – that of filling in the conditional access form (CAF) before installation of the device. The purpose behind mandating DAS was to identify the actual number of cable viewers in the country. But with most customers not filling in the form, the purpose still remains defeated.’
‘With penetration of TV in India standing at approximately 65 per cent, at present, the country has close to 80 million non-TV households, which present a key opportunity for the television distribution players. This low level of penetration holds a great potential for players to increase their subscribers and revenues. Drivers such as rising incomes, decreasing household size, multi TV phenomenon and rising urbanisation would only provide a further fillip.’
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.
