Hardware
Technicolor to acquire Cinram’s DVD business for €35 – 40 million
MUMBAI: Technicolor is planning to acquire Cinram Group’s North American optical disc manufacturing and distribution assets. The move comes in the wake of Technicolor’s advanced negotiations with two large US customers to assume their contracts for the replication and distribution of packaged media products (DVD and Blu-ray discs) in North America.
The value of the acquisition in the range of €35 – 40 million and will be entirely funded out of available cash.
As a result of this acquisition, Technicolor’s expanded operational platform could also serve to support other new customer additions in North America, in a manner consistent with the Group’s strategy of optimising the operating leverage of its packaged media products activities.
The purchase agreement with Cinram Group, Inc. is subject to obtaining certain consents as well as other customary closing conditions.
The transfer of the contracts and assets to Technicolor could occur as early as November 2015.
The customer contracts, if concluded, would add in excess of €190 million in annualised revenues to Technicolor’s Entertainment Services segment. This would have no impact on the Group’s Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow objectives for 2015.
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.
