Hardware
TiVo exits STB business
MUMBAI: TiVo is exiting the manufacturing, sales and distribution of set-top boxes to a yet-undisclosed third party, the company has said.
CEO Enrique Rodriguez, talking to analysts on its Q1 earnings call, said that consumers would continue to see TiVo-branded boxes in the retail sector, and specifically mentioned outlets such as Best Buy and Amazon. “Once we complete this transition, we still will have direct consumer hardware sales through TiVo.com, which we will be fulfilling through this box manufacturer.”
Q1 revenue was $189.9 million, with core revenue up $9.7 million (5.9 per cent). Product revenue was $116.9 million, up 2 per cent year-on-year.
Rovi Corp acquired TiVo in 2016 and Rodriguez said that synergies had already topped $100 million of its $110 million targeted savings from the combination.
Rodriguez told analysts that its traditional markets consist of consumer electronics, or CE manufacturers, and Pay TV service providers. “The emerging markets for us are virtual service providers, content and new media companies as well as advertisers. These are the areas that we believe will drive TiVo’s future growth.”
He added that TiVo had expanded its patent agreement with Google in Q1 to include YouTube TV. Additionally, KDDI renewed their OTT service agreement with TiVo in Japan. “In Asia, we added Telstra Corp as a licensee in Australia and renewed our IP licence deal with Alticast in Korea. In Europe, we added the number two service provider in a major European country as a customer under a six-year licence arrangement. This comes on top of renewing eight service providers in Europe last year.”
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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.
