Spice, Qualcomm Launch 3G Devices

Spice Mobiles has collaborated with Qualcomm to bring 3G CDMA (CDMA2000 and WCDMA) devices to the Indian market. The two new Spice handsets - S-950, the first Indian branded 3G device and C-810, a full-featured CDMA2000 device for the open market in India, was unveiled by actor Katrina Kaif. Spice Mobile S-950 is based on Qualcomm's Mobile Station Modem (MSM) MSM6245 chipset solution, designed for 3G devices that have wireless multimedia features. S-950 supports wideband services like high-speed Internet, high resolution video and enhanced quality image transmission with the same quality as fixed networks.

The slider device also offers a 2MP camera, 262K color screen, music player (mp3/AAC/AAC+), stereo bluetooth, inbuilt stereo FM radio, video playback, JAVA, expandable memory support along with backward compatibility with EDGE/GPRS/GSM. This phone also comes with value added content and applications like Google Search, Opera mini Browser, NGPay application for banking/ticketing etc, and preloaded content from the Bollywood film 'Jannat'. Spice Mobile C-810 is based on the QSC6020 chipset from the Qualcomm Single-Chip (QSC) family of solutions that enables smaller, sleeker, more power-efficient devices.

Spice maintains that the multimedia handset offers a 15-day standby/10-hour talk-time and storage capacity of 500 songs or 1000 images. It features a 2.2" display screen, 1.3MP camera, Music Player (mp3/AAC), inbuilt FM radio video player, Bluetooth, BREW and expandable memory support.Source

Indian Mobile TV Market sailing high

"India's mobile television market will be worth $360 million by the end of this year," says a report by Springboard Research, a Singapore-based IT market research firm. Courtesy mobile TV, users can view regular television programs on mobile phones and other mobile devices. It marries two dominant consumption trends of entertainment and mobile telephony in the country. According to the Springboard report, as many as 84 percent of users are waiting for an affordable mobile TV service in the country. News, sports, music videos, and game shows have emerged as preferred choices for this service. According to Ravi Shekhar Pandey, manager (Syndicated Research) of Springboard Research, "The market is ripe for the launch of mobile TV services, and we believe that India will have around 12 million mobile TV subscribers within the first year of launch of service." Pandey added that a majority of mobile users in the country are interested in trying out mobile TV, and would invest in new handsets for using the service. That this willingness is definitely a positive sign for those considering offering mobile TV in one of the world's largest and fastest-growing mobile services market. Going a step further, the report recommends that those companies planning to roll out the service should consider offering on-demand, pay-per-view option that will not be attached to a monthly subscription offer. Presently, Doordarshan is the only player in this field. However, the report states that in recent months, the market has witnessed increased activities from various stakeholders, including technology providers, network equipment vendors, and mobile service providers like Nokia, Samsung, Spice Telecom, and Qualcomm.Source

The JS1 Controller unveiled by Zeemote

Zeemote is a creator of user interface technologies, has brought to the world the Zeemote JS1, a wireless controller that enables console like game play on multimedia mobile phones.
Created by the team that gave us the first force feedback joystick for PC gaming, the Zeemote JSI controller offers freedom from the limitations of the mobile phone keypad, providing the comfortable and intuitive interaction of an analog joystick with the mobile phone.
Measuring at a small 95 x 35 x 20mm and weighing 47g, the Zeemote JS1 controller has a thumbstick and four assignable trigger buttons. It offers real analogue control, enabling users to engage with mobile games.
According to Mike Yuen, senior director (Gaming Group) of Qualcomm, the Zeemote JS1 is one of the most innovative devices to come along for mobile gaming, as it greatly helps improve game playability on mobile phones versus traditional d-pads.
The controller has a wireless remote technology that interacts with mobile phones in as natural a way as a mouse does with a conventional PC. It communicates with mobile phones via Bluetooth. According to Zeemote, the technology platform has been validated for use on a wide range of phones from major manufacturers like Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericson, and LG.
Some of the major game developers and publishers including Eidos, Finblade, Fishlabs, and SEGA of America, have already adapted popular games such as Lara Croft Tomb Raider, Helistrike 3D, and Sonic The Hedgehog to utilize this new technology.
Finblade has even created Fireworks, the first two-player game specifically designed for use with the Zeemote JS1 controller. The company has not yet decided on a price for the device. They plan to bundle the controller with games and new high-end phones; and start mass production in May.