Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gave his last CES keynote on Monday night
and while it did mark the end of an era, things are just starting to heat up here in Las Vegas. We’ve got a big day in store that will be packed full of hands-on looks at all of the great devices unveiled during this year’s show, but Qualcomm is kicking things off on Tuesday with the opening keynote for day 1. Qualcomm subsidiary Qualcomm Atheros made several announcements Tuesday morning which included the unveiling of the Skifta Media Shifting Platform, a new wireless content streaming solution, and we’ll likely hear more about them during the keynote. What else might Qualcomm have in store for us? The keynote kicks off at 11:30 a.m. Eastern / 8:30 a.m. Pacific, so hit the break for our live coverage.
1:10PM:“We hope you think of Qualcomm as your partner on that journey. Mobile is transformative. It powers us. It inspires us. At the epicenter of all that is you.” That’s all! Thanks for joining us everyone!
1:10PM:“We’re only at the beginning of what’s possible for mobile,” – Paul Jacobs. “We’re shipping more than a million chips every single day. We’re excited about these trends we’ve talked about this morning. Whether you’re from a developed country or a developed country at the end of the day we’re all living in mobile countries. There are incredible opportunities ahead in this age of mobile.”
1:08PM:It’s a $10 million purse, open to teams anywhere on the planet, and the goal is to revolutionize healthcare so we can have everything in the palm of our hands. The winning team has to be able to diagnose themselves without using a doctor or going to a physician and it has to be easy and fun to use. “If we can make this happen, we are going to drive an era of healthcare abundance so that anyone with a mobile device will be able to have healthcare in the palm of their hands.”
1:06PM:Ok, he’s announcing the Qualcomm Tri Quarter prize to bring the health technology from Star Trek to life. Sounds like they should be talking to the doctor who just took the stage before the X Prize CEO.
1:05PM:Now X Prize is offering prizes in life sciences, environmental areas and more. We’re not sure how this relates to Qualcomm right now other than the two are partnered.
1:05PM:X Prize originally had a $10 million competition to challenge teams to take 3 people into space twice in two weeks.
1:03PM:X Price Foundation wants to drive medical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity.
1:03PM:“The Qualcomm Foundation is pioneering new health technology,” – Paul Jacobs, “and to do this, we’re partnering with the X Prize Foundation. CEO Dr. Peter Diamandis is on the stage now.
1:01PM:Apparently heart attacks begin to happen a week or two ahead of time, and there’s technology that will soon allow users to be alerted ahead of time through their smartphone. “It’s about digitization of man.”
1:00PM:We’re headed to an era where we can carry a DNA sequence on our cell phone and know which drugs we will react positively or negatively to.
12:58PM:400 million diabetics in the world, over a billion pre-diabetics. The biggest problem is controlling blood sugars. We’ve never had continuous sugar levels being reported on a phone, but he’s showing a product that allows a user to view their glucose level ever minute. It’s a widget on an Android phone, pretty awesome. When the app is open you can view trends by hour, every 6 hours and more. We’re honestly pretty impressed.
12:57PM:Now we’re seeing a watch that shows all of its wearer’s vital signs. In shows blood pressure (non invasive), respiratory rate, oxygen in the bloodstream, temperature and the heartbeat. “It’s like an ICU on the wrist.” It can change hospital beds to monitor beds, and when it’s in the home and on the mobile front, it means you can look at your phone. “A culture of cybercondriacs could be created.”
12:56PM:One device allows users to view a cardiogram on their smartphone. It’s called the Alive Core and you can simply put your finger on the back of a device and the cardiogram starts popping up on the screen. Pretty amazing stuff, maybe I can save money on my EKGs. “You can send it to your Facebook friends or your doctor,” he joked, but he said he actually used it on a flight to diagnose a heart attack and save a life on the plane.
12:54PM:Dr. Eric Topol, the chief academic officer of Scripps Health just took the stage, he has a new book out that’s being released here at CES. “We’re preparing for a consumer healthcare revolution,” Topol says.
12:53PM:Qualcomm is also focused on healthcare and is working on new tools to help medical professionals treat patients. Qualcomm’s light division launched a new innovative health solution that captures and delivers medical data and deliver it to any database formrom any wireless device. It’s investing $100 million to help capitalize new developments in this field.
12:52PM:Ok Paul Jacobs is back on the stage. “As you just saw, we’re working hard to drive Augmented Reality to the next level. Qualcomm’s tech is the first to recognize multiple 3D objects at the same time and it works at any angle, a full 360 degrees.”
12:51PM:Grover is rambling about something now.
12:49PM:Basically the tablet makes the playset come to life using Qualcomm’s Vuforia technology. Qualcomm has a focus on empowering its partners to create intelligent toys.
12:48PM:We’re looking at a Sesame Street playset that allows children to use Sesame Street play pieces and when a camera is pointed at them from a tablet or smartphone they come to life. Similar to what we’ve seen with other augmented reality applications but this should be fun for kids.
12:46PM:“Qualcomm’s Vuforia offers an exciting new dimension for mobile experiences” – Ming. “We’re working together with Qualcomm to maximize learning on the platform.” Now we’re watching Rover Monster demo how it all works and I’m scared.
12:45PM:Qualcomm has partnered with Sesame Workshop in India to help children in the New Delhi area. It helps prepare kids for school by delivering mobile material to their phones. Vuforia, another technology, uses the camera’s cell phones and uses 3D graphics to overlay 3D graphics on top of the real world objects. It reminds us of augmented technology stuff. It’s already used by 17,000 developers on 400 smartphones and tablets and is used in 300 Android and iOS devices. Sesame Workshop uses it and the president and CEO H. Melvin Ming is taking the stage to talk more.
12:43PM:500 million children in India lack adequate schools. Even with funding it will take too long to build brick and mortar schools, so mobile devices can help children learn now instead of waiting for infrastructure to be built.
12:42PM:Jacobs is introducing a new eReader from a Chinese partner called Hanvon CAT eReader. It has more than 150,000 titles and 100 Chinese newspapers. More than 90% of the content is in color, it clearly runs Android given the controls at the bottom of the device. It looks neat but we’re not overly blown away. It will be available next month in China.
12:41PM:“We believe to be truly effective, eReaders must deliver both text and video and have to be usable indoors and out.” QUalcomm’s Mirasol technology addresses all of those issues. It uses bio-mimicry which is inspired by the way a butterfly uses its wings to create power.”
12:40PM:“We think the eReader is the next mobile device to revolutionize the classroom.”
12:40PM:Jacobs wants to touch on education now, beyond the confines of the classroom.
12:39PM:The TV will be on exhibit here so we’re going to check that out for sure later today.
12:38PM:“What we have seen today is just a start.” – Jun
12:38PM:Instead of needing a console you can just run an Android game on the television. We’re looking at a Gameloft title called Asphalt Adrenaline 6. The graphics actually look decent even though they are blown up on the TV screen. Curious how the controls work, though..
12:36PM:The TV runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and has a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It can run the latest applications and can run console quality games. We’re getting a demo of a racing game now.
12:36PM:The TV looks pretty awesome, although its display looks pretty small from our seats. It has its own smart UI and application platform. From the main menu you can access internet applications and users can gesture to switch screens. No keyboard is required, the device has integrated voice control embedded in the remote. Pretty awesome looking technology. During the demo someone searched Ocean and it found a clip and then said “play video” and the clip started. Lots of applause.
12:34PM:“This year, we are bringing you the world’s first Snapdragon based TV, the Lenovo smart TVs.”
12:34PM:Jun says Lenovo believes that all the new devices will be connected and powered by the cloud. “We are transforming Lenovo from a leading personal computer company to a leading personal internet device company.”
12:33PM:Qualcomm and Lenovo have the world’s first Android-based Snapdragon powered TV and it will first launch in China. It’s here today. Liu Jun, senior vice president of Lenovo is taking the stage now.
12:32PM:Jacobs is now discussing how Qualcomm is investing heavily in the connected home and how it’s working with consumer electronics manufacturers to create devices, like home appliances, that all talk together using HiFi technology.
12:31PM:We’re seeing a brief demo of a Windows 8 tablet running on an S4 Snapdragon processor. Looks pretty swift and the mobile broadband option allows for 4G LTE through AT&T. “And, by the way, no fan.” Wow. Lots of applause there.
12:30PM:“Our leadership with Snapdragon is enabling us to work with PC manufacturers to deliver the lightest and thinnest PCs that are always on. Today, for the first time ever, you’re going to see Windows 8 running on Snapdragon S4 and running on an AT&T 4G LTE network.” Sweet we’re pumped to see that.
12:29PM:“Windows 8 is Windows reimagined and together with the S4 processor it’s going to enable instant-turn on PCs… metro style apps will be kept up-to-date all the time, and it will do that while conserving battery life. That is something that we in the mobile industry know a lot about.”
12:28PM:“Snapdragon S4 will power your TV, your ultra compact notebook,” as well as smartphones. The devices based on S4 Snapdragon processors will be on the market early this year. There are more than 20 manufacturers on board and 70 device designs already in the pipeline. Windows 8 will also support ARM and Snapdragon, and Qualcomm sees that as a great opportunity to “flex its muscles.”
12:27PM:“Our latest S4 series Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets will set the bar higher” – Paul Jacobs
12:26PM:“Nokia understands developed markets. Nokia also understands emerging markets. With Qualcomm we will address the unique needs of partners around the world.”
12:26PM:Elop is covering some of the specs of the Lumia 900 now, which we’ve already covered so be sure to read more about it on the homepage! We’ll also be bringing you a hands on in just a few hours once the show floor opens.
12:25PM:“Yesterday, at CES, we announced our intentions to spread the Lumia brand to North America.” It will launch the Nokia Lumia 900 n AT&T and the 710 on T-Mobile. The 800 and 710 will also be available on Telus and Rogers in Canada.
12:24PM:“Windows Phone offered an alternative to patterns that are all too common in other ecosystems. In October we introduced the Lumia 710 and Lumia 800, the first “real” Windows Phones. Nokia Lumia has opened the Windows Phone gateway to the world.”
12:23PM:Nokia is helping entrepreneurs around the world with its handsets and it believes it can push it further with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon technology. “Nokia is a gateway to the world.”
12:22PM:“We believe for many people, their mobile phone will be their first experience with the internet.”
12:22PM:“Over the last year we have been working in close partnership with Qualcomm,” Elop said. “One element of our strategy supports opportunities and growth in emerging markets. The first key pillar in our strategy is a focus on increasing our lower-priced mobile business.”
12:21PM:Qualcomm is playing a leadership role in Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system. Right now every single Windows Phone device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop is now taking the stage.
12:20PM:In addition to gaming, Qualcomm is working with Android partners on other fronts, including creating more affordable devices in emerging countries. Qualcomm is providing a blueprint for those manufacturers so they can make the phones cheaper, but still also help them stand out against other devices. By 2015 half of all smartphones will ship to emerging countries.
12:19PM:A mixed martial artist is on stage now to help promote gaming on Snapdragon. CES attendees can visit the Qualcomm booth to try to challenge gamers in a new title called Fight Game Heroes.
12:17PM:Snapdragon is now creating a lot of buss in the mobile gaming sector and we’re working with the top gaming companies. We launched an app called Game Command (like TegraZone) and it offers games that are optimized for Snapdragon.
12:17PM:Snapdragon processors now power 300 devices worldwide and 350 more are in development. That includes high-end and low-end products. “Our goal is to enable better phones for every market for the best price possible. We’re proud to support the broadest range of mobile operating systems in the industry.”
12:16PM:Before Snapdragon devices needed to have multiple chips to have all of those features.
12:16PM:In emerging countries mobile is huge for helping people escape property. Qualcomm Snapdragon is the most advanced and first all-in-one processor on the market. It includes graphics, processing, audio, GPS, and wireless 3G/4G tech all on one chip.
12:13PM:Jacobs is talking about how Qualcomm works with emerging markets to help people launch their own businesses. Qualcomm provides these people with a package, including a phone, to help them get started. The penetration of mobile phones has increased so much since the start of the project that Qualcomm now has to add data connections. There are over 9000 entrepreneurs now serving more than 1 million customers. More than 47% who stay in the program after 4 months have doubled their income. 100% are profitable and more than 80% are owned by women.
12:11PM:Qualcomm.com/CES has the video clip if any of you out there want to watch it.
12:08PM:We’re seeing a quick clip of people using their mobile devices around the world. It’s kind of inspiring.
12:07PM:More than 1.4 billion new 3G connections are expected in the emerging regions over the next four years.
12:06PM:2/3 of internet users in emerging markets access the web using their mobile phones. In India, mobile broadband connections surpassed fixed connections. In Indonesia Internet cafes are seeing a hit to their business because their customers are accessing the internet on their mobile devices instead.
12:05PM:Emerging markets are expected to contribute over 50% of global GDP by 2015. They will be one of the biggest drivers of growth in the years ahead.
12:05PM:“Modern life is becoming mobile-centric and no where is this more relevant than in emerging countries.”
12:05PM:“the internet changed the world, but mobile is having an even greater impact.”
12:04PM:In 2011 mobile revenues for the wireless industry reached approximately $1.3 trillion, almost 2% of global GDP.
12:04PM:1.2 billion people access news on their mobile devices, that’s 3x the circulation of all newspapers.
12:03PM:Unlike most speakers, Shapiro is cool with us playing with our phones in the audience.
12:03PM:“There are more than 6 billion wireless connections worldwide.”
12:02PM:“Our mission is to push the boundaries of what’s possible in mobile. We invested more than $3 billion in innovation during the past few years and those investments helped drive the 3G revolution. Today, our investments are laying the groundwork for the next generation 4G networks. We’ve shipped more than 7 billion chipsets worldwide, that makes us the #1 provider of silicon for wireless.”
12:01PM:Qualcomm’s been in the consumer electronics business for more than 25 years creating mobile tech for phones, tablets, eReaders and more.
11:59AM:Qualcomm chairman and CEO Dr. Paul Jacobs is taking the stage now.
11:59AM:Too early in the morning for this kind of techno blasting
11:57AM:Kind of creeped out
11:57AM:Alright he should be taking the stage and moment now there’s a weird crowd on the stage now putting on a bit of a tron-like performance.
11:56AM:Paul’s passion helped create one of the world’s first smartphones. Qualcomm then created an entire ecosystem that allowed for the launch of the world’s first app store.
11:54AM:We’re touching on Qualcomm now so we assume CEO Dr. Paul Jacobs should be taking the stage soon.
11:53AM:“Innovation is CES and it is the pulse of our show.”
11:52AM:“It’s your internet and it’s your government.” Lots of clapping about Shapiro’s suggestion that we sign the Declaration of Innovation petition.
11:50AM:He’s briefly touching on IPv4 moving to IPv6 and spectrum shortage and he hopes we find solutions so that no one is left behind.
11:47AM:Shapiro is basically going over all of the areas of the show floor, from green products such as electric cars to health products and more. Qualcomm’s CEO should take the stage shortly.
11:45AM:Our badge holders are made from recycled materials from last years show. Neat.
11:43AM:“2012 will be marked as a turning point in how innovation is used to solve problems around the world.”
11:42AM:We’re going over all that happened in 2011. Pandora and Spotify showing how music can be monetized, Steve Jobs’s passing and more.
11:41AM:Twitter helped power the Arab Spring. Broadband and mobile devices enabled global support for the spread of democracy in the middle east.
11:40AM:Shapiro is discussing how innovation helps create jobs and how he has traveled the world discussing innovation. “Every nation wants to be innovative, global leaders share the same desire they want to grow their economies and they want to improve the lives of their citizens.”
11:39AM:He’s talking about “the cause of innovation” and the “health of the global economy.”
11:37AM:President and CEO of the CEA Gary Shapiro is taking the stage now.
11:35AM:The lights are dimming, which means this awful music should be ending shortly.
11:31AM:We’re told the keynote will begin momentarily.
11:26AM:We should be getting started in just a few minutes. It looks like the last of the crowd is settling in.
