Qualcomm Uplinqs to Open Apps Stores, Virtual Reality, VR Challenges and Georgia Tech

Qualcomm has made many announcements here in San Diego at the Uplinq conference..  Qualcomm annouunced the availability of an application store to bring Brew apps and services to consumers in open markets. The first application store will be managed by SINA, the largest infotainment Web portal in China. 

Qualcomm unveiled plans to offer an augmented reality platform and software development kit (SDK) to enable a new generation of vision-based augmented reality applications. Initially available for Android devices, Qualcomm's augmented reality platform will enable developers to build applications that merge reality and cyberspace. The SDK will be made available at no charge to developers for use in the development and distribution of commercial applications.

They aannounced its inaugural Augmented Reality Application Developer Challenge, an international competition to spotlight the best applications developed using Qualcomm's augmented reality platform and software development kit (SDK). Awards totaling $200,000 are up for grabs and will be awarded to individuals or companies demonstrating the most effective, entertaining and functional new application products.

Qualcomm has joined forces with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) to establish the Qualcomm Augmented Reality Game Studio, a research and design center aimed at pioneering new advancements in mobile gaming and interactive media. Located on Georgia Tech's Atlanta campus, the game studio will build upon Qualcomm's newly announced augmented reality platform and related graphics technologies to produce new application concepts and prototypes.

They said before the event they are attractimg new partners to the Qualcomm-driven 3Pre program. The program provides support to mobile device manufacturers, operators and members of the developer community with a focus on integrating core, pre-loaded applications

The Brew Mobile Platform offers support for multiple tiers of devices. Developers are able to create extraordinary experiences typically associated with high-end smart phones on a broader range of devices priced to compete with feature phones - which, based on analyst reports, are expected to comprise more than 80 percent of all mobile phones in operation through 2014. The operating system enables advanced capabilities such as touchscreen, rich multimedia, window management, open platform extensibility and expanded support for native application development.