KUALA LUMPUR: Qualcomm Inc, creator of the 3G (third-generation mobile communications) chip, said it is conducting new research and development in the area of mobile Internet.

It said 3G technology is not only limited to mobile phones but has expanded to notebook computers and game consoles. Also, it expects the number of 3G service subscribers to hit 1.4 billion worldwide in 2012.

“People today are relying more on mobile services and many even feel awkward without their portable devices, said John Stefanac, president of Qualcomm South-East Asia.

“Mobile phones (for example) are no longer just for voice calls but have become secondary cameras and another access point to the Internet.”

This is one reason why Qualcomm continues to research new applications for 3G technology.

Among these is a new computer processor called Snapdragon, which the company will pit against current low-power processors such as Intel’s Atom, now found in netbooks.

Snapdragon, Stefanac said, is able to prolong the battery life of ultra-portables even if the users spend endless hours on the Internet.

He claimed that Snapdragon has attracted the interests of several consumer electronics manufacturers.

“Toshiba is interested in the chip. It and several other vendors want to use Snapdragon in their future products,” he said.

Rowing forward

Qualcomm is also designing a PC alternative, called the Kayak, which will allow its users to surf the Internet through 3G connectivity. The device will use the Snapdragon processor, of course.

Kayak is expected to be priced at less than US$150 (RM540) for just the CPU; it can be connected to any monitor, mouse and keyboard. Stefanac said an added bonus is that the computer will also have phone functions.

The device will run Qualcomm’s Brew operating system and will come pre-loaded with the Opera web browser, as well as a few games.

It does not have any built-in storage so users will need to rely on devices such as thumbdrives, memory cards and external hard disks for that.

“The product is designed for home use in certain emerging markets but we are now seeing OEMs coming up with different functionalities for it,” said Stefanac.

He said Qualcomm will be releasing Kayak for trials before making it commerically available in the second half of this year.

He said the US market will be one of the first to have Kayak because the computer is a feature of the Obama administration’s move to bring technology to more Americans.

“The Kayak will be used as a part of the US stimulus package to give those in the lower socio-economic groups access to the Internet,” Stefanac said.

Console challenge

Qualcomm plans to introduce Zeebo, its gaming console that will compete against rivals such as Xbox, PlayStation3 and the Wii, soon.

The console will come with a 3G card for wireless Internet access so users can download games from the Internet or engage in multiplayer web sessions, as can be done with most of the current crop of consoles.

Zeebo will make its debut in Brazil first, towards the end of the year, because Qualcomm sees South America as an emerging market for the console that has much potential, Stefanac said.

Other products that Qualcomm is working on include a 3G chip that can be embedded in vehicles, which will alert motor service centres when a part needs to be replaced.

Stefanac said the chip could also function as an aid to first-responders in the event of a vehicular mishap, or to insurance companies.

Qualcomm is also working with a US-based company, Cardionet, to develop 3G applications for telemedicine.

Stefanac was here to attend the Frost & Sullivan Mobile Broadband Asia Pacific summit last month.