Qualcomm’s mobile television company is doing its best to get the industry’s attention at this year’s Mobile World Congress. FLO TV is showing off new smartbook apps and has launched what it calls “next generation” mobile broadcast technology.
FLO TV’s apps will run on smartbooks made with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip. So far, the apps include a live Twitter feed that allows consumers to watch a live TV channel while monitoring a contextual Twitter feed; a breaking news feed; and a live sports broadcast.
“The idea of watching television on your laptop is not new, nor is the idea of receiving personalized information about things that matter to you,” said FLO TV President Bill Stone in a statement. “However, marrying our FLO-enabled broadcast services with the content consumers love and the social networking platforms they frequent is new, and it illustrates how mobile media and the Web can come alive together for the ultimate in a personalized experience.”
FLO TV parent Qualcomm also announced what it’s calling the “next evolution” of its MediaFLO platform, which supports mobile broadcast technology such as mobile television and data casting. The company says the FLO-EV air interface update will improve spectral efficiency and reduce operating expenses. The FLO-EV platform is intended primarily for international markets.
The announcements come on the heels of the company’s other efforts to raise awareness of its mobile television technology. FLO TV spent an estimated $10 million on three Super Bowl advertising slots lasting for two minutes and has partnered with Audiovox to push its mobile television service into in-vehicle entertainment systems.