11/20, 3:10pm
Proto FLO TV tuner gives iPhone live shows
Qualcomm has quietly shown an example receiver that would give the iPhone and iPod touch FLO TV reception. Despite assertions that the company would use iPhone OS 3.0 support for native hardware, the demonstrator mimics the strategy used for the Softbank 1Seg tuner in Japan and pipes video over Wi-Fi. The receiver itself is roughly as large as the iPhone, though it's unclear whether this is due to its prototype nature or to accommodate a larger battery.
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11/13, 11:10am
FLO TV Personal TV ships with 6-months of service
Qualcomm's FLO TV Personal Television is now available in stores and online. The device as expected provides subscription over-the-air TV from a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen that the company now adds is oleophobic (oil-resistant). Programs are a mix of live and timeshifted shows from CBS Mobile, CNBC, Comedy Central, FOX News Channel, MSNBC, MTV, NBC 2Go and Nickelodeon. Some limited-time bonus channels will also be offered for special events, premium programs and original content.
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11/05, 10:00am
Samsung Mythic, Flight coming to AT&T Nov. 8th
Samsung Mobile began shipping two promised touchscreen handsets on AT&T's network. The Samsung Mythic has a 3.3-inch touchscreen only interface and is the latest phone to work with AT&T's Mobile TV service. It runs on Samsung's own widget-based TouchWiz interface and brings top-level access both to the Mobile TV service as well as Facebook and MySpace.
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10/16, 10:00am
ATSC Mobile DTV gets matching chip
The TV standards group ATSC today said its members have approved Mobile DTV, its over-the-air format made just for portable devices in North America. The gesture should let notebooks, smartphones and in-car units tune into free, live broadcasts of H.264 video even while moving at high speed. Although not HD, the format can run on existing digital TV networks without significant complications and is built to consume little power on the viewer's end.
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10/07, 10:55am
Qualcomm intros FLO TV Personal TV
Qualcomm this morning made official its attempt to produce its own hardware with the FLO TV Personal Television. The handheld revolves around the company's own FLO TV digital broadcast TV standard and depends on a subscription that provides multiple channels of both live and delayed content, such as Comedy Central, NBC and Nickelodeon. The interface takes its cue from modern media players like the iPod touch and Zune HD by using a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, although it uses a TV-like programming guide to pick channels.
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10/05, 12:00am
AT&T intros two Pantech, two Samsung phones
AT&T today sought to address the limits of messaging phones with four new models that center on a new browser. The Pantech Impact and Reveal, as well as the Samsung Flight and Mythic, all have a new AT&T web browser based on Opera that not only renders HTML more accurately -- a rarity on non-smartphones -- but also uses compression to reduce the bandwidth overhead on the 3G network. It further provides shortcuts to location-sensitive news, maps and points of interest.
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10/01, 8:20am
HTC Imagio official for Verizon
Verizon this morning launched a raft of new devices headlined by its first ever device to run Windows Mobile 6.5. The HTC Imagio takes advantage of the Microsoft OS' more touch-friendly interface and brings TouchFLO 3D, an improved version of HTC's in-house interface that brings contacts and other info to the top level. It's also Verizon's first smartphone-class device to support FLO TV and takes advantage of a large 3.6-inch, 800x480 touchscreen to show the live digital TV at its native resolution.
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09/29, 2:30pm
HTC Imagio for Verizon spotted, dated
The HTC Imagio XV6975 smartphone that will soon arrive at wireless provider Verizon has been spotted again, showing more details and the required Verizon branding. The phone will run on Windows Mobile 6.5, but lacks a hardware QWERTY keyboard. It will also be the first full smartphone offering in Verizon's lineup to support FLO TV broadcasts.
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09/23, 12:35pm
Qualcomm PTV caught in photo
Qualcomm's PTV media player gained substance today through a leak that appears to show a real prototype of the device. Although less elaborate than the concept drawing, it reflects the basic all-touchscreen design and the existence of a stand to keep the player upright for watching the player's signature FLO TV digital over-the-air video. A 3.5mm headphone jack and speakers are also visible in the BGR shot.
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09/17, 11:20am
Audiovox, FLO TV to offer TV shows in cars
Audiovox has partnered up with FLO TV to bring the latter's live mobile TV service to cars, the two companies announced on Thursday. FLO TV (formerly MedaiFLO) was offered to mobile phone subscribers, and the new service, called FLO TV Auto Entertainment, will be offered before the end of 2009 through 12,000 new car dealers. Audiovox will supply the hardware to enable this, including a small antenna that is no bigger than a human hand.
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08/26, 6:15pm
Qualcomm PTV Player
Qualcomm is hoping to spark life in its over-the-air FLO TV format by launching a device of its own, a detailed leak notes. Although its digital TV service is already found in a number of cellphones in the US, the normally chip-only company is said by GDGT to be developing a Personal Television, or PTV, that would focus on its own FLO TV tuner. It would be dominated by a capacitive (finger-driven) touchscreen and might have a more natural interface with flicks and other gestures.
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06/19, 12:35pm
VCAST TV in San Francisco
Verizon today officially expanded its V CAST Mobile TV network to include key larger California cities. The FLO TV-based digital broadcasts are now available in San Francisco as well as Fresno and Sacramento further south. Channel selection should remain the same and provides a mix of both live and pre-recorded content from both kids' channels like NickToons and more mature content from CBS, Fox, NBC and others.
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04/09, 3:45pm
FLO TV iPhone In Works
Qualcomm today revealed that it's developing an add-on that could give several smartphones, including the iPhone, a tuner for FLO TV digital broadcasts. The communications firm's FLO TV head Bill Stone remarks to SAI that iPhone OS 3.0's support for third-party hardware has set Qualcomm to developing an external receiver that could give both the iPhone and iPod touch, as well as other smartphones, access to the over-the-air TV service. When it would ship isn't yet certain, as is whether it would use the Dock Connector or else attach wirelessly.
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