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Qualcomm demos gesture-based UI, says Snapdragon S4 will be optimized for Windows 8

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Qualcomm demos gesture-based UI, says Snapdragon S4 will be optimized for Windows 8
The big news of this week is undoubtedly the showcase of Windows 8, Microsoft's first touch-optimized full scale OS, which will be hitting a tablet near you next year. 

At the Innovation Qualcomm event the chip maker confirmed that its next silicon family, called now Snapdragon S4, will feature full support for Windows 8, and will be in the hands of customers early 2012, with speeds up to 2.5GHz per core. Both the dual- and quad-core versions will support Windows 8, and we can only imagine what the benchmarks will be compared to Intel-based systems, in terms of battery life. 

Qualcomm is known for greatly optimizing its SoCs, which include everything - from the baseband radio to the graphics subsystem, so Snapdragon-powered Windows 8 tablet should be an interesting proposition. Moreover, the company says Windows 8 slates will feature S4 chips coupled with its certified multimode Gobi wireless connectivity modules, which can combine HSPA+ and LTE, so we should be covered on that front too, changing networks at whim.

Qualcomm is not sitting still innovating on its beloved gesture-based navigational interface, too, and by "gesture" we don't mean pinch-to-zoom and the other wussy stuff. The company demonstrated an advanced system for gesturing your way around a UI, which in some cases might be considered the next evolution of interacting with our gadgets after the touchscreen. 

Qualcomm demos gesture-based UI, says Snapdragon S4 will be optimized for Windows 8
The system uses ultrasound picked by the phone's microphone, instead of the usual need for a front-facing camera to recognize where your hands are. Qualcomm acquired some IP from GestureTek recently, which might have been behind the demonstration, and said we will see the gesture system in phones and tablets with the S4 chips shipping next year. Great for those long winter nights when you've eaten a grand serving of ribs, and are too lazy to get up and wash.

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1. ilia1986 posted on 15 Sep 2011, 02:03 4 2

So - smartphones use ultrasound now? I can totally see Apple advertising the new iPhone 6 being especially suited for pregnant women...

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2. SemperFiV12 posted on 15 Sep 2011, 05:21 2

Soon in tablets... phones... and all the rest!

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3. Chix017 (unregistered) posted on 15 Sep 2011, 07:03 1

Microsoft is still alive & able!

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4. SuperAndroidEvo posted on 15 Sep 2011, 08:39 2

I love Qualcomm chip sets. Wow the S4 @ 2.5 GHz with both dual, & quad-cores is insane. Then you add the gestures on top, THAT is true innovation. I can’t wait to get the new HTC Evo 3D 2 or whatever they will call it next year. It should have the 28 nm, 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm S4 processor. That will be an insanely powerful phone. Sh*t June 2012 can’t come soon enough! I am very happy with my current HTC Evo 3D though. I have it rooted with the alpha version of CM7 at 1.2 GHz & the beast is so fast. Quadrant is now at 3000 to 3300 almost all the time. I am going to overclock it to 1.6 GHz & see the beast fly with CM7. I can’t imagine how fast it will be with a 100% complete version CM7. Wow I love my HTC Evo 3D! The S3 processor is truly shinning & will keep me entertained until these new S4 proccessors come out. Qualcomm DOES make great processors plain & simple!

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5. remixfa posted on 15 Sep 2011, 10:38 1

hopefully qualcomm takes snapdragon from its walmart quality S2/S3 chips into something much nicer. high clock speeds sound nice but that doesnt always mean anything.

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6. SuperAndroidEvo posted on 15 Sep 2011, 13:47 1

You know the Krait S4 28 nm chip sets will be good stuff. Qualcomm has good tech, to make those older chips still relevant on the S2 & S3 is a testament to their talent. Imagine what they can do with the new generation of chips. The best is yet to come from Qualcomm. Krait will be sick! My S3 running CM7 @ 1.2 GHz is very potent. Sense literally holds back the true power of the S3 chip set!

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7. roscuthiii posted on 16 Sep 2011, 11:25

That would have to be some seriously fine tuned ultrasound I'd think... something on the level of Dare Devil sonar to pick of the minute differences in gestures. Unless we're just talking the larger and simpler hand/arm gestures here and not finger/gestures.

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