Qualcomm expanding Augmented Reality Platform to iPhone

Weeks after introducing version 1.0 of its Augmented Reality Platform for Android smartphones, enabling developers to build, market and commercially distribute interactive 3D experiences connected to real-world images like books, magazines, event tickets and product packages, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) said it will expand the platform to Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, issuing an iOS version of its software development kit this summer. Qualcomm will release the free iOS SDK in partnership with an Austrian subsidiary, reports All Things Digital.

Given that Qualcomm chips power Android devices, the Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) mobile OS was a logical starting point for the company's AR aspirations according to Director of Business Development Jay Wright. "Moving forward we will support additional operating systems," Wright said. "We realize it is a complex ecosystem with multiple operating systems. Developers need tools and technology that address that challenge."

Qualcomm first unveiled the Augmented Reality Platform during its Uplinq 2010 conference last summer, promising developers the tools to superimpose computer-generated 3D content over live camera views of the physical environment, resulting in more intuitive and immersive games, location-based solutions and related applications. In April, Qualcomm partnered with tech entrepreneur Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, to offer fans ticket-based AR gaming experiences during the franchise's playoffs run.

For more:
- read this All Things Digital article

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