Uplinq 2011 is a two-day event hosted by Qualcomm in San Diego. Yesterday, we covered the first keynote, which discussed the topics of 3D, peer-to-peer gaming, and augmented reality. A new Snapdragon “Game Pack” was also revealed as part of Qualcomm’s plans to support developers in optimizing games for its processors.

A keynote by HTC touched upon NFC technology, cloud data, and 4G, with Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop later taking the stage to outline five basic points for success. Various other demoes took place including HTC EVO 3D video recording and playback and HD games on the ASUS Eee Pad MeMO.

Real Soccer 2011 HD

This is, as the title implies, a soccer game that relies on virtual buttons and a joystick on the display’s screen, showing off both tiny-person gameplay running across the screen kicking the ball in a seamless interactive environment, plus instant cinematic once a goal is scored. This does look like an impressive game to be sure, but we’re definitely hoping for a longer look soon down the line.

Spider-Man Total Mayhem HD

This game is certainly the start of something gigantic as Marvel Comics are no small name in video games, the first of a long line of amazing comic book games to be sure. Again massively impressive and smooth gameplay as well as cinematics all controlled via virtual buttons and joystick on the display.

Ramping up for a great year in Qualcomm Snapdragon optimized games!

Stay tuned to SlashGear for all the Qualcomm Uplinq 2011 news you can handle – comin at ya from all angles!

What this particular demo entails is an HTC EVO 3D recording some 3D action in a show put on by the ladies with the swords. This is a device that will be coming out SOON, soon as in within a few months sitting on your desk soon.

HTC EVO 3D Video Recording and Playback

For all the info you could possibly want on the HTC EVO 3D, head back to our demonstration and hands-on with the device back in March at CTIA. It’s one of the first smartphones in the world to come out with 3D viewing without the aid of glasses – beaten only by the LG Optimus 3D which you can get a peek at over in the full review Android Community has up. Now without further ado, have a look at this magnificence:

At the time of this post, we’re still running around like mad here at Uplinq 2011, a Qualcomm superfest to be sure! Be sure to stick with us here on SlashGear via our bigtime Qualcomm Uplinq 2011 portal. Everything you need to know it all!

In this case they’re using a series of five photos taken in an instant, then moving to a function called “Rewind” as created in collaboration with their media partners here by the name of Scalado.

Rewind

What you’ll be able to do in the future on devices powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors with Rewind is click your camera button, collect a series of photos, and select the best one based on whatever criteria you like. Not only that, you’ll be able to center in on the faces of each of the humans in the photo and, using a ring that allows you to see each of the different iterations of that face, select which one you like the best. How this will all play out in the final photo in order for you to be seeing a completely non-wild photo in the end we cannot be too sure, but for now, it looks like quite the awesome feature.

This full session’s title is this: “Technical Super Session: What Your Apps Can Do When You Target Snapdragon” and it expands beyond this Rewind function to further functions of the future Qualcomm device in the camera and much, much more. Stay tuned with SlashGear for more updates as well fix them up throughout the day! Uplinq 2011 is really ramping up!

The second big point Elop hoped to project was “Completing the mobile ecosystem.” This essentially means that Nokia will have to make sure they’ve got all the different uses for mobile electronics covered. Will they be pushing for tablets in the future? We suspect that this is not out of the question, certainly. The third point Elop noted was to secure support from operators – will Windows Phone 7 be on all carriers in the future? We’re sort of surprised this move hasn’t been made already more in earnest.

The fourth point Steven Elop made for the future success of Nokia was that they;d need to broaden the ecosystem. NFC and biometrics will continue to require apps from developers to bring them to life. This includes big guns such as Rovio who’ll soon be working with Nokia to bring Angry Birds Magic to the forefront of the NFC news world – expect Angry Birds to continue to be the boat on which many features float in on here with Nokia.

Finally #5 is to build the developer community so it continues to be compelling (and certainly it’ll need to be MORE compelling than it already is) to jump on board the Windows Phone bandwagon. Lots of dev support is what Nokia’s going to need to make this happen. We’ll be keeping up with Nokia on this front, at Uplinq 2011 and outside the convention to see how Windows Phone 7 is developing – hoping for big things!

Onlive

HTC and Onlive will not stop at video games, but to also deliver real-time experience such as applications like Autocad and will be making further investments into education. Onlive and Android have the same roots and incubator, they say, this prompting us to ask the question: Did google invest in Onlive as well?

“Our partnership with Qualcomm is one of the most important relationship HTC has made in over a decade, we’re like brothers.” – Peter Chou

Chou noted that HTC is the number one Android brand and supplier “everywhere in the world.” Chou went on to say that “HTC believes in giving people choice.” Peter talked about Microsoft and how much they value the relationship and still very committed to produce future Windows Phone platform by being a good partner.

Chou then noted that another critical relation is with “you” the developers. This is the era of Mobile Development, he notes. There are more than 450k Android developers with a lot of Android apps on the market. HTC is committed to helping developers – big or small. Chou noted that HTC understands your needs because as he says “we are ourselves are developers.”

HTC pro

HTC Pro is a new program to support developers of all sizes says Chou, HTC is thinking of different ways to support developers announce the availability of HTC dev/ HTC OpenSense SDK. More information on this can be found at htcdev.com where Chou mentions that you can download libraries and sdk to your hearts’ content. What this means is that apps like Picasa or linkedin can use HTC Sense or even Gameloft or Zulu using the HTC Pen (used on the HTC Flyer) to bring doodling to life.

All of this bodes well for those who’ve already ordered or have their HTC Flyer in hand as it’ll soon be the screen leading us into whatever portal we wish that it always should have been. Controllers used for video games, doodling on every little application with the Scribe Pen, and more! Stick with us here on SlashGear for all the HTC/Uplinq/Qualcomm coverage you could possible want!

Bonus drums!

“For many people smartphone is the most personal device they’ll ever use,” they note, this being a holistic experience dedicated to how people use their mobile devices with extra effort put into HTC sense allowing technology to work for “you” not the other way around. It’s noted that “HTC Sense is everything we do to make technology work for you.” It appears that HTC is taking their user interface for Android to the next level. This is evidenced first and formats by the new lockscreen demoed onstage.

We’ve got Vince (aka Vincent Nguyen) in the field right now noting the following on the lockscreen:

“I’ve personally used the new HTC Sense and yes the lock screen is pretty nifty, quick and efficient and not to mention customizable. With HTC Sense you can go from turning on the phone to making a call in two steps.”

There’s a mode for “your mood” depending on the day in this set of upgrades for Sense, Peter Chou notes that smartphones will be the main control center of the internet, and the crowd goes wild.

[NOTE: Photos from this event coming soon!]

One size doesn’t fit all so HTC’s brand momentum is rising quickly, it’s said. Chou notes that HTC is now inside the top 5 smartphone brand in the world – but what’s going to drive growth in years ahead? Chou notes that while there are still a lot of people using feature phones, by end of this year smartphone sales will exceed feature phones.

“Your handset is equivalent of a swiss army knife right in your pocket” – Peter Chou

You’ll be working with your Digital Wallet (NFC) – this is punctuated by a projected 500 million NFC enabled phones by 2015. Chou goes on to note that you’ll be using a Digital ID, that Biometric is the next big megatrend, and that Education is also a big priority for HTC. Education is punctuated by Chou with talk of the ability to carry an infinite number of books without chopping down a single tree – HTC isn’t saving the world but it’s definitely heading into the right direction (with the rest of the groups championing eBooks, that is.)

The keynote moved on that that point to 4G – it’s noted that 4G will revolutionize how we use mobile in the future and consumers are excited for this technology to hit mainstream. Data will be moving 100X faster than your home network – what will we do with such speeds? How about a “cloud-powered entertainment center” – could this be tied to HTC Play? – Chou went on to note that we’ll no longer require downloading or synching. Whatever you want will simply be a tap away. Chou punctuates this note by mentioning that HTC is leading the charge for this technology today on the Thunderbolt, EVO 3D, Sensation and Flyer.

Stick with SlashGear for the rest of the HTC coverage of Uplinq 2011!

It’s unclear if Jacobs is referring to the “converged ereader” Qualcomm confirmed was in the pipeline at SID 2011 last month. Then, the company said that the 5.7-inch unit would go on sale before the end of 2011.

Jacobs also highlighted that the Japanese earthquake had impacted mirasol production, and that had pushed back availability. He also mentioned that, while mirasol’s color reproduction isn’t as vibrant as that of OLED panels, Qualcomm’s roadmap involves heading toward that point – albeit sacrificing some battery life in the process. However, the company is unable to ramp production volume until the new fab comes online in 2012.

Qualcomm’s program will involve working with developers to optimize the performance of their games to take full advantage of the Adreno GPU in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. The Game Pack will initially come with 100 mobile games that will be available through the Android Market and developer stores. Those same games will also be available to manufacturers working on pre-production devices running Snapdragon processors.

Numbers

There are currently over 125 devices on the market powered by Snapdragon. And, another 250 Snapdragon devices are currently in development worldwide from various OEMs. It’s safe to say that games optimized for the processor will have a rather large market for distribution. Several developer groups have already signed on with Qualcomm’s optimization program, including Babaroga, Booyah, Com2us USA, Digital Chocolate, Eyelead Software, Glu, Guild Software, NAMCO BANDAI Games America, Gameloft, Natural Motion, Polarbit, Southend Interactive, and Tripwire Interactive.

Games

There are also a couple of games that have already been Snapdragon optimized and released, including GT Racing: Motor Academy and Real Soccer 2011 that are both available at Gameloft. Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus is available through the Android Market as well as through V-Cast Apps for the Xperia PLAY. Some other optimized games that will be available soon include Pool Pro Online 3, available through the developer’s website, and PAC-Mac Cart Rally 3D, which was demoed at the event today.

The Difference

Qualcomm’s game optimization program strives to ensure that games will work best with its Snapdragon CPU and Adreno GPU to encourage consumers to seek out devices with its processors for the optimal gaming experience. But like we mentioned earlier, the main difference between Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Game Pack approach and rival game optimization programs is that Qualcomm is not limiting developers to one processor. With already a large market, some successfully optimized games with more in route, and an “open” approach, Qualcomm could certainly become a major player when it comes to mobile gaming hardware.

Press Release:

SAN DIEGO – June 01, 2011 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced the introduction of the Snapdragon™ Game Pack, which is an optimization program initially featuring more than 100 mobile games that represent the first installment of a growing collection of the latest console-quality and casual games optimized and enhanced for Snapdragon-based mobile devices. This significant milestone conveys the depth of support and collaboration among Qualcomm and top gaming publishers and developers that are using the advanced graphics capability of the embedded Adreno™ GPUs in Snapdragon mobile processors to bring a better gaming experience to mobile users. Future phases of the Snapdragon Game Pack will be able to take full advantage of next-generation Snapdragon mobile processors that will feature quad-core Adreno GPUs and will be optimized for larger display devices, such as tablets.

With more than 60 percent of smartphone users regularly playing games on their mobile devices, the demand is clear and the time is right to bring this significant advancement to the mobile gaming ecosystem. These individual Snapdragon-optimized games are accessible to the Android community via the Android Market and developer stores. The next-generation games to be included in the Snapdragon Game Pack will also be made available by the publishers and developers of such games for mobile device manufacturers working on pre-commercial products to bring an industry-leading gaming experience to their Snapdragon powered devices. The Snapdragon Game Pack is also designed to help publishers with more pre-install opportunities for generating new revenue with their existing catalog of games. With more than 125 Snapdragon devices announced and more than 250 in development from OEMs and operators worldwide, the Snapdragon platform is the mobile platform of choice for many publishers.

“We are excited to be leading the way with the top game developers in the industry to bring better gaming experiences to Android and other platforms for everyone to enjoy,” said Dave Durnil, director of advanced content at Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “Our in-house gaming team is comprised of lead programmers from major game studios that have launched commercial titles for consoles and mobile. This team is focused on enabling industry-leading gaming experiences for our next-generation Snapdragon mobile processors and supporting developers that are part of the Snapdragon Game Pack.”

The Snapdragon Game Pack and the list of games associated with the Snapdragon Game Pack will continue to grow over time. Some of the Company’s collaborators in this effort include Babaroga, Booyah, Com2us USA, Digital Chocolate, Eyelead Software, Glu, Guild Software, NAMCO BANDAI Games America, Gameloft, Natural Motion, Polarbit, Southend Interactive and Tripwire Interactive.

“We are happy to work with Qualcomm to deliver a great gaming experience on Snapdragon-powered Android devices, with games such as GT Racing: Motor Academy, Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus and Real Soccer 2011,” said Baudouin Corman, vice president of Publishing Americas, Gameloft. “These powerful devices enable the development of immersive HD games, and we are pleased to work with Qualcomm to take it to the next level.”

“The wide industry support behind Snapdragon helps to facilitate consistency of hardware, even between different manufacturers, and it makes optimizations of our products an easier process,” said Mitri Wiberg, CEO, Polarbit AB. “Working with Qualcomm also gives us the opportunity to attain business opportunities with major mobile industry players that rely on Qualcomm technology to power their products.”

“We are delighted to continue our collaboration with Qualcomm in bringing extremely compelling gaming experiences across platforms,” said Jason Loia, chief operating offices, Digital Chocolate. “Android has the potential to be a key catalyst of the social gaming revolution on mobile, and Digital Chocolate is committed to it as a first-rate gaming platform.”

“We are always pushing the limits of 3D Social Mobile game quality with the goal of delivering a dynamic, console-like gaming experience,” said Giancarlo Mori, chief creative officer, Glu Mobile. “The Snapdragon Game Pack offers top developers like Glu the tools needed to continue delivering this experience on the next generation of mobile devices.”

“The broad adoption of Snapdragon mobile processors in the Android space, along with great developer support from Qualcomm, made a compelling case for bringing our unique MMO experience to these devices,” said John Bergman, CEO, Guild Software Inc.

“As a leading and innovative games developer, we always aim to make the best games no matter what platform, and with the help of Qualcomm and the performance of Snapdragon mobile processors, we are able to do just that,” said Fredrik Erlandsson, CEO, Southend Interactive.

“Snapdragon-powered devices exhibit great performance and impressive 3D graphics for game development, allowing us to maximize the visual appeal of Pool Pro Online 3,” said Dominic Lobbia, senior R&D director, NAMCO BANDAI Games America. “Qualcomm has also provided industry-leading tools, including the Adreno Profiler, which has enabled us to fine-tune the 3D performance of our games on the Snapdragon platform.”

“We are pleased to be bringing a number of our titles onto the Android operating system that are optimized for devices utilizing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform,” said Torsten Reil, CEO, NaturalMotion.

“Snapdragon mobile processors with embedded Adreno GPUs make it possible for us to bring rich gaming experiences with wide appeal like Homerun Battle 3D to Snapdragon-based mobile devices,” said Don Lim, General Manager, Com2us USA.

“Collaborating with Qualcomm enables us to bring a better overall experience for players and publishers alike,” said Andreja Djokovic, founder, Babaroga.

“The breadth and reach of Snapdragon mobile processors in the Android Market makes working with Qualcomm a smart business decision, “said Brian Cho, director of business development, Booyah.

“By collaborating with Qualcomm and utilizing their Adreno Profiler tool, we optimized our game to deliver higher performance, richer 3D content and a more exciting mobile gaming experience,” said Nikos Vassiliou, chief software architect, Eyelead Software.

“We are excited to start bringing top-of-the-line PC games to the mobile market, and now we can do it on Snapdragon-powered devices,” said Alan Wilson, vice president, Tripwire Interactive.

Qualcomm’s Adreno graphics technology has long been a hub for mobile gaming. The latest Adreno GPUs allow developers to continue to utilize high-performance Adreno graphics capabilities to drive spectacular gaming and user experiences across all device tiers. Qualcomm’s embedded Adreno GPUs have enabled the largest mobile graphics ecosystems as evidenced by the hundreds of games available on Android, Windows Phone 7, Xbox Live gaming and PlayStation Certified gaming on Sony Ericsson’s Xperia PLAY.

“You have the ability to think AND act globally.” “Mobile is the dominant computing platform and it’s never going back.” These are the quotes that matter, as spoken again by Dr Paul Jacobs. CreativeArtistsAgency aka CAA, Qualcomm’s newest partners in business spoke next. It’s noted that 250 Snapdradon devices are in development – an impressive number by anyone’s yardstick. He went on to remind the audience that on benchmark tests in the past, single-core Snapdragon processors have beaten dual-core processors run by the competition. In their a-synchronous dual-core devices of the future, Qualcomm will only run one core when one core is needed, two when two are needed. This makes the best of the cores, says Jacobs, and it sets Qualcomm apart from the rest of the competition. HP is seen on the screen, their whole new lineup toting some magic for the near future, then it’s Sony Ericsson’s turn.

The new lineup of course includes our favorite Xperia PLAY device amongst a couple other smaller players, and their Executive Vice President and Chief Creation Officer Rikko Sakaguchi notes that their mission is to combine communication and entertainment. Check out our recent review of the Verizon Xperia PLAY here.

The note by Qualcomm comes in the form of 3D – they showing up on the big screen a bunch of video games and video captured and played back for the audience. Next they punctuate the experience with a scene from Kung Fu Panda 2, a 3D movie that’s just come out in theaters this weekend. All of this is being shown on the Qualcomm MPD, a device we’re just a bit familiar with, running its ADRENO GPU. All of this is played back from the smartphone. Have a peek at the MPD here.

A bit of the ol’ peer-to-peer gaming was demonstrated on an HTC tablet, and it was mentioned that there’d be augmented reality in earnest for Apple’s iOS by July of this year. The HTC tablet used was a HTC Flyer (we’ve got two reviews of this device, believe it or not,) and the game was a lovely PAC-MAN racing game.

Of course they bust the MPD out again for another show of power, this one in Augmented Reality showing off some Dreamworks DVDs, each one of them looked at through the MPD’s camera. This camera sees each of the DVD cases and displays a trailer for each of the movies inside!

Dreamworks was invited on stage via President of Production and Feature Animation, John Batter. He speaks of pre-selling DVDS using augmented reality, again pushing the entertaining experience of doing so, and partnering with national retailers to do so. Pre-selling DVDs, he says, allows for custom content to be pushed to the users phone, content that’s exclusive to this sort of situation, available only on pre-purchase and only through the device.

This all leads into the Digital 6th Sense, a piece of your personal self you the consumer will soon be using to interact with your media-laden environment. The Digital 6th Sense is the camera in the device, the Augmented Reality acting as an extension of our eyes. Additional exciting expansions of our senses are coming on, says Dr Paul Jacobs, sensors popping up not only all around us, but on us as well.

Finally, before the beginning of the keynote there was a screen that showed some options for what the audience felt was the Biggest Opportunity in Mobile in the Next Five Years. Have a peek at what the poll resulted in here:

Finally there was a bit of a sitdown where one quote stood out from all others: Jon Rubinstein noted that he believed that giants in the mobile space today (aka Apple and Google’s Android implied) “may not be giants in the future.” Power shifts a-brewin? Stick with us throughout the week as we’ll be hanging out at Uplinq 2011 the whole time!