Biggest Tell ever in a LinkedIn Profile

I am not putting the actual LinkedIn Profile up because I don't want to send too much traffic to it. (Maybe bad form.) But this is good information and very relevant to those of us following Microvision, Microvision's production schedules and any connections with Apple.

Copied from a LinkedIn profile today.

Manufacturing Operations and Supplier Quality Manager at Microvision

China

Outsourcing/Offshoring

Current	Apple
Previous	Microvision,  ACM Holdings,  LKT Industrial Berhad
Education	Curtin University of Technology

Operations Program Manager

Apple

February 2014 – Present (7 months)shenzhen
And this recommendation from the same profile

Mark _____

Sr. Staff Engineer at Microvision

I worked with J_____ for over three years in his roles as a manufacturing engineer and quality manager. Microvision's products are designed in the US and manufactured at many locations across Asia. J_____ was a key player in establishing our manufacturing operations and moving products into production, working seamlessly with teams on both sides of the Pacific across 9 time zones. I highly recommend J______ as a member of an engineering or quality team.

January 22, 2014, Mark worked with Jonathan at Microvision

Apple Confirms September 9

What we can learn from this is that Apple has been working with the idea of integrating pico projectors for a long time. MVIS has the best pico projector (no contest). 

It is very possible we will see something very soon from Apple. I believe the timing is right for this fall. I readily admit that may be wrong.

Check out the patents below and let me know what you think with a comment.

Maybe we'll see something from here? Apple's projector patents

The Next Great Thing

PicoProjector Coming to MacBooks

Laser Projection Keyboard

3D Display and Imaging System

Integration of Projectors into IOS devices

Mini-Jacks and projectors for Macbooks

3D stereoscopic Display

"Mysterious Projector Patent" (imagery features MVIS)

Augmented Reality Magic

Future iPhones will Gain PicoProjector

Amazon buys Twitch

From NY Times

From Yahoo News

Twitch.tv

Dancers and Projectors

Just because it's awesome.

Huge Increase in Mobile Internet Use

Of course, this is where Microvision will shine!

From Global Web Index

For our midweek post, we compare mobile internet usage among the youngest and oldest age groups within the GlobalWebIndex survey.

Among 16-24s, average daily time on the mobile web jumped from 1.88 hours in 2012 to 2.77 in 2014.

Growth has been much more modest among the older age group, though – climbing from 0.37 to 0.54 hours over the same period. In fact, there’s a direct correlation to be seen here: the younger someone is, the more time they’re likely to be spending on the mobile web each day.

For further detail and analysis on this topic – as well as figures for individual countries – check out our new Digital vs Traditional Media Consumption report (a free summary of which can be downloaded here).

Back in the Saddle.

Back from some time away and back to work.

Why mobile companies MUST use PicoP

An older article. But it essentially says why PicoP MUST be successful. Mobile companies are desperate for larger screens -- which is what PicoP is.

Just how big can that screen be? This big:  That's my phone at the bottom of the picture. (Samsung S4) That's the same picture on the phone as you can see on the wall from a Celluon PicoAir -- the first of the new generation PicoP products that will start hitting the market.

The larger screen -- consumption of mobile media, and gaming for young people -- who will get the latest technology with the biggest screen.

What's interesting is that PicoP will change the paradigm of "larger screen." Most people think in terms of the physical size of the screen. PicoP will change that when nearly any surface can serve as a much larger mobile screen.

With PicoP, this screen fits in your pocket:

The confidential internal slides that show why Apple is making a bigger iPhone 6

From 9to5Mac.com

There has been no shortage of rumors that the iPhone 6 will have a big screen ranging from 4.7-inches to over 5 inches. [NOW CONFIRMED] But why is Apple doing this? They just changed the display size from 3.5-inches to 4-inches and another screen size increase could present a headache for developers, casemakers and the whole ecosystem.

The answer, from Apple’s own research/presentation, shows they have to. There is no growth in the 4-inch phone market for devices that cost more than $300. In fact, that market is shrinking overall.

Why?

Below is the slide that shows how Apple ended up in this predicament. It isn’t just consumers wanting big screens for less. Carriers also have it out for Apple, according to the internal slides released (via Re/code) during the current Apple v. Samsung patent trial. Citing the iPhones high market share, subsidy premium, ‘Unfriendly’ policies and lack of alignment, Apple believes the carriers have a strong interest in capping iPhone sales. Finally, according to Apple, competitors are improving their hardware and ecosystems and spending ‘obscene’ amounts of money to gain traction at carriers. That is Samsung more than anyone else.

So what can Apple do?

Apple can sell a 4-inch iPhone for under $300, either forgoing their historically huge margins and/or making a cheap device. Neither of which are very likely. You can currently buy an iPhone 5c at Virgin without a plan for just over $300 but those are likely still subsidized because they are locked to Virgin. It is hard to find a 4-inch iPhone for under $500 on the open market.

The much more likely scenario is that Apple sells a bigger iPhone 6 for its current market price and margins addressing the growing market. At the same time, its current lineup could drop in price and come close to hitting that magic sub-$300 price point.

In short, Apple must make a bigger iPhone.

Read more at http://9to5mac.com/2014/04/06/why-apple-has-to-make-bigger-screen-iphones-in-its-own-confidential-internal-slides/#2VAVfbQrivgwKCAD.99

Jaguar Connected Car with Laser HUD - September 8

Full Article at Jaguar /Landrover

Premiers September 8!!

• All-new InControl infotainment system with 8-inch touchscreen
• InControl Remote enables smartphone control of functions such as door unlocking or engine start - from anywhere in the world
• InControl Apps allows users to access Apple and Android smartphone apps through the vehicle's touchscreen
• Wi-Fi connectivity for multiple devices
• Laser head-up display combines sharper images with compact, weight-saving design

The sophistication of the infotainment system is matched by the array of advanced driver assistance systems available in the new XE: the laser head-up display (HUD) is an industry-first. Projecting sharp, high-contrast colour images onto the windscreen, the technology provides the driver with information such as speed and navigation instructions with maximum clarity and minimum distraction. As well as better image quality, the laser HUD is smaller and almost a third lighter than existing systems.


The world premiere of the new Jaguar XE will be held in London on September 8th.

Jaguar is a division of TATA motors -- which made 80,000 vehicles last month and three million in the last year.   TATA production

Vadio, Vevo, Sony & Google

A perfect storm for PicoP?

Vadio & Vevo - Portland Live

Vadio -- Radio worth Watching  Company Website

Vevo

Portland's Vadio Inc. has been tapped by Vevo LLC, a music-video website partly owned by the world's two biggest record labels, to distribute content through online radio services including Richard Branson's Virgin Radio.

Vadio, a startup that seeks to turn Internet listeners into viewers, said it will also bring Vevo's more than 100,000 music videos to services hosted by Lachlan Murdoch's Nova Entertainment and European Media Group.

The goal of the partnership is to help Web radio services host music videos, which command higher rates for advertising, according to Vadio Chief Executive Officer Bryce Clemmer. Vevo's videos and the ads that appear on them will provide additional revenue as competition for listeners grows from streaming services such as Spotify Ltd. and Pandora Media Inc.

"What we're doing is taking any audio stream, something like iHeartRadio, Pandora or Spotify, and evolving it to video," Clemmer said in an interview. "Most content delivered through services like Pandora is audio content, and that's been very hard to monetize profitably."

Vevo, founded in 2009 and based in New York, is co-owned by Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Google Inc. and Abu Dhabi Media Co. The service, which makes money from advertising and merchandising, has 227 million viewers worldwide and averages 5.5 billion monthly video views, as of December 2013.

Vadio is backed by current and veteran entertainment executives, including former NBC Enterprises President Ed Wilson and Robin Richards, the former CEO of Vivendi Universal Net USA Group Inc.

-Bloomberg News

MicroVision To Transition From Pure Development To Commercialization

Seeking Alpha  ( full article )

Summary

• The company's pending announcement of business compensation details with Sony is a catalyst.
• High penetration and growth of mobile devices used for video streaming is an opportunity for portable video projection.
• The company is reaching an inflection point in its history as it transitions from development to commercialization of its technology.

How Tech Giants will take over your car

The best way to project information in your car? Microvision's PicoP

FROM CNBC

Is this an Apple or an Android car? That may be the question you find yourself asking in the not so distant future.

Just like Apple and Google continue to battle for market share in the smartphone and tablet space, they are also going to be increasingly fighting for dominance in the auto space, experts say.

Read MoreThe new battleground for tech companies: Your car

"I think the two tech behemoths, Apple and Google, are moving quickly into position. There is a major battle starting to brew over who will take control." said Bryan Reimer, a research scientist at MIT AgeLab and the associate director of the New England University Transportation Center.

"They own the tablet and smartphone space, but the car is an environment that a lot of us spend a lot of time in and they have a strong desire to own that relationship," he added.

While only about 10 percent of automobiles have built-in connectivity today, the number is expected to grow to 90 percent by 2020, according to the consulting group Machina Research. And tech firms are looking to cash in.

Read MoreIntelligent cars draw investors to tech stocks

But these companies want to do more than just put apps in a car's dashboard, they want to reinvent the entire driving experience—starting by personalizing it.

The personalized 'computer' car

Tech companies will use a passenger's personal information to make their drive time a lot more customized, said Gary Silberg, an analyst at KPMG.

"If you think about the personalization of cars in the future, in 20 years or less, the car will be able to tell if you own it or not, it will know your traits and attributes and will do things that will help make you a better, smarter, more productive person," he said.

"The car will be this intelligent computer that provides you mobility," he added.

The software in cars will enable it to do things like make music recommendations for your ride depending on your mood and even sync with your calendar and monitor traffic so that it can alert you when to leave for your next appointment, Silberg said.

Because software will play such an important role in the future car experience, Apple and Google are already pushing to get their operating systems in vehicles.

Apple's CarPlay, which was announced in March, basically brings the interface of a person's iPhone to the car's infotainment center, allowing a driver to control things like music, messages and calls from their phone via voice or a built-in display. It can also predict where a user most likely wants to go based on addresses from your email, text messages, contacts and calendars.

Read MoreCarplay: An iPhone on wheels gives cars an upgrade

Google announced a similar system in June called Android Auto. Both companies' auto platforms are expected to become available on select vehicles before the end of this year.

In fact, the technology in cars is already becoming the most important determining factors for consumers when it comes to which car to buy.

"The interface is now the reason a car is selling or not selling. It's not about things like horsepower anymore," Reimer said.

However, the user-interface will get an even bigger makeover when self-driving technology goes mainstream because it will allow for the physical space in the car to be used in new ways.

Autonomous reality

For tech companies, time spent driving is time spent wasted, said Thilo Kosowski, a vice president and automotive analyst at Gartner.

Read MoreHands off: More self-driving cars are coming, but how?

"Tech companies look at the car as something they need to deal with," Kosowski said. "They see manual driving as a bug, not as a value proposition."

Tech firms view autonomous vehicles as the solution to a number of problems that plague the streets, including traffic, car accidents and parking. Self-driving tech could also enable vehicles to become more productive tools for passengers.

Read MoreUber CEO: Self-driving cars are the future, drivers are not

For example, the windshield could be transformed into an augmented reality platform, or a screen for the passenger to project content from their mobile device onto, Koslowski said.

Google is leading the charge amongst its tech peers in the autonomous space and is also putting pressure on traditional automakers to catch-up.

"Google is the big elephant in the room," said Koslowski. "It was really a wake-up call for the auto industry when it unveiled its self-driving car capabilities."

Apple "entirely New Product Categories"

Not able to dig as much as normal.... but these articles are still intriguing

Back in the timeline post, one of the articles mentioned "totally new product categories," They're still saying "new product categories"

The following article is interesting for a few reasons -- among them the iPhone 6 production schedule. They're starting production NOW (August) for a September release.

Microvision has stated they will be in mass production by the 4th quarter of this year.

An "entirely new" product category is not going to be a watch. That's not entirely new, it's been done before.


New Apple Product Categories

"This year's iPhone launch is expected to be the biggest in the company's history, with reports pegging orders of up to 80 million units through the end of 2014. Hopes for the new iPhone are also high on Wall Street, where investors believe that customers have been clamoring for larger display sizes from Apple.

The "iPhone 6" is likely to be part of a big fall for the company, which has been particularly quiet thus far in 2014. But executives at Apple have teased that they have a big lineup of new products and entirely new product categories coming before the end of the year.

In particular, Apple's most anticipated device may be the new "iWatch," which is expected to be a wrist-worn smart accessory that will track and provide users with health and fitness data. It is expected to tie into the new Health application that will be featured in the upcoming iOS 8 mobile operating system."

Look to Star Trek!

http://betanews.com/2014/08/14/for-future-computing-look-as-always-to-star-trek/

For future computing, look (as always) to Star Trek

• By Robert X. Cringely
• Published 4 hours ago

1 Comment

• inShare

"The step after ubiquity is invisibility," Al Mandel used to say and it’s true. To see what might be The Next Big Thing in personal computing technology, then, let’s try applying that idea to mobile. How do we make mobile technology invisible?

Google is invisible and while the mobile Internet consists of far more than Google it’s a pretty good proxy for back-end processing and data services in general. Google would love for us all to interface completely through its servers for everything. That’s its goal. Given its determination and deep pockets, I’d say Google -- or something like it -- will be a major part of the invisible mobile Internet.

The computer on Star Trek was invisible, relying generally (though not exclusively) on voice I/O. Remember she could also throw images up on the big screen as needed. I think Gene Roddenberry went a long way back in 1966 toward describing mobile computing circa 2016, or certainly 2020.

Voice input is a no-brainer for a device that began as a telephone. I very much doubt that we’ll have our phones reading brainwaves anytime soon, but they probably won’t have to. All that processing power in the cloud will quickly have our devices able to guess what we are thinking based on the context and our known habits.

Look at Apple’s Siri. You ask Siri simple questions. If she’s able to answer in a couple words she does so. If it requires more than a few words she puts it on the screen. That’s the archetype for invisible mobile computing. It’s primitive right now but how many generations do we need for it to become addictive? Not that many. Remember the algorithmic Moore’s Law is doubling every 6-12 months, so two more years could bring us up to 16 times the current performance. If that’s not enough then wait awhile longer. 2020 should be 4096 times as powerful.

The phone becomes an I/O device. The invisible and completely adaptive power is in the cloud. Voice is for input and simple output. For more complex output we’ll need a big screen, which I predict will mean retinal scan displays.

Retinal scan displays applied to eyeglasses have been around for more than 20 years. The seminal work was done at the University of Washington and at one time Sony owned most of the patents. But Sony, in the mid-90s, couldn’t bring itself to market a product that shined lasers into people’s eyes. I think the retinal scan display’s time is about to come again.

The FDA accepted 20 years ago that these devices were safe. They actually had to show a worst case scenario where a user was paralyzed, their eyes fixed open (unblinking) with the laser focused for 60 consecutive minutes on a single pixel (a single rod or cone) without permanent damage. That’s some test. But it wasn’t enough back when the idea, I guess, was to plug the display somehow into a notebook.

No more plugs. The next-generation retinal scan display will be wireless and far higher in resolution than anything Sony tested in the 1990s. It will be mounted in glasses but not block your vision in any way unless the glasses can be made opaque as needed using some LCD shutter technology. For most purposes I’d like a transparent display but to watch an HD movie maybe I’d like it darker.

The current resting place for a lot of that old retinal scan technology is a Seattle company called Microvision that mainly makes tiny projectors. The Sony patents are probably expiring. This could be a fertile time for broad innovation. And just think how much cheaper it will be thanks to 20 years of Moore’s Law.

The rest of this vision of future computing comes from Star Trek, too -- the ability to throw the image to other displays, share it with other users, and interface through whatever keyboard, mouse, or tablet is in range.

What do you think?

Good find Joe!

Away from keys...

Getting a little R&R.

I won't be here as much for the next week and a half.

That won't mean there isn't anything going on. If you see anything interesting, use the contact form (lower right) and let me know.

That form does NOT post anything publicly, and I will not divulge your info to anyone -- but if you want to hear back, I need an e-mail address you use.

Thanks!

Skully Helmet

MVIS watchers have been aware of the Skully helmet for a while.




So far, this hasn't been included here, because we can't find a specific pointer to this being MVIS technology or not.

But today, it was pointed out that a Microvision key phrase is used in the description... "Infinite Focus"

Still not sure that there's anything here, but it goes from the "further digging" page to a post here.

indiegogo.com

TECH SPECS

• Lightweight, aerodynamic polycarbonate shell
• Ultra wide angle rearview camera
• DOT/ECE safety certification
• SKULLY anti-fog, anti-scratch, anti-glare E-Tint(R) visor
• SKULLY Synapse(TM) Vision Enhancement - shows true-to-life imaging of rearview panorama
• Audio/Visual GPS Navigation
• SKULLY Synapse(TM) Smart Heads up Display System with infinite focus
• SKULLY quick release chin strap and visor
• 3D laser-cut foam for a perfect fit
• Outlast(R) lining - reduces perspiration by 70%
• Bluetooth connectivity to smartphone
• Internet connectivity via smartphone
• Over-the-air updates - download new features as they are released
• Open SDK - develop your own apps for SKULLY Synapse(TM)

Things to Follow at UPS

I've started exploring a UPS employee bulletin board, and they have mixed reviews about technology upgrades. They seem to have a particularly interesting corporate culture.

I got one email response that seemed very enthusiastic about combining PicoP with the DIAD.. which is the little gizmo drivers carry around -- seen below.

"Can you imagine pointing a DIAD toward an address and having it project the address on the windshield or having a fixed overhead camera display a sort position rather than requiring a paper label?" 

Yes we can. I suspect UPS could save square miles of sticky label material. I think you could get cool things as well, such as scanning a package label and having the picture of the person who is supposed to receive the package projected onto it.

So far the only indications are that this will project some kind of image onto boxes as they are sorted. The future potential of PicoP at UPS has a lot more potential than that!

Or here..

"UPS revolutionized the package delivery business in 1991 when it developed and deployed the first Delivery Information Acquisition Device, known as the DIAD. Two decades later, UPS continues its pioneering development efforts with the fifth generation of the DIAD - the DIAD V."

DIAD V – 2010

• First device in industry to switch on-the-fly between cellular carriers independent of cellular technology.
• Faster WiFi support (600 mbps) enables larger and richer content downloads such as training videos
• A state-of-the-art color display and microprocessor with expanded memory to support driver training and future applications including navigation
• About half the size (3.5”) and weight (1.3 pounds) of DIAD IV.
• A color, auto-focus, flash camera could be used to enhance proof-of-delivery and to help resolve customer claims.
• An aggressive multi-dimensional imager to decode many symbologies, including UPS linear barcodes, without requiring the driver to rotate the DIAD to capture the barcode. 

DIAD

Nvidia Shield

Portable gaming is a place to watch for MVIS.... these reviews are just out..

Nvidia's Shield Tablet reviewed

11 August 2014 Last updated at 12:24 BST

Nvidia has unveiled an 8in (20.3cm) Android-powered device called the Shield Tablet.

The gaming-focused machine can also play a range of older PC games which have been optimised for play on its chipset.

BBC Click's Spencer Kelly finds out more.

http://beta.bbc.com/news/technology-28656810

First Week of September -- Will update this post

Sony: September 3rd

Android Geeks
Xperia Blog

Samsung: September 3rd @IFA

Phone Arena

"We’ve also heard persistent rumors about next-generation flexible displays, but we remain a bit doubtful. Luckily, it’s less than a month until Samsung kicks off its Unpacked 2014 conference, and that’s when we’ll find out."

Galaxy Alpha

Apple: September 9th

At WSJ

MacRumors
CNET

Sony

UPS press release....

I have been looking through UPS news to find mention of Microvision.... This seems like it might be related. There is a link to a UPS employee bulletin board on the "Further Digging" page... if any readers can find more mentions of MVIS in there and let me know what you find, that would be great.

Contact through the contact FORM is private to me. Comments on posts can be public and are set that way by default. (Without an email address left, I have no way to get back to you.) There are a couple of you I would like to be able to contact!

---

PRESS RELEASE

June 25, 2014, 9:06 a.m. EDT

UPS Expands Memphis Facility

Expanded facility will increase package processing capacity by more than 80 percent

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jun 25, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE via COMTEX) --

Construction recently began to expand by one-third the UPS® UPS +0.38% package distribution facility on Swinnea Road in Memphis.  The project will add approximately 140,000 square feet of building space bringing the total to more than 430,000 square feet at an estimated cost of $70 million. The facility will improve processing rates through increased capacity and expanded use of UPS's next generation sorting technology when completed in early 2016.

UPS expects to add 350 new jobs over a three-year period to meet volume growth at this site. These jobs include tractor trailer and delivery drivers, package handlers, management, maintenance and support staff. According to the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County (EDGE), the project will create nearly $9.8 million in new tax revenue for the metro area.

The larger facility footprint and new sorting technology will handle increasing UPS volume in the mid-South driven largely from double-digit e-commerce volume growth.  The facility's automated conveyors will sort packages more efficiently than conventional conveyor systems and six-sided scanning cameras will capture package data and sort packages automatically. 

"Facility upgrades will help give us the latest technology and additional capacity to process both ground and air express volume growing from e-commerce business shippers located here, and consumer demand that is driving online retail sales," said Ken Harms, UPS president of the Mid-South District.

The Memphis UPS hub is a centerpiece for the efficient movement of package volume between Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The site currently employs more than 1,300 employees locally. 

Situated on 83 acres of land adjacent to Memphis International Airport, the facility integrates processing both for the UPS air gateway and ground hub, as well as dispatch for local pickup and delivery operations in the area. The company is leasing an additional 27 acres from the Airport Authority which will support an 80 percent increase in package processing. 

Another project component is expansion of the surface yard for tractor trailers to provide a larger staging ground for packages coming into and out of the building.

Some preliminary improvements will be in place by November when UPS increases its capacity for the peak holiday season which is expected to grow from both e-commerce and retail omni-channel distribution patterns.

UPS also recently installed a new UPS Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fueling station on the Memphis property. As a part of UPS's "rolling laboratory" approach to alternative fuel technologies, 59 new LNG tractor trailers have been placed in Memphis and join other new LNG big rigs fueling at new stations built in Nashville and Knoxville, Tenn., and Jackson, Miss.

About UPS

UPS UPS +0.38% is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the Web at ups.com® and its corporate blog can be found at blog.ups.com . To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS .