Interesting Report on STM

There is some familiar language in here, some interesting timing. 

The position of the quote marks is important. It is a mixture of reporting facts and reporting conjecture...

This is what STM did with Microvision at CES

Barron's Blog

Reuters

Yahoo News

Franco-Italian chipmaker STMicroelectronics posted in-line 2016 results on Thursday, driven by solid phone and car part sales and improved factory utilization, while setting out a plan to boost plant capacity that could fuel revenue later in 2017.

Europe's third largest semiconductor company said it had won a deal with an unnamed customer that can generate "substantial revenues" in the second half of the year, which analysts believe are tied to parts for upcoming Apple iPhones.

The next generation iPhone 8 line is expected to be released by Apple in the back half of 2017.

Liberum analyst Janardan Menon said ST's latest results reflect demand from automakers and phones such as the Apple iPhone 7, including "time of flight" proximity sensors that also measure ranges between a phone camera and objects in its view.

"This is likely to be a new product in the iPhone 8, in addition to on-going shipments of the time-of-flight sensor," Menon advised clients. "We expect STM's strong revenue growth to convert into rising margins and further multiple expansion," he said, referring to factors justifying a higher stock price.

ST Chief Executive Carlo Bozotti declined to comment on who was behind the new customer contract. "We cannot say more," he told analysts on a conference call. "We cannot give more color." Apple demands suppliers never reveal its contracts.

Display Engine

I will not be at CES this year, but I should have a proxy report from the MVIS suite later today.

Display: PSE-0403 Display Engine

As we announced last month, we have begun shipping samples of our new small form factor display engines to customers. The PSE-0403 engines offer an industry-leading combination of made-for-mobile features today, with a roadmap for higher brightness, lower power consumption and advanced “beyond projection” capabilities.

We’ll have sample engines in devices at the show allowing MicroVision’s guests to see how the PSE-0403-101 is an ideal solution for smartphones, portable media players, tablets and other handheld electronics seeking HD, focus-free images (even in motion) with vivid, saturated colors. The PSE-0403-102, our short focal length option, is perfect for aftermarket head-up-displays (HUD) and other products requiring an intense contrast ratio and short focal length.

Hololamp new video

This is an interesting new appearance, and they're trying to get noticed.



The Journal -- more at the source.

Microvision at CES

MicroVision to Showcase the Capabilities of its New Display and 3D Sensing Engines at CES 2017

Company demonstrations include interactive short throw display with integrated time-of-flight 3D sensing and 3D sensing mid-range LiDAR prototypes and samples of its small form factor display engine

January 04, 2017 09:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MicroVision, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS), a leader in innovative ultra-miniature projection display and sensing technology, today announced it is showcasing the capabilities of three display and sensing engines that the company plans to introduce in 2017 and 2018 at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, January 5-8, 2017.

MicroVision announced last year that it is planning to offer three display and sensing engines based on the ability of its patented PicoP® scanning technology to enable projected display, interactivity and 3D sensing for a wide range of products and applications. The company has prepared demonstrations of the capabilities of all three engines that it will be featuring in its meeting suites at CES.

PSE-0403 Small Form Factor Display Engine

MicroVision will be featuring samples of its small form factor display engine, model PSE-0403-101, highlighting how this engine which has a volume of less than 12 cubic centimeters and is only six millimeters in width, can be embedded into a number of small, portable devices like smartphones, tablets, media players and other smart IOT devices. These display engines are 720p HD and project focus-free images with vivid, saturated colors. An intense contrast ratio of over 80,000 to 1 combined with up to 401 lumens for most video and still content makes for striking images that appear significantly brighter than the measured lumens. The company announced last month that samples of this engine are available and shipping to customers now. MicroVision expects this engine to be ready for mass production in the second quarter of this year. There is an option for this engine with a fixed focal length, PSE-0403-102, that is targeted for aftermarket head-up display (HUD) applications.

PSE-0403sti-101 Short Throw Interactive Display Engine

MicroVision will also be featuring an interactive display prototype that combines display functionality with 3D sensing that enables a natural gesture recognition feature for consumer products. The interactive display engine enables user experiences where touching a projected image is processed by the system in the same way as interacting with a touchscreen on a smartphone or tablet. Samples of interactive display engines the company is developing, model PSE-0403sti-101, are expected to be available in the second quarter of this year with production units targeted for the third quarter.

The interactive display engine is built on the common LBS platform shared with the PSE-0403 display engines and will include the same display features combined with an integrated time-of-flight (ToF) sensing function. MicroVision’s ability to combine ToF sensing and pico projection into a single compact engine offers OEMs new possibilities for products by mimicking a Windows 10 or Android touch screen display or providing access to intermediate point cloud data all from an engine so small it can be embedded in mobile and smart IOT products.

PSE-0403Li-101 3D Sensing Mid-Range LiDAR

MicroVision will also demonstrate a prototype 3D sensing mid-range LiDAR system at CES. Viewers will be able to see the real time capture of moving targets with little to no difference in the color map for white and black objects at the same distance. MicroVision is developing a sensing engine, PSE-0403Li-101, for mid-range LiDAR and expects to have samples of this engine in the second half of 2017 and be ready for mass production in the first half of 2018.

This engine, with a field of view of 90 degrees horizontal by 30 degrees vertical1, can be configured into a product for 90, 180, 270 or 360 degree coverage depending on the needs of the application. The engine is expected to have low power consumption, scalable resolution, programmable point cloud output and filtering, and variable distance and reflectance output. Because this LiDAR engine will be built on MicroVision’s common LBS platform utilizing the same MEMS and ASICS as the other engines in the PSE-0403 family, it is expected to be very compact and cost effective, particularly when compared to other LiDAR options. This combination of features and cost effectiveness is expected to make this mid-range LiDAR engine from MicroVision a very attractive alternative for OEMs interested in applications such as autonomous vehicles, machinery, drones and robotics.

Visits to MicroVision’s suites at CES are by invitation only. OEMs interested in learning more about MicroVision’s technology and arranging a demonstration should contact bd@microvision.com.

1 Specifications subject to change.

Crazy Cool Tech CES Debut (multiple)

Microvision key in two of seven, benefits greatly from the fifth.

Not bad.


Fudzilla (T-mobile 5G Future)


INC - John Brandon  -- more at the source.

1. Drone and autonomous car fleets

Not giving anything away here, but there are rumblings about the need for automated cars and drones to operate in a fleet, connected to each other and part of a fleet control center. I'm aware of at least one company making an announcement about a drone fleet. (Amazon has already started delivering products by drone in the UK.)

3. Augmented reality that actually helps you

Augmented reality (AR) was more like a magic trick in the past. At CES 2017, I'm expecting to see AR that provides actual help in some way. AR is like an overlay on top of the real world. Microsoft HoloLens is a leader here, and I'm expecting to go hands-on. One example from 2016 of how this works is the Lenovo Phab 2 phone and the Lowe's app. You can use it to measure the space in a room and find out if a couch will fit.

7. 5G debuts

I already have a few meetings to test out 5G service, the next wave of cellular connectivity. I remember testing 4G at CES for the first time a few years ago. 5G promises consistent connections with more access points not just a speed boost.