Microsoft Gaming Plans

Anyone can make their own Hololens, games going platform agnostic. There's a broad and interesting strategy being implemented at Microsoft.

It will be nice to hold shares in the company that produces the best AR display.




Motley Fool

Nadella changed that by accelerating efforts to bring the best versions of all the company's products to any platform that wanted them. Ballmer should get credit for starting that process by bringing the Office apps to Android, but it was Nadella who has preached an any-device, any-customer strategy.

Project xCloud would do that for gaming, bringing the company's software (i.e., games) to people using tablets, phones, PCs, and who knows what other devices. Using Microsoft's Azure cloud platform, the company hopes to make streaming gaming available on 4G and eventually 5G networks. It laid out its broad goals in a blog post Choudhry made back in October:

Scaling and building out Project xCloud is a multi-year journey for us. We'll begin public trials in 2019 so we can learn and scale with different volumes and locations. Our focus is on delivering an amazing added experience to existing Xbox players and on empowering developers to scale to hundreds of millions of new players across devices. Our goal with Project xCloud is to deliver a quality experience for all gamers on all devices that's consistent with the speed and high-fidelity gamers experience and expect on their PCs and consoles.

The Device-free future

SitePoint

For a few years we’ve asked ourselves this question: now that computers, mobiles and other computerized screens have overcome just about all of the limitations that previously frustrated us, what’s next? As Vauhini Vara writes in the New Yorker, we’re looking at the start of a post-device future. Computer technology is powerful and flexible enough that we can start to expand it beyond the basic screen-and-input paradigm, integrating it seamlessly into our environment.

New Yorker

“Looking to the future, the next big step will be for the very concept of the ‘device’ to fade away.” His point was that, because computing technology is becoming smaller and more powerful, computers can be built in all kinds of forms. Building devices is no longer hard. The difficult part—and the part that will distinguish products from one another—is the experience that computers facilitate.

It might seem odd, then, that on Wednesday, Pichai got onstage to hype a new device. Google Home, which the company unveiled at its annual conference for developers, is a “voice-activated home product,” in Google’s parlance, which means you can command it to do things and it will respond. It’s a cute little thing—if Wall-E had an affair with a salt shaker, their love child might look a bit like this—but it appears to have some pretty powerful capabilities: music, making dinner reservations, texting friends, and more.

When Devices Won't Matter

From Yahoo News / Digital Trends

If you want to be able to LOOK at something -- and not notice the device that produces what you're looking at --- you need a tiny projector with infinite focus.  

There isn't any other way.

If you're an investor --- holding stock in the company with the best tiny projectors and the only ones with infinite focus -- that's where you want to be. If that same company also has the best 3D scanning technology... that's even better.

With 5G ultra high speed connectivity coming -- most of the processing power that we'd want to use may be elsewhere.


"In the foreseeable future, we likely won’t even notice our devices. That’s the vision Google CEO Sundar Pichai cast in the search giant’s annual shareholder letter."

Today we still think of devices first. Most of use smartphones and some use tablets. We are certainly aware of our desktop and laptop computers. But imagine if all those devices disappeared. Not that computers and the devices are really going away, but we won’t be as aware of them. As we speak, move, gesture, look, and — at some time not so far off — even think, the world of future computers will work with us.

As Google’s Pichai states the shift, “Looking to the future, the next big step will be for the very concept of the ‘device’ to fade away.” And Google is not alone, but joined in readying for the transition from device-centrism to AI by virtually every major player in what is still somewhat quaintly referred to as the “computer business.” Facebook’s smart assistant “M,” Microsoft’s renewed focus on AI, and Amazon’s home hub manager, Alexa, are examples cited in USA Today’s coverage of the Google CEO’s message.

HUD, SONY & FORD

So many stockholders are waiting for an announcement, they think that MicroVision has to announce customers.

Imagine how the stock would react to "SONY to deliver PicoP HUD components to Ford. The timeframe wouldn't need to be that specific to get a huge run in the shares of the stock.

They don't have to announce. We already know that this is going to happen.

MicroVision is bound by a lot of non-disclosures. They can't come out and say it -- but here it is:

If you buy a Ford car these days, this is what you see.  Note the included navigation.

From Sony's PicoP Engine page... the following picture. HUD -- what PicoP will be used for.

They ALREADY HAVE THE CUSTOMER. If you can put two and two together, you don't NEED an announcement... the customer is there.

MicroVision's HUD Page

Sony Mutes Noise for Ford Drivers

Pay close attention to what's going on with MicroVision!! Then you'll be in the right place at the right time. 

Activity at SONY

A couple of things of note have happened at SONY in the last couple of days. Both things might impact SONY and MicroVision... how exactly, I'm not sure. These events create more questions than they answer. 

That Sony has spun off the Image sensor spin off effects their "devices" division which is almost certainly the home of PicoP at SONY. How this ultimately effects MicroVision, I don't know. I have a couple of theories that aren't ready for prime time.

And Sony Publishing (the part that holds the Michael Jackson Library)

Zachs Take

Sony Spins off Image Sensor Business

Sony has announced a restructuring of its devices division that underlines the success and importance of the company's image sensor operations. The devices segment is mainly comprised of Sony's storage, battery, and semiconductor businesses, but the latter of those — which is primarily focused on image sensors — is being spun off into a new company called Sony Semiconductor Solutions.

The divisions that currently handle semiconductor manufacturing and design, Sony Semiconductor Corporation and Sony LSI Design, will both become subsidiaries of the new company. Sony's storage media operations will fall under manufacturing arm Sony Storage Media and Devices Corporation, meanwhile, and the battery business will fall to Sony Energy Devices Corporation.

SONY buys SoftKinetic

Tokyo, Japan - Sony Corporation ("Sony") is announcing that it has completed the acquisition of Softkinetic Systems S.A. ("Softkinetic"), after reaching an agreement with the company and its major shareholders. With this acquisition, Softkinetic - which possesses time-of-flight ("ToF") range image sensor technology, as well as related systems and software - has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.

ToF is a method for resolving the distance to an object. ToF distance measurement pixels, which are laid on top of the sensor in two dimensions, measure the flight time (delay) it takes for light to leave the light source, reflect off the object, and return to the image sensor. 

Sony will focus on combining Softkinetic's ToF range image sensor technology expertise with its own technologies with the aim of developing the next generation of range image sensors and solutions, not only in the field of imaging, but for broader sensing-related applications as well. 

Sony Selling Bonds to increase production

Sony is investing to increase production of devices... our neighborhood.


At Wall Street Journal

Sony Plans $3.6 Billion Stock, Bond Offering

Japanese electronics maker plans to invest in image sensor business.

TOKYO— Sony Corp. said it would issue new shares for the first time since 1989, part of a $3.6 billion capital-raising plan that highlighted the potential of its fast-growing sensor business but left some investors nervous.

The Japanese entertainment and electronics giant said it would raise ¥322 billion ($2.63 billion) by offering new shares and ¥120 billion by selling convertible bonds.

Sony said much of the proceeds will be spent to raise production capacity for image sensors used in smartphones, including AppleInc.’s iPhone and Samsung Electronic Co.’s Galaxy.

Sony is a front-runner in the image sensor business, boasting a technological edge that is at least a few years ahead of its competitors, including Samsung and OmniVision Technologies Inc. But it suffers from capacity constraints in trying to meet soaring demand, especially from China, where shipments of affordable handsets are expected to grow further.

Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai said in April that, with the restructuring largely complete, Sony would embark on an aggressive investment campaign to generate growth. Sony has set a target of ¥500 billion in operating profit by fiscal 2017, with a return-on-equity ratio of more than 10%.

The company is ramping up investment in its best earners—devices, videogames, movies and music. Mr. Hirai has said it won’t rule out exiting the television and smartphone businesses, as it did the personal computers last year.

Write to Takashi Mochizuki at takashi.mochizuki@wsj.com

At Reuters

Sony had previously flagged smaller-scale commitments to expand in sensors. It said in April that it would spend 45 billion yen to bolster sensor production capacity this fiscal year, on top of a 105 billion yen investment announced in February.

A Sony executive recently told Reuters that demand for sensors was now so strong that it was struggling to keep up.

SONY -- cutting losing divisions - investing heavily in partnership with MicroVision

"Sony is VERY bullish on our technology."

When a company is mercilessly cutting losing divisions, yet investing 33 million directly with MicroVision -- which is a small part of what they're doing in-house, you know they are dedicated to this technology, and expect it to be a significant winner.

These are very outstanding forecasts (which they call "conservative") from SONY. I expect it is unlikely that they can increase their devices income so significantly without adding a NEW kind of device to their product line up.

This morning's call MicroVision mentioned SONY many times openly. It is my opinion that we hear of a product release from SONY sooner, rather than later.

MicroVision and SONY have an eight year partnership contract on this technology -- until 2023!!

Full Article at BloombergBusiness

Kazuo Hirai, leading Sony Corp. on a comeback after years of losses, is giving himself plenty of room to deliver more good news in the future.

The chief executive officer says operating profit will more than quadruple to 320 billion yen ($2.7 billion) this fiscal year. That forecast given Thursday is about 20 percent less than analysts projected as Sony tries to shake its years-long reputation for disappointing investors.

Hirai is cutting costs and focusing on profitability in businesses where Sony has an advantage. That approach, coupled with Chief Financial Officer Kenichiro Yoshida’s emphasis on accountability, has helped boost the stock 103 percent in the past year.

“We have revised our forecasts down 15 times in the past seven years, and that’s not something we want to repeat,” Yoshida said in Tokyo. “The profit forecast takes into account a considerable risk from foreign exchange fluctuations.”

Sony forecast a 17 percent surge in revenue from devices, the unit that makes image sensors, and a 16 percent increase in the pictures division. New releases this year include “Spectre,” the latest installment in the James Bond franchise.

The earnings revival comes after Hirai sold Sony’s personal-computer business, pruned its smartphone lineup and placed the TV manufacturing business into a separate structure to boost performance after years of losses. It also started selling the PlayStation 4 console in China to tap the world’s biggest game market.

Smartphone Revamp

“The target of operating profit is conservative,” said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute in Tokyo. “Investors expected too much so Sony is trying to lower their expectations.”

Sony stopped developing new smartphones for China and culled the Xperia lineup as it struggled to compete with Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and Chinese vendors. The company took a 180 billion-yen charge in the business last fiscal year.

The company boosted investment in semiconductors by 150 billion yen this year to tap surging demand for the sensors that power cameras in Apple and Samsung smartphones. It’s also shifting 220 employees involved in developing and producing chips for gaming consoles to the sensor business and other operations.

More separate units for Sony

It's frustrating to wait for news from Sony. We do have to consider all of the happenings at SONY and how the rules are probably written for the company. 

Consider that PicoP is almost certainly part of the "devices" division -- but that they would not likely announce any agreement using PicoP until other divisions that are using the modules have announced their products. (That's my read anyway.)

Sony Corp. will put more businesses into separate structures, including its lucrative devices unit, as Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai tries to boost accountability in his turnaround push.

Hirai said the company already generates about 70 percent of its revenue from units that are independent from the parent, such as Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. which runs the PlayStation business.

The devices unit supplies the image sensors that power cameras built into its Xperia smartphones and Apple Inc.’s iPhones. Hirai is boosting investment in the chip unit to build more modules for phones, tablet computers and automobiles.

Sony expects sales from the business that makes sensors, camera modules and memory storage will rise to as much as 1.5 trillion yen in the year ending March 2018. The business is expected to have an operating margin of 10 percent to 12 percent.


Full Article at Bloomberg

new Xperia device.

This may be nothing -- or it might be just what we've been looking for.

I'm finding it curious that a new device -- not clearly a smartphone would have a 720P display (same as PicoP) and some confusion about relatively generous storage.

"Midranger" for a phone would be outstanding performance for a dedicated media player -- and we know that Sony doesn't like to purposely go "midrange."

There is also isn't really clear that this is a phone... it's a "device."

Android Headlines
At "Load the game"

a new Xperia device has shown up in benchmarks online. The appearance suggests that Sony is still going to release a few smartphones this year, although there’s no word on the Xperia Z4 so far. Despite the high expectations of the Xperia Z4 making an appearance at the MWC 2015, it seems like Sony will be showcasing different types of devices this time.

The mysterious Xperia device seems to have a 5.2 inch 720p display, which can already attest to the fact that this phone will definitely be a mid-ranger or an entry-level phone. Hardware-wise, the device gets a Snapdragon 615 CPU, backed by 2 GB RAM and 4 GB internal storage, which is a rather odd combination and there might be an error somewhere. Either there’s only 1 GB RAM available, or at least 16 GB internal storage, because 4 GB ROM paired with 2 GB RAM seems a bit redundant in our eyes.

Then there are these very persistent rumors -- that Sony is exiting the smartphone market. We're watching this closely.

Sony Exit Smartphones - Wallstreet.org

Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) has changed its medium as well as long term plans, and the company has hinted that it will be focusing on segments and products which have generated profits for the company and also have potential to grow further. This is bad news for those Sony customers who have loved their Sony Xperia phones, as this New strategy entails that Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) will be exiting the mobile phone market soon.

This is backed up by a statement from CEO of Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE), Kazuo Hirai, claiming that the company would not focus on few areas including their smartphones. This statement is in line with the previous policy of Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) regarding Xperia, where the company had to cut back on jobs. While it was previously decided that the company would launch a device every six months, Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) launched a device per year, and that too saw decline in profits for the whole Xperia range.

Hence, the company has planned that it is no longer wise to pursue the smartphone market. Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) is going to exit the market in a cost efficient way. Sony Xperia Z4 was to be launched next month at MWC, but this device will not be launched there now. It is true that Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) has produced a few very good and efficient smartphones, owing to its brilliant hardware coupled with the Android operating system.

I noticed in the following article that Xperia products and smartphones are separated.... again, I'm not sure how meaningful this is, but circumstantial evidence says something is up.

Sony's Marketing Director - Gulf Business

Q: What is your company focusing on this year?

We will provide our consumers with choices of compelling Xperia products, smartphones, tablets and smartwear. Through these Xperia products, we will showcase unique consumer benefits, as well as, the wider connected world of the Sony ecosystem.

But how could you anticipate a 25X increase in operating profits on devices you already make? Improved photographic devices would be able to pull that off... 

TechTimes, 25X increase on "devices"

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai says his company projects the moves will see Sony's operating profits increase 25-fold by 2018.

Hirai mentioned "devices" along with the company's film and music and games business, but that term can be used to describe a wide range of products Sony offers. Products he confirmed to fall into that devices category include Sony's cameras, storage and sensor products.

Sony "sensor" sales

Last February, just before the announcement that Sony was working with Microvision, Sony made an announcement that it may double the number of "sensors" it sells to Apple. Sony makes image sensors - cameras. If they were going to double the number of cameras (or image sensors) they sell to Apple, why wouldn't they use the more specific term?

Sony-Apple-Microvision Timeline

and now it makes a laser projector -- 

"The devices division --- which houses the image sensor business.... "  -- this is clearly saying that the increase in business isn't going to come from image sensors, but from something else. If they were going to make it all from cameras - or image sensors, they would have made that clear.

From Reuters

(Reuters) - Japan's loss-making Sony Corp plans to slash its TV and mobile phone product line-ups to cut costs, counting on multi-billion dollar revenue surges for its buoyant PlayStation 4 and image sensor businesses over the next three years.

Having lost ground to nimbler rivals like Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in consumer electronics, Sony said on Tuesday its goal for TV and smartphones is to turn a profit, even if sales slide as much as 30 percent.

"We're not aiming for size or market share but better profits," Hiroki Totoki, Sony's newly appointed chief of its mobile division told an investors' conference. A poor showing by its Xperia smartphones has weighed heavily on recent earnings and Sony said more detail on plans for the unit will be unveiled before end-March.

With cost cuts on the way in some divisions, Sony is also not planning to renew its FIFA soccer sponsorship contract next year, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. 

Under its new three-year electronics business plan, Sony said it was aiming to boost sales for its videogame division by a quarter to as much as 1.6 trillion yen ($13.6 billion). It said that will be helped by personalized TV, video and music distribution services that should lift revenue per paying user.

At its devices division, which houses its image sensor business, Sony said sales could increase 70 percent to as much as 1.5 trillion yen. Sony's sensor sales are already robust, with Apple using them in its iPhones while Chinese handset manufacturers are increasingly adopting them. 

(How much of the $10,500,000,000 increase in sales will Microvision be?)

In a similar event last week for its entertainment units, the conglomerate said it was aiming to lift its movie and TV programming revenues by a third over the next three years. 

Shares in Sony finished 6 percent higher on hopes that the new measures show a greater sense of restructuring urgency, while the Nikkei 225 index rose 0.3 percent.

"There's a lot of expectation for Sony now, but nothing is sure until there are results," said Ichiyoshi Asset Management chief fund manager Akino Mitsushige. "Getting out of the mobile market is an option, but they can't do that now, so they will need to make some fundamental changes."

(Additional reporting by Edwina Gibbs and Teppei Kasai; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

Jeffries: Sony "vastly undervalued" -- Upcoming Sony Events

At Barron's Blog

"We believe Sony group profit performance will increasingly be driven by Content, Games and Device businesses. 

Sony managed to put all the bad news behind it with the September write-down of ¥180b of non-cash, one-off impairment charge of smartphone goodwill. 

We are approaching 3 major events: 
(1) results this week, Oct 31st, 
(2) IR events on Nov, 17th (Content) and Nov, 25th (Electronics) in Tokyo, and 
(3) Games event (PlayStation Experience) in Vegas on Dec 6-7th. With almost all the bad news out and priced in, we believe investors will do well to go with a long position on these events."