Watching Soccer

So, here a projector that is really poor next to PicoP is regarded as mind-blowing.  More that no one really knows the tech exists, it's connected here to Verizon's Go90 service.

He's also alerting a lot of soccer(football) fans about it -- and that's a pretty huge market.

Pretty soon he'll see PicoP -- and be really blown away..


World Soccer Talk  (More at the source)

I had a chance to demo new technology recently that blew my mind.

Watching as much soccer as I do and I’m sure you do too, the rate that technology is changing our viewing experience is progressing at a slow and steady pace. Many of us are watching more soccer via legal streams than we used to. We’re also watching a wider array of leagues, teams and competitions as the sport becomes more accessible than it ever has. And for many of us, nowadays we’re watching our soccer games across a wider array of devices other than just the television.

So I was pleasantly surprised last week to stumble across a technology that I wasn’t aware even existed. I hadn’t seen or heard of it, but the idea is novel and could be something that soccer fans, like you, can use.

It’s the ability to snap a small projector on to your smartphone so you can beam soccer streams from your phone to your wall in your home, dorm, office or anywhere you want.

Parallel developments

Many things need to come together for great new products. Automobiles didn't do particularly well until the availability of paved roads.

So, looking to things like the computer chips for mobile devices that drive media well.. just part of the puzzle.

Chips from MediaTek, are coming with multiple cores -- which to the best of my understanding make them much more efficient for media applications. MediaTek's chips are being used in more and more smartphones around the world.

Infoworld.com

There still isn't much need for 10 CPU cores in smartphones or tablets, but the developer board could put the chip to good use. Quad-core chips are considered powerful enough for handsets.

The board also uses a Mali-T880 graphics processor, which is in Samsung's latest Galaxy S7 smartphones. The GPU is capable of 4K video playback and recording in the HEVC and VP9 formats, so it could be used to run mobile virtual reality apps.

The board has many other potential uses. It can be used as an Android PC, which can be hard to find, or as a file or media server. It can be a test-bed for developing mobile applications. It can also be used to make robots, drones, and smart home devices.

MediaTek wants to put the 10-core X20 chip in more products beyond mobile devices, and the development board will help, said Stephane Le Provost, senior technical director at MediaTek USA.

Vern Apollo2

List of Phones using MediaTek Processors

Nintendo NX -- more interesting language.

Those of you who follow this know that I've been watching Nintendo NX  for a long time. Much of the time the links about it end up on the digging page.

There's a lot of the language surrounding this upcoming device that makes me think it could possibly contain a projector - things particularly about it being a hybrid device and a "totally new way to play games." That it sticks to 720P resolution is very interesting as well.

So now this: The performance module for it is a portable device with its own power supply.

If you've been paying close enough attention -- you know that the MPCL1 -- Sony's stand-alone projector -- is actually a product of the former battery division of Sony. (Sony spun-off the battery division, but retained the projectors.) -- Look Here 

I'm not depending on Nintendo having us, but in the short term it is something I am watching closely. I think the odds are pretty decent. 

If you find this because you're looking for the Nintendo NX, Here is a link to the Sony MPCL1. 

Source - Express.co.uk

According to a recent report, the Nintendo NX will be a handheld hybrid which will include three components.

A Foxconn employee - the company reportedly manufacturing the device - released a sketch of the device.

The first component is a “dock” that includes a cartridge slot, HDD and a TV output. The second component is a “performance module” that is a portable device that has its own power supply.

The third and final component is the handheld device itself, which comprises a 6 inch 720p screen and has a low-TDP SoC.

Another interesting article about Nintendo NX and Pokemon. 

Pokemon NX

iPhone7 -- preps Apple for Augmented Reality

Well, this is pretty interesting, one of those essential developments on the way to widespread adoption that most of us don't think about. (For it to work not only does there need to be two displays that are slightly different -- but the computer has to know where they are in space.... it's not easy!) Maybe the iPhone7 will be collecting a lot of data that the iPhone8 will be using.

Then I anticipate usage of Microvision's tin awesome tiny displays to bring it to people.

I tried to get the embed video to be bigger -- it's bigger at the source.

Macworld

Samsung S8

Trying to know which which rumors to ignore is difficult. This one is from better sources than normal, so perhaps we should pay attention.

Samsung Galaxy S8 spec leak reveals 30MP camera and built-in projector

TechRadar  (More at the source)

We're likely still months away from the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8, but that hasn't stopped someone leaking a full spec list, complete with pricing details.

The leak, if accurate, points to a seriously impressive phone, with a 3.2GHz octa-core Snapdragon processor (likely the Snapdragon 830) and 6GB of RAM.

The display is said to be a 5.2-inch 2160 x 4096 one (up from 1440 x 2560 on the Samsung Galaxy S7), and the S8 will apparently have a 30MP rear camera with optical image stabilization, a 9MP front-facing one, a massive 4200mAh battery, a retina and fingerprint scanners, wireless and fast charging, a mini projector, 64GB or 128GB of storage and a microSD card slot.

YahooTech

Obtained by Tech Updates by way of Weibo, the Galaxy S8 is said to feature a 4K display, a massive 4,200-mAh battery and a whopping 30-megapixel camera. Plus, the spec list includes a built-in projector. That's a lot of tech to stuff into a flagship phone, which is expected to debut as early as February 2017.

Nintendo Projector Patent

Nintendo has been on the radar for a while. They have been doing various things with projection and are due to announce a console/portable hybrid that has pretty interesting descriptions about it. So, this is pretty cool -- I could see how a slight adjustment of the PicoP generated image would result in this kind of effect.

Thanks Jason!!

NintendoLife -- More at the source

The patent is for a projector that displays a flat image on uneven surfaces. It's not the first time that Nintendo has filed patents in this area. In 2014 there was a patent for an illumination device, and in gaming terms one more recent idea was for a gadget that detects objects and has projection capabilities. This latest filing was submitted on 3rd February this year and published on 22nd September; much of it is in Japanese, but the following abstract and demonstration images show it off clearly.

In any case, it's a simple idea that no doubt needs some clever technology to make it work, which is typical Nintendo. 

Qualper on Amazon China

Someone on Reddit found this.... more information when it comes.

I'll be looking into ordering it here.


Qualper, Amazon China

*************

Nintendo NX Riddles

Nintendo has been on the radar for a long time. The language they have used to tease the new console -- is very interesting. As is Nintendo's interest in using projectors.

The sleep monitor has been put on hold (or killed) depending on what you pay attention to, but this project goes on, with top gaming companies playing along, saying they will contribute and support games. and saying what a new approach it is to gaming. 

You can't play Just Dance with two people on a 7 inch screen. Just can't.

Still watching.


Source IGN


Speaking to IGN at an Ubisoft event yesterday, Guillemot - who has previously expressed his admiration for the upcoming console - explained specifically why he was excited for NX:

"I think, once again, the interface is very attractive," he said. "It's a machine that will be easy to use for all gamers. They have built in something that will give us chance to really have a different experience from what exists today. That's what I like - that they come with something new that is adapted to what we actually want now."

During a separate presentation, he called it "a fantastic machine", going to on to explain that "I think it's a really new approach, it's really Nintendo, coming with something new again. We love it."

Nintendo Sleep monitor with Projector

MPCL1A PR starting

SOURCE -- STUFF PICKS

Sony MP-CL1A Mobile Projector (price TBC)

This sleek device weighs merely 210g but projects high quality and contrast images in HD resolution with Laser Beam Scanning. It can display a screen size of up to 120 inches at a distance of 3.45 metres, and a 40 inch screen size from 1.15 metres, making it handy in almost any setup or scenario.

You can hook it up via HDMI or MHL (mobile high-definition link) for smartphones and tablets, or Screen Mirroring through built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. The projector also includes Bluetooth audio out connectivity and a kickstand that doubles as a lens cover. With a 3400mAh battery and a USB port, it also doubles up as a powerbank for mobile devices.

Read more at http://www.stuff.tv/sg/features/stuff-picks-watch-movies-any-surface-sonys-portable-hd-pico-projector#gul8Mhu6H1t5GwSi.99

Beam

Games with projections on the floor.

The source

Chinese Conglomerate Wanda & Sony

Looking for more about this... might be really interesting, may be nothing. 



Wanda - Sony - YahooNews

Beijing (AFP) - Chinese conglomerate Wanda announced plans Friday to invest in movies produced by Sony Pictures under an agreement that moves the company closer to its goal of becoming a major Hollywood player.

Owned by one of the country's richest men, billionaire Wang Jianlin, Wanda is seeking to shift its focus from property to services and entertainment as profits wane in China's real estate sector.

The movie deal, Wanda's first with one of Hollywood's so-called "Big Six" studios, is a major milestone for the conglomerate as it attempts to transform itself into a heavy-hitter in the global entertainment industry.

"The alliance will help strengthen Wanda's power to influence the global film industry, and set a good precedent for Chinese film producers in their international investment," the company said in a statement.

Wanda Studios

Apple Desperately needs a Brilliant New Product

The economy of smart phones is more complex than it seems at first. 

Many of them are subsidized by carriers -- and the carriers change the degree to which they're willing to subsidize new phones.

This is hurting Apple.

What Apple needs is something new and exciting -- or the new iPhones end up being a liability to them.

A great new feature for smart phones will perk up the whole industry -- and be awesome for holders of MicroVision. 

Be patient -- it's the best mobile projection technology there is -- it will get better when the competition is up against the limitations of physics. 

1.4 billion smartphones sold last year want it.


Money | UsNews.com  (Much more at the source)

The iPhone accounted for 57 percent of Apple Inc.'s (ticker: AAPL) revenue last quarter. It's a product that revolutionized the consumer technology field as we know it. And for AAPL stock owners, it's pretty central to the investing thesis.

The iPhone has driven more than 50 percent of Apple's revenue every year since 2012. Back when the smartphone market was growing by leaps and bounds, this was a blessing. Today it's a curse. 

Sales of the iPhone fell for the first time in history earlier this year in the fiscal second quarter, then fell once more in the third. For a product that originally debuted in 2007, that's not such a bad track record. 

It's not entirely Apple's fault that iPhone sales are stumbling; the smartphone market as a whole is stagnating. In the first quarter of 2016, smartphone shipment growth grew less than 0.2 percent annually, according to IDC, registering the smallest growth ever.

Surprised by MotoMod

I think this article deserves attention from everyone who follows MicroVision. 

He likes a new phone. He likes storage. (This phone can be upgraded --to hold 1000 hours of video!) But he doesn't know why he would use a projector on a phone.

This is a tech reporter -- and he doesn't know why he'd use a projector on a phone! 

So, this reporter is surprised when he likes the MotoMod projector.

We know how much better PicoP is than the projection engine they have in the MotoMod -- four times the resolution 80,0000:1 resolution vs 400:1, Brighter, focus free....

This reaction is a hurdle to overcome, but think that this guy's reaction will be to the Qualper phone. (Chris, Check this out: MicroVision Intro)

WTHI TV MotoMod Review  (More at the source)

....Last but not least was the sleeper hit for me. The projector.

I popped this open and thought wow..I have no idea what I would use this for. I go to meetings…but don’t need a projector. So i needed a real world use.

The first example of real world uses involved my six-month-old son, Alex. He has this show he loves on Baby First TV…you know, bright colors and the such. One day, I took him into our bedroom and pointed this guy at the ceiling. He LOVED it. Laying on our backs in bed, we were able to look straight up at the ceiling and see his show. That’s when I realized I loved this thing.

We like to have fun in our newsroom…using this projector also led to a couple random singing and dancing sessions as I put a music video up on the wall. It was really fun.

Now, one thing I need to note…it needs to be as dark as you can make it for this to look good. If you have even a little light, it will greatly reduce the quality of the picture.

This one was by far the most fun. Now, like the speaker…it’s bulky. This one is also pretty expensive. It will set you back $300. If you have the money to spend, check this one out. You’ll have a lot of fun with it!

Apple approached McLaren About Acquisition

So, Apple approaches a car company about an acquisition. That's interesting. What's more interesting is Robert Scoble's reaction to it on Facebook. Where did THAT come from, and what does he know that we don't? (He's forgotten more about cutting edge tech than most of us will ever know... so why this reaction?) More to watch.

More at Source

Apple has approached McLaren Technology Group, the British supercar engineer and Formula One team owner, about a potential acquisition, in the clearest sign yet that the iPhone maker is seeking to transform the automotive industry.
The California technology group, which has been working on a self-driving electric vehicle for more than two years, is considering a full takeover of McLaren or a strategic investment, according to three people briefed on the negotiations who said talks started several months ago. 

The lossmaking automotive group was likely to be valued at between £1bn and £1.5bn, the people said, adding that it was not clear a deal would be done.

That would make it Apple’s biggest acquisition since the $3bn purchase of Beats Electronics, the audio group founded by Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine, in 2014.

Robohon

RoBoHon -- conversation with RoBoHon

Thanks for the heads up Joe.

Robohon Website

End of Thin Phones -- India

Gionee has been on the radar for as long as Micromax. 

The India market for PicoP will be absolutely fantastic -- the Indian people love movies and lack movie and television screens. They make more movies than we do in the US. 

We know the Qualper phone is thicker than most other smart phones out there to fit a rather extraordinary feature inside.

Many smart phone companies have been obsessed with thinness. I have never heard a person excited about how thin their new phone is. I have never heard anyone say they bought one phone over another because one was thinner. The only comments I've heard about thinness in phones is amazement that they can cram so much into so little space.


Business Insider India  (More at Source)

Gionee’s India Head deconstructed the smartphone’s future and found that there won’t be any more slim phones

...slim handsets needed to combat were overheating and lack of space in the phone for slots. 

People these days want more memories, and the slim phones didn't have any external memory slot. Now, if someone is buying a phone with a 16GB memory capacity, they often realize that space is too low for apps and media. Now unlike other phones there is no way the memory can be expanded. The only way-out for the users then is to delete apps and games and keep the essentials only. 

Vohra feels that style is a major booster to shape up the buying psyche in any Indian consumer. According to him, Gionee sells half a million devices every month in the Indian market. There are three things that determine the buying behaviour - feature function, brand value and price. 

As the economy and per capita income of people grow the value of essentials increases. There are a few buzzwords of the phone makers that the customers fall for- Full HD and 4K resolution are some of them. However, no matter how technical these terms seem to be, customers are going to judge phones on those parameters. 

There hasn't been any major innovation in mobile technology in the last 6 months. But subtly, the phones have become more functional, batteries are lasting longer, data became faster and the camera is getting better. 

Gone are the days when we used to buy a phone just for the phone. Today's smartphone that costs something above Rs 10,000 competes on camera space, video space and PC space. 

Vohra feels the future of smartphone lies on what you enable on your phone. There is a whole parallel ecosystem that is working. Be it shopping, browsing, social networking- there is a larger ecosystem working. 

Price Action

A stockholder e-mailed me this morning about why, if the Nomad is the best AR display solution out there, why isn't it getting attention.

I said "Non disclosure Agreements."

The reply said that it's not reflected in the stock price, so he's doubtful.


Well, Tobira Theraputics reminds us that sometimes, the market and the price action doesn't necessarily reflect reality.

To put this in perspective, just a week ago, TBRA was cut in half. Today it was up 720%

If we rise by as much we could be $10 in a single day.

Often, the all-knowing market -- doesn't really know.

Augmented Reality way better than Virtual Reality

Following this guy, this trend, and this tech. Microvision is well positioned here.

More at the source

"From the very beginning, our games were about encouraging people to go outside and see interesting places," Hanke said. "So [I have] mixed feelings about people looking at their screen while we’re trying to lead them out into the park where they can see the statue and trees and nature."

"Maybe at some point in the future there will be augmented reality glasses which overlay Pokémon and other things seamlessly into our environment," he added. "But those don’t exist yet, so we’re looking for those interim steps."

Buy A Vespa?

Augmented and Virtual reality in advertisement. This is the most interesting one I saw in the article. I believe that Augmented Reality development should happen faster than we expect (Businesses are already using it for training, advertising, and people are using it for games... the public is pulling on it, and gets it immediately)



SearchEngineJournal

Cool display for medical school....

Thanks Jason

New display tech will make us better at a lot of things. 

This is probably from a headset --- and Microvision will have a place there. Still the best display for AR headwear that I know of.  -- still a LOT of work to do with software, and interface -- but demand seems to be pulling this tech forward a lot faster than was expected.

The Practical Future of Augmented Reality

So far, the best display for AR is Microvision -- their Nomad headset had a distinct field of view advantage over anything else I tried. I think the company is well positioned in this technology.

This kind of report about a new technology is awesome. Industries are pulling to get this adopted... they want it, and even though the Hololens device is still a "development version" companies are out there creating solutions like this for it. I think this means that development will happen at a faster pace than we think.

That -- and the most wildly popular mobile game created would thrive with this hardware. It was the most popular ever in just a couple of weeks. And it brings people together--- doesn't separate them like virtual reality.

Expectations are super high for Augmented Reality -- and Microvision has a great place in it.



imeche

Microsoft Blog

Interview with Pokemon Go Chief

This is pretty interesting, and I think PicoP, once in a mass market product will experience growth on a similar trajectory. 

And I think PicoP is the perfect Pokemon Go accessory.


Venture beat

Hanke: If we could have seen the future we would have provisioned for 500 million downloads in two months. But if we had told anyone that was our plan, we would have sounded insane. I don’t know how you plan for something as strange as the way it took off virally. We just had to play catch up. I wish we’d had everything provisioned in advance, but I don’t know how any of us could have anticipated that.

**

We thought about Pokémon because the story of Pokémon, the notion of becoming a trainer and going out into the world, it’s really the perfect setting for an augmented reality game. At the same time, independent of all that, a guy on the Google Maps team was collaborating with the Pokémon Company to do this April Fool’s mashup for Maps. Some of you probably saw that, when Pokémon appeared all over Google Maps. Once we saw that we realized we had to do this.

We went to Tokyo and pitched the Pokémon Company. They were super excited. They’d been playing Ingress and the immediately got that this real-world gaming concept would fit perfectly with Pokémon. We started in, and it was in development for about two years before we launched.

**

Hanke: It’s not exclusive. Our mission as a company is to evangelize this whole concept of playing game outside, real world games, what we call augmented reality games. We want lots of people to create games like that. Our technology is a platform that can be used to make these experiences. We’re interested in moving that genre of games forward. A part of that is moving people away from looking at their phone all the time and enabling them to enjoy the people around them, to walk around and see the sights while you’re also playing the game. Apple Watch is a great vehicle for that.

***

Working with Apple on that was amazing. It was amazing to be part of an Apple event. Even after a decade at Google, to go through the preparation and everything Apple does for one of their big launch events was illuminating. It’s an interesting piece of hardware. The stand-alone functionality with the GPS, faster processor, waterproof, I like where they’re going with that.

We also have the Pokémon Go Plus, which is a low-cost $35 device that pairs with your smartphone and gives you the ability to play heads-up while you’re walking or running or biking. That’s an interesting part of the strategy. If other devices come on the market, like Android devices, or devices from other quadrants that are interesting for active, mobile gameplay, we’ll look into supporting those too.

Sharp IP team to be new entity under Foxconn

iam media

Just over a month since display maker Sharp came under the formal control of Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn), big changes to its IP operations are already in the offing. Nikkei Asian Review reported on Tuesday that the Japanese company’s IP function would be hived off into a separate IP management company on October 3rd, with one goal being to create more value from Sharp’s massive global patent portfolio. Speaking exclusively to IAM, Foxconn IP chief YP Jou confirmed how the responsibilities for the Sharp portfolio will be divided within the sprawling Foxconn IP apparatus, and revealed the team’s priority when it comes to monetization.

The new unit will be known as ScienBiziP Japan and based in Osaka, according to Nikkei. ScienBiziP is the same name used by Foxconn’s internal IP team when it formed its own independent entity in 2013. The Taipei-based ScienBiziP Consulting will own 20% of the new enterprise, with Sharp controlling 51% and the remainder split up among the executive team. The entire Sharp IP staff, numbering around 200 people, will make the move across, and the group will reportedly be led by a Sharp executive.

Augmented Reality Home Decor

I pulled the whole article, because it looks like a re-print of a complete press release. This is a natural fit for PicoP.


Yahoo News

There is a New Frontier to be Explored in Textiles!

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Welspun (www.welspun.com), a conglomerate that specializes in home textiles, is thrilled to announce that it has secured the "Interactive Textile Article and Augmented Reality System" patent, which protects Welspun's new product line TILT. The patent covers a system that has textile material with a design motif and an augmented reality software application. The software application is designed to allow a user to scan the design motif on the textile material, and enter an augmented reality portal that is thematically related to the design motif. 

TILT by Welspun is a new brand that focuses on seamlessly integrating technology into textiles. The first product, Spin Tales, is an interactive and innovative bed set and rug for kids aged three and up. With innovative technology, a free app designed for the duvet cover and rug allows the user to experience adventures in augmented reality and engage in interactive games. Spin Tales is the first of many smart home textile products that will be introduced under the TILT umbrella.

"There is a new frontier to be explored in textiles - one that delights, engages, animates and connects - and as a company with global reach, it is important for us to protect the skills and knowledge needed to launch this new frontier of products," said Dipali Goenka, CEO and Joint Managing Director, Welspun India Ltd. "This patent will push forth avenues to engage users while fostering a learning environment with innovative and futuristic textiles. Welspun is excited to introduce products, that when enabled by technology, immerse the user to the point where imagination is intertwined with interactive learning experiences."

"Spin Tales is the first line of products to be launched under the TILT umbrella and we are excited to introduce it to the public at The Toy Insider's Holiday of Play event on September 21, 2016," said Qaizar Hassonjee, SVP & Head, TILT by Welspun USA. "TILT is about creating immersive experiences for users with innovative and futuristic textiles that incorporate technology."

For more information on Welspun go to www.welspun.com and for more information on TILT go to www.tilttextiles.com.

About TILT by Welspun Group:TILT by Welspun is an innovative smart home textiles company that creates interactive experiences through seamless integration of smart technology with home textiles. TILT will be launching their product line, Spin Tales, the first ever interactive bedding for children with a focus on storytelling, user experience and AR technology. The Spin Tales classic duvet and pillow case set allow readers to join Little Red, Three Pigs and Jack from Magic Beans on their adventures, or join Milo and friends in the Spin Tales Jungle rug to explore and learn about life in the jungle, by using an app that brings characters alive in 3D images. Spin Tales creates a unique bonding experience for children and parents; it draws them into an immersive world of stories and fosters learning in an interactive environment that is truly magical and playground cool. This is the first in a series of smart home textiles products that TILT is creating.

Welspun  -- Also makes Steel & Pipes -- and they are from India.

CastAR & Disney Infinity

This has my attention on a couple of fronts. One is CastAR -- any maker of augmented reality glasses is a possibility for Microvision's inclusion. (Nomad beats everything else I saw for field of view -- and any claims I've heard so far.)  

This also has "table top games coming to life" which was where we saw Microvision and Disney cooperating.  Disney (There's more, use the search)



Engadget  (much more at the source)

CastAR, the augmented reality company founded by two former Valve engineers, has set up a new studio in Salt Lake City with the goal of creating fresh mixed-reality experiences. To help fill the new digs, castAR scooped up a handful of developers who worked on the Disney Infinityseries at Avalanche Software until that studio was unceremoniously shut down in May.

***

CastAR, founded by Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson, has been buliding a pair of augmented reality glasses that can be used in everyday and professional life. However, the company hasn't forgotten its gaming roots: One of its main goals is to create tabletop games that come to life with the castAR glasses. That's fairly close to what the folks at Avalanche were doing with Disney Infinity -- but instead of bringing reality to life, they fused it with the television screen.

Streaming & Mobile & Twitter

This hit the Drudge Report -- which is probably better than hitting any major news feed. 

Streaming and mobile is going mainstream and PicoP is going to make that rock.

Yahoo News

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Social media users were buzzing on Thursday as Twitter Inc prepared for its first broadcast of a National Football League game, a match up between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills, which tests Twitter's strategy of putting big games on small screens.
The live CBS broadcast of the game will be available on Twitter's platform worldwide and is the first of 10 Thursday Night Football games the microblogging site plans to stream. Twitter users should be able to see tweet commentary running next to the game itself, complete with commercials.

Twitter has struggled with user growth and advertising competition, and livestreaming the games gives the social network a new avenue to attract users as it tries to catch up with rivals like Facebook Inc.

Media experts have said the NFL deal helps cement Twitter’s position as a venue for live video.

Twitter’s arrangement with the NFL comes as sports fans increasingly rely on the internet to watch video at the expense of traditional cable and satellite connections. Many already use Twitter to discuss events as they happen.

The broadcast will also be available through Twitter apps on Apple Inc TV globally and on Microsoft Corp Xbox One and Amazon Inc Fire TV in select countries.

Many Twitter users said they were excited to try out the new streaming platform.

"Not excited for @nyjets or @buffalobills tonight, but I will try watching #football on Twitter," tweeted Peter Katevatis (@CGWM_Katevatis).

Niantic Labs -- Games on the Go.

Pokemon Go is the first and the beginning of something quite new -- mobile computing. Gamers are always early -- When the maker of the games are looking at all of the other devices that could make mobile gaming more interesting... PicoP fits that quite well.

We'll keep watching for when, not if PicoP is involved --- PicoBit will make it possible.

At TechCrunch

“Our whole mission as a company is to evangelize this whole concept of playing games outside, real world games,” explained Hanke. “Apple Watch we think is a great vehicle for that,” he added, complimenting also the new Apple smartwatch hardware, which includes a standalone GPS and waterproofing, among other things.

“As other devices come on the market – if those are Android Wear devices or if they are devices from other quadrants that are interesting for gameplay and mobility, and being active – we’ll look into supporting those, too,” he said.

However, when asked about his longer term vision for the game, Hanke said that now the minimum viable product is out in the market, it’s really just the “tip of an iceberg” in terms of where the team wants to take the game.

“I think it will change substantially over the years.”

The only hint as to what’s in store was a nod to Ingress. “If you want to predict the future, you can look at the past,” said Hanke.

“A lot of what we’re doing with Pokémon, we learned through three years of hard work with Ingress and building up that community around the world, maturing that technology, the social aspect of it, the group gameplay, and the events for Ingress are really the lifeblood of that game,” Hanke said. “I think you can expect to see things like that in Pokémon Go.”

MPCL1A -

I'm not too thrilled with Sony about their new portable projector. It doesn't appear that there's much new here. 

I'm way more excited about the android equipped projectors - the Viewsmart, and the PicoBit from Celluon.

newatlas

On the short list of new features, this update adds the option to output the audio to wireless headphones or speakers via Bluetooth. It doesn't sound like that extends to input though, so users will have to connect to a media-playing device over Wi-Fi, HDMI or MHL.

Also new is a kickstand that folds up to form a lens cover, an included carrying pouch and the option to go for a gold unit, in addition to the standard gray model.

The MP-CL1A is set to launch in October for US$400.

Sony Blog

Video of Qualper Phone in action

Video

Found and posted on Reddit 

Diwali -- India's Gift Festival

"Not necessarily an American holiday."

I know when I'm going to be watching Micromax very closely..... 




Diwali Festival

Diwali is one of the biggest festival of Hindus, celebrated with great enthusiasm and happiness in India. The festival is celebrated for five continuous days, where the third days is celebrated as the main Diwali festival or 'Festival of lights'.

Different colorful varieties of fireworks are always associated with this festival. On this auspicious day, people light up diyas and candles all around their house. They perform Laxmi Puja in the evening and seek divine blessings of Goddess of Wealth. The festival of Diwali is never complete without exchange of gifts. People send for diwali to their near and dear ones.

Chinese Phone companies pulling out the stops

NEW DELHI: Smartphone makers Oppo, Vivo BSE 0.00 % and Gionee are pulling out all stops to make this a Chinese Diwali, spending over Rs 80 crore each on presence across retail stores and on marketing and advertising, double of what their Indian rivals are expected to spend.

Indian players including Micromax, Intex, Karbonn and Lava would be investing an average of about Rs 45 crore, as handset makers vie for higher market shares in the months that make up nearly quarter of the country's annual phone sales by value. Market leader Samsung and Apple will be fighting it out in the premium -- Rs 30,000 upwards -- segment, spending upwards of Rs 100 crore each.

"This year, we are going a step ahead and yes, we are investing more this year to serve our young consumers," said Sky Li, vice president of Oppo Electronics, which will use television ad slots as a major platform to reach a wider range of consumers, including metros, tier 2 and 3 cities.

From China -- Lack of innovation precipitates Apple's Decline

I scraped this one because it's good, and I don't know about the stability of the source.

Global Times, China

Apple's iPhone fever has apparently faded, however, the iPhone 7 announcement remains in the global spotlight. Despite a lot of rumors and leaks surrounding the new phone, expectations are generally low for Apple's next-generation phone, supposedly coming with processor and camera upgrades, new colors and a slightly different exterior style. These improvements suggest Apple has turned from a trendsetter - as it has been known as for years - into a follower of other manufacturers.

Next year will mark the iPhone's 10th anniversary. Over the past year, the global smartphone industry has been stuck in a downturn and only innovation can help revive and save the entire sector. Apple, however, seems to have been absent during the battle of innovation. The company's market capitalization touched $767.2 billion on April 28, 2015 before getting trapped in a downward spiral. Prior to the iPhone 7 launch event, Apple's market capitalization had lost nearly $200 billion from its peak.

In the fiscal quarter ended March 26, Apple reported its first revenue decline in 13 years. In its third fiscal quarter ended June 25, the company took a global hit. In greater China, Apple's revenue dropped 33 percent in the third fiscal quarter from the year before. A revenue fall to such an extent is generally considered a disaster, but luckily Apple still has over $200 billion in cash revenues.

In the global technology arena, it seems that Apple never invested heavily in research and development (R&D), but instead held to the lowest possible R&D investment. The iPhone maker that has focused on the smartphone world, in a stingy way, has for years failed to present any exciting innovations. In fairness, recent advances in the smartphone landscape have all represented a sustaining innovation, in the commercialization of virtual reality jointly pushed by Facebook and Samsung, camera breakthroughs unveiled by Huawei, curved phones from LG, phones outfitted with modular attachments such as speakers that Lenovo is betting on, or some so-called black technology - frameless smartphone display, curved screen, fast charging capability, dual-camera tech, and eye recognition features. But even in these little waves of change, Apple almost always goes missing.

When the iPhone fever cools and Apple's legend fades away, and as consumers embrace a return to reason, Apple should probably brace for a recession in the future. With smartphone users worldwide having just hit 2 billion this year, less than 30 percent of the world population and lower than the global online population of 3.5 billion, the curtain has only just risen on the smartphone era inaugurated by Apple. Smartphones have already become the most convenient and effective tool to enable Internet connection. At this time, we can't forecast who will be the next to stand out as the next huge innovator, but surely without Steve Jobs, it is less likely to be Apple.

Unlike Apple's previous new product events, Chinese consumers staying up all night to be among the first to get information about new phone details was no longer expected prior to the iPhone 7 launch event. The continued cooling of the consumption triggered by Apple's legend may still be good for the industry after all, making way for late-coming innovators to embrace new opportunities as well as open space.

Globally, sales of the iPhone have hit 1 billion, a record that may not be broken for quite some time. Banking on its iOS operating system and App Store that has gathered a galaxy of developers across the globe, and 600-700 million active users, it is unlikely that Apple will follow Nokia's path and tumble quickly. However, there are conspicuous signs that Apple is falling from its pinnacle. The fundamental reason behind the dismantling of the US tech giant's dominance is that with the Internet sweeping across the world, "Innovation is King" remains the supreme principle to achieve success. Thus Apple which rose to fame thanks to innovation may be destined to fade away because of a lack of innovation.

The author is the founder of technology think tank ChinaLabs. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn

New Products from Celluon at IFA - Check Reddit

Got Multiple alerts from some readers today about a post on the MicroVision forum from Reddit. I appreciate the heads up -- I'll be checking with Celluon's office outside Seattle to see if I can get up close and personal with this stuff this week.

Microvision on Reddit

Trade Korea

Haven't had time to post earlier this week. Visited Celluon @ IFA on Monday. I was really impressed by the PicoBit. They had several of them for exhibition.

They told me it is 50lm and is actually perceived 2 times as bright as the picoPro. The PicoPro was on the left for comparison and I can confirm it. Even though the ambient light conditions were quite bright, one could easily watch the saturated picture of the PicoBit. I found it very high quality.

Another nice thing is, that you now have an sd-card slot, as well as that you can connect with an iphone wirelessly, although they told me that you will just be able to show own content like pictures and so on, not yet downloaded content (and maybe also not streamed content).

The touchpad is a nice working feature allowing you to select pictures videos or anything else currently at display. Although I didn't find it as smooth as my iphone touch screen. But the reason for it might have been also my sticky a little bit wetted fingers.

There were even other projector devices presented, but unfortunately I didn't take enough time to try them out as well. I was told that the PicoBit will start selling at the end of September. At first from Celluon Website and later from Amazon. I was glad to hear that the PicoBit will be also available in Europe through Amazon. 

I am very looking forward to buy several PicoBits at the end of month :-)