Just in time for the arrival of Picobit... got an e-mail announcement today. Downloaded and saved content... The ecosystem for PicoP success just got a LOT better
Slight improvements don't increase sales by all that much, if you're an Apple stockholder, that should worry you. When a smart phone company can offer a truly new and innovative useful feature, people will flock to it. ...all they have been able to offer lately, is slightly better, slightly different..
The new Apple TV is indeed faster and snappier. This is probably the only thing I really like about it.
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In the case of the Apple TV, it feels like newness is prioritized over usefulness and intuitiveness. But "new," in the Apple TV, only means slight improvements, with few meaningful innovations. You can draw parallels to Apple's other recent products:
The iPhone 7 is a modest update from the iPhone 6s, which is a modest update from the iPhone 6. The differences between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6? It's water-resistant, its cameras are slightly better, and it shows a slightly wider color gamut.
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The iPad Pro is basically a bigger, faster iPad. The only ways in which it's more useful than other iPads involve optional accessories you'd need to buy:
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If you're noticing a trend here, it's that Apple's newest products do offer some basic improvements, but are still loaded down with their own respective issues — again, it feels like newness is given priority over usefulness.
Today Valve Corp. (Bellevue, Wash.) has a VR headset that is "10 generations ahead anything available today", according to McCauley, by using more accurate head tracking by replacing the camera Oculus uses with a rotating motor driven line-laser. The line laser is essentially a gigantic laser housing a motor spinning a curved mirror mounted on the wall across from the user, that scans across head mounted IR detectors to determine how far away the head is by measuring the time between IR sensor intercepts.
At McCauley Labs they will replace the bulky moving laser mechanism, with a MEMS mirror and a line-laser (or alternatively a 2-axis MEMS mirror and a point laser to raster scan in the manner of a one-mirror pico projector) to perform the same kind of head location geometry and calculation as the Valve System, but micro-miniaturized.
I scraped this article to be sure I didn't lose it. Take everything with a grain of salt.... There's some interesting stuff in here!
EE Times -- Check the source.
LAKE WALES, Fla. — The skyrocketing popularity of augmented reality (Potkemon Go) and virtual reality (Google VR) may be the boost microelecromechanical systems (MEMS) projectors into the mass market, according to Microvision (Redmond, Wash.) at the MEMS Executive Congress (Scottsdale, Ariz). Microvision aims to break into the mass original equipment manufacturing (OEM) market in cooperation with STMicroelectronics (Geneva). Microvision's always-in-focus laser projector is so tiny and cheap that any smartphone can afford to add it (to project Pokemen for everyone to see) and for inexpensive VR glasses that anyone can afford.
Sony, ahead of the curve for once, has already been licensing Microvision's laser-based projector for two years as have many other smartphone OEMs who are too competitive to allow their names to be mentioned. Microvision has also been making a name for itself in the micro-lidar (3-D imaging system using invisible infrared beams) market. The advantage of its 5-millimeter sized projector allows not just smartphones and head-mounted displays (HMDs), but also even the tiniest un-manned vehicle to navigate using it.
"We have been public since 1996 on NASDAC as MVIS, but we expect our $1.35 stock price to rise once our deal with STMicroelectronics lands us major OEMs worldwide," Director of Technical Marketing and Applications Development Jari Honkanen told EE Times.
Jari claimed that their agreement with STMicroelectronics was also landing them major deals in other areas besides consumer electronics. For instance, heads-up displays can be projected onto windshields using their laser projector, images can be directly written onto the retina for AR projected from the hinge of your normal glasses, warehouse robots can more accurately navigate, industrial robotics can more accurately see in 3-D at variable resolutions traded off for frame rate.
The biggest advantage of Microvision's 0.65 cubic centimeter projector is that it requires no lenses, but is in focus and appears normal on any surface, even those that are rough or radically curved.
For range-finding 3-D lidar, the smallness and cheapness of the unit allows eight to be deploy economically around a vehicle to more accurate navigation and collision avoidance systems that are superior to radar-based Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in use today, according to Honkanen.
— R. Colin Johnson, Advanced Technology Editor, EE Times
Sometimes, timing is everything, I don't know if the timing of this particular event is coincidental or meaningful. Prior to now, the Surface Phone was rumor ware. There were rumors about it. This confirms that it will exist. I consider this proof that there will be a surface phone. WE don't know what features it will have, but the timing and the language around it are interesting and worth paying attention to. Part of that language includes "Microsoft Continuum." I don't think Microsoft uses language by accident, so the TV or monitor is still part of the game, but "projector" is also meaningful. Draw your own conclusions.
"The Commercial Times of Taiwan reports that ODM Pegatron, which produces the iPhone and also the Surface Studio, is currently running production trials on the mythical Surface Phone." “We don’t want to be driven by just envy of what others have, the question is, what can we bring? That’s where I look at any device form factor or any technology, even AI. We will continue to be in the phone market not as defined by today’s market leaders, but by what it is that we can uniquely do in what is the most ultimate mobile device,”
Microsoft Continuum Continuum turns your phone into a big-screen projector and a big-time productivity tool. Use a dock or adapter to connect to a TV or monitor, then use your apps and see your content on a larger screen. Or, show off your favorite stuff on a Windows 10 PC without needing a dock or adapter. Want to do even more? Connect a keyboard and mouse and get started.
Although Windows Phone devices were definitely not a priority for Microsoft in 2016, the tech giant's CEO Satya Nadella recently raised lots of eyebrows by claiming that it's Microsoft's intention to eventually bring forth "the ultimate mobile device". Supposedly, this will be the ever-elusive Surface Phone, which has been a favorite rumor subject for the Microsoft-loving crowd.
According to reports out of Taiwan, Microsoft’s rumored Surface Phone is said to be running trial productions of the upcoming handset. The company behind the production is said to be Pegatron whom some of you guys might know as one of Apple’s main producers of the iPhone alongside Foxconn.
The things you can do with near-eye displays and Augmented reality are amazing. This doesn't even include many of the day-to-day pragmatic uses, such as helping mechanics -- where augmented reality can be amazing.
As awesome as these applications are there will be a lot of push coming from industry.
In this report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the global VRDmarket for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from shipment of VRD devices for VR and augmented reality (AR) applications.
Technavio’s research study segments the global VRD market into the following regions:
Global VRD market: segmentation by geography 2016
Geography
Market share (%)
Americas
91.7%
EMEA
5.2%
APAC
3.1%
Source: Technavio
Americas: largest VRD market
The Americas accounted for almost 92% of the global VRD market in 2016, followed by EMEA. The US is the leading country in the region, followed by Canada. The US is expected to continue to be a leading technology provider due to the presence of companies such as Avegant, Magic Leap, and MicroVision. As the technology is new, these companies will try to capture the American market first, then later try to penetrate the other regions. So, for the next five years, the Americas will be the dominant region for VRD devices. There are several projects related to smart glasses and HMDs lined up, and there is a huge demand for AR technology in the US.
Sunil Kumar Singh, a lead analyst at Technavio for displays research asserts, “The Americas is also one of the earliest adopters of AR, and there are a number of apps being developed for iOS and Android. This gives good potential for VRD technology providers such as MicroVision to penetrate the Americas.”
Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.
Global VRD market in EMEA
MEA is not expected to have much of an impact for VRD devices and technology, as many big players in the market such as Blippar, Metaio, and Wikitude are located in Europe. The UK is one of the key leading countries in the region and globally. In addition, there are several companies in Israel involved in the defense, military, and aerospace sectors where VRD can be effectively used. Also, several government-funded projects in these sectors are encouraging new vendors in Israel to enter the market. “Some of the other leading countries in Europe include Germany, France, Switzerland, and Austria. BMW, Volkswagen, and many publishing companies have employed AR technology and created huge interest among consumers. This might also help in the adoption of VRD technology,” adds Sunil.
Global VRD market in APAC
APAC accounted for only 3% of the global VRD market in 2015. This is because, there are only a few companies involved in AR technology in this region, with the highest number being located in Japan. The revenue contribution from APAC is not expected to show any major changes during the forecast period, except for the outsourcing of software development to India. The final products are sold in EMEA or the Americas. However, APAC is expected to lead the market in terms of mass production of AR devices like mobile devices, HMDs, or smart glasses during the forecast period.
Competitive market scenario
The global VRD market is at a nascent stage. There are not many vendors involved in the market but so far MicroVision and Avegant are the only vendors that have gained recognition in the market. Magic Leap is yet to release its product, and the product is likely to adopt MicroVision's VRD technology. MicroVision also provides VRD technology to other vendors. Avegant provides VRD-based devices. As VRD has a large number of advantages such as high clarity and low power consumption over LCD and other display technologies, VR and AR vendors might consider VRD instead of LCD or LED for manufacturing VR and AR devices.
Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but can’t find what you’re looking for? Don’t worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you.
About Technavio
Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.
Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.
The more there are important uses for Augmented Reality -- that can improve productivity, reduce error and make people more efficient, the more pressure there will be to get it going quickly. This is another awesome new use case. It's very different from other use cases I've heard so far.
Netherlands First Responders Use Augmented Reality to Stop Crime Scene Contamination
Dutch police are using a system very similar to Pokémon GO on smartphones, but they aren't walking around trying to catch little pocket monsters. The purpose of this system is to give augmented reality help to first responders who may be less qualified to work a fresh crime scene. If successful, the idea of a contaminated crime scene could be a thing of the past.
Hololens Reality News The US Department of Education has put together a competition called the EdSim Challenge with a $680,000 purse to facilitate next-gen education. The event calls upon augmented and virtual reality, as well as video game developers, to bring immersive simulation concepts to prepare the workforce of the future. In the 58 years since Tennis for Two—the game that inspired Pong—was born, video games have slowly become a big part of modern life, but mostly in the last few years. In the year 2000, video games were a $7.98 billion dollar industry. In 2014, the reported revenue was $83.6 billion—more than double the film industry's $36.4 billion of the same year for theatrical releases. Video games have finally moved past the "awkward teen sitting in his mother's basement" phase and are downright taking over the entertainment sector.
The concept of gamification is a system that rewards users for finishing assigned tasks, often times with larger rewards at particular points to keep the user motivated to get to the next level. Offering point systems and rewards for accomplishing achievements seems a natural progression to motivate the generations that have grown up surrounded by Zelda, Mario, and Pokémon.
A Cool video. This technology is going to advance a LOT faster than people think. This device is in the development stage, and companies are coming out with applications and using it productively already. Some of this stuff that looks really easy to use requires an enormous amount of work to make it go. They've been working REALLY hard on this and have accomplished a lot.
I'm sure there's a lot of pressure at Microsoft to get it done quickly.
Great software applications require great displays.
We know that we've been fitted into a couple of robots so far -- In this kind of application, Microvision could be used in multiple places -- for projection and for LIDAR... This is just getting started. A robot, can be more effective than people for answering simple "find it" kinds of questions.
The robot then communicates with the stores central computer for an items location using LIDAR, lasers and cameras to navigate. It then takes you there — for a moment it was stumped by a busy aisle.
So, the phone and the Facebook messenger are pinging like crazy this morning. My first suspicious about who this might be is Foxconn -- (this is partly based on who I would like it to be.) If you factor in the location - and the connection with Sharp, they seem like a likely candidate. They're also comfortable not being named. I could very well be wrong about this. This was the kind of announcement I expected to see out of the STM announcement -- but I expected this is March.... so, for the first time in a long time Microvision is faster than expected.
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MicroVision, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS), a leader in innovative ultra-miniature projection display and sensing technology, today announced that it has signed a license agreement for its PicoP® scanning technology with a Taiwanese ODM.
MicroVision Signs Patent License Agreement with Taiwanese ODM
MicroVision and the ODM have signed a patent license agreement under which the ODM has a license to make and sell Laser Beam Scanning (LBS) engines. The engines the ODM is making incorporate components it is purchasing from third parties. Under the agreement, MicroVision would receive a royalty payment from the ODM for each LBS engine the ODM sells. This agreement is related to MicroVision’s recently announced co-marketing relationship with STMicroelectronics.
“We are pleased to enter into a patent license with this ODM for our LBS technology,” said Bharath Rajagopalan, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at MicroVision. “We believe this agreement demonstrates the value of MicroVision’s LBS intellectual property and provides for new opportunities and potential products for LBS technology in the market.”
At the MEMS & Sensors Executive Congress, Honkanen presented MicroVision’s automotive applications of their technology using HUD overlays to project critical information on the car windshield as part of the driving scene ahead so that the driver can observe the information without taking their eyes off the road
Honkanen also presented how MicroVision’s Laser Beam Scanning technology equipped with near infrared (IR) lasers and IR photodetector can be utilized to develop MEMS based scanning LIDAR systems.
The advantage of MEMS based scanning LIDAR is high horizontal and vertical resolution and the ability to dynamically change the detection resolution and frame rate. The same scanning LIDAR can do both slower high resolution and faster lower resolution captures depending on the application or driving situation.
STMicroelectronics manufactures a wide variety of chips for connected cars, wearables, and Internet of Things gadgets. It also makes motion sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) for smartphones and tablets.
STMicro lost ground in motion sensors to its smaller rival InvenSense over the past few years, but it recently launched an ultra-low power 6-axis gyroscope and accelerometer combo device designed specifically for VR and AR devices. The device has already been certified for use with both the Project Tango and Daydream platforms.
As the AR and VR markets grow, rising demand for more motion sensors should enable STMicro to leverage its scale and offer its sensors at lower prices than InvenSense. STMicro is also heavily invested in the computer vision market -- it manufactures ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) leader Mobileye's EyeQ computer vision chips, and produces LIDAR technologies for autonomous driving, AR, and VR uses with Microvision.
People who know me, know that I say "I don't know" a lot. This is an "I don't know" post. Something cool MAY be Microvision's near-eye display in action, might not be. I don't know. There are a couple of things I DO know. First, this is just released by Vuzix.
Second, Vuzix HAD a partnership kind of relationship with Intel, and now doesn't have a partnership relationship with Intel. I have no idea why. There are a number of theories being batted around among the folks I talk to about this -- some of the theories if true, would be meaningfully positive for Microvision, some meaningfully negative, a few neutral. As I have no idea which theory if any of them are close to reality, I'm not going to post any. Third.. Vuzix DOES use Microvision's displays, but doesn't exclusively use Microvision's displays. (as far as we know.) The proof of this is in the 10K filing, which is linked to below.
We currently purchase almost all of the microdisplays used in our products from Kopin and Microvision. Our relationship with these microdisplay suppliers is generally on a purchase order basis and neither firm has a contractual obligation to provide adequate supply or acceptable pricing to us on a long-term basis. We procure a small percentage of our microdisplays from other sources such as Syndiant and Texas Instruments. While we do not manufacture our components, we own the tooling that is used to make our custom components with the exception of certain authentication chips and connectors that may be required to support industry standard device connectivity. We believe that we are not dependent on our relationships with any supplier other than Kopin or Microvision. Kopin before we sold the defense divisions had also been a significant customer of our night vision display electronics modules and owns just under 3% of our common stock. Some of our accessory products are sourced from third parties as finished goods. We typically have them print our Vuzix brand name on these products of they are co-branded. Such third party products represented less than 5% of our sales in 2015. Kopin's Website
A single, tiny, innovative MEMS scanning mirror technology: Moving to improve automotive safety with HUD and ADAS
Industry moves to acquire LIDAR technology for ADAS
This is a hot topic in the industry and big players are positioning themselves to get a big piece of the pie.
Infineon has acquired LIDAR expertise in October with the recent Innoluce takeover.
Analog Devices has also just announced, on November 17, the acquisition of LBS Technology from Vescent Photonics for the purpose of enabling mainstream adoption of automotive LIDAR systems.
I expect more companies to make similar announcements soon as this market heats up.
The unique MicroVision MEMS scanning mirror construction and operation
Thanks for the heads up Mike! Augmented Reality is ready to grow like crazy!!
Virtual and augmented reality is expected to become a $120-billion industry by the year 2020. Blippar is part of that remarkable growth projection. With an app, it's using AR to get consumers to engage with products around them in a way we've never seen before. People can 'blipp' items they're interested in, from the suit on that stranger you just passed, to the coffee your friend just brewed. The app will unlock interactive digital content that's both useful and entertaining. This year, Bloomberg included Blippar on its list of top UK Business Innovators. Bloomberg TV's Anthony Lacavera speaks to the company's COO Danny Lopez. (Source: Bloomberg)
Microvision produces displays. A lot has to happen with other hardware and with software before those displays can be used. Object recognition, visual overlay and gesture control all have to work together to make it work.
The particular kind of use is moving (I believe) much faster that most people expected. Considering the kind of productivity improvements that can come with this kind of tech, it doesn't surprise me how much work is accelerating with it.
Companies are using Vuforia said:
“We see huge potential in the combination of object recognition and graphical overlay, especially when such information is fed to the HoloLens in real-time, for instance, in connection with maintenance or manufacturing lines.”
“We have leveraged Vuforia for HoloLens proof of concept projects and were able to achieve great precision. We were pleased how easy it is to setup and get up to speed. We had great success and expect to use it in future projects.”
MicroVision, STMicroelectronics to CollaboratePhotonics.com Nov 2016 REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 17, 2016 — Laser projection microdisplay developer MicroVision Inc. has signed a deal with STMicroelectronics, a Geneva, Switzerland-based electronics and semiconductor manufacturer, to collaborate on MEMS-based laser scanners.
The co-marketing agreement covers technology development and seeks to build on an existing arrangement pertaining to pico projectors and head-up display applications.
"ST and MicroVision anticipate targeting emerging markets and applications including virtual and augmented reality, 3D sensing and advanced driver assistance systems,” said MicroVision in a statement.
The companies plan on targeting a variety of applications including lidar sensors for autonomous vehicles.
Have stayed clear of politics here, but this is the kind of thing that can result. There may be some shifting of manufacturing, and how money is allowed to move around the world. So far, I find that that political change will likely have a positive effect on Microvision's Investors. (I admit that I could be wrong about that) Not sure what the effect will be on Apple, but a decision to move manufacturing back across an ocean doesn't happen without a reason.
Key Apple assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry, also known as Foxconn Technology Group, has been studying the possibility of moving iPhone production to the U.S., sources told the Nikkei Asian Review. "Apple asked both Foxconn and Pegatron, the two iPhone assemblers, in June to look into making iPhones in the U.S.," a source said. "Foxconn complied, while Pegatron declined to formulate such a plan due to cost concerns."
Foxconn, based in the gritty, industrial Tucheng district in suburban Taipei, and its smaller Taiwanese rival churn out more than 200 million iPhones annually from their massive Chinese campuses. Another source said that while Foxconn had been working on the request from Apple Inc., its biggest customer that accounts for more than 50% of its sales, Chairman Terry Gou had been less enthusiastic due to an inevitable rise in production costs.
There are four particularly noteworthy tech arrivals of the last few years that are gaining ground fast, and are expected to experience extremely rapid growth in the next few years. I believe Microvision is a key-stone technology for all of them. Large (but tiny) Displays and 3D scanning.
Smart Phones
Augmented Reality
Internet of things
3D Scanning (3D Printing, Self Driving cars, Interface with AR, etc... )
Smartphones: 1.4 Billion were sold during the 2014 calendar year. The companies that make them are desperate for innovation. Microvision's tech can put a six foot screen in a cell phone. Augmented Reality: Really got a boost in public knowledge from Pokemon Go, but many companies have been working hard on this for a long time. Some companies are putting the developer edition of the Hololens to work already, this field should get faster growth than most expect. Microvision has the best (as of 2015 CES) near eye display of all. (Field of view far better than anything else I could find there.) Heads up displays? A kind of augmented reality, and Microvision is there. Internet of things: Yes, your refrigerator, and all kinds of other things around you will have chips that check data, things you wear, things you use, things you don't even think about. To interact with these things.... displays are needed... what's easier than a tiny device that creates a relatively large display with touch-interactivity? 3D Scanning: 3D Printing has lost some of its buzz, but it's still being used a great deal. It's speeding up manufacturing and testing. It's used for art and prototyping. Being able to 3D scan things for 3D printing is essential. Compact laser scanning, Highly accurate, and relatively low cost. Driverless cars? They will be a huge growth area, and Microvision is there. This company doesn't need to dominate all of these markets to make its stockholders rich. In my humble opinion, serving 10% of smartphones will make crazy wealth for the stockholders. The rest.... just adding to it. Do your own thinking
This is what happens when a lot of people are short the stock and no one is selling.
One Dollar per share in August $73 yesterday, and will probably open at over $100 this morning.
Given that the fundamentals of Microvision have just announced a profound and positive fundamental change -- and sellers aren't very common, it won't surprise me if this is a story soon told about Microvision. Once word gets out about product releases, there will be a lot of Microvision buyers and even fewer sellers. This is, after all, a company with no debt, that is straddling three things that have gigantic growth and earnings potential. The squeezing will begin soon maybe now, maybe a few months from now, but it will happen.
DryShips (DRYS) soared some 70% in Tuesday trading and has risen some 1,500% over the past week as one of the most spectacular short squeezes the market has witnessed in a long time grips this unique investment vehicle.
DryShips shares jumped 70.3% to $73 Tuesday on a huge volume surge.More than 10 million shares changed hands -- some 20 times the stock's average daily volume of less than 500,000. DRYS had been as high as $102 earlier in the session and is up from just $4.56 a share at last Tuesday's close. It's a remarkable turn of events for a stock that was trading just above $1 a share as recently as August. However, quite a lot has transpired since this unusual stock hit its summer lows.
That isn't to say DryShips' rally is purely a function of the short-sellers market. While it is largely that, bets on the direction of overseas-shipping pricing have expanded sharply since last week's U.S. presidential election.
The valuations page will be getting an update soon, but I've often based my view on 10% of worldwide annual smartphone sales. (1.4 Billion sold last year.) I need to up that somehow for near-eye displays and 3D scanning. (The outlook keeps getting better.) 10% of the 1.4Billion smartphones is 140 Million -- more than the 60 million daily users of SnapChat. If we do a straight market-cap comparison of MVIS to something that has sold tangibly in the recent past, like Oculus Rift -- Microvision, in my opinion has a far superior product, more useful to more people in wider markets -- that sold for 2 billion in cash... could we see market cap valuations like $25 Billion? [ Different chapter of the same story? ] I think absolutely we can, which is why I am holding tight to my position.
It’s official: Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, is going public in an IPO that could value the company anywhere between $20 billion and $25 billion.
To be sure, it’s a landmark moment for the photo-messaging app, which cofounders Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy and Reggie Brown launched just over five years ago and now attracts over 60 million daily active users. But is Snap Inc. really worth as much as $25 billion?
One need look no further the top line of Snap Inc., whose main product involves sending self-erasing photos to your friends. Earlier this year, leaked documents revealed the startup expects to generate between $500 million and $1 billion in revenues in 2017, a healthy figure backed by third-party digital research firm eMarketer. Indeed, eMarketer expects Snap Inc. to make $935.5 million next year, up from $366.7 million in ad sales in 2016.
“The revenues are really good quality revenues,” explains Li, who views a 20 to 1 ratio of valuation to revenues as solid. “These are brand marketers who are saying, ‘Hey, they are shifting brand dollars — real brand dollars on other parts of the budget — to Snapchat.’ More than anything else, because people are engaging with them, it is also a way to tap into something that is completely private as opposed to Facebook or Twitter.”
Article scraped to ensure retention. Originally designed to be a coffee-table that doubled as a computer... that's where we're going -- and projection tech is going to get us there.
Microsoft is considering using a projector to drive its ambitious new Surface table product.
Slash Gear reports that the company has filed a patent for an ‘interactive integrated display and processing device’ that uses projectors and sensors, not (expensive) touch screens.
Surface was originally designed to be a coffee table that doubled as a touch-screen computer. It then morphed into a traditional two-in-one tablet, evolved into a giant interactive whiteboard and, now, looks set to be a table again all over again.
“Given the pervasiveness and familiarity of touch screens, you’d think it was a no-brainer to create a touch-enabled display the size of a computer table,” Slash Gear’s JC Torres writes.
“But the costs of creating such a large screen were just far too high and the yield probably too low. This would translate to a prohibitively expensive price tag, thereby limiting such a product’s appeal, reach, and sales. Just look at the Surface Hub.”
However, Microsoft’s table idea isn’t new. “It has been used before, even in existing products. It basically involves two things,” Torres said.
“The first is a computing device that projects the screen, as well as the interface, on a usually flat surface. The second is a bunch of sensors that detect movement and gestures. Again, we’ve seen that setup before, from Microsoft’s own experiments as well a something like the Sony Xperia Projector.”
