Keeping it REALLY Simple.

 Benchmark --- LAZR  -- Upstart LiDAR company.

Approximate Valuation: 10 Billion. (MicroVision's LiDAR is better)

At the same value: 10 Billion / 152 Million = $66

I consider the near eye display to be worth MORE than the LiDAR -- it certainly I think will be at least as widely used. Now that we have a value for LiDAR, I'm significantly adjusting my guess on NED -- I'm keeping my guess simple.

Market Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is likely more important than fundamentals... And the fundamentals here are REALLY good.

Give it a comparable valuation:

$66 + $66 = $132


Review previous Value Posts

Value LiDAR

The Beats Exercise 

Near Eye Display

MS Downgrades HIMX, The Street Acknowledges Microvision - Updated

It's been my experience (whether right or not I'm not sure) that The Street's articles can be difficult to re-locate or disappear. So, I've pulled the whole article out for posting here.

Himax was the key display provider for Google Glass, and an apparent supplier to Hololens -- although word was that Hololens was going elsewhere as well. (That was referenced here, I will update when I find the link.)

Thanks Joe

Morgan Stanley Downgrades Himax Technologies (HIMX) to Underweight Amid Growing Competition

(Updated - February 6, 2017 1:23 PM EST)

Morgan Stanley downgraded Himax Technologies (NASDAQ: HIMX) from Equalweight to Underweight with a $4 price target (down from $6), implying 24% downside.

Analyst Charlie Chan said New AR smart glasses are adopting micro display technology other than Himax's LCoS. This could jeopardize the company's leadership in this market in the long term.

Chan said while the stock is down 49% since September 1, 2016, it could de-rate further if its leading position in micro displays gets challenged.

"We now see further threats to the dominance in micro display technology of LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon)," Chan commented. "Vuzix, one of the leading vendors of AR smart glasses, won the CES Innovation Awards for its Blade 3000 and M3000, which incorporates DLP technology from Texas Instruments. DLP generally has the disadvantage of bigger form factor vs. LCoS, yet our read from Vuzix’s press release suggests that this has been overcome. In addition, MicroVision, the solutions provider for laser MEMS micro display technology, became one of Vuzix's key suppliers starting from 2015."

For an analyst ratings summary and ratings history on Himax Technologies click here. For more ratings news on Himax Technologies click here.

Shares of Himax Technologies closed at $5.24 yesterday.


Barrons Blog

Morgan Stanley analyst Charlie Chan says Himax’s display technology is no longer cutting edge, current customer Microsoft (MSFT) is going to cut orders, and its December quarter earnings may disappoint. Chan wrote:

We now see further threats to the dominance in micro display technology of LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon). Vuzix, one of the leading vendors of AR smart glasses, won the CES Innovation Awards for its Blade 3000 and M3000, which incorporates DLP technology from Texas Instruments (see Exhibit 1). DLP generally has the disadvantage of bigger form factor vs. LCoS, yet our read from Vuzix’s press release suggests that this has been overcome. In addition, MicroVision, the solutions provider for laser MEMS micro display technology, became one of Vuzix’s key suppliers starting from 2015.

Augmented Reality potential | Final Fantasy

For some reason, gamers will exert a crazy amount of effort doing things for fun that would cost a lot to get developed. Here you see a main display, with AR displays to augment the central displays.

This could be coming to your office soon. A lot of us who deal with a lot of information, design, etc could make great use of this. 



Windows Central

Systems like the Nintendo 3DS and Wii-U also make use of extra displays to show menus, maps, and other UI elements to prevent them from interfering with the main game itself.

Microsoft has also dabbled with these sorts of features, with Xbox Smartglass. Using a phone app, some games were able to display second-screen functionality and even gameplay. An early version of Tom Clancy's The Division had a full-blown tablet companion game, allowing users to control an in-game support drone via Windows 8-based touch devices. I saw The Division's drone companion app running on a Surface 2 back at Gamescom 2014, and found it to be very impressive. Sadly, it never made it to the full game due to balancing issues. HoloLens could make these second screen experiences far more compelling.

Other Hololens Headset Makers

If you're not already watching Dell, Acer, HP, Lenovo and 3Glasses (who are they?) That's where be seeing a Hololens headset. (I suspect all the third party headsets will have to be tethered to a computer. We shall see.



HotHardware

PCAdvisor.uk

Microsoft has opened up its Holographic platform to third parties, it announced at Computex 2016 in June, enabling other manufacturers to build headsets just like its HoloLens and help it to expand the platform. A consumer HoloLens "may come from us, or it may come from a partner, and either way that's fantastic," said Microsoft's Terry Myerson, executive vice president of its Windows and Devices Group.

Microsoft reconfirmed this at CES in January 2017, telling HoloLens hopefuls that it is partnering with PC makers including Dell, Acer, HP, Lenovo and 3Glasses, which will release third-party headsets based on HoloLens technology over the coming months. These will be available much cheaper with prices starting at a more attractive $299, although unlike HoloLens they will need to be tethered to a PC.

“These new head mounted displays will be the first consumer offerings utilizing the Mixed Reality capabilities of Windows 10 Creators Update," said Microsoft.

ONMSFT
For now, the company is counting on third-party manufacturers to democratize its Windows Holographic ecosystem, and we recently saw a number of companies showing off a first portfolio of affordable VR headsets back at CES 2017. However, Microsoft’s HoloLens will likely remain in a league of its own as it’s still the only self-contained holographic headset in the market today, which certainly explains its premium pricing.

CAE Healthcare

CAE Makes Multimillion dollar flight simulators for aircrew training. (I used to get to play with those.)

That a company dedicated to training and simulation is taking on Hololens is, in my opinion, an excellent development for AR.

Whether or not we have a place in Hololens, great results for the space will be good for Microvision.


CAE HealthCare

CAE Healthcare announces first mixed reality ultrasound simulation solution with Microsoft HoloLens
Orlando, U.S. & Montreal, Canada – January 27, 2017 – On the eve of the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH) in Orlando, Florida, the largest medical simulation conference, CAE Healthcare announced the release of CAE VimedixAR, an ultrasound training simulator integrated with the Microsoft HoloLens, the world’s first self-contained holographic computer. CAE Healthcare will be the first company to bring a commercial Microsoft HoloLens application to the medical simulation market.
VimedixAR delivers an unprecedented simulation-based training experience, allowing learners to interact and move freely within a clinical training environment that is augmented with holograms. For the first time, students will be able to examine 3D anatomy inside the body of the Vimedix manikin. As learners practice scanning an animated heart, lungs or abdomen, they will observe in real-time how the ultrasound beam cuts through anatomy to generate a ultrasound image.
Learners can elevate the VimedixAR hologram above the body to gain an understanding of human anatomy and how its circulatory, respiratory and skeletal structures are integrated. The hologram of the heart, for example, can be isolated and enlarged, rotated, and turned as it floats at eye level. If a learner is struggling to understand a concept, he or she will be able to walk around the hologram to gain a different perspective.
“We are on the cusp of a new frontier in simulation for healthcare,” said Dr. Robert Amyot, president of CAE Healthcare. “Augmented and virtual reality can accelerate learning and provide shared training experiences in a more immersive and engaging clinical learning environment. Our engineering team is just beginning to explore possibilities with the Microsoft HoloLens, and we look forward to offering it as a key training solutions technology to our industry partners.”
The CAE Healthcare team has already begun to develop training prototypes with the medical device industry that incorporate the Microsoft HoloLens and are expected to accelerate professional education for new technologies. With CAE Healthcare’s virtual views of human anatomy and the Microsoft HoloLens, physicians will be able to practice placing cardiac devices or implants with speed and precision before they perform procedures on real patients.
“At Microsoft our goal with HoloLens and mixed reality is to help customers visualize and interact with 3D content in ways that offer new possibilities for creation, collaboration and consumption of information,” said Lorraine Bardeen, General Manager, Microsoft HoloLens and Windows Experiences. “It is inspiring to see how CAE is integrating HoloLens into its healthcare simulation portfolio, and we are excited about the opportunities mixed reality presents to revolutionize the future of patient education and training through the use of holographic computing.”
The VimedixAR module with Microsoft HoloLens will be available for presale and during the IMSH conference and online. For more information, visit caehealthcare.com/hololens

About CAE Healthcare
CAE Healthcare offers cutting-edge learning tools to healthcare students and professionals, allowing them to develop practical experience through risk-free simulation training before treating real patients. CAE Healthcare's full spectrum of simulation solutions includes surgical and imaging simulation, curriculum, the LearningSpace audiovisual and center management platform and highly realistic adult, pediatric and baby patient simulators. Today, approximately 9,000 CAE Healthcare simulators and audiovisual solutions are in use worldwide by medical schools, nursing schools, hospitals, defence forces and other entities. www.cae.com/healthcare
About CAE
CAE (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE) is a global leader in the delivery of training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets. We design and integrate the industry's most comprehensive training solutions, anchored by the knowledge and expertise of our 8,000 employees, our world-leading simulation technologies and a track record of service and technology innovation spanning seven decades. Our global presence is the broadest in the industry, with 160 sites and training locations in 35 countries, including our joint venture operations, and the world's largest installed base of flight simulators. Each year, we train more than 120,000 civil and defence crewmembers, as well as thousands of healthcare professionals. 

GE Augmented Reality Competition.

Three to five years, everyone using a wearable device.

Very interesting Article


ITWorldCanada

Everything manufactured more recently can be made with a digital twin without much added effort, he adds. But what about that locomotive engine that you only service every 10 years? As more machines are modelled for digital twins from inception, it will make more sense to have AR tools ready to service them.

In just three to five years, Boris says he can’t imagine a person on the plant floor that doesn’t have a wearable device to help them do the job. If you think that sounds unlikely, just consider how you’d react if you were told 10 years ago that everyone on the plant floor would be using an Apple-made tablet.

“Now everyone on the plant floor has an iPad in their hands,” Boris says.

If the ROI is as good as Jenkins says for Upskill’s Skylight system, CIOs will be racing to deploy the technology. Efficiency increases from 30 to 50 per cent the first time that a worker uses the technology – before they’re even accustomed to it, Jenkins says. Companies that adopt Skylight commonly see a 30 per cent increase in quality output and 20 per cent better resource utilization.

Those are numbers worthy of a pilot project, or four.

Read more: http://www.itworldcanada.com/article/how-ge-spurred-augmented-reality-pilots-with-an-internal-wearables-challenge/390130#ixzz4Wyet0ZwW
or visit http://www.itworldcanada.com for more Canadian IT News 

More uses of Augmented Reality

The ways this technology will be used will benefit us all enormously.

Being part of it by providing the near-eye displays is enough. I have no idea if we're in Hololens or not, but it certainly seems like a very good fit.


Engadget - More at the source



The researchers showed two potential use cases for the HoloLens. In the first, called "automated progress monitoring," inspectors can actually "bring the design information to the construction site" via Microsoft's HoloLens Sketchup Viewer, says grad student Marianna Kopsida. That way, they can visualize relevant engineering data onsite in order to check building progress and take corrective actions where needed.

In the other scenario, inspectors take high resolution photos on the building site, bring the data back to the office, and overlay it onto a 3D model of the project. "This copy is fully textured, data-rich and an exact replica that can be used for condition testing ... to find problems with the structure," says Cambridge researcher Philipp Huethwohl. That would let inspectors avoid physical inspections, keeping them out of danger and allowing bridges and other structures to remain open.

Learn music theory - Hololens

Many ways to use this tool to learn and increase human productivity and creativity. It will be a winner.

Hololens Reality News

• Improvisation: Understanding music theory to the degree that a player can improvise a melody that fits in a certain key is a tough skill to master. It is also a skill that is generally not part of normal music curriculum, but is needed when playing with others.
• Virtual Hand: Many people on this planet are visual learners, even for things like music. Being able to watch someone or, in this case, a hologram, play or chord or a phrase before trying yourself can be a great boon.
• Virtual Band: As mentioned above, having a virtual band to practice your improvisational skills give the user an open environment to learn and hone their skills—without the need to pay a group of people to help.

Windows 10 Mixed Reality Headsets to ship in March

This is really interesting news.

The Hololens is a self-contained device -- with the computer in it. These will be the same kind of display -- tethered to a computer.

Still targeted at developers, but at a lot more of them. Many of the advances in this technology will come from game development.

Check out highlighted strategy.... this stuff is coming. 

My guess is that Microvision doesn't make an appearance in March with these headsets, but 

Good spot to watch. --

WinBuzzer

The company will start selling headsets to developers to coincide with the Game Developers Conference. The Windows 10 Holographic Shell powered devices will be tethered and mix aspects of augmented and virtual reality.

However, these developer headsets will not be the ones built by OEMs for consumers. They are going to arrive later in the year. Microsoft partners such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Dell, and HP have confirmed they are creating VR headsets.

The Future with Hololens

Thanks Mike.

Haven't had a focused look at this yet, but Mike sends good stuff.

When you invest in something, think "how is this going to make people's lives better?" Then, be a part of that.

"When I finally get to the point of building it, I build it once."


Joe Sent me a link to the Hololens Commercial Suite site that had these videos.

Cool Microsoft Patent - importance of scanning

Very interesting idea, and highlights the importance of scanning well and the difficulty of coming up with control interface for such devices. 

(Imagine the difficulty in making gestures that won't accidentally control the device as well.)

MSPoweruser

While Microsoft’s HoloLens technology is great for displaying information from the virtual world, actually controlling that presentation is still relatively awkward, involving a series of gaze and hand gestures which remain imprecise and hard to get right consistently.

Now in a new patent application Microsoft has proposed using gaze tracking and the everyday objects around you to help users access and control the virtual world.

Microsoft envisions HoloLens users being able to select objects in their enviroment by gaze, and then for these objects to be recognized and menus and actions being associated with it. In Microsoft’s example a worker looking at a picture of his wife on the desk would activate a display of the family calendar hovering above the picture, which can then be accessed and manipulated by the user. That information may also be permanently attached to the picture, meaning if the picture is moved to another desk the information will still pop up next to it.

Microsoft also imagines movement of real life objects could be used to manipulate the virtual world. In their example looking at a basketball in the office would activate sports radio, and spinning the ball left or right in real life would raise or lower the audio playing in your ears.

The also imagine users being able to transfer documents to others by placing physical tokens on that person’s desk, with a digital document attached to it virtually, and the HoloLens adding a virtual glow to the object to get the users attention.

For this system to work users would need to wear their HoloLens near constantly, but we suppose there will come a time when the technology has shrunk down enough that this vision could become reality.

The Floor is Lava

The Future of video games that kids will be playing soon -- with good near eye displays.

AR is going to go far

If you are invested in a company that provides a better key component to something that is going to grow this fast, you're well positioned.

Augmented Reality -- because of it's appeal in use cases like this, and because of the enthusiasm of gamers -- is going to grow much faster than most have predicted.


Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced it has adopted Microsoft HoloLens, a mixed-reality technology that allows users to engage with digital content and holograms.

Microsoft HoloLens creates an end-to-end solution for DEWA energy plants with 3D representation of real data, offering a holographic and scenario-oriented view of the DEWA Smart Grid.
Business Review Europe -- more at the source

More than 24,000 thyssenkrupp engineers will be equipped with HoloLens, a mixed reality device that will allow them to visualise and identify problems with elevators ahead of a job and have remote, hands-free access to technical support when on site.

Given that a headset retails to American and Canadian consumers for $3,000 dollars, this is no small investment being made, although training 24,000 engineers will not be as daunting a task as some might think. A quick demonstration later, and even the less-technologically gifted attendees were online ordering spare parts from Germany via a few virtual nudges and points.

***

“We have parts from Memphis, New York, Georgia, machines from Germany, equipment from Brazil, Canada, Italy, China and Korea,” Schierenbeck says. “That is a lot of complexity so you can imagine if you need to fix a German machine with the help of an expert in a different time zone, it can be time consuming.

“This is where HoloLens comes in. It is a completely new way for technicians to work faster, easier and safer. There are three major use cases. Firstly, remote support. You don’t have to fly in an engineer, you can connect over skype straight away and they can see what you are doing. The next element is training – the HoloLens will let you see the parts in 3D to help you understand and self-learn. The final part is preparation for the job, all hands free in augmented reality.”

All the signs so far are showing that this leads to one result – an increase in uptime. Microsoft HoloLens’s General Manager Sam George, having shown me how simple the device really is to use, goes into detail about the enormous scope of use cases and applications, which includes bringing live sporting events to life.

Microsoft will support OTHER Augmented Reality Devices

So, we have been watching Microvision for Hololens, but they're going to support augmented reality with their software to support other companies devices as well.

These -- according to TheStreet will arrive in the first Quarter of 2017

Augmented Reality is already being used -- and there is demand already from Industry -- which is HUGE. The price will come down to $300 from $3000-- (Lenovo and Dell). 

When Windows Holographic OS arrives... this year.

And -- working on software to combine projection along with near eye displays.  (yes, the video uses a fixed projector, but in the wild it would need to be attached to the wearable devices.

I'm counting three times Microvision could be included in the same device.

Future is looking good to me.


WinBuzzer -- More at the source.





Holodeck closer to reality

Why Microsoft is betting on AR -- The Street

In Q1, Microsoft partners Asus, Acer, HP (HPQ) , Lenovo and Dell plan to launch a line of $300 Windows 10 headsets that will enable both virtual reality and mixed reality experiences and run on PCs costing as little as $500. At the other end of the spectrum are devices such as Microsoft's $3,000 HoloLens Development Edition goggles, which are for companies and software developers to test and build apps for.


The key to Microsoft's approach is its launch sometime in 2017 (the company has not said exactly when) of Windows Holographic, a version of Windows 10 built for mixed reality applications, via a free online update (it's available right now, though, on the HoloLens Development Edition). Companies such as Volvo and Thyssenkrupp Elevators, and institutions such as Case Western Reserve University and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are actively using HoloLens.

********

Cincotta said developers can target mixed reality experiences destined for a range of VR, AR and mixed reality devices, and not just for the HoloLens.

According to Alexis Macklin, VR analyst at research firm Greenlight Insights, Microsoft's approach is different from what top VR and AR companies are doing. Microsoft is starting to position its VR and AR product suites as business tools that help deliver digital transformation for enterprises.

**********

Microsoft will be in a unique position when Windows 10 headsets begin shipping because those devices will support the full spectrum of mixed reality. Cincotta said it's up to each company how it designs its headset to take advantage of these emerging technologies. The headsets are expected to debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week, when consumer launch dates will also be revealed.

Teaching Doctors Anatomy with Hololens

Thanks T!

The ability of augmented reality to increase efficiencies and save resources will make it an economic hit..... don't doubt this. 


ZDNet -- Much more at the source.

Dissection labs are often cramped, with too many students per cadaver to afford everyone a good view. The chemicals used to preserve the bodies are harsh and can provoke allergies in some people, and the labs are difficult and expensive to maintain.

Could there be a better way for medical students to learn anatomy? One university thinks so: when Case Western opens its new health education campus in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic in 2019, students won't learn anatomy from cadavers, they'll learn it from virtual reality.

"In 2013, I was part of a team that was asked to teach anatomy completely digitally -- not having any cadaver lab in this new building. Obviously, this is a pretty big challenge. We've had many hundreds of years of teaching anatomy the same way, but we also thought the time was right to think about doing it in a new way... it's very difficult to maintain a cadaver lab, the cost and infrastructure required to maintain that is very difficult. Not only is there the challenge of having people's bodies donated, but there's a lot of challenge around all the environmental concerns," Mark Griswold, a professor in the department of radiology at Case Western, told ZDNet.

Himax Out at Hololens?

With Microvision's known wider field of view, Hololens is certainly something to watch closely. 

They were using a Himax display, here is more evidence that they are no longer using the Himax display -- which may give MVIS an opening. Whether or not it's actually Microvision remains to be seen, but we are a logical choice. 

According to the article - they may be trying to update their technology at Himax and continue to supply Hololens.

Microvision's Nomad had better field of view than any other available offering at CES last year.

That Microsoft intends to open this tech to others --- that's very interesting stuff as well. 

Next Reality News


We've been hearing some interesting rumors in the last few days that are stirring up all kinds of speculation about the potential upcoming consumer release of the HoloLens. However, MSPoweruser has speculated a bit further past the consumer HoloLens release to a possible HoloLens 2 as soon as Q3 2017.

Himax Technologies, a major supplier for many of the components of the current HoloLens version, had its stock price fall 19.1% back in September. This was because of weak shipments of the mixed reality headset at the time, as well as speculation that a shift in the production line for the HoloLens was taking place.

More recently, Jordan Wu, CEO of Himax, somewhat confirmed this rumor when he blamed a "major AR customer's shift in focus to the development of future generation devices," and hinted at increased sales after the first few quarters of next year.

Best Hololens apps according to Windows Report

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.

Windows Report -- more at the source.

• Insight Heart: Learn all about the heart.
• Holostudy: Geology Physics, Chemistry and Biology lessons
• HoloFlight: View 3D Flight data (Watching air traffic control) 
• Fragments: Holographic game and gaming tool. Investigate Crimes
• Aircraft Explorer: explore seven of the most common commercial aircrafts.
• HoloAnatomy: a tour of the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic HoloAnatomy course.
• 3dDraw for HoloLens: draw with your hand in 3D and then walk around in what you have created.
• The Red Pill: allows you to see the code behind the “real” world.

New Use for AR -- Preventing Crime Scene Contamination

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.


Augmented Reality News -- much more at the source.

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.

$430K Ed-sim Challenge

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.

Trimble, Hololens and paint 3D

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. 

Microvision has them.

Equipment World

Paint 3d