Fox Business on AR Glasses

More mainstream attention, this is good.

Microvision is certainly connected to one of these companies (Vuzix) and suspected to be connected to Lenovo. 

Vuzix claimed they 'depend' on displays from Microvision and Kopin, but do not claim the display for the M3000.


Fox Business -- more at the source.

CES is mostly about companies showing off all manner of new consumer phones, TVs, cars, laptops, and smart devices. But there are always some business innovations to be found among all of the consumer gadgets and gizmos. This year, the enterprise side of CES is all about augmented realityOpens a New Window.  (AR).

Lenovo, at Mobilenapps

Lenovo Launches Smart Assistant

A couple of interesting things here. Lenovo is in the space, and given Microvision's recent communications, we know that Microvision is there as well. (And Lenovo is interested in laser projection.

Amazon is apparently also licensing it's voice assistant software, selling it, or cooperating with Amazon. 


Gadgets.ndtv -- More at the source


Beginning with the Lenovo Smart Assistant, it works in the same way as Google Home and Amazon Echo. The smart home device listens to voice commands and performs functions like calling an Uber, playing music, switching on/off other smart appliances, searching online for queries, and more. It is powered by Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, weighs about 760 grams, and comes with 8GB of internal storage. Colour options include Light Grey, Harman Black, Orange, and Blue, and it supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. The Lenovo Smart Assistant starts at $129 (roughly Rs. 8,900) and will be available from May this year.

Additionally, there’s also a special Lenovo Smart Assistant Harman Kardon Edition that is touted to sport superior audio quality for music and home entertainment. This special edition smart assistant will be priced a little higher at $179.99 (roughly Rs. 12,300), and will also be made available in May.

Lenovo Smart Glasses

This space is going to get more and more crowded. 

Given the Lenovo SmartCast and now the STM connection, Lenovo is certainly one of those companies to watch.

That the demand for this in industrial settings is high, and the application of this concept for gaming has been 

Lenovo C200 At ZDNet

Toymakers give AR a boost

AR for Fishing

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.

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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.

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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.

Lenovo rolls out first AR phone

Cool features aren't going to be much fun if there isn't data in them. As I understand it, Project Tango is a way to absorb that data.

This is a step before wearing the display.


Korea Herald


Chinese tech company Lenonvo announced Monday that it is rolling out its augmented reality smartphone Phab 2 Pro in the Korean market on Tuesday.

The Phab 2 Pro is the world’s first smartphone to include Tango -- a new technology from Google that enables augmented reality gaming and utilities. 

The technology allows users to place virtual objects over the real world through 3-D. For instance, a user can install an app to see how new furniture would look in their home, while raising virtual pets and playing 3-D augmented reality games.