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

The Beats Exercise

Beats sold to Apple for 3.2 Billion. Why?

This was a mysterious acquisition when it happened. Not too difficult to make a new kind of headset, but that was what everyone saw when they purchased it.

Why did Apple buy Beats?


Apple's Beats Acquisition has already paid off

Indeed, Apple Music would launch in June 2015, and amass 10 million subscribers by January 2016 -- 20 million paid users that December. Less than two years later, and after some redesigns, it would double its tally to 40 million. Sure, the company hasn't caught Spotify globally, and it may never be able to. But in the US, Apple reportedly has more paying users than its biggest rival.

The reason for the price wasn't obvious --- but it was there.

It was not for the hardware, but for the number of subscriptions it could sell.

So, you need to ask yourself, how many paying subscriptions could MicroVision's technology enable?

Microsoft office is a subscription.

In the world of AR there will likely be subscription services for education, games, business applications, or additional fees just to have AR service.

Interactive projection(or display only) could improve the appeal media subscriptions significantly.

Can they sell in a few years 20 million subscriptions? There's your 3.8 Billion. ($27/share)


Secret History of Beats

“By 2013, Beats Electronics was a distressed business by any standard,” said the late PrivCo chief Sam Hamadeh. “The company was in a corner until Carlyle stepped in.” 

The Carlyle investment also gave Beats the funds it needed to keep expanding. That was especially important given the focus on its new streaming service. Beats Music celebrated its official launch in January 2014 with a concert at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, fronted by Dre, Diddy, Eminem, Nas, and Ice Cube. Inside, superstars from Drake to Pink mingled with label chiefs and talent agency executives at the oversubscribed show.

There were no reports of Apple executives in the crowd, but the computer giant was clearly watching. On May 8, the Financial Times reported that Apple had agreed to purchase Beats for $3.2 billion; that night, the grainy YouTube video of Dr. Dre’s impromptu celebration lit up the Internet.

******three weeks later, though, the deal went through—for a final price of $3 billion. “No traditional valuation measure applied to Beats as a business justifies the price,”

It seems pretty clear to me that it was purchased for getting subscriptions to increase. If it already paid off for the increase from doubling the number of paid users from 20 million to 40 million --- you have to ask yourself can the results from MicroVision's Near Eye Display OR their Interactive Display result in 20 million paid subscriptions? (I believe the answer is clearly yes it can -- significantly more than that.) so those 20 million paid subscribers are worth 

9 Augmented Reality Stocks to Enhance your portfolio

They haven't figured out yet that its all but certain that Microvision is in the Hololens.... but it's an AR stock to enhance your portfolio.

It's heavy on the advertisement, but the source is here:

Investorplace

AR Stocks to Enhance Your Portfolio: Microvision, Inc. (MVIS)

For the record, Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS) and Microsoft are two different companies. The aforementioned Microsoft is the maker of the HoloLens, which may be on the verge of becoming a must-have. Microvision’s role in the augmented reality movement, however, it a little bit different. It’s the maker of laser (and the supporting technologies) that can project images and data into glass.

The most practical and tangible use of its PicoP(r) technology is the projection of the information normally found on a car’s dashboard up to the windshield, allowing a driver to keep his or her eyes on the road. It’s the same basic concept being used by Google Glass, Microsoft’s HoloLens and the like though — melding the benefits of a transparent material with valuable information overlaid.

Hololens Reality News UPDATE

I found this to be an excellent summary article...

News getting out is going to be what gets the stock price moving. Most of the world is still ignorant of AR, MR Hololens, Magic Leap, and all the others. Nearly everyone exposed to it expresses disbelief that it can be done.

Messed up on the key link yesterday, so this is a repost.

This is one source that found

AND.... it references Microvision through the link mentioning the patent 



Hololens Reality News

"During the presentation at MWC, Alex Kipman, Microsoft technical fellow and head honcho of HoloLens, noted that the HoloLens 2 employs a microelectromechanical (MEMS) laser scanner to achieve the wider field of view, a fact that was foreshadowed by a patent application published by the US Patent and Trademark Office in last June and filed by Microsoft in Dec. 2016." --- They found Microvision here.


The display is arguably the most important aspect of any augmented reality headset. One of the biggest criticisms of the original HoloLens was its limited field of view of around 35 degrees. For the sequel, Microsoft has managed to more than double the field of view while maintaining image fidelity at 47 pixels per degree of sight.

Apple Preparing for life after iPhone

Interesting stuff.

As you read this, remember that Apple just created its first head of AR Marketing.

They're also talking here about a lot of video streaming.

Writing off display-only is WAY premature.

Wall Street Journal

Apple Inc. AAPL -0.22% is shaking up leadership and reordering priorities across its services, artificial intelligence, hardware and retail divisions as it works to reduce the company’s reliance on iPhone sales.

The changes, which can be traced back to last year, have included high-profile hires, noteworthy departures, meaningful promotions and consequential restructurings. They have rattled rank-and-file employees unaccustomed to frequent leadership changes and led Apple to put several projects on hold while new managers are given a chance to reassess priorities, according to people familiar with the matter.

The primary reasons for the shifts vary by division. But collectively, they reflect Apple’s efforts to transition from an iPhone-driven company into one where growth flows from services and potentially transformative technologies.

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

“This is a sign the company is trying to get the formula right for the next decade,” said Gene Munster, a longtime Apple analyst and managing partner at venture-capital firm Loup Ventures. “Technology is evolving, and they need to continue to tweak their structure to be sure they’re on the right curve.”

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

Apple spent $14.24 billion on research and development last year, a 23% increase from the year prior. Though it continues to work on projects in the augmented reality, autonomous vehicle and health sectors, it hasn’t yet released a major new product in those areas. Sales of its latest gadgets—Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePod—have been mixed, and none have offered the pricing power or volumes of the iPhone, one of the best-selling products in history.

Mr. Cook, who prides himself on his long-term management focus, has been anticipating the maturation of the smartphone industry since as early as 2010 and planning for how to grow as phone sales slow, former employees say. Apple this year stopped reporting the number of iPhones it sells, a move many observers interpreted as an end of the smartphone salad days.

Though the iPhone still contributes about two-thirds of Apple sales, the company has encouraged investors to focus on a growing services business, which includes streaming-music subscriptions, app-store sales and mobile payments. Services are expected to top $50 billion in sales by fiscal 2020 and contribute more than about 60% of Apple’s total revenue growth over five years, according to Morgan Stanley , which estimates the iPhone fueled 85% of growth during the prior five years.

Apple REALLY wants you to use Amazon Alexa

Not sure what to make of this yet, but it's not an expected development.

There's a lot more cooperation between these big companies than most people would expect. Foxconn, for example makes phones for a number of huge players in smartphones, including Apple and Samsung.


Motley Fool

Apple Insider

Few new product categories within consumer electronics show the type of insane growth and adoption as smart speakers. Pioneered by Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) and its sleeper hit Echo, smart speaker sales are skyrocketing as consumers place devices in multiple rooms around their homes, accessing music-streaming services and controlling smart-home gadgets. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has mostly missed out on that boom though, as its HomePod didn't launch until earlier this year and is priced at a massive premium compared to the competition.

The tech titan rarely makes cross-platform plays, but Apple Music is one of those exceptions; the service has also been available on Android for years.

Customs and Border Patrol

Augmented Reality is going to be everywhere and it's going to come faster than we anticipate --- because it's going to be so useful.

Imagine the tediousness of the task a customs officer would have, looking at and in packages, and trying to figure out, with written descriptions whether or not things are counterfeit, legit, or concealing something else.

The efficiency and effectiveness of the people working here will be increased dramatically by this tech.

Holding the maker of the best AR display is going to be gold.



GCN - Technology, Tools & Tactics

In the latest project, CBP agents are using Microsoft HoloLens augmented-reality headsets to inspect goods for intellectual property rights violations.

Instead of referring to paper guides to verify the authenticity of an imported product, the agents use a HoloLens-enabled mobile app to instantly access product details and compare the reference images to the physical object they are examining. CBP is also considering an app for consumers that would allow them to test items such as pharmaceuticals to know if they are legitimate.

Manager's guided to Augmented Reality

Probably a good thing to be the company providing the best displays for this technology.

Harvard Business Review (more at the source)




Augmented reality, a set of technologies that superimposes digital data and images on the physical world, promises to close this gap and release untapped and uniquely human capabilities. Though still in its infancy, AR is poised to enter the mainstream; according to one estimate, spending on AR technology will hit $60 billion in 2020. AR will affect companies in every industry and many other types of organizations, from universities to social enterprises. In the coming months and years, it will transform how we learn, make decisions, and interact with the physical world. It will also change how enterprises serve customers, train employees, design and create products, and manage their value chains, and, ultimately, how they compete.

****More broadly, AR enables a new information-delivery paradigm, which we believe will have a profound impact on how data is structured, managed, and delivered on the internet. Though the web transformed how information is collected, transmitted, and accessed, its model for data storage and delivery—pages on flat screens—has major limits: It requires people to mentally translate 2-D information for use in a 3-D world. That isn’t always easy, as anyone who has used a manual to fix an office copier knows. By superimposing digital information directly on real objects or environments, AR allows people to process the physical and digital simultaneously, eliminating the need to mentally bridge the two. That improves our ability to rapidly and accurately absorb information, make decisions, and execute required tasks quickly and efficiently.

Augmented Reality -- UPDATED

There's a LOT of stuff out now suddenly about Augmented Reality. It was off the public's radar until Pokemon Go, and now there's a lot of buzz.

It's only a matter of time before those digging hard about it discover the great position Microvision has in the field.

Check out the Definition from Apple Insider -- "A layer of digital information overlaid onto the physical world" is exactly what PicoP does.

So, when we go portable -- to play augmented reality games with portable devices -- things like this can be done. ( I still haven't found the one article that was posted recently that caught my eye.) 


Apple Insider

Distilled to its most basic elements, augmented reality can be described as [a] layer of digital information overlaid onto the physical world, like the camera and screen interface used in Pokémon Go. More immersive technology relies on specialized transparent displays, though these exotic solutions are still in their infancy and as such come at a high price. A number of tech companies are investing in the space, including Google's Glass product and Facebook's Oculus Rift platform.


From Eos Article

When visiting CES I showed the PicoPro to the Eos Folks and they REALLY like the projector. 

Convince and Convert 



PatentVue

Tech Radar: Apple & ST Microelectronics

Generally I don't like to talk about the fruit company, but this can't be ignored.

Connect this information with this blog post, and things get interesting.

Based on previous leaks, we know STM is working with Microvision (and is no longer on Microvision's list of competitors.) 


From TechRadar  (more at the source) & BGR

Found and posted on Reddit

Rumors suggest Apple is now making a research lab in France dedicated to the iPhone camera sensor, but it may be the team is focused on a revolutionary feature for the iPhone shooter.

French newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré shared details of the a new lab in Grenoble, France that will employ 30 engineers on an 800 square meter site.

Apple is rumored to be working in collaboration with engineers from STMicroelectronics, who produce the gyroscope and accelerometer used inside the Apple Watch.

That company also produced the pico projector for the Lenovo Smart Case smartphone - could this be what Apple is interested in?

Future projections

The Lenovo Smart Cast concept phone used projector technology to offer up a full gesture support on any surface, meaning you could put a keyboard down on your kitchen table and type on it.

Apple patents in the past have suggested the company is keen to look into projection camera tech in its phones.

Apple may have set up the separate research lab to improve the camera sensor for traditional camera work, but considering the French lab is so far away from Apple's normal operations it could be for a specific reason.

An iPhone with a projector built in could be an interesting step for the iPhone 7S.

Being able to project your apps directly onto any surface in your home would certainly offer up an innovative reason to upgrade your iPhone.

Apple and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

What I'm seeing below, I'm still trying to get a handle on -- I don't know anything, but this seems really interesting.

If you can explain more, please use the contact form to point me in the right direction.

I think this could be interesting because a PicoP engine would be a source of electromagnetic interference, and shielding the device from it would be required.

Still thinking about this one. -- Let me know what you think!!

I'm also aware that if they were to employ remote charging, that would probably require EMI shielding as well. (I'm highly dubious that feet-away wireless charging is going to happen, but a pad is certainly possible.)  Master Herald on wireless charging

• APPLE & Electromagnetic Shielding
• BGR -- Apple & Electromagnetic Shielding
• 9to5 Mac Apple & Electromagnetic Shielding

SOURCE

More Details About iPhone 7, iPhone 5se Emerge
by Gadgets 360 Staff , 17 February 2016




A new report claims that Apple for the first time is opting for EMI (electromagnetic interference) shield technology to be used on a variety of its chips on the upcoming iPhone 7. Additionally, a Taiwan-based website reports that Wistron along with Foxconn will be the primary suppliers of Apple's long-rumoured iPhone 5se.

Apple is said to be using EMI (electromagnetic interference) shield technology to major chips including RF (radio frequency), connectivity chips, AP (application processor), and modems which is expected to increase the iPhone's performance while reducing electromagnetic interference experienced by chips.

The report from Korea IT News also adds that Apple was until now applying the EMI technology to its PCB (printing circuit board) and connectors. The reason to opt for EMI (electromagnetic interference) shield technology for major chips in iPhone 7 was to prevent unwanted signals to occur due to electromagnetic interference. It adds that StatsChipPac and Amkor are the two companies responsible to handle EMI Shield technology on chips in the iPhone 7. It also says that the EMI shield process will be carried in South Korea.

In other news, the much-rumoured iPhone 5se will have Foxconn as well as Wistron as suppliers. A Digitimes report says that Apple has been considering separating its order to different ODMs to "avoid risks." Wistron is said to get small portion of the 4-inch iPhone orders from Apple this year.

All these leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt as Apple has not mentioned anything about the upcoming device and the leaks legitimacy remains questionable. A recent report said that Apple will debut its next iPhone and iPad models on March 15.

Apple and media covering Apple: no ideas

I've been noticing an increasing amount of nothing about new things for Apple.

Today, at least a dozen different articles proclaim "Apple will do away with Antenna Lines."

I don't know what the antenna lines on the iPhone are, nor have I ever heard anyone either mention or complain about them.

Google search? 653,000 results.

Imagine the excitement an embedded projector would get them. 

Google Search "Apple antenna lines"

iPhone 7 Rumors -- Component maker partners.

Like others who are following MicroVision closely, I hesitate, sometimes to post things like this because it can start a ridiculous frenzy.

I invest in this company because I see it's incredible potential over a long period of time, included in this, is interest by innovative companies like Apple.

Now, there's no shortage of various rumors about what Apple may or may not do in their next devices -- they are rumors. Rumors shouldn't be immediately believed, but they shouldn't be ignored either.

I would be very dismissive of some of these, except for an important fact of the business tactics MicroVision is employing. The TWO large OEMS that MicroVision is currently working with are BOTH suppliers of components to Apple. 

It's entirely possible that SONY is working out a deal to provide PicoP engines to a number of major OEMS right now -- and that's what those of us who follow the company and bet large on it are hoping is going on in a big way.

Smartphone2016

Apple looks to appeal to users with all different tastes and interests, and the upcoming iPhone 7 looks to do just that. So much talk is on the personal uses of smartphones, but the latest rumors will appeal to business and personal interests alike.

A built in projector looks to be one of the biggest iPhone 7 rumors. The projector is believed to emulate from the top of the phone and will project anything on-screen to a screen or a light colored wall. We’ve seen add-ons that have the same premise, but phone case like fixtures are either too bulky or poor in quality.



The projector is said to be viewable in at least full HD, and will add a unique element to the concept of the iPhone 7. Imagine projecting pictures, spreadsheets, and even full-length movies on a living room wall. The business uses are huge, especially in this mobile era of technology. Working on data spreadsheets right from the palm of your hand can instantly be turned into a collaboration project among co-workers.

Aside from built in projector, new iPhone 7 rumors are out a bigger battery and a waterproof design. One of the biggest disappointments of previous iPhones has been the lack of juice, and the iPhone 7 battery is expected to be bigger and better. Expect to see at least a 3200 non-removable mAh battery in what looks to be one of the best multimedia smartphones for 2016.

iPhone7 Buzz

Apple around a decade back started its work on the project, back in time when no one could have ever imagined a touch screen phone but Apple provided that, now when you hear about the projector aspects, in today’s world everything is possible and Apple is always on the mark, leading the innovation as sources say that Apple’s iPhone 7 may sport a built-in projector. 

iPhone 7 for Executives and Businessmen- The built-in projector in iPhone 7 can greatly attract executives who are working in corporate world and the businessmen who went to clients for the presentation. This can be an alternative option in case the project is not available at client’s office. It will be a handy tool for them and all the files that they want to portray on bigger screen can be saved in the iPhone itself and be projected on the bigger screen, may be the walls of the office.

iPhone7 Updates


iPhone 7 rumors show that the device may include several previously unseen features such as a built-in projector, facial recognition as well as a vastly improved camera.

The news explored a while ago through the popular mobile blog, Patently Apple. In the mid of 2013, it was discovered that Apple is probing into a technology that they call Projected Display Shared Workspaces. While the naming of the feature sounds a little bit clunky, the essence is it enables various iOS devices to project their displays onto any surface.

With many years passed to build up said technology, discussion has now heated that the iPhone 7 might have a built-in projector such as the one described. That being said, Galaxy Beam by Samsung was marketed on much the same premise and didn’t get successful. Regardless, Apple certainly has a strong past of using brand capability reinvent the old ideas. With that in mind, it could be possible to see the trend continuing with the iPhone 7’s rumored projector feature.

Competition at work

When companies compete, they see things that others have done, and imitate them - improve on the accomplishments of others.

I pulled a big chunk of the article, but not all of it, check it out at the source.

Remember, SONY already sells components to Apple, and MVIS does NOT have to be in the loop if SONY is selling to Apple.

THIS IS ONLY A PLACE TO WATCH. It's possible we have PicoP in an iPad, I do NOT think it is likely.

Great article from FastCompany.

"I don't know about you, but I'm in desperate need of some new gadgets. My 2011-era MacBook Pro just doesn't pack the same punch when I'm editing video, and the battery of my screen-shattered (and now tiny-feeling) iPhone 5s feels like it barely lasts a few hours before needing a charge. My phone contract is up and I'm ready for whatever Apple announces on Wednesday."

***

When you factor in all of these forces, it's understandable that the iPad has seen its fortunes decline. But at the risk of riling up the most dedicated Apple devotees, perhaps part of the reason the iPad is losing its edge is simply because it's not evolving quickly enough. Maybe it's starting to go a little stale.

Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro
WHERE NO TABLET HAS GONE BEFORE

Last week, I sat in the conference hall of a Manhattan hotel as Lenovo unveiled its latest devices ahead of the IFA conference in Berlin. At the briefing—a tiny gathering compared to the crowd Tim Cook will wow on Wednesday—Motorola's design head Jim Wicks told an off-the-cuff story that seemed more significant than he likely realized. One day after school, his young daughter and a friend were busy with homework. They quickly became distracted by a device sitting nearby. The tablet, Lenovo's recently announced Yoga Tab 3 Pro, is a fairly typical-looking 10-inch Android tablet with one less-than-typical feature: It has a built-in projector that can beam a 70-inch image onto any surface. The girls became transfixed with the device, mesmerized by how easily they could project their work (and any other content) onto the wall, and wound up playing with it for hours.

Obviously, Wicks is biased, not to mention professionally obligated to hype up his employer's products. But the story he told, which seemed unscripted, described something you don't see or hear about very often these days: somebody being genuinely and enthusiastically excited by a tablet. And it's no wonder: That feature sounds awesome. Imagine laying in bed with a tablet and effortlessly projecting a movie onto the ceiling of your bedroom. Or sharing a presentation in a work meeting with a few taps and clicks without having to call IT.

iPad Air Pro -- UPDATED

This is a rumor, so far, based on leaks. Please take this with that grain of salt.

It is however the kind of rumor and the kind of leak we've been waiting for. If this is a SONY PicoP component going into the iPad, that would be fantastic. If not it will still get us significant attention if this rumor gets legs, and especially if it pans out. 

Again, this is a small bit of information in a large sea of it. It will be interesting if it pans out, but there are no guarantees. The wording of this leads me to give it reasonable credibility... November is a long way off.

UPDATE (7-23-15)
Further support for the existence of this iPad (but perhaps not support for the projector.) IT does give this further credibility.
From Business Insider
From Wall Street Journal


From GeekSnack -- there's a lot more to the article than the paragraphs I've pulled below -- go check out the original article

The iPad Air Pro release date coincides with that of the iPad Mini 4 and another mysterious device, which might be a new iPad Pro or a new Mac. The third device is a mystery, as there are only a few unofficial statements from people saying they’re “insiders” or “close to the matter” stating that three big launches are to be expected this Fall. The iPad Air Pro release date is tipped for November, although that does refer to the public release rather than the launch event itself. The iPad Air 3 as some might call it will most likely be launched in October, after the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 release concludes.
There will be improved camera setups on the iPad Air Pro, and the projector the company will be using will be even better than those used by Lenovo in their Yoga line-up, and those are pretty darn good indeed. Besides having a projector, the iPad Air Pro will also come with a magnetic keyboard and stylus, to make the device a true multitasking beast, especially fit for office work and editing work. Specifications will be over the roof, but there’s no word on whether Apple plans to innovate in the battery life department as well. Adding a projector to the mix will surely bring up power consumption in the iPad Air Pro, which might be a challenge to resolve.

Our sources tell us not to expect the iPad Air Pro price to be below $1500, which is quite a lot to pay for a tablet. But it’s a reasonable price for a convertible, which is why we’re leaning towards the belief that Apple is going to approach a new type