I just liked the line that we have to turn every surface into a touch screen.
We have them beat there.
More at TheVerge
We have them beat there.
More at TheVerge
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Lazertouch Projector
Google's Answer to Amazon Echo
From CNBC
Google’s answer to Amazon's Echo is code-named ‘Chirp’ and is landing soon
A product team at Google is working on a hardware device that would integrate Google's search and voice assistant technology, akin to theAmazon Echo, Recode has learned.
Google's device will resemble its OnHub wireless router, according to several sources. We don't know if it has a name yet, but internally the project goes by "Chirp."
Sources said the device is unlikely to launch next week at Google's I/O developer conference, but plans are for it to land at some point this year.
We should, however, get a peek at it and its potential next week — voice search and intelligent personal assistance will occupy center stage at the company's splash show, along with virtual reality.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Motorola Moto X
MicroVision has had a long relationship with Motorola.... Motorola is also now part of Lenovo.
This looks particularly promising and we don't have long to wait.
Just like last year, Motorola is preparing multiple Android handsets to be sold under the flagship Moto X brand, a person who was briefed on the plans told VentureBeat.
The two all-metal phones look similar enough that images of them — leaked yesterday by HelloMotoHK on Google+ — were widely reported to be of a single device. While there are many internal and external differences between the so-called Vertex (pictured left) and Vector Thin (pictured right), they share one important attribute: compatibility with an ecosystem of modular, swappable backplates that endow the phones with significant additional functionality.
Modular done right
The bigger story here starts with those 16 holes seen on the back of the white Vertex, above. While they’ve been written off in some coverage as speaker ports, they are actually connection pins that allow modular backplates to be snapped onto either handset.
Motorola has at least six modules, called “Amps,” planned for launch, including a simple colored backplate that ships free with both handsets. The more interesting ones will be, of course, sold separately, both from Moto as well as third-party manufacturers. The first-party modules available at launch allegedly include stereo speakers; a battery pack; a camera grip with flash and optical zoom; a pico projector; and a rugged cover with wide angle lens attachment.
While pricing and release details aren’t yet known for the Moto X pair (nor their likely doppelgängers on Verizon, the Droid Turbo 3 and Droid Maxx 3), the date on the renders, August 24, may prove significant. [Update: Droid-Life is reporting that these will launch on June 9th at Lenovo Tech World.]
While pricing and release details aren’t yet known for the Moto X pair (nor their likely doppelgängers on Verizon, the Droid Turbo 3 and Droid Maxx 3), the date on the renders, August 24, may prove significant. [Update: Droid-Life is reporting that these will launch on June 9th at Lenovo Tech World.]
Monday, May 9, 2016
Modular Motorola Phone
Whether or not this is PicoP, this will be good for MicroVision -- because next to other small projectors, PicoP is the best.
Just in case you have forgotten where Motorola is: Motorola Mobility Acquired by Lenovo
Android Authority
Motorola has at least six modules, called “Amps,” planned for launch, including a simple colored backplate that ships free with both handsets. The more interesting ones will be, of course, sold separately, both from Moto as well as third-party manufacturers. The first-party modules available at launch allegedly include stereo speakers; a battery pack; a camera grip with flash and optical zoom; a pico projector; and a rugged cover with wide angle lens attachment.
Those concerned with the clear camera bulge on the back will be relieved to hear that the report mentions they “will actually sit flush when there are Amps attached.”
Just in case you have forgotten where Motorola is: Motorola Mobility Acquired by Lenovo
Android Authority
Modular Motorola Phone -- very soon.
Much as LG has its “Friends” so to is Motorola said to have “Amps”. By making use of the 16 small gold-colored circles on the back of the device, which are reportedly connection pins that facilitate the modular backplates. According to Venture Beat:Motorola has at least six modules, called “Amps,” planned for launch, including a simple colored backplate that ships free with both handsets. The more interesting ones will be, of course, sold separately, both from Moto as well as third-party manufacturers. The first-party modules available at launch allegedly include stereo speakers; a battery pack; a camera grip with flash and optical zoom; a pico projector; and a rugged cover with wide angle lens attachment.
Those concerned with the clear camera bulge on the back will be relieved to hear that the report mentions they “will actually sit flush when there are Amps attached.”
RoBoHon and Foxconn
A friend sent me this link to the middle of an article, and I think it's pretty interesting.
It also makes it pretty clear that MicroVision is front and center at Foxconn.
From Forbes
It also makes it pretty clear that MicroVision is front and center at Foxconn.
From Forbes
Continued from page 1
Making new ownership happy
Staying with marketing and signal value, RoBoHon’s arrival could hardly be better timed.
Sharp was recently acquired by Hon Hai Precision Industry – better known as Foxconn.
Nikkei Asian recently reported robotics plays an important part in Hon Hai Precision Industry’s plans of turning its $3.5 billion acquisition of Sharp into a success.
“We are talking with Sharp about how to turn both companies’ robotics technology into new consumer electronics products and we believe this is a key future direction for both companies,” Tai Jeng-wu, a high-ranking Hon Hai vice president, was quoted as saying.
Sharp has, to put it bluntly, been floundering for a while. Part of the reason has been an unwillingness to diversify away from areas such as consumer electronics.
RoBoHon could signal a fresh start, and a move towards the emerging Japanese market for social robots.
Robots and phones to mix it up in Japan?
In the space for social robots we find another member of the Japanese robot family, Pepper.
Pepper is sold through the stores of Japanese phone company Softbank. Its price tag: 198,000 Yen. Yes that is the exact same as RoBoHon.
Another similarity is that RoBoHon is going to be sold through stores of one of SoftBank’s main rivals, NTT Docomo.
It could indicate that the Japanese phone market is turning to robots as a marketing tool in the fight for the often robot-crazy Japanese consumer.
This remains a theory, but it could soon be put to the litmus test.
Hitachi is another Japanese company getting into social robots. The company recently unveiled EMIEW3, a robot it plans to sell from 2018.
If it goes on sale through one of the other big phone companies, such as AU, and comes with a price tag of 198,000 Yen. Well, then I will rest my case.
Mobile to replace gaming consoles.
But mobile players are still going to want a big screen experience.
Death of the Gaming Console? From the Motley Fool -- a Lot more at the source.
Death of the Gaming Console? From the Motley Fool -- a Lot more at the source.
Consoles are still thriving, but the big growth is in mobile
Nintendo's plan to launch a new gaming platform in March 2017 and AMD's recent announcement that it will supply chips in three upcoming consoles virtually confirms that gaming hardware will see a historically quick refresh. Doubting the viability of consoles as sales are at a high point and more hardware releases are peaking over the horizon might seem odd, but shorter lifecycles for gaming systems point to pressure from mobile competition -- with more frequent hardware updates now potentially necessary to maintain a significant capability gap between consoles and mobile devices.
Nintendo's plan to launch a new gaming platform in March 2017 and AMD's recent announcement that it will supply chips in three upcoming consoles virtually confirms that gaming hardware will see a historically quick refresh. Doubting the viability of consoles as sales are at a high point and more hardware releases are peaking over the horizon might seem odd, but shorter lifecycles for gaming systems point to pressure from mobile competition -- with more frequent hardware updates now potentially necessary to maintain a significant capability gap between consoles and mobile devices.
Mobile gaming looks to account for the mainstay of growth in coming years and is set to overtake console and PC revenues this year. Publishers including Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard stand to benefit by growing their customer bases outside consoles.
In addition to its movie and image-sensor business, video games are a core pillar in Sony's turnaround effort, which CEO Kazuo Hirai indicated was past the halfway point as of October 2015. The PlayStation 4 has thus far outperformed even optimistic targets before its release, and the platform's incredible momentum makes it likely that its upgraded sibling will be a win for Sony -- at least in the short term.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
iPhone 7 will have features "you can't live without"
I'm going to guess that elimination of the "antenna lines" isn't on the list of great features that we can't live without.
Gizmodo India
Although there's still some time left for the unveiling of the Apple iPhone 7, the company CEO Tim Cook has already started talking it up. In an interview Jim Cramer of CNBC, Cook has mentioned that the iPhone 7 will be a force to reckon with later this year.
He has claimed that the handset would feature "things that you can't live without", thus suggesting that there will be a bunch of new features with this year's iPhone refresh.
MSN --- nothing here that's on the list of things we can't live without.
9to5Mac
In a TV interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer this week, Cook said the iPhone 7 will have a killer feature that would prove to be an upgrade customers won’t be able to resist. “We are going to give you things that you can’t live without that you just don’t know you need today,” Cook teased.
Gizmodo India
Although there's still some time left for the unveiling of the Apple iPhone 7, the company CEO Tim Cook has already started talking it up. In an interview Jim Cramer of CNBC, Cook has mentioned that the iPhone 7 will be a force to reckon with later this year.
He has claimed that the handset would feature "things that you can't live without", thus suggesting that there will be a bunch of new features with this year's iPhone refresh.
MSN --- nothing here that's on the list of things we can't live without.
9to5Mac
In a TV interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer this week, Cook said the iPhone 7 will have a killer feature that would prove to be an upgrade customers won’t be able to resist. “We are going to give you things that you can’t live without that you just don’t know you need today,” Cook teased.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Desperate for Innovation.
Read this article.
Check out the desperation.
Be confident in your investment in MicroVision.
I don't know if he's right about where Apple needs to go.... but he should consider that perhaps SONY and Celluon have both beaten Apple. If Apple does realize his vision -- the pocketable jumbo screen --- that will certainly have a place at the table, and that's something MicroVision does better than anyone else.
Slashgear
The future of computing - especially mobile computing - is not in smartphones. In a very short period of time, 10 years or so, smartphones have reached a point at which there's little room for innovation. Sharpness on smartphone displays already exceeds what the human eye is able to distinguish at a normal viewing distances. Smartphone cameras are more than nice enough for what we generally use them for. Members of the public do not need new smartphones. So what can Apple do?
Check out the desperation.
Be confident in your investment in MicroVision.
I don't know if he's right about where Apple needs to go.... but he should consider that perhaps SONY and Celluon have both beaten Apple. If Apple does realize his vision -- the pocketable jumbo screen --- that will certainly have a place at the table, and that's something MicroVision does better than anyone else.
Slashgear
The future of computing - especially mobile computing - is not in smartphones. In a very short period of time, 10 years or so, smartphones have reached a point at which there's little room for innovation. Sharpness on smartphone displays already exceeds what the human eye is able to distinguish at a normal viewing distances. Smartphone cameras are more than nice enough for what we generally use them for. Members of the public do not need new smartphones. So what can Apple do?
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Former Motorola President now Head of Google Hardware division
This is interesting. MicroVision had a significant relationship with Motorola, and likely a connection with this person... still looking.
Business Insider
From PulseHeadlines
Business Insider
From PulseHeadlines
Former Motorola Solutions Inc (NYSE: MSI) president Rick Osterlohhas been officially hired to direct Google’s hardware division, which includes Google Glass, Nexus devices, OhHub, Chromebooks and the company’s ATAP division. This marks a triumphant return to the company that owned Motorola when Osterloh was president. He lost his job about two years after Lenovo acquired the firm.
He will report directly to CEO Sundar Pichai. As Google’s Senior Vice President of hardware, Osterloh will be replacing Regina Dugan, the former executive who left for Facebook’s hardware division. She is now in charge of overseeing a new hardware lab called Building 8.
After Nexus’ success, the company is planning to launch a consumer-ready Project Tango smartphone in partnership with Lenovo, Osterloh’s former employer. This initiative is aimed at producing phones with interchangeable components that snap together in a Lego-like manner.
Osterloh will be also working on consumer products like Pixel C, Google’s tablet with an attachable keyboard; OnHub, Google’s smart router and a hub to control all of the devices connected to the Internet in your house; Chromebooks, the Chrome OS software-powered laptops; and the experimental lab developing Project Ara modular phone.
In addition, Osterloh will be in charge of directing the Advanced Technology and Projects group (ATAP), which is the company’s home for hardware experiments such as Project Tango. ATAP also includes Project Jacquard, an effort to build a Web-connected fabric.
When Devices Won't Matter
From Yahoo News / Digital Trends
If you want to be able to LOOK at something -- and not notice the device that produces what you're looking at --- you need a tiny projector with infinite focus.
There isn't any other way.
If you're an investor --- holding stock in the company with the best tiny projectors and the only ones with infinite focus -- that's where you want to be. If that same company also has the best 3D scanning technology... that's even better.
With 5G ultra high speed connectivity coming -- most of the processing power that we'd want to use may be elsewhere.
"In the foreseeable future, we likely won’t even notice our devices. That’s the vision Google CEO Sundar Pichai cast in the search giant’s annual shareholder letter."
Today we still think of devices first. Most of use smartphones and some use tablets. We are certainly aware of our desktop and laptop computers. But imagine if all those devices disappeared. Not that computers and the devices are really going away, but we won’t be as aware of them. As we speak, move, gesture, look, and — at some time not so far off — even think, the world of future computers will work with us.
As Google’s Pichai states the shift, “Looking to the future, the next big step will be for the very concept of the ‘device’ to fade away.” And Google is not alone, but joined in readying for the transition from device-centrism to AI by virtually every major player in what is still somewhat quaintly referred to as the “computer business.” Facebook’s smart assistant “M,” Microsoft’s renewed focus on AI, and Amazon’s home hub manager, Alexa, are examples cited in USA Today’s coverage of the Google CEO’s message.
If you want to be able to LOOK at something -- and not notice the device that produces what you're looking at --- you need a tiny projector with infinite focus.
There isn't any other way.
If you're an investor --- holding stock in the company with the best tiny projectors and the only ones with infinite focus -- that's where you want to be. If that same company also has the best 3D scanning technology... that's even better.
With 5G ultra high speed connectivity coming -- most of the processing power that we'd want to use may be elsewhere.
"In the foreseeable future, we likely won’t even notice our devices. That’s the vision Google CEO Sundar Pichai cast in the search giant’s annual shareholder letter."
Today we still think of devices first. Most of use smartphones and some use tablets. We are certainly aware of our desktop and laptop computers. But imagine if all those devices disappeared. Not that computers and the devices are really going away, but we won’t be as aware of them. As we speak, move, gesture, look, and — at some time not so far off — even think, the world of future computers will work with us.
As Google’s Pichai states the shift, “Looking to the future, the next big step will be for the very concept of the ‘device’ to fade away.” And Google is not alone, but joined in readying for the transition from device-centrism to AI by virtually every major player in what is still somewhat quaintly referred to as the “computer business.” Facebook’s smart assistant “M,” Microsoft’s renewed focus on AI, and Amazon’s home hub manager, Alexa, are examples cited in USA Today’s coverage of the Google CEO’s message.
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