This is interesting to me for a number of reasons. One of their favorites. Still focused on useful things (not a gaming device) Still a poor field of view. 

Most of the efforts that companies like this are making are dedicated to interface, software, sensors, etc. They'll be able to add a much better display later.

Wearable --More at the source -- favorites from the wearable tech show)

Vuzix

We've talked about Vuzix before, but the company was at WTS to show off its latest model, the M300. The new glasses are built to be open to more industrial, medical, retail and business uses, also offering a more ergonomic design. Even if they're only targeting enterprise for now, we think Vuzix is offering a lot of promise for this niche category right now. It's not a surprise that Vuzix reminds us so much of Google Glass, and in fact the company revealed Google approached it during the early stages of Google Glass to propose a partnership - but it didn't happen in the end.

Vuzix tells us it's sold 10,000 units so far, with its biggest use case currently engineers. It's interesting to see how Vuzix has endured - 15 years in the business - where other similar products have failed, and although it's still targeting the workplace, there's no doubt more consumer-facing products can learn a thing or two from Vuzix.

Here's where Microvision can shine -- the NOMAD far exceeds this field of view. (If this description is correct, it seems to me that lot of people won't be able to make use of it for text in any practical way.) List of solutions here

Vuzix M300 Spec Sheet

• Field of View (diagonal): 20 degrees, equivalent
  to 5 in. mobile device screen seen at 14 in 
  

Still available by invitation only

Related Chinese Smartphone Investment

Another Microvision investor who I have met, found this and posted it on Reddit. 

Thanks Fuzzie.


Original Chinese

Google Translation

　Recently, the Chamber of Commerce through referral platform, and Shanghai Pu Optoelectronics Technology Company, Nanchang Bond Group have to Sui, field investigations and studies on investment projects. Jiaxing Min county party secretary, county Zhuming Quan, Lvya Kai County Standing Committee, deputy governor Li Shuguang were accompanied by activities.Referral of large enterprises and groups have been to Sui investment study, pay attention to the county Federation of Chamber of Commerce broad contact network of many advantages, and actively create conditions to achieve "business investment," the initial results.

　　

And Shanghai Pu Optoelectronics Technology is a high-tech enterprise, plans to invest 10 billion yuan in building multi-function mobile phone project. Through field research to understand, settled in Suining Economic Development Zone on the performance of interest. Bond Group is a national key agricultural industrialization leading enterprises, plans to build 21 national planning "Agricultural High-tech Development Zone," consists mainly of agricultural processing zone, ecological farming area, modern growing areas. Through the docking with the county agricultural demonstration garden, earnestly feel the county based development conditions are relatively fit the requirements of the enterprise. Currently, two projects are under negotiation.

Currency Converter Link

10,000,000,000 Chinese Yuan equals

1,490,768,500.00 US Dollar

Changes coming at Netflix

So, what Netflix NEEDS is a way to provide more content -- because we have a huge appetite for it -- or to come up with some other revenue stream.

They need to grow their subscriber base continually - or be bought out -- or find a way to leverage what they have to generate a new revenue stream.

They could surprise people who are looking at the old paradigms and come up with an ad-supported version of mobile delivery. 

TechCrunch   (More at the source)

Yes, all of us are Netflix users – and that “us” is increasingly global. We all happily shell out our low monthly fee without even thinking about it. Netflix is killing it, right?

But, that strength of reach and easy subscriptions is also its fundamental Achilles heel. Those subscriptions – that content — alone drive its business model. That’s it. No diversification.

So, in order to be long-term profitable and survive, Netflix must continue to acquire massive numbers of new customers, retain those that it has, and do it in a way that keeps its subscriptions at a low price we are conditioned to pay. Amidst the endless array of competing SVOD services worldwide, however, that will be harder and harder to do. Its growth both in the U.S. and overseas has already raised red flags.

That means continuously “feeding the beast” — our voracious demand and expectation for new compelling premium A-list-driven content. That’s why Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos just recently announced that its goal is for 50% of its content to be originals in the next couple years. Netflix has no choice.

But, that beast is increasingly expensive to feed (especially at that scale). Those costs will only skyrocket moving forward, as the expanded playing field of SVOD competitors fight for access to a limited supply of A-list marquee talent they too hope will attract new customers (and keep them there). Netflix’s Originals-only formula — that singular model — is not sustainable long-term for a company of Netflix’s size.

What we know -- what we don't.

We know nothing about what is going on behind the scenes at Microvision. We don't know what's going on at Sony either, or at Sharp/Foxconn, or wherever else Microvision may be working.

I wouldn't mind the stock price being higher right now, but looking at the big picture I still have all the confidence I had before.

What do we know?

We know that 1.4 billion smart phones were sold last year. (Almost everyone carries a little computer with them.) 

We know that everyone who carries a smart phone wants a bigger screen for that smart phone.

We know that large telecoms are focused on video delivery and acquiring and creating assets to do so better, monetize it with advertising, and deliver their video content free to users.

We know that it's great to use PicoP powered projectors. 

We know that standalone projectors aren't an optimal use case - Embedded, or with an operating system included will be much better. PicoBit, Qualper and Viewsmart are this category. 

There is enthusiasm for the Motorola MotoMod projector. PicoP is far better. 

We also know that Augmented Reality is the talk of the tech world and Microvision has a fantastic patent portfolio in this realm. (I was very impressed with Microvision's AR display vs other AR displays featured at CES)

People are pouring money into technology companies like Meta, where everything is still in the prototype stage. Microvision is well beyond that.

Do you invest in a company that can put a six foot screen on every cell phone -- when clearly it works and production has begun? 

Put after that a solid and large portfolio of patents in the realm of the latest real buzz in tech? That's what you get with Microvision shares. This is a very undervalued asset. Some people like to say the market knows all, and that among investors, secrets can't be kept. 

They're wrong, and the market proves it all the time. 

We're

Price Action

Best portable projectors

Android Authority

Sony MP-CL1

At first glance, you may mistake the Sony MP-CL1 to be a smartphone, with Sony’s classic rectangular design to be seen here. The projector is as compact as a phone, allowing you to easily slip it into your pocket. It is also quite thin and light weight, making the MP-CL1 a truly portable option.

The Sony MP-CL1 projects using laser technology, which means that it will behave a little differently. The brightness is just 32 lumens, which sounds like you would barely be able to see it. However, the human eye perceives laser projections a little brighter than your standard LED projections at the same lumen count. That being said, the projected image with the MP-CL1 is still a lot darker than the JmGO View, but bright enough to enjoy at any distance less than 40 inches away.

This projector doesn’t need to be very far away to project a huge image though, and only being 40 inches away will create a 120 inch image with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Keystoning is also available, but rather strangely, no focusing capabilities, be it automatic or via manual controls. Thanks to this being a laser based projection system however, the image always remains pretty clear, regardless of how close or far you are.

The plastic stand it comes with seems a little flimsy, but gets the job done. It can clip onto the front or back, but at a fixed position, so you may need to use some extra books or other objects to prop it up perfectly. Like most projectors, you will be able to stream media via Miracast, plug in a USB flash drive, or connect a Mini HDMI or MHL cable. There are built-in speakers available, but they are pretty weak, so you’ll be better off using the auxiliary jack to use an external pair of speakers.

There aren’t a whole lot of extras with this projector, like a remote, but if portability is key, the Sony MP-CL1 is the device for you. The price doesn’t hurt either, with the MP-CL1 currently priced at around $350.

Buzz about Netflix as an acquisition target

Watching the subscription-based models for video delivery is a place to watch for PicoP -- especially anything that is enhanced for mobile. 

There are a lot of advertising dollars out there that can be enhanced by larger format video.

A lot of subscriptions can be sold to people who have mobile large-format video.

Microvision will provide a significantly disruptive force for television.



Tim Cook has repeatedly stated that television is an “area of intense interest” for AAPL, and is ripe for disruption. Press reports have indicated that Apple has held discussions with cable companies and content providers, and that the company had planned an over the top television (OTTP) service, but was unable to successfully negotiate licensing agreements. We believe that APPL’s vision is to look to disrupt pay-TV subscriptions5, and while Netflix could be a nice complement/component to that vision, we think that Apple might prefer to spend the money to license content and rights to offer a more complete service (i.e., including content not well aligned with the on-demand delivery model of an SVoD offer, such as sports and news).


UberGizmo

Disney already owns a 30 percent stake in Netflix rival Hulu as it partnered with Fox, Time Warner, Comcast, and NBC to establish the streaming company. Netflix would be a natural fit in Disney’s portfolio given that the company is now paying due attention to cord cutters.

Apple has long been rumored to be interested in setting a streaming service of its own. Granted its ambitions are said to revolve around live TV streaming, but Netflix already has a robust platform that it can use to further its TV ambitions. The company made $234 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year, it’s not like it can’t buy Netflix if it wanted to.

Apple Buying Netflix would be waste of 50 Billion

Sacconaghi and Kirjner make no reference to any specific rumors on the matter. Instead, they note that “Apple acquiring Netflix is a dream-scenario for many Netflix bulls, and a possibility often raised by investors.”

“There is no question that Apple can do it – its market cap is over 13 times Netflix’s $45 billion EV, and Apple has nearly $150 billion in net cash on its balance sheet,” the authors observe.

“The question is really whether or not Apple will acquire Netflix [...] Overall, we do not see a compelling rationale for Apple to acquire Netflix.”

They start off by musing that Netflix would have the benefit of bringing lots of revenue, and a subscription business, to Apple’s services offerings:

Apple has a business model problem. The key challenge is that Apple’s business principally involves selling hardware — most notably iPhones, iPads, and Macs [...] Perhaps the most intriguing consideration of Apple potentially owning Netflix is that it would add $8B to Apple’s services revenues (or 3-4% to total Apple revenues), and more importantly could be used creatively to help shift Apple’s transactional business model towards a subscription-based model. We believe AAPL could and should look to build a subscription offering of features and services that could be bundled with its hardware offerings, analogous to what Amazon does with Amazon Prime. Netflix (at a discounted price for only iPhone or iPad users who buy Apple hardware as a subscription) could be a key element of an attractive services bundle.

Augmented Reality Makes Brain Surgery Easier

This is really cool. Micrhvisions AR portfolio will be leveraged to do many useful things.

Duke Today -- More at the source
“There are many times when the fluid space we are trying to target is too small or is shifted from a standard position, and these landmarks do not provide an accurate target for us.” Cutler said. “We wanted a fast and simple way to overlay a rebuilt CT scan onto a patient’s head.”

**
“If you are operating on someone’s ankle and the model shakes around, it is not going to help you so much,” Kopper said. “That is where HoloLens has made great improvements. It allows us to do work that we haven’t done before.”

In her simulation, Liu can place a three-dimensional image of a brain onto a head, and watch a virtual projection of the catheter as it pierces the brain.

For now, the only patient to receive the HoloLens-aided EVD surgery is a life-size grey plastic model of a head. But if the procedure is successful in clinical settings, Cutler and Rahimpour think the holograms could be a boon in a variety of other neurological surgeries.

“Since we can manipulate a hologram without actually touching anything, we have access to everything we need without breaking a sterile field,” Cutler said. “In the end, this is actually an improvement over the current OR system because the image is directly overlaid on the patient, without having to look to computer screens for aid.”

iPhone 8 to have design similarities to iPhone4

This is pretty interesting, because one of the features of the Qualper phone is the very Apple-like metal bands around the outside. The reversion is something to note - and probably means that it will be thicker than the immediately previous models.

It's also a report from Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an excellent track-record of accurate predictions.

Mashable

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a highly reliable source for Apple rumors, has released a new report (via 9to5Mac) claiming the iPhone 8 could come with a glass and metal design reminiscent of the iPhone 4 and 4S.

The back of the iPhone 8 will reportedly be made of glass to match the front. Furthermore, Kuo says high-end models could come with stainless steel frames as opposed to aluminum. Again, another throwback to the iPhone 4 and 4S, which had stainless steel frames sandwiched between its glass front and back.

Lower-end models could come with aluminum frames. Apple originally used aluminum on the first iPhone, switched to plastic for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, stainless steel for the iPhone 4 and 4S and then returned to aluminum with unibody designs for the iPhone 5 and everything after.

Xaiomi First US Product

Xaiomi has been watched for a long time without a lot that's noteworthy happening.

This development is very noteworthy. They're going to undercut the prices of Roku and Apple TV with a similar product, and this is their intro to the US market. Now that they're here, a lot is open.

TomsGuide -- More at the source

You'll control the Mi Box with a handheld remote. Like Apple TV's remote, you can use voice commands to search for content, change channels, jump to shows and launch apps. Xiaomi says the Bluetooth remote also dobules as a controller for games.

You can buy the Mi Box at Xiaomi's website. The set-top box will also be available at Wal-Mart this month. Getting its first U.S. product into the country's largerst brick-and-mortar retailer should be a considerable help in introducing Xiaomi to U.S. audiences.

Xiaomi's ambitions go far beyond the set-top box market. The company is China's largest phone seller, and it's made a name for itself selling high-end phones at extremely competitive prices. Xiaomi has said it hopes to eventually sell phones in the U.S., with vice president Hugo Barra telling Bloomberg in August that a U.S. launch would happen "in the near future."

Fujitsu Retinal Imaging Laser Eyewear Receives award.

Fujitsu has been on the radar for a long time. With not a lot of notable activity.

The highlighted language is what makes me fairly certain that Microvision is involved.

I saw and tried their device (or prototype device). When I asked about Microvision the two people displaying it looked at each other a little and then said "we can't discuss that." 

Older Posts from Here: Fujitsu Laser Glasses | QD Laser Glasses | Fujitsu Retissa

Fujitsu Retinal Imaging Laser Eyewear Receives METI Award at CEATEC Japan 2016

Fujitsu Limited,QD Laser, Inc.

Tokyo and Kawasaki, Japan, October 04, 2016

Fujitsu Limited and QD Laser, Inc. today announced that their Retinal Imaging Laser Eyewear has received the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award. Positioned as the highest award of CEATEC AWARD 2016, this honor is the result of rigorous scrutiny by the CEATEC AWARD Review Panel.

In the CEATEC AWARD program, from among exhibits submitted by 648 companies and organizations, the METI Award is bestowed upon the product or system, service, or supporting elemental technology, component or device in the IT or electronics field that contributes to people's lifestyles or society, manufacturing, business transformation, or solutions to social or daily life issues.

Reasons for Receiving the Award

The Retinal Imaging Laser Eyewear was recognized as an important technology, and is anticipated to have practical applications in a wide range of fields. This technology offers an array of advantages not available with conventional head mounted displays (HMD), including a focus-free feature that eliminates the need for the user to adjust eye focus, and its pursuit of universal design for a natural external appearance, with no protruding parts. It also holds the potential of becoming an alternative technology, with support for low vision eyesight, augmented and virtual reality and other sophisticated functions.

About Retinal Imaging Laser Eyewear Technology

Retinal Imaging Laser Eyewear uses laser technology to directly project images onto the retina from a miniature projector. The user can view images from an embedded camera or digital data from external input. The independently developed optical system has little impact on visual acuity or eye focus, and with a design that has the projector mounted inside the frame, there are no protruding parts.

As a transparent-type HMD, in addition to augmented reality and smart glasses applications, it is mainly being developed as a medical device for the purpose of supporting the visual function of people with low vision (visually impaired but not completely blind), who have irregularities in the anterior part of their eyes.

This technology was developed with support from the Clean Device Promotion Project for fiscal years 2014-2016 (fiscal years end March 31) and the Support Project for Practical Development of Problem Solving Welfare Equipment for fiscal 2015, both from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

*The laser beam used by this technology is categorized as Class 1 in the IEC60825-1 international standard, meaning that it is safe under reasonably foreseeable use.
*Visual performance will vary depending on the person. Before use, please get advice from specialized staff designated by QD Laser.
*This technology is under development. Regarding its application in supporting visual function, it has not yet received approval under Japan's Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act, and it cannot be sold or distributed.

Presentation

At CEATEC Japan 2016, Mitsuru Sugawara, the President and CEO of QD Laser, will give a presentation at the Venture & University Area for special exhibitions in Hall 4.

Times: 1:00PM-1:30PM on Wednesday, October 5; 3:40PM- 4:10PM on Thursday, October 6

Related Links

• CEATEC Japan 2016 website
• QD Laser, Inc. website

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 156,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.7 trillion yen (US$41 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

About QD Laser, Inc.

Established in April 2006 as a spin-off venture of Fujitsu, with capital from Fujitsu and Mitsui & Co. Global Investment Inc. (at the time named MVC Corporation), a subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. It is engaged in the development, production, and sales of high-performance semiconductor lasers, including quantum dot lasers, from the visible light region up to 1300nm wavelength, based on the joint development from an industry-academic collaboration of more than ten years between Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. and the University of Tokyo.