Showing posts with label Nokia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nokia. Show all posts

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Microvision: Ultimate in Mobility… Functionality… Cool Factor (update 9/2010)

It would be cool if Microvision's laser PicoP Display Engine was inside this cube…
http://www.psfk.com/2009/05/60-inch-screen-in-your-pocket.html

Last year, there was so much speculation in the media [by designer YankoDesign] that it almost felt like the real thing would be on the market soon. Just look at the write-up on this “Nokia Pulse Projector” from last year…

“Nokia Pulse Projector is a tiny LED projector that also functions as an NXT speaker with Dolby Sound. This tiny projector uses Bluetooth and Pulse software to communicate with a mobile phone.

It’s meant to pair up with mobile phone, making a pair of perfect multimedia device and the user will be able to use the mobile phone to control this LED projector. The Nokia Pulse Projector relies on DLP Technology for high quality imagery. It’s able to project with native resolution of 1280×768 and 1500:1 contrast ratio pimps out crisp image quality, with picture sizes ranging from 15 inches diagonally all the way up to 60 inches at 7.87 feet. It even sports LED light technology with 1000 lumens of brightness plus 16.7 million colors.

It’ll be another great mini-sized projector that can be carried around anywhere you go for an impromptu presentation of those pictures, videos and slides on your mobile phone, and it lets the mobile phone to be used as the projector’s remote. Nice, but it should be just a concept at the moment."

[via yankodesign]
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Here’s the link…
http://askalexia.com/2009/05/23/nokia-pulse-projector/

Here’s some more on this Nokia Pulse with Microvision Mobile Projector inside speculation…

“The Nokia Pulse, a concept by Miika Mahonen, is similar to the soon to be released Microvision Mobile Projector. They’re both designed to be powerful mobile display systems that can use a mobile phone as the source of video and as a remote control. The Nokia Pulse also combines an NXT-speaker with Dolby sound processing into the compact device, which can (theoretically) project images up to 60-inches on any wall.”

Continues…
[via Yanko Design]
*****
Here’s the link…
http://www.psfk.com/2009/05/60-inch-screen-in-your-pocket.html

One year later, however, the concept remains to be just that… a concept. But wait a minute… over the last year, a few developments have come together to bring us closer to this, or something similar to this, as a possible reality in the near future.

There are essentially three parts for this concept to work and they all seem to be in place now…

• Microvision laser based PicoP Projector SHOWwx: was released in the US in March of 2010… and that’s the major part of the puzzle now in place.

The award-winning SHOWwx, available for sale through a variety of distributors and at http://www.microvision.com/showwx, is a standalone laser pico projector intended for simple plug-and-play integration with mobile devices, such as iPod, cell phones, MP3 players, laptops and gaming devices.

• Samsung's new Wireless USB chipset: enables HD streaming with less power.

It's a beautiful combination, really… lower power consumption, and support for high bandwidth applications. That marriage is evident in Samsung's newest Wireless USB chipset, which was built around Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology and designed to enable high-def streaming between a mobile host device and a tethered device for viewing.

Ultra-Wide Band technology offers many advantages, especially in terms of very high data transmission rates which are well beyond those possible with currently deployed technologies such as 802.11a, b, g, WiMax and the like. As such UWB technology is gaining considerable acceptance and being proposed for use in a number of areas. Already Bluetooth, Wireless USB and others are developing solutions, and in these areas alone its use should be colossal.

According to Samsung, the two-chip solution will be aimed at cameras, camcorders, TVs, PCs, tablets, beam projectors, portable HDDs, Blu-ray players and handsets, and given that it can handle a theoretical high of 480Mbps with an average power consumption of less than 300mW, even the weakest smartphone battery should be able to stream at least a single episode of Family Guy to the TV or a pico projector. It's slated to hit mass production in Q4 and we'd say more details should be available right around CES 2011.

• Pulse Software: that controls communications between the pico projector and the mobile host device. This Pulse software could be part of the Samsung’s wireless USB chipset solution, or a company specific product like… Nokia Pulse [if there is such a thing]…or Apple AirPlay… etc.

“While the Pulse is still just an idea, Microvision is currently working with other companies to incorporate their PicoP Display Engine into devices such as phones, media players, and laptops. Is screen size on your mobile phone irrelevant if you can project onto any wall?”

Perhaps!

Just take a look…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypZO6_7hcNQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQMmMzV3WD0

With Microvision laser PicoP Display Engine in-side; this cube could be the ultimate in mobility, functionality and cool factor.

Not only that, it is a productivity enhancing tool for business communications, as well as, a perfect product for personal and interactive entertainment… all in one cool package.

Everything that you need to put this cool product out there for the consumer to buy is here… all it takes, is the vision and the will to succeed before the next product cycle or someone else comes-up with a better mouse trap.

Anant Goel

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Microvision: Ultimate in Mobility… Functionality… Cool Factor

It would be cool if Microvision's “Image by PicoP” had its name on this cube…

http://www.psfk.com/2009/05/60-inch-screen-in-your-pocket.html

“The Nokia Pulse, a concept by Miika Mahonen, is similar to the soon to be released Microvision Mobile Projector. They’re both designed to be powerful mobile display systems that can use a mobile phone as the source of video and as a remote control. The Nokia Pulse also combines an NXT-speaker with Dolby sound processing into the compact device, which can (theoretically) project images up to 60-inches on any wall.”

“While the Pulse is still just an idea, Microvision is currently working with other companies to incorporate their light engine into other devices such as phones and laptops. Is screen size on your mobile phone irrelevant if you can project onto any wall?”

[via Yanko Design]

Active links…

Microvision Mobile Projector: http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/video-microvisions-amazing-mobile-projector.html

Yanko Design: http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/05/21/pocket-projector-turns-mobile-into-remote-2/

Just imagine, with Microvision’s laser PicoP display engine in-side, this cube could be the ultimate in mobility, functionality and cool factor.

Not only that, it is a productivity enhancing tool for business communications, as well as, a perfect product for personal and interactive entertainment… all in one cool package.

Anant Goel

http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/

Friday, November 6, 2009

Microvision: Short Squeeze Coming Soon

Get ready for short squeeze fellow Microvision investors.

A fast-moving, virtually unstoppable phenomenon that will shock most investors and leave many speculators ruined, even as it makes some of you longs rich.

Right now, most traders are making the exact WRONG move at the exact WRONG time. Short interest in Microvision stock is skyrocketing─ at 8.4 million shares as of October 15th, as all the SHORT lemmings trundle on towards the cliff.

Get ready for a replay of the summer rally— only bigger, faster and even more brutal to those on the wrong side of the move.

First consider the news from this morning…

Opnext to Supply Microvision with Red Laser Diodes for Mobile Pico Projectors

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Opnext, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPXT), a global leader in the design and manufacturing of optical modules and components, today announced that the Company has begun shipping its red laser diodes to Microvision for its PicoP® laser projection technology.

With this relationship, Opnext will supply red laser diodes for Microvision’s PicoP display engine. Potential applications for the PicoP technology include ultra-miniature displays for embedded or accessory applications for mobile phones, personal media players, laptops and future wearable display devices.

Laser-based microprojectors have a unique combination of features that are optimal for mobile device users, including infinite focus, rich color, and high contrast and resolution. Opnext’s red laser family of diodes play an important role in this rapidly emerging mobile-display market by providing customers with a visually rich multimedia experience.

“We are very proud that our red lasers developed for the pico projector market have been selected by Microvision, a true leader in the industry,” commented Gilles Bouchard, Opnext President and CEO. “This is a perfect example of how Opnext is driving new and exciting applications through innovation and partnership.”

Alexander Tokman, Microvision CEO stated, “Opnext is a leader in high performance red laser diodes for projection applications and we are pleased to be working with the Opnext team on this exciting endeavor.”

About Opnext

Opnext (NASDAQ:OPXT) is the optical technology partner of choice supplying systems providers and OEMs worldwide with the industry's largest portfolio of 10G and higher next generation optical products and solutions. The Company's industry expertise, future-focused thinking and commitment to research and development combine in bringing to market the most advanced technology to the communications, defense, security and biomedical industries. Formed out of Hitachi, Opnext has built on more than 30 years experience in advanced technology to establish its broad portfolio of solutions and solid reputation for excellence in service and delivering value to its customers. For additional information, visit www.opnext.com.

Continued…

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Here's the link...
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091106005127&newsLang=en

The significance of this news is quite obvious…

“If Opnext is shipping the red laser diodes, then Osram is shipping the blue and green lasers as well.”

Think about it?

Why would Microvision need red laser diodes, if they did not have the supply of the blue and green from Osram? You do remember that Osram is the supplier of blue and green laser modules!

Here’s the link to that news…

http://www.your-story.org/microvision-signs-multi-year-agreement-with-osram-for-supply-of-green-and-blue-lasers-26113/

Microvision Signs Multi-Year Agreement with OSRAM for Supply of Green and Blue Lasers
Published Monday, September 7, 2009, 18:55

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Microvision, Inc. (Nasdaq:MVIS), a global leader in innovative ultra-miniature projection display and image capture products for mobility applications announced today that it has entered into a supply agreement with OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH for the supply of green and blue lasers — key components of Microvision’s PicoP® display engine. The announcement is the second Microvision has made in recent months regarding procurement of green lasers for use in the company’s PicoP® display engine and accessory pico projector product called SHOWWX™.

Following recent success commercializing its blue laser technology, OSRAM has fourth quarter commercialization plans for its green frequency doubled laser for use in Microvision’s PicoP display engine. OSRAM is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of optoelectronic semiconductors for lighting, sensor and visualization applications.

Continued…

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In a nutshell, that means the second supplier of green laser Osram is on board with additional supplies and the quantities of SHOWwx laser PicoP projectors just more than doubled. With Corning and Osram both delivering on the green laser contracts, the quantities of SHOWwx that can be shipped now will increase month over month.

That leads me to believe, we can expect to see more announcements of purchase orders from OEMs and mobile phone operators in the future… month over month.

The recent pull back in MVIS stock price was due to the uncertainty associated with green laser supply. With Osram coming on board, with their superior and cheaper green lasers, the ball game has changed and the perceived uncertainty just got squashed in the bud.

We have discussed in my previous posts…

“Having established the huge market size [and consumer preferences] for pico projector lets move on to identifying the leading pico projection technology that hopes to fulfill the consumer needs…

Please read this very informative post on the subject…

http://mirro7.blogspot.com/2009/11/microvision-opportunity-of-lifetime-in.html

Now consider this about the recent activity in Microvision stock…

Stock Volatility: Over the last few weeks, both the “Historical Volatility” and “Implied Volatility” have come down gradually. Currently, the HV is 80 and the IV is 96. Looks like we now have more believers [long] than speculators [shorts] on board. Also, this stock is now part of Russell 2000/3000 and as such is subject to small cap market volatility… which has been coming down in recent weeks.

Volatility is unavoidable in small-cap investing. It can be a gut-wrenching, stress-inducing part of the small-cap investing experience, or it can be the grease that runs the profit machine. Where a 3% move in Microsoft or McDonald's would be out of the ordinary, good or bad news can routinely move small caps' share prices more than 10%. It can be tough for an investor to handle, but the determining factor is self-discipline.

• Perform due diligence before pulling the trigger to buy or sell

Investors sometimes invest without understanding the company's business. Then, at the first sign of negative volatility, they finally scramble to look at the firm's financial statements. That's being reactive, not proactive. You need to understand a company before investing in it. If the stock happens to rally to unattractive levels while you're doing your research, you'll nonetheless be in a great position to buy when the stock inevitably dips. If the stock falls, you'll know more about the company and therefore be less prone to panic. Cognitive scientists have determined that uncertainty is one of the most stressful and painful emotional states. Prior due diligence reduces the element of surprise and is the most effective way of minimizing investment uncertainty.

• Due diligence does not only include checking the criteria for buying a stock. With rare exception, it should also include formulating the conditions for selling based on the stock's valuation. Because small-cap companies often have greater growth prospects than blue-chip companies, your reasons for selling a small-cap company are more apt to change

Stock Short Interest: Over the last few weeks, the short interest has gone up and now stands at 13% [8.38 million shares] of the float [63.03 million shares]. All in all, at the current low average volume per day, it will take about 10 days to cover… about 8.38 million shares short… trading 895,000 shares per day average over the last 3 months.

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/shortinterests.aspx?symbol=MVIS&selected=MVIS

Stock Trading Range: For a period of four weeks [from September 21 to October 22] the stock traded over $5 in a very tight range of “$5.02 to $5.52”. We have seen some very volatile days on Wall Street in the last 10 days [from October 24 to November 4]… and the stock has come down to $3.70 and now seems to be holding at this level as a very strong support… and waiting for next announcement of news. The stock price has crossed under the 50 day moving average [at $4.50] and seems to have very strong support at $3.66 or so. This is where the stock price was before the commercial launch of SHOWwx [on September 15th] and three purchase orders in October. The reason for the stock price drop, in my opinion, is due mainly to the uncertainty associated with quantities of green lasers that are essential to fulfilling the three initial purchase orders.

Here’s the stock chart…
http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=MVIS&p=D&yr=0&mn=6&dy=0&id=p22460456358

However, if you look at the P&F [point and figure] chart the stock is still in the uptrend channel with a “bullish price” of $8.31.

http://stockcharts.com/def/servlet/SC.pnf?c=MVIS,P&listNum=

Stock Holding: Institutions hold about 14.40% and the Insiders hold over 16.93% of the outstanding stock [63.19 million float on a fully diluted basis]. This means that over 68.67% of the float is held by retail investors. This is a very wide distribution of MVIS stock… a good sign for PPS support [during lean times] and PPS momentum [during good times] when institutions finally wake-up and come looking to take position in the MVIS stock directly… or decide to invest aggressively in small cap stocks indexed by Russell 2000/3000.

My technical indicators are forecasting another big run-up in the market and the MVIS stock over the next 6-8 weeks, or longer.

Most investors missed out in March and August. And most investors are missing out again right now.

Any pullback in Microvision stock price will be short-lived.

Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Microvision: Lands Order for Laser Pico Projectors with World Leading Mobile Phone Operator

That’s the news from this morning…

Microvision Lands Order For SHOWWX Laser Pico Projectors With World Leading Mobile Phone Operator

Press Release
Source: Microvision, Inc.
On 6:30 am EDT, Tuesday October 27, 2009

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS - News), a global leader in innovative ultra-miniature projection display and image-capture products for mobility applications, announced today that it has received an initial purchase order from its European distributor for its SHOWWX™ laser-based pico projector to be sold by one of the world’s top mobile phone operators. The initial quantities of SHOWWX are expected to be deployed within the next month in Europe and at that time more details are expected to be provided by the mobile carrier.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome our first global mobile phone operator as a SHOWWX launch customer for 2009,” stated Alexander Tokman, Microvision President and CEO. “Carriers serve as the frontline to mobile subscribers and as a result often influence mobile handset designs to include new features that delight their customers and help achieve a broader subscriber base and higher revenue per user. We believe that interest from one of the three largest carriers in the world in this application and specifically in Microvision’s PicoP® laser projection technology is an important first step towards future accessory and embedded opportunities.”

Microvision’s Made for iPod® SHOWWX laser pico projector, based on the PicoP display engine, delivers a colorful, vivid “big screen” viewing experience from a device about the size of a mobile phone. Users of the SHOWWX can also connect to other portable media players, mobile phones and notebooks to spontaneously share movies, YouTube™, photos, presentations and more with their friends, family or business associates. The SHOWWX can project images up to 200 inches across, depending on the ambient lighting conditions, without the user ever having to adjust focus.

About Microvision, Inc.

Microvision provides the PicoP display technology platform designed to enable next-generation display and imaging products for pico projectors, vehicle displays, and wearable displays that interface with mobile devices. The company’s projection display engine uses highly efficient laser light sources which can create vivid images with high contrast and brightness. For more information, visit the company’s website (www.microvision.com).
*****
Here’s the link to the news…
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Microvision-Lands-Order-For-bw-181864591.html?x=0&.v=1

Observations and Comments
This news is huge and historical in nature for Microvision.  Microvision’s laser PicoP projector SHOWwx is the first to be sold or offered by a global mobile phone carrier… to add value to the services it offers. This is the first giant step [no baby steps here] taken by Microvision in its long journey to becoming ubiquitous with its laser PicoP display technology.

There are several tit bits of information that reveal a lot more than the words can say from the press release.

Here are some interesting observations…
• “REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS - News), a global leader in innovative ultra-miniature projection display and image-capture products for mobility applications, announced today that it has received an initial purchase order from its European distributor for its SHOWWX™ laser-based pico projector to be sold by one of the world’s top mobile phone operators. The initial quantities of SHOWWX are expected to be deployed within the next month in Europe and at that time more details are expected to be provided by the mobile carrier.”

It is only recently that I noticed and then started to pay more attention to how Microvision describes itself in its press releases…

“…, a global leader in innovative ultra-miniature projection display and image-capture products for mobility applications,”

We all understand well, the pico projector used as ultra-miniature projection display for mobility applications. But, what the heck “image-capture for mobility applications” means? Well, at the CC it became quite clear that Microvision is developing “image-capture” applications using the same PicoP display engine that also does the "image-projection” part. Do you get it? A laser PicoP display engine the does all three functions: as an always-in-focus projector; a scanner; and an always-in-focus camera of some sort. That’s a whole new line of high margin, so I’m told, applications for the laser PicoP display engine. All these new applications are possible due only to the laser projection and laser scanning capability of the laser based PicoP display technology.

That’s a wide open high margin market: for precision measurement; diagnostics; and depth oriented imaging that no one can compete for a foreseeable future. Here’s what Alex Tokman, Microvision CEO, said at the CC…

AT:  "We are constantly looking at the new vertical markets that take advantage of similar tech that is inside accessory projector and later will be inside cell phones. These applications not just include projections applications we also, our tech, is also fully-reversible. Which means we can use it for imaging as well as _______(?) presenting an image, we can capture an image. And combination of these two powerful features in one device gives us certain unique offerings that nobody else can touch. For example, ability to, with high precision, diagnose and measure something and then display it is only something we can do because we use MEMS mirrors and because we use lasers. I can’t give you any details on the phone because we are not ready to discuss this but all I can tell you is that you will see some of the initial demonstrations of these applications next year starting at CES."

• “…announced today that it has received an initial purchase order from its European distributor for its SHOWWX™ laser-based pico projector to be sold by one of the world’s top mobile phone operators.”

This news is huge and historical in nature for Microvision. And I say that, because, for the first time ever a global mobile phone carrier has taken under its wings a pico projector to enhance the value proposition of its service offering. In simple language, Microvision’s laser PicoP projector SHOWwx is the first to be sold or offered by a global mobile phone carrier… to add value to the services it offers.
• “…The initial quantities of SHOWWX are expected to be deployed within the next month in Europe and at that time more details are expected to be provided by the mobile carrier.”

Well, that’s where the rubber meets the road… and Microvision can only travel this road when more green lasers become available from Osram during November. The green lasers from Corning are destined to build SHOWwx PicoP projectors going to Asia-Pacific region.

The quantities of green lasers from Osram are the wild card… because the production numbers are still up in the air. However, in the matter of a month or two the green lasers from Osram should start coming off the line and Microvision will have better handle on quantities.

One thing is for sure, with today’s announcement as one of the three largest carriers in the world taking interest in SHOWwx, PicoP projector, there will be an ample customer demand for whatever Microvision can supply for a long time to come.

• It is interesting to note what Alex Tokman said in the press release…

“Carriers serve as the frontline to mobile subscribers and as a result often influence mobile handset designs to include new features that delight their customers and help achieve a broader subscriber base and higher revenue per user. We believe that interest from one of the three largest carriers in the world in this application and specifically in Microvision’s PicoP® laser projection technology is an important first step towards future accessory and embedded opportunities.”

Selling directly to a global mobile carrier allows Microvision higher margins for now [like $500 per SHOWwx] and also opens the doors to future opportunities for its accessory and embedded product line. In my opinion, selling directly to the global mobile carrier is the ultimate objective of a successful marketing and sales campaign… if you want to sell millions of units at pop to the captive customer base of hundreds of millions.

Think about it?

Could Apple sell 7million iPhones in a quarter without any help from AT&T?

I very much doubt it!

Case in example is Samsung, looking to sell its smartphone with built-in pico projector. Do you know how many global mobile carriers have signed-up to offer Samsung’s smartphone with built-in pico projector to their customer base?

Right!

None!

Closing comments…

Today Microvision announced initial purchase order from a European mobile carrier. It is a huge win, considering that it’s an initial PO from a purchaser who is "one of the three largest carriers in the world." There are some speculations that it could be Vodaphone. However, when it comes to Microvision customers, speculating is not a fun pass-time. So, we should just wait and see who or what turns-up in the next 30-days.

I’m glad to see a global mobile service provider get engaged with Microvision at this early stage, since they're ultimately the target frontline customer with eventual distribution to millions of existing subscribers. Today’s announcement should not be a surprise though. We have known for some time now that there will be one more OEM announcement by year's end. All this information has been out there from previous press releases and conference calls.

Even though this European mobile carrier news is obviously huge and it's great news, unfortunately we also know that the quantities of SHOWwx for 2009 are going to be very low (like in thousands).  However, with Osram coming on-line towards the end of this year, the quantities for 2010 are expected to be in "hundreds of thousands" of units, and that's when things will get really interesting.

Consider this for a moment…

“Assuming that during 2010, Microvision was to ship, to all of its sales channels, a total of 200,000 SHOWwx units at an average price of $500 each… then that would translate into $100 million in high margin revenue.”

I’ll leave you with that thought to ponder upon and share the “best news” from a fellow Microvision investor…

“The best news is not this announcement, but the fact that October is almost over and 2010 begins in only two months.” … mvisbuzz

Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Microvision: Asia-Pacific Region Distributor and OEM Partner

Microvision announced its 3rd Qtr earnings conference call a few days ago, and it was scheduled for Thursday, October 22nd… after the market close.

However, early in the morning of October 22nd, Reuters issued the following news item…

Mint Wireless Limited Signs Distribution Agreement With Microvision Inc.; Receives Initial Order From Uniden Corporation
Thursday, 22 Oct 2009 03:40am EDT

“Mint Wireless Limited announced the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement with Microvision Inc. (Microvision) to distribute a PicoP display engine enabled accessory pocket projector to select Asia Pacific countries. This agreement follows Mint Wireless Limited’s recently announced strategic partnership and supply agreement with Uniden Corporation (Uniden), where Mint Wireless Limited is the exclusive supply partner for a select range of technology products to Uniden’s Australian and New Zealand markets. Mint Wireless Limited has received an initial purchase order from Uniden for an OEM version of Microvision’s pocket projector and will manage the supply, marketing and distribution of the Uniden OEM pocket projector for the Australian and New Zealand markets.

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Here’s the link to this news…
http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/keyDevelopments?rpc=66&symbol=MVIS.O×tamp=20091022074000

Immediately after the Reuter news, Matt Nichols had the following post at Microvision’s blog The Displayland…

Mint Wireless And Uniden Start The Ball Rolling

“As our launch partners begin their own marketing programs we stated previously that they would initiate their own communications announcements to reveal their name. The first announcement from a partner just showed up on the Australian Stock Exchange newswire at 6:39 p.m., Sydney time, October 22.

Microvision’s Asian distribution partner, Mint Technology, through its parent company Mint Wireless Limited (ASX: MNW), issued the following press release revealing that the global OEM that will private label Microvision’s laser pico projector is Uniden Corporation of Japan.”

Continued…

Here’s the link to the full post…
http://www.microvision.com/displayground/?p=1198

So there you have it... the names of Asia-Pacific region distributor and the global consumer electronics OEM... for Microvision's laser PicoP projector SHOWwx.

Microvision’s Asia-Pacific region distributor is Mint Wireless and the global consumer electronics OEM is Uniden Corporation.

Obviously the Microvision investors didn’t like the names in the news and the stock price plunged to $4.66 early in the morning to make the low of the day [from $5.28] and closed the day at $5.07. Then at the conference call, after the market close, Alex Tokman, CEO of Microvision, decidedly tried to dodge the questions regarding green laser supply from Corning. I don’t think the investors liked the [wishy-washy] answers to green laser supply issue either.  And that, in my opinion, set the stage for further decline in MVIS stock price that came about the next day on Friday… when the stock went down further and closed the day at $4.39.

The stock price action before and after the conference call [CC] is not surprising when you consider…

• Many MVIS investors were expecting global consumer electronics firms like Sony or LG Electronics as the OEM partner of Microvision that was announced on October 8th, 2009… without naming any names at the time. Many of us and that include me, speculated on the OEM partner’s name and wrote pages to arrive at the conclusion that it could be either Sony or LG Electronics. When we finally heard the name “Uniden Corporation”, we were disappointed… because most of us are not familiar with Uniden as a household name in the US.

• Also the undisclosed name, of the Asian distributor [from October 8th press release], was finally disclosed as “Mint Wireless” at the same time the OEM’s name "Uniden" became a public knowledge. Again, some of us were disappointed because we were expecting some big name global distributor… and not some company named “Mint” from Asia.

• At the conference call, several times the same question about “quantities of green laser” supply from Corning was asked and Alex Tokman answered it in the same vague manner [more or less]… its hard to say and that he wasn’t sure. We all know how important the green laser supply quantities are to the successful launch of Microvision’s first laser PicoP projector SHOWwx.  So, it is not surprising that each and every individual participating in the Q&A session asked the same question [in different ways]… about the quantities of green lasers that would be available to Microvision in 2009 and 2010.

Here’s the link to the transcript of 3rd Qtr conference call…
http://www.mvisbuzz.com/2009/10/conference-call-notes.html

• At one point during the Q&A session, the Analyst from Morgan Stanley took a dig at Alex Tokman when he said: “At some point you're going to have to give the analyst community something to feed on and do their reports. I'm looking forward to that day.”

• For a few years now, I've been watching the investor anticipation and high hopes leading into quarterly conference calls only to feel let down after each event. It looks like that the analysts have also caught on and don't much partake in Q&A sessions anymore…as they don’t seem to get what they are looking for information on supply quantities of green lasers at this stage of product launch and Microvision's sales channel growth.

Considering the above, a first blush knee jerk action best describes the investor response to the news… about Mint Wireless and Uniden… and lack clear understanding of comments made by Alex Tokman, on green laser supplies for 2009 and 2010.

In my humble opinion, the investor selling on the news is reactionary; because of lack of information about the two big name companies from the Asia-Pacific region. Let’s first talk about Mint Wireless and Uniden, and then we will discuss the lack of understanding the comments on green laser supply issue. The price of MVIS stock will take care of itself when we are better informed and had some time to digest the information.

Here we go…
Microvision has clearly stated their distribution strategy as…

“The Company plans to distribute its accessory pico projector product through three sales channels: OEM branded products, Microvision branded products sold through international distributors and Microvision direct sales through its on-line store. Microvision has signed several marketing and distribution agreements with international distributors in Asia and Europe to launch Microvision branded and private labeled versions of the laser pico projector. Microvision expects to begin product shipments in the next several weeks.”

Here’s the link to the press release…
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Microvision-Announces-bw-2654236991.html?x=0&.v=1

• First, note the statement…

“… three sales channels: OEM branded products, Microvision branded products sold through international distributors and Microvision direct sales through its on-line store.”

That clearly means, we should see several OEM partners worldwide branding Microvision products… a white label sale where the OEM puts their Logo and does its own marketing, sales, and support. The first market that Microvision has opened is the Asia-Pacific region. And the first OEM in the Asia-Pacific region is Uniden Corporation for example. Uniden is a global consumer electronics OEM with over $40 billion in sales and is a household name in the Asia-Pacific region. Not only that, Uniden has extensive reach and depth in other global markets like Europe and the Americas… including the US.  But their engagement in this specific instance, is for the Asia-Pacific region... and they came to the table through Mint Wireless as the Asian distributor/sales agent.

Consider this...
I bought my Uniden cordless phone system, here in the US, in 2007 from Costco... after having done some research looking for best of the breed. In the Asia-Pacific region, my friends and family tell me that Uniden is a very well known and respected brand name. Microvision has done well teaming-up with Uniden as its first global consumer electronics OEM. Granted, they are not Sony or LG Electronics... but that may happen soon after when green laser supply picture changes.

Here’s more information on Uniden and some well known competition…

Uniden Corporation
http://wrightreports.ecnext.com/coms2/re...

Motorola, Inc.
http://wrightreports.ecnext.com/comsite5...

Nokia Corporation
http://wrightreports.ecnext.com/comsite5...

For those who may not know, Uniden is a pioneer of many electronic gadgets brought to the market…

o 1st to manufacture a cordless phone
o 1st to offer voice scramble security
o 1st to introduce selectable channels
o 1st to introduce caller identification
o 1st to introduce a completely digital phone & digital answering machine
o 1st to introduce a 900 MHz analogue cordless phone into Australia.
o 1st to introduce 5.8 GHz Digital Spread Spectrum cordless phones into Australia
o 1st to introduce Wideband DECT Technology into Australia
o 1st to introduce 3D Mapping into Car Navigation for Australia
o 1st to introduce XDECT Technology into Australia.
Uniden is the world's largest manufacturer of wireless communication products and the world's leading cordless phone manufacturer.

• Now look at the statement again…

“… three sales channels: OEM branded products, Microvision branded products sold through international distributors and Microvision direct sales through its on-line store.”

That clearly means we should see several international distributors worldwide selling branded products with Microvision Logo and the distributor doing the marketing, sales, and support. The first market that Microvision has opened for its branded product is the Asia-Pacific region. And the first distributor in the Asia-Pacific region is Mint Wireless for example. Mint Wireless is a well know distributor of consumer electronics products in the Asia-Pacific region.

Here’s information on Mint Wireless and also the distribution agreement with Microvision…

“Mint Wireless Limited (http://www.mnw.com.au/) is an ASX listed technology company focused on providing mobile payment solutions (http://www.mint-wireless.com/) and the development and management of consumer technology products and services. Mint is a developer and leading distributor of innovative consumer technology products to many of Australia and New Zealand’s largest retailers and online e-tailers.”

Here’s the link to the agreement with Microvision…
http://www.mnw.com.au/images/ASX%20Announcement/20091022_Mint_signsexclusivedistribution_agreementwithMicrovisionandreceivesinitialorderfromUnidenFINAL.pdf

Mint Wireless is not really a distributor in the way we think here in the US. In the context of their relationship with Microvision, they may act like a sales agency [very common practice in the Asia-Pacific region] working off a small percentage commission like 3% to 5%.

Their mission is more like helping Microvision [as an agency] open the doors to OEMs and help book sales. One such door they have opened for Microvision is Uniden. Mint Wireless also buys product for its own account and certainly does issue a PO in its own name. If you look at their size [in terms of revenues] they are only $12 million dollars from the Australia/New Zealand region. However, with Uniden contract in hand and working as agents for Microvision, they hope to bring-in high margin revenue with little cost exposure.

• Now let’s move on to the next part of the statement…

“Microvision has signed several marketing and distribution agreements with international distributors in Asia and Europe to launch Microvision branded and private labeled versions of the laser pico projector.”

This clearly tells me, without a doubt, that there will be more regions in the world, like Europe and the Americas, which will be opened in the near future. I expect to hear, on a monthly basis, the names of more global consumer electronics OEMs for white labeled products and regional distributors for Microvision's branded products.

• Now back to the first part of the statement one more time…

“The Company plans to distribute its accessory pico projector product through three sales channels: … and Microvision direct sales through its on-line store.”

That tells me, we should soon see an on-line Microvision store selling Microvision brand laser PicoP projectors… including the SHOWwx and its derivatives.

I hope that helps, to clarify the way business is being done and who the household name players are in the Asia-Pacific region.

Not only that, I hope this post has helped you clear-up the marketing and distribution strategy that has been adopted by Microvision for its stand alone accessory PicoP projector SHOWwx.

Stay tuned for Part 2 to this post… which would cover the green laser supply issue as part of the post titled: Microvision: 3rd Qtr Earnings Conference Call – October 22nd, 2009.
 
The journey to “Image by PicoP” ubiquity has just begun… and we are on the roll.

As Matt Nichols from Microvision said…

“Mint Wireless and Uniden Start the Ball Rolling”

It’s a roll… meaning a little push is all it takes to continue gathering momentum.

Be part of this momentous journey and not just watch the caravan pass you by.

Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Microvision: Take Over Target (Part 2)

Someone asked the obvious question: "What if a company does make an offer?"

Well, here's what I think...

If a company makes an offer and Microvision management turns it down then they [the suitor] have the option of going directly to the shareholders and try to get them to agree to a PPS rejected by the management. At that time, management would make their case to the shareholders why the takeover offer is too low and that there is more value to remaining independent.

If we can make a case on the back of a napkin for $100 per share in next 5 years, then I am sure a Six Sigma Master Black Belt CEO of Microvision can do the same. The current management team did not come to Microvision to preside over the sale just as they are about to achieve commercial success.

Here are some back-of-the-napkin CONSERVATIVE figures…

Five years from now in 2014, the stock could easily trade in the $300 to $400 range. Here’s the projection…

• Worldwide Market Size: 2 billion units [cell phones, laptops, smartphones, camcorders, digital cameras, mobile TV/Projectors, etc.]

• Worldwide Market Size: 1 billion units [wearable displays]

• Market Adoption Rate: 10%... 300 million units

• Microvision Market share: 15% of 300 million units… 45 million units

• OEM price: $90 per PicoP display engine

• Revenue: $4 billion

• Net Profit Margin: 40%

• Net Profit: $1.6 billion

• EBITDA: Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization: $1.55 billion [with operating expenses at $50 million]

• Interest Expense: $0 million

• Interest Income: $20 million

• Tax: $120million

• Depreciation: non cash and very small

• Amortization: non cash and very small

• Net Operating Income: $1.5 billion

• Earning Per Share: $16.60 on a fully diluted basis [90 million shares]

• Price Earning Ratio: 30 for a hyper growth company

• Price Per Share: $500 per share approximately

In my book, the Risk is insignificant [may be 3% per year in lost opportunity] as compared to the potential of making 100 times your money in the next 5 years.

A standard way to value a company, or any investment, is the Dividend Discount approach. Other closely related approaches are: Discounted Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow, and Economic Value Added (EVA), a trademark of Stern & Stewart. To use any of these methods, the analyst projects future payoffs to the investor, then discounts these payoffs to their present value.

No matter what approach you choose, you still have a hyper growth company that is worth at least high double digit PPS in today’s value.

As someone said…

“This is a $100 stock in a $5.28 wrapper.”

The competition knows that.

Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/

Microvision: Take Over Target (Part 1)

This is a subject that I bring-up from time to time… because it is in the realm of possibilities for any company that has a superior product in a huge market, the size of what’s out there for a quality PicoP display engines.

So, here we go with our musing two days before the 3rd Qtr conference call that was announced this morning and is set for Thursday after the market close… on October 22nd, 2009.

There are possibly four companies that could greatly benefit from the "buyout" of Microvision at such humbled stock prices like $5.48 today. The reason I say “humbled” is because a few years ago, in the year 2000, Microvision stock [NASDAQ: MVIS] traded as high as $63 dollars.  Of course you could argue that it’s the “market cap” that counts and not just the share price. You are right, and we will let you use that when you come to the table to negotiate the price.

With so much money now freed-up in the financial markets [at so low interest rates] it is tempting for the established [large] companies to gobble –up small competitors that threaten their turf. And Microvision is a major threat for sure to those that came to the Pico projection market with inferior technology that consumer has more or less ignored.

Here’s the line-up of potential suitors, some gentlemanly and the others not…

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS (TI):
TI has finally realized that the scaled-down DLP [Pico projector] still runs too hot, is noisy, requires huge power, is way too big for the small screen size, requires constant manual focus and is too expensive to make. TI sells their DLP chip [for the classic DLP projectors] for close to a thousand dollar. No matter how much cheaper they make their scaled down DLP chip [or sell for lower margins] the cost will still be over a hundred dollars. Not only that, TI will be cannibalizing their classic DLP projector chip, in one form or the other, to capture the Pico projector market from the likes of Microvision [with a much cheaper 2D MEMS and laser based technology].

TI and its technology partners will bring a LED/DLP based Pico projector and compete in the standalone market. However, there will always be the issue of "manual focus", "image size", “power consumption”, “unit size” and "image quality". And these issues become very significant when you consider the embedded market for cell phones and smartphones.

In the long run, TI will find it cheaper to [hostile] takeover Microvision rather than let-go the most profitable and huge Pico projector market and also risk the loss of revenue stream from their classic DLP chips. Over time, I would think much of everything done by a DLP chip could be done with a PicoP derivative. Would TI sit on their hands while their DLP cash cow suffered massive market share erosion to PicoP?

No way!!!

MOTOROLA (MOT):
On the other hand you have MOT desperate for new technology to jump start their handset business. Especially now, with the spin-off of the handset division still on the books, I am sure MOT [or the new buyer in the future] would love to have the PicoP display engine business to themselves and be the gate keeper to the embedded Pico projector market.

Please note…

[On March 26, 2008, Motorola's board of directors approved a split into two different publicly traded companies. This came after talk of selling the handset division to another corporation. These new companies would comprise the business units of the current Motorola Mobile Devices and Motorola Broadband & Mobility Solutions. Originally it was expected that this action would be approved by regulatory bodies and complete by mid-2009, but the split has since been indefinitely delayed due to company restructuring problems and the 2008-2009 extreme economic downturn.]

But what about Nokia, Sony and the other cell phone OEMs? Would they get in the bidding if PicoP became the defacto standard for the embedded market? If I am the CEO at Nokia, I don't want to be writing checks to MOT [or the new buyer] for huge quantities of PicoP display engines?

CORNING (GLW):
There are some speculations about Corning as the potential buyer of Microvision.

The idea is not far-fetched. However, it is unlikely. Corning is not in the habit of getting involved with an army of supply chain vendors of components and services and manufacturing OEMs infrastructure. Corning does well with what they do… because they run a tight ship and control quality thru vertical integration.

But, who knows? Strange things happen in the technology-land these days!!!

APPLE (AAPL):
Apple has to maintain a healthy double digit growth rate to even think about maintaining their $170B market valuation. If they are the brilliant innovators of [consumer] tech then they already know that the projection of video content is the future. Microvision’s PicoP projector will be a disruptive addition to the personal electronics industry within the next year or two. Right now its eye candy to implement a projector into an iPod or an iPhone since it requires add-on attachments to actually make it work; you might as well buy a micro projector.

But I must say that the embedded version of the PicoP is definitely an innovative technology and that’s what Apple usually wants. Apple [and Steve Jobs] tends to want and see what consumers want, then refine it and make it desirable to have. My best guess is that Apple won’t incorporate projectors into iPods [and iPhones] for at least for a while. When the PicoP technology develops more and proves to be a little more portable, Apple may just step in.

Apple has over $30B in cash under Steve Jobs and he is known to lock-up the “best” technology and make it his own… especially when such a technology like PicoP projectors can make his star performers [iPod and iPhone] a second rate product… because of lack of incorporating an obvious innovation to its mobile product line. It may take a year or two, but it will happen… in some way or form. One thing’s for sure though, Apple knows what they’re doing in the interest of their customers.

But the stakes are huge for a number of companies [like Sony, Nokia, Epson, Samsung, LG Electronics, etc.], so it is going to be very interesting to see how this plays out.

Here’s the latest update to Microvision news that is sure to stir-up the bees hive abuzz…

After three years of hard work, anxious wait for green lasers and sweating it each passing day, and 115 issued patents later, the world’s first laser based PicoP projector was commercially launched on September 15th, 2009.

Not only that, another announcement was made [on 10/8/2009] of a major OEM purchase order as a major milestone accomplished in the history of Microvision. The stakeholders of Microvision [investors, partners and consumers] can finally take comfort in this announcement as a milestone that…

“…validates the performance and quality of our first laser projector offering. On the heels of announcing our first shipments of the SHOWwx laser pico projector, and receiving the purchase order from an international distributor, this is another significant milestone in our go-to-market strategy.” ... Alex Tokman, CEO of Microvision.

We are truly at the turning point in the history of Microvision, that some may call the “validation” phase. Because, that’s what the commercial release and the two purchase orders from global consumer electronic OEMs represent as …

• Validation of Microvision’s laser based PicoP display engine technology, its quality, its reliability, and a viable commercial fabrication & production milestone.

• Validation of performance and quality of PicoP display engine at the core of the world’s first laser based PicoP projector SHOWwx.

• Validation of Corning's green laser technology, its reliability, and a viable commercial fabrication & production milestone.

• Validation of technical and performance superiority of laser based PicoP projector as compared to other two technologies on the market… DLP/LED from Texas Instruments and LcoS/LED from 3M.

By the end of 4th quarter this year, we will have much more visibility and better indication of where Microvision is headed.

Here’s the link to Microvision’s best…

http://www.microvision.com/displayground/
[Click on “New ways to see” post]
http://www.microvision.com/displayground/?m=200908

In closing, I must emphasize one more point…

“Aside from Pico projectors, so far, no new “must have” gadget has appeared, unlike previous years when devices like Sony Corp's PlayStation 3; Nintendo's Wii; or Sirius satellite radios and myriad of digital cameras were launched to woo the electronic gadget shoppers.”

"Smartphones are the exception to the above statement. However, smartphones are all about features… and what’s more desirable, as a feature in a smartphone, than a quality PicoP projector as an accessory or as built-in."

Well, the pot of honey has been sighted and I’m sure there’s a “Bear” lurking in the PicoP jungle.

Stay tuned and we will keep a “watch-on” for you.

Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/

Monday, October 19, 2009

Microvision: Opportunity of a Lifetime… in our Lifetime (Part 3)

The cost of missing out can be greater than the cost of messing up.

“The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity.”
…Leonard Ravenhill

So much for the energy savings benefit of laser based PicoP display engines. Now lets turn our heads to the next waves of change [or paradigm shift] coming upon us.

First, the commercial...

"Microvision stock [NASDAQ: MVIS] is an investment that represents the opportunity of a lifetime… in our lifetime. And it is a BIG opportunity that can propel us to our financial goals in one great leap within our active lifetime… like in the next 4 to 5 years."

Next, the REASON #3... to not let this opportunity pass you by and why you should quickly reposition your assets now…

REASON #3

We already know the ubiquitous nature of the Internet, the laptops and Mobile phones around the world. However, what we may not know that there is yet another mega change taking place right under our noses…

• Smartphones are rapidly replacing the classic mobile phones around the globe

“Worldwide mobile phone sales totalled 286.1 million units in the second quarter of 2009, a 6.1 per cent decrease from the second quarter of 2008, according to Gartner, Inc. Smartphone sales surpassed 40 million units, a 27 per cent increase from the same period last year, representing the fastest-growing segment of the mobile-devices market.”

Here’s the link to Gartner report…
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1126812

"Smartphone sales were strong during the second quarter of 2009, with sales of 40.9 million units in line with Gartner's forecast of 27 per cent year-on-year sales growth for 2009," said Ms Milanesi. "Given the higher margins, smartphones offer the biggest opportunity for manufacturers. It is the fastest-growing market segment and the most resistant to declining ASPs."

Smartphones are feature rich mobile devices that consist of a mini-laptop with built-in mobile phone and connected to a service provider [carrier] via a broadband mobile network like the 3G… or the future 4G. Smartphones are feature rich mobile phones and one of the key features that have plans to be offered in the high-end smartphones is a pico projector… as an accessory unit initially… followed by the embedded version in 2010. Future smartphones are expected to include, or offered as an option, a pico projector as a standard unit just like the digital camera is today.

• Pico projectors are being developed as an embedded feature in all things digital

The next popular categories that integrate pico projectors would be mobile computing [laptops] and communication [cell phones, Smartphones] devices, and a whole range of multi-functional consumer electronic products such as personal media players [iPod], digital cameras, digital camcorders and Integrated Mobile TV/projectors.

Why pico projectors are such a rage all of a sudden… you may ask?

That’s a fair question and can be answered in four parts…

Part 1: Pico Projectors can add Big Screen Experience to Small Devices
Analyst, Cellular Devices, Mobile Consumer and Mobile Video Services, In-Stat: “As mobile devices add more multimedia capabilities, embedded pico projectors can add a big-screen experience to a very small device,” said David Chamberlain, Author of the report and Principal.

Part 2: Rapidly Evolving Illumination Technologies like LEDs and Green Lasers Make Pico Projectors Possible
In-Stat found that illumination technologies are rapidly and continuously evolving by the day with manufacturers able to produce and supply Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) and green lasers, and that the demand for such gizmos integrated within other devices will be so huge that the volumes will easily drive down modular costs to the extent that Pico projectors will become part and parcel of relatively low cost cell phones, media players and other digital consumer electronic devices.

“Technological advances in miniaturization, signal processing, and light sources—including green laser—are making Pico projectors a realistic feature for small battery powered devices like cell phones, media players, computing devices, and other consumer electronics,” said Chamberlain.

Part 3: Powerful & Always Connected Functions Rich Devices with Enhanced Visual Experience
Today, the mobile devices are ubiquitous and if you were to project out the current trends another ten years…

“You will be carrying with you, on a 24x7 basis, a very powerful, always connected, functions & sensor-rich device with enhanced visual experience… called the Smartphones. And the cool thing is, so will everyone else. So what are you going to do with it that you aren't doing now?

Before we consider the possibilities, let’s first address the ubiquity of the mobile devices and extrapolate the current trends towards the mobile phones of the future for everyone on this planet. In other words, the mobile phones of to-day will pave the path to ubiquity for Smartphones of tomorrow… and that tomorrow may be here as early as the next 10 years. And what’s good for smartphones of tomorrow is indeed good for pico projectors as an accessory or as an embedded unit.

Consider this…

• There are currently about 3.2 billion mobile subscribers in the world, and that number is expected to grow by at least a billion in the next few years.

• Today, mobile phones are more prevalent than cars (about 800 million registered vehicles in the world) and credit cards (only 1.4 billion of those).

• While it took 100 years for landline phones to spread to more than 80% of the countries in the world, their wireless descendants did it in only 16 years.

• Fewer teens are wearing watches now because they use their phones to tell time instead. So it's safe to say that the mobile phone may be the most productive and ubiquitous consumer product ever invented.

However, have you ever considered just exactly how powerful these ubiquitous devices are and if the current trends were to be extrapolated… what future mobile device will look like? Whatever the name [or logo] on the cover, under the hood these mobile phones of the future will be the smartphones that will be very smart [pun intended] and very powerful. Smartphones like “Blackberry” considered a business tool are now successfully targeting consumers. On the other hand, “iPhone” considered a consumer product is now targeting business customers. Some day, they may converge and pretty much offer the same power, functionality, connectivity, long battery life and ease of use etc.

As more and more consumers switch to smartphones globally, the Blackberry and iPhone are picking up market share at the expense of foreign competitors such as Nokia.

However, the good news is that the overall smartphones market is growing faster than ever. In 2008, a total of 1.2 billion mobile phones were sold worldwide, according to IDC, of which some 160 million were smartphones, or 13%. In 2013, IDC predicts that 20% of the 1.4 billion mobile phones sold will be smartphones, or 280 million.

Currently, we know what smartphones like Blackberry and iPhone offer. What we don’t know and, therefore, we can only speculate what additional functionality and features the future smartphones may offer. Here’s a list of what the future may hold in store for the consumers…

Smart alerts: Your mobile phone will be smart about your situation and alert you when something needs your attention. This is already happening today… eBay can text you when you've been outbid, and alert services (such as Google News) can deliver news, sports, or stock updates to you. In the future, these applications will get smarter, patiently monitoring your personalized preferences (which will be stored in the network cloud) and delivering only the information you desire. One very useful scenario: your phone knows that you are heading downtown for dinner, and alerts you of transit conditions or the best places to park.

Augmented reality: Your mobile phone uses its arsenal of sensors to understand your situation and provide you information that might be useful. A stylish looking app, for one example, may automatically track Zagat rated restaurants, giving users food and cost scores as they move in real time bringing new dining places into view as they appear on the map.

Or perhaps, do you really want to know how much is that red dress in the window? Your phone, with its GPS and compass, knows what you are looking at, so it can tell you before you even ask. Plus, it may even suggest what purse and accessories go with the red dress?

Crowd sourcing: Your mobile phone is your omnipresent window to the world, a way to publish pictures, emails, texts, Twitters, streaming videos and blog entries. When everyone else is doing the same, you have a world where people from every corner of the planet are covering their experiences in real-time. That massive amount of content gets archived, sorted, and re-deployed to other people in new and interesting ways. Ask the web for the most interesting sites in your vicinity, and your phone shows you reviews and pictures that people have uploaded of nearby attractions. Like what you see? It will send you directions on how to get there.

Sensors everywhere: Your mobile phone knows a lot about the world around you. If you take that intelligence and combine it in the cloud with that of every other phone, we have an incredible snapshot of what is going on in the world right now.

Tool for development: Your mobile phone may be more than just a convenience; it may be your livelihood. Already, this is true for people in many parts of the world: in southern India, fishermen use text messaging to find the best markets for their daily catch, in South Africa, sugar farmers can receive text messages advising them on how much to irrigate their crops, and throughout sub-Saharan Africa entrepreneurs with mobile phones become phone operators, bringing communications to their villages. These innovations will only increase in the future, as mobile phones become the linchpin for greater economic development.

The future-proof device: Your mobile phone will open up, as the Internet already has, so it will be easy for developers to create or improve applications and content. The ones that you care about get automatically installed on your phone. Let's say you have a piece of software on your phone to improve power management (and therefore battery life). Let's say a developer makes an improvement to the software. The update gets automatically installed on your phone, without you lifting a finger. Your phone actually gets better over time.

Safer software through trust and verification: Your mobile phone will provide tools and information to empower you to decide what to download, what to see, and what to share. Trust is the most important currency in the always connected world, and your phone will help you stay in control of your information. You may choose to share nothing at all (default mode), or just share certain things with certain people─ your circle of trusted friends and family. You'll make these decisions based on information you get from the service and software providers and the collective ratings of the community as well. Your phone is like your trusted valet: it knows a lot about you, and won't disclose an iota of it without your permission.

Enhanced Visual Experience:  Not too long ago, a mobile phone offered only a one-to-one viewing experience with little room for personalization and lacking the cool factor. Soon Microvision’s PicoP display engine technology will change the DNA of the phone, making it more visual, interactive and unique to the user. Taking this a step further, your cell phone will become a “one-to-many” tool, allowing us to share mobile content with groups of friends, family and colleagues. In the not-too-distant future, road warriors will be showing presentations to a room full of colleagues via a projector accessory [SHOWwx] for their mobile phones. We have only begun to unleash the mobile visual experience.

Part 4: Laser Based PicoP Projectors are Superior Technology Compared to the Rest

Microvision Will Change Your Visual Experience, Wirelessly…

With the increasing number and variety of visual applications on mobile phones, Microvision’s PicoP display engine technology will deliver the mobile experience consumers have come to expect. Consumers will be able to use their mobile phones to capture and store high-quality content, including digital movies and console-quality video games, and then watch the content with others via a connection to mobile, palm-sized, full-featured SHOWwx PicoP projector, which are expected to be available in the 4th Qtr. of 2009.

Professional and amateur film makers can already use their mobile phones to show-off high-quality samples of their creations to producers using video clips taken on their handset. Soon, they [and you] will be able to share your video creation or the latest funny video from YouTube with a room full of people, in DVD quality (848 x 480) resolution, the same clarity you receive from your DVD player at home. Parents will be able to send DVD quality videos of their children learning how to ride a bike to family members, who may then show a room full of their friends.

In conjunction with third party technology for processing HD video and graphics content, Microvision’s PicoP projector will allow [in 2010] integration into a mobile phone, further enhancing display options in mobile devices. Microvision’s Pico projector is creating a new standard by extending beyond the limitations of the physical screen on mobile phones and allowing consumers to share content with friends and family.

From viewing video content on a 2-inch LCD screen on your mobile phone to being able to watch DVD-quality video in widescreen TV format projected on to the closest wall, the wireless experience will never be the same.

Quality of image, rich & vivid colors and always-in-focus feature is important when projecting from your Mobile devices. For comparison, look at the quality and size of the Microvision’s PicoP projection and compare it to the [static] images from the Optoma DLP Pico projector and the 3M LcoS Pico projector…

First, the link to the Optoma DLP Pico projector video…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMeQBF4LNws

Next, the link to 3M LcoS Pico projector video…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NNMHYgpGO4

Now look at Microvision laser PicoP projector SHOWwx video…
http://www.microvision.com/displayground/?m=200908

[Note: Make sure to click on the video play button]

Now tell me, if I need to write a thousand words to explain the difference between the three?

Microvision Will Change Your Visual Experience, Wirelessly!

Stay tuned for REASON #4… as we move forward in our journey to explore “Microvision: Opportunity of a Lifetime… in our Lifetime”

Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Microvision: PicoP Seduced and Engaged to LG Monaco aka LG Pico? Part 2

I received this in the mail this morning…

“Last week, you may have read about the LG cell phone pico projector that was being announced. This week, the writers from Engadget have announced that the projector phone will be called the LG “Monaco,” which is also known as the “Pico.” The phone features a 3.6Mbps HSDPA, a 3.2-inch WVGA display, 5 megapixel AF cam, microSD expansion, and Windows Mobile 7. According to the information, the pico projector, which was supposed to be part of the projector, is now an add-on feature. There is no information about whether the projector will attach to the phone or will it require a cable connection. There is also no additional information as to the specs about the projector itself. The Monaco is not expected to release until September, so only time will tell what this mystery pico projector can do. More information will be released as it becomes available. [via Engadget]”

What I found interesting is the comment about pico projector…

“According to the information, the pico projector, which was supposed to be part of the projector, is now an add-on feature. There is no information about whether the projector will attach to the phone or will it require a cable connection. There is also no additional information as to the specs about the projector itself.”

So, I did some research to find out the launch date for LG Monaco and found this [dated September 21st, 2009]…

“Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5 release is just a month away, and so too are the first phones that will utilize it. Boy Genius Report has managed to get its hands on one slide from a recent AT&T concall confirming a partial list of the handsets set to ship with the new, improved, more finger-friendly flavor of the OS, and even a few models that will be upgraded to it. Two from Samsung, the Epix and Jack, will receive version updates in October, while HP's Obsidian, earlier targeted for November, seems to have been pushed back to December, and LG's Monaco similarly has slipped to November. HTC's Fortress (a.k.a. the Pro2), however, will apparently be ready with bells on next month. As will we, dear readers. As will we.”

Aha, November release as the new date?

Now that raised another question in my mind. What operating system the LG Moncao will have… is it Windows Mobil 6.5… or wait for WinMo 7?

Looks like it's going to be WinMo 7 no doubt!!!

Here’s why [in the words of Gigmodo]…

“We've been watching Windows Mobile 6.5—or Windows Phone, as Microsoft is sometimes calling it—for months, since Jesus first laid his thumbs on it back in February. We even taught you how to install developer builds! The final version I got for testing, though, was almost identical to the builds we saw so many months ago. This means two things: That we already know what it's going to look like and how it's going to work; and that no, it's nowhere near the upgrade that Windows Mobile needs to be even remotely interesting.

It's a superficial update, and not a very thorough one. It's an interim product, and a vain attempt to hold onto the thinning ranks people who still choose Windows Mobile despite not being somehow tethered to it until the tardy Windows Mobile 7 comes out, whenever that may be. And it won't work.”

I’m sure LG Electronics is aware of the short comings of WinMo 6.5 and would wait for the release of WinMo 7.

I would!

Here’s the link to Gizmodo write-up…
http://gizmodo.com/5374876/windows-mobile-65-review-theres-no-excuse-for-this

The bottom line is…

“LG Monaco is coming out with a pico projector as an accessory [hopefully the SHOWwx] and both are currently waiting for launch together... while WinMo 7 gets ready.

First, it was Corning with a technical glitch with its green lasers… now it is WinMo 7 being tardy!

What“Karma”?

Assuming, of course, LG Monaco is accompanied by SHOWwx Pico projector.

Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/

Friday, October 16, 2009

Microvision: PicoP Seduced and Engaged to LG Monaco aka LG Pico?

After three years of hard work, anxious wait for green lasers and sweating it each passing day, today’s announcement [on 10/8/2009] comes as a major milestone accomplished in the history of Microvision. The stakeholders in Microvision [investors, partners and consumers] can finally take comfort in today’s announcement as a milestone that…

“…validates the performance and quality of our first laser projector offering. On the heels of announcing our first shipments of the SHOWwx laser pico projector, and receiving the purchase order from an international distributor, this is another significant milestone in our go-to-market strategy.” ... Alex Tokman, CEO of Microvision.

It is interesting to read how Microvision management perceives the significance of today’s announcement themselves. Here’s what Matt Nichols, Microvision corporate spokesperson, said in his post at the company’s blog The Displayland…

“…we launched, we started initial shipments, we have the SHOWWX brand and now (tada!) an OEM private label brand accessory laser pico projector. This has been a fun few weeks.”

Yes, Matt we agree with you and hope you are enjoying your day [our day] in the sun for a change.

Here’s the link to Matt’s post at The Displayland…
http://www.microvision.com/displayground/

That’s all well and good; however, it is frustrating, again, to note that the Microvision management withheld the names of the two companies involved in releasing the initial purchase orders. So we grabbed our “trench coats” and went sleuthing to unravel the identity of the mysterious “global consumer electronics OEM” who also happens to be “targeting a new mobile communication device strategy”.

Without further ado, here’s what we found… thinking loud of course…

“Upon further research, the 'global consumer electronics OEM' that is mentioned in today’s news is not Sony as I previously thought… but it is in all probability LG Electronics of Korea with facilities and offices worldwide."

Some may still argue that it could be Sony, Motorola, or Apple. However, when you read again the statement made by Alex Tokman, CEO of Microvision, you could draw only two conclusions… it is either Sony or LG Electronics. The argument in favor of Sony, as presented before, is pretty strong and deserves re-stating…

“Having a global consumer electronics player, which is targeting a new mobile communication device strategy, attach their name to our product strongly validates the performance and quality of our first laser projector offering.”

Having said that, the only two companies that fit the bill, as a global consumer electronics player that are also targeting a new mobile communications device strategy... is SONY… or perhaps LG Electronics from Korea. In my previous post, I eliminated LG Electronics as the other possibility, considering how strongly Alex Tokman felt about Korean companies that are notorious for copy-cats and getting around patent infringement. Well, may be they have patch-up their differences and made-up.

Here’s some more information in support of LG Electronics as the OEM from today’s news…

• LG Electronics is the world’s third largest mobile phone handset manufacturer with 100 million units sold in 2008. The second being Samsung with 200 million and Nokia in first place with 470million units sold.

• Perhaps the most interesting mover of mobile phone manufacturers in 2008 was LG Electronics. This ever growing popular handset provider had a significant 25% growth spurt in 2008 by selling around 100 million units. LG were followed closely by Motorola with 99.9 million and Sony Ericsson with a moderate 96.6 million.

• In June of this year, LG said it wants to become the world's No. 2 handset maker by 2010 (the company in the second quarter ranked third, with 11.2 percent of the global market, behind Samsung's 19.7 percent, according to iSuppli). LG said it would release about 80 handset models globally in 2009, and 12 would be high-end models.

Read more: http://www.fiercemobileit.com/story/lg-electronics-plans-aggressive-smartphone-strategy-using-winmo-6-5/2009-09-08#ixzz0U909psFg

• Worldwide mobile phone sales totalled 286.1 million units in the second quarter of 2009, a 6.1 per cent decrease from the second quarter of 2008, according to Gartner, Inc. Smartphone sales surpassed 40 million units, a 27 per cent increase from the same period last year, representing the fastest-growing segment of the mobile-devices market (see Table 2).

Read more: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1126812

• LG Electronics announced plans to release three new Windows Mobile devices, which is the start of what it called its "most aggressive smartphone strategy to date." That aggressive strategy includes the release of 13 new Windows Mobile phones by the end of 2010. Read more: http://www.fiercemobileit.com/story/lg-electronics-plans-aggressive-smartphone-strategy-using-winmo-6-5/2009-09-08#ixzz0U8ym14ST

• On May 26th, engadget wrote an article about a high end Smartphone code named “LG Monaco” aka “LG Pico” based on WinMo 7 operating system and to be released before the end of 2009.

This is what engadget had to say…

“… everything else here would work (and look) great as a next-gen device -- and the accessory projector's a pretty nifty selling point, too.”

Here’s the link…
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2009/05/26/lg-monaco-atandts-getting-a-wvga-winmo7-qwerty-slider/

If you look at the inside of the datasheet [at the right hand bottom] you will see “Other: Pico Projector (Accessory)”.  Interesting, don’t you think!

• Daily Gadget News picked-up on the story and wrote this…

“Another news of the future LG smartphone for AT&T is leaked. The LG Monaco aka LG Pico is a Windows Mobile smartphone which presumably rund Windows Mobile 7 OS. LG Monaco packs a 3.2 inch touchscreen display with 480 x 800 pixels as well as qwerty keyboard.

For connectivity, LG Monaco support Quad band GSM and tri-band HSDPA connectivity. Its 5MP camera is equipped with autofocus feature. No words on its internal memory but Monaco has a Micro SDHC card slot to expand (up to 16GB). Other features including a GPS and pico-projector. Its release date is expected to be sometime in September 2009 although we’re not sure weather the WinMo 7 will be ready at that time.”

Here’s the link…
http://www.lifeatmost.com/smartphone/lg-monaco-aka-lg-pico/

Well, so much for the research… now we get to write the conclusion.

In conclusion...

"The timing of Microvision’s PicoP projector SHOWwx released to the OEM coincides with the readiness of WinMo 7 and the commercial release of the LG Monaco aka LG Pico.  LG Electronics is a global consumer electronics player, which is targeting a new mobile communication device strategy."

Also the code name "LG Pico" is not by chance… it is, in my opinion, by design.

Like, as “Image by PicoP” in the future embedded version of LG Monaco.

Or shall we just call it… LG PicoP!

Anant Goel

http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/