Friday, February 27, 2015

Ericsson to demo 5G

5 Gbps.

That's 250 times faster than 4G mobile protocol.[math] [Speed Reference]
166 times faster than the fastest cable internet service. [Math] [Speed Reference]

When we want to deliver content for an data-hungry accessory like PicoP -- this is gold.

Ericsson to demo multimode, multipoint 5G connectivity 
@Source
Ericsson will show new advances in 5G technology at the Mobile World Congress. Following a speed test where the Ericsson 5G radio test bed topped 5 Gbps throughput, the company will demonstrate 5G-LTE Dual Connectivity and 5G Multipoint Connectivity in Barcelona. 
The latest 5G radio test bed innovations focus on the interactions between mobile devices and the radio access network, both indoors and outside. With 5G-LTE Dual Connectivity, the 5G mobile device moves between LTE and 5G radio access coverage areas, establishing simultaneous connections with both networks before seamlessly handing over. This will enable 5G networks to provide multi-standard and multi-band support in both devices and radio access. 
The 5G Multipoint Connectivity shows a 5G mobile device connecting to two 5G base stations simultaneously, improving bit rate performance through multiple downlink streams, as well as signal strength and resilience. This will be key to supporting multi-layer networks consisting of both macro and small cell coverage, Ericsson said. 

The company's demonstrations at MWC will feature both 5G devices and 5G radio base stations operating in the high frequency 15 GHz band. Other demonstrations planned by Ericsson in Barcelona include capiallary networks for large-scale IoT systems, remote control over the mobile network of construction excavators developed with Volvo, the new Ericsson Radio System and the company's latest advances in LTE, the group's managed services and OSS/BSS portfolio, new IP routers and the company's pay-TV and media delivery systems.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Where are Smartphones are Going


This accessory has arrived.

At CNET

'Appcessories'

An extension of the smartphone as medical device is what Ideo's Blakely terms "appcessories," a set of highly specialized peripheral software that fulfills very targeted needs, stuff that most people wouldn't want on their everyday phone.
Let's say you've downloaded an art app that maps out a paint-by-numbers schematic of your favorite Picasso. Now let's say you've bought an after-market appcessory, a tiny pico projector with an NFC chip installed that, when you slip it onto the phone, beams out the image onto your surface so that you can get to work on your painting, or vegetable garden planting, or DIY home project.


Sony Wrist Projector Patent

At US Patent Office Site

It does look like there will be a conflict with the "Cicret Bracelet" and this patent, unless, the Cicret Bracelet is a Sony project. They have used "crowd funding" to test ideas.

Cicret 1
Cicret 2

Sonycowdfunds epaper watch

While patents are often very valuable, they don't necessarily mean that a patented product will make an appearance any time soon. This patent was filed in the summer of 2014. 

Patents like this tell us that Sony is working with a lot of PicoP ideas, that they expect the technology to improve, and that they are busily working on those ideas, even if we don't see a lot of PR about it. (Most of the businesses that we should want to pay attention to aren't the ones that are out creating hype all the time. Their stocks do go up... but they also crash back down.


Below are some parts of the patent that are interesting. Click the link above to see it all.





WRISTBAND TYPE INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM 


Abstract
There is provided a wristband type information processing apparatus including a band unit configured to be worn on a wrist of a user, a projection unit configured to project an image on a hand wearing the band unit, and a control unit configured to control the projection unit in a manner that at least one of an image that is stored in a storage unit and an image that is input from an external apparatus is projected on the hand.

16. The wristband type information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projection unit is a pico projector using a laser. 

[0059] The projector 3 projects an image (still image or moving image) on the plane of projection under control of the control unit 11. In this embodiment, the projector 3 projects an image on a hand (the back of the hand or the palm) wearing the band unit 6, under control of the control unit 11. The projector 3 is achieved by a pico projector using a laser, for example. In this case, since calibration such as focus adjustment is not necessarily performed in principle, the projector 3 can project the image regardless of a position relation between the projector 3 and the plane of projection due to the unevenness of the surface of the hand, the angle of the wrist, and the like. 

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

PicoAir makes Amazon!

At Amazon

More separate units for Sony

It's frustrating to wait for news from Sony. We do have to consider all of the happenings at SONY and how the rules are probably written for the company. 

Consider that PicoP is almost certainly part of the "devices" division -- but that they would not likely announce any agreement using PicoP until other divisions that are using the modules have announced their products. (That's my read anyway.)

Sony Corp. will put more businesses into separate structures, including its lucrative devices unit, as Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai tries to boost accountability in his turnaround push.

Hirai said the company already generates about 70 percent of its revenue from units that are independent from the parent, such as Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. which runs the PlayStation business.

The devices unit supplies the image sensors that power cameras built into its Xperia smartphones and Apple Inc.’s iPhones. Hirai is boosting investment in the chip unit to build more modules for phones, tablet computers and automobiles.

Sony expects sales from the business that makes sensors, camera modules and memory storage will rise to as much as 1.5 trillion yen in the year ending March 2018. The business is expected to have an operating margin of 10 percent to 12 percent.


Full Article at Bloomberg

Monday, February 23, 2015

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Millennials Ditching TV sets (but not video content)

This is good for PicoP.... portability is extremely valuable to the most important demographic.... then screen size... with PicoP they get BOTH.

@NewYorkPost

So far this season, younger viewers, the most important audience for advertisers, have ditched their TV sets at more than double the rate of previous years, new Nielsen figures show.
Traditional TV usage — which has been falling among viewers ages 18 to 34 at around 4 percent a year since 2012 — tumbled 10.6 percent between September and January.
In the era of smartphones and Netflix, it’s no surprise that traditional TV is losing relevance for younger viewers. But the sudden acceleration is alarming to even the most seasoned analysts.
“The change in behavior is stunning. The use of streaming and smartphones just year-on-year is double-digit increases,” Alan Wurtzel, NBCUniversal’s audience research chief, told The Post. “I’ve never seen that kind of change in behavior.”.......


.........
Consumption of video is bigger than ever. Wurtzel’s research shows a year-over-year increase of 22 percent in subscription video viewing in 2014, and a 26 percent rise in “binge viewing.”

From Financial times

Broadcasters fear falling revenue as viewers switch to On-Demand TV

television was “in the midst of a secular shift to on-demand consumption”. That has pushed networks including HBO and CBS to launch their own online offerings.

Live television viewing has fallen 11 per cent among adults aged 35 to 54 since 2010. For those audiences, the transition to on-demand viewing is often an easier behavioural shift than, say, the move from print books to ebooks. Only among the oldest demographic — aged 55 and above — has live television viewing remained relatively unaffected, falling 2 per cent in the past four years.

Samsung Teaser

Lots of teasing, don't know what it means... 


Friday, February 20, 2015

Mystery Announcement from Motorola

It turns out there was nothing to see here. A new phone, that from first reports is no great shakes. Still, not having any inside information, reports like this should be watched for the first signs of PicoP in a mass-market product.

“Motorola is making an exciting announcement next week and wants you to be in the front row. The best part? You get to choose where and when you’d like to experience it. Everything you need fits inside one box, which we will deliver to your doorstep on Wednesday.”



Motorola sent out emails to the press this morning teasing an "exciting announcement" that will take place on February 25th, once a box is hand-delivered to members of the press that morning. No indication has been given as to what may be in the box, but it seems too soon for another Moto X. This may be the first major product (if it is a product and not just another game that pops up inconveniently on the Moto X) from Motorola since it was acquired by Lenovo back in October. It could be an updated Moto 360 or Moto E, or something new altogether (VR?), but the only indication Motorola has given so far is "everything you need fits inside one box."

Thursday, February 19, 2015

new Xperia device.

This may be nothing -- or it might be just what we've been looking for.

I'm finding it curious that a new device -- not clearly a smartphone would have a 720P display (same as PicoP) and some confusion about relatively generous storage.


"Midranger" for a phone would be outstanding performance for a dedicated media player -- and we know that Sony doesn't like to purposely go "midrange."


There is also isn't really clear that this is a phone... it's a "device."


Android Headlines
At "Load the game"

a new Xperia device has shown up in benchmarks online. The appearance suggests that Sony is still going to release a few smartphones this year, although there’s no word on the Xperia Z4 so far. Despite the high expectations of the Xperia Z4 making an appearance at the MWC 2015, it seems like Sony will be showcasing different types of devices this time.

The mysterious Xperia device seems to have a 5.2 inch 720p display, which can already attest to the fact that this phone will definitely be a mid-ranger or an entry-level phone. Hardware-wise, the device gets a Snapdragon 615 CPU, backed by 2 GB RAM and 4 GB internal storage, which is a rather odd combination and there might be an error somewhere. Either there’s only 1 GB RAM available, or at least 16 GB internal storage, because 4 GB ROM paired with 2 GB RAM seems a bit redundant in our eyes.

Then there are these very persistent rumors -- that Sony is exiting the smartphone market. We're watching this closely.

Sony Exit Smartphones - Wallstreet.org

Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) has changed its medium as well as long term plans, and the company has hinted that it will be focusing on segments and products which have generated profits for the company and also have potential to grow further. This is bad news for those Sony customers who have loved their Sony Xperia phones, as this New strategy entails that Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) will be exiting the mobile phone market soon.


This is backed up by a statement from CEO of Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE), Kazuo Hirai, claiming that the company would not focus on few areas including their smartphones. This statement is in line with the previous policy of Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) regarding Xperia, where the company had to cut back on jobs. While it was previously decided that the company would launch a device every six months, Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) launched a device per year, and that too saw decline in profits for the whole Xperia range.
Hence, the company has planned that it is no longer wise to pursue the smartphone market. Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) is going to exit the market in a cost efficient way. Sony Xperia Z4 was to be launched next month at MWC, but this device will not be launched there now. It is true that Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) has produced a few very good and efficient smartphones, owing to its brilliant hardware coupled with the Android operating system.

I noticed in the following article that Xperia products and smartphones are separated.... again, I'm not sure how meaningful this is, but circumstantial evidence says something is up.

Q: What is your company focusing on this year?

We will provide our consumers with choices of compelling Xperia products, smartphones, tablets and smartwear. Through these Xperia products, we will showcase unique consumer benefits, as well as, the wider connected world of the Sony ecosystem.

But how could you anticipate a 25X increase in operating profits on devices you already make? Improved photographic devices would be able to pull that off... 


Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai says his company projects the moves will see Sony's operating profits increase 25-fold by 2018.

Hirai mentioned "devices" along with the company's film and music and games business, but that term can be used to describe a wide range of products Sony offers. Products he confirmed to fall into that devices category include Sony's cameras, storage and sensor products.

Sony TV partnership with Xiaomi

There are obvious reasons to watch Sony closely when watching Microvision. 

Xiaomi is also an interesting company to watch. 

Xiaomi is a rapidly growing smartphone company in an outstanding target market for PicoP. Xiaomi is a very innovative company in both technology and business practices. 

Their business practices will allow them to incorporate new technologies with less risk to their business than many other companies.

Xiaomi could be an awesome early adopter of Microvision's PicoP technology, and it could be a raging success in China and India where Xiaomi has a market in place.




Xiaomi:
7 Lessons of Xiaomi
Understanding Xaiomi's Marketing Strategy



Xiaomi & Sony from GizmoChina (full article here.)

Xiaomi has emerged as one of the biggest and fastest growing company not only in China, but across the world. This fact becomes clear as Sony gave Xiaomi a hand of partnership. As stated by the Ta Kung Pao website located in Hong Kong, the recent partnership of Sony Visual Products and China’s Xiaomi Technology will fare well.

Considering Sony’s relatively good standing in the Chinese market, and the Chinese market’s influence in America, Sony’s venture has been a wise and expected step. However, with this endeavour, Sony will now have to differentiate itself from foreign competitors.

In addition to Xiaomi, Sony has also joined hands with other Chinese corporations Baidu, Wasu TV and Duomi to offer video and photo content via cloud services as well as content portals for Sony.

This Sony-Xiaomi partnership will also be beneficial for Xiaomi and we must say that people at Xiaomi know how to move ahead in this business world.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Inside PicoAir


I have received some pictures of the inside of the PicoAir. I hope that soon, we'll get video of an expert dis-assembly of the unit, with some analysis of what goes into it.

This picture does tell us a couple of very important things: The projector doesn't fill the small side of the PicoAir unit(so it's small), and is distinctly separate from the rest.

It does make me quite confident that an attachable accessory for a cellphone that is smaller than the projector side of the PicoAir is very possible in the near future.

If you have some technical insight your comments would be very welcome!



Monday, February 16, 2015

Components for Project Ara

When mainstream companies are starting to produce components for a budding product that's a good sign. I'm hoping we see more of this, including picop powered projector modules.

As some of us have now seen through Celluon PicoAir projectors... the Microvision PicoP technology is clearly superior to other projecting technologies currently available.

From Tech Radar

Toshiba has shown two camera modules that it's making for Google's unique Project Ara modular smartphone.
The modules can be swapped in and out of an Ara handset, allowing you to easily upgrade the snapper on your smartphone. The two modules that were shown off by Toshiba were 5MP and 13MP snappers, both of which can be quickly installed into a Project Ara handset as the main rear cameras.
Toshiba's Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Shardul Kazi has indicated that the company's modules will range in price from $50 (around £32, AU$65) to a quite staggering $500 (£325, AU$650), so we should see non-camera modules from Toshiba in the future as well.
The ability to simply swap out and upgrade parts of the smartphone makes Project Ara an incredibly exciting device, and it's encouraging to see big names like Toshiba supporting the project.

Friday, February 13, 2015

New Review "Exceeded All Expectations"

TechnologyTell.com

"...Most all of us have experienced mobile music via connected smartphones, streaming services, and Bluetooth wireless headphones. But how about mobile movies? I’m so seriously, you guys. You gotta get one of these."

"...When it comes to easy and hassle-free use, the Celluon PicoPro definitely does it right. It’s straight plug-and-play with no onboard controls aside from power (press-hold), volume, and input (also press-hold to switch). All you do is turn the projector on, decide to use it wirelessly or via the included HDMI cable, and that’s it."

"...If you are running Android 4.0 or later, screen mirroring is baked right in. On my Galaxy Note 4, it’s one of my quick setting buttons at the top of my notification panel. Tap it, connect to the Celluon PicoPro projector, and that’s it. Instant mirroring from a mobile smartphone or tablet. 

The PicoPro does everything else all on its own with fixed brightness, contrast, color, saturation, and so forth. Not everyone is going to like the lack of settings or customizable presets. I’ve used projectors both ways, and sometimes you just want something to work right away without any additional fussing."

"In terms of wireless connectivity, my Galaxy Note 4 has had zero problems whatsoever. I hit the ‘screen mirroring’ button, wait a few seconds, and I’m in business. However, my Lenovo S8-50 tablet doesn’t fare so well. Half the time I’m required to reboot both devices so they see and link with each other (haven’t figured out what’s going on behind the scenes, yet)."

..."I have to say that the Celluon PicoPro projector has greatly surpassed all of my expectations. I went in thinking that it would be a cool little portable projector to tag along with my gear. You know, for fun. I wasn’t anticipating a powerhouse coming from the size of a smartphone (roughly). It’s bright, it’s sharp, it’s silent, and you can enjoy a full movie (and then some) before having to recharge."

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Customers starting to receive PicoAir! --- UPDATED

Thank you Dave!

Waiting on some shots in action, some with reactions, etc. When I see them I'll get permission and show.

Thanks in advance to those who post!

"In the wild" review #1


"
This morning I projected 34" x 54" from my 500 lumens Acer K330 excerpt avi file of "This Old House" via SD card in a 75% darkened room on a flat gray well. wxga.... bright and good. Lots of colors, blue sky, flesh tones etc. Not a replacement for big screen HDMI for everyday... but very watchable, and much more portable than a 50" flat screen. Sound on the Acer projector was tinney.

I have just projected the exact same avi file via miracast/Android LG phone (wirelessly) PicoAir at 29" x 54" in same 75% darkened room on the same wall. Although obviously not quite as bright as the 500 lumen Acer K330 LED, the PicoAir was satisfyingly bright enough and comparatively very crisp for such a large screen. Amazingly It very much held it's own against the 500 lumen unit. The darker the room, the better it will be of course. In a fully darkened room, it will be nearly as saturated. Very very watchable. That we will look at tonight."


If you are talking under 40" diagonal, on the right type of screen media, showing a dozen or so people at a table, in whatever level of lighting... it will get the job done quickly and crisply. The lettering on the PicoAir projected AVI file I used in both projectors is much much crisper, smoother edges with PicoAir than my wxga LED projector. No comparison....The PicoAir is smoooooth




video comparison






"In the wild" review #2
The Apple store rep tried but couldn't get my iPad to stream though it recognized the PicoAir device.

I purposely kept my PicoAir on while he read the instructions and surfed on my iPad, drawing attention from several customers who asked him if the Apple store had them for sale, LOL. Apple guy answered "no" to a Latin American customer who had just pulled out a wad of cash to buy several devices from Apple for himself and the woman he was with. Another Apple guy wanted to know how much it cost and I told him the retail price and he thought that it was very reasonable.

Next I went to the T-Mobile kiosk in the same mall looking for an Android device and the PicoAir had no problem connecting and streaming video from the salesman's Galaxy Android device. Both salesmen were in awe!

WE HAVE A WINNER! 

The CE Mark tells us we're ready to go in Europe!


































It seems the Labels got changed around at some point. Collector's Item someday?














DropboxSource

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Review from Asian Site

Tech.feng.com


  威锋网 2 月 9 日消息 近日,曾推出很火爆激光镭射虚拟投影键盘的韩国厂商 Celluon,发布了一款外形袖珍的便携式高清投影机,名称就叫做 PicoPro,并且确定很快即将问世,定价大概在 350 美元左右。

  Celluon PicoPro 是一款 LED 投影机,其分辨率略微奇葩,具体为 1920×720 像素。厂商表示,其对比度高达 80000:1,内置的电池充电一次可以续航两至三个小时左右。

  顺应移动设备串流大屏幕的发展趋势,Celluon PicoPro 也支持 Miracast 和 DLNA,因此用户可以从基于 Windows 或 Android 的移动设备,将内容直接以镜像通过无线串流到投影机上播放。


  当然,Celluon PicoPro 作为一款投影机,也设有 HDMI 接口,任何 PC 或游戏机都能够通过线缆连接投影机。至于苹果 iOS 设备,购买单独的转接头 Lightning Digital AV Adapter 之后才能接上投影机,不过转接头需额外花 44 美元。

  近两年,微型投影技术飞速发展,国内有很多专注于微投的厂商。不过需要注意的是,微投由于尺寸限制的问题,性能和技术还是有别于传统投影机,特别在投影的实际效果上,亮度不足是最大的缺陷,投射超过 100 英寸的画面锐度和清晰度更是差一个档次。


  不过话说回来,Celluon PicoPro 主打的是移动便携投影,重量仅 190g,满足用户带在身上拿出即用需求,随时随地与家人分享影音、音乐视频、社交媒体的照片或者向客户展示 PowerPoint 演示文稿。

  Celluon PicoPro 零售定价 350 美元,大体上与目前市面上基于 Android 系统的微型投影机持平,但 80000:1 的对比度比传统产品大概 2000:1 的水平高出不少,实际效果如何还有待验证。

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

YouTube Review of Celluon PicoPro - From Russia

More cord cutting

I think this is significant because an increasing amount of free web based content makes PicoP even more valuable. The more that is done to improve the ecosystem the better. A relative no-name making additional content says the space is opening up, and even smaller operators are starting to see how providing this content can be financially rewarding.

Check out ShoutFactoryTV

ShoutFactory’s library isn’t huge, and much of it’s forgettable, but dig around and you’ll find a few gems, including old Jackie Chan films, episodes of Abbott & Costello, and some classic Twilight Zone. The service also includes plenty of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (and a fair share of B-movies with no parody attached).
Much of ShoutFactory’s content is also available on Hulu, and the site’s media player actually has Hulu branding on it. But the company says it owns the rights to all of its video, and is licensing much of its content to Hulu. (Prior to launching the streaming service, ShoutFactory distributed its videos through DVD and on-demand channels.)
In any event, ShoutFactoryTV is free and ad-supported on all platforms, including phones and tablets (through any web browser) and set-top boxes (just Roku for now, though a promo video hints at a future Xbox version). By comparison, Hulu requires a Hulu Plus subscription for mobile and TV access.
PC World - Cult classics Free

Monday, February 9, 2015

New Review From Technabob

From Technabob

What struck me first about the PicoPro was just how compact it is. It’s virtually the same size as my iPhone 6 Plus, but about 1/2″ thick. And it weighs just a hair more, at just 6.7 ounces. It’s also completely silent while turned on, since it needs no cooling fan. 


In the optimal environment, it can actually project an image up to about 100″ diagonal. I tested its ability to scale up, and the image stayed sharp, but was quite dim. That said, the only wide open wall I had that big wasn’t white, so that’s not a fair test. I’m reasonably certain that a white surface would make all the difference in the world. 

Regardless of its limitations, the PicoPro is a marvel of modern technology. If you had told me 10 years ago that I’d have a projector I could carry in my pocket, and required no external power supply or wires, I would have thought it was pretty far-fetched. 

The reviewer asked a direct question to Celluon about the unusual screen resolution and got this response:


"1920×720 resolution is an attribute of the display engine at the heart of the PicoPro/PicoAir. MicroVision’s PicoP® Display Technology uses a proprietary scanned laser beam methodology that has a fundamental advantage of supporting multiple output resolutions with a single MEMS mirror, as opposed to being limited to fixed resolutions like panel based displays. The number of pixels painted is dynamic, not fixed as in a panel. To achieve 1920×720, the image resolution is enhanced by upscaling the horizontal pixels from 1280 input to 1920 output. To maintain a standard 16:9 aspect ratio the display engine creates non-square pixels. The result is an image that surpasses the resolution and quality a typical 720p display by fitting more pixels into the space."

The Big Screen in your Pocket.

Everyone wants a Big Screen Phone. Not everyone knows they'll soon be able to have it.

Who wants PicoP already? Not so many, but that's because they don't know that it exists yet.

What everyone -- EVERYONE who has a smart phone already wants is a bigger screen. Currently, larger screens come with a disadvantage -- a larger physical size. but that's about to change.



  • Very few people actually know about PicoP -- so far, 
    • but that should change hugely very soon as products are released. They don't KNOW they want PicoP -- so why should we be sure they do?
  •  EVERYONE wants a bigger screen on their portable device
    •  (usually a phone), but not everyone wants to carry one. This is a screen that can be huge use factor -- with a small physical form factor.
  • People like to look at pictures more than they like to take them. 
    • They like to share them even more. PicoP is an outstanding way to SHARE pictures. 
  • PicoP SERIOUSLY enhances the favorite activities of Smart Phones and all portable electronics: 
    • WATCHING VIDEO
    • TAKING PICTURES
    • PLAYING GAMES

Two Months with Phablet

However, analysts point to the growing popularity of ‘phablets’ (a horrible word to describe something between a phone and a tablet). In parts of Asia, they’re more popular than laptops and tablets combined, and even Apple is rumoured to be working on a larger-screen iPhone.

Phablets in Asia


  • "Speaking to the Guardian in September, IDC reported that a total of 25.2m ‘phablets’ had shipped in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Japan. This figure was actually higher than both mobile PC and tablet shipments. Furthermore, the Guardian indicated that large-screened smartphones accounted for more than 30% of all smartphone sales in India."
  • With Samsung accounting for 60% of all smartphone sales in South Korea, it might come as little surprise that Flurry Analytics recently determined that a whopping 41 percent of smartphone sales are for devices that are 5-inches or larger. After all, both the Galaxy S4 and Note 3 hit or exceed this size barrier.
  • In Southeast Asia – and particularly in South Korea – the mobile gaming industry is huge. According to Flurry Analytics, the most popular app store in South Korea is SK Planet’s T Store. In cooperation with Flurry, the T Store reported that a staggering 68% of its revenue from apps and other digital content comes from gaming.



Why your next phone should be a Phablet (Huffington Post)

  • "Phablets are getting bigger. The implication is that bigger is better if a customer can do more on a single device and not worry about having a laptop and tablet nearby. 



  • "Smartphone behaviour has shifted away from voice towards browsing, reading, writing, purchasing, gaming and consuming apps, audio and video."



At Inquisitir.com


  • "When Jobs was asked why Apple simply didn’t increase the iPhone screen size, and thus the potential size of the internal antenna, Jobs responded in 2010 that no one would buy such an iPhone since “you can’t get your hand around it.” Samsung even made fun of this fact by releasing an ad saying, “No one is going to buy a big phone. Guess who surprised themselves and changed their minds.”


An "Apple-style" fix to fitting a large screen in a small phone? Well, that would be PicoP. 

Project Ara Projector Module

I'm almost certain that there is a projector module for Project Ara, and almost certain that that image included is not what it actually looks like. Sorry, it's the best I have for now.







(scraped because of a non-mainstream source, and no author byline.)
Everyone was expecting news about the Google Project Ara phone in 2015 but as yet we haven’t heard anything about the device. However today we have seen a new concept that is related to Project Ara.

The concept features HDMI out and a projector as an accessory for the handset, which would essentially give it Chromecast integrated into the device. In blue the handset doesn’t look too shabby, even though it seems to be made of Lego pieces. The concept related to the Project Ara phone comes from a member of the Deviantarts and while HDMI seems to be old tech, if you want to game straight to the TV and you hate HDMI accessories this could be the way to go.
What is interesting about the concept is the projector, which does seem to take over the camera region. Of course Project Ara does offer plenty of customisation and is open to initiatives. One of the biggest issues with the concept accessories would be power, while you could add on more battery modules, this would end up making the phone thick.
So what do you think about the accessories and the Project Ara device?

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Cicret Bracelet -- prototype very likely using Microvision Technology.

Cicret Bracelet -- so we've all seen this concept video for this cool bracelet.

I'm profoundly dubious that this could ever be produced in the form you see it here. For a variety of reasons.

A similar -- BETTER use could be made of a small projector with PicoP. (We'll start seeing that in action very soon, when the Celluon PicoAir and PicoPro start being seen by real people.)





But a prototype has been built -- and they have released a video with the prototype in action. Here it is:




Now you may be wondering, is this Microvision making this thing work?

I'm quite confident that it is. (and still confident that the original depiction of the bracelet is VERY optimistic.) It is a great illustration of how useful PicoP can be, however. 


So, first up is the bottom of the projector. (In the demo, it appears they have the bottom of the projector facing away from the person's skin.)

This looks like the bottom of a ShowWx projector from Microvision. The ShowWx would be excellent for making a prototype - the projectors currently being manufactured with Microvision tech are of significantly better specifications.

And, there's the question of scan lines. The scan lines of a ShowWx are distinctive. They make a kind of  curved scan line across the image. (Different than the newest iteration of the Microvision's PicoP. Here is a scan line comparison. 

The scan lines are different, but similar enough in that they have the same "swoop" shape. On the Microvision image, I have highlighted the scan line on the left image from ShowWx splash screen. (It's much easier to see when the picture is moving.) And the curved darkened area in the middle of the picture on the right that gores from top right to bottom left through the red blotch is the scan line. Considering the projector is upside down, and has been adjusted to have extreme low angle projection, this seems very likely to be the ShowWx.

Is it Microvision PicoP? I give it 95%+ likelihood that it is.


Motorola "Smarter than any other"

This could be nothing, and it could be huge.

The lack of leaks has become curious proof that there isn't anything imminent. -- Stay Tuned


Given the success of the two Moto X devices, Motorola is no doubt working on a newer device in the series in order to compete with flagships from other major names in the mobile industry. Qualcomm has confirmed that Motorola will be using the Snapdragon 810 in one of its devices, and a new leak suggests that the company’s trump card might just make its next flagship “smarter than other flagships.”
Twitter user Ricciolo, known for leaking accurate info on Sony devices, has tweeted that Motorola is working on a flagship that will, in an undisclosed way, be smarter than the competition. That’s a pretty bold claim considering the next month will bring us smartphones like Samsung’s dual-edged Galaxy S6 Edge, but given Motorola’s focus on software, it’s possible we’re looking at a feature that improves the user experience instead of just giving the company a hardware spec to boast about.
This mysterious flagship is said to be coming soon, but given the lack of any leaks surrounding upcoming products from the Lenovo-owned manufacturer, it is unlikely the device will be unveiled at MWC next month. It could also be that this leak is more smoke than fire, but if this ‘smarter than other smartphones’ Motorola device exists, we should see related information crop up online in the near future.


Read more: http://vr-zone.com/articles/motorolas-smarter-smartphones-flagship-tipped-coming-soon/86533.html#ixzz3R5OFMnK5