Welcome 2015 and the World’s First HD Laser Pico Projectors Which Incorporate PicoP® Display Technology

As we enter into a new year, it is usually associated with new beginnings. At MicroVision we are excited at the prospects that 2015 holds, but for us new developments that come forward this year are a continuation of events that have been in motion for some time. Right out of the gate, the world’s first HD laser pico projectors were announced today at the 2015 International CES. We are extremely pleased to say that they incorporate PicoP® display technology. The two projectors, PicoPro and PicoAir, are being launched by Celluon, a company that specializes in consumer products that enhance mobile experiences using lasers. We have been collaborating with Celluon on the design of these products since CES last year and couldn’t be happier with the announcement today that introduces these revolutionary products to the world.

PicoPro and PicoAir have the benefits associated with PicoP display technology that are the right combination for mobility:

• HD, always in focus images

• Compact, slim, and light design

• Long battery life

• High contrast ratio, vivid colors with enhanced perceived brightness of lasers.

We look forward to following Celluon’s story as consumers discover the big screen experience these pico projectors create from a compact, smartphone-sized device with HD, always-in-focus images up to 250 inches. With Facebook users watching nearly 1 billion videos per day via mobile and YouTube reporting that nearly 50% of its views now come from mobile, there is no shortage of content for people to enjoy with a bigger screen than they are getting today on a smartphone or tablet.

We will be busy ourselves at CES with private meetings in our suites right next to the main show floor. We have a packed schedule as we continue our business development activities to evangelize the benefits of PicoP display technology and to connect OEMs with partners who are developing display engines incorporating our technology.

The Rise of the Mobile Workforce

There was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal earlier this month discussing the rise of mobile workers and the use of mobile technology. The article references a recent Forrester survey that shows that nearly half of respondents use a smartphone at least once a week for work, and 21 percent said they use a tablet for work at least weekly.  With attention typically focused on how consumers are using their smartphones and tablets and the blending of personal device and work tool as “bring your own device” becomes a growing trend in the workplace, it’s important to consider mobile’s positive impact on the workforce as well.  

For starters, it has been shown that the use of mobile technology can boost employee productivity.  For people in jobs that require a significant amount of travel, such as pharmaceutical sales reps or corporate executives, this is obvious. However, mobile brings flexibility to the traditional work schedule as well, enabling employees to get work done from any location at any time.

The benefit of mobile technology also extends far beyond the enterprise and traditional corporate environment. The Wall Street Journal article describes how a construction company utilizes a digital-blueprint software on their tablets to increase efficiency and save time and resources. Educators are also utilizing mobile – a recent study from Pew Research shows that 73 percent of teachers use cellphones for classroom activity, which provides them with easy access to content, resources and materials for teaching. In the healthcare industry, doctors use mobile devices to easily access medical records, drug interaction data and share other important information with patients.

As many of these examples point out, mobile devices alone aren’t enough to empower the workforce. Other technologies, such as customized software and applications, are needed to ensure workers can reap the full benefits of mobile technology either by providing access to information or enabling productivity.

Pico projection is a great example of a feature that can help users fully benefit from mobile. With embedded pico projection in a mobile device, doctors can share information with patients without huddling around the small screen, contractors can display full sized construction blueprints to workers at a project site, and teachers can show presentations and video from their smartphone to their entire classroom.  

For more information on how MicroVision’s PicoP technology can benefit a variety of mobile users, check out our latest video.

Three Trends from Mobile World Congress 2013

This year, mobile connections are predicted to out outnumber the world population.  As the mobile ecosystem evolves, so does the need for technologies to support it. This was evident at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. This year, there were three trends that particularly stood out to us.

Enabling the mobile enterprise: With 66 percent of workers using two or more mobile devices for work each day, it’s no surprise that enterprise mobility was a major focus at this year’s show. Numerous companies introduced solutions intended to make mobile use easier and safer for both the enterprise and consumers, such as Samsung KNOX, VMWare Horizon Suite, and IBM’s Mobile First. For instance, VMWare’s Horizon Suite allows employees to access corporate applications across all their mobile devices.  As this Forbes article puts it, “(these announcements) highlight the focus on delivering and managing what really matters to employees – applications and workflows that are easy to use on mobile devices.” 

OEMs embrace content: Many OEMs introduced software and services to make consuming and sharing mobile content even easier. HTC’s Zoe allows users to turn their photos and videos into short video clips on their mobile devices that can easily be shared with others, and the Blinkfeed feature brings hidden content to the home screen of mobile devices. Samsung also showed off its Video Discovery application for finding, watching and sharing TV content.

Bigger displays are better displays: Mobile World Congress 2013 was proof that small screens are a thing of the past. LG introduced the Optimus G Pro with a 5.5 inch display, and China’s ZTE showed off the Grand Memo with a 5.7 inch display. The new Asus Phonepad blurred the lines between a phone and a tablet with its 7 inch screen. With more and more OEMs vying to provide larger screens, there is an even greater opportunity for pico projection technology.

Whether it is for work, personal enjoyment or social interaction, these three trends are reflective of the fact that people use their mobile devices to discover, consume and share content more than ever before. Addressing  consumer expectations for more content and improved display experiences presents exciting opportunities for PicoP^® display technology to bring enhanced visibility to the world of mobility.