Microsoft Tests Eyewear to Rival Google Glass

According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is apparently jumping on the bandwagon and they are testing prototypes for optical wear similar to Google Glass.  This could potentially push the company into that market.  A source familiar with the project said the company has asked several component makers in Asia to supply cameras and other key components for prototypes. The person has cautioned, however, the device may not reach mass production.

Tests show Microsoft is keeping close tabs on the emerging market for “wearable” technology, which includes wristwatches that replicate some features of smartphones and more bizarre ideas, such as tattoos to log people onto their computers.  Market-research firm ABI Research is expecting annual sales of wearable devices will reach 485 million units by the year 2018.  Microsoft is “determined to take the lead in hardware manufacturing to make sure the company won’t miss out on the opportunities in the wearable gadget market,” the source said.
These tests show that Microsoft’s efforts to transform itself from mainly a software company into one that produces the gadgets on which their software will run. Smartphones and other hardware devices have helped transform consumer technology and have established the likes of rival Apple as a tech giant.  By contrast, Microsoft has largely been sidelined in the consumer hardware market.  Microsoft’s determination to become a bigger player in consumer tech gear was underscored by its $7 billion acquisition of Nokia’s mobile phone business. The company last year also started making its own tablet device; Surface and apparently the company is currently testing its own Web-connected watch.
In wearable computing, Google has been the prototype leader in the wearable tech field with the company’s Google Glass device.  It has a postage-stamp-sized computer screen just above the right eye which coupled with internal components and software, allows the user to take photos with voice commands and get digital directions without looking at a smartphone.  Some say companies making gadgets that duplicate features of mobile phones could undercut smartphone sales. As competition drives down prices of most technology, wearable tech also could provide an opening for higher-cost gear. “The wearable trend has the potential to boost the currently thin margins of consumer technology products by allowing tech brands to price their products at the kind of premiums normally reserved for fashion accessories,” said HSBC analyst Jenny Lai.
Samsung recently introduced a web-connected watch and back in May.  Interestingly,  Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said wearable computers will be a “key branch” in technology, though he said he didn’t believe eyewear-like gear would have mainstream appeal.
As of Oct. 10, Microsoft has 78 U.S. patents related to head-mounted displays and other wearable technologies and 94 published pending applications, according to intellectual property firm Envision IP. Google had 59 such U.S. patents, Envision said.

Scientists Discover Exactly Why Our Brains Need Sleep

 There have been many studies around why sleep is so important to our functions, although we don’t need to read a report to know that without enough sleep each night, us humans don’t function at full throttle. Many people are interested in all aspects of sleep and sleep deprivation and even what our dreams mean. For the first time ever though, scientists have evidence of one of the specific reasons that our brains need sleep

Scientists from the University of Rochester discovered that during sleep, our brains are able to clear the toxic waste byproduct that our brain cells produce during the waking hours. It is this process that contributes to our well-rested, clear headedness feeling that we achieve after a good night’s sleep.
While our brain cells are active, they produce a byproduct called amyloid beta. A buildup of this metabolic waste can eventually destroy neurons. Fortunately, metabolic waste is generated throughout the body and the body disposes of it through the lymphatic system. But the brain is not connected to this system so it has to use its own waste disposal system. This system uses the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to carry the waste material down the body to the liver where it is disposed of.
The scientists injected different colored dyes into mice’s CSF and studied how the dye travelled when the mice were awake and when they were asleep. They found that the dye moved far quicker when the mice were asleep. Further study showed that this was in direct relation to the fact that the gap between the brain cells was wider when the mice were asleep than when they were awake, widening the path for the CSF to run more quickly.
The study is a significant find for the world of neurodegenerative disorders. Patients who possess conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia have higher levels of amyloid beta. It’s vital that people get enough sleep each night to let our brain garbage men do their job and help to keep our neurons firing.

FIRST QHD SREEN

Japan Display Inc. Announces Development of 5.4-inch WQHD TFT LCD Module
- The world’s highest resolution density (543ppi) for smartphone use

October 24, 2013 (Tokyo, Japan): Japan Display Inc. (JDI), a global leader in mobile display technologies, has developed a 5.4-inch WQHD (1,440 x 2,560 pixels) TFT LCD module designed for smartphone use.
The display allows users to enjoy precise and dynamic images featuring the world's highest resolution density of 543ppi. The display's low temperature poly silicon (LTPS) technology not only enables low power consumption due to increased panel transmissivity, but also a thinner module and narrower dead-band², which suits mobile-use devices like smartphones.
In addition, JDI has also developed another high-density (473ppi) 6.2-inch WQHD TFT LCD module for smartphone use.
We exhibit these displays in Japan Display Inc. booth on October 23 to 25, 2013, during FPD International 2013 in Pacifico Yokohama, Japan.

Specifications

Screen size (diagonal)	5.4-inch (13.8cm)	6.2-inch (15.8cm)
Number of pixels	1440(x RGB) x 2560 (WQHD)	1440(x RGB) x 2560 (WQHD)
Resolution density	543ppi	473ppi
Dimensions	69.59mm(W) x 126.67mm(H) x 1.12mm(D)	80.18mm(W) x 146.73mm(H) x 1.65mm(D)
Dead-band	top1.0mm side1.0mm	top1.0mm side1.0mm
NTSC ratio	70%	70%
Contrast ratio	1500:1 (Typ.)	1000:1 (Typ.)
Viewing angle	>160 degree（CR>100:1）	>160 degree（CR>100:1）

¹ Per research conducted by JDI
² Compared to JDI’s design simulation

Information in the press releases, including product prices and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current on the date of the press announcement,but is subject to change without prior notice.

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