Prashant - there is a company that I have been watching (and investing in) for three years, NVXE, New Visual Entertainment, that fit the category you described. Like MVIS, they too are developmental, but they are at an earlier stage in their development, and therefore carry a MUCH lower price; sub-$1.
When I first started investing in NVXE they were a mismanaged shell, but of course I didn't know that at the time. My first shares over 3 yrs ago were purchased at $4/sh. It became obvious in 1997 that the mgt team at the time (which is no longer involved) was more concerned about their pocketbooks that in creating shareholder value. None the less they did have something going for them; access to patented lenses for filming stereoscopic 3D content for about 1/10th the cost of filming a foot of film using two IMAX cameras.
Well, to make a very long story a little more tolerable, let me jump to mid-1999. For a year, up until mid-1999, the stock traded as low as $0.05. Then comes along a guy by the name of Jack Robinson, of Astounding.com. He's looking to go public with a number of interesting technologies he put personal seed money into over the last 5 or so years. He hooks up with a company (Lilly Beter Capital Grp) who is consulting with NVXE on how to raise the money they need to build out their 3D special venue/full screen theatre business model. Lilly Beter makes an introduction, and now Astounding.com and NVXE are in the middle of a reverse merger to take Astounding public (rather than a straight IPO), while capitalizing NVXE at the same time; as significant monies are slated to go into Astounding.
What does Astounding supposedly have that is worth me writing this, and you reading this? Speed.
Jack Robinson supposedly has a technology that will allow broadband data transfer rates of 51.2-100+ million bits per second (mbps) over copper twisted wire telephone lines. For those in the know, you know that xDSL touts speeds of up to 1 mbps for glite.dsl, and 6-8 mbps for true DSL...although you can't get those speeds in your home today with DSL. If subject technology lays on top of the current DSL specs like I think it does, then what Jack has will supercharge DSL speeds to well over 50 times current speeds.
For those who know anything about broadband, you know the battle is for speed. You also know that billions are being spent on incremental speed improvements. The race is between wireless (microwave and cellular), cable modems (fiber), xDSL (copper), and satellite (Teledesic.com, Direct TV, DISH Network, etc). But none of the other camps have seem to be able to go anywhere near 50-100mbps, other than in small loops (say for networking multiple computers in the home/office). If Jack's tech does what it can supposedly do, than DSL will gaina large competitive advantage over fiber (cable modems) for delivering high-speed broadband internet service to homes in the US where DSL is currently available.
So... this is just information about a very speculative play that may turn heads around the world, if and when the technology is reproven publically. The tech has been around for sometime, and tested at distances of 3 miles. But when the tech was tested initially, the internet as we know it today didn't exist (early 80s); 2800 baud modems existed. The DSL Std, onto which this could be applied, didn't exist. The whole broadband issue was a non-issue.
Initial funding is being obtained as we speak; will allow 2nd tier money to come as well (no one wants to be first in the ring). The merger between NVXE and Astounding should be consumated shortly. Testing of the tech will be done after that, and sometime in 2000 the tech should get it's chance to run in the public eye. I'm not an insider so I don't know for sure, but I'm fairly close with other investors who help control 50% of the current float. (50 million shares out, 21 in the float, 10 million of which is in very tight hands. 10 million of the outstanding shares are slated for Jack Robinson, which just goes to show you that he is a pretty important part of NVXE's future)
I'm not suggesting anyone here go and buy NVXE. I'm just exposing you to a potential play. It's highly speculative today because the merger between NVXE and Astounding.com has not even been completed. If this note catches your eye, I'd suggest you enter NVXE and Astounding.com into your news profiles, so that when news does come out you can catch it. Also, go to RagingBull.com and bookmark the NVXE board for occasional review. Just watch it.
If Jack has what he believes he has, and he is successful in showing that to the broadband world (players like CISCO), then it's a whole new ball game. NVXE shareholders will then be swept into a place they could never have imagined when they were so focused on 3D content.
PS: The story goes, Jack has several other rather intriguing technologies that will also be rolled into NVXE in 2000, assuming the merger goes. We'll see.
Anyway.... I won't post on this "Off topic" subject again... I have been following MVIS for yrs because of the impact I think it can have on the internet (human interface), and noticed (Prashant's)note... and thought I'd ramble on for a while. Do your own DD, and know it's a highly speculative play at this juncture. But, if things pan out, it hold significant upside potential. We'll just have to see.
And yes, NVXE/Astounding.com will continue to produce 3D content for the internet and theatres/special venues. NVXE will be at the largest Intl Amusement Park Operators Assoc Trade Show later this week in Atlanta. Just do a search on NVXE news for a recent PR on that specific event. |
