Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : XYBR - Xybernaut -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: SEAN007 who wrote (483)	5/15/1998 9:17:00 AM
From: Secret_Agent_Man	Respond to of 6847

NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - Xybernaut Corp. is hoping its pedestrian-sounding Mobile Assistant becomes the next blockbuster electronic gadget, akin to Sony's sexy Walkman. The stock of Fairfax, Va-based Xybernaut Corp. (NASDAQ:XYBR) more than doubled on Thursday after it announced that an affiliate of Sony Corp. (TOKYO:6758) will begin making Xybernaut's patented high-powered wearable computer late summer. Until this week, Wall Street has shied from the small computer company, with no financial analysts tracking the stock. But the rocketing share price and a manufacturing deal with Japanese blue-chip Sony should draw some attention, Xybernaut's vice-chairman Steven Newman hopes. Thursday, the stock ended up 5-15/32 at 8-7/16. It was the second most-heavily traded issue on the Nasdaq with 25 million shares changing hands. The two-pound computer, half the weight of a laptop computer, can be voice-activated and is just twice the size of a typical mobile telephone. It will retail for under $5,000, Newman said. The mobile device, which with a 233 megahertz Pentium chip is more powerful than most office desktop personal computers, runs standard operating systems such as Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows or Unix. Users can make telephone calls, send faxes and access the Internet, Newman said. The computer display will come in a variety of head-worn technology, such as visors,or it can be plugged into a standard monitor. Revenues at the loss-making company should reap the benefit from the manufacturing deal with Sony Digital Products Inc. "We do expect significant revenues to show up in the fourth quarter," Newman told Reuters in an interview. These revenues will be shared with Britain's University of Southampton, which helped to develop the latest product in the emerging wearable computer,or geekwear,sector. "We have had several working models for several months, and pre-production units which we have shared with selected potential businesses," Newman said. Initial manufacturing of the Mobile Assistant will be in Japan.