My main goal is to build a portfolio of $1,120,000* in 1500 days**, starting from 1/1/2013 and ending in February of 2017. I made my goal a couple months ago, but believe that it’s a worthwhile exercise to continue with my financial updates until the end of 1500 Days, so I continue.
It’s time to take a look back at July. First, allow me to ponder Pokemon.
I’m a little too old for the Pokemon Party. The original Pokemon came out when I was in my 20s, after my video game years were in the past. When the Pokemon Go game came out recently, I couldn’t stop hearing about it. I mistakenly asked Mrs. 1500 for more information:
- Me: What the hell is a Pokemon?
- Wife: It’s a computer game. All the Millennials in my office are going nuts over it.
- Me: What is the object of the game?
- Wife: To catch em’ all!
- Me: Catch what, a Pokeman? Is that the singular of Pokemon?
- Wife: I don’t know. I just know that you catch them.
- Me: And then what?
- Wife: Well, you put them in a room and make them do things.
- Me: Do things? What things? Is this still a game suitable for children? Are there Pokewomen?
- Wife: Dunno.
- Me: I’m glad I consulted an expert.
- Wife: Shut up!!!
(Mrs. 1500 note: Mr. 1500’s recollection of this conversation is about 19% accurate. I don’t think I said you put them in a room and make them do things. He does call them poke-man instead of pokay-mon, though…)
(Mr. 1500 rebuttal: Perhaps I was confusing Pokeman with my real life where Mrs. 1500 often commands me to a room with orders: “Scrub the toilets!” “Unload the dishwasher!!” “Vacuum!!!”)
My Pokemon knowledge has not progressed much since that conversation. However, there is one thing that completely intrigues me about the bits that I have learned; the game uses augmented reality.
Augmented Reality: A live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. –Wikipedia
The Pokemon game is a primitive version of augmented reality. The Pokemon (Pokemen?) are displayed on the phone screen, but set in the real world:
In the future, augmented reality will be implemented with glasses that project images directly onto your retina. Your real world will coexist with the virtual world.
The applications for this technology are amazing and limitless:
- Children will watch Abraham Lincoln deliver the Gettysburg address in their classroom.
- Gamers will be able to play first person games in real life. Imagine DOOM, but in your backyard.
- You’ll be able to see a dinosaur walking down the middle of your street.
- Imagine attending a dinner party or conference and having everyone’s name float above their head. No more awkwardness.
Magic Leap is the leader in developing this technology. Here is an amazing demo of what this technology can do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZRFcGrrsyc
Why am I on the soapbox talking about AR? I’ll tell you in a moment. First, let’s get to the performance update.
Performance Update: July
July was one of the best performing months ever. My portfolio went from $1,131,764 to $1,200,350 for a gain of $68,586. The gains were mostly stock portfolio. The earnings of Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon pleased Mr. Market.
Here are what my numbers looked like on 7/30/2016:
2016
- Days elapsed: 201
- Days remaining: 154
- 2016 gains: $142,389 (including 401(k) and some after tax contributions)
- 2016 401(k) contributions: $51,000****
Since the start (1/1/2013)
- Days elapsed: 1306
- Days remaining: 194
- Gains since 1/1/2013: $614,307
- Needed to quit work ($1,120,000 in investments): Mission accomplished!
- Net worth*****: $1,450,350
Stocks, stocks, stocks
I’m primarily an index investor now. Indexing is a rational and sound way to invest that is very difficult to beat.
However, I just told you that my huge gains this month were due to stocks. A month doesn’t mean much of anything, but it’s also true that much of my long term gains are due to stocks as well. Buying Google (2004), Apple (2007) Facebook, Amazon and Tesla (all 2012) have made my portfolio a market beater.
It took me a long time to reconcile my stock picking ways with index investing. I don’t think it has to be a Harry Potter-Voldemort situation:
Neither can live while the other survives. -One of the Harry Potter books (too tired to remember which one now)
Anyway, I have a lot more to say about it, but I’ll save that for another day.
Back to Augmented Reality (and the Future)
I’ve now had the opportunity to try AR’s cousin, virtual reality (VR), a couple times and it’s completely amazing. As cool as it it, AR’s applications are far greater. It will change the way we interface with the world. Apple is investing heavily in it. So is Google who invested $500,000,000 in Magic Leap.
I love thinking about the future and the technologies which will improve our lives. Other trends which interest me are:
- Autonomous cars (Google, Tesla, Apple, Uber): Fully autonomous taxi fleets will eliminate car ownership for many of us. Getting from point A to B will be cheaper, more efficient and safer.
- Drones: Amazon will soon be delivering packages with them. Police forces will use them to monitor public places and track criminals. Insurance companies will use drones for damage inspection. Farmers are already using them to monitor crops. Cell phone companies are inspecting towers with them.
- Lithium based batteries: Tesla’s Gigafactory will bring down the cost of storing energy which will enable new technologies and products. You’ll be able to buy a personal, electric jet by 2020. (Mrs. 1500 note: No, Mr. 1500, you can’t have one.)
- Electric cars: An internal combustion engine has 200 parts and must have a sophisticated computer to manage fuel injection, engine timing and emissions systems. An electric motor has about 10 parts and produces no emissions. It’s an elegant and simple solution that has only been held back by battery technology.
- Cultured meat: It takes tremendous energy and resources to produce meat. Creating it in a lab will go a long way to solving pressing environmental issues. Plus, cows will be totally happy about it.
And one more thing
In July, my portfolio officially doubled. I started off in January 2013 with $586,043 and now sit pretty at $1,200,000. About $150,000 is from my own contributions while the rest is appreciation.
None of this has sunk in. It probably never will. I still feel like the broke college student or kid growing up in a crappy suburb. While I’m a happier person deep down ($$$ = security), nothing has changed otherwise. Including my very limited knowledge of Pokemen, Pokewomen and everything else Pokerelated.
*My goal isn’t to have $1,120,000 at the end of 1500 days, but at any time before the day count was up. Why? It all goes back to the 4% Rule. Remember that our little friend, Mr. 4%, is nothing more than the most conservative safe withdrawal rate. So, if I were to quit my job now, I could spend about $44,000 in my first year of retirement. I’d stick very close to that number too because market valuations are ambitious. Let’s say that Mr. Market caught a cold tomorrow and my portfolio dropped down to $800,000. No big deal. This would mean I’d be safer stretching my spending a little north of 4%.
**My original goal was $1,000,000 and no debt, I later raised the goal by $120,000 to $1,120,000 because I will have debt in the form of a mortgage which I firmly believe in not paying it off. My compromise is to have enough money put away to cover the mortgage at the time of retirement. So, to retire today, I would need about $1,120,000.
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****My 401(k) contributions include my own, Mrs. 15oo’s, and the contributions from my corporation. Self-employment with a solo 401(k) is a very powerful savings tool. I should have done this years ago.
*****The numbers on the right side of the page only reflect my investments and cash. Net worth includes, but is not limited to:
- Home equity
- Cars
- Bicycles
- My crazy kid pictures!: I try to do fun things with my children. They are mostly happy, but you wouldn’t know it from the pictures:
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Kate @ Cashville Skyline says
That Pokemon conversation between you and Mrs. 1500 is hilarious! I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve been sucked in (and will probably be catching some cool water Pokemon at FinCon! Hahaha.) Your portfolio looks amazing! Almost $70,000 increase? Your success gives me hope I’m on the right track with my own index fund investing 🙂
Kate @ Cashville Skyline recently posted…How To Survive a Job Layoff
1500 says
Water Pokemon! Oh yeah: https://www.1500days.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Before-Arrest.jpg
The Green Swan says
Not many days left! Congrats!
AR sounds like some very fascinating technology. It seems like some of its best attributes will be getting kids out from in front of the tv and exercising as well as the potential educational resources it can provide. I’ll have to follow news on Magic Leap.
Thanks for sharing!
The Green Swan recently posted…Why Bad Things Happen in Threes
1500 says
AR will change things that we no one has even imagined yet. Mark my words!
TheMoneyMine says
That’d be neat if you could reach 1500k$ at 1500 days, so close!
Another application of AR that should exist already is AR GoogleMaps on your windshield. Instead of speaking out directions, it could just draw a line on the road in front of you that you need to follow.
We are otherwise testing AR in our company to help our field technician follow step by step maintenance instructions on our drilling tools. The training benefits of this technology seem limitless.
TheMoneyMine recently posted…What got you FIRE’d up?
1500 says
I think I’m already there actually! I’ve been valuing my home at $350,000, but real estate here is nuts and I think I could get over $400,000 for it. Formal appraisal coming soon…
And that is awesome that you’re using AR! I’ll bet doctors use it soon for surgery too. Limitless indeed.
Mr. SSC says
AR seems like an awesome technology and I can’t wait to see what comes of some out of the box thinking applications with it.
As far as drone usage, we’re (my company and O&G in general) also using drones to inspect pipelines for any corrosion, damage, or potential trouble spots. It’s a lot more efficient and you can monitor way more pipeline in less time than doing it in person.
Mr. SSC recently posted…Do good fences REALLY make good neighbors? And who should pay?
1500 says
How awesome is it that you’re already using drones? Love it. We live in such cool times.
Matt @ Distilled Dollar says
Hah, poor kids!
Great progress over time! I noticed GOOG had the recent earnings go well, so nice to see that big bump at the end help fuel some of the growth. I’m surprised TSLA isn’t a stock you hold given 3 of your 5 future trends are partially being accelerated by Elon’s teams.
I’m excited for the autonomous car movement. There will be A LOT of creative destruction in the economy over the next ten years. From a design and engineering perspective, I think it will open many people to work on more exciting aspects of transportation. Plus, the fact that it will be incredibly safer and far less expensive to drive than a manual car is a no brainer. I wonder what crazy look people will have in twenty years when you tell them, “I used to drive that massive hunk of metal all on my own.”
That AR demo is unreal! In a similar fashion, I see the Pokemon Go thing as the first of many such buzzes that will start up due to more AR in our lives. Just as it was back in the day, Pokemon encourages trading and some actual social interactions vs many of the online games where you can chat, but no face to face contact. At least this AR craze is bringing people together!
Matt @ Distilled Dollar recently posted…My Interview With Pamela from My Money Counts
1500 says
Oh, I totally own Tesla. I bought it in October 2012 in the high 20s. Life is good.
Yeah, driving will seem completely silly by 2030. Amazing.
That AR demo was so cool, I grabbed my laptop and ran down to show my wife. She usually couldn’t care less about such things, but it even knocked her socks off. Incredibly cool.
Matt @ Distilled Dollar says
Nice! I bought in much later at 119, but still happy to hold onto my shares.
Matt @ Distilled Dollar recently posted…My Interview With Pamela from My Money Counts
1500 says
Hold on to it. Most people misunderstand Tesla. It isn’t a car company, but an energy company that happens to make cars. This is why other companies coming out with electric cars isn’t a big threat.
Kyle says
That’s a lot of appreciation in a few years. I missed out on the recent market rise.
My friend just got me to download pokemon go. I never played the original games. Seems like there should be more to it. I find it funny it got more people outside but you just see a bunch of people at the park staring at their phones. Humans are interesting creatures.
Kyle recently posted…When can I retire
1500 says
Ha yeah, silly ass humans. Wait until first person AR shooter games comes out. That could lead to some interesting interactions with members of the local police force…
Vicki@Make Smarter Decisions says
Almost spit out my coffee when I read the line about the cows being happy about the cultured meat thing! And love the kid pics. Looks like a total parent fail at all of those happy places! That AR video you posted did bring us together – the kids couldn’t believe it. As an educator, there is so much happening with technology that it is hard to even wrap your head around the possibilities! As far as Pokewhatever goes, it definitely has people out. We walk most days and the route we take near the lake is filled with people (still) out looking for those things. They are generally chatting and happy – so I’d prefer that over having them sitting at home staring at a screen.
Vicki@Make Smarter Decisions recently posted…Are Pools Really Worth the Money? Seven Poolside Lessons to Consider Before Jumping In
1500 says
AR will be completely amazing in the educational space: “Hey kids, today we’re going to meet George Washington!”
And yeah, that video is incredible. I hope it comes sooner than later. Much sooner!
Brian @ debt discipline says
I can set you up on a call with my fourteen year old son if you need any help with Pokemon. He’s got all the 411 and a Pikachu.
My oldest son has been talking about the VR capabilities for video gaming for awhile now. I hope we can use this technology for something other than just gaming.
Congrats on the nice July.
Brian @ debt discipline recently posted…Expensive Necessities: Budgeting A Car Down To Size
1500 says
Pikachu? Gesundheit!
Mr. PIE says
Nice gains on the portfolio front.
And the sun shone for most of us (?) in July, even at the beach in CA.
Is your index approach in the camp of broadly diversified (equities – domestic and international, REITs, inflation protected securities etc) or are you in the VTSAX/VBTLX camp by keeping it good old simple? Definitely look forward to hearing more from you on your new approach.
Mr. PIE recently posted…Good Reads from Mr. PIE – Summer 2016 Edition
1500 says
I have a lot of VTSAX, but I also like VGT (tech), VWO (emerging) and VNQ (REIT). VTSAX will probably be my biggest holding long term. I’ll show you my portfolio in the next week or two.
Andrew says
Cultured meat is neat, but the real future of edibles still lies with vegetables, in my opinion.
Now that I got that out of my system, check out https://impossiblefoods.com
They have a lot of funding because they figured out a way to put totally vegan, *ahem* blood into burgers. People say they’re incredible, aAnd it has a several year head start on cultured meat – which is still decades away.
1500 says
Andrew, I hope so! Some of the vegetarian options now taste great and it will only get better. However, I can still tell the difference. The day that I can’t, I’ll never eat animal flesh again. I feel gross just typing that.
The Jolly Ledger says
$150,000 is from your own contributions? That can’t be right.
Anyhoo, I bet it feels awesome to double your earnings in 3.5 years! And I’m with you on the Pokémon thing. It must be age, or just a terrible personality.
The Jolly Ledger recently posted…The Ledger – July 2016 Expense Report
1500 says
It’s probably a little bit more. I haven’t kept really good track of it, but it’s not more than $200,000.
Mr. Tako @ Mr. Tako Escapes says
That’s an impressive net worth! Great gains due entirely to your stock picking abilities, right?
Technology is great isn’t it? So much cool stuff that could improve our lives and give us those great productivity gains that lead to an ever growing stock market….except it hasn’t been happening very much lately.
Productivity growth has kinda been in the dumpster, despite all this wonderful new tech. I think a lot of that is why earnings haven’t been growing the last 5 quarters.
Mr. Tako @ Mr. Tako Escapes recently posted…A Silent Killer
1500 says
Yeah, hopefully productivity and wages pick up. It will be very interesting to see what the rest of 2016 does…
Done by Forty says
In the late nineties and early two thousands, I used to go to raves and had a little Picachu stuffed animal that I’d carry around, his head sticking out of my backpack as I danced around shady warehouses to house music in, um, an enhanced state. That’s about the only connection I have to Pokemon now, and it’s staying that way.
I think it’s awesome that your portfolio has done the heaving lifting over the last “double”. I think due to the timing of when we got into financial independence, and the pace we’re trying to go at, our market returns are basically doing none of the lifting, which sucks, but what can you do? We’ll see how the next few years treat us…maybe we’ll get a double over the left field wall, too
Done by Forty recently posted…Are We on Track to Retire by Forty?
1500 says
Ha ha, nice. Of course, I’ll never forget this and will rub it in a bit when we meet in person. If you have a Pikachu tattoo in an area that usually doesn’t see sunshine, I have no desire to see or even hear about it.
Fervent Finance says
I have not downloaded Pokemon and don’t plan on it. Was on a sidewalk the other day and a father/son were walking by me. The father said “Are you going to Pokemon on the whole walk?” The son replied “Heck yes.”
The son looked about 30 years old…
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1500 says
That conversation is sad. Yikes.
Mr Crazy Kicks says
Can’t wait to try some juicy cultured meat burgers – what a time to be alive!
Congrats on your portfolio. We just did our numbers this morning, I can’t believe this market.
Mr Crazy Kicks recently posted…How to Save Money on Your Pool
1500 says
Good times baby, good times.
Tawcan says
Haha poor kids. Great progress on your net worth, Mr. Market certainly is happy with the earnings from the likes of Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook.
Although Pokemon came out when I was a teen I never got into it. So I don’t quite get the attraction of Pokemon Go either.
1500 says
Yeah, Mr. Market and I are on really good terms lately. Insane. I started a Motif earlier this year and am destroying the market: https://www.1500days.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Screen-Shot-2016-08-01-at-5.05.04-PM.png
Of course, long term is what really counts. Check back in a decade.
Gwen says
OMG POKEMON GO IS THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO ME EVER. For someone who was the perfect age when the first game came out (8), this is like a dream come true. I have a whole shelf full of my Pokémon stuff. I’m 25 years old and totally not ashamed 🙂 plus, it’s free to play and gets me out of the house. Win win!
Gwen recently posted…Monthly Status Report: July 2016
1500 says
I hear there will be like 982 Pokemon at FinCon. Just kidding. Maybe…
Daniel Manfre says
Love love your blog man. As a 40 something father of 3 I dig the pics of the kids. Keep it up and congrats on the market and great stock picks.
1500 says
Hey man, thanks so much!
Our youngest child is just crazy. Something she said recently about a dish my wife cooked up: “This is disgusting. It either tastes like zucchini or puke.”
Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life says
Me explaining Pokemon Go to my husband (after having asked a younger friend what the heck it was): it’s a game where you’re a trainer, you catch (really cute) wild Pokemon in PokeBalls, train them and then they fight each other in … Oh my god that’s terrible! This is terrible! It’s all terrible!”
It was big for the somewhat younger generation when I was growing up so I knew the basics from the cartoon that my cousins loved but I never thought about the fact that it’s the cartoon animal equivalent of animal-baiting. My soul is a little sadder and a lot conflicted. I don’t have time for it anyway but our house is apparently a nest, spawning something like 50 Pokemon a day for our guests. I oughta charge a living room sitting fee!
Congrats on the gains! Your portfolio looks chock full of superstars. I’m still developing my investing strategy but it’ll probably move to index funds soon enough. When did you shift from picking to indexing?
Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life recently posted…Net Worth & Life Report: July 2016
1500 says
Ha, Pokemon sounds like pit bull or rooster fighting! Is there blood? Is it a death match? Yikes!
“When did you shift from picking to indexing?”
I’ve been shifting for the past 3 years or so. Before that, I didn’t really know what an index fund was. Sigh…
Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life says
🙂 Any recommendations for shifting based on your experience? I’d like to add it to my list of things to do.
P.S. JuggerBaby laughs for most photos but I deliberately take pics of the grumpiest days for posterity. We can’t have revisionist history, can we? 😀
Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life recently posted…Net Worth & Life Report: July 2016
1500 says
I’ve just been selling a little every year and moving it over. I will take at least 5 more years to complete, but I’m in no hurry. Capital gains are the main issue.
Love the grumpy photos! I do the same thing. I will use them to make a PowerPoint to show at their weddings.
PS: Love your orchid!
Russell says
Taking your kids to the beach? Really? You must be an http://www.assholeparents.com
1500 says
Ha ha, love it!
The Russian Guy says
I remember in 2010 in London I saw a very first prototype of what’s eventually became known as AR.
I was testing a tourist mobile app (Nokia S60 and Windows Mobile phones) that would show you historical places on the map and by using your camera you could “activate” a video guide that would tell you a historical information and show you pictures and videos.
Unfortunately the company didn’t find enough money, and they had to close the project.
1500 says
Wow, that sounds like a cool application of the technology. Have you seen Yelp Monocle? http://www.wikihow.com/Use-the-Augmented-Reality-Monocle-on-the-Yelp-for-iPhone-App
Team CF says
Those kid photo’s are pricesless. Love them!
Solid gains by the way, must feel pretty awesome that you have a good financial buffer at the moment.
Team CF recently posted…Savings Rate July 2016
1500 says
Are you saying you would like to babysit? That’s what I’m hearing. Come on down!
Team CF says
hehe, funny, we got one of our own. Been there, done that 😉
Team CF recently posted…Savings Rate July 2016
Carlton says
AR is a pretty interesting technology. I remember thinking that it would be pretty awesome when Google Glass got announced with regards to the translation capabilities for traveling. Now, most of that can be done through a smartphone app anyway and glass has gone the way of the dodo for now. I am excited to see what can be done for gaming with it and the VR stuff that is being done right now.
However, when I read the article I thought of this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJg02ivYzSs) which shows some of the good but also some of the bad that could come from ar being more integrated into our world.
1500 says
I think Google Glass will be back someday, maybe in a partnership with Magic Leap…
Alexander @ Cash Flow Diaries says
I refuse to get in on the pokemen but I know plenty of 30 year olds that are obsessed with it already. Its insane!
Holy cow congrats on the huge jump from your stocks! That is super awesome and I bet it feels great.
Alexander @ Cash Flow Diaries recently posted…July 2016 Net Worth Update
1500 says
Yeah, money never feels bad. Never!
TMI Alert!: Coming from a lower middle-class childhood, at the moment I feel like Scrooge McDuck. True story: I’m going to drain my hot tub, fill it with dollars and go for a naked soak. Pictures coming next month! Just kidding! Maybe…
FinanceSuperhero says
Not into Pokémon myself, especially after I learned that I couldn’t play Pokémon Go while driving on the highway. Something about it not being safe… Psh! Whatever…
I’m equally excited about all of the technological advances on the horizon. To me, Tesla is most intriguing. I was driving behind one today and nearly missed my turn because I was distracted. Good thing I don’t have an extra $80-100k sitting around right now.
FinanceSuperhero recently posted…Financial Strength Through Diversity
1500 says
Tesla is a lot of fun to follow, the car and the stock. Ha! Never forget that they are an energy company that just happens to make cars. It will all be clear in about 5 years.
sms114 says
Turning you & Mrs. 1500 in for “child abuse!” ha ha! Those sad, sad faces! 🙁
Guess we are old poops – we don’t know what the Pokemon craze is all about!
PS ~I would love to make contact with you privately to tell you about my in-laws who just recently died (4 mos. apart) and left a mid 7-figure inheritance to their 3 boys. Father-in-law did all of his own investing/stock picking, had an average factory job for 40+ years. Trust me on this, nobody would have ever guessed they were the “multi-millionaires next door!” Drop me a note if you want to hear the story!
1500 says
Oooh, email incoming!
Finance Solver says
Meh. I thought Amazon absolutely KILLED earnings AND RAISED guidance for the next quarter and would go up at least 5%. Instead it went up .84% the following day. Boo. But it’s great that the other earnings report caused your portfolio to go up a lot.
Noooo I saw your first picture and I got sad. Pikachu for life! The game is a little scary because some people have gotten so addicted to the point where they didn’t see there was a cliff in front of them or a car in front of them.. I think it’s genius on the company’s part but I think people need to be a little more mindful when they’re playing the game.
Finance Solver recently posted…Fight for What You Want Your Entire Life
1500 says
Yeah, but Amazon has still had a killer run as of late. The gains were apparently baked in. I’m not worried. This is one of the very few stocks I would feel comfortable holding for 10 years and not paying much attention to.
Maggie @ Northern Expenditure says
Those pictures of your daughter are EXACTLY LIKE THE ONES OF MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER. She’s never satisfied. Well done on performance. The fact that your portfolio gained over $450,000 on it’s own while you only put in $150,000 gives me hope that one day, I’ll get to that point!
Maggie @ Northern Expenditure recently posted…July 2016 Plan Update
theFIREstarter says
Weirdly I really got into Pokemon when I was about 18 or 19 when it first came out.
Never played any of the games or anything but watched the cartoon religiously every day for about 3 months!
AR/Magic Leap looks very cool. I’ve been reading about “the future” as well a lot recently and it too fascinates me. As well as cars (and planes 😉 thanks) I’ve been reading/watching about electric boats, bikes and vans (check out fully charged show on youtube, it’s pretty good for all that stuff) as well as loads of the other more potentially world changing stuff like nanotechnology etc… It’s actually quite scary how all of this is all moving so fast but what a time to be alive eh!?
Cheers as always. Nice one on the doubling of the NW since blog inception as well!
theFIREstarter recently posted…The House Crowd – tax efficient investing
Mr. All Things Money says
I am a bit slow in catching-up to new social media trends including Pokemon. However, lately I noticed people walking around like zombies with cell phones in their hands. There was a guy in NY that got into a car accident because he is playing PokemonGo while driving. That’s crazy.
Anyway, I have nothing against PokemonGo other than for people to be careful when playing it. It does seem it is fun, so may be I will try it someday.
Mr. All Things Money recently posted…Build your Lifeboat now before it’s too late
SpacemanFry says
Just wanted to point out that the Magic Leap video you posted is a concept video (i.e. it’s fake). They do have 1-2 real videos out there but they’ve been pretty mum about their stuff. I wouldn’t say they are the leaders right now, but they are definitely building the structure to become it if it goes their way. Hard to tell what they’ve been developing since the last time I saw their demo in person (over a year at this point).
Based on what’s available right now I’d say Microsoft with Hololens is the leader at the moment, but enough high power tech companies are pouring money into VR/AR that who know what will happen in the next 5 years.
BTW, your returns on your portfolio are mindblowing 🙂
1500 says
Yep, the video is from Magic Leap though and gives a good idea of what point of the technology is (mixing real and virtual worlds)
That’s awesome that you saw it in person. I’ve experienced a couple implementations of VR, but not AR.
In any case, it seems like we’re still at least 2 or 3 years away from a fully baked product. I think the HoloLens is supposed to be out soon, but I’d wait on version 2 or 3 for any technology.
SpacemanFry says
Yea I do AR research (among other computer vision R&D) so I keep up with the latest AR. It’s been an exciting last few years. It’s definitely a few years out from a viable commercial product. Even for industrial/military it still has some ways to go (other than air combat where the constrained environment made it feasible some time ago)
While I’m not and have never been into Pokemon, I’m really glad Pokemon Go is such a huge hit as it brings awareness of AR to the masses. It’s going to be an exciting time over the next decade.
1500 says
Whoah, that is awesome. I’d love to hear about your work in person. If you’re the social type, look me up next time you make it to Colorado.