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Kopin and MicroOptical Bring ''Big Screen'' Video to Cell Phone UsersTAUNTON, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- July 7, 2005 -- French Telecom's Orange SA to Launch Wireless Multimedia Service Pairing Samsung Phones with MicroOptical's Video Eyewear Powered by Kopin CyberDisplays France Telecom's wireless unit, Orange SA, will soon roll out a new mobile video service that will let cellular phone subscribers view TV, movies, photos and broadband Internet content with a big screen viewing effect using Kopin(R)-enabled video eyewear from U.S.-based MicroOptical Corp. Kopin Corp. (Nasdaq: KOPN), the largest U.S. manufacturer of microdisplays for mobile consumer electronics and military applications, has received an order for CyberDisplay(R) 230K microdisplays from MicroOptical for this application. Orange SA, one of the world's leading wireless companies with 52 million customers in 16 countries, will bundle a MicroOptical binocular video eyewear with Samsung's SGH-D600 cell phone as part of its new "Orange World" wireless multimedia service. The bundled package, unveiled in June 2005 at the European Research and Innovation Exhibition in Paris, is scheduled to be available to Orange subscribers in October 2005. MicroOptical's video eyewear contains two of Kopin's full-color, QVGA-resolution (320 x 240) CyberDisplay 230K microdisplays. The sleek eyewear allows users to privately view large-size video or pictures equivalent to a 12-inch screen as seen from three feet away, yet simultaneously view their surroundings thanks to the small size of the frame and MicroOptical's patented optics which allow the user to see around the screen. Europe's AFP news wire service called the bundled technology "a sure fire hit," saying that the eyewear's "big screen effect" is stunning, especially when combined with built-in stereo earpieces. "Kopin CyberDisplays are becoming the standard microdisplays of choice for mobile video applications thanks to their ability to provide the highest video quality in the smallest footprint and with very low power consumption," said Dr. Mark Spitzer, MicroOptical's founder and CEO. "We are very happy with our partnership with Kopin and really excited about being a part of Orange's multimedia wireless service. We are ramping up the production to meet the initial customer demand." "The mobile video revolution is unfolding in the cellular phone market as we speak," said Dr. John C.C. Fan, Kopin's president and CEO. "Consumers want to be able to watch movies, music videos and TV, browse the Web and check their e-mail on their cell phones on the go. But the phone's small screen has inhibited widespread consumer adoption. MicroOptical's innovative video eyewear is enabling the big screen capabilities that consumers demand, and yet is very lightweight and similar to eyeglasses." The Kopin CyberDisplay 230K's tiny size (0.24-inch diagonal) enabled MicroOptical to design a featherweight (2.5 oz.), comfortable and stylish video eyewear solution for Orange SA. MicroOptical's binocular video eyewear delivers crisp, full-color video with a 17-degree field of view. The eyewear is connected to a cell phone through a thin cable, and allows up to five hours of video with three AAA batteries. Since it accepts composite video input (NTSC or PAL), the eyewear can be plugged into other devices with composite video outputs such as portable DVD players. Built with nanotechnology, the CyberDisplay 230K with approximately 230,000 pixel dots in 0.24" diagonal is the highest resolution transmissive display of its size. In addition to displaying standard text and graphics, the display operates at traditional video speeds and consumes only five milliwatts of power. Kopin's power-efficient CyberDisplay 230K is ideal for a range of portable consumer and industrial applications such as video eyewear and viewfinders for digital cameras and camcorders. About MicroOptical The MicroOptical Corporation is a privately held company based in Westwood, Massachusetts. Its patented and proprietary technology is revolutionizing the world of portable eyewear viewers. MicroOptical's products take the output signal from ordinary electronic devices and project images through proprietary technology. Comfortable and compact, the eyewear viewers represent a breakthrough in ergonomics over conventional head-mounted display technology and offer a hands-free, head-up way to view portable industrial devices such as endoscopes, flaw detectors, oscilloscopes, IR cameras, and consumer devices such as cell phones, PDAs and wearable computers. MicroOptical's products have applications in the consumer electronics, law enforcement, medical, military, security, test and measurement, video production, and wearable computing industries. MicroOptical also has a strategic alliance with worldwide ophthalmic leader, Essilor International, to deliver images through true ophthalmic eyewear devices. For more information, visit www.microoptical.net. About Kopin Kopin is a leading developer and manufacturer of digital imaging and telecommunications technologies that enhance the delivery and presentation of video, voice and data. The company has combined advanced AMLCD and integrated circuit technology to produce its CyberDisplay family of award-winning ultra-small, high-density imaging devices for consumer and defense systems, including camcorders, digital cameras, personal video eyewear and thermal weapons sights. Telecommunication providers are using Kopin's heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) wafers in wireless handsets, Wi-Fi, VoIP and high-speed Internet data transmission. Kopin's HBTs are currently used in nearly one-third of the world's cell phones and the CyberDisplay is the imaging device in nearly 40 percent of the world's camcorders. Kopin's CyberDisplay also is the microdisplay standard for the U.S. military. For more information, please visit Kopin's Web site at www.kopin.com. Safe Harbor Statement Statements in this news release that are not historical facts may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the "Safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could materially affect future results. Statements that may be considered forward-looking include: France Telecom's wireless unit, Orange SA, will soon roll out a new mobile video service that will let cellular phone subscribers view TV, movies, photos and broadband Internet content with a big screen viewing effect using Kopin(R)-enabled video eyewear from U.S.-based MicroOptical Corp; .the scheduled wireless multimedia service by Orange SA in October 2005; Europe's AFP news wire service's assessment that the bundled solution is to be a sure fire hit; the mobile video revolution is unfolding in the cellular phone market as we speak; Consumers want to be able to watch movies, music videos and TV, browse the Web and check their e-mail on their cell phones on the go. But the phone's small screen has inhibited widespread consumer adoption and the CyberDisplays are becoming the standard microdisplay of choice for video eyewear. Among the risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from any forward looking statements are general economic and business conditions and growth in the flat-panel display industry, customer demand for Orange's wireless multimedia service, the Company's ability to manufacture CyberDisplay 230K, the impact of competitive products and pricing, availability of third-party components, viability of integrated circuit fabrication facilities, cost and yields associated with production of the Company's CyberDisplay 230K,, loss of significant customers, acceptance of the Company's products, continuation of strategic relationships, and the other risk factors and cautionary statements listed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 25, 2004 and Form 10-Q for the period ending March 26, 2005. CyberDisplay is a registered trademark and The NanoSemiconductor Company is a trademark of Kopin Corporation. Kopin - The NanoSemiconductor Company(TM) |
