Microsoft's crazy ambitions for augmented reality and HoloLens (The 3:59, Ep. 54) - CNET

Microsoft isn't shy about its wild expectations for augmented reality.

AR, which differs from virtual reality in that it overlays digital images on top of the real world, is one of the big bets coming from Microsoft via its HoloLens headset. The company believes 80 million AR devices will be sold by 2020, more than the 64.8 million virtual reality headsets projected to sell that year.

It's a bold estimate given that most of the interest and investment has been in VR, with Microsoft being one of the few champions of AR, also known as mixed reality.

We also discuss how Apple and Samsung fare in the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index, and why Xiaomi signing a patent agreement with Microsoft is a big deal.