Portable projection

Pico projector with added swivel

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:27:26 +0000

The iPhone seems to be a hot target for pocket projectors at the moment. The new Cineman Swivel projector comes with cables for iPhone and iTouch. It’s other feature is a little less obviously a winner - it can bend in half, apparently so you can project onto the ceiling or prop it up without needing a tripod.

It is available for pre-order in the USA and Europe now. See more details at Computer Shopper.

Unreleased - MiLi Pro portable projector for iPhone

admin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:25:03 +0000

This looks like it will be a very strong contender for coolest portable projector, if it lives up to the hype (and the shininess of the mockups).
The MiLi Pro pocket projector is designed for use with the iPhone or iPod. As an aside, it can work as a docking station, with a micro USB port for charging and synching the phone. The main feature, however, is the micro projector.

It can project up to 40 inches of 640×480 high resolution images on any handy wall. And it does not tie you to your iphone. It has inputs for VGA and RCA so is also a useful mobile projector for use with a laptop or DVD player.

The one feature I am sceptical about is the touch screen. If used with the iPhone, that means that all control has to be done by interacting with the iPhone/projector unit. This could be annoying in a group if you don’t want to move the projector, or if it is in an inaccessible place.

No price yet - but it is due to be released in September so shouldn’t be long now.

For more info see the review at technabob or the product page at PhoneSuit

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj - camera with built-in projector

admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:04:12 +0000

The race has been on to produce phones with built-in nmicro projectors recently, but this is a new move. A pocket camera with a projector that can throw an image from 5in to 40in in size. It is a decent camera in its own right too - 12.1 MP and 5x optical zoom.

You can find more from techradar or see the hands-on at T3.

Portable projection, but not pocket-sized

admin — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:23:42 +0000

The term “portable projectors” is used by a lot of manufacturers to refer to LCD projectors that are smaller than traditional projectors, but still not something you would want to lug around with you on the off-chance that you need it.

In Top 7 DLP or LCD Projectors Under 7 Pounds there is a good overview of some of these lightweight projectors. As the article states:

If you need to lug your LCD or DLP projector around to make presentations in a variety of locations, you know there’s a huge difference between a projector that weighs ten pounds and one that weighs four. But can a lightweight portable projector still provide the presentation quality needed for boardrooms, classrooms and home theaters? Yes! Here are the best portable LCD projectors and DLP projectors. All weigh less than seven pounds, but are still packed with features to make any presentation shine.

I still think that truly pocket-sized projectors are the game-changers in this market, but if you need to deliver high quality presentations to a big group, this review could help you choose the ideal projector.

Sixth sense with the help of portable technology

admin — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:49:20 +0000

This was a jaw-dropping presentation for me. Pattie Maes from MIT presented at TED about some work her team has done on combining existing portable technology in a new way. The system her team has put together provides a new, natural interface between the world and data.

Using a portable projector, a mobile phone and a webcam, any surface becomes a screen and any object can become and input. Well, you really have to see it to get it. Have a look at the video below.

Available in the shops… one day.

Projectors for laptops

admin — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:10:50 +0000

It is surely only a matter of time before someone produces a laptop with a projector built in, but until then, what should you be looking for in a portable projector that you intend to use with a laptop?

Video Inputs

PC

Most Windows-based laptops will have a VGA output that can be used with an external monitor or traditional projector. Some micro projectors support that same format, and come supplied with a cable to do the job. The 3M Mpro110 is an example of a projector that supports VGA, whereas the Optoma PK101 supports only composite video. This is not a deal-breaker - you can buy a VGA to composite adaptor for a few dollars - but it is a disadvantage.

Mac

If you have a Mac, chances are that is has a DVI or mini-DV port for external video. To get VGA output from it, you will need a mini-DV to VGA adaptor. This may have come with the Mac. Alternatively you could get a mini-DV or DVI to composite video adaptor, and that increases your choice of micro projector. Be careful when buying one of these adaptors - they are very hardware-specific, so get the right adaptor for your machine.

Resolution

Some of today’s micro-projectors can display at 640×480, but some can handle downscaling the input to this resolution. Again, the 3M MPro110 handles this well. Others will refuse to display any input that comes in at hight than 640×480. The higher the resolution, the better the projector is likely to be at handling what your laptop can throw at it. Note, however, that none of the currently-available micro projectors are capable of displaying at a typical laptop resolution, so expect to have to scroll to see those complicated spreadsheets.

If it’s entertainment that you are after, then you could look at a widescreen projector like the Aiptek T10. This doesn’t seem to be available in the USA any more, but something will come along and take its place soon, I’m sure.

Audio

Most micro projectors come equipped with a speaker but it is likely that your laptop speaker will be superior, so there’s nothing to worry about there.

Extras

Some micro projectors (such as the Aiptek V10) include an SD slot so that you can load your media on there and dispense with the laptop altogether.