Showing posts with label Projectors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Projectors. Show all posts

Thursday, 15 January 2009

Projector phones a plenty at CES 2009

AT CES2009, there were quit a few phones that can be used as 'Projectors'.

The new Logic Bolt, a touchscreen GSM quad band handset, boasts pico projection with the ability to project a 36- to 64-inch image.

Other specs of the Windows Mobile device include a 3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, GPS, and of course, for the office appeal, PowerPoint for those impromptu presentations.

Onboard storage of 4GB and expandability up to 20GB means that business users, which are clearly the demographic for this phone, would be able to store hours of super-fun PowerPoint presentations and video on the handset to show off in important business meetings.

And for the all-important sound, the speaker located on the bottom was more than adequate, pumping out good sound even when flush to surface.

After that, any other features would be a bonus, and there are a few for the more than casual user. A 3MP camera, GPS and internet connectivity mean that this is more than just a business phone... although the lack of 3G connectivity and WiFi might hamper the last part.

A likely launch of around $600 phone-only, or $100 with a 2-year tie-in on T-Mobile or AT&T in the States is hinted at, but no news on a UK release.

Samsung recently got the wraps of an innovative mobile phone accessory called the MBP200 Pico Projector. In a compact and light weight form factor, the projector has been design to offer users amazing projector performance with its wide functionality.

Offering easy connectivity to mobile phones as well as laptops, the MP200 projector is equipped with Texas Instruments DLP pico chip that enables users to convert their device into a large 50” viewing experience. Packed with a microSD card slot, users can also transfer files and project content that does not rely on the attached source.

The projector weighs just 160g and is about 107.3 x 48.8 x 19 mm in dimensions making it a very portable device. Powered by a smaller version as the imaging technology found in Samsung HDTVs, additional features of the Mp200 Pico projector include 3.5mm standard jack, and a built-in speaker. Accessorized by a small screen holder that has a telescoping pole hidden within, the projector offers instant conversion of a regular sheet of paper into movie screen viewing.

3M was showing off miniaturised projectors (rather than phones with projectors)

They had two prototypes on view: one played video off SD cards, the other plugged into an iPhone and played videos off that. Unlike other pico projectors, these have an RGB LED inside rather than a straight white LED, which is a significant step forward. Both were very nice looking, but alas, both were mere prototypes. The projector the prototypes were based on is smaller than ever, which is great, but until we see these things built into actual phones rather than in relatively bulky separate devices, I don't know how far they'll go.

Their tiny MM200 is a projector meant to be fitted inside the casing of a mobile phone so you don’t need to carry anything else. At the touch of a button it would then project what’s being displayed on your phone’s display.

This is actually the second generation of 3M’s mobile projector with the first appearing last year with the name MPro110. With the MM200 3M are offering a 50″ screen projection while requiring just 1 watt to function through its use of LEDs for illumination.