3M mini-projectors set to land in / with Samsung phones later this year

3M has been touting its mini-projectors for some time now (along with many others), but it looks like they're now finally a bit closer to landing in an actual product, with Samsung reportedly set to begin offering them later this year. What's not clear, unfortunately, is whether the projectors will actually be built into the cellphones (and if so, which ones), or simply offered as an attachment of some sort, but either way you can apparently expect to pay between $200 and $400 for the chance to spread a bit of visual pollution.

[Via Unwired View]

[crho85 @ May 14th 2008 2:02PM]

wow that guy has giant hands

[Esat Dedezade @ May 14th 2008 2:02PM]

I don't buy any of this for a single second.

It's impossible to make projectors that small. Thats just a normal projector held by a giant.

[Anthony @ May 14th 2008 2:48PM]

You can tell he's a giant because no "normal" person would ever allow their photographed hands to go out into the world highlighting his nail biting addiction...

On an aside: I can't wait for this. My job is presenting. I hate lugging my laptop in to go through a standard slide show. This should be great. Too bad it's Samsung & not Nokia.

[Esat Dedezade @ May 14th 2008 3:09PM]

True it would be useful in presenting BUT, and I'm no expert on the subject, but I seriously, seriously doubt that the first generations of these mini projectors will be good enough to use as a powerpoint tool in a meeting situation, or whether they ever will be.

[henrikcarbonnier @ May 14th 2008 2:03PM]

Does anyone know if any mini projectors, with a resolution of at least 640 x 480 are available to buy right now?

[Frankenstein Black @ May 14th 2008 2:09PM]

Add some X and amplified bluetooth speakers and Partaaaay, instant Rave!! We don’t need no stinking DJ!

[Idlemind @ May 14th 2008 2:09PM]

AT LAST! the final component for my butt-beaming information robot....

[Low Ranked @ May 14th 2008 2:11PM]

Butt-beaming?

Nick Swardson has already been doing Gay Robot for years now.


Way too many puns here.

[Jordan @ May 14th 2008 2:17PM]

Low Ranked, I'm beginning to realize that you too, like me, have no life whatsoever. We read Engadget too much (yes, it is possible to do that.)

[Idlemind @ May 14th 2008 2:17PM]

Totally

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoYhlh2irtA

[Chris Washington @ May 14th 2008 2:38PM]

No worries bro, I picked up the G4 reference.

[Low Ranked @ May 15th 2008 4:28PM]

Yep, theres a handful of regulars like yourself, Annonymoose, Phanboi and myself, but what else are we supposed to do at work?

Work?

[SimonRichards @ May 14th 2008 2:16PM]

God I hope they don't build this into the actual phones...

I mean sure its small, but its not THAT small.

[Mile @ May 14th 2008 2:27PM]

That's what she said!

Thanks - I'll be here all week!

[Esat Dedezade @ May 14th 2008 2:49PM]

If that truly is what she said then thats good. It shows she has understanding as is not shallow enough to leave the relationship due to size problems and is willing to help overcome the difficulty and continue to build the solid foundations of the relationship.

that girls a keeper.

[Chris @ May 14th 2008 2:17PM]

What was that sound? Oh, it's the collective sound of the MPAA shitting itself.

[FrankTheCrank @ May 14th 2008 2:18PM]

So what the hell am I supposed to do with a projector in my camera?

Is this for those meetings where I need to pull up a spreadsheet or powerpoint? Pictures? Movies?

Sounds like a gimmick...just sayin'.

[a @ May 14th 2008 2:40PM]

I'll take one on my PSP. That way I can have a mini-projector collecting dust too!!! :)

Not too sure about a phone, though... Maybe... First I'd like a 3G iph... oh wait, I'll shut up...

[John @ May 14th 2008 2:37PM]

The Deaf community's really excited about it, actually, since it will facilitate the use of sign language through telephones once video conferencing is enabled through the projector.

[Jon Doe. @ May 14th 2008 7:49PM]

John,

Why? Does the deaf community not realize that this thing is useless outside or on the go. So what when you are on a bus you are going to use the ceiling of the bus?

[Wwhat @ May 15th 2008 5:40PM]

back of the next seat?

[Mile @ May 14th 2008 2:27PM]

Batteries are going to be a huge problem.

[engadgetier @ May 14th 2008 2:32PM]

I'll go ahead and say it. they should put one in the 3G iphone.........just a thought. =)

[Jeff @ May 14th 2008 6:06PM]

I'm thinking that we'll see one of these with a dock-connector LONG before it's ever integrated into an iPhone (though, because i see very limited utility in these things, i'm better we *NEVER* see it actually integrated.)

If it could attach to an iPhone/iPod then i might even buy one, mostly for the gimmick i'll admit.

[Cole Mitguard @ May 14th 2008 2:33PM]

I think that for the moment, this is going to device of choice by school kids, displaying ridiculous absurd pictures on the black board while the teacher is writing. Or even better on the teachers back... I wonder if I can do that now in College.... haha.

[Revels @ May 14th 2008 2:40PM]

Great, now we're going to get assholes beaming thier crap on every surface as well as having to hear their tinny chavtones.

[Althe @ May 14th 2008 2:44PM]

Some info from 3m's site.
http://www.3m.com/mpro/index.html

[Cal @ May 14th 2008 2:53PM]

What an amazing advert, how can anyone not want one of these now?

[James @ May 14th 2008 4:29PM]

I can't believe I just watched that whole video. I guess I just hoped that it would get better, or actually show a good reason to have and pay a few hundred for something like this on a phone...sigh.

[Jeff @ May 14th 2008 6:08PM]

holly crap that was bad.

...and that phone was freakin' enormous.

[IT-Accountant @ May 14th 2008 2:48PM]

I'm just waiting for someone to get arrested for projecting Pr0n someone's back in a public place.

[Nate @ May 14th 2008 8:13PM]

Yes, this reminds me of the dawn of another video technology that got more than a few people in trouble for driving around at night watching porn on clearly-visible-from-outside-the-car mobile entertainment systems.

[Xepol @ May 14th 2008 3:10PM]

And you thought pictures you TOOK with your cell phone were blurry! Wait till you try to hold or even just hand position one these suckers to focus it on the wall.

[Engadgetluvsappl @ May 14th 2008 4:48PM]

I never thought my pictures were blurry, I have a N95, N73 and N82.

[Melmation @ May 14th 2008 3:16PM]

@ Althe,

Oh my goodness! I mean, seriously, that is THE worst advert I have ever seen. Come on 3M, it looks like it was thought up by a bunch of highly paid suits who do nothing but shred paper on their $3000 crosscut shredders all day and "imagineer" stuff. Not to mention, it looks like it has the post production finesse of a dung beetle after a hard days work.

Good grief. I might have to go and shoot myself in a field now after letting my eyes and brain see that.

Good night.

[iptydafu @ May 14th 2008 3:19PM]

It'll be interesting to see how quickly they develop vibration/shake control, short of only using this on a flat, steady surface.

[yacoub @ May 14th 2008 3:21PM]

Battery life? LOL

[GETYOID @ May 14th 2008 4:36PM]

Reminds me of the tiny projectors at http://www.slimprojector.com

[GETYOID @ May 14th 2008 4:39PM]

Crap, that site is gone. I even checked http://www.slimprojectors.com - I could have sworn I bookmarked it. Cool stuff. Tiny project that you could attach to a smart phone and project on any smooth surface.

[Sam Scott @ May 14th 2008 4:56PM]

Please... www.microvision.com technology will no doubt be the leader with this technology.

[Mr. Parks @ May 14th 2008 5:13PM]

If you think battery life will be a problem, wait until you see how much heat a small projector will generate! I have a small travel projector from Panasonic now and when I do a presentation, I have to wait 20 minutes before I can pack it up so that it has time to cool down...

I like the concept, but displacement of that heat is going to be a major issue...

[Plothole @ May 27th 2008 1:15AM]

From the size and suggested implementation, I'm guessing this uses a LED rather than a heat producing bulb.

[Decoy @ May 14th 2008 6:11PM]

How about it mapping a full size keyboard onto your desk and motion tracking your fingers as they type for a full sized keyboard on the go?

[Razr Shrp @ May 14th 2008 6:19PM]

How about adding one of these "micro-projectors" to a laptop and not a cell phone. Would make lugging a separate projector obsolete.

[Wwhat @ May 15th 2008 5:47PM]

Assuming you lug a separate projector to display presentation in a blury 320 pixel 4 inches projection now yes.

[fought @ May 30th 2008 1:23AM]

i have been following mvis for some time and i am making a prediction that this technology will change things a bit. from the multiple uses for the deaf, to the convenience of being able to surf the web from your phone with monitor sized viewing. movies. pictures. presentations. this is the beginning of a new era in user interface. if you have money, i would highly recommend buying stock in MICROVISION. their trade symbol is mvis. theyre currently at $3.44 a share. been watching them for a month. they were at $2.64 then.