3M's MM200 micro projector seeks integration within cellphones, cameras
By Darren Murph 
posted Jan 6th 2009 11:44AM
posted Jan 6th 2009 11:44AM
posted Jan 6th 2009 11:44AM
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this thing would be amazing in with an Ipod or a Zune watch movies with it. Can project the image on the tray tables in airplanes!
Provided the cabin lights were out and it was night time!
provided you have a blanket and a small amount of creativity.
Or play games on with a psp slim and it's great video out capabilities.
Whats up with this guy's nails?
Divide price by 12, call again, that's my general view of pico projectors.
Forget cellphones, how about putting them into laptops, netbooks, UMPCS etc; that would be more beneficial in my opinion. For business use, it would save carrying a laptop and a projector to display presentations. For personal use, you could have your laptop in your living room, bedroom etc and project a movie or TV show on your wall.
It will be very interesting to see how this market develops.
Rather than put projectors into laptops - why not, put laptops onto projectors?
If you make an all in one device with a foldout keyboard and a laptop lcd screen, it would be very portable.
The obvious problem would be cooling - but, there are plenty of ways to cool a device like this, if you are using an energy efficient LED set for your light source.
Call me incredibly short-sighted if you will, but I fail to see this whole pico projector race going anywhere.
You sir are incredibly short-sighted.
You are incredibly SHORT SIGHTED! These things are going to take off just like the walkman of the 80's. You'll see soon everywhere you go you will be forced to watch annoying home movies shot with really bad low quality cameras. I look forward to laughing at said people while I play video games on their backs.
Ironically pico projectors are most suited for the short sighted, rather than the far sighted.
Personally I think they have a future, once the price gets to $60 and below, but before that they are mainly to fill engadget with articles on slow days, which isn't a bad gig for them surely.
EXCUSE ME, but what is 3Ms obsession with the letter "M"? Everything is M-this or M-that. A friend's fiancee used to work at 3M and her email address was @mmm.com (I'm surprised it wasn't @mmm.m). --- BTW - can anyone guess who her favorite 007 character was?
In any case, 3Ms excitement over a new product seems to correlate directly to the number of Ms they put in the model number so this MM200 must be pretty good but when the MMMMMMM5000 comes out then we'll be rawkin'.
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
I think it has something to do with branding/marketing.
Whats Apple's obsession with the letter "i"?
So they used 3 m's as email address, a company called 3M, amazing stuff, how do they think it up.
Sorry 3M, Microvision is smaller, lower power, better resolution, bigger picuture, etc. I'm surprised Engadget didn't mention them or TI's solution (also inferior due to the need for those tiny mirrors). If handset makers want to use anything but Microvision, they're going to be trying to sell a brick to consumers who want THIN.
Exactly! Why is 3-M moving forward with inferior technology. Microvision's PicoP laser light engine is far superior in every aspect. Smaller, thiner, little or no heat (3-M's light engine is a small cooker -- pocket-warmer.)
Most of all, Microvision's projected image is suitable for home entertainment, gaming and serious business presentations -- emphasis on 'serious business' presentations.
Pocket warmer eh, I bet they sell like hot-cakes in the ukraine, ehe, hot-cakes
Hey darren, how about you mosey on over to booth #30651 and tell us what Zii is all about once an for all?
He has a deal with adobe to postpone it probably.
(For the simpleminded : so people can photoshop fake pictures of what it is you see).
Integrated? Why can't I get one with inputs that could replace expensive projectors? Or will these cell phones cost $1000?
Draws only one watt? Assuming it converts that one whole watt into glorious luminosity, spreading one watt across 1200 square inches gives an image brightness that might be clear in a pitch dark cave. After your eyes adjust for 5 minutes or so.
Saw the microvision unit. Not out yet, $500, not that bright,, etc. etc... not that impressed except the no-focus feature....
The Aaxatech and Aiptek units are 1/2 the price (~$250), are brighter, have higher resolution, and have onboard video decoding... There was actually a $199 unit at Aiptek's booth (but with no onboard video decoding)... Guess which one I'd rather own?