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Green laser for microprojectors developed, microraves soon to follow
Japanese company QD Laser has apparently developed a green laser which could up the ante in the HD pico projector market. The laser -- which is just 5.6mm in diameter and outputs a 532 nanometer, pure green light -- was shown off as a working prototype at CEATEC. QD says their green laser (the hardest type to make) will be well-suited to gadgets like cellphones and laptops because of its low power consumption and wide operating temperature. Mass production is seemingly planned for next year, with the hopes that each little laser will run $10, cheaper than the one currently available, which is manufactured by Corning. You know what we always say: rave on.
Eigenharp Pico and Alpha slowly remove shroud of mystery, gets stratospheric price tags
We can almost say with certainty that neither the Eigenharp Pico nor Alpha will actually be remembered as the "most revolutionary instrument in 60 years," but that's not stopping creator Eigenlabs from keeping its hopes high. If you'll recall, these funky instruments were unveiled courtesy of an enigmatic YouTube clip early last month, and now the outfit is slowly dribbling out official details on its contributions to the musical realm. Neither instrument is being aimed at the bargain banger, with the Alpha going for £3,950 ($6,302) and the Pico for £349 ($557). Both of 'em sport keys, a breathe pipe, a so-called strip controller and their own native soundsets, though currently they'll interface only with Macs. If you're really interested in learning something new, you can surf on over to the outfit's website for a look at the specifications -- just bring the checkbook if you're easily tempted. Update: Looks the The Beeb snagged a little mouth-on time with it!
HYPOLED develops mega-tiny VGA projector display, has a tiny coin in the photo to prove it
HYPOLED, an 18-month-old project tasked with creating OLED microdisplays for upcoming pico projectors, has just released a report of its recent progress. Among the advances is a Fraunhofer IPMS-designed all digital VGA, full color OLED microdisplay backplane with matching pico projector optics. The display measures just 0.18-mm thick and is already in prototype manufacturing. The super miniscule display is connected to a MediaBox enabling it to operate via WiFi. Fraunhofer is now expected to begin developing a prototype of the full projector, meaning that with any luck, our picos should be getting a teensy, tiny bit cooler in the near future. [Via About Projectors]
ViewSonic debuts WPG-350 for WiFi video streaming, PJD2121 for portable SVGA projecting
Don't let your instinctual attraction to glossy items fool you. While the PJD2121 pico projector on the right is certainly the shiniest, it's ViewSonic's WPG-350 wireless gateway that we're digging the most. Assuming you've pre-installed the appropriate software onto the pertinent Windows / OS X machine, connect the bridge to a VGA display of some sort, and stream all the 1024 x 768 presentation content you want over 802.11b/g/n WiFi. Sure, it's not HD, but at $199, it's not the worst value, either, and it's still half-lustrous on the top. Looking back at the projector, the little DLP shiner boasts 800 x 600 output, 400 lumens, and a 1,800:1 contrast ratio. A $499 price tag definitely undercuts the Samsung offering we saw yesterday, but it's still way pricey for SVGA. Read - Press release Read - PJD2121 product page Read - WPG-350 product page
Rumor mill: Nikon VP650 camera / projector combo soon to be revealed
Looks like our one of our dreams just might come to fruition after all, if this newest rumor coming from the vicinity of Nikon is to be believed, anyway. Now, there aren't a lot of details to go round here, but Nikon Rumors is reporting that Chasseur d'Image -- a print magazine in France with a history of publishing rumors that turn into reality -- has published a report that Nikon will soon announce the VP650. What is this VP650, you ask? Well, it's a hybrid compact digital camera with an LED projector (which may or may not be manufactured by Taiwanese company Foxlink) that can project 8 x 12 images in "good quality" in the dark. Chasseur d'Image reports that the VP650 will ship in September. Like we said -- not a whole lot of detail, but we'll keep our eyes peeled to see if this thing ever appears. We'll say this though -- such a product would probably make the tiny projector a lot more attractive.
WowWee Cinemin Swivel available for pre-order in U.S. and Europe
Pico projector fans, the wait is over. WowWee -- the company with the wackiest name in the business (or at least the most fun to type) has just announced that the Cinemin Swivel is available for pre-order today -- as in right now -- both Stateside and in Europe. The press for this device sounds a little like wishful thinking (enjoy romantic flicks on the bedroom ceiling! foreign cinema in the backyard! YouTube on a subway wall! psychedelic graphics on the dance floor!) but if you've been in the market for a pocket-sized, iPhone-friendly multimedia projector, your choices just expanded by one. Yours for a song -- and $349.99. Gallery below.
Super Talent's Pico USB drive: still world's smallest, now 32GB
While USB flash drives are now available in sizes that likely dwarf your own HDD, Super Talent's Pico line isn't looking to compete on sheer capaciousness. What it lacks in capacity, so to speak, it makes up for in size -- or, the lack thereof, we should say. The outfit's "world's smallest*" drive just jumped from 8GB to 32GB, and considering that there's at least a marginal chance that this thing slips out of your palm / pocket / etc. and into a puddle, Super Talent even threw in a dash of water resistance. A half dozen models are expected to ship this week, with prices ranging from $85 to $99. Too bad you won't even be able to find it between the couch cushions after it arrives.*Image probably isn't to scale, but it might be.
Light Blue Optics' touch-based laser projector hitting manufacturers in Q4 -- will look nothing like this image
While the global economic crisis has swept aside a number of early innovators in mobile technology, Light Blue Optics finds itself flush with cash this morning. Having secured $15 million in funding, the UK outfit now plans to have its laser-based pico projection engine to OEMs by the end of the year; a move that should result in a tiny retail projector sometime in the first half of 2010. Why should you care? Well, unlike all those LED-based pico projectors now saturating the market, laser-based projectors offer more vivid colors and the ability to auto-focus that mobile image as it's moved about. Even better, LBO has touch-enabled the system allowing users to interact with the projected display. A second generation engine about the size of a sugar cube will ultimately allow the technology to be embedded in mobile devices like cellphones as we're already seeing with LED-based engines. Since the supplied image above totally misrepresents the first generation device, we've embedded a video of the tech, first published in March, after the break. Skip to the 3-minute mark if you want to avoid the pitch.[Via PicoProjector-info]
WowWee Cinemin Swivel gets UK launch, pricing info
We first spotted WowWee's Cinemin Swivel pico projector back at CES, when it was announced along with the Stick and Station models. If you forgot, the little DLP guy boasts 480 x 360 resolution, an adjustable 90-degree hinge (so that you can easily project onto the ceiling), and a three-hour battery life. It's just gotten some official release and pricing information for the UK, anyway, where it's going to make its first appearance this September. The Cinemin Swivel will retail for £349 (about $571). There's no word on release or pricing for the Stick or Station yet, but we'll keep you posted. Until then, check out the gallery of shots we got back at CES.%Gallery-40793%
LG Monaco: AT&T's getting a WVGA WinMo7 QWERTY slider?
LG's been getting cozy with Microsoft lately on the Windows Mobile front, and it looks like one of the most significant fruits of that labor to date might find a home on AT&T -- eventually. This brassy little number is the LG "Monaco," which is apparently also known as the "Pico" to some folks; what it'll eventually be called at retail is anyone's guess, but the big news is the feature list: 3.6Mbps HSDPA, a 3.2-inch WVGA display, 5 megapixel AF cam, microSD expansion, an add-on pico projector of some sort, and Windows Mobile 7. Though the screen is 0.3 inches smaller diagonally than the alleged minimum specified by Microsoft's "Chassis 1" guidelines, everything else here would work (and look) great as a next-gen device -- and the accessory projector's a pretty nifty selling point, too. At one point, AT&T had a crazy idea that they'd have this puppy on shelves by September of this year, but seeing we'll be lucky to have 6.5 devices in our hands by then, this date has undoubtedly slipped since the slide was made. And yes, we'll admit -- we're intrigued by the gold accents. Is that so wrong? Follow the break for a better view of the phone.
Ever Win's EWP1000 is another pico projector
Every week we consistently get another couple new pico projectors to tell you about, and since the market for these things can't possibly be big enough to support all these releases the only possible explanation is that people are continually losing the things. Assuming that's the case, Ever Win's EWP1000 could be your next misplaced projector. As such it has fairly forgettable specs, including 10 lumens of brightness, VGA (640 x 480) resolution, projection sizes of between 5- and 50-inches, and about 80 minutes of battery life on a charge. About the only thing distancing this from the competition is its Ferengi-inspired styling, giving it a more notable look than most others and possibly making it perfect for your next Tongo party. But, with no price or availability, we won't blame you if you don't remember this tomorrow either.
BeamBox Evolution R-1 pico available for pre-order, shipping April 1
BeamBox has just announced it's taking pre-orders for the Evolution R-1 pocket projector. If you've forgotten, the R-1 boasts an LCoS chip, with a brightness of 30 lumens, a 200:1 contrast ratio and VGA (640 x 480) resolution. The little guy has up to 4GB of onboard Flash memory, plus a microSD slot. It weighs in at about 175 grams, and will run you £260 (about $364), and is expected to ship on April 1st.
Castrade intros CV-MP02 pocket projector
Castrade, previously known for the CV-MP01 pico (you remember: the one that famously fits inside a wine glass) has just announced the CV-MP02, a larger but still decently small pocket projector. This little guy looks a lot like 3M's MPro 110, but the VGA (640 x 480) projector boasts 10 ANSI lumens, uses an LCoS display, and the use of LCD lamps should reduce heat and sound coming off the projector. It's got two ports (composite and VGA), and uses a lithium-ion battery for about an hour of running time before needing a charge. It's a Japan only release, and will cost ¥35,000 (around $400).
Beambox launches Evolution R-1 pico projector
You may recall Beambox as the company that brought us the very tiny Beambox Pocket Projector. Well, its newest model, the just-announced Evolution R-1 is not quite as compact (though it's still pretty tiny), but it looks like it will pack a lot more punch than its predecessor. The R-1 will boast an LCoS chip, a brightness of 30 lumens, with a 200:1 contrast ratio and VGA (640 x 480) resolution, and will be capable of projecting an up to 100-inch image. The little guy will also have up to 4GB of onboard Flash memory, plus a microSD slot. The pico -- which weighs in at 175 grams -- is expected to ship around March 20th. It looks like the projector is going to run you £250 ($360), and be available in black, red, silver and white. One more shot after the break.
NTT docomo and Sharp show projector phone at MWC
We had a brief peek at yest another pico projecting set at MWC, this time an NTT docomo Samsung affair without a name, price, or even a release date. Specs are as sketchy as these are usable in a brightly lit room, but the hopes are this device will be used for services like mobile TV, home theater (yeah, right), document editing, presentations, and video calling. We were enthused to see the mock ups (pictured above) of where the design of this device could go -- and we're hoping that by next year the bricks we've seen lately will be gone and sleek design will become the norm. We filmed a bit of it in action and honestly, we've seen TI's pico projector before and it doesn't seem to have changed significantly. Follow the link to see the media. %Gallery-45199%
Samsung Show hands-on and video at MWC
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/Samsung_Show_Projector_Phone_hands_on_and_video'; The Engadget Spanish team just got their hands on the Samsung Show (the European, i7410 model) projector phone that we first caught a sneak peek of a CES. The Show's projector is powered by Texas Instruments' DLP pico technology, and though the fact that it packs a projector does increase the bulkiness of the phone as far as looks are concerned, the phone is still rather small and light. The Show can project an image of anywhere from five to fifty inches, with a 480 x 320 resolution. It's got a 3.2-inch WQVGA touchscreen, the TouchWiz UI and also boasts a 5 megapixel camera. There are plans for this bad dude to hit Asia and Europe (but no word on if it'll ever make its way to North America), but we still haven't heard when, nor how much it'll cost when it arrives. Check the video after the break. [Via Engadget Spanish]%Gallery-45193%
Texas Instruments out-picos itself with newer, tinier projector chip
We love pico projectors, we love phones -- so the combo pack known as the Samsung Show stopped us in our tracks when we first spied it at CES. Well, Texas Instruments, makers of the DLP projector chip that runs the Show, if you will, have just announced the second generation DLP chip which is -- you guessed it -- smaller! The second-gen chip is about 20 percent smaller and thinner in fact, and it boasts the ability to display WVGA resolution (the previous model has HVGA resolution), all while delivering a brighter display! TI's press specifically mentions mobile phones, so don't be surprised if the Show doesn't have a host of comptitors to deal with any day now. Texas Instruments is on hand at MWC, and their press conference is tonight, so we'll be watching, magnifying glass in hand, to see what else they have in store for us.
AAXA pushes out P1 pint-sized pico projector
AAXA's recently rolled out a rather cute lil pico projector -- the P1 -- which boasts enough features to make it stand out from the pack, even if only slightly (there are so many to choose from these days). This half-pounder measures 2.3-inches wide and 4.1-inches long, and boasts a VGA resolution with a 1000:1 contrast ratio, and 12 ANSI lumens o' brightness -- making it a bit on the weak side. It's also got a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD slot, 1GB of internal storage and an on-board media player, with anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes of battery life. This puppy's available now for around $289. [Via About Projectors]
Jakks Pacific unveils EyeClops mini projector for the little ones
We see a ton of tiny little projectors these days around here. This one, by toymaker Jakks Pacific, is still pretty eye-catching, anyway. Expected to be on hand next week at the Toy Industry Association's annual International Toy Fair in New York, the EyeClops is obviously designed with children in mind, with a build similar to adult picos. We don't have full specs on this one yet, but it's capable of projecting a 70-inch images via its LED, and can be hooked up to all your child's favorite gadgets -- DVD players, digital cameras, and gaming consoles. The real kicker here is that the EyeClops is expected to sell for under $100 -- much less than most projectors for oldies. [Via About Projectors]
Adapt MPJ-101 pico projector: tiny, cute, available
Go ahead, you can admit it: you're really, really into picos -- the best of us are. Adapt's update to its pocket projector, the MPJ-101 -- which is nearly identical to the previous model -- shouldn't fill us with joy, but it does. This little (125 x 55 x 23 mm) monster's got 1GB of built in memory, an SD slot, and two .5 watt speakers. It projects up to 10 lumens of brightness at a resolution of 640×480 from around 6 to 50 feet. All this excitement doesn't come cheap, though -- expect to shell out about a thousand bucks for this teeny bundle of joy. Oh boy.
