PicoProjector
Latest
Philips unveils new PicoPix pico projectors (update)
Our friends at Engadget en Español have turned us on to some pico projecters that recently popped up on Philips' Flickr account. We don't have too much info, other than they are designated (in no particular order): PPX-1430, PPX-1230 and PPX-1030. And they're really rather small. Yeah, we're underwhelmed too. But we must report even the least breathtaking gadgets: it's our meat and potatoes, after all. And you can bet your bubby that if Philips does relate any mind-blowing information at this year's IFA (which is going on as we write this), we'll let you know. Oh, you want more pictures? Well, here you go! Update: We got the PR! (Thanks, bb-chef.) Depending on features (power options, SD card slot, etc.) prices range from €200-€300 (about $256-$385). All models sport a resolution of 800 x 600 and a contrast of 400:1. Available in October. See for yourself after the break.
Toshiba outs Lumileo pico projectors, only one of which requires a plug
Toshiba's new LED-based pico projectors won't shake the world with VGA resolutions, 14 lumens and just 80 minutes of battery life, but we have to admit the Lumileo P100 and Lumileo M200's focusing dial and keypad do look a spot more stylish than some of the cubes and rectangles we've tried. And while we've just pretty much described the P100 model in full, the M200 has an additional feature that might be worth your while -- like the 3M MPro, it plays back video (including DivX), Word, PowerPoint, Excel and PDF files directly from 2GB of internal memory or your microSD card of choice, with no attached PC required. Otherwise, both project up to 60-inch pictures from VGA or "TV in" ports not shown here, and both will appear in Europe to claim an unspecified amount of that continent's discretionary cash during the fourth quarter of this year. PR after the break.
Engadget's back to school guide: Fun stuff!
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. On the menu today are a handful of fun yet practical gadgets, but feel free to check out our Back to School hub for more recommendations in other categories. It's a tough road ahead for aspiring students like yourself (yes, you!), but that doesn't mean one should abstain from any form of entertainment throughout the course. If anything, you'll be needing a few fun gadgets from our Back to School guide to impress your schoolmates -- it's not like your Facebook page will be automagically adding friends any time soon. But as the old saying goes, "work hard, play hard," so we've also thrown in a few picks that'll aid your study. When you're ready, click along for our latest list of awesomeness.
Pico projector camera concept is, as usual, better than the real thing
Oh, don't get us wrong, we rather enjoyed our time with Nikon's S1100pj projector camera, but this here Pico concept design is on a whole other level. We're talking both in terms of cuteness and inventiveness. You might have recognized by now that one of the Pico's "eyes" is the camera lens while the other is the projector, but what of the "smile?" Why, that's your microphone's sound intake port. And its little feet -- acting as a stabilizing stand when in projector mode -- also double up as covers for the external connection jacks. Masterful. Look for it to appear in your dreams some time very soon.
Nikon Coolpix S1100pj projector cam arrives with USB projection and touchscreen telestrator capabilities; S5100 arrives in tow
Looks like those German Coolpix leaks were right on the money -- Nikon's just announced the Coolpix S1100pj and the S5100. The S1100pj is a seriously hot update to the original quirky and lovable Nikon Coolpix S1000pj projector-cam: not only is it thinner and sleeker, but the projector is brighter at 14 lumens and can now beam images off a laptop over USB. The control scheme also looks to have been simplified, with a new three-inch 460,000-dot touchscreen taking over most duties and enabling a wild telestrator-style paint mode which lets you draw right on top of projected images in real-time. Camera-wise, it's an iterative bump over the previous model: 14 megapixel sensor with 720p movie mode and ISO 6400 sensitivity, 28-140mm 5x optical zoom with five-way stabilizer, and the ability to detect faces, smiles and blinks. Perhaps best of all, MSRP has dropped $100 to $349, which actually makes it a somewhat reasonable consideration if you're shopping higher-end cams. Yep, we definitely want to play with one -- it'll hit in a bunch of colors next month sometime. The Coolpix S5100 is a bit less interesting, slotting in between the S6000 and S4000. Nothing too complicated here, just a 12.1 megapixel sensor with ISO 3200 sensitivity and a 720p movie mode, 5x optical zoom with four-way stabilization, and a nifty tripod-detection function that automatically tweaks shutter speed and exposure to produce blur-free images when the camera is handheld. It'll be $179 in a bunch of colors when it hits in October -- check a shot after the break, along with the full PR for both cams. P.S.- That's both of the leaked Coolpix models -- we've got a feeling we'll be hearing about that D3100 DSLR rather soon as well. %Gallery-99566%
Nikon D3100 SLR, Coolpix S1100pj and S5100 compacts leaked in German magazine
We've definitely seen new Nikon gear leak in the foreign press before, and it looks like the cycle continues: that rumored Nikon D3100 SLR just made an appearance in the pages of Germany's Foto Digital magazine, along with an updated Coolpx S1100pj projector-cam and a new Coolpix S5100. The D3100 is obviously the main attraction -- it has a 14 megapixel sensor with up to ISO 12800 sensitivity, a new 1080p video mode, and an improved processor and autofocus system, for a body-only price of €650 ($831). Not bad -- although we don't know if it has that rumored continuous autofocus mode for video yet. We don't know nearly as much about the new Coolpix S1100pj, except that it'll retain the projector from the S1000pj, come in colors and add a touchscreen and remote control the mix; the Coolpix S5100 is less of a mystery, with a 12 megapixel sensor and a 28-140mm zoom lens pegged in the magazine. Of course, none of this is officially official yet, but we'd imagine we'll be hearing more real soon -- stay tuned.
Ordro HDV-D350S camcorder packs removable pico projector
It's not the first video camera to pack a built-in pico projector, but Ordro's HDV-D350S does look to be the first camcorder with a removable pico projector. In addition to that accoutrement -- which pumps out a WVGA image at 15 lumens -- you'll get full 1080p recording, a 10x optical zoom, a 3-inch touchscreen LCD, and an SD / SDHC card slot for storage. Of course, you'll also have to pay a considerable premium over your usual 1080p camcorder from a little known manufacturer -- look for this one to set you back $549.
Nikon rumored to be working on second projector camera with video-in capability
Despite the built-in pico projector and a freakish publicity stunt, Nikon's Coolpix S1000pj camera hasn't exactly been flying off the shelves. That said, French magazine Chasseur d'Images -- a publication with good track record on product leaks -- is reporting that Nikon's cooking up a second projector camera, and this time it'll even work as a conventional pico projector for computers. Sounds pretty swank, but according to Nikon Rumors, we'll have to wait until the first half of August for the next batch of Coolpix cameras to come out. Hopefully it won't be too late for our summer getaways -- otherwise we'll just have to hop on over to another hemisphere.
Samsung Galaxy Beam: world's first Android projector phone on sale in July
Ah, here we go, Samsung's other cellphone with an integrated projector just got an official launch date. The Galaxy Beam (codename: Halo) with its 3.7-inch Super AMOLED display is now slated to hit Singapore in July. That means that the European and broader launch across Asia should be just around the corner if Samsung's claims from Feburary hold true. At launch, the world's first Android phone with a built-in DLP pico projector will be served version 2.1 of Google's confectionary delight. Specwise, we're talking 7.2Mbps HSPA data on 900/1900/2100MHz and quad-band GSM/EDGE, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n WiFi, an 8 megapixel autofocus camera with flash (front-facing VGA) and HD video recording, A-GPS, FM Radio, and an 1,800mAH battery. Memory is confusingly listed as "4Gb + 2Gb + 1Gb + 16Gb MoviNAND" made worse by no mention of microSD though it was definitely there when we went hands-on with Beam at Mobile World Congress. Specs after the break.
Samsung shocks the pico projector world with SP-H03
Samsung's just rolled out its first ever pico projector, the SP-H03. The little thing boasts 1GB of internal memory, a microSD slot, and projects WVGA video at 30 lumens, a 1 watt speaker, and supports both open and proprietary codecs. It's got a battery life of about two hours and weighs in a 6 ounces. Other than that, it's a pretty standard looking pico affair, and it's available now for $300.
LuminAR robot finally shows us what pico projectors were meant for (video)
Still looking for an excuse to buy a pico projector? We might just have the perfect thing. LuminAR, a project of MIT student Natan Linder, is something like a sentient desk lamp of the sort that will make any dedicated Pixar fan's heart skip a beat. It can follow a user's actions, using a camera to detect gestures and beam information down to augment whichever reality they're currently experiencing. Interestingly, the whole thing is built into a bulb socket, meaning it could be thrown into any lamp you like -- if you can do without the whole automatic motion aspect. It's based on what looks to be a Microsoft Lifecam Show webcam and what is certainly a Microvision Show WX projector, which is both focus and care free. There's a demo video after the break but, sadly, little hope that this thing will be replacing your current desktop lamp any time soon.
DigiLife I-One e-reader smuggles along integrated projector, gets white glove treatment at Computex
Believe it or not, DigiLife has actually been cranking out wares in the consumer electronics space for awhile now. Trouble is, there aren't too many people that seem to care here in the States. All that has a chance to change at IFA this Fall, as that's where DigiLife will be revealing a price and ship date for its impending I-One e-reader / projector hybrid device. Shown this week at Computex for the first time, the multifaceted slate is billed as an e-book reader, with WiFi, a 10.4-inch LCD display and a rather sharp looking design to go along with it. But unlike every other alternative out there, this one actually has an integrated projector and multimedia player, though it's difficult to say what the final resolution will be (we're betting on VGA at best). Betcha never thought to project the person you're video chatting with upside the wall, did you? On second thought, don't answer that. %Gallery-94386%
BeamBox Evolution R-2 -- one of the brightest little guys around
BeamBox has just outed its Revolution R-2 pico projector, and while nothing much that could be termed revolutionary has happened in the world of tiny projectors as of late, the R-2 certainly has one thing going for it: it's super bright. That's right, the Revolution R-2 boasts a 40 lumen LCoS chip, which means it should stand out where most picos are much less -- and often around 20 lumens. Other than that it will produce a 75-inch projection with a 200:1 contrast ratio, it's got 1GB of storage plus a microSD slot, A/V inputs and a Mini USB port, plus an integrated media player. The Revolution R-2 is available now for £250 (around $360).
DIYer combines iPhone 3GS with Show WX for pico projected gaming bliss (video)
The Moject project proved that smartphones and pico projectors do indeed have a thing for one another, but Ethan Janson has taken things one step further with an unnamed contraption that holds his iPhone 3GS, a Microvision Show WX and an "ancient" point-and-shoot camera. Put simply, the handmade thingamajig allows him to play his iPhone games on a far larger screen, and since the Show WX is continually in focus regardless of distance from walls, there's never a blurring issue when flailing about in order to control the gameplay. The full skinny is down there in the source, but shortcut takers can head straight past the break for a video. [Thanks, Ethan]
Samsung goes display crazy: H03 pico projector, SyncMaster PX2370 LCD and more
Well, what do you know? Seems Samsung set up shop in the heart of London and threw itself a product introduction party! In case the company's new laptop and desktop options didn't tickle your fancy, Sammy's giving you a host of new display options as well. Kicking things off is the June-bound H03, which the company claims is the "world's brightest pico projector" with just 30 ANSI lumens -- too bad we've seen units with far more already. Moving on, there's the new SyncMaster PX2370 LED-backlit LCD monitor, offering up a 16:9 aspect ratio, a Touch of Color design, 2ms response time, VGA / DVI / HDMI inputs and a 1080p native resolution. Bringing up the rear is the 1,000 ANSI lumen LED-based SP-F10M projector and the SyncMaster MD230, the latter of which we saw toying with ATI's Eyefinity solution back at CES. Sadly, no concrete pricing details were made public, but you can peruse the respective press releases just beyond the break. Update: Samsung pinged us to clarify here -- the H03 can muster 30 ANSI lumens on AC power or battery, whereas the other guys dip below 30 when using battery power. Mystery solved.
360-degree gaming on a projector-equipped iPhone
Our friends at Joystiq found this one -- it's a jailbroken iPhone hooked up to a picoprojector, with the software using the compass and the accelerometer to determine exactly where the projector is aimed. That brings in a fun augmented reality touch -- you can move the iPhone around real space to determine where a turret is pointed in the virtual one. It's a little harder to explain than to show, but the hardware in the iPhone tells the projector what you're looking at, so moving the iPhone moves the view. How do we get from this interesting jailbroken solution to a real game? The iPhone hardware needs an upgrade, and best-case scenario is that it gets a projector built into the iPhone itself. There are already phones that have projectors built in, but as I learned at Macworld when I used this projector, the limiter isn't the projector hardware; it's the battery. The power source was as big as the iPhone itself, and even then only lasted about the length of a movie. So it'll be a while, probably, before Apple is convinced to include a projector in the phone, and then delivers hardware that can actually keep it sleek and streamlined. Until then, this demo makes the old gears go about what's possible with a setup like this. Very cool.
Moject prototype combines pico projector, smartphone and motion gaming (video)
As if Sony's PlayStation Move, Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Project Natal weren't evidence enough, we're here to inform you that motion gaming is here to stay... for awhile, anyway. One area where it hasn't quite taken over in full force is the mobile sector, but Dave & Adie are angling to change that. Their Moject (short for Motion Projection) project has led to a prototype device that straps onto an iPhone, providing a pico projector for the phone and using the handset's internal sensors to recognize movements. A demo title has also been crafted to demonstrate how it all works, and while the iPhone is obviously just the beginning of where this could go, you owe it to yourself to give the video (hosted just after the break) a look. And the jams aren't too harsh on the ears, either.
Samsung AMOLED Beam SPH-W9600 projector phone is not what we've been waiting for
Remember Samsung's impressive 3.7-inch Super AMOLED Beam projector phone running Andriod? This isn't it. Instead, Samsung is launching its far less impressive 3.3-inch AMOLED (what, no Super?) Beam SPH-W9600 we previewed back in January into its South Korean home. So yeah, it's the same 5 megapixeler with T-DMB TV, Microsoft Office and DivX codec support, and improved DLP pico projector that replaces last year's W7900. But if it's all the same to you Sammy, we'll be waiting for the true projector phone successor -- your Beam i8520, codenamed Halo -- said to be launching this summer.%Gallery-90467%
3M's PMP-packing MPro 150 pico projector gets a partially positive review (video)
The pico projectors just keep on coming, and now it's time for the 3M MPro 150 to shine. It caught our eye back at CES thanks to its ability to play media, presentations, and even display spreadsheets all from internal memory -- no PC required. Now that ability has been given a thorough evaluation by PicoProjector-info.com and, while the overall performance of the projector was found to be good, it didn't quite deliver thanks to a VGA resolution. That simply didn't push enough pixels to render much business content, and the onboard media compatibility options disappointed as well. Build quality was said to be high and image quality good, but overall this one doesn't seem to live up to its $350 pricetag. You can see the thing in action after the break, or hit the source link for all the review details.
Mystery buyer orders $8.5 million in Microvision PicoP Laser Display Engines, planning world's greatest rave?
Remember Microvision's little announcement last week that it would be selling its PicoP Laser Display Engine to OEMs, hoping they'd find ways to stuff the thing into little gadgets of all sorts? The company has apparently been doing just that with aplomb, already scoring an $8.5 million order from one top secret client that will "embed the PicoP engine inside a high-end mobile media player for release in late 2010." Unfortunately, this fancy-pants media player isn't set to be announced until just before release, meaning we have many months of delicious speculation ahead of us. Projector Zune? Screenless iPod? Yet another pico projector you have no interest in buying? The possibilities are endless.
