Pico

Oregon Scientific announced a new DLP pico projector last week at CES. The Portable WiFi Projector can display FWVGA 854 x 480 at 1,000:1 contrast and a 80 lumens of brightness. If it's plugged into the USB alone, it only shines at 50 lumens. At about 3.2 meters from the wall, it will display a 120-inch wide picture in total darkness. The Oregon Scientific projector will also have a 90-degree hinge, a focus slide, a 3.5mm headphone jack and controls for brightness and power.

The top of the base acts as a touch-based controller for the brightness and volume. You simply slide your fingertip towards the center to reduce both, and slide outwards to increase the volume and brightness.Read more

There's a new accessory available for the iPhone 4 and 4S that projects videos from your phone - including Netflix and YouTube content - onto any surface at a size of up to 50 inches, thanks to Texas Intsrument's DLP Pico projector technology.

The new Pocket Projector for iPhone 4 is an accessory case that features a bright 15-lumen LED projector lamp, 640x360 native display resolution and Focus adjustment. An integrated 0.5W speaker is also included to deliver audio, and its built-in 2100mAh battery charges via USB connection.

"The partnership between Brookstone and Texas Instruments resulted in a remarkable accessory case that turns one's iPhone 4 and 4S player into a mobile home-theater unit," said Ron Boire, President and CEO of Brookstone. "Brookstone's mission is to find smarter, better ways for people to do the things they love, and the Pocket Projector for iPhone 4 embodies that spirit by marrying great technology with entertainment," added Boire.Read more

AAXA Technologies, perhaps not a household name now, has just introduced their P4 Pico Projector. And with the world's brightest battery-powered pico projector in their line-up, you might see a lot more of these guys.

The P4 weighs less than a pound, and has a screaming 750mhz Windows CE mobile processor, as well as a super-bright 80-lumen high-contrast optical engine powered by Texas Instrument's DLP. Perfect for the road warrior who's primary job is presenting digital material, the AAXA Technologies P4 Pico Projector can deliver high brightness and deep colors for a rich viewing experience up to 80-inches.

The P4 is the most powerful and fully-featured projector in its class. It employs a robust Windows CE 6.0 processor with 2GB of onboard memory and is capable of playing 720p videos, high resolution pictures, and supports an array of 3rd party apps including Microsoft Office mobile, Adobe PDF viewer, mobile games, and a variety of other Windows CE applications. Coupled with the optional keyboard and mouse, the P4 gives you a lot in a tiny package. Additionally with the P4's 1-watt speaker, the P4 can serve double-duty as a standalone multimedia system.Read more

3M Combines the Projector and the Camcorder to Create the CP45

In the latest gadget news, 3M just announced their new 3M CP45 Pico Projector Camcorder combo. It combines a pico projector with a digital camcorder.

This little handheld beauty takes 5-megapixal images and 1280 x 720p HD video recording. It also has a fixed focus lens, LED flash and a 2.4-inch LCD display.

With an HD camcorder and a projector, you're getting two new gadgets in one. It contains 2GB of built-in memory, and can be added onto with the included microSD card slot. In addition to a 2.4-inch LCD screen, it can project an 800×600 image, ranging from 10-inch to 65-inches in size on any surface, with a brightness of 20 lumens.Read more

Acer today announced that the K11, the world's smallest projector with 200 lumens brightness, is now available. So small it can fit in the palm of your hand, the K11 can be used in the boardroom, classroom or living room -- and can even be connected to an iPod or iPhone for displaying photos or videos.

The ultra-small Acer K11 weighs just 1.3 pounds and measures 4.8" W x 4.6" D x 1.7" H. It uses a mercury-free LED light for up to 30,000 hours of lamp life, features 200 ANSI lumens and has a contrast ratio of 2000:1. Its native SVGA resolution of 858x600 and 4:3 aspect ratio are great for presentations, photos, etc. but the projector can also be adjusted to a 16:9 aspect ratio for video content from Blu-ray Discs and DVDs.Read more

Optoma has been in the projector business for quite some time now, but they've put a spin on things with the new Neo-i, the first iPod dock with built-in Pico projector. The Neo-i's 50 ANSI Lumen Pico projector can project an image of up to 120-inches in its native WVGA (854 X 480 pixels) resolution in 16:9 format. The iPod docking station is placed on top of the projector, and includes a 16 watt 2-speaker stereo system with a bass reflex design and Class D amplifiers.

You can control your iPod/iPhone several ways - from the device, from the (included) IR remote control, or through the backlit control panel on the Neo-i. The Neo-i also charges your iPod/iPhone while docked in the unit. HDMI and VGA ports are included for connection to laptops, Blu-ray players, etc., and an optional accessory kit will be available for connectivity to the iPad.

The Neo-i measures a small 12.8" x 8.9" x 3.1" and weighs less than 2.5 lbs, though it's not categorized as a portable device. The Neo-i goes on sale in mid-December for $449.

InfoComm 2010 is going on this week, and at the show Samsung unveiled the A800 3D home projector as well as the super-small SP-H03 LED pico projector.

Measuring less than three inches on each side, the Samsung H03 pico projector has 30 ANSI lumens and uses a LED light source rated at 30,000 hours of life. It weighs just six ounces and is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

The H03 pico projector features 1 GB internal memory (expandable via USB or microSD input) and has WVGA (854 x 480) native resolution. It projects image size ranging from nine to 80 inches, with 30 inches recommended. The H03 will be available through Samsung authorized retailers, including Best Buy, beginning in June 2010 for $299.99.Read more

ViewSonic just announced the availability of its smallest DLP projector to date, the 2.2 pound PJD2121. ViewSonic designed this tiny projector specifically for small meeting rooms. It has a short 1:1 throw ratio, making it possible to display images 60" or greater from only four feet away.

This ultra-portable DLP projector supports both 720p and 1080i HD formats, delivers 400 lumens and an 800x600 SVGA native resolution, and has a contrast ratio of 1,800:1. The PJD2121's 'Off to Go' function lets you power down instantly without damaging the lamp. It also has a bottom load lamp and filter-less design for easy maintenance. A Kensington security lock port is also included.

The PJD2121 pico projector has a three-year limited parts and labor warranty, plus one-year on the lamp, and the first year of Express Exchange service, as well as 24/7 customer support. The ViewSonic PJD2121 pico projector is available now for $449.

Pico projectors were hot at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Thanks to the ultra-tiny DLP Pico Chipset from Texas Instruments, these pocket-sized wonders can project content onto practically any surface, with a screen size of up to 50+ inches.

Samsung MBP200: The MBP200 connects to mobile phones and laptops and content can be projected with up to a 50-inch viewing screen. The MBP200 is a media player with an SD card slot - listen to music, create playlists, project video, pictures or PDF, PowerPoint, Word or Excel files. What sets the MBP200 apart, is it has a small screen holder with a telescoping pole hidden inside, which can turn a standard sheet of paper into a screen to view movies, document files or pictures. Pricing and availability to be announced.

  Read more