Micro projectors caught our attention at CES, as several companies such as Samsung and WowWee had them on display. We also checked out the Logic Bolt cell phone with one built in.
Logic Bolt by Logic Wireless
 The Logic Bolt cell phone by Logic Wireless raised some eyebrows at CES 2009. Boasting a built-in micro projector with a VGA resolution, the Logic Bolt casts images that measures 36 by 64 inches. The Logic Bolt is approximately 2 inches thick in order to host the magic, and promises to deliver approximately 2 hours of talk or video play time with its 1800 mAh battery. Logic Wireless' manufacturing partner, which is located in China, is also planning a future version offering Windows Mobile and CDMA + GSM network support. The current version comes with a proprietary OS and GSM Quadband only.
The strangest detail about the Logic Bolt is that Logic Wireless is claiming that the phone will be available subsidized from a U.S. carrier for $100, but the carrier in question, T-Mobile, seems to be denying any involvement with the upstart vendor. Because of the nebulous nature of the specs and release info, we think the Logic Bolt is a phone for gadget collectors rather than road warriors in need of on-the-go mobile presentation solutions. That said, it certainly marks an upcoming trend in packing these tiny projectors into phones and portable devices. Release: Spring 2009. Price: $600.
Samsung MBP200 Pico Projector
 The Samsung MBP200 is a portable media player with a pico projector built in. The MBP200 can also display video from other sources, like cell phones and laptops, and Samsung says it can fill a 50-inch screen with its image. As a standalone player, though, the MBP200 will use a microSD slot to read media files as well as office documents, so you can use the device as a presentation projector for PowerPoint, Word or Excel documents. The Samsung MBP200 even comes equipped with a tiny arm that extends to hold a sheet of paper, and this can be used as the projection screen. The projector will be available later this year, but pricing and specific launch dates have yet to be determined. In Korea, however, buyers can now purchase a Samsung Anycall phone with a projector built in, so clearly the technology is ready for the mainstream.
WowWee's new micro projectors
  WowWee introduced three micro projectors at CES 2009, including the Cinemin Swivel, Cinemin Stick and Cinemin Station. The Cinemin Station pico projector is an alarm clock-sized media center and iPod docking station. The Cinemin Swivel is an affordable, lightweight micro projector that is roughly the size of a candy bar and features 3 hours of battery life for movie watching, full volume control and an adjustable 90-degree hinge for ceiling projection. The Cinemin Stick pico projector is a compact micro projector with internal memory and an expandable SD card memory slot that puts you web videos, digicam snapshots and more on display.
We spent some time watching video on the WowWee projectors, and we'd have to say the Cinemin line does project a bright, colorful image, and not the washed-out picture we're used to seeing on these diminutive presentation devices. We could easily see toting one of these around for larger-scale movies on an airplane, or for sharing presentations and ideas with a small group. The WowWee Cinemin line and all the micro projectors we saw were amazingly small, smaller than many cell phones we've owned, so they wouldn't add much bulk to our packs.
All of these projectors will be available some time this year, and pricing has yet to be determined. If we had to make an educated guess, we would say that $300 or so will be the high-end for these devices, and the cheapest will probably come in at around half that, perhaps under $150.
Philip Berne, Mike Perlman and Sindre Lia contributed to this CES 2009 story.
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Feature Search & Compare
|
|
|
» Side-By-Side Comparison
|
|
|
» Upcoming Releases
|
|
|
» Carriers
Unlocked, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, More...
|
|
|
» Brands
Apple, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia,
BlackBerry, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Palm, More...
|
|
|
|
» User Types
Average Joe, Business users, Calling addicts, Fashion conscious users, Globetrotters, High-res addicts, Internet addicts, Multimedia enthusiasts, Music aficionados, Outdoor enthusiasts, TV addicts, Video lovers, More...
|
|
|
|
_it00.jpg)
_it00.jpg)
|
Archive