BeamBox Essential G2 pico-projector

The BeamBox Essential G2, drops both bulk and weight to come in at 75g, together with 20 lumens brightness and VGA 640 x 480 resolution.


As with the R1 there’s 1GB of onboard storage, but unlike that model there’s no integrated battery. That means you’ll always need external power to drive the G2, but since it shows up via USB as a secondary monitor when plugged into a laptop or netbook that should be no great issue.

There’s also a remote control and tripod mount, and it’s compatible with both Windows and Mac machines. Contrast ratio is 100:1 and the Essential G2 can create up to a 73.5-inch image from three meters away. It’s available for pre-order now, priced at £220 or $250, with deliveries expected to begin on July 29th.

Buy AAXA P1 Pico Projector - Titanium Gray

Via SlashGear

Mini OLED projector prototype

A new mini projector prototype could see mobile phone users hosting impromptu movie screenings on makeshift screens such as white towels or walls... without killing the battery. Unlike conventional projectors the prototype doesn’t need an additional illumination system. Instead it relies on a lens system to project images produced by an OLED onto a wall or other flat surface.

Operating without an extra light source offers the dual benefits of reduced size and energy requirements. The prototype is 2.5 cm long, has a diameter of 1.8 cm and needs very little energy. This means the projector could be easily integrated into a mobile phone or PDA without overtaxing the devices’ battery.

Currently the prototype’s OLED display produces a monochrome image with a brightness of 10,000 candelas per square meter, and color images about half that level. By way of comparison, a computer monitor generates about 150-300 candelas per square meter.

The lenses used in the prototype are made of glass, but the development team is working on an optical system that uses plastic lenses. This is because plastic lenses can be embossed, so they can be produced in larger quantities more simply and cheaply than glass lenses.

The mini projector was developed by research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena in cooperation with their partners in the EU project HYPOLED.

Via GizMag

BenQ Joybee GP1 Mini Projector review

The Joybee GP1 Mini Projector is BenQ’s most compact and portable projector, boasting image sizes up to 80” and featuring a rather unique USB reader that allows you to run media without the assistance of a computer or additional video input device.

When BenQ approached us to review the Joybee GP1 projector we stopped to think about it for a second considering it deviates from our usual coverage of computer peripherals. That said, the idea of testing the minimalistic projector sounded appealing from the perspective of a gadget lover that wouldn't mind dumping a large monitor for a 60-plus inch projected screen under the right circumstances.

Buy the BenQ JoyBee GP1 DLP Proj SVGA 2000:1 100LUMENS VGA 1.4LBS with usb Reader

Furthermore, this is just the beginning of a developing trend of 'pico' or 'palmtop' projectors that offer form factor convenience, along with the use of LED-based light sources. LED projectors do away with common nags associated with traditional projectors like the use lamps that need to be replaced during its lifetime.

Read the review at TechSpot

Apple vs Nokia vs Samsung: projector phone wars?

Apple and Nokia, both sworn mobile enemies, are each said to be plotting projector phones for a 2010 release. Can either gadget giant take on the Samsung i7410 pico projector phone and win? Read on to find out just what they’re beavering away on.

The idea of an Apple or Nokia projector phone might not be as far fetched as tech hounds might like to think. Reports coming out of Taiwan, quoting sources "close to handset manufacturers", suggest that Foxlink, whose parent company Foxconn are behind the iPhone, have already got an in–phone projector ready to go.

Via Mirror.co.uk

Projector-phones due by Christmas?

Pico projecters were all the rage last month at Taiwan's giant Computex show, with Life Technologies showing its DigiLife DDV-JF1 pico-projector-equipped digicam and other pico projectors on the way from Aiptek, Optoma, and others.

Microvision of Redmond, Washington has been demoing its laser-based ShowWX pico projector for quite some time, with a release both as a Microvision-branded product and as a OEM subsystem planned for later this year - a deadline aided by Corning's recent announcement that it can now provide Microvision with green lasers in mass-manufacturing quantities.

Microvision's ShowWX has the distinct advantage over other pico-projector designs of not needing a focusing lens, as do competing technologies such as Texas Instruments' DLP, 3M's LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon), and Displaytech's FLCOS (ferroelectric LCOS).

Via The Register

Optoma Pico PK101

Optoma picked an appropriate moniker for its Lilliputian-size video projector. The Pico PK101 isn't just small, it's almost inconceivably tiny. It measures just 1.97 inches wide by 4.06 inches long by 0.59 inches thick, and it weighs only four ounces.

Texas Instruments’ DLP (Digital Light Processor) technology deserves much of the credit for making such a product possible. DLP projectors create an image by bouncing light off microscopic mirrors arranged in a matrix on a semiconductor. Each mirror represents a pixel in the image and swivels to either reflect light through the lens or to an internal heatsink. Toggling these two states on and off creates a grayscale. Color pixels are created by using either a color wheel or a colored light source. Optoma uses a non-replaceable LED for its light source, which it claims should last for 20,000 hours. There’s a tiny speaker and a 0.5-watt amp onboard, too.

In addition to its Li-Ion battery, the Pico PK101 can operate on AC or USB power (we used the USB port on a Metadot Das Keyboard). Optoma claims a fully charged battery should last 90 minutes, but ours delivered only 67 minutes while playing a silent, looping slide show at the brighter of the projector’s two settings. Good thing it comes with a spare.



This projector is designed to be paired with a handheld media player and is outfitted with only an analog A/V input. You connect the projector to a source using either a special cable or an iPod docking-port adapter (both are included). If you want to connect the projector to a PC, the PC must be equipped with either a composite video output or a VGA output (connected to a VGA-to-composite adapter). That limitation pretty much rules out the device as a PowerPoint tool for the traveling businessperson, because a VGA signal converted to composite does a very poor job of displaying text.

Buy the Optoma Pico PK101 EP-PK-101 PICO DLP Pocket Projector - 4 oz.

Via maximumpc.com

PhoneSuit MiLi Pro - the iPhone Portable Projector

Due out in September 2009, the PhoneSuit MiLi Pro has been optimized for pairing with an iPhone. The device can display images at a 640-by-480 resolution wherever you wish to project an image. This is perfect if you're tired of having your friends huddle around your iPhone to catch up on the latest stupid YouTube video.


The MiLi Pro's recommended display size ranges from five to 40 inches (though the company says it can go all the way up to 70 inches), and it comes with an adjustable focus wheel to make sure your image is as crisp as possible. The $99 PhoneSuit MiLi Power Pack powers the MiLi Pro, so you won't have to worry about sapping the iPhone's limited battery life. The Power Pack drives the MiLi Pro's liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) LED projector with a brightness rating of 10 lumens. Phonesuit says it takes about three hours to recharge fully via provided USB cables, and it will come with an extra battery pack. MiLi Pro pricing will be announced upon its release.

Via businessweek.com

Samsung MBP200 Pico projector

Samsung has begun selling their MBP200 convergence device in Germany. Samsung has developed other convergence devices (items that serve multiple functions) and the MBP200's portable media player (PMP) and Pico projector combo doesn't disappoint. While not officially available in the US at this time, it can be purchased and delivered to US customers through online retailers.

A compact portable projector designed to connect directly to mobile phones and laptops the MBP200 brings presentations on the road - sometimes without the need for a laptop. The Pico Projector natively supports PDF and Microsoft Office standard file formats, so you can leave the laptop behind and instead store your presentation on a microSD (in capacities up to 16 GB).

Weighing in at just 160-grams, the Pico Projector is capable of projecting onto a surface as small as a sheet of paper with up to a 50-inch viewing area. Without cooling, I'm not sure how bright the MBP200 is (number of lumens), but for small presentations it's probably adequate and the cool factor is sure to impress.

Because the MBP200 also includes a 2.2-inch QVGA LCD, the device is also a PMP. In fact it's a 4-in-1 file/picture viewer and music/video player. The MBP200 is a no-brainer to pack for business and pleasure and if Samsung ever decides to incorporate a phone, WiFi and Bluetooth, I'd unload a drawer-full of old gear on eBay tomorrow.

Buy Samsung MBP200 Pico DLP Projector

Via examiner.com

AAXA P1 pico projector finally launches

With the claim of being the first pico projector to hit the market with onboard memory, AAXA has launched the P1.

That memory comes in the form of built-in 1GB flash memory with support for MP4, MP3, AVI, JPG and WMV while the projector also boasts a microSD card slot.

You can also hook it straight up to your gadgetry with iPod, PSP and VGA compatibility touted with the additional purchase of connecting cables.

Specs-wise, you're looking at a 640 x 480 resolution image, projected to up to 60-inches.

Buy the AAXA P1 Pico Projector

The projector offers a 12 lumen LED light source and contrast ratio comes in at 1000:1.

There are teeny 0.5 Watt speakers, but a headphone jack, so presumably you could send the sound through something with a little more bite.

Offering manual focus, the glossy black projector weighs in at 180 grams, measures 105 x 58 x 26mm and is on sale now for $239.

News via pocket-lint.com

Buy the AAXA P1 Pico Projector