Young Optics lowers pico projector revenue goal for 2009

Taiwan-based light engine maker Young Optics, a subsidiary of backlight unit (BLU) maker Coretronic, has lowered pico projectors' estimated share of revenues to 5% from 19% for 2009, according to the company.

Young Optics indicated that the company shipments of pico projectors have been weaker than expected due to delays in clients' product launches, as well as high prices of pico projectors.

According to research firm PMA, pico projector shipments are estimated to reach 420,000 units in 2009, exceed 1.8 million units in 2010, 7.6 million units in 2011, and over 17 million units in 2012.

However, Young Optics noted that judging from the current market situation, pico projector shipments in 2009 are unlikely to reach 420,000 units. The company said that the pico projector market will take off when module prices drop to US$50 each in 2010.

The company has posted July consolidated revenues of NT$405.99 million (US$12.32 million), down 24.91% from NT$540.66 million for June and down 47.4% from NT$771.92 million for July 2008, according to data from the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). Accumulated revenues from January to July totaled NT$3.29 billion, down 18.91% on year.

Via DigiTimes

How to Buy a Mini / Pico / Palm-Top Projector

Portable projectors keep getting smaller and lighter. Whereas a 12-pound projector once qualified as portable, now it's considered acceptable only for carrying from room to room. The smallest, lightest projectors today are small enough so you can bring one along without a second thought, stuffing it into a briefcase or even a pocket. However, some compromises go along with the small size—notably low brightness levels. If you're thinking about getting a small projector, considering these questions first will help you pick the right one.

How Portable Does It Have To Be?

The smallest projectors today fall into two categories: palm-top and pico. There's some confusion about the categories, because most manufacturers call palm-tops pocket projectors. But with dimensions that top out at about 2.5 by a little more than 5 by 5 inches, the pocket description is more metaphorical than real. Pico projectors, on the other hand, are comparable to a cell phone in size and weight, so they can easily fit in a shirt pocket. Palm-tops are portable enough to carry with you easily when you need them. Pico projectors are small and light enough to carry all the time.

Some of these projectors also enhance their portability by being able to read files directly from a USB memory key. Ask yourself whether taking advantage of that feature will let you leave your computer at home. If so, a somewhat larger and heavier projector with a USB reader feature can be more portable in a practical sense than a lighter projector that won't work without your computer.


Via PCMag - read the full article on their site ;)

New LED Projector Technology from Wavien

Waiven has come up with a new LED projector technology that will be able to offer 200 ANSI lumens, but before you laugh at the paltry amount, do consider this - it is possible to achieve that brightness using but a single white, 50 watt LED light. This technology will readily target pico projectors and is already available for manufacturers to purchase. Guess we ought to see a new generation of pico projectors hit the market pretty soon that will feature a double increase in brightness without burdening the consumers with additional cost. Waiven engineers aren't resting on their laurels though, as they are already hard at work on the next generation of LED projector technology that is tipped to surpass the 300 ANSI lumens mark.

From the press release:

Premien LED projector technology produces output in excess of 200 lumens using a single white, 50 W LED. The output efficiency of Premien technology, which is currently available for portable projector applications, is up to two times higher than the competing LED technologies. Wavien continues to optimize the system performance of projectors using Premien technology and expects that next-generation performance will increase to over 300 lumens.

In addition to improved screen brightness, the Premien design reduces the number of costly optical and other components used in conventional LED projector configurations, resulting in lower manufacturing costs. Projector manufacturers which currently use standard arc lamps can adopt Premien technology with minimal changes in product design, allowing for easy entry into the rapidly growing LED projector market. Users of Premien technologies will also directly benefit from the huge advances being made by LED manufacturers producing white LEDs for the general lighting market.

Dr. Kenneth Li, President and CEO of Wavien, Inc., who is also the inventor of the latest Premien LED recycling technologies, said: "The ability to display and share information from portable media players among family and friends at any time and any place has been the consumers' dream, but up to now the price of portable projectors has been too high. Wavien's Premien technology now allows projector manufacturers the opportunity to introduce low-cost, high-performance portable projectors, which are the main driving forces for mass adoption in this market.

"The same projectors, based on the Premien advantages, are also a very attractive improvement option for invigorating the home theatre, mobile presentation and small-office markets," Dr. Li added.

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

Via übergizmo, prnewswire.com

Lancer iJector, iPhone/iPod docking station

All the user needs to do is stick their iPhone or iPod on the dock, and you can project them at a great brightness at up to 50 inch diagonal. The resolution has a low resolution at about 557 x 234.

It weighs in at about 120 grams and has dimensions of 195×145x96mm. The brightness level is at 20 lumens, and the lamp can stand about 30,000 hours.

The iJector is one of those “made for iPod” products that should work for most iPod products, and is compatible with the following:

iPod nano generation 1
iPod nano generation 2
iPod nano generation 3
iPod video generation 5 30 GB
iPod video generation 5 50 GB
iPod Classic 80GB
iPod Classic 160GB
iPod touch 8GB
iPod touch 16GB
iPod touch 32GB
iPhone 3.0

Suspiciously absent from this bulleted list is the iPhone 3GS. Uh-oh.

The iJector is a licensed Apple product and costs $700. It looks like it will be available in Japan only, on July 17.

Via coolest-gadgets.com

WowWee Cinemin Swivel available for pre-order

The WowWee Technologies Cinemin Swivel is now available for pre-order in the US and in Europe, for 349$.
The Cinemin swivel has a 480x360, 10L, 1:1000 contrast DLP projector engine.

Via picoprojector-info.com

AAXA P2 pico projector launches

AAXA Technologies has unveiled their latest pico-projector dubbed the P2. It measures only 4.3-inch x 2.1-inch x 1-inch and weighs just 260 grams. The palm sized projector sports a 800 x 600 resolution, 33 lumens brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 1GB of storage, a microSD card slot and a 1,700mAh rechargeable battery that lasts up to 35 minutes.

It also comes complete with 1W stereo speakers, a 3.5mm composite A/V port, a mini USB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and VGA port. The AAXA P2 is available now for pre-order for $349.

Via slipperybrick.com

Nikon launches Coolpix S1000pj 12.1-megapixel camera with built-in picoprojector

set for release in September for a hefty $429, the 12.1-megapixel Coolpix S1000pj looks like your typical compact digicam, complete with a 28mm wide-angle lens, flash, and a 2.7-inch LCD in back.

But the Nikon has a cool trick up its sleeves: a tiny, built-in projector capable of throwing a 40-inch image onto any nearby surface, good for showing off individual snapshots, slideshows, or even clips you've captured with the S1000pj's video recorder.

Expect VGA resolution from the Coolpix's pico projector, according to Nikon, as well as an hour of battery life. Also in the box: a projector stand, as well as a remote that controls the projector or acts as a shutter release.

Nikon also promises that the S1000pj won't shirk its usual imaging duties, packing in 5x optical/4x digital zoom, image stabilization, "face-priority" auto focus, and a "best shot selector" mode that takes a burst of shots and picks the one with the sharpest focus.

Via tech.yahoo.com