Hasta La Gadget!

Still holding out on nabbing a pico projector? We know, we know — you’ll leap when there’s 1080p. But if you’re kosher with baby steps, Microvision’s newest entrant might just fit the bill. The SHOWWX+ is a revamped version of the ouftit’s original PicoP-based SHOWWX, and it seems that a full year in the engineering lab has enabled the company to pop out a device that’s 50 percent brighter, yet the exact same size. The internal battery can keep the 15 laser lumens shining for two solid hours, and there’s also a 5,000:1 native contrast ratio. iDevice users will be elated to know that this guy is a Made for iPod, iPhone and iPad product, enabling it to output Netflix content without any DRM issues (or so we’re told). The native resolution still checks in at 848 x 480, and if all that sounds just peachy, you can get one headed your way today for $449. Head on past the break for Netflix and Rage HD demos.

Continue reading Microvision’s PicoP-based SHOWWX+ projector: twice as bright, zero percent larger

Microvision’s PicoP-based SHOWWX+ projector: twice as bright, zero percent larger originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You should by now be aware that we’re big fans of Microvision’s Show WX pico projectors. Whether integrated into the smartphones or gaming peripherals of the future, we feel like the company’s Laser Display Engine has a big part to play in our lives. It’s therefore very welcome news to hear that its research team has managed to integrate a “direct” green laser into the portable projector setup, making for simpler and cheaper manufacturing of smaller components. Up to this point, Microvision has been performing its color mixing using a red laser, a blue laser, and a red laser specially re-calibrated to output green light, but that added bit of complexity can now be set aside with the inclusion of lasers that produce green hues natively. The company cites at least five global manufacturers ready to produce direct green beamers in commercial quantities by late 2011, so with a bit of luck and price competition, the pico projector dream might have itself a glorious realization after all.

Continue reading Microvision integrates direct green laser into pico projector prototype, completes RGB achievement

Microvision integrates direct green laser into pico projector prototype, completes RGB achievement originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 08:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You should know by now that the 3M Shoot ‘n Share is aptly named: it shoots 720p video and stills, and it shares with a 640 x 480 built-in pico projector. Simple, yes? What you might not know is how well the thing actually works, and for that we have a helpful review from PicoProjector-info. It basically confirms any fears you might’ve had about the combination: it’s not the best pocket camcorder, and it’s not the best pico projector (even 3M’s own similarly-specced MPro-150 model bests it). The good news is that it absolutely works, and is certainly passable in both of its stated aims, along with being fairly easy to operate. Not too bad for $300.

3M Shoot ‘n Share camcorder projector gets reviewed, does what it says on the box originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Augmented reality demonstrations may be pretty common these days, but this so-called “Twinkle” interface developed by some researchers Tokyo University and Keio University takes a different enough approach to still turn a few heads. That’s done thanks to the combination of a pico projector and a camera, the former of which projects a character onto any surface, while the latter is used along with some image processing software to identify objects the character can interact with. That’s further backed up by an accelerometer that detects movements the camera can’t, and the researchers say that the system can not only recognize specific objects like the ones on the board pictured above, but everyday objects as well — letting you put your LittleBigPlanet skills to use on your desk, for instance. Head on past the break to check it out in action.

Continue reading Twinkle augmented reality interface promises to make your world a platformer

Twinkle augmented reality interface promises to make your world a platformer originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Continue reading Toshiba outs Lumileo pico projectors, only one of which requires a plug

Toshiba outs Lumileo pico projectors, only one of which requires a plug originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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