Phones with projectors in them?

[Private Storm]

How often do you find yourself needing to share the contents of your mobile with a wide audience on a large screen anyway?

How often did people feel the need to share messages over 160 characters of text before SMS was launched? They didn't, but once the tech was there, loads of uses became apparent. Not to the same scale, but the same will happen with these devices.

 

[DotCommunist]

there is no where near the richness of colour you get with a full sized beast.

Those bigguns are however prohibitively expensive and christ help your wallet when the bulb goes.

I can see that the projector phone might work for a niche market but I don't see them getting wide uptake in the same way cameraphones have.

 

[editor]

How often did people feel the need to share messages over 160 characters of text before SMS was launched? They didn't, but once the tech was there, loads of uses became apparent. Not to the same scale, but the same will happen with these devices.

That's a really hopeless comparison - it's like asking how often did people feel the need to have a tea-maker in their phones.

Just because something may be technically possible it doesn't mean the masses are going to go wild for it (see: video calling).

 

[Kanda]

Mine plugs into anything with an A/V out, it's not just for the phone. Have used it at work too for Powerpoint presentations.

http://www.aaxatech.com/products/kp190.htm

I agree that one in your phone is a bit silly though.

 

[DotCommunist]

The tech involved in the mini projector would be ace for display glasses- but you'd look like even more of a nob than the wearers of bluetooth ear-things.

 

[jæd]

That's a really hopeless comparison - it's like asking how often did people feel the need to have a tea-maker in their phones.

That would be cool. I could see myself using that every day. And a quick straw-poll in the office shows it would be a winner...

 

[Voley]

I think a phone that made a cup of tea would be fucking brilliant.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Just because something may be technically possible it doesn't mean the masses are going to go wild for it (see: video calling).

I work with kids and teenagers and most of them are glued to their phones, listern to tinny music and watching video clips that are bluetoothed around. Even if the quality is poor, if the price was right, I'd be very surprised if these didn't become really popular.

 

[editor]

I work with kids and teenagers and most of them are glued to their phones, listern to tinny music and watching video clips that are bluetoothed around. Even if the quality is poor, if the price was right, I'd be very surprised if these didn't become really popular.

The phone projector would have to be dazzlingly bright to be any good in the daytime (and thus battery draining) and the kidZ would need somewhere to project their shonky videos on to - assuming the teacher hasn't already taken it off them or it's been banned after they kept shining the bright light in people's eyes.

Video calling has been available on phones for ages, but it's hardly taken the teenage world by storm, has it? I'm sure some would find it useful but it's never going to be as mainstream as SMS or listening to music.

 

[Private Storm]

Video calling has been available on phones for ages, but it's hardly taken the teenage world by storm, has it? I'm sure some would find it useful but it's never going to be as mainstream as SMS or listening to music.

That's a crap comparison too - video calling costs loads, one of the main reasons it never took off*

SMS and listening to music are effectively free and the same will be true for using a projector in your handset.

*That and the quality was/is shit

 

[editor]

That's a crap comparison too - video calling costs loads, one of the main reasons it never took off*

SMS and listening to music are effectively free and the same will be true for using a projector in your handset.

*That and the quality was/is shit

And these yoot-orientated projector phones are going to be cheap and high quality? LOL.

Besides, video calling isn't that expensive anymore - Virgin charge 30p/minute. It didn't catch on because no one's particularly interested, and SMS only got cheap because it grew popular.

I can remember when it was 20p per text.

 

[Crispy]

Well, pocket projectors may be a step too far, but home systems are getting closer and closer to sensible these days. This baby's just 155x117x50mm and weighs less than a kilo. LED lamp so no expensive replacements and no scorching surfaces. £550

Sure, it's only 160 lumens, and only 800x600, but a little brighter and a little cheaper and it'd be great for a small room or bedroom. Good for the businessman on the go too. If you're only presenting to 4 people in a little Regus office, there's no need for 100 lumens and 5kg.

 

[Dillinger4]

Self facilitating media node.

 

[editor]

Sure, it's only 160 lumens, and only 800x600, but a little brighter and a little cheaper and it'd be great for a small room or bedroom. Good for the businessman on the go too. If you're only presenting to 4 people in a little Regus office, there's no need for 100 lumens and 5kg.

Oh, you won't hear me arguing against the growth of small, bright projectors but after attending an event by Epson, they've got a long way to go before they take over LCD screens in the average household.

I saw the whole Epson range in a 'home environment.' The bottom of the range stuff was noisy, clunky and ran as hot as hell, while the high end stuff was absolutely fucking amazing to look at but phenomenally expensive - and you'd still need the curtains closed on bright days.

 

[Sunray]

Never been keen on reflected light display apart from at a Cinema where its been set up to be optimal and they tend to be very dark places.

If they could make a 100' AMOLED cheap, watch the death of projectors.