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Cell Phone with Built-in Projector

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the almost-practical-now dept.

karvind writes "Siemens researchers have developed a cell phone featuring a built-in projector system. A laboratory model was presented at CeBIT 2005 in Hanover. The system makes it possible to project a complete keypad or display onto a surface. With a special pen, users can write on the virtual keypad and operate the phone's functions. Other projection keyboard concepts can be found here and here"

11 of 137 comments (clear)

  1. hard to type by alatesystems · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Anyone who has ever used these type of keyboards knows you need a completely steady surface, it needs to be semi-dark so you can see the keyboard, and it hurts the hell out of your fingers to type on a non-giving surface.

    None of these aspects are well-suited for portable typing. I want a SELMA hologram for my portable electronics interaction.

  2. too clunky... by kebes · · Score: 4, Insightful

    TFA claims:
    "At first glance, the mobile phone looks exactly like a conventional cell phone."

    ...but I disagree. It looks big and clunky. Frankly I don't think this feature is worth the added bulk, cost, complexity, and battery-usage. This will remain a gimmick until it can be integrated seemlessly into current cellphones, and more importantly, until the interface is actually smooth and efficient.

    1. Re:too clunky... by danila · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I am amazed at your studpidity, kebes. What you are saying is essentially "the feature is useless and will remain a gimmick until it works perfectly". May be you were not aware of it, but all new technologies go through these stages. First DVD players were bulky, expensive and there were no DVDs to play on them. First mobile phones, for fuck's sake, weighted several kilos and were carried around in a briefcase. Of course this is a prototype - have you seen any phones with projectors before? Of course, it is not perfect - it is just a prototype. Would you prefer companies keeping all their concept products secret? No one expects customers to buy these phones en masse. But if there is some interest, the technology will be developed further and eventually perfected.

      You don't seem to understand any of this and act as if your groundless and irrational bashing has some merit. It doesn't. Your comment is 100% content-free and in the future, please kindly think before typing anything on the keyboard in front of you. Thank you.

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  3. Awesome by Rolling_Go · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Wait, no, my bad.

    Also what do you really need a projected keyboard on your cell phone for? Is it really that time consuming to put in a new contact with your keypad, or are people writing 20 page business reports and stuff on them? I'm getting too old for this shit.

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  4. mobile? by orson_of_fort_worth · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Very nice technology and all but it requires the user to be stationary, kind of defeating the purpose of a mobile phone.

  5. Looks to be... by justforaday · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Looks to be yet another solution in search of a problem...Don't get me wrong, I'm sure something useful will evolve out of this tech at some point..

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  6. Cell Phone bloat! by bogaboga · · Score: 2, Insightful
    What I observe is what I call cell phone bloat. Much as I'd like to send my photo to my loved ones once a while, I resent the idea that these gadgets are no longer produced in their simplest terms as it once used to be.

    Here in Canada, major Telcos charge exorbitantly just for the previledge of being able to send and/or view video. These are features that users do not use that much. How many of you send photos via their cell phones on a regular basis?

    Now one sees projectors...next will be God knows what...! Maybe it's because I am in Canada and being charged unfairly. What is the experience of others?

  7. advantage to typing on hard surfaces by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    When I used to study piano, my teacher would often recomend playing out a scale on a hard wooden surface. This strengthens the fingers significantly; however, I wonder if doing that for a long while might have adverse effects.

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  8. They've almost got it now. by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is so very close. I want a color projector at minimum 640x480 resolution that I can project on a wall, and a laser projector that will draw a keyboard for me. I want this stuff in a phone, which can be the size of a PDA, and which should have a decent screen on it as well. Provided there is a decent system for writing programs for the phone, that's the convergence device I'll pay for. (Got to have a camera and mp3 player too.) Granted it'll probably be the size of a small palmtop but I want to have all of these devices in one so I don't have to carry around a bunch of stuff. Really I think they could make it not much larger than an iPod as long as it used flash storage.

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  9. What a waste of time by cliffski · · Score: 2, Insightful

    can't 'researchers' come up with something useful? That trevor bayliss guy who invented the clockwork radio, now THAT is inventing. These are just lab-monekys churning out cool trinkets for rich kids. Arent there things to invent that satisfy a real need amongst consumers who arent tech-obsessed rich kids?

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  10. Ah, but the service providers... by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... like Verizon will want this disabled - for your own protection of course!

    To use this virtual interface, you'll need to subscribe to Verizon's easy-write(TM) service. It's only $4.99 a month!

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