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Matchbox-sized Laser Projector

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the why-am-i-struggling-to-believe-this-one dept.

soupisgoodfood writes "Light Blue Optics Ltd. have developed a laser-based projector called the PVPro. It's small enough to fit into a cellphone or PDA. Some specs: Supports resolutions up to 2048x1280; No moving parts; Infinite focus; Green monochrome, with a colour version expected late 2006; Max consumption of 1.4W with an average of <350mW. Looks a like a good solution to the increasing problem of smaller devices trying to display more information."

8 of 291 comments (clear)

  1. Missing spec by jthayden · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Price?

    1. Re:Missing spec by JRGhaddar · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually I was wondering if it could project a holographic Princess Leia?

  2. Computer by everphilski · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Once these come out in color, imagine having one of these babies inside your laptop. You can then set your laptop on any work surface 2-10' from a wall and have a big screen monitor. If we want to get fancy even we can slap some gyros and accelerometers into the computer and you can have the computer on your lap, and provided you don't wiggle too much ( no pr0n ) you could probably work fairly well from a sofa as well, the software would adjust the image and angle of the projector using servos, etc. Very cool.

    1. Re:Computer by 0110011001110101 · · Score: 5, Funny
      I have an even better idea. Use this to project a fake doorway onto walls and watch your victims slam into walls, ala Bugs Bunny.

      Hours of fun in my book, much more so than Asteroids or Gravitar. It's funny when it's not you.

      --
      Don't anthropomorphize computers: they hate that.
  3. News From The Past:Similar Projector in Full Color by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems in Dresden, Germany actually had a similar Projector one year ago.
    It works at 640x480 in Full Color (3*8 bit).

    It's even smaller at the size of "2 sugar cubes".

    See here for yourself

  4. About time! by bangzilla · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I hate getting ripped off by projector manufacturers who charge me in the hundreds of dollars for projector bulbs that (a) cost a fraction to make and (b) burn out in much less time than advertised. Sure, this built-in to a cell phone could be fun/useful, however my immediate need is a projector for my laptop that is small, robust, doesn't consume *very* expensive bulbs, full color and high resolution. This device may not be there just yet -- but it appears to be within spitting distance. If this company can't get there -- someone else will. All this I applaud.

    --
    Rich people are eccentric. Poor people are strange. Me, I'd be happy with odd.
    1. Re:About time! by spinozaq · · Score: 5, Informative

      Mecury arc lamps have much _lower_ profit margins then other consumer electronic parts. So do projectors in general. The lamps have very exotic materials in them, like very very pure tungsten and specially manufactured quartz casings. You're not getting ripped off. The prices would come down some if more projectors were out there in people's living rooms, but not by much. If there were really a racket on mecury arc lamps, we could do something about it. Hopefully laser tech will eliminate the need for these expensive ( and very polluting, in manufacture and waste ) mecury arc lamps.

  5. Re:News From The Past:Similar Projector in Full Co by Overzeetop · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's even smaller at the size of "2 sugar cubes".


    Damned europeans and their metric units. Hrumph.

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?