Considering Cheaper Pico-Projectors As Standard Equipment On Cell Phones 146
An anonymous reader writes "Will pico-projectors become standard equipment on mobile phones, the same way that digital cameras have become? The jury is still out on user acceptance — after all, only four mobile phones use pico-projectors today — but if they get small and cheap enough, mobile phone makers are going to install them. There are four vendors today — Microvision, National Semiconductor, 3M and Texas Instruments — but only TI has design wins in cell phones already on the market. And at the recent Mobile World Congress, TI showed a smaller digital light processor (DLP) chip that fits inside even the slimmest mobile phones, and which it claims is cheap enough to become standard equipment. A lot of us never use the camera in our phones now — would you use a pico-projector if it was built into your phone?"
Opens a world of uses (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What does not using a camera have to do with th (Score:3, Interesting)
They are two completely different technologies with completely different purposes filling completely different needs.
You mean sort of like telephones and cameras?
Actually, I think the logic for a projector in your cellphone is what another poster mentioned earlier, an easy way to display the photos you have taken on your phone to people.
It needs a corresponding killer app (Score:4, Interesting)
No. Next question please...
More seriously though, I'm sure that this would be very useful for a handful of people. It might even be good for the phone makers as a short-term marketing gimmick. I bet a lot of people might initally buy such a phone for the "wow" factor before realizing the limitations.
The problem is this: Where/when could you use such a device in an effective way? You'd need a screen and/or a blank wall, as well as something close enough to that wall to set your phone on, unless you and your comrades enjoy watching a very wobbly video.
On the other hand, combined with an accelerometer, a compass, and/or a camera, someone might be able to make a fairly novel application. For example, a game where moving the phone would scroll the projected image, like moving the sights of a gun. (Clearly the game would have to be a little more creative than that, but you get the general idea.)
Re:Phone? No. PDA? ABSOLUTELY. (Score:3, Interesting)
No, I wouldn't use one in my phone - but I would ABSOLUTELY use one in my PDA.
1.) I'm going to the lab and a co-worker stops me to ask about a hardware issue. There is no Way I can read a schematic on a PDA. But, if I could project it onto a surface, I wouldn't have to go upstairs to my main PC to open the schematic
2.) I'm sitting on an airplane wanting to watch a movie. Pulling out a laptop is pretty freaking annoying, but this could project it onto the seat in front of me.
3.) Games. Finally I can play a video game on my phone.
4.) You have a plumbing issue. You take a picture of the part, take it to the store, project it so the person behind the counter can see it, and they give you the right item.
5.) You are meeting some new friends. "Oh! I have a dog! Here is their picture"... and you look at it on a tiny screen and go "What kind of dog Is that?" Or, take out a projector and actually show a decent picture of your dog/family/car/house/injury/vacation/logo/design
There are MANY reasons that I would want this on my PDA. Oh, and it would be great if my PDA acted like a cell phone.
Re:I'll just take the projector (Score:3, Interesting)
Tricorders. (Score:5, Interesting)
I know Star Trek has fallen from popular attention, but these cell phone things are becoming more and more like the kind of gear we collectively envision "Future People" walking around with.
It's interesting, though, that our imaginary selves are interested in exploration, and their portable technology was tuned to that, (probing and measuring the environment), whereas our devices seem to be more about insulating people from reality. (Headphones and music and videos and games, etc.)
In Star Trek they were too busy having adventures to spend much time in Fantasy Lad.
The question of one's state of bondage can be determined by a quick assessment of one's collection of iPhone apps.
-FL
Re:Micro, Nano, Pico, Femto (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:It needs a corresponding killer app (Score:3, Interesting)
Where/when could you use such a device in an effective way?
Hello from a tourist trap city in Florida!
I've been asked for directions many a time by someone who's new to the area, or just traveling through.
I'd have loved to be able to show them a map of how to get to there from here, and know that they can see it. Squinting at a small screen to visualize directions isn't likely to be as effective as projecting a map on the back of a tray at a local Subway.
I can say something like:
"Take Busch to 56th, turn right. Take 56th to Hillsborough, turn left. Take Hillsborough to Orient Road, turn right. Hard Rock's on your left." and get looked at strangely.
Same happens with "Take Busch to I-275, and grab the southbound ramp. Merge into I-4 by taking the right-side ramp. Get off on the Orient Road Exit, and turn left. Hard Rock is on your right."
People are visual creatures when traveling, using things to set waypoints, making it easier for them to find their way home.
Some of them just forget to print directions before they go places.
So projecting something in a minute's time would be useful.
(At the same time, I worry about projecting, because someone will invariably use a mapping application with a GPS, project the map on the windshield while driving, and manage to run someone over.)
Re:How big and bright can these things project? (Score:3, Interesting)
The other option is cellphones turning into netbooks. A projector combined with a camera or ladar type system gives you a screen and a full size keyboard on your desk, in something that fits in a pocket! That is truly powerful. You only need a 12x10cm 'screen' not poster sized for that to have vast uses. I'm sure given time I could think of more uses for a phone projector but I imagine time will tell better than I ever could.
Re:It needs a corresponding killer app (Score:3, Interesting)
You actually raise an interesting alternate point by mentioning both cameras and accelerometers.
Consumer grade digital cameras already have image stabilization that works to some degree. It likely wouldn't be a stretch to apply that tech to the picoprojector. Stick the "bulb" or whatever on a ball and socket joint then using accelerometer input and camera input (like an optical mouse, say), use it to display a fairly consistently placed image, barring extreme changes in orientation.
I think enabling use of the projector while still being held will be a critical part of getting average people to accept these, at least as parts of their phones.