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3M on Verge of Releasing Mini Mobile Projector, Possible US$300-US$400 Price Tag
Posted by Sean Fallon at 10:00 AM on March 8, 2008
The race to release the world's first mobile projector continues to heat up with the word that 3M has found a "leading consumer electronics company" to help get its product out the door. It appears that the product in question is the same half-inch think LED illuminated projection engine that 3M was shopping around back in January.
3M vows not to release the identity of the partner company, but if things move forward as planned, 3M could snatch the "first to market" spot from the likes of companies like Texas Instruments and Microvision. Estimates put the price point of the device at around US$300-US$400 at launch with prices falling to US$150 in five years. [West Central Tribune via About Projectors]
Tags: 3m | handhelds | laptops | led | mobile phones | pico | portable | projectors
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
thegadgeteer
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
-facetious-
/spelling police
thegadgeteer
permissionmag
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
Remember when cameras were introduced as add-ons to phones in America? It wasn't that long ago - around 2002 if I recall. You could buy a camera as an attachment, about the size that the projector is here, and stick it onto your handset. Now, it's ludicrous to imagine a mobile phone without a built-in camera.
I suspect we'll see projectors as standard, insanely cheap features of most phones by the time Obama's up for re-election.
permissionmag
getz76
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
@Mandatory_Field: I know you are being sarcastic, but if people starting doing this on the bus/subway/ferry, I am going to buy a Taser. :)
getz76
Xavoc
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
@RainyDayInterns: As long as they don't create a hack that allows it to project what the camera is seeing realtime from Jesus's pants.
Xavoc
RainyDayInterns
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
iPod Touch with a mini projector = a large screen TV that will fit in any body's pants!
RainyDayInterns
Xavoc
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
Mmmm, pocket porn!
Xavoc
getz76
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
They have stated in the past it was VGA, meaning 640x480(p). Sounds good for first generation to me, though.
getz76
lafond66
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
if these things can get 1024x768 res and a decent brightness, they could be very very useful. They're quite cheap too.
lafond66
Skeptical_Geezer
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
"half-inch think"?????? Who's editing these blogs?
Skeptical_Geezer
Mandatory_Field
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
Excellent. I'll soon be able to annoy everyone around me on the bus. Now THAT's worth taking the bus for....
Mandatory_Field
MagnoliaBoy
Posted 11:44 AM 8/3/08
So how good IS a $400 projector?
No need to answer, just being facisious.
MagnoliaBoy
MagnoliaBoy
Posted 12:59 PM 8/3/08
@thegadgeteer: Microsoft Word. It LIES!!!
MagnoliaBoy
Mandatory_Field
Posted 12:59 PM 8/3/08
@getz76: There are many people that I'd like to Tase already, for annoying Cell phone use....
Mandatory_Field
tamoko
Posted 4:39 PM 8/3/08
@Mandatory_Field: How about a taser, with a $400 projector, and an MP3 player too boot. Hell, throw in a juicer and a tempurpedic pillow and we might have an iPod killer... or at least a replacement for the Zune.
@MagnoliaBoy: Yes it does, but then so do so many things these days.
tamoko
Final
Posted 10:54 PM 8/3/08
The Kick Me sign has entered the new millennium.
Half the time I have a radiology dept. to myself and the lighting is dim already. Personally I can't wait.
Final
guyin916
Posted 1:15 AM 9/3/08
now all we need is hologram projectors
guyin916
jrghoull
Posted 1:18 PM 9/3/08
i'm going to show everybody on the train my porn collection! EVERYBODY!
jrghoull
ripfire4
Posted 6:04 PM 9/3/08
Wait... Is this the same as the pico projector?
And with these mini projectors, why bother with built in screens on cell phones? Just hook it up to Johnny Lee's auto calibrating software and you're good to go.
ripfire4
N@tedog
Posted 12:50 AM 11/3/08
I travel to pitch new business and this would be invaluable. No more lugging a laptop AND projector around. Just toss my BB on the conference table and push play. That would raise some eyebrows. I just hope they'll be paying attention to my presentation more than this new fandangled moving picture contraption.
N@tedog