The HypnosEye throws up a few red flags right out of the gates: Instead of connecting to your iPod or iPhone’s dock connector of video-out, it simply magnifies your screen, like your maths teacher’s old overhead projector. This means it’ll project almost anything portable with a screen, which is fantastic! This also means that, since the only light source is the backlight on your device’s screen — this thing isn’t even powered — that the image quality shown above is probably pretty close to accurate. Charming incapability: in!

The HypnosEye can be imported for about $US80, which isn’t a terrible deal, assuming you’ll be doing most of your projecting in perfect blackness. Stuck inside a white-satin-lined coffin, buried unusually deep, at night? Get the HypnosEye! Happen to be on the dark side of the moon during at the beginning of its cycle, in a tent, with a projector screen handy? Get the HypnosEye! Etc. [Technabob]

The Stereo Realist Model 81 3-D Slide Projector was manufactured in 1950 by the David White Sales Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It has dual lenses — with 3.5-inch focal length, f.2.8 aperture — and runs on two 500-watt bulbs which are cooled by two separate fans.

Not old school enough for you? Fear not, my dear readers, for you have to feed this thing two slides at a time — to create the stereo image — by hand: There’s a slide tray on the top of the projector, with a rotary carrier that pushes the slides when you push a handle on its back.

The projector is for sale on eBay, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the great Ralph McQuarrie owned one of these. [eBay via Star Wars Blog]

When separated, the keyboard communicates with the screen via Bluetooth and can act as a keyboard (duh), microphone, speaker and game pad. It also serves as a remote control when the pico-projector is used.

Apparently the F-04B’s 12.2-megapixel camera takes “nice pictures for a phone”, but the touchscreen could do with being a little more responsive.

The phone was first shown as a prototype at CEATEC 2008, but Akihabara News says that Fujitsu and Japanese carrier, DoCoMo, have “officially” announced it as the Separate Keitai F-04B. No word yet on what OS it runs, availability or pricing (inside or out of Japan). Definitely a unique idea. [Akihabara News]

Price

The Australian RRP is $699.

In case you missed the news, the s1000pj is an utterly unexciting point-and-shoot camera from Nikon, except for one minor detail: it’s got a projector — like a real, don’t-look-straight-into-it lamp projector — built right into its face. This is why it’s funny, why it’s interesting and why we’re writing about it. Moreover, it’s why this camera exists in the first place: as a sort of high-profile tech demo for Nikon.

But first!

And for that matter, foremost! This is a standard point-and-shoot camera, with generally standard point-and-shoot camera specs. Nowadays, that equates to 12.1-megapixel photo resolution, a 5x lens that’s 25mm equivalent on the wide end, built-in vibration reduction and SD storage. A/V connections are served by a single microUSB slot, and the rechargeable battery juices up on a separate charger.

Taking photos on the S1000pj is extremely simple, almost to a fault: ISO and white balance controls, for example, are hidden behind two layers of menus. But for lack of a better word, the point of a point-and-shoot is to make taking OK pictures as easy as possible, which the S1000pj certainly does.

As you can see in the sample gallery, the shots are never spectacular, but never terrible. The Nikon rarely finds a situation where it can’t return a decent shot in auto mode. High ISO performance was a pleasant surprise as well, since Nikon opted for the s1000pj’s sensor to automatically draw down to 3 megapixels during ISO6400 shooting, which keeps the results from being too spectacularly bad. In fact, ISO800 shots are clean enough to print, while ISO400 returns crystal-clear photos, even during longer exposures.

That said, this is still a point-and-shoot, and not even a very high-end one. The lens isn’t spectacularly sharp, and the colours are particularly vivid. The VGA video is dull and mostly lifeless. Button-press-to-shoot time is quick, but still not quite instant. That’s the biggest problem for this camera: It’d be a perfectly acceptable — even above average — point-and-shoot for, say, $US250. It costs a good deal more than that becauuuuuuuuuuse:

Yes, It’s Got a Projector

My love affair with the s1000pj didn’t start until the day after I got it. It was early evening so my room was dim, and I’d only taken a few photos with camera the day before, as I was unboxing and summarily dismissing the camera in a well-lit office. “This projector looks like arse,” I believe I said. “Human arse.”

But when I flicked the little projector button this time — it’s a dedicated switch on top, next to the projector’s manual focus slider — I was stunned. It looked fine. I shut the windows. I backed up, stretching the image to about 40 inches. Now it looked great. This dinky little projector, and hacky and ridiculous as it looks and sounds, is legitimately useful.

It’s an instant wow-piece for anyone who uses it, and a great way to show off photos (and yes, videos) in a bind. And by bind, I mean any time you don’t want to ask everyone where you are to crowd around a computer screen and awkwardly watch while you import photos. Now, you just tell them to dim the lights. That’ll do fine.

Oh, But You Probably Shouldn’t Buy It

It was a tough call not to recommend this outright, but I really can’t, unless you’ve got a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, or don’t mind paying a $US150 (rough) premium for the projector. Yes, the camera itself is capable enough. And yes, the projector concept isn’t nearly as ridiculous as most people make it out to be. What’s so appealing about this camera is that it’s nailed what will be, if not a universal feature, something we come to expect in a certain kind of camera before too long.

But that makes this product admirable, not buyable. For the Nikon to be a worthy purchase, we’ll need to see a change: Either the photographic experience itself gets a little closer to what you’d expect for $US430 — about how much you’re going to end up spending on this now — or the camera drops significantly in price.

Nikon is charging a classic early adopter tax, and you won’t just be paying for it in dollars: battery life is predictably bad when using the projector (I could easily lose a quarter of my charge just showing off a set of photos to friends). And this thing isn’t particularly svelte, considering the specs. But if you know what you’re getting into — and now you do — it’s your call.

You will have fun with the Nikon s1000pj, even through the pangs of buyer’s remorse.

The projector is surprisingly decent in low light

Chunky design

Adequate photography

Battery drains very quickly when projecting

Hefty early adopter tax

Urban Screen, the same group behind insane 555 Kubik illusion, built a humongous, functioning pinball machine through facade projection way back in 2007. Why more architecture isn’t decorated with multi-storey video games, we do not know.

[Urban Screen via MAKE]

I have to admit, I didn’t have high hopes for these two machines. The first “budget” products in any category always seem to fall short, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised. Both the Vivitek H1080FD and the Optoma HD20, which use DLP technology, offered exceptional performance for the price, but one definitely stood out.

The Results…

The Vivitek takes gold in almost every category.

Stack those results up by weighting each gold medal with three points and each silver with two, and you can see how it all adds up.

Winner: Vivitek H1080FD

While the Optoma HD20 and the Vivitek H1080FD are alike in many respects, the bottom line is that Vivitek pushed the envelope a bit more with picture quality, and provided more of those features that you might find in a pricier projector.

It’s a shade bigger than the Optoma, and a little heavier at 3.5kg, but it is still an extremely portable device (they even go so far as to throw in a carrying case). Both the Vivitek and the Optoma lack lens shift capability, so I had to set them up on this ghetto cardboard box on top of a card table configuration in order to deliver a straight, unobstructed picture to the wall. However, once things were set up and calibrated properly, the Vivitek offered up slightly richer colours and better overall contrast (5000:1) than the Optoma — although black levels and overall quality of the 1080p picture appear similar between the two devices. I also give the Vivitek an edge in the brightness department — especially when comparing the brightest modes. Still, after running through several 1080p video clips on both machines, I was really wowed by the overall image quality on these entry-level projectors.

As I mentioned earlier, the Vivitek brought a few features to the table that you usually find in pricier models. For one thing, it’s extremely quiet — especially when compared to the Optoma. It also features more inputs/outputs than the Optoma, including S-Video, RS-232c connector and audio jacks (although it would be a crime to use S-Video). It even features a small 5W onboard speaker which aids in portability and ease of use for those who are looking for a simple, all-in-one solution. The speaker is basic, but I found it helpful in my temporary setup when I just wanted to plug and play.

There isn’t much to complain about with regard to the Vivitek H1080FD, but I did notice that menus in the UI don’t collapse, so you have to exit in order to get a full picture of your changes. However, the most troubling negative has to do with the $US400 cost of a replacement lamp. The overall lamp life of the Vivitek and the Optoma are the same, but there is a $US150 difference in the price of the replacement. Given the fact that there isn’t a vast difference in performance between the two models, this expense could be a real dealbreaker for people who are looking to use their projector on a more regular basis.

Runner-Up: Optoma HD20

Sure, the runner-up in a contest of two is the “loser”, but there’s a lot to like about the Optoma. Right off the bat, you have to marvel at how small this thing is. At 12.76 x 3.82 x 9.21 inches and 2.9kg, users don’t need to use the HD20 in a permanent setup. It can be easily stored and transported — but again, the lack of lens shift means you might struggle to get an optimum viewing angle.

Granted, the HD20 isn’t going to blow away enthusiasts who will settle for nothing less than the blackest blacks and whitest whites, but most of us will be more than satisfied with the clarity, colour and contrast (4000:1). Overall lumen output wasn’t quite up to snuff when compared to the Vivitek, but it was still considerably better than you would expect in a budget model in both bright and theatre modes — easily allowing for a screen just under 100 inches in my living room to be comfortably viewable with ambient light.

Of course, the HD20 is not without it’s flaws. First of all, excessive fan noise makes it sound more like what you might expect from buying a cheaply priced DLP. It’s noticeable in Standard mode, but I was definitely distracted by it in Bright (users might also find the light emanating from the front vent to be distracting). I also found the UI to be well organised but fairly annoying to navigate, mostly because the remote isn’t very responsive. I felt like I had to mash the button down to get a response.

Feature Comparison/h3>

But What If You Spend More?

OK, so what if you’re willing to spend a bit more than $US1000?

Epson’s HC 8100 represents a price point in the entry-level market for consumers willing to pay extra for better 1080p performance. At $US1600, the LCD-based 8100 is a big step up from the Vivitek and the Optoma. In my opinion, it is worth the added expense.

Simply put, it easily outstrips both of its cheaper competitors in just about every performance category. It also has some advantages that the others lack, many of which derive from the advantages 3LCD has over DLP. Brightness and colour accuracy are better, no colour wheel means no rainbow effect and it has a high degree of vertical and horizontal lens shift, meaning you can put this thing just about anywhere and throw a clean image. However, it is literally twice as big and heavy as the Vivitek, which could make it unsuitable for some setups.

If you are concerned with the long term cost of ownership, the Epson is competitive in that area with a $US300 lamp replacement cost (4000 hour lamp life in Normal and Eco modes) and a two year limited warranty. So, in that sense, it could be cheaper to own in the long term than both the Vivitek and the Optoma depending on your usage.

Verdict

If you have your heart set on 1080p, the good news is that you will probably be satisfied no matter which one of these projectors you choose — definitely an encouraging sign at these price points. That having been said, I think it is worth spending an an extra $US600 for the improved performance of the Epson HC 8100.

However, if the HC 8100 isn’t in your budget, there is no shame in going with the Vivitek — it will deliver a lot of bang for your buck. On the other hand, if you plan on using your projector frequently and the long term cost of ownership is a concern, the Optoma HD20 will be less expensive in the long run — and the choice might be further justified since there isn’t a vast difference in performance. [Epson and Vivitek and Optoma]

It’d have essentials like wireless broadband connectivity and a battery, but I’m hoping that by 2020 we’ll have cooler stuff than a laser-projected keyboard. Their time has come and gone already, no? Less of that, more interactive holographic display technology, please. More wacky 2020 shenanigans at: [Ericsson via MobileandNotebook]

Or maybe, a la the Matrix, we’re all sitting in big fluffy white virtual reality marshmallow chairs right now.

You see, this… thing is a “media vehicle” that uses a projector and a spherical internal screen to surround the occupant with imagery and sound. The five wheels move the user about in real and virtual space. Small framed people only, however, as CrunchGear writer Serkan Toto said he was too large to take it for a spin. [CrunchGear]

CHATSWORTH, CA. — October 20, 2009 –SANYO, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of LCD and DLP projectors, announces the release of a new two-lamp projector, the PLC-XF1000, which features the exclusive QuaDrive™ optical engine for exceptional colour reproduction for brighter capacities, 12,000 lumens brightness, 4000:1 contrast ratio, and the proprietary Active Maintenance Filter (AMF) for increased reliability. The high brightness, two-lamp PLC-XF1000 projector is the second SANYO model to be equipped with their proprietary QuaDrive optical engine. Unlike conventional 3LCD (red/green/blue) systems, the QuaDrive includes an additional colour control device that allows the PLC-XF1000 to automatically control the amount of yellow light in the image, producing higher luminosity with improved colour accuracy and clarity.

The demand for even brighter projectors continues to come from the field as systems integrators are asked to install video displays in extremely large venues such as convention halls, conference rooms, auditoriums and houses of worship with high levels of ambient light. It is also especially well suited for the digital signage market where high resolution is in demand. However, as brightness levels increase on traditional 3LCD projectors, there is a reverse effect in colour reproduction. colours become noticeably washed out, lacking vibrancy and realism.

SANYO’s innovative QuaDrive technology provides a solution for these specific cases, providing new projectors capable of extremely high luminosity without the trade off in colour accuracy. The PLC-XF1000 is rated at an extraordinary 12,000 lumens, the highest brightness available in 100V AC projectors. Coupled with the impressive high contrast ratio of 4000:1, the PLC-XF1000 is capable of generating clear and color-rich images that are more vivid for cases where brightness and high resolution become primary installation factors.

The PLC-XF1000 is equipped with two high-output 330-watt lamps, improving light efficiency and achieving the industry’s highest brightness of 12,000 lumens. It uses a basic 100V AC electrical outlet for ease of use and installation convenience.

The QuaDrive optical engine uses an inorganic panel for increased reliability contributing to the projector’s outstanding 4000:1 contrast ratio for improved image depth, resulting in a 3D-like appearance. With the incorporation of three mirrors and SANYO’s two-lamp combining technology, the overall colour uniformity is significantly improved resulting in richer high definition images. The new design allows the PLC-XF1000 to produce the same brightness with two lamps as previous models did with four.

Maintaining projectors in the field can be costly and time-consuming. The integration of SANYO’s exclusive Active Maintenance Filter (AMF) system enables filter cartridge replacement intervals of approximately 11,000 hours because a single cartridge contains a filter roll that is equal to 10 individual filters.

Installation is also simplified with key SANYO features such as the Power Vertical/Horizontal Lens Shifting and Power Zoom/Focus functions, which enable easy projection adjustments without changing the projector’s position. These power-driven systems can be easily operated with the supplied remote control, which is especially convenient when the projector is installed on the ceiling or wall. Moreover, the projector can be installed in virtually any location, due to versatile setup positioning functions like the Vertical 360-degree Tilt Angle and a centre Lens Design. There are ten optional lenses available for use with the PLC-XF1000, ranging from short to long-focus choices.

Other features include a mechanical shutter, which can completely block projection light, convenient for presenters making presentations on stage, easy stacking grooves for placing a back-up unit on top of the main projector, and a built-in MVP expansion-slot system that enables the addition of SANYO’s network and uncompressed HD data wireless transmission boards.

SPECIFICATIONS
• Resolution: 1024 x 768 (WUXGA)
• Aspect Ratio: 4:3
• Brightness: 12,000 lumens
• Contrast Ratio: 4000:1
• Uniformity: 90%
• Projection Lamp: NSHA 330W x2
• Screen Size: 40″-600″ distance varies based on lens type used
• Input Terminals: DVI-D (HDCP), RGB D-sub 15-pin (input and output), RGBHV/Y/VIDEO, Pb/Cb,Pr/Cr (BNC x5), S-video
• Control: RS232C (in)/ D-sub 9 x 2 (out)
• Dimensions: 21 (W) x 10.55 (H) x 30(D) inches
• Weight: 60.1 lbs (excluding lens)

Like all new SANYO products, the PLC-X1000 conforms to the EU RoHS Directive. It will be available from the beginning of December 2009 for an MSRP of $US24,995.00, (excluding lens).