Crave

Now that second-generation pico (i.e. really tiny) projectors are hitting the streets, you can pick up first-gen models for a song.

Witness the 3M MPro110, on sale at Newegg for $149.99 shipped. It's a refurb, but given that it sold new for $359 just 10 months ago, you gotta take a look-see.

The impossibly small MPro110 weighs 5.6 ounces and measures 0.9 inch high by 2 inches wide by 4.5 inches deep, meaning you can literally stuff it in a pocket.

The projector works with a wide variety of video sources: laptops, digital cameras, camcorders, and iPods (which require a special video-out cable--3M doesn't supply one).

CNET hasn't reviewed the MPro110, but be sure to read the reviews at Gizmodo and PC Magazine. The chief complaint lies with brightness: you need a pretty dark room to enjoy the view, and you can't get an image much larger than 20 inches without taking a brightness hit.

Of course, if you're running a photo slideshow or watching a movie, 20 inches is way better than the source device's little LCD. The MPro110 may not be a suitable replacement for a boardroom projector, but for fun and leisure, it's pretty sweet.

You can learn more, and see the gizmo in action, in the above video (which is a little cheesy but very informative). Still more info is available at 3M's product page.

Newegg doesn't specify the warranty, but assume 90 days (and call or e-mail them if you're concerned about it). I don't really have a need for one of these, but I'm salivating over that price.

The Samsung SP-A900B delivers the most accurate picture of any projector we've tested.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Samsung, with the help of video guru Joe Kane, again delivers outstanding performance in the high-end front-projection DLP category with the flagship SP-A900B. This 1080p resolution, one-chip DLP projector sports the latest Dark Chip 4 chip from Texas Instruments, but otherwise appears virtually the same as the SP-A800B that CNET projector reviewer Kevin Miller loved last last year.

The new chip results in superior black levels, which also increase the contrast ratio of the projector substantially. The 900B retains the same superb color found on its less expensive brother, along with its other stellar image quality characteristics, and as a bonus remains one of the most stylish and attractive designs in front projection. At $12,999 list, the Samsung SP-A900B is definitely on the pricey side for the one-chip DLP category, but as with so many things in life, you get what you pay for.

Read the full review of the Samsung SP-A900B.

The ultrasound is radiated from above and the user feels as if one of the pictured rain drops hits his palm. The technology could prove useful for video games, 3D CADs, and the like.

(Credit: University of Tokyo)

Remember those uber-cool 3D projections in flicks like "Star Wars?" The University of Tokyo has turned this movie fantasy into a reality with its latest holographic projector prototype.

For added realism, it utilizes a pair of Nintendo Wiimotes for hand movement tracking and a technology known as (ready for it...) Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display. This essentially adds tactile feedback to the hovering image via ultrasonic waves (the projected images float about 12 inches away from the display surface).

But enough of the tech speak, check out the following video to see the "touchable holography" system (PDF) in action. This sure makes Microsoft's Project Natal and the Wii Motion Plus look like child's play!

(Source: Crave Asia via Ubergizmo)

I'm a digital-camera fanatic. I can't get enough. But as much as I love taking pictures with them, I dislike the task of showing friends the pictures I've taken--not exactly a simple endeavor. So when Nikon this week announced that it's bringing the Coolpix S1000pj to store shelves later this year, I became extremely excited.

The digital camera for which I've been waiting.

(Credit: Nikon)

The camera is nothing more than a standard point-and-shoot. Its overall quality won't compare with my Nikon digital SLR. But the Coolpix S1000pj has the single feature that I've been craving: a built-in projector capable of showing pictures and video in a 40-inch display.

If I decide to show friends my snapshots on the camera's small LCD display, they won't be able to get the full effect. In fact, many pictures look much different when they're finally ported to the computer.

If I opt instead to let them see the pictures on my computer, it takes time. I need to bring my camera to my computer, plug it in, and transfer the photos to the hard drive. Only then can I show them the images. By then, none of us is all that interested.

Another option is popping the SD card out of my camera, inserting it into my HDTV, and viewing its contents on the 50-inch display. It tends to be quicker. Plus, it allows anyone in the room to see them. But there's a major limitation: I need to be home to do that.

That's precisely why I think that Nikon's projector camera is such a major step forward. I believe that projectors will be the next big thing in the digital camera space.

(Credit: Nikon USA)

(Credit: Nikon USA)

As we increasingly use handheld devices as the primary way to share photos and videos, the inevitable conflict arises: how do you keep the device stylishly compact while including a display big enough for the whole gang to huddle around? Nikon's the first--although likely not the last--to address the problem by integrating a tiny projector into its Coolpix S1000pj so that you can display your photos up to 40 inches tall on any surface.

The LCOS projector is rated for up to 10 lumens (brightness), with contrast ratio of 30:1 and a throw of about 10 inches to 6.5 feet in VGA resolution to project an image between 5 and 40 inches high. According to Nikon, the battery will last approximately an hour of continuous projection. It will ship with a stand and a wireless remote.

The camera itself is the typical Nikon point-and-shoot fare. The internal 5x zoom lens covers a 28-140mm-equivalent focal range, but with a maximum aperture of f3.9-5.8, it's awfully slow. It incorporates the standard features rolling out in its siblings, including the 12-megapixel sensor and 2.7-inch 230,000-dot LCD. Like the other cameras announced out this week, it adds motion detection--automatically sensing movement and bumping up ISO sensitivity and shutter speed to freeze action--to its bag of image-stabilization tricks. Keep in mind that almost universally in point-and-shoot cameras, levels above ISO 400 (and sometimes even ISO 200) deliver really noisy photos, which makes a lot of the high ISO-dependent features moot.

The microprojector technology has been around for a couple of years, and the idea of putting then in phones is the most commonly bandied-about application, though cameras seem a natural choice as well. The S1000pj, slated to ship in mid-November, will be priced at $429--that's pretty steep for an otherwise standard snapshooter. But you can't deny the attraction of an easier way to display your photos than connecting to a TV or squinting at a relatively small LCD. Or can you? Cast your vote in our poll.

(Credit: Sega Toys)

Here's something to consider for the next Fourth of July if you're still feeling the recessionary pinch or want to avoid the holiday throngs. Sega Toys' Uchiage Hanabi Fireworks Projector (15,540 yen; $166) brings the pyrotechnics and fiery colors right into your (preferably darkened) living room, complete with sounds but minus the cordite tang.

Powered by four AA batteries good for three hours, the device measures about 7x8x8 inches. I'd take a rain check, though, on customizing my own fireworks by drawing on the special plates, since they'll just come out looking like toxic fallout on the walls.

The Uchiage Hanabi projector comes with five projection lenses plus special plates you can customize.

(Credit: Sega Toys)

(Source: Crave Asia via Impress Japan)

The PLV-Z3000 1080p projector costs just $2,500.

(Credit: Sanyo)

When most people think of a big screen HDTV, they think of something like a 50-inch plasma set, but real home theater enthusiasts know front projectors are the real way to go big. Sanyo's PLV-Z3000 is a 1080p projector, and it has a nice feature package for fine tuning picture quality, good connectivity options, and is quite inexpensive. While it's performance didn't quite match up to the Sony VPL-HW10 we reviewed last November (mostly because of inaccurate primary colors), it does cost about $600 less. Overall, Sanyo's affordable 1080p front projector has its share of flaws, but still represents a good value in its category.

Read the full review of the Sanyo PLV-Z3000.