Microvision is all set to unveil a pocket-sized projector at the Consumer Electronic Show. There has been much pre-hype surrounding the little device, dubbed as SHOW. It is basically a PDA sized projector that is powered by Microvision’s PicoP display engine that is capable of projecting an image anywhere from 12 to 100 inches in size. The device can squeeze 2.5 hrs on a single charge, which should be sufficient to watch a full length movie. SHOW is approximately 7mm thick and projects a widescreen WVGA resolution image from any mobile media playing devices. The unit is capable of directly connecting to laptops, digital cameras, portable media players and mobile phones. Imagine in the future, you’ll be able to carry your movies everywhere and watch it in full resolution 100 inches anywhere you want.
This also opens up new frontiers for mobile gaming, and dates at the park. The SHOW is a battery powered ‘plug and play’ device that is based on the micro-mirror laser scanning technology. Microvision has crafted a sleek 7mm model which is capable of displaying DVD matching 848 x 848 resolutions at up to 100 inches. Quite interestingly Microvision has embedded the SHOW directly into the mobile market, a path which was followed by rival systems 3M’s 1.3cm projector and TI’s pico-projector. However, unlike its competitors the Show is compact, offers a higher resolution and projects a much larger image. The mobile multi-media subscription services are no doubt on the rise, but handset manufacturers, content provides and service providers tend to view the tiny screen of the cellphone as a barrier to consumer adoption of their products.
SHOW lets you view and share YouTube videos, MSN newscasts, power presentations, photos in larger full color resolution instead of the normal 2-inch QVGA display. Microvision has already made the device available to OEM and carrier partners and it is expected to be integrated in commercial products by the end of next year. The SHOW is expected to be sold through an OEM partner by the end of next year. The device doesn’t make a sense for laptops; a laptop’s display would definitely be superior, though smaller than a PicoP image could be.
The best point about this device would be to waltz into a discussion rooms empty handed, fish out two gadgets from the pouch and use them to deliver a power point. It would make a perfect gadget for those meetings where you would like to present an idea without walking in with a massive suitcase full of equipment. What would be interesting is how it’s going to work with video-conferencing which is much more prevalent in Asia and Europe these days. Imagine how it would be to make a call, turn on the projector and camera and talk with the life sized image of the other person. There are some pretty jarring drawbacks, the relatively short runtime and the added bulk of carrying it around but other than that the SHOW is expected to be a nice little addition to your gadget collection.
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