I ran across two very interesting and diminutive products at CES Unveiled earlier this week. While the technology is compelling, I suspect the implementation will have to improve and the challenge these products solve will have to be clarified before we’d see any sort of mainstream or mass market adoption. Generating positive attention and finding commercial success are two entirely different matters.
Micro “personal” projectors seem all the rage these days. No doubt about it, it’s the kind of tech that makes geeks giddy. In fact, the Optoma Pico Projector table was mobbed. Their tiny projector beams video content from any composite source or video-capable iPod device… to the back of a tray table on an airplane? As cool as the Pico is, I’ve had a difficult time coming up with practical uses for the $400 low lumen (60), half VGA LED output. However, the Optoma rep did tell me they’re continuing to develop this technology – if they’re able to bump the resolution and brightness (and thus effective projected image size), the Pico could find an audience amongst business folks who travel light. But in it’s current form, I’d rather share my laptop screen with you.
Having said all that, I do see promise in both these technologies and will continue to observe the product categories as they evolve.