pico

Looking into the future, concept artists often equip their dream iPhones with built-in pico projectors. That feature probably isn't coming to an iPhone anytime soon, but Micron Technology's upcoming $99 Pop Video pico projector accessory may be the next best thing. … Read more

The trend these days in pico projectors is bigger, brighter, and more affordable.

Take Acer's new $259 100 ANSI lumens C120 projector. It's slightly bigger than some of the early ultraportable pico projectors, but it's still very compact, measuring 1 inch by 4.72 inches by 3.23 inches (HWD) and weighing 6.34 ounces. It has native WVGA resolution (864x480) resolution, but Acer says you can upconvert to WXGA (1,280x800). Also, the projector has a USB power option if you want to connect it directly to your computer sans AC adapter.

It's worth noting, however, that if you do go with USB power, you can't project at full brightness; you get bumped down to 75 ANSI lumens. … Read more

Andy Rubin dishes on Android tablets, we examine a bowl of jelly beans, and we discuss the exciting new devices coming out of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

ANDROID NEWS:

-Android chief: We must ‘double down’ on tablets, win the market

-Google VP Dishes On Android Tablet and App Strategy

-Android crosses 850,000 activations per day with 450,000 apps in the store, Andy Rubin says

-Andy Rubin speaks out on Google, Motorola acquisition; wants nothing to do with Moto… Read more

Wow.

A couple of years ago we reviewed the Cinemin Swivel pico projector from a company called WowWee. However, that company is not the same as Wowee One, which is releasing its own pico projector in March called the Wowee Vue (notice the slight spelling difference).

For the record, Wowee One until now has been an audio company, known for its portable audio speakers, the Wowee One and the Wowee Slim, which incorporate "unique audio gel technology that turns any surface into a speaker."

The company is actually releasing a portable Bluetooth speaker in March called the Wowee Pro for $139.99, which looks intriguing, but the pico projector was the gadget that initially caught our eye.

We've got some specs and pricing, but there are still a few unknowns, such as what, if any, built-in speakers the Vue offers (sound is more important than you think when it comes to pico projectors).

Here are the Vue's key features:… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Tiny projectors might soon be a standard feature on smartphones, but until that happens there's the LightPad.

Demoing here at CES, the LightPad is a pico projector mixed with a keyboard and trackpad. You plug in your phone and it beams out whatever is on the screen to a nearby wall. But its main feature is that you can flip up the lid and turn it into a laptop of sorts, with software that adds a virtual mouse.

Part of that idea has already showed up in a mass market product, specifically Motorola's Atrix smartphone, which can … Read more

BenQ's Joybee GP2 LED mini projector looks a lot like its predecessor, the GP1, but there are a couple of big enhancements.

For starters, while the housing's the same, the $549.99 GP2 integrates an iPhone/iPod dock, which is a big deal. It also features 1,280x800-pixel (WXGA) resolution and native support for 720p video.

BenQ also says that it has improved the interface and now offers an optional battery pack that will power the unit for 3 hours at half brightness (100 lumens) or 1 hour at full brightness. Two built-in 2-watt speakers deliver sound, and … Read more

Up until now tiny pico projectors have been mostly disappointing. But picos like the Velocity Micro Shine are growing up a bit in an effort to offer better picture quality.

According to the company, the Shine's claim to fame is that it's the smallest HD-capable projector with a native resolution of 1,280x768 pixels (WXGA). While that's far from full 1080p resolution, the company says it can accept a 1080p (1,920x1,080) signal. It uses DLP technology with LED illumination and weighs 9 ounces and measure 4 inches on its longest side. … Read more

Early in 2011, when the Optoma Neo-i iPhone/iPod projector made its debut, the price tag was a stiff $450.

Today only, and while supplies last, Woot has the Optoma Neo-i projector for $219.99, plus $5 for shipping. Unlike much of what Woot peddles, this Neo is new, not refurbished.

The Neo-i combines an iPhone/iPod speaker dock with a 50-ANSI-lumens pico projector. To put that another way, when you plunk your iThing onto the connector and load up your library of, say, "Arrested Development" episodes, the projector beams them onto any available stretch of lightly colored … Read more

Pico Technologies manufactures oscilloscopes and other scientific instruments that not only interface with PCs but also interact with them, multiplying their capabilities. PicoScope 6 is their free software suite. It's designed to control the company's devices, combining data acquisition with processing power and storage capacity to create a complete desktop testing and measurement lab in one free application.

PicoScope's installer tries to connect to a supported device, which we lacked. However, the program offers numerous demo modes that simulate various devices and modes, which are accessible through the Connect Device wizard on a list that includes a … Read more