If you're the kind of iPhone and iPod touch user who likes to share your photos, home movies and amusing social network feeds with a bigger audience than your iDevice screen allows, General Imaging's new ipico may just be what you're looking for. Claimed to be capable of throwing images of up to 50-inches (127 cm) onto just about any surface, the new hand-held projector is not only pocket-friendly but also kind on your wallet.
Back in 2010, General Imaging included a pico projector in one of its digital cameras but has now set its sights on iPhone and iPod touch users with the 3.35 ounce (95 g) ipico hand-held projector (not to be confused with a similarly-named model from Mugen Power). The ipico is just half an inch thin and features a patented pop-up connector which can hook up to an iDevice (even if it's enclosed in a protective case) and slides down into the dock when not in use.
To use the hand-held projector, a third and fourth generation iPod touch, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS owner needs to slide the device into the connector, then the image projected into a wall, door, or kitchen cabinet (or even a projection screen if you simply must) in the dimly-lit room is brought into focus.
Image size can be ramped up to 50-inches (but at qHD resolution, you're probably not going to want to aim that high) and the thrown image is described as bright and colorful but unfortunately, our attempts to nail down actual details remain unanswered. Likewise, the only details on the battery available are that it's of the Li-ion persuasion and that it's charged via the unit's USB port.
The ipico hand-held projector will be available soon for a budget-friendly US$129.99 in white only, making it a hundred bucks cheaper than the rather similar Pocket Projector for iPhone 4 from Texas Instruments and Brookstone.
Source: General Imaging
