| Small, lightweight and flexible: With the Micro | | | | new applicationsolutions for customers. With |
| Professional projector 3M MPro 110 sets | | | | approximately 24 billion U.S. dollar turnover per |
| projection specialist 3M mainly on the target group | | | | year worldwide 3M employs about 75,000 people |
| of professionals, who often are the presentations | | | | and has offices in more than 60 countries. Further |
| but do not take so much technology. | | | | information: reveals MPro110 pocket projector: |
| But for multimedia technikaffinen friend is this | | | | ships this month. |
| innovation for many situations an interesting | | | | That's projector, not protector. But geeks will |
| alternative to small displays many digital devices: | | | | rejoice nonetheless. The pocketsize projector has |
| Depending on the lighting conditions of 3M brings | | | | been the Holy Grail of gadgets for many years, |
| MPro-art LED technology an image diagonal up to | | | | and now we've got it. 3M sent us one of their |
| 1.27 meters (50 inches) on the wall. | | | | firstsamples of their MPro110 mini projector a |
| A quick presentation or even the joy of a | | | | few weeks ago (but asked us to keep it on the |
| podcast in the hotel rooms on a small display in | | | | down-low for a while). I immediately plugged it into |
| need - the MPro110 a reliable | | | | a DVD player and watched Blackhawk Down on |
| partnermobile projection applications. | | | | my desk—literally, on it, as I aimed it at my |
| With 152 grams and a size of 11.5 x 5 x 2.2 cm | | | | white Ikea desktop. (Ah, to be owned by a |
| (L / B / H), the Micro projector, however, the | | | | Swedish company.) It also worked on the wall, on |
| dimensions and weight of a commercially | | | | a piece of 8.5-by-11-inch printer paper and on the |
| smartphones. A cooling by fans is not necessary | | | | back of my colleague, Doug. |
| to its operation was absolutely silent possible. The | | | | 3M had been planning to make a formal |
| lithium-ion battery is the boy even more mobile: | | | | announcement in a few weeks, which is why we |
| up to 1 hour, the MPro110 also | | | | held off talking about it. But their German division |
| without electricity clear. That makes him | | | | got so begeistert about the new product that |
| especially for use on the spontaneous interesting: | | | | they just spit out their own announcement. |
| A business contact, which is coincidentally, an | | | | Images were discernable up to about 11 inches |
| interesting theme to the man in conversation, and | | | | across, even under our bright fluorescent office |
| you would like to visualize spontaneously: The | | | | lights. But they were definitely faded. And some |
| MPro 110 allows its owner quickly and projecting | | | | movie scenes were downright indecipherable. The |
| anywhere. Operating he is ready after a | | | | same went for photos. I'm pretty sure the |
| few seconds - and just as quickly it disappears | | | | prototype 3M loaned me at CES in January was |
| again in the jacket pocket. | | | | brighter as I was able to demonstrate it during a |
| "As a leader in mobile projection technology, 3M | | | | presentation under bright lights to a few hundred |
| with the MPro110 a new market segment begun," | | | | people. But I'll have to do more tests to know for |
| says Friedrich Saemann, Verantwo rtl icher for | | | | sure. (Even if it's less than ideal, kudos to 3M for |
| projection in the area of 3M Canada Co. "People | | | | making it work.) |
| are becoming more mobile," said F. further | | | | In a dark room, it could project a big enough |
| Saemann "and thus increases the demand for | | | | image to be the ultimate cheap-o home theater. |
| mobile applications of high-quality multimedia | | | | The projector will sell for a mere $359. It doesn't |
| devices. | | | | have a speaker, so you'll have to get that |
| In addition, the MPro110 particularly | | | | separately. But really, how good could a |
| anschlussfreudig: With a full VGA port convinced it | | | | microscopic speaker jammed into this thing sound, |
| when working with a laptop and his video | | | | anyway? |
| connection (RCA) opened him the wide world of | | | | The MPro110 is pretty basic looking on the |
| digital applications. Digital cameras, iPods, games | | | | outside—just a grey box. But it gets the job |
| consoles or mobile phones with video output - the | | | | down. A VGA input lets you plug in a laptop; and |
| boy from the home 3M beamt what the user | | | | the composite video jack will take output from a |
| wants: Photos, videos, PowerPoint presentations | | | | digital camera, PSP, iPod, iPhone, or most any |
| or even a video game to relax. | | | | handheld device (though video-out is still pretty |
| The market introduction of the 3M MPro110 is for | | | | rare on cellphones). A thumbwheel on the front |
| early October 2008. On the website of the | | | | allows you to focus. |
| manufacturer ( already gives you for the first | | | | So many companies have been promising pocket |
| devices to register and will in the coming weeks | | | | projectors with exotic technologies—from |
| about the reference opportunities. The estimated | | | | Microvision with its lasers and microscopic mirrors, |
| recommended retail price is between 398.00 and | | | | to Texas Instruments with DLP chips (and lasers) |
| 349.00 Euro Euro. | | | | to Light Blue Optics with holograms (no kidding). |
| About 3M | | | | It's funny that 3M just swooped in and grabbed |
| As forschendes multi-technology company 3M | | | | the market while its competitors still haven't |
| produced thousands of innovative products for | | | | gotten past trade-show demos. They made do |
| different markets. Particular strength is the | | | | with an LED lamp and little LCoS screens—a |
| diverse and often combined use of more than 40 | | | | variation of the LCD tech that's been in digital |
| own technology platforms, which are always | | | | projectors since the early days. |