Home and portable projectors are becoming more common these days. And like any other popular consumer electronics, their designs are becoming more common as well. The large, nondescript boxes try to avoid calling attention to themselves so as not to ruin or clash with your room’s existing decor. But what if you actually had something worth noticing? What if your hi-tech piece of equipment could actually be the centerpiece of the room or a reason to brag to your friends? That is the fusion of technology and aesthetics that the X300 Smart Portable Speaker and Projector puts on the table, literally and figuratively, and, best of all, it’s more than just a pretty face.
You’d be forgiven if you are completely distracted by the X300’s vintage looks, which is actually part of its charm. Looking like a transistor radio from a bygone era, the trapezoidal box bears the hallmarks of a luxury piece, from the leather carrying strap to the matte metallic accents to the lattice-inspired slats at the sides. Even the controls are deliciously analog to stick with the theme, allowing owners to have a bit of fun in fine-tuning their listening experience.
Personal Big-screen Entertainment from Anywhere, Anytime – 3,000,000:1 native contrast delivers stunning 100” imagery on any surface–day or night.
The image of a high-class audio device is no illusion, though, as the X300 is a premium smart speaker both inside and out. Two tweeters, two woofers, and a 30W Class D amplifier promise to deliver a soundstage and audio presence you will rarely find in portable speakers, much less one that is also a portable projector. And, of course, these are no ordinary speakers as they have been developed and tuned by the famed Harman Kardon, adding more weight to the product’s identity as a luxury item.
Of course, the X300 is no mere smart speaker either. Flip the top cover open, and you will discover an LED DLP projector that lets you bring your favorite videos with you anywhere and not be confined to the straining size of a smartphone screen. Watch indoors or outdoors, on walls, on portable screens, or even on your ceiling, the X300’s reflective mirror and bright bulbs will make sure you’ll get the best views no matter what. You can enjoy your favorite movies and TV series on a 100-inch surface without having to worry about making room for a gigantic TV.
Built-in Battery for Complete Portability – The built-in 10,000mAh battery provides up to 6 hours of audio or 3 hours of projection.
Despite its classic appearance, the X300 is a true work of modern technology, supporting the latest connectivity options, both wired and wireless. 5GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth let you conveniently stream your phone’s or computer’s content, while USB, HDMI, and memory card slots let you get physical with some media and sources. The same goes for audio output if you prefer to listen privately or hook up a thundering sound system to the projector. The X300 gives you the freedom to enjoy your entertainment your way.
With its dashing vintage looks and top-of-the-line video and audio performance, the X300 Portable Projector and Smart Speaker truly stand out from the growing crowd of home and portable projectors littering the market. And despite that luxurious charm and top-of-the-line hardware, the X300 carries an unbelievable $799 price tag, a 27% discount off its retail price, for a limited time, making it an offer that’s very difficult to pass up.
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Google per se hasn’t delved into the projector game just yet, even though projectors with Android OS built-in have been around for pretty long. Since the idea of watching a movie on the TV screen is slightly old-school, the biggest tech brands have already got their idea(s) of a projector on the market. Before Google can create one to integrate into the Google Home ecosystem, a designer has given us a head start on what that future could literally hold.
This idea in line with Google’s design language is called Google Cinema; easy, right! The purpose of the entire design is as simple as the name: to present a cinematic experience at home that is already neck-deep in Google’s smart home product cycle. According to designer Andrea Gallarini, the brain behind the Google Cinema, a projector helps make viewing of your favorite media more engaging. To achieve this, and to give it some Google tinge, the projector is scaled within the Google Home ecosystem, so it can leverage the support and integration of all Google Next products.
Designer: Andrea Gallarini
Google Cinema thus makes the viewing experience much more immersive by projecting your content and allowing you to experience it in a unique way. The projector can communicate with other Google smart home products thus creating a bubble around the user for a cinematic experience; thus, getting its random name. For user convenience, Google Cinema comes in two variants: Home Cinema and Cinema Mini. While the former comprises two elements; the base and the projector, the latter is a standalone projector. The base in the Home Cinema setup is basically a wireless speaker that doubles as the magnetically fastened stand for the projector. The base also serves as Qi charging unit for the battery-powered Home Cinema projector. In Cinema Mini configuration, Google Cinema comes without the speaker base and is provided with only a flat charging base it can rest on, making this version slightly more travel compatible.
The entire Google Cinema setup exudes minimal aesthetics with nice eco-friendly material construction, streamlined buttons, and fabric finish to align with Google’s design scheme. The effectiveness of a projector is measured by its lumens of brightness and the quality of built-in speakers. Though the conceptual Google Cinema has no value to divulge for the lumens count, it does accompany a handsome speaker alongside being able to interact with other devices for a surround sound experience.
Ever since their invention, sticky notes have almost replaced 3×5 index cards as the analog tool of choice for taking quick notes, putting reminders everywhere, and trying to make sense of a sea of notes scattered on a wall or floor. As part of the age-old battle between analog and digital, sticky notes have become one of the preferred media for pen and paper users, but it naturally carries the limitations that fellow physical tools bring with them. And like notebooks and even index cards, there are numerous attempts at bringing sticky notes into the digital realm, each with its own drawbacks. One concept tries to bridge that gap between physical and virtual with a little twist that helps address those limitations, particularly when it comes time to organize your small sticky notes into a more coherent spread.
Designer: Kyeongmin Kim
There is no shortage of tools that try to mimic the look and workflow of sticky notes, offering a nearly infinite supply of notes and the conveniences of computers and the cloud. Of course, there are plenty of note-taking apps as well, but the mentality behind small, square notes is different compared to the digital equivalent of notebooks. The space limitations force you to be more concise and more efficient in what you write down, sometimes processing and filtering your thought even before pen meets paper.
Digital sticky notes have the same psychological effects but also give you the freedom to undo what you did, backup your notes, or mix different kinds of digital objects in a single note, like links and even reminders. Unfortunately, these implementations have the ironic downside of limiting how much you can spread those notes around to organize them as you see fit. Unlike physical notes that can cover as much floor or wall space as you can afford, digital notes are practically confined to the size of your screen. Sure, you could have an infinite canvas, something that’s not possible in the physical world, but the amount of notes you will be able to see at a time is still limited to how many you can fit on a computer monitor.
The Memojector concept tries to remove those limitations while offering an experience that is actually closer to physical sticky notes. The device is slightly larger and thicker than the average square note, but its screen is almost the same size. You can write and draw on the note like you would on the paper original and the “flip” to a new blank note. It’s like having infinite sticky notes in a device that’s roughly the size of one.
What sets this device apart, however, is the built-in projector. This would allow people to use a wall like in the old days while still keeping the benefits of digital notes. An ideal implementation would use gesture detection so that users can move notes around on the wall rather than using the projector’s touch screen as an interface. It also makes for a great way to share those notes with others in a meeting without having to fill a whiteboard with actually sticky notes.
On the market for a budget laptop? How about we do you one better… the SwitchCubic is a portable projector the size of a beer can, costs $199, runs Windows 10, has built-in stereo speakers, and can cast a whopping 120-inch image at 1080p resolution. Did I mention it costs $199? That’s a full-fledged Windows PC projector for half the price of an Apple Watch.
Touted as the world’s first Pocket PC and Projector, the SwitchCubic packs a Windows 10s device running 8GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics inside the body of what’s essentially a 1080p projector. Roughly the size of a smart speaker, this projector can cast a screen that’s up to 120-inches in width, with auto keystone correction as well as support for 4K.
Essentially small enough to either permanently sit on your table (occupying 15% of the space your laptop would), or even slide right into your backpack, the SwitchCubic has the ability to be your personal computer, a larger-than-life television, a movie-theater, or even a device that lets you mirror images/videos from your phone or tablet. Given the fact that it has 8 gigs of RAM and Intel HD Graphics 600 on the inside, the SwitchCubic is a perfect netbook or budget laptop replacement. Sure, you can’t use it to run high-spec games, but it’ll handle everything from Gmail and Microsoft Word, to YouTube and Netflix. It’s got support for Bluetooth and AirPlay, and a mini HDMI-in too, so you could practically hook your PlayStation or Nintendo switch to it too, giving you a massive FullHD 120-inch display on demand anywhere you go.
SwitchCubic not only provides 1080P Full HD images but also supports full 4K content decoding.
SwitchCubic delivers crisp and sharp images at any screen size from 30 inches to a massive 120 inches.
The LED light source of SwitchCubic is rated for 30,000 hours of reliable high-definition viewing.
Standing at 4 inches tall, the SwitchCubic comes built to run right out of the box. Once switched on, you can toggle between SwitchCubic’s projector and computer mode, and its auto keystone correction kicks right in, giving you an aligned screen no matter where the SwitchCubic’s placed. You can either use the touch-sensitive surface on top of the SwitchCubic or its companion remote control to navigate its features and built-in apps, and the rear side of the device houses a multitude of ports, including 3 USB-A ports, 1 USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm audio input, a Mini HDMI input as well as a regular HDMI out (just in case you want to hook your SwitchCubic to a more traditional external display monitor), and even a TF card slot for good measure.
The SwitchCubic’s projector has a display brightness of 200 ANSI lumens, a projection distance of 1-5 meters, and dual built-in speakers so that you can practically use it without needing any extra peripherals. A 34000mAh battery gives you an average of 2 hours of use, long enough for a presentation or even a movie, and if you’ve got a power outlet handy, the SwitchCubic comes with a 5V charger too.
Available in 2 variants – a Standard and a Pro, the SwitchCubic comes with 8GB RAM, and offers a choice between 128GB/256GB internal storage. The tiny Pocket PC/Projector is up for grabs on Kickstarter for a special Launch Day price of $199, with deliveries beginning in October 2022.
Losing a pet can be so painful as these animals can give us so much joy. Pet owners should also be allowed time to grieve and mourn as much as losing a human. Not many people will understand, but there can be a way to mourn a pet dog’s death properly.
The CIRI-US Beam Projector is an attempt to mourn the death of a man’s best friend more positively and beautifully. The concept beam projector doubles as an urn to contain a dog’s remains and can be used to observe the pet’s journey to becoming a star. Even in your pet dog’s death, you can still show your love by giving the dog a proper resting place. The Rainbow Bridge is out there, but the dog must first become a star.
Designers: JunSeo Oh, Subin Kim, 박 도현, and Hyejoo Choi
Those traditional pet funeral services can be really disheartening and unbearable for any owner. It is similar to losing a person but is somehow manageable. However, it still won’t be easy for others, so any help in mourning is needed.
Pet funeral doesn’t always have to be formal and cold. It can be interesting and memorable as every pet is meant to be a star. Even if you don’t believe in the idea, having a star for your beloved pet can make things easier and lighter. So switch on this projector and wait for it to beam your pet as a shining star on your wall or ceiling.
You can hasten your beloved pet’s journey with the CIRI-US. It’s easy to use: place your dog’s ashes inside the urn that is located at the bottom, turn on the projector and wait for it to generate a star for your dog, and then turn the projector’s head in any direction you want— your pet is now on its way to becoming a star.
Every dog leaving this world is off on a new journey. Pet owners must not easily forget, and this CIRI-US can help them mourn the right way. Others may suggest getting a new pet immediately, but out of respect for your loyal companion, give it some time and help the pet first in its new journey.
The CIRI-US Beam Projector will remind you at first of BB-8 because of the color scheme and the round head. The projector-urn is unique because it gives your pet dog’s death more meaning. You won’t just bury the dog or keep its ashes. How else can your pain of losing a pet be eased? You can share in its journey to becoming a star, watch its glow, and smile in remembrance of your time together.
Rén is a customizable lantern with an integrated OLED screen for users to project whatever moving images or videos they’d like.
Over the past few years, we’ve learned to prioritize what is most important to us. From going to the virtual family reunion to getting creative in the arts, we’re keeping the stuff that matters most to us extra close. Since the pandemic has transformed many of those experiences into digital ones, designers shave been getting creative in making them as large as real life, and sometimes even larger.
Designer: Merve Nur Sökme
Rén, designed by Merve Nur Sökme, was created to immortalize life experiences and make them portable. Designed for LG and Dezeen’s Go Competition for OLED designs, Rén is conceptualized as a multifunctional handheld lantern that can also transform into a large OLED screen that operates just like a projector.
Describing the inspiration behind the product’s name, Nur Sökme explains, “Ren (Chinese: 仁, meaning “co-humanity” or “humaneness”) is the Confucian virtue denoting the good quality of a virtuous human when being altruistic. Ren relies on the understanding of human nature and being.”
In its initial state, Rén is a portable lantern that emits soft, ambient lighting. Ideal for a bedside table or den coffee table, Rén gives off a warm light that seeps through moving images on the product’s OLED screen.
When rolled out, Rén transforms into a projecting screen where users can watch their favorite movies or host virtual Zoom parties. In both of its modes, Rén is what the user makes of it. With its customizable OLED screen, users can decide what they’d like to project to make the lantern feel more like a personal keepsake that they can carry around.
Speaking to Rén’s many functions, Nur Sökme notes, “Besides watching a movie when OLED screen is wide open, when it is rolled it can also be used as a bedside lamp at night, an aquarium, a lava lamp, a screen for recipe tracking in the kitchen. It can be flexible in use as much as the user needs. Its simple design approach gives the user to express her/himself through the Rén.”
Nothing says “professional” more than smoothly pulling out a tiny project from your suit’s front pocket and setting it up in a snap at the start of your business presentation.
Home projectors are en vogue these days, especially as more and more people cut the cord and rely on streaming services or their phones for content. Back in the days, however, projectors were more often used in the business side of the world for meetings, events, and presentations. Dealing with projectors has never been a pleasant task, and carrying one round is even less so. One tiny projector concept, however, wants to make those haunting memories a thing of the past and actually make you look savvy even before you start your presentation.
Conventional projectors, especially the large ones used in offices, are often too expensive for a single person to purchase. That’s why many businesses and organizations just purchase one or two that can be used by a group of people in turn. As anyone who has had experience using these image-throwing machines, sharing a projector in the same meeting isn’t just an exercise in frustration. It can sometimes downright be embarrassing, especially when, not if, things go horribly wrong.
You can bring your own projector, of course, but that doesn’t solve the hassle of setting it up, especially when it’s your turn to speak. Not to mention even the most portable projectors can be burdensome to carry around, making you look more awkward than professional. This PICO projector concept tries to envision what could be if you could have a projector that’s big enough to fit in your pocket, and it’s going the extra mile to make you look good even while carrying it.
In addition to its pocket-friendly size, PICO is designed to be simple to set up and use. You actually don’t need anything else because it has its own built-in memory as well as folding stands. You could still hook it up to a computer, USB thumb drive, or video source, but those are mostly for extraordinary circumstances. Most of the time, you’ll probably want to go wireless or device-free.
PICO is also designed to look at home in a professional setting or in your pocket. Its simple design doesn’t call too much attention to itself, and the felt-like cloth cover helps make it blend with your apparel. That cloth does have to be pulled back for ventilation and audio output. Having the power button hidden underneath it makes it impossible to forget anyway.
There have been smartphones that came with built-in short throw projectors, but those turned out to be novelties and disappointments in the long run. It might only be a matter of time, however, before decent projectors the size of PICO can actually become a reality. Unfortunately, it might already be too little too late for business-oriented projectors like PICO to be successful in the market, especially given the trend towards video conferencing and, soon, the metaverse.
As much as I love getting dressed up, and checking out the latest bars and restaurants that are considered ‘trendy’, with my friends on a Saturday night…there’s something about a cozy movie night that I simply cannot resist! Nibbling on popcorn, sipping on some red wine, while watching my favorite Netflix movie – sounds like the ideal weekend plan to me. Whether it’s a rom-com with bae or a horror movie with my girlfriends – I’m always up for a great movie night. But what makes a great movie night truly great – the ideal projector! There are tons of projectors on the market, each one promising immense innovation, top-notch functionality, and sleek looks. Picking a projector to meet your movie-watching needs can be a bit intimidating – hence we’ve curated a collection of innovative yet handy projector designs that promise to provide you with the ultimate movie night. From an FHD projector that lets you watch Netflix on a massive 200-inch display to a portable tripod-inspired projector – these projectors are all you need to watch your favorite movies on the big screen comfortably at home!
1. The Jireno CUBE4
For under two Benjamins, the Jireno CUBE4 makes pretty lofty promises. Sure, it isn’t a 4K multimedia device, but then again, it delivers an absolute bang for its buck. The projector comes with a compact design that’s reminiscent of the Anker Nebula Mars 2, with its handle on top that lets you carry it around the place, so you can bring the party to your friends’ houses. Although it’s marketed as a portable projector, the one thing it lacks is an internal battery, so having a power-source nearby is a must. On the design front, the Cube4 has an all-aluminum body that, aside from giving the projector it’s premium aesthetic, also helps with heat dispersion, allowing the projector to stay cool at all times – a feature further reinforced by the CUBE4’s potent inner cooling system.
2. The Freestyle
In stark contrast to most projectors, the Freestyle comes in a sleek cylindrical form that looks like a mix of a spotlight and a smart speaker. In reality, that is almost exactly what it is, though it substitutes the spotlight for an LED projector. The Freestyle’s body can swing 180 degrees, making it trivial to place the projector anywhere and still get a good view. The projected image can go from 30 to up to 100 inches with a Full HD resolution. Despite the more compact size, the Samsung Freestyle is actually packed with features you’d see in bigger projectors. Those include autofocus and automatic keystone correction, both of which give the projector its advertised freedom.
3. The JMGO U2
An ultra-short-throw tri-color laser projector, 4K resolution, 100-inch screen size, with 4 Dynaudio-tuned electromagnetic speakers with a 50W overall audio output… The JMGO U2 is the closest thing to having a movie theater in your house. It’s even 3D compatible, and all you need are JMGO’s 3D glasses and you’ve got yourself a cinema in your living room. The projector can also push out media at 3,600 ANSI lumens of brightness (when used with the JMGO ALR Screen), allowing you to watch movies, videos, episodes, and matches without needing a completely dark room. An auto-brightness feature inside the U2 kicks in to tweak the brightness based on external light, so you don’t have to fiddle with manual controls or go draw the curtains.
4. The ViewSonic M2e
The ViewSonic M2e smart portable LED projector is equipped with dual speakers by Harmon Kardon. The smart projector provides up to 100″ display from just 2.7 m away! It also boasts an Auto Focus feature. The M2e offers perfect visuals, no matter which angle you sit in. You don’t have to confine yourself to sitting in the center. You get a great view, irrespective of your seating position! Amped with corner adjustment capabilities, the smart projector can shape images from all directions – front, side, above, and below. Not to mention, the compact little projector is extremely portable! You can carry it for movie night to your partner’s place for a romantic date night.
5. Togic One
Being holed up in our bedroom for months on end with nothing to do but create TikTok videos has made many of us reconsider our bedrooms and how we can best design them to reflect our personalities. LED mood lamps and video projectors are two designs that help bring social media and TikTok to our bedrooms. Togic One from Fu Fu is a small home projector that can be adjusted to different positions and project film from anywhere in the room. Tightly wrapped in Guilford of Maine, Togic One has a familiar texture and design that would fit right in on a shelf lined with your portable speaker and smart assistant. Boasting a simple design, Togic One features only two small projection lenses that transmit film from the camera to your bedroom walls.
6. The Oui Smart Lenso mini projector
The Oui Smart Lenso mini projector has a cute palm-size form that can convert any flat wall into a 1080p screen. It features a thin tripod design while delivering movies to you on a 240inch screen. You can connect the projector to your smartphone, and play any content you like! A USB port also enables you to stream content from a USB stick. An auto-correct angle sensor discovers the best angle to project from, creating the perfect movie-watching experience for you. It also offers up to 40 hours of music playback, and 2 hours of video playback.
7. The SMASH
This all-in-one smart projector comes with the ability to stream content across 30 platforms, all in 1080p high-definition. It even supports casting from your phone or tablet (in case you want to play content you’ve recorded or stuff from social media), and has an HDMI port for connecting your laptop, making it great for presentations or if you’re a bit of a cord-cutter. The SMASH’s patent-pending design comes with built-in 360° speakers that push out booming audio to match the 10-foot screen being cast by SMASH’s 300 ANSI HD LED projector. There’s even a miniature display on the SMASH’s body and an integrated remote for easy navigation, although they simply play the second fiddle to the fact that the projector has Alexa built right into it.
8. The VAVA Chroma
VAVA makes a few really compelling arguments on behalf of its cutting-edge projector. For its compact size, the VAVA Chroma can project a display that measures anywhere between 80 inches to 150 inches diagonally. While most projectors require a dedicated spot and careful placement and orientation, the Chroma is an ultra-short-throw projector and can directly be placed against a blank wall, while it projects an image upwards onto the wall. As far as the image itself goes, the Chroma uses the world’s most advanced ALPD® 4.0 laser technology and a Red, Green, Blue Plus triple laser light source to produce a sharper 4K UHD image with HDR10, up to 106% Rec. 2020 color range, exceeding the color range of top movie theater projectors.
9. The Splay
The Splay is a pretty unique device if you come to think of it. It’s a projector as well as an external display, all packaged into a product that can easily fit into the average backpack. The projector can be used as a standalone device, allowing you to watch 1080p content on a nice 80-inch surface… but things get even more interesting with the Splay’s expandable display that turns your projector into an external monitor using an inverted umbrella-shaped device that lets you project images onto a bright 24-inch screen. In this format, the pico projector transforms into a monitor that you can use alongside your laptop, or with your tablet or phone, for added productivity.
10. The BenQ GV30 smart Bluetooth projector
The BenQ GV30 smart Bluetooth projector projects content at an intriguing 135-degree angle, allowing you to watch movies, videos, and more from any angle you like. It has 3 viewing modes – Plus, Cinema, and Day Time. The different modes adjust the lighting in accordance with the time of the day, and the environment. You can wirelessly connect the BenQ GV20, and stream content from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Optimized picture modes, 300 lumens of brightness, and 720p HD clarity create the ideal movie-watching experience!
Say goodbye to those hulking boxes in your living room with a single projector that might actually be doing too much.
Along with the rise of cord-cutters, there has been an increase in the number of people eschewing traditional TV sets. Some have become accustomed to watching everything from their smartphones or tablets, while others have opted to use less permanent fixtures to replace those large slabs of plastic and glass. Home projectors, both the short and long throw kind, have become more en vogue these days, and Samsung is jumping on the scene with a surprisingly fresh take on the product.
Projectors come in different sizes and designs, but almost all of them have one thing in common. Those come in a box shape and are often quite bulky, mostly to accommodate the equally bulky hardware inside. That’s what makes the new Samsung Freestyle a bit of a pleasant surprise because it throws all conventions out the window.
In stark contrast to most projectors, the Freestyle comes in a sleek cylindrical form that looks like a mix of a spotlight and a smart speaker. In reality, that is almost exactly what it is, though it substitutes the spotlight for an LED projector. The Freestyle’s body can swing 180 degrees, making it trivial to place the projector anywhere and still get a good view. The projected image can go from 30 to up to 100 inches with a Full HD resolution.
Despite the more compact size, the Samsung Freestyle is actually packed with features you’d see in bigger projectors. Those include autofocus and automatic keystone correction, both of which give the projector its advertised freedom. It even runs Samsung’s Smart TV software, so you’re getting the same apps and features you would see on the brand’s latest Internet-connected TVs. But wait, there’s more! The Freestyle also functions as a smart speaker and an ambient lighting device when not in use for watching videos.
There are, of course, some drawbacks to a projector this small, like the 500 nits of brightness that sounds too low for use in bright rooms. Its micro HDMI slot will also have some scampering for adapters, and there’s no built-in battery for wireless use. Then again, you can easily use a power bank when you carry it around, which could be music to the ears of Gen Z and millennials that this product was made for.
Modern cameras exist in high definition ubiquity — they’re in our laptops and phones; strapped onto our helmets and dangling from our drones — heck, you’d be hard pressed to find someone on the street without a video capture-capable device in their p...
