Hitachi announced yesterday their new interactive whiteboard, the new Starboard FX77 Duo whiteboard is a multi-touch system. This system allows you to use one or both hands at once to control what is displayed on the screen. The whiteboard is a magnetic plain whiteboard that allows you to draw on it or stick magnets to it. The presenter mentions that you could drill a whole through the board and it would still be able to be used. The reason why is because all the sensors and positioning hardware is located in two black strips located on the top and bottom of the board. The sensors are able to triangulate where you are touching the board and relay that information to the system. The Starboard also comes with two magic wands that allow the presenter to stay out of the way during their presentations. The software that comes with the whiteboard is fully customizable and allows the user to adjust the settings and display to best fit their needs. Hitachi paired the Starboard FX77 Duo with their ultra short projector, the CP-A100 projector. This projector uses a mirror and short throw lens to create a 60 inch diagonal screen from less than 2 feet away. It also features 1500 ANSI lumens and a native XGA (1024 x 768) resolution.

[via Engadget]

A new medical advancement is growing in popularity. The CAVEman project was created by the people at the University of Calgary’s Sun Center of Excellence for Visual Genomics. The CAVEman project allows medical personnel to scan parts of, or the whole human body and project it in 3D in a room called the CAVE. This new technology is made possible by having a projector per projected surface (example: 4 projected surfaces is 3 walls and the floor), depending on the type of system. The projectors display their portion of the whole image and guests can use 3D glasses to have the images come together in a 3D display in the middle of the room. Medical personnel can also use a hand want to interact with the image, while in the room. The CAVEman project was designed to show doctors the affects and developments of diseases and drugs in the human body. The CAVE also comes in a variety of versions: four, five, and six projected surfaces. Its resolution is scaleable up to 100,000,000 pixels and can be made more by adding additional projectors per wall.

[via BioOptics World]

Have you ever wanted to fly like a bird but your wax wings keep breaking? Yesterday, Microsoft demonstrated their new iBird Flight Simulator. This exhibit used a USB controller with dual pulley-style cords that you held to simulate the bird’s wings. Your movements were then recorded and relayed to the computer and projector system which projected the virtual bird in 3D space. The iBird simulator also has several fans aimed at you that speed up or slowed down, to give you a feel of how fast the iBird was movie. One of the presenters commented by saying that the reason why they chose to use the USB pulley controls is because other methods didn’t provide the same sense of feedback. There is no word if this simulator will reach retail markets.

[via Gizmodo]

If you have been looking for a good quality business projector, then now is the time to strike. Business projectors have been expanding their capabilities to provide more to the consumers. Two of the major improvements have been short throw distances and widescreen support. The short throw distances allows for businesses with small meeting rooms to have a projector for presentations. The widescreen support is also vital because it allows presenters to show video in true widescreen format instead of using a condensed 4:3 format. The other major improvement in business projectors is the lowering prices for high quality projectors. This decline in retail prices allows many businesses to afford one or more projectors for their meeting rooms or even to supply their traveling presenters. USNews.com released an article about the advances of business projectors and went on to list several quality models that could work for any business situation. Unfortunately there are to many to list here, but some of the better models include the Epson Powerlite 400W ($1399), which can display widescreen images from as close as 3.4 feet away. The NEC NP3151W ($4999) was also mentioned because it features 4000 ANSI lumens and only weighs 16 lbs. Lastly the least expensive model they highlighted was the Sanyo PLC-XW60, that features XGA (1024 x 768) resolution and weighs less than 4 lbs, which retails for $795.

[via USNew.com]

We have been hearing for years about the release of the first pocket projector. Many companies like Microvision, Explay, Foxconn, and many more have been racing to be the first to release their versions of ultra-portable projectors. Object.com has created a list of 18 of the most popular designs we have seen over the past year. Some of top projectors include the Microvision SHOW and the Oculon pocket projector. While some others like the CKing phone projector, and the Displaytech iview Pico projector are near the bottom. The list has a few concept designs including the LG wrist projector. Object.com also allows you to vote for your favorites and help boost it to the top of the list.

[via Object.com]

Mint Wireless will be releasing the V10 pocket projector in Australia and New Zealand in two months. The V10 will be the first pocket projector to be released into the retail market. The V10 is the size of an iPhone and comes with a 1 GB internal hard drive. It comes with a USB connection as well as an RCA video/audio connections to be able to connect to laptops, DVD players, game systems, and digital cameras. The V10 can display a 50 inch diagonal screen from a distance of just over 5 feet. It also comes with a mini tripod for steady presentations. The only concern about the V10 is the short battery life. The battery is only able to hold a charge for about 60 minutes, which is just shy of a full length movie. However the V10 is being advertised more as a small business presentation tool and less as a portable home theater. The V10 is expected to debut in September and will retail for about $649.

[via CNet]

The Sanyo PLC-XW60 is designed for durability and portability. It features 3LCD display technology and is able to display 2000 ANSI lumens and an XGA (1024 x 768) resolution. The XW60 also weighs less than 4 lbs, making it light enough for any presenter. The writers at ZDnet put the XW60 through its passes and put it up against some of their best testing equipment. Some of the feautres they were impressed with were the clear labeling of the controls and that there was plenty of configuration options. they also throught the overall design of the projector was exactly what a portable projector needs to be. However, one of their major concerns was that they thought the native XGA  resolution was good but it could of been a lot better. Their final verdict on the PLC-XW60 was, “Otherwise the Sanyo provides a bright, sharp picture with pleasing contrast. The modest resolution may not excite, but it is perfectly adequate for most purposes. there were bount to be trade-off with such a portable unit.”

[via ZDnet]

BenQ has recently announced two new projectors that will be joining their stationary projector line. The SP870 and SP920 both use the latest in DLP display technology. They also both display native XGA (1024 x 768) resolution and a 2000:1 contrast ratio. The SP870 is the smaller of the two, weighing just under 11 lbs. It features 5000 ANSI lumens and is HDTV compatible. It also comes with a variety of connections including RGB, DVI, s-video, composite, and component inputs. It also has a USB connection for easy control while connected to a PC. The SP920 has a much brighter 6000 ANSI lumens display. It also weighs over twice as much as the SP870, weighing 24 lbs. The SP920 is also HDTV compatible and comes with an HDMI input, as well as the others the SP870 has. The SP920 also has dual 5 watt stereo speakers for your listening enjoyment. Both the SP870 and SP920 are available through BenQ’s website. Retail prices are on a need to know basis.

[via Hexus Lifestyle]

If you want a home theater projector but all you have is an unused LCD monitor, then take a look at this video. This is a step by step guide to turn an LCD monitor and an overhead projector into a home theater LCD projector. The process requires dismantling the monitor to get the all important LCD panel. Then they proceed to mount it to the overhead projector’s stage glass. He also highlights the installation of a fan for the LCD panel, because the stage glass can get extremely hot and possibly shatter the LCD panel. The process is a very cheap way to create an LCD projector. However, I recommend saving some time and frustration and getting a quality LCD projector for the price it would cost you to buy the materials for this DIY model.

[via Fun Tech Talk]

Chief Manufacturing has recently announced two new projector ceiling mounts that will be available to order. The CMS440P and CM445P ceiling mounts are designed to not only hold your projector, but improve its performance as well. These mounts come with power outlets, which eliminates the need for extension cords or external power outlets. The built-in outlets provide AC cleaning and purifying which they say will improve the audio and video performance of any projector. The new ceiling mounts also provide surge and spike protection, making sure your projector is safe. The mounts are designed for easy installment in any office building and fit flush with the ceiling panels.

[via Ecoustics]