Konica Minolta has recently announced that they have developed a 4K resolution planetarium projector. The SUPAMEDIAGUROBU II is capable of displaying ultra high definition (4096 x 2400) resolution, which is about four times the regular full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. The projector uses a fish-eye lens to develop 3D digital simulations as well as realistic images. This model also is able to display a 10000:1 contrast ratio that makes every star in the solar system look like it is actually there. In addition to planetariums, the projector can also be used for large venue multimedia presentations or entertainment purposes like movie theaters. There is no word when this projector will be available; there is also no word on price.

[via Slash Gear]

The 3M MPro110 was one of the first pocket projectors to be released to the consumer market. This mini projector features VGA (640 x 480) resolution and LCoS display technology. It comes with a VGA port as well as a video port for composite devices. Recently, IT Business released their review of this micro model. Their initial thought about the MPro110 was, “Do you have a projector in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” The MPro110 weighs only 0.3 lbs and measure in at 4.5″ x 2.0″ x 4.5″ (W x H x D). They could easily see how nice this projector would be to anyone who has a portable device including, mobile phones and cameras. Connecting the projector was easy and it responded in a matter of seconds to the connected device. The image was also decent as they shinned it onto a piece of paper to test the sharpness and color quality. The major problem that the writers had with this projector was with the battery. The projector comes with an internal battery that can run for about 60 minutes before needing recharged. The writers didn’t think that the two hours it took to charge the battery was not worth the weights if you could only the use the projector for hour. Their final thought about the MPro110 was, “I can imagine how useful it would be for the salesman who needs to display a slideshow at any time, or a photographer who needs the option to share photos with people or even review the images themselves. This is definitely not an entertainment device, as the projected image just doesn’t have the candle power, the resolution, or the color quality to properly display video. But it is certainly adequate for graphics and photos. ”

[via IT Business]

The US Government is finally starting to get involved in children’s education by distributing “technology bundles” to teachers who submitted grant application for one of three different bundles of electronic equipment. The bundles are part of the 21st Century Classroom Project, which was designed to upgrade classrooms to the digital era. The teachers had three bundles to choose from, each one specializing providing equipment, depending on what the classroom already has available. Some of the equipment provided included digital video projectors, interactive whiteboards, wireless remote controls, student and teacher notepads, and student response units, which allows the answers from the class to be displayed onto the screen. Karla McArthur, who teaches at Emma Sansom Middle School, said, “I just think when they interact like this, their retention is better because sometimes when you’re just standing up in front of the room asking them to respond to questions, they’re not paying that much attention.”

[via The Gadsdey Times]

If the top three 3LCD projectors weren’t to your liking, then you might want to see what AV Reviews have listed as their best pick for home theater projectors. Recently, they have released their recommendations for the best projectors this holiday season. Each of these projectors is unique in their own way.

The first projector on the list is the BenQ W500. This model features 1100 ANSI lumens, a 5000:1 contrast ratio, and an HD (1280 x 720) resolution. The W500 is one of cheapest projectors on the list, retailing for about $849. It has excellent motion control and an impressive brightness, but the black levels are very average in comparison to the other models on the list. The W500 come with all the connections you would need for your home, including an HDMI, component, composite, s-video, and a RGB connection.

The next projector is the Epson EMP-TWD10. This model features a built-in DVD player as well as 1200 ANSI lumens, HD (1280 x 720) resolution, and a 1000:1 contrast ratio. Weighing only 15 lbs, this projector can easily be moved to any room in the house or even outside. The only downside to this model is that the image quality is rather low and could be a whole lot better.

The Sanyo PLV-Z5 is the third projector on this list. It features HD (1280 x 720) resolution, 1100 ANSI lumens, and a 10000:1 contrast ratio. This model feature dual HDMI inputs as well as a RGB, composite, component, and an s-video connection. The Z5 is a relatively quiet running projector with only a 22 dB noise level. The only major concern about this projector is that it is difficult to balance the brightness and contrast in order to display the best picture possible.

Lastly, there is the InFocus Play Big IN80 projector. This model is the best model in the whole bunch. It features 1300 ANSI lumens, a 7500:1 contrast ratio, and is the only model in the list to feature full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. The IN80 has an almost perfect combination of brightness, contrast, and resolution to create one of the best home theater experiences you could have. The only major weak point with the IN80 is that it tends to be a little noisy. Unfortunately, the IN80 is also the most expensive projector on this list, retailing for about $2300.

[via AV Review]

The Microsoft Surface is one of the latest breakthroughs in technology. It is a table top screen that has a projector and an IR camera mounted under it. The Surface reads hand placements and item placements on the screen and correlates them to the images on the screen. The final product is a multi-user, multi-touch, touch-screen surface. For months Microsoft has been talking about releasing this product to the consumer market. The latest advance in this development is through BMW dealerships. They have recently announced the use of the Microsoft Surface to allow customers to customize their cars, before they buy them. The BMW Product Navigator allows users to access information about any car available to the dealership. Customers can customize both the interior and exterior and even add accessories to the car by placing samples onto the surface. The device can then show the customer a simulation of their car onto a nearby TV screen, mounted on the wall. The Navigator system also allows the specifications the customer chose to be sent by email, printed at the dealership, or loaded onto a flash drive for later use. Most of the features the Navigator can do have been demonstrated in some way by Microsoft. But the fact that the Surface is finally starting to be used for commercial use is giant step forward.

[via Gizmodo]

NEC has recently announced the release of the NP500W in the UK. This projector is one of the newest projectors to join the NP Portable Series, and features a 500:1 contrast ratio, 3000 ANSI lumens, and a WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The NP500W comes with a variety of inputs including a DVI, RGB, composite, an s-video, and a variety of audio connections. This model even comes with a 7 watt speaker that is more than capable of filling the room with music or any other audio you wish to present. The NP500W also comes with a multitude of features including a virtual remote network function, wall color correction, optical zoom, automatic vertical keystone correction, and closed captioning. This projector was designed to handle just about any situation as well as any room situation. The NP500W is available through the NEC website and retail for the suggested retail price £775 ($999).

[via Sourcewire]

If you want the best in home entertainment this holiday season, then you need to take a look at these three projectors. Recently, the writers at Virtualization released the top three home theater projectors that would make excellent gifts. All three models feature the latest in 3LCD technology as well as full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution.

First on the list is the editor’s pick, the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080. This model feature 1200 ANSI lumnens and a 12000:1 contrast ratio. This model is relatively light weigh, making it easy for ceiling installation. This projector was added to this list for its ability to produce incredible blacks, depths and detail. The editor commented, “Epson has done a great job coming up with a projector that will appeal to the masses … it can be installed pretty much anywhere.” The PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 retails for just under $3000.

The next highly rated projector on the list is the Mitsubishi HC7000. This model features a smaller 1000 ANSI lumens, but an amazing 72000:1 contrast ratio. This is also one of the quietist home theater projectors you will ever see with a 17 dB noise level. This feature allows viewers to enjoy the movie with no distraction from a noisy projector. Unfortunately, the HC7000 is a little more expensive than the Epson model, retailing for $3995.

Last, but not least, there is the Sanyo PLV-Z700. This projector features a 10000:1 contrast ratio and 1200 ANSI lumens. The Z700 is designed to be easy to use and display high quality images for a relatively low cost. This projector is not the most powerful of the bunch, but it is the cheapest, retailing for $2500.

[via Virtualization]

The Optoma GT-3000 is the newest projector to come from Optoma. Designed for gaming, this projector features a 2000:1 contrast ratio, 2300 ANSI lumens, and a SVGA (800 x 600) resolution. Recently, Trusted Reviews got the opportunity to see what the projector is capable of. Before even setting up the projector they were severely disappointed to see that the projector only had SVGA (800 x 600) resolution when just about every game console today features full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Even though the GT-3000 can receive HD content, it has to scale the resolution to meet its own native resolution, which dramatically degrades the quality. One of the better qualities of the GT-3000 was that it was very small, which makes it easy to transport. The writers also liked that Optoma includes a 2.1 speaker package that includes an iPod docking station as well as a convenient carrying case to protect both the projector and speaker system. Upon setting up the projector, the writers noticed that the screen adjustment features were severely limited, especially in the optical zoom. This proved a problem because it requires the user to position the projector a fair distance from the screen in order to display a large, full wall sized image. The only compliments given about the image was that it had rich color saturation as well as a sharp and clean appearance. The final verdict that was said about the GT-3000 was, “Another day, another nightmare of a conclusion to reach! The problem with the GT3000 is that despite claiming on its box to be great with movies and sports as well as games, it’s really pretty much a one-trick pony - with that trick being that it’s actually quite fun to use for Wii parties. So long as the members of your party aren’t all particularly susceptible to the DLP rainbow effect. I guess the GT3000 could also just about work as a ‘young kid occupier’ if you stick on a Disney DVD in the afternoon. But for god’s sake don’t expect it to come even close to satisfying any more serious home cinema cravings than that. In the end, I guess the question for you has to be whether playing life-size Wii games is really worth £338 to you. For me, it probably isn’t. But then to be fair, if you play Wii games as much as I play Xbox 360 and PS3 games, maybe it just about is.”

[via Trusted Reviews]

SMART Technologies is the company that invented the wonderful SMART boards that you can find in just about any classroom. Recently, they have announced their third generation SMART board, the 600i interactive whiteboard system. This product line comes in two screen formats, a 16:10 aspect ratio for widescreens, and a standard 4:3 aspect ratio. The whiteboard uses a mounted projector to display images onto the board. By using special tools and a touch sensitive whiteboard, teachers and students can interact with the projected images. In addition to a new widescreen, the 600i series comes with a wide variety of features including increased security, SMART Notebook software, and SMART Meeting Pro, which allows the system to be used for both the classroom and meeting rooms. One of the main features about the new systems is the finger and stylus input, which allows the user to use the supplied pen tools, a pointing device, or they can use their own fingers. The new 600i whiteboard systems will be available in the beginning of January 2009 for a suggested retail price starting at $3079.

[via SMART Technologies]

Christie is proud to release their newest simulation and training projector, the Matrix StIM. This model features a measly 600 ANSI lumens, but makes up for it with a WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution and a 100000:1 contrast ratio. The StIM is the industry’s first customer-driven arrayed projection system with LED illumination that simultaneously renders simulated environments in both the visible and infrared spectrums. The LED lamp system has a 50000 hour lamp life, which is one of the longest lasting lamps designed for a projector. The StIM is not only powerful, but very small. This model weighs only 30 lbs and measures only 18.4″ x 11.0″ x 8.7″ (W x H x D). The StIM is capable of being mounted from a variety of position to deliver top of the line quality for any simulation system. The Matrix StIM is currently available through Christie, however a retail price has not been released.

[via Christie]