The laser projection headlights are something of amazement it seems, and thanks to some pretty nifty technology that’s built right into the headlights, drivers can project any image or video onto a screen. The images or video can come from a phone, tablet, flash drive, or even the internet using the GLA’s in-dash COMAND system.

However, Mercedes didn’t add projection to the GLA just for kicks and giggles — there is a logical purpose behind this, and the company says the projection system can be used as a real-time GPS navigation overlay.  It’s certainly something different then just looking at a small GPS screen during the whole trip.

The headlights feature a cooling system composed of a series of fans, so you won’t have to worry about the inevitable overheating of most projectors. Plus, there’s even a pair of HD video cameras mounted to the roof of the vehicle, and they’re detachable so you can take them with you when you’re not driving around. As for the engine specs, you’re looking at a turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder motor pushing out 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission and 4Matic all-wheel drive.

[via Engadget]

Big-screen TVs are getting bigger – our review of Samsung’s 75-inch ES9000 behemoth is evidence of that – but projectors are still the best way to get a huge picture at home. Unlike traditional projectors, however, the Hecto system doesn’t lose out on all the web-enabled features that Smart TVs now come with.

So, there’s not only a trio of HDMI inputs, an optical audio output, an RS-232 interface for automated home integration, and a digital TV tuner, but WiFi for streaming from Netflix, YouTube, and other services as we’ve seen on recent LG HDTVs. There’s also a pair of 10W speakers, though we’re guessing anybody serious about a 100-inch display will be equipping it with a surround sound system too.

LG isn’t saying how much the Hecto projector system will cost when it lands, either in their home country or elsewhere in the world later in Q1. However, the flexibility of being able to create a 100-inch display with just 22-inches between projector and screen is likely to win LG’s new home entertainment kit some fans.

Attachments

If you plan on plugging your iPod Touch or other Apple product into this projector (or any other, for that matter,) you’re going to have to buy at least one more cord. I decided on the standard Apple Composite AV Cable. This cable is available from the Apple store or several other locations such as Target. Incidentally, this cord will end up being useful for those of you whose iPod cord is on its last leg (like mine was) since it also connects via USB. This cord connects easily to the AV cord included in your projector’s box. As you may know if you’ve been following along with these reviews, the most obviously simple ways to utilize the projector are by plugging in a USB flash drive or by transferring files to the internal memory of the projector itself. You’ll need to have your own USB cord (not included in the projector package) to transfer and/or your own flash drive to work with in these cases. It’s important to remember that you’re probably not going to be able to use this projector straight out of the box unless you’ve got these cords already handy (or don’t mind stopping by your local electronics store.)

iDevices

As noted, the demo you’re about to see is done with a 2nd gen iPod Touch. It’ll end up working basically exactly the same for any other iDevice from that generation forward, I can’t speak for anything behind. When you’ve got the gigantically long Apple-official cable connected to the quite-short AV cable included with the projector, you’ll probably want a couple of twist-ties or a rubber band handy so you’re not tripping over yourself. Once you’ve got it all in your hands, you should be set to go to watch videos. It’s important to note that without hacking your iDevice, you’ll only be allowed to project videos. No gigantic Angry Birds for you.

Adjustments and Angles

If you’ve ever been in a classroom setting with one of those gigantic projectors with infinite buttons, you’ll be used to perfectly sharp images and lots of adjustments available for the size and shape of the picture. This is not that. This projector requires that you physically move back and forth to get the image to be bigger or smaller, and there’s basically no adjustments to be seen as far as if you’re trying to shoot the image up on a wall at an angle – straight on is the only way if you’re trying to make sure your box is perfectly boxed.

Wrap-Up

We’ve seen this projector in action for over TWO weeks now (extended because of the wacky holidays) and have only been disappointed by a few things: battery time, the loudness of the fan (which is basically always on,) and image breakdown. The image breakdown (which you can see if you take a look back at the first demo,) can be excused by the fact that this only seems to happen when playing a video file that wasn’t necessarily meant to be played outside its dvd confines (aka it wasn’t the best quality in the first place,) but still, imperfections in translating a video might be foremost in your mind when your buying a projector made for that single purpose.

The battery time and loudness of the fan are things you’re going to have to deal with whenever you use a projector, especially if you’re talking about one as small as this that you’re going to be carrying around in your pocket. This device is definitely fun, transports with great ease as its tiny and weighs basically nothing, and I can think of a dozen different ways to use it without even brainstorming that hard.

Is it worth the price? You betcha. Are you going to be able to use it in a professional setting? Depends on what profession you’re in. If you’re a freelance artist looking to show off your wares in odd places – yes! If you’re a businessman looking to project weekly earnings and charts – maybe not. This is not a big projector you’re going to use to show movies to crowds of people, but the cool factor is definitely here. If you want to be pro, go bigger (AAXA has lots of more substantial, but less mobile projectors if you wish,) if you want to be totally cool, buy the L1 v2 Laser Projector. Do it NOW!

Have a look at the rest of this series here:
A Week With the L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector : Everyday Use
A Week With the L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector : Hands-on and Unboxing
L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector Revealed by AAXA
A Week With the L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector : iDevices and Wrap-Up

The Box

As you might already know, if I open a box up for a review of the device inside and I find that the box is above-average quality, I’m gonna tell you about it. This particular box is a combination of shipping-quality toughness and second-thought printing. As you can see in the photos and video, there is a slide-off cover to the box which is itself surrounded by a brightly colored print display which tells you all about the product as it would stand in the store. This piece of gloss paper is taped on, letting you know instantly that AAXA does not depend on its graphic design presentation to sell you its products. Is this a good sign? Sometimes no, but in this case, it’s just fine, as the product itself is relatively high quality, as you’ll discover through the rest of this week’s reviews.

The people who would buy this projector are not the same people who buy Apple products whenever they’re released and refuse to use anything other than an iPod to listen to their music. Or is it? If you take a look at the image used in this post, you’ll see that they’re attempting to capture at least a part of the Apple consumer crowd. The box itself doesn’t really reflect this.

Inside the box are some thin cardboard separators and a piece of plastic cushion padding. These aren’t the sort of pieces you’re going to keep. Might as well just toss them in the garbage as soon as you open the package. Each cord is wrapped in its own plastic bag, the directions are situated right on top, and the device itself is precariously placed inside the thin cardboard right in the middle. The one we have here came in perfect condition, but I would definitely warn you to make sure your device isn’t bashed against the side before ripping all the packaging apart, just incase the cardboard broke down in the shipping process and a shipper’s thrown the box (as is often the case in shipping boxes this size, no matter who you get it shipped through.)

The Guide and Cords

In the box besides the device you’ll get an instructional manual and several cords. The manual is nicely printed and very easy to work with. Each time I’ve had a question about how the device works thus far, it’s been simply addressed by the book in an easy-to-find chapter.

The cords are thus: power cord (which plugs into a wall socket exclusively,) VGA video cord (which I agree with Intel, will be dead sooner than later, but is very nice to have here and now,) and a composite A/V cord – you know the kind, with the three color plugs red, white, and yellow. Both the A/V cord and the VGA cord connect to the device via a port on the right side of the device right next to the charge plug, both under the same flap.

As you’ll see in the video, and I still miss here, I wish there was a straight USB cord here to connect to the computer, as it does show this happening in the manual, but then again, there’s no headphones or earbuds either, and more than likely anyone purchasing this device already owns both.

The Device

The projector itself, as you can see in the video, is definitely hand-held. This is as far as technology has brought us so far with thinness in a laser projector, and I am satisfied. A big question for the future is how projectors are going to be integrated into thinner devices like tablets, etc – but then again, maybe they never will be?

You can see each of the plug covers plainly around the edges of the device: the power cord imput and external port (for VGA, RCA, and S-Video cords) under the same cover along the right side below the USB 2.0 port under a separate cover. Along the top is the projector glass – do not look directly into it! This is something AAXA is very clear about in the users manual. Watch out! Along the left side is the headphone port as well as the reset button (under the surface, accessible with a pin or something tiny, of course.)

The buttons include an Projector Adjustment button (top left), On/Off button (top left), Menu button (bottom left), and Cancel (bottom right.) Between these are up, down, left, and right, as well as an OK button in the center. Above these buttons you can see where the fan cools the engine off, and on the back you can see a laser warning as well as several rubber pads for setting the device down without scuffing it up.

The Bracket

The bracket is an item that lets you know exactly what this device is – not just an object that works in and of itself, but one that works as a teammate of other devices. This device is a projector, and should be thought of as a middleman between your device and the image it projects. The bracket lets you know that although the device works perfectly fine held in your hand or set on a flat surface, you might consider adding a tripod or similar holding object. That’s not to say that this device cannot play media on it’s on though – it can! You’ll hear all about that in the future reviews.

So get all pumped up! This is a handheld projector that works pretty neatly. Stay tuned all next week for several more reviews as we get used to it and blast images all over the place (as I write this, I’m watching the Empire Strikes Back on my wife and I’s apartment wall as we’re snowed in for the day – fun!) Seeya then!

A Week With the L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector from AAXA

Take a look at all of our “Week With” posts for the L1 v2 projector in this ever-growing list right here, starting with the first announcement and ending with the final word:

L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector Revealed by AAXA [Original Press Release]
A Week With the L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector : Hands-on and Unboxing
A Week With the L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector : Everyday Use

Project images up to 50″ away in dark environments. Rapid change possible in projection size, simultaneous near and far projection, angled projection, and projection on uneven surfaces. Fricking sweet, man. This projector includes an onboard 1.5 hour battery, making power cables unnecessary, VGA input supporting up to 800×600 resolutions for laptop connections, and a media player inside the device able to decode multiple document and media formats. Have some files on a USB thumb drive? It can read those too. Available for $449 MSRP or pre-order for $399. Check out the full press-release below:

AAXA Introduces L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector

November 24, 2010

AAXA Technologies is pleased to announce the release of the AAXA L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector, an updated version of the L1, the world’s first laser powered pocket projector. The updated design improves the performance of L1 v2 by increasing the thermal efficiency of the PCOS laser light engine. The unique three-color laser light source enables the L1 v2 to produce images with amazing color saturation that are always in focus. Designed for mobile professionals and entertainment, the AAXA L1 v2 pocket projector combines a revolutionary laser light source, proprietary despeckling technology, and an LCoS imager to achieve a 20 lumen output at 800×600 resolution without the pixilation problems found in some laser projectors.

The flexibility offered by the L1 v2 laser light source opens up a new world of possibilities in projection applications. The focus-free operation allows for rapid changes in projection size, simultaneous far and near surface projection, angled projection, and projection on curved and other non-flat surfaces. Its ultra-efficient optical engine enables the L1 v2 to produce rich images even in less-than-dark environments – and color-rich images up to 50″ in dark environments. Combined with onboard 1.5 hour battery, the L1 v2 operates as a true hand-held laser projector without the need for any cables or external power source.

Built-in features include VGA input supporting up to 800×600 resolutions for laptop connections and on-board gamma correction. Additional features include a powerful media player capable of decoding of video (AVI, ASF, WMV, MPG), audio (MP3, WAV, AAC), images (JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP), and popular document formats (DOC, XLS, PPT, PDF), onboard memory, and a USB port capable of reading files directly off a standard USB thumb drive.

While the L1 v2 is slightly larger than the original L1, it still remains the world’s smallest 20 lumen pico projector – no larger than a small cell phone, measuring only 4.2″ x 2.1″ x 1.2″ and weighs in at 170 grams (including battery). The L1 v2 projector is much smaller than the traditional “pocket projector”. It slips into a pocket or briefcase and comes with a stand, making it fully portable and configurable for maximum presentation flexibility. Additional accessories allow the L1 v2 to connect to Apple iPhone/iPod, Microsoft Zune, Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), and a wide range of cellphones from Nokia, LG, Samsung, and HTC.

The AAXA L1 v2 is available for pre-order at www.aaxatech.com for $399 and begins shipping December 1, 2010 and will also be available through our fine retail partners.

[Via AAXA Technologies]

The new laser micro-projector is compatible with Apple’s iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone. You just connect the device, and then the projector will shoot out a 16:9 image, which can range in size from 12-inches, all the way up to 100-inches. MicroVision also claims that the new projector is 50% brighter than their previous iteration.

The SHOWWX+ laser micr-projector is about the same size as your standard smartphone, so it should be easy enough to carry around. As far as battery life goes, the company suggests that you should get anywhere between 90 and 120 minutes of usage out of it, depending upon how you use it. As for price, you’ll be looking at spending $499, right from MicroVision, to get your hands on this little projector.

[via UberGizmo]

Casio has made their Green Slim Projectors available for consumption. What you get, is a projector that can display a projected image to 100 inches or more. Even better, the Green Slim can also project that image in a full 1080p HD signal, coming from either laser or LED hybrid light sources. Those will last somewhere in the ball park of 20,000 hours, too, so you should have plenty of late nights playing your favorite games.

You also get the ability to zoom in two times, making sure that if you want the full immersion environment, you get it. Thanks to the LED and laser lights, Casio has also made sure that the color representation is as pure as it gets. There’s obviously the HDMI port, making sure that you can plug your favorite game console, which has to be HDMI-equipped itself, into the projector. Prices range from $799 to $1,099, which you can pick up from many electronics retailers, like Best Buy. Are projectors something you’d consider? Or is an HDTV still something you’d rather buy?

[via CrunchGear]

Video demo after the cut

The prototype creates a roughly A3-sized display on any surface, and since laser pico-projectors don’t require manual focusing the image is always clear and crisp.  An infrared light source is then used to track your fingers as they interact with on-screen icons and controls.

Light Blue Optics are apparently working on other versions which will use bigger projectors; they’d be able to create wall-sized interactive screens which would still be reasonably portable (especially if you’re comparing them to a 42-inch LCD touchscreen or larger).  As for performance in reasonable lighting, rather than the murky CES demos, the Light Touch unit looks pretty clear, certainly good enough for the rather stark UI the company have developed for the prototype.

The projected image is capable of recognizing finger movements. That means you can use your finger to rotate, enlarge, and replace an image with finger motions. Funai developed the projector by combining tech from Nippon Signal’s MEMS scanner with its own magic. The projector uses RGB laser light that is scanned by a two-axis MEMS mirror to project a full color image. The basics of the laser projector are the same as other projectors already on the market, the big improvement here is the addition of finger sensing tech.

A sensor on the projector recognizes the intensity of light near the screen. The sensor can tell when part of the laser light is blocked by a finger and can find the position of the finger when it moves in mid air allowing control by motion. The companies compare the interface to the system Tom Cruise used in “Minority Report.” The projector could be commercially available as early as 2010.

In case you missed the projector before, it is a small plug-and-play projector that is capable of projecting an image of 12-inches to 150-inches depending on ambient light. The PicoP display engine keeps the image in focus no matter how far the projector is from the projection surface.

The resolution of the projector is 848 x 480. I hope that the laser backlight will fix the main issue with pico projectors I have used — low brightness. Some of the units I have tested were useless in even marginally lit rooms. Pricing and availability for the SHOWWX is unknown.