Lenovo Reveals Crazy Cool Laser Projector SmartPhone Concept Called the 'Smart Cast'

[dgstorm]

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It looks like innovation in the mobile world isn't completely catatonic after-all. Lenovo showed off one of the coolest smartphone concepts today. It's called the "Smart Cast" and it doubles as a laser projector! Not only can you set the phone up to do board room presentations with its projector, you can also watch movies with it.

That's not all the laser projector is "projected" to do when the device eventually becomes a reality. As you can see in the video above, the Smart Cast is also meant to be able to project a keyboard onto nearly any surface for you to type. Furthermore, Lenovo even demonstrates a piano keyboard projected from the device.

Lenovo is billing their Smart Cast as the world’s first laser projector in a smartphone, and the world’s smallest pico projector. While not everyone would have the need to use the projector for presentations or movies, the laser keyboard functionality could be useful for virtually anyone. What do you guys think of Lenovo's concept?

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

I only need to know one thing. Where to buy this.

 

[Jeffrey]

Awesome... Lenovo is definitely on a roll.

 

[PereDroid]

TAKE MY MONEY LENOVO!!!!!!
My kid would love some Fruit Ninja on his wall.

 

[Narsil]

I think I'd be more interested in this in a tablet format than phone, but I really like the idea!

 

[kodiak799]

Innovative, and useful to some. But not worth a premium to most, to be honest. There's rarely a shortage of projectors in business settings, and nobody wants you to whip out your smartphone for a slideshow from your vacation.

Agree it would be more interesting in a tablet, but really if you look at the heat and light intensity of commercial projectors I doubt the performance of this could rise above gimmick. Maybe 4-5 years from now, but right now I almost think you're better off with an Android OS in a commercial projector.

 

[shockracer]

Think they will need a 4 Amp charger to run that. Wonder what battery life will be like?

 

[PereDroid]

I'm guessing not that bad. Lasers, at least basic tiny ones, don't take a lot of amperage to run.

 

[kodiak799]

I'm guessing not that bad. Lasers, at least basic tiny ones, don't take a lot of amperage to run.

I'm not familiar with Pico projectors, and maybe this is will be fine for small projections (say 20" or so). But my gut feeling is this won't be of commercial quality. Maybe in a few years.

A lot of businesses I'm in these days aren't even using projectors any more, they're using hdmi to flatscreens. That's why I don't see many practical applications for this if it can't project a quality image over 55+ inches.

 

[PereDroid]

Oh, I totally agree. I'm just thinking Fruit Ninja tourney!

TapaTurbo

 

[kodiak799]

Oh, I totally agree. I'm just thinking Fruit Ninja tourney!

TapaTurbo

That would be pretty cool....but how are you going to swipe on the wall without getting in the way of the projection?

 

[PereDroid]

Ohh. Watched the video again. They are playing FN on a table with the projector flipped around. Not on a wall. Still neat.

TapaTurbo

 

[94lt1]

I love this idea... Can't wait for it.. And for it to be on a watch

 

[FoxKat]

Agree it would be more interesting in a tablet, but really if you look at the heat and light intensity of commercial projectors I doubt the performance of this could rise above gimmick. Maybe 4-5 years from now, but right now I almost think you're better off with an Android OS in a commercial projector.

Think they will need a 4 Amp charger to run that. Wonder what battery life will be like?

I'm guessing not that bad. Lasers, at least basic tiny ones, don't take a lot of amperage to run.

The fact is it takes very little current to run a laser LED that is capable of producing a noticeably bright image on even just a basic flat white painted wall. Laser pico projectors have been around for a while and they have reasonably high resolution whole they are capable of producing a even more natural color image than even your phone display can. By using three primary color wavelengths, a last projector can create more colors and farther into the outer ranges of human visual perception than the display your looking at right now.

There has been tremendous effort placed into creating a high resolution, full color, low power pico laser projector into a tiny package and one been following this for quite a while now. There was even at least one phone that incorporated a projector in the past. I'll have to find it.

Anyway it's completely viable and I'm all for it. Like @PereDroid said, take my money.

 

[PereDroid]

Yea, I remember that phone.

TapaTurbo