Projector in a Cellphone?

5:50 PM -- I’ve been a fan, although not a jumping-up-and-down fan, of micro-displays in mobile devices for some time. One of the big challenges we face is how to get a big screen into a small package, and micro-displays in head-mounted form factors seem like a good idea, once one gets past the nerd factor, anyway. I must admit that, despite a wide variety of these on the market at very reasonable prices, I’ve never seen anyone using such while on the road. And, of course, if you wear eyeglasses, the ergonomics and comfort of such a combination leave much to be desired.

So, why not, instead of placing the display close to the eye, do the opposite -- use the micro-display to project an image into a flat surface? A company called Microvision Inc. (Nasdaq: MVIS) is in fact doing just that with a product they call PicoP. I’ve not spoken with them about this, but I suspect there will be issues with positioning the phone (these things are designed for style, after all, with lots of curved surfaces), image brightness, resolution, and overall quality, and perhaps... Who am I kidding here? No, certainly with battery life.

But Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) has in fact signed a deal with Microvision to further develop the projector-in-a-cellphone idea. So there must be something to this, and, if it works, this could be another good reason to leave the notebook computer at home. In the interim, I’d be happy if I could just plug my handheld into a projector. And, while we’re at it, let’s forget the plug -- let’s use wireless. Yeah, I’d buy that -- and so would a lot of other road warriors out there.

— Craig Mathias is Principal Analyst at the Farpoint Group , an advisory firm specializing in wireless communications and mobile computing. Special to Unstrung