Way Cool AV
I do a fair bit of lecturing in the course of my work as a consultant in prosthetics and orthotics, so I need to keep up with technical advances in audiovisual equipment. I've been using a new data projector since January, and after almost every presentation, someone from the audience has asked who makes it, since it is far smaller than anything else on the market.
Ultralight DLP Data Projector
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The Lightware V-1080 is sold online by the PLUS Corporation at www.buyplusdirect.com . This is an 800 lumen Digital Light Processing projector with XGA [1064 x 768 pixel] resolution that weighs two pounds and is about the size of a thick paperback book. The lamp brightness is fine for small rooms that are normally lighted, or for larger rooms if you dim the lights.
Interestingly, there is no price penalty for such portability: the Lightware projectors cost about the same as the more common 3-5 pound units. The major compromise is in brightness, since heavier units typically have 1000 lumens or more. A secondary limitation is that the fan in the small Lightware unit runs constantly and is fairly noisy in a small area. But, so long as you can dim the room lights as necessary, it is a fully functional projector. [A more powerful bulb would require a larger fan, larger enclosure, more ventilation, and make the projector twice are large, like all the others.]
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One other size compromise is that it has a fixed focus lens, so you must place the projector a specific distance from the screen for a given image size. But, it has a very good digital keystone adjustment and short-throw optics, so I normally place the projector adjacent to the first or second row in the auditorium. Keeping the projector close to the screen also helps make up for the restriction in lumens.
For the frequent presenter, a projector is much like an orthosis or prosthesis: smaller, lighter, and more convenient is a winning combination of characteristics! By the way, the PLUS folks also have a very nice interactive 3D demo online that let's you "pick up" and "examine" the projector from all angles. It would be nice if P&O component manufacturers would offer similar features on their web sites. Even if you're not in the market for a projector, it's worth a visit to www.buyplusdirect.com/site/3d.html just to see how well the "virtual model" works.
Naturally, the price has dropped $200 since January! PLUS also offers a lower resolution SVGA version that costs 30% less than the hi res one.
Easy-to-Use Wireless Mouse-Laser Pointer
My credit card sized InfraRed [IR] laser pointer-mouse finally died after 15 years of faithful service in lectures across the globe. I went online to order a replacement and discovered that my model has been dropped and the "new improved" version is bulkier and five times more expensive. Bad marketing decision, MindPath!
After a little web searching, I discovered the Laser Mouse Pointer from Penta Performance and ordered one. This turned out to be a great little item: versatile, easy to install and use, low profile, and reasonable cost. It's self-installing on Win 98 or later machines; on my Win XP laptop, it took less than 45 seconds for the Operating System to automatically get me up and running.
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The transceiver is a small piece of plastic that inserts into the USB port. Since this is a radio frequency controlled device [RF], there is no need for a cord or to aim at the transceiver. Just click one of the buttons, regardless of how the pointer is oriented, and the curser will move onscreen or the PowerPoint slide will advance.
In addition to right click and left click buttons, the pointer also has a thumb-operated trackball for cursor control, and a drag/scroll button - all in a remote that is just a little larger than a highlighting pen. [The cursor control is based on the same Force Sensing Resister technology used to control externally powered upper limb prostheses.]
Best of all, the price is half what I paid for my old IR pointer fifteen years ago! You can check it out for yourself by going to www.LaserMouse.com. The only caveat is that the gibber-English instructions that come with the pointer are pretty confusing, and omit such important basic information as how to insert the battery correctly. Save yourself some frustration and print out the online manual and photos, which explain everything clearly.