Touchjet's Pond Projector Comes With Android 4.4 Built-In

Remember when Pico Projectors were all the rage? The idea was simple. Let's create a projector small enough for you to take anywhere and project things whenever and wherever you wanted. The idea was so radical and interesting that it caught on like wildfire. Even smartphone developers were creating phones with Pico Projectors built-in. It seemed like this was the future of projector technology.

However, it didn't quite turn out the way that many people had hoped. Sure there are a ton of Pico Projectors still on the market these days but the idea is more of a niche product than anything else and, to make matters worse, it doesn't seem like the next generation of iPhones or Galaxy phones are going to be coming with built-in projectors. But that doesn't mean that portable projecting is dead and gone.

Take the Touchjet Pond, for example. This device is taking the opposite approach to Pico Projectors by instead packing all the functionality of an Android device into a projector, including a touchscreen. The idea originated as an Indiegogo campaign last year and the very fist product is now available for shipping for $599.

According to Touchjet, the Pond is the very fist consumer device that allows you to create a touchscreen out of literally any surface. The device is capable of projecting a screen size of up to 80" diagonally with a resolution of 854x480. You do have the ability to produce a larger screen but the 80 lumen output of the projector dims the picture significantly beyond this point.

The projector itself is entirely made of plastic, keeping weight down to just 9.6 ounces. Connectivity ports include a Mini HDMI and micro USB ports in addition to a headphone jack, in case you don't want to use the internal speakers which are, needless to say, rather small.

On the inside the Pond comes with a mid-range dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 18GB of user-accessible storage. While these specs aren't necessarily on the high-end they are more than capable of producing smooth performance and a lack of dropped frames. There have been reports of the device freezing, causing it to have to be powered off and powered back on. The storage is also non-expandable, which could be a deal breaker for some people.

To interact with the touchscreen display you will need to use one of the two included styli. The styli shine an infrared light that the projector tracks. In addition to that, they are also pressure sensitive, making them very useful for text and drawing. They are also made of metal instead of the projector's plastic, making them feel a little more sturdy in your hand. The Airmouse, which is the included remote for the Pond, doubles as a pointing device, allowing you to navigate around Android with the directional pad or switch to mouse mode to track movements in the air.

$599 is a bit of a hefty pricepoint for this type of projector so, at this point, it's hard to tell how successful the Pond will be. The small size makes the projector very portable and convenient and is easier to carry around than a laptop or a tablet. The display quality isn't the absolute best but the portable Android touchscreen capabilities do have merit for people like teachers and families. If you have the money to spend and actual, practical uses lined up then the Pond from Touchjet could be a very useful little projector.

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TouchPico Projector Turns Walls Into Touchscreens... Sort Of

Touchscreen technology is the newest craze nowadays, entering into literally every corner of the technology market, including projectors. Touchjet originally debuted a concept version of its Touchpico projector at CES 2014. The projector, which is about the size of a phablet, is an Android-powered WiFi device that, according to Touchjet, is nearly ready for production.

The TouchPico is about the size of two phablets stacked on top of each other. While it will fit into your pocket it's not a device that you'll forget you have on you. One of the key selling points for the TouchPico is that it had the ability to turn your wall into a touchscreen. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. What the projector does do is project an 80" screen on whatever surface you want. There is an included stylus that has a clicky tip which serves as your touch-device. All you have to do is tap the stylus against the wall you are projecting on and the device sends an infrared signal to the projector that registers your motion. If you attempt to use the picture like a traditional touchpad by using your finger then absolutely nothing will happen.

Slava Solonitsyn of Touchjet demoed the TouchPico for Gizmodo, using the projector with a host of different Android apps. Solonitsyn displayed how the mini projector could be used as a whiteboard, a slide stack presentation device or even a big screen for playing games. During every facet of the demo the projector responded to clicks and stylus movement without any noticeable lag, though you do have the hold the stylus in a certain way so that the shadow of your arm doesn't cover the object you are trying to click.

Internally, this projector has some good hardware. The TouchPico is packing a dual-core processor running stock Android, which means its essentially a WiFi-only device. In addition to that, it has a 150-lumen lamp and is able to run stock Android apps with no troubles. The touch sensor does not use any CPU power but instead emulates the screen on the go. What this means is that, for the moment, it is unable to do multitouch. The TouchPico also comes with two built-in speakers and a cooling fan that is relatively quiet. Solonitsyn also noted that the projector will last about 45 minutes on battery power before it needs to be plugged in.

All the engineering and designing is complete on the TouchPico and now Touchjet is looking to Indiegogo to raise money for the first round of devices. Think of it like Kickstarter with a different name. Backers will get their TouchPico projector for $350 with regular retail price set at $500 once the campaign is over. While that is a pretty steep price for a product like this you have to remember that you are essentially getting an 80" Android device that you can display on your wall and take with you anywhere you want or need to.

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