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Eye-catching and affordable
Commenting on the growing use of video in
European businesses highlighted in a recent
Frost & Sullivan study (
Users’ Experiences with
Visual Collaboration Products and Services
in the Business Context
), research analyst
Karolina Olszewska said: “Meetings via
visual collaboration also bring an additional
element to a meeting, namely the ‘cool factor’
of using a more innovative meeting tool.”
The same could be said of the Philips PicoPix 2330
LED pocket projector.With just 30 lumens output, this
tiny projector isn’t going to deliver the image quality
you would expect from a business device. Even with
the blinds drawn, colours look washed out on all but
the smallest images (an 80 lumens version not seen by
Business Info
offers more vibrant output). But, that’s
probably beside the point, because what the 2330
does have is the ‘cool factor’.
Pocket pico projectors have been around for some
time – the PPX 2330 itself includes many enhancements
over previous models – and in the last 12 months
have been selling like hot cakes as early adopters use
them to share digital content stored on smartphones,
laptops, games consoles and memory cards. But they
are still a novelty and anyone who uses one as part
of a presentation is likely to find that its WOW factor
outweighs any obvious technical limitations.
Moreover, the lack of image brightness is most
problematic on larger image sizes – the PPX2330
can project images up to 60 inches in size – and is
tolerable on smaller projections for which devices
of this nature are most likely to be used. Business
applications range from the display of video and
presentations to small groups where a projected image
can be preferable to a shared tablet or notebook
display, to applications in shop windows, display
cabinets, bars etc. where the PPX2330’s short throw
distance can be a big advantage.
In its favour the PPX2330 has some very useful
features for such a small device, including a two-hour
battery life; a tripod (optional); 2GB of on-board
memory for PC-free/wireless presentations; and
an impressive range of connectivity options. These
include a direct link to video devices, such as an iPad,
camcorder or games console; an integrated MP4
media player that allows content to be played directly
from the built-in memory, USB stick or micro SD
card; and a USB QuickLink for connecting a camera,
smartphone or removable storage device.
With a sub-£200 street price, the PPX2330 is
affordable as well as eye-catching. You may not want
to use it in every situation or in front of every client.
But for informal presentations to very small groups or
to bring something extra to meetings with customers
with a love of gadgetry, it’s well worth a punt.
www.picopix.philips.com
www.binfo.co.uk
magazine
26
innovations
: On test
i
On test:
Philips PicoPix
2330 projector
Or try these
On test:
Booq Cobra Brief
Brought to Booq
Business Info
has recently been trying out a
Booq Cobra Brief laptop bag.With a suggested
retail price of £211.99, this luxurious bag
is probably worth more than the laptop it
contains, but only a label junkie would guess.
From the outside, the black nylon bag doesn’t
look nearly so expensive, though for those in the
know the 1689 denier ballistic nylon with water-
repellent coating does have a luxurious sheen
and the water-resistant rubberised bottom is
impressively rugged.
The bag has two handles, a shoulder strap and
a pair of vertical straps on one side that suggest it
can be carried on one’s back like a school satchel.
What a good idea, I thought, though disappointingly
they are just decorative. A horizontal strap on the
other side of the bag allows it to hooked onto a
bag carrier, which helps lighten the load for business
travellers.
It’s only when you unzip the bag that you get
your money’s worth, with dense padding in the
laptop compartment, silky-smooth lycra lining and
pockets with genuine leather trim that make the
Booq Cobra reminiscent of nothing so much as a
giant sponge-bag, albeit a beautifully made one.
The Booq Cobra Brief cleverly combines the
luxurious and the practical. For some, it will have
got the balance just right, while others, including
this reviewer, might find
the bag’s appearance
more functional than
necessary, given the
price tag.
www.booqbags.com
Samsung Galaxy Beam.
Costing circa £400, the
Samsung Galaxy Beam
is twice the price of the PPX2330, but for that you
also get an Android smartphone. For many, the
smartphone/projector combination is the future of
mobile presentations. But for the time being, with
15 lumens output, the Galaxy Beam is very much
aimed at the consumer market.
3M MP410.
One of several new devices from
3M, this palm-sized, AC-powered projector is also
twice the price of the PPX2330 (£499 retail), but
is considerably more powerful, with 300 lumens
output,WSVGA resolution, HD image quality up to
100 inches (diagonal), 1 GB of on-board memory,
microSD and USB
connectivity, and an
optional USBWi-Fi
dongle for wireless
projections.
www.3M.co.uk/
mobileinteractive