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back to article Green-laser micro-projectors green-lighted

Your mobile phone may one day include a projector capable of displaying 100-inch images, thanks to laser-maker Corning and projector-designer Microvision. In a joint statement, the two companies announced that Corning will supply its G-1000 green lasers to Microvision for use in that company's pico projectors. Green lasers …

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  1. Barrie Shepherd
    Happy

    Green Laser & Projectors

    There won’t be any sales in New South Wales Australia.

    The law here classes battery operated devices that “emit a laser beam, that may be used for the purposes of aiming, targeting or pointing” as lethal weapons. (http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/bill/soalelapb2008705/) .

    NSW Premier Morris Iemma says people caught with the devices could face between two to 14 years in jail. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/21/2222662.htm)

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    Isn't it the other way around?

    Solid state red (and infrared) lasers have been around a while, then came green, more recently blue/purple. There may have been gas-based and crystal-based lasers of a variety of wavelengths for a long time before solid state, but for small electronic devices without an abundance of power to squander, SS is where it's at. The higher the frequency (and energy), the harder it's been to make a stable, reliable solid state device.

    Am I wrong?

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  3. P. Lee
    Boffin

    At last!

    "Help me Obe Wan..."

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  4. Wolf
    Thumb Up

    Solves one half of the phone as PC problem. :)

    Now that they have the display (100" screen? Drooolllll) all they have to worry about is a keyboard. (And no, voice command/Minority Report UI/projected keyboard need not apply).

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  5. Christoph

    Obvious problems

    First use: Schoolkids projecting porn on the school walls

    Second use: Schoolkids projecting embarrassing pictures of other kids, and pictures of themselves beating up other kids.

    Third use: Highly paid professional adults projecting porn just about everywhere.

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  6. Reg Sim
    Boffin

    Yes, but which is cheaper?

    Now the laser does sound like the better technology, for everything from projecting your movies onto your folded up tray on an airplane or onto your teachers bumm in class, however no costs have been mentioned or speculated on.

    The DLP chip might be a shed load cheaper, or one or the other might use very very little power, which would be good for any intergrations.

    The thing is about the laser one, I do not know any full sized projectors that use 3 lasers to create images... what sort of quality are we talking about in this first generation tiny lasser?

    Just wondering.

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    NSW Law

    I'm sorry, but classifying a laser pointer as a dangerous implement actually puts it in the same class as manhandlable lumps of wood. Less so, in fact as the very amendments listed actually exclude suspicion of possession of a laser pointer from being justification for various police searches and there are listed valid reasons for carrying a laser pointer in public.

    The whole "They think we're murdering people with light! Next there'll be summary executions on the streets!!" thing is getting a little tired, no?

    You need a reason to have one in public. So what? Blame the morons who spoiled your fun, not the people who have to clean up the mess afterwards. Hell, one of the valid reasons is that you need one for your hobby. Can't get much more geek friendly than that.

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  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    NSW Lasers

    Isn't it certain classes of lasers only and it seriously doubt it would included projectors.

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  9. John Smith Gold badge
    Happy

    @Christoph

    "First use: Schoolkids projecting porn on the school walls

    Second use: Schoolkids projecting embarrassing pictures of other kids, and pictures of themselves beating up other kids.

    Third use: Highly paid professional adults projecting porn just about everywhere."

    The correct description for these three situations is "Benefits"

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  10. etabeta
    Thumb Down

    Green laser not the problem

    If this laser projector technology was really ready, it seems very strange to me why nobody has made available a similar device using the readily available (and a little more bulkier) frequency-doubled green laser. Obviously a fondamental frequency green laser is smaller and more energy efficient, but is not indispensable do create a device like this.

    Another point; if you use a laser projector like this with a 100 inch screen, it better have some really powerful (and potentially dangerous to any fool that looks into it) lasers, which are also energy hungry, and you will need a very very dark room.

    Even if 3 extremely powerful 1-watt eye-searing (imagine what kids would use this for if built in a mobile phone!) lasers are used, 3 watts total of light spread out on the area of a 100" screen isn't very much.

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  11. Tim

    Magnificent!

    Thsi tech sounds great, at last it would mean being able to look at the web on a phone without having to put up with a squitty little screen. Would also be awesome for videocalls/videoconferencing over a mobile.

    As Wolf points out it's the input device that needs attention now; but suspect that voice is the likely best way forward with site interfaces using it in the same way some companies' phone systems voice-operated IVRs do, they seem to work pretty well.

    Tim#3

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  12. Stephen Gazard
    Boffin

    @AC: Isn't it the other way around?

    With regards to LEDS, the fabrication of colours was red->green, a very long pause, and then a dim blue (Gallium nitride).

    Blue colour from electricity was probably first noted by a guy corresponding with Faraday (http://www.lateralscience.co.uk/sic/index.html), and if that were possible to fashion into a laser the technically the article is correct.

    In terms of commercial manufacturing, I don't know, but I thought also that the blue laser was harder to produce

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  13. Adam

    @Green laser comments

    The rather potent green laser pointer I am holding in my hand uses an yttrium crystal, pumped by an IR diode. Works very well and is the perfect size to hold in one's hand, but not particularly compact or energy efficient as there is a HUGE emission line in the IR spectrum.

    These new green lasers are more akin to the tiny diode you'll find in a CD player or BluRay drive.

    I'm dreading the day that every teenage chav has one... So much capability to irritate us all.

    I'll be more impressed when they invent the holographic projector installed in R2D2.

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  14. Chris
    Boffin

    voice recognition

    The main problem with voice command/recognition software is that English has too many Homophones, dialects, accents, etc. That is not the only language on Earth, however. It isn't even the most widely spoken (although it comes close as a 2nd language).

    I don't speak any myself, but I understand tonal languages are ideally suited to machine control. In the future we may find ourselves typing to our computers in English, but talking to then in Chinese.

    Never mind the 100" screen from low wattage, Can it project an image directly on my retina? How many watts would that need?

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  15. Matt Brigden
    Thumb Up

    Exactly what Im after

    Im a mobile dj and one of these would be an absolute boon . The majority of venues that have screens are out of focus or so badly in need of a clean they are too dim . I can hook this up and just point it at the screen . Instant fantastic picture from any angle . Also good for places with no projector . I have my own in my pocket . Gimme I want one !

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  16. Wortel
    Linux

    Great

    When? I want one too :P

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