Pocket Projectors

The hottest new gadget this year seems to be the pocket projector. 3M, Optoma, and Toshiba have each released one, and engadget speculates that we'll be absolutely bombarded with them come CES 2009.

According to several reviewers (listed below), the miniature projectors shine--no pun intended--when connected to other miniature devices such as digital cameras, smart phones, and iPods. In other words, they will be perfect for anyone less than four feet tall. We might as well dub the pocket projector the home theater of the future.


3M MPro110 (pictured above; 7 lumens, $359; popsci review)

Optoma Pico Pocket Projector (9 lumens, $430; nytimes review)

Toshiba LED Pico Projector (10 lumens, price unknown; computerworld review)

iPhone Nano on the Horizon?

Apple Insider is reporting that two iPhone-case makers have mentioned an iPhone Nano on their websites.

We at Project Live Small are awaiting an official announcement with baited breath. If Apple is preparing to release a smaller iPhone at the upcoming Macworld Expo, Steve Jobs is even more forward-thinking than anyone suspected. A smaller iPhone will be perfectly suited to the smaller fingers of future humans, who will stand no taller than four feet.

Rise of the Netbook

After struggling to move their product the past three years, laptop manufacturers must be thrilled about the holiday success of netbooks--smaller, lighter, and less expensive alternatives to full-sized notebooks.

CNET reports that "global notebook shipments exceeded desktops on a quarterly basis for the first time ever, with Netbooks playing a decisive role." In fact, 17 of the 25 top-selling notebooks on Amazon were netbooks.

Best of all, netbooks are ready for the future, when everyone will measure less than four tall.

 CrunchGear, via BuzzFeed.