ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY BLOG | INVENTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

One of the products that generated a lot of buzz at the Consumer Electronic Show 2010 (CES) was the Microvision SHOWWX pico projector. Several companies have announced and are delivering pico projectors and the market. I'm sure this market will explode with these devices that we can hook up to netbooks, laptops, iPods, and Smartphones. I for one would enjoy the day when I can drive my presentation from my BlackBerry Curve alongside a small projector. Rounding out the solution will be a pico projector that I could carry in my shirt pocket. Having a portable solution would be ideal and I look forward to being able to review some of these new pico line of projectors.

The Microvision SHOWWX pico projector is unique in that it uses three different lasers to generate the image. Becuase of the use of the lasers there is no need to be concerned about auto focusing since the image is always in focus. My understanding is that the Microvision SHOWWX pico projector has an output of 10 lumens which should be sufficient in a small darkened room. This solution is ideal for board rooms or for projecting in small classrooms where you have control of the ambient lighting.

According to the Microvision Website here are some of the projector's features:

• Always in focus: you never, ever have to adjust focus
• Sharp and clear images on any surface from 6 inches or less to 200 inches or more
• Rich and vivid laser colors amplify your photos, videos and presentations
• Wide projection angle delivers a big image (1:1 throw ratio)
• High resolution (WVGA 848x480) brings out every detail
• Widescreen (16:9) aspect ratio enables you to experience content
  the way it was meant to be
• Sleek contours feel great in your hand; slim enough to put in your pocket
• Plug-n-play compatibility enables quick and easy operation with your device
• Movie-capable battery that lasts 90-120 minutes on a single charge

For more information click here.

PS: Microsvision if you are reading this post, please know that I am interested in reviewing the Microvision SHOWWX projector when it is released.

Some time in August, I decided to upgrade my MacBook to OS X 10.5 and while everything went smoothly, when I was done my iTunes Library was wiped clean. My wife and I have been using the MacBook to synch with her new Nano and I couldn't believe that all of the songs were gone- now all I was thinking about was the hours of work ripping CD's and getting her iTunes Library back in order. But late last week I had received Clickfree’s Transformer for iPod. The Clickfree’s Transformer for iPod is a unique device that allows you to back-up your files from your computer to the unused portion of your iPod or iPhone. While I thought this was a good idea-I also learned that it could transfer your music from your iPod and import them into your iTunes Library. To say the least, I was more excited with the thought of being able to move my music files from the iPod to my iTunes Library then in the back-up feature.

In any case if this worked as planned, I would be back in action and have my iTunes Library back to where it was before I upgraded the operating system. So I plugged the Clickfree’s Transformer for iPod into my computer and plugged my iPod Nano into the Transformer and clicked on the Import button. Within seconds the transfer of my music files was moving ahead as planned. It took some time to download the 300 or so songs and once it was done it transferred the songs back into my iTunes Library. I couldn't believe just how easy it was to do. Once I had resurrected my iTunes Library I then initiated a back up of my files on my Macintosh which worked very well. Clickfree automatically can back up your videos, music, and document files effortlessly with no software to install. It supports multiple computers as well as supporting Windows, and Mac. This is a unique product with some outstanding features. In my case the Clickfree’s Transformer for iPod was a life safer helping me to resurrect my iTunes Libarary. I would highly recommend this produc- it worked as advertised and exceeded my expectations. For more information about Clickfree’s Transformer for iPod click here.

Amazon today released Kindle, a new book eReader gadget that allows you to download books, magazines and blogs. It uses the EVDO network to keep you connected to the Amazon website which means you do not need to be in the range of a Wifi connection to download books or to access the Amazon Store. There is no fee for being connected to the EVDO network for users. The Amazon Kindle will retail for $399 dollars and New York Times best sellers will cost you $9.95 to download. The question I have is, do we need another gadget to read books? While the demonstration looked pretty cool do we really need another electronic device to handle our books? Lets see I carry a cell phone, iPod, Palm and now a Kindle! While there are certainly advantages to digital books and magazines, I for one still enjoy holding a magazine or book when reading. I know that when I have to read long passages or documents on the web I still prefer to print them and read them at my leisure. For those with reading disabilities it would be great to have text to speech built into the Amazon Kindle-but this is not feature that is built in at this time. I would be interested in your comments and views on the Kindle.