tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361389041945562785.post-74084473350181844952008-04-03T23:54:00.004-04:002008-04-04T00:22:02.684-04:00For any of you who have tried watching a movie on a portable device (cell phone, ipod, etc.) you know that it's not the most ideal situation. But the entertainment driven culture has dived headlong into mini players full force. Now you can play video on just about any small electronic device that Sonyrola can fit a screen on. You can watch, you just can't see.<br /><br />Well now that so many people have bitten into the mini-video apple (small 'a'), the gadget industry has created another market for themselves: Pico projectors. "Pico projectors" are "small enough to carry around in a shirt pocket" and will hit the markets later this year. They are working standalone projectors first and then looking to build them directly into cellphones and other small devices.<br /><br />This, I think, is going to make for some interesting dilemmas. Personal video players have already caused challenges because people are taking their personal viewing habits out into public. But with Pico projectors, these same people will have the opportunity to essentially broadcast their personal video habits into more public realms. Porn is the obvious problem, we'll soon be hearing about projected porn showing up in classrooms or in other public places. How do you protect your kids from that? But that's not even getting creative. What about immature students projecting things onto their teachers backsides in the classroom? If the projector will show video, surely it will show text. Imagine the possibilities. Now multiply it by ten. Suddenly I have the ability to make your t-shirt say anything I want. Scary.<br /><br />I'm all for moving ahead with technology. I'm sure a lot of very good and very creative uses will come from mini projectors and other new technologies. But I'm also concerned about the lack of a moral compass guiding technology. I'm not sure "entertainment" is the best guide.<br /><br /><a href="http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080403/D8VQI9RG0.html">Projectors to Magnify Cell Phone Cinema</a>Hillpond Consultinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15715096533480278912noreply@blogger.com