Projection promise

From keyboards so small you can’t type on them, to miniscule headache-inducing video screens, the age of the tiny electronic device is not without its irritations.

There have been numerous clunky efforts to get around these problems (such as those eminently lose-able ‘stylus’ pointers or roll-up keyboards that almost defeat the object of miniaturisation) but few technologies are as compelling as a new breed of tiny projectors that could give everything from your mobile phone to your media player a decent-size, high-quality virtual screen wherever you may be.

According to analysts, ‘pico-projection’ as it is known could be very big business. A recent report estimates that the market could reach 30 million units by 2012. Among the small band of companies poised to launch products into this fledgling industry, Cambridge University spin-out Light Blue Optics (LBO) is confident of making a splash.