Every now and then in gadget land, we see a merging of technologies that creates something old yet something new: an improved version on an existing gadget.
We’ve seen it with GPS navigation, games consoles, drones, tablets, camcorders, and walkmans. Now we’re getting ready to embrace the XGIMI CC Aurora portable projector.
The Aurora may not be the first portable projector we’ve seen. Salespeople and teachers have been using them for decades. It isn’t even the first consumer approach: the market is full of small boxes capable of being attached to a laptop or smartphone, which projects moving images on to a wall.
The Aurora, however, is a very different prospect. This is no gimmick, and, in fact, it is the first that could be defined as useful. At the same time, however, it isn’t so serious that it can be considered an awesome gadget solely for professionals. In the early-mid 70’s, consumers never dreamed about walking around with music tucked into their pocket, as opposed to in their home or car. And then the Walkman made its arrival. Now, it seems to be the Aurora’s turn. This stylish little projector is able to make us consider why we are limited to watching a big screen at a cinema or in the home.
“Sony Walkman WM A602” (CC BY 2.0) by FaceMePLS
Consumers may find themselves wandering around their home with the Aurora, just because they can. They may place it on the floor at one end of the room and watch music videos on the wall, sit it in the lounge and screen YouTube clips, or even sit outside while projecting it on to the side of their house.
There are various ways in which the device can be used. One person may decide to play host and screen a movie outside for his or her friends. It takes under 30 seconds to set up, after all. Or perhaps they wish to display a Powerpoint presentation to a client. A presentation can be set up with the device in just two minutes, which includes the time it takes to adjust the screen so that it appears perfectly square on the wall. Of course, it can also be used just to scroll the news or project all kinds of apps.
The gadget and smartphone can also screen sporting events right there on the wall, which could be pretty exciting when a group of fans are gathered around to watch their favourite team. Or it could be used to play games: apps from Monster Marble to Pokemon as well as casino games, which are often played on mobile browsers. Oddschecker lists a number of casinos featuring such games as Age of the Gods and Starburst. None of the casinos requires a deposit and each includes a series of free spins. Those spins would undoubtedly look impressive projected on to a wall, while the Aurora will be a good solution for those enjoying mobile-only games who still prefer to view them on a larger screen.
The reason behind these thoughts on how the device can be used is the merging of a few technologies. The most important of these technologies are sound, picture, and battery.
The sound is phenomenal. It can be all too easy just to forget how poor portable speakers were at one time. Now we’re used to the likes of Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Sonos, producing high-quality sound. The Aurora also produces high quality and doesn’t even distort at its very highest levels (apparently JBL speakers).
The fact that the sound is produced simultaneously as high-resolution pictures is what is truly exciting about this new gadget. For far too long, we’ve been forced to endure laptops plugged into projectors with poor quality display, and sound that was even worse. That is about to change, it is on a whole other audio and visual level.
The 720p resolution image is impressive for a budget-friendly portable device. Its auto-focus is pleasant, enabling it to be stuck on to any surface and run in a matter of seconds. It is capable of projecting 180-inch-wide images at distances around 14ft.
The battery, like that which comes with a laptop, provides enough confidence to start it up without having to think about plugging it in for a while. It won’t last for an entire day, but it will serve a few hours. So unless it’s Gone With the Wind, it will screen an entire movie.
It’s the adoption of technology typically found in smartphones that makes the Aurora feel that we are taking a step forward: a cool new gadget that can be considered useful. What a great concept!
