BW Communities

The Power Of Small

BW Online Bureau Nov 08, 2014

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[Large viewable pictures for less money than a similarly sized TV — who shouldn't want to consider a projector for home entertainment? Add to it the bonus of portability that mini projectors like the BenQ Joybee GP2 offer, and your entertainment continues even when you leave the house!   Pull the GP2 out of its box and you get a stylish little box that's no larger than half a dozen CD cases stacked one on top of the other. The duo-tone black-and-white glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet, more so with the projector's touch controls located on the black top. You can use the included remote if you'd like your GP2 to remain smudge-free. Bear in mind that the remote isn't backlit, so you could be struggling a bit in the dark with the operation.   Despite its diminutive size and mere weight of under 600 grams, the GP2 can throw a very usable 1,280 x 800 pixel (720p resolution) image to up to 160 inches! You'd be more hard pressed to find uncluttered walls that can support this massive display size! For the specs geeks, the projector offers a middling 2,400:1 contrast ratio and maximum brightness of 200 lumens.   What's really interesting is that BenQ has pulled out all the stops with the projector's connectivity options. Apart from the very obvious inclusion of an iPod/iPhone dock (which lets you charge and operate your Apple device directly on the projector), you get a full-sized SD card slot, a far more practical alternative to most mini and micro projectors' MicroSDHC slots — allows for direct camera shooting to project viewing. Seamless!   Then there's HDMI for video playback, a proprietary port that offers VGA and composite through an included adapter, plus ports for standard-sized and micro USB. The micro-USB is handy to connect to any PC directly, and it uses DisplayLink technology to allow it to accept input from any Windows computer with a USB port, Just plug it in at both ends, and with zero additional configuration, your projector can act as secondary monitor for you to extend your display or mirror your primary display.   But it's the inclusion of the full-fized USB port that reveals an interesting capability — the GP2 can work as a media and document viewer, without the need of a PC driving the content. So you can playback AVI/MOV/MP4 movie files, MP3/WAV music, JPG/BMP images, Adobe PDF and Microsoft office formats directly off a thumb drive, SD card or the 2GB of internal memory. Pretty neat feature, though the on-screen navigation is a tad clunky and slow. Oh, and there's an audio out for external speakers as well – no matter how loud these speakers get, it just doesn't hurt having the option to connect a better set of external speakers. And while we're on the topic of sound, the GP2 does end up being rather loud, with a loud hum that can get rather annoying when you're watching that serious scene in the movie.   Like most small LED projectors, the image quality the GP2 delivers is quite decent, with vibrant colors, nice and deep blacks. Movie watching was just about average, with the projector losing detail intermittently in bright and dark areas of the screen, and the flesh tones took on a strangely reddish tinge. Overall, results that will satisfy all but the most demanding users.   That said, there's a lot to like in the GP2, if you don't fall into that category. It's well equipped on the connectivity front, and the size allows it to be carried to meetings and parties alike. The retail package packs in a padded carrying case which allows you to carry this portable projector safely in your travels. And if you're on the road much, you might want to consider the GP2's optional battery, which allows the GP2 to last upto three charges on each charge. A worthy buy, in my books. Rating: 8/10 Price: Rs 39,167 URL: http://bit.ly/Hozw2x <table style="width: 600px;" border="1" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;">Unsound Choice</td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="/businessworld/system/files/images/JBLTempo-mdm.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;" height="240" width="180">No one's going to give JBL's Tempo headphones any design awards, but the moment you slip them on, you realise how easily one would forsake design for long-duration comfort. The padded headband and earcups allow you to wear the Tempo through the entire duration of a Bollywood movie, and then some more, without the associated ear-fatigue. While clarity of playback is above average, there are a couple of issues with the headset, though. Bass is on the weak side, and there's simply too much sound leaking out the sides of these cans. Tad pricey too, if you ask me.   URL: http://bit.ly/HozS9e Price: Rs 2,749</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   <table style="width: 600px;" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" align="left"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;">Focusing On Work</td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="/businessworld/system/files/images/FocalFilter.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 5px;" height="140" width="140">It starts with you opening a random link on YouTube or an innocent Wikipedia diversion, and before you know it, an hour or two has passed, and you realise that you haven't finished what you sat down to do. If staying away from distractions on the Internet is something you've tried to do, and failed, help is at hand with a simple and easy-to-use website blocker called FocalFilter. It allows you to block websites for pre-specified time intervals without muddling you with any confusing configurations. All you have to do is edit the blocked site list, select one of many time intervals (from 5 minutes to 12 hours) and hit go. Now, unlike a lot of other tools, which can remove the block by exiting or uninstalling the application, this one is serious about its job. To reset the block while it is active, you will need to reboot your computer. If that doesn't cure the temptation, nothing will!   URL: http://bit.ly/GYXCxU Price: free</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>               technocool at kanwar dot net twitter@2shar