Pocket projectors: a must-have gadget for IROs?

ADD pocket projectors to the obligatory BlackBerry as among the list of must-have gadgets for investor relations officers and CFOs.

As the New York Times reports today, tiny projectors that can be embedded in mobile phones or in pocket-sized standalone projectors are coming this year. Analysts predict that the business market — and my tween daughter — will be hot for them.

With one of these mini mobile projectors, also called Pico Projectors, you can project your PowerPoint presentations or videos to any flat surface.

So now when your CFO finds himself sitting next to a portfolio manager on a long-haul flight he can whip out his BlackBerry and beam the latest investor pitch onto the back of the seat in front of him.

As the picture on this page from a company called Microvision shows, the little devices could be great for elevator pitches, literally.

So remember, the next time you’re booking a lunch on Wall Street, be sure to mention you’d like a flat surface and the lights dimmed just a little.

The estimated price on one of the devices is pegged at about $300 to $400. The first of their kind is expected to be released in South Korea, where local company Iljin Display is one of the market leaders and also has a deal with France Telecom, which will sell the miniature projectors under its Orange brand.

Other companies in the market include Samsung and 3M. Embedded below is a YouTube video demonstration of Microvision’s device from the recent CES 2008 show.

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