New Motorola phone, new moto mods

With the small form-factor engine entering mass production, I think it's only a matter of time before PicoP ends up here.



Techlicious

Moto GamePad — Clip on this mod to the back of your Moto Z2 Play to morph it into a handheld gaming console with dual control sticks, D-pad and four action buttons. It comes with a built-in 1,035-mAh battery pack. The Moto GamePad will be available this summer for $79.99.

Motomods vs. Project ARA -- Developer kits

Some insight about Motorola's MotoMods. Some good stuff about developer kits and encouraging small developers to get involved.

gadgets.ndtv.com

McDonnell is quite dismissive about Ara. "They didn’t really think about the consumer at all," says McDonnell. "Their whole idea was based around technology, what can you do, but not what the customer wants."

"They wanted to do things like change the specs but that doesn’t really change the consumer experience," he adds. "It was exciting for developers, but they got the priority wrong. I think with LG and Friends - they wanted you to switch off your phone to change parts, and it was a whole process, who is going to do that?"

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The way to create and sell a module is straightforward - buy an MDK from Motorola, prototype your idea, and follow the self-certification procedures. Once that's done, Motorola will verify your plans, and then it sells you a license as an official Mod. Motorola can also help developers find partners for manufacturing and distribution of the Mods, and would help with marketing too, McDonnell adds.

But would small developers in India want to commit precious funds to buy an MDK to start with? "As of now we're distributing the MDK to people who register with us," says Sharma. "We will need a project outline to determine how feasible your idea is, and if it looks like it can be done, then we'll give you an MDK." And in a few months, Motorola also plans to launch a Mod Store, to help highlight all these new products - a bit like Apple showcases MFi products.

Another Modular Smartphone?

Not a lot of detail here, but modular is interesting. So far projection is high on the list of things to do with modules on phones. So we have another place to watch.


Gadgets360
UberGizmo
GSMArena

There aren’t a lot of details available at this point in time about the Alcatel modular smartphone but it’s claimed that users will be able to add to the handset’s functionalities by slapping on replaceable back covers.

This in fact could be the Idol 5 we're talking about here, by the way. Price-wise expect it to go for around €320 or more unlocked. All of the details should be unveiled during Alcatel's press conference on February 26.

Hilarious & Good MotoMod Review

MotoMod is starting to get some attention from various reviewers (myself included) and the reviews have generally been positive. 

PicoP is a lot better of course...  so, when whatever is in the way of mass introduction is out of the way, I expect really good things.
Just this week, for example, I walked into the kitchen and found my mom talking to my sister-in-law and her mom about the kind of things that Filipino women talk about when they get together in the, well, kitchen. Like that two-minute period when I passed out after being run over by a car, I honestly have no recollection of what the ladies were talking about because I tend to tune out that kind of small talk. That sound you hear, by the way, is the sheer wind pressure generated by millions of Filipino men furiously nodding in agreement.

Anyway, I decided to surprise them by suddenly turning off the lights. As they looked around with some confusion, I turned on the projector attachment on this phone I was testing and started playing a YouTube video about the Hokkaido Ice Festival on the kitchen wall.

“What’s that?” my mom said. “Wait, are you doing that with a phone?”

As they all started talking about how nice it would be to get a new phone, I decided to take a few steps back, which made the display even bigger. My showmanship was like freaking Steve Jobs at an iPhone unveiling.

“Ooooh!” one of them said. “Look how big the picture is!”

By the time I was done, my mom and sister in law practically agreed that they both wanted to get a new phone. Then I remembered that the last time they both got new phones at the same time, my brother and I were the ones who ended up paying. Nice, going Sherlock. Or is that Einstein? You know, I think it's time send this phone and projector back to Verizon.

Moto Insta-Share Projector

So what was this pocket-size projector that wowed my family? That would be the Moto Insta-Share Projector, one of several “MotoMods” that can attach to the back of a Moto Z Force Droid or other compatible Motorola phone. That includes the Verizon-exclusive Moto Z Force Droid, which I recently reviewed.

I get up close with the MotoMod Insta-Share Projector

So, last night found me in Seattle. After connecting with friends in Edmonds, I stopped at a Verizon store in the Alderwood Mall hopes of finding a MotoMod InstaShare Projector. They had it in the store and the manager was willing to let me operate it for a while. (Thanks Caitlin)

I managed to get hold of it. They keep it in the back. They have a difficult time keeping them charged up when it's out front.

The picture is pretty good relative to it's specs. It's good enough to enjoy the content, but not nearly as good as that offered by the PicoPro. 

I had to constantly fiddle with the focus wheel to get a focused picture. There was a wide focus range. It was quite difficult to find the place where the picture looked good. 

Most of the heat seemed to come from the phone, and not the projector unit. I'm almost certain the projector has a fan -- the environment was loud, and when I turned the sound all the way down I could still hear a hiss from the back.

The battery life is a very significant issue with this projector. I used it for maybe fifteen minutes at most, and the battery went from 36% down to 3% in that time. This may be because this sample battery has been abused by rapid, frequent and partial charge and re-charge.

I asked what the reaction to it is, (yes, I know that we're dealing with sales people here.) and the report was that it was very popular, and there's been a lot of demand for it.

This is the competition -- and Microvision can outclass this easily. I've been invited to bring the PicoPro back and do a side by side comparison. I'm not sure when I'll get down there again, but hopefully soon.

Watching Soccer

So, here a projector that is really poor next to PicoP is regarded as mind-blowing.  More that no one really knows the tech exists, it's connected here to Verizon's Go90 service.

He's also alerting a lot of soccer(football) fans about it -- and that's a pretty huge market.

Pretty soon he'll see PicoP -- and be really blown away..


World Soccer Talk  (More at the source)

I had a chance to demo new technology recently that blew my mind.

Watching as much soccer as I do and I’m sure you do too, the rate that technology is changing our viewing experience is progressing at a slow and steady pace. Many of us are watching more soccer via legal streams than we used to. We’re also watching a wider array of leagues, teams and competitions as the sport becomes more accessible than it ever has. And for many of us, nowadays we’re watching our soccer games across a wider array of devices other than just the television.

So I was pleasantly surprised last week to stumble across a technology that I wasn’t aware even existed. I hadn’t seen or heard of it, but the idea is novel and could be something that soccer fans, like you, can use.

It’s the ability to snap a small projector on to your smartphone so you can beam soccer streams from your phone to your wall in your home, dorm, office or anywhere you want.

Surprised by MotoMod

I think this article deserves attention from everyone who follows MicroVision. 

He likes a new phone. He likes storage. (This phone can be upgraded --to hold 1000 hours of video!) But he doesn't know why he would use a projector on a phone.

This is a tech reporter -- and he doesn't know why he'd use a projector on a phone! 

So, this reporter is surprised when he likes the MotoMod projector.

We know how much better PicoP is than the projection engine they have in the MotoMod -- four times the resolution 80,0000:1 resolution vs 400:1, Brighter, focus free....

This reaction is a hurdle to overcome, but think that this guy's reaction will be to the Qualper phone. (Chris, Check this out: MicroVision Intro)

WTHI TV MotoMod Review  (More at the source)

....Last but not least was the sleeper hit for me. The projector.

I popped this open and thought wow..I have no idea what I would use this for. I go to meetings…but don’t need a projector. So i needed a real world use.

The first example of real world uses involved my six-month-old son, Alex. He has this show he loves on Baby First TV…you know, bright colors and the such. One day, I took him into our bedroom and pointed this guy at the ceiling. He LOVED it. Laying on our backs in bed, we were able to look straight up at the ceiling and see his show. That’s when I realized I loved this thing.

We like to have fun in our newsroom…using this projector also led to a couple random singing and dancing sessions as I put a music video up on the wall. It was really fun.

Now, one thing I need to note…it needs to be as dark as you can make it for this to look good. If you have even a little light, it will greatly reduce the quality of the picture.

This one was by far the most fun. Now, like the speaker…it’s bulky. This one is also pretty expensive. It will set you back $300. If you have the money to spend, check this one out. You’ll have a lot of fun with it!