Lasers Project the Big Picture

People love tiny gadgets like the iPod or Motorola Q. But they don't like staring at tiny screens, especially now that handhelds have the power to run 3-D games and display television-quality video. Tiny, laser-based projectors could transform these pocket-size devices into full-blown entertainment systems by shining images onto walls, tabletops or the backs of airplane seats. In a bright room, the handheld projectors would produce images about as bright and big as a 10-inch laptop screen, said Greg Niven, the vice president of marketing at laser maker Novalux. "If you turn the lights out, you could make the projection 10 feet."