Sprint is rebranding a projector that now also serves as a mobile wi-fi hotspot.
Dubbed Sprint LivePro, it will maintain all the functionality of the Projector Hotspot that had been shown to the public at the CES trade show in Las Vegas in January. Now, however, it is being rebranded with the hope of giving it more notice in the market, where mobile connectivity has become a desirable demand.
The new device will be available on Friday at Sprint stores across the United States. While it has all the previous options the Projector Hotspot had, including the hotspot, a mini projector, back-up batter and media streamer, it also adds support for Sprint's 3G and LTE networks, giving it more power to get online and browsing while also projecting images at a meeting or conference.
Reviews appear to be largely positive on the 4-inch touchscreen device that runs Android 4.2, meaning adding apps and browsing the Internet is possible on the device itself. Android smartphones can also function as a remote control for the project, delivering photos, videos and other media that can be put on screen through the projector wirelessly.
It also has HDMI connection, meaning linking a computer to the device can be done with ease.
"Sprint is hoping that mobile business professionals will find the LivePro's unique combination of connectivity and a projector to be useful while on the road, but we could easily see it providing entertainment during our next camping trip or functioning as an impromptu movie projector at a summer block party. If only it could make us popcorn, too," wrote one review of the relaunch.
As more and more businesses seek to streamline their ability to multi-task, the Sprint LivePro should be a way to combine the needs of a projector with the wireless capacity desired by many, and adding in the ability to have a wi-fi network should add to the marketability of the device as it begins to be rolled out to the general public.
Most observers see the device as being a way for presenters at meetings to have access to all their files and have the ability to display them through the projector without being bogged down by additional software or devices. In essence, LivePro should unify the ability to browse online as well as put forward images and video needed for any presentation.
