Advisers with iPhones, meet the Cinemin Swivel micro projector

APR 22, 2010
After having seen this week's column Garrett G. Gatch of the wealth management firm Concord & Lexington, Inc. wrote me to tell me about his choice of presentation setup. “I believe the iPhone and Cinemin Swivel combination offer a much more robust and workable solution,' he said, referring to the Blackberry Presenter and BenQ GP1 that I reviewed in this week's column. “I understand that iPhone may not be applicable for folks using other carriers but the iPod is just as useful in this situation,” he added. So for all you advisers that want to use a projector with your iPhone (or several models of iPod) this might just be a good choice (I found the Swivel online for $260 from Amazon.com). The Cinemin Swivel is from a very interesting company, Wowwee, makers of the popular robotic toy Robosapien, among many others. Keep in mind though that unlike the BenQ GP1 and other micro projectors that are designed with laptops in mind you'll need additional cables to make the Swivel work with your laptop or netbook. For example, laptops or netbooks with S-Video will require an S-Video and stereo audio to RCA Converter; Laptops or netbooks with VGA will need Wowee's Cinemin Swap accessory an add-on compact powered box which converts VGA to an analog AV signal. The website describes the Cinemin Swivel as a recreational multimedia pico projector that is designed primarily to connect to iPhones, iPods, and composite video-out devices to project videos and photos. It is plug and play and uses the simple AV-in jack and connects to a wide variety of personal media players, including the iPod, iPhone, Flip Video, PSP, digital cameras, portable DVD players, netbooks (computer-specific cable required), and smartphones with video-out functionality. The 90° hinge makes it easy to project on any surface without propping it up or using a tripod. “In dark or dimly lit environments, Swivel can project a crisp 60-inch (1.5m) image from over eight feet (2m) away, or floor-to-ceiling in a typical room,” according to the website. For example, laptops or netbooks with S-Video will require an S-Video and stereo audio to RCA Converter; Laptops or netbooks with VGA will need Wowee's Cinemin Swap accessory an add-on compact powered box which converts VGA to an analog AV signal. The website describes the Cinemin Swivel as a recreational multimedia pico projector that is designed primarily to connect to iPhones, iPods, and composite video-out devices to project videos and photos. It is plug and play and uses the simple AV-in jack and connects to a wide variety of personal media players, including the iPod, iPhone, Flip Video, PSP, digital cameras, portable DVD players, netbooks (computer-specific cable required), and smartphones with video-out functionality. The 90° hinge makes it easy to project on any surface without propping it up or using a tripod. “In dark or dimly lit environments, Swivel can project a crisp 60-inch (1.5m) image from over eight feet (2m) away, or floor-to-ceiling in a typical room,” according to the website. It also uses the Texas Instruments' DLP projection technology shared by many projectors including the BenQ GP1 I wrote about in this week's column. The device has a built-in speaker but can be connected to portable speakers through the headphone jack as well and has rechargeable batteries (with a claimed two hours of battery life) so you aren't required to be plugged in to an outlet. Related stories: Presentation gadgets take a load off road warriors The iPad is here, almost (slideshow) Great gadgets from CES 2010 New in 2010: Gadgets you'll love Smart phones: It's all in the apps iPhones may be all the rage, but financial advisers should consider their options before picking their next smart phone

Latest News

Carson Group deepens Colorado presence with Arvada advisor deal
Carson Group deepens Colorado presence with Arvada advisor deal

The Omaha, Nebraska-based RIA's latest acquisition expands its Rocky Mountain footprint after two prior Colorado deals last year.

Slow advisor transitions are costing RIA firms money and talent, and the industry is starting to act
Slow advisor transitions are costing RIA firms money and talent, and the industry is starting to act

Operational drag between an advisor signing and accounts going live is emerging as a competitive liability for wealth management firms.

M&A on course for second-highest year ever as megadeals surge and AI complicates the deal equation
M&A on course for second-highest year ever as megadeals surge and AI complicates the deal equation

Bain says companies face a "winner's paradox" as AI transformation collides with complex integrations.

Rumor confirmed: Corient expands with European acquisition
Rumor confirmed: Corient expands with European acquisition

Deal lifts global assets to roughly $523 billion under management.

What wine culture can teach investors about decision-making
What wine culture can teach investors about decision-making

Choice anxiety, prestige bias, and the temptation to make selections based on outsourced confidence are just some of the parallels between investing and the world of wine tasting.

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income

SPONSORED Why direct indexing stopped being optional

Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.