18 Sep 2024

Top mini projectors for big screen fun anywhere

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Which mini projector is best?

If you’ve always wanted the full cinematic experience without having to spend a fortune on a custom home theater, a mini projector is the perfect alternative. These space-saving and portable devices can connect to most smartphones, laptops, tablets and other modern electronics to project high-quality videos and images.

A mini projector’s small size makes it great for tight spaces or apartment living. If you’re in the market for one of the best mini smart projectors, the LG PF50KA Wireless Smart DLP Projector is a highly rated choice.

What to know before you buy a mini projector

Usage

Mini projectors aren’t strictly limited to watching feature-length films and TV shows. Many people will actually utilize these handy devices to display slideshows, reports, briefings or their computer screen in office settings.

Depending on how you intend to use your mini projector, you can base your purchasing decision on the features that make most sense for your lifestyle. Higher-resolution models are often better suited for at-home entertainment purposes.

Image size

Every projector states its maximum image size that can be achieved without sacrificing resolution. The majority of mini projectors have a “screen size” between 60 and 170 inches. This is always measured diagonally from the top to the bottom corner. Be sure you have adequate space to accommodate the projector’s image.

Display location

Since there is no physical screen, a mini projector will need a clear, blank, flat surface to project images. Some people prefer to set up a separate projection screen to maximize quality, while others prefer to simply use a large blank wall.

What to look for in a quality mini projector

Resolution

The higher the resolution, the clearer and sharper the display. For the best HD quality resolution, look for models that have a native resolution of at least 1920 x 1080. This will allow them to project in full HD. Others may support 1080p resolution videos but end up reducing the quality to meet their more limited capabilities. You can occasionally find high-end mini projectors with 4K resolution.

Ease of transportation

One of the best parts about mini projectors is their ability to be moved from place to place. If you plan on traveling with your projector or changing its location often, pay attention to the size and weight so you can find a model that easily fits in your bag or luggage.

Device compatibility

There are plenty of mini projectors that feature wireless connectivity so you can pair your device effortlessly. Other ways to connect your device directly to the mini projector include USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, VGA and other common connection ports.

Some options may also allow you to control the device using a convenient smartphone app.

Brightness

A mini projector needs to be bright enough to effectively display your videos or images, which is why you should pay attention to the lumen rating. Most models will have between 100 and 1,000 ANSI lumens. The higher the lumen rating, the easier it is to see in bright settings.

Battery life

Certain mini projectors will be powered via a rechargeable battery, while others may need to be plugged in. Some may have the ability to utilize both power methods. If using a battery-powered mini projector, make sure the battery run time is sufficient for your needs.

Speakers

It is not uncommon for mini projectors to feature built-in speakers, which can come in handy for anyone on the go or those who don’t want to connect external speakers. However, built-in speakers sometimes lack the desired audio quality.

How much you can expect to spend on a mini projector

The cheapest mini projectors can be bought for under $100, while you can expect to spend between $200-$300 for midrange models. High-end mini projectors can retail for well over $500.

Mini projector FAQ

Can you use a mini projector outside?

A. Yes, you can use a mini projector outdoors as long as the display brightness is suitable for the setting. Watching a movie outdoors will likely be better at night or in shaded areas.

How long do mini projector bulbs last?

A. Every mini projector should state the expected lamp life, which is represented by the total number of hours. Many will sport a lamp life between 1,500 and 5,000 hours, while others with efficient LED bulbs can run for up to 30,000 hours. Depending on how often you use your projector, it can often last several years before needing a replacement.

What’s the best mini projector to buy?

Top mini projector

LG PF50KA Wireless Smart DLP Projector

What you need to know: This mini projector from a well-known and reliable brand can produce HD images no matter your location.

What you’ll love: Weighing just over 2 pounds, this highly portable model connects wirelessly so you can easily stream TV shows and movies. Plus, the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio and 100-inch screen size make for a truly cinematic experience.

What you should consider: Users have noted that the zoom function on this projector isn’t the best.

Top mini projector for the money

Kodak Luma 150 Pocket Projector

What you need to know: The affordable Kodak Luma 150 is a thin and compact projector that is great for travel.

What you’ll love: By using an efficient LED light source, this projector has a life span of 30,000 hours. It also makes it easy to connect your device via wired HDMI or USB connections or through its wireless compatibility.

What you should consider: If you’re looking for HD resolution, this may not be the best option.

Worth checking out

Anker Nebula Apollo Projector

What you need to know: This Anker model is a reasonably priced projector with a long battery life for extended viewing.

What you’ll love: Users will enjoy the compact, sleek design and high-quality built-in speaker function. The accompanying smartphone app gives you complete wireless control over this mini projector.

What you should consider: The resolution quality is slightly lower than expected.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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18 Sep 2024

The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 3: Kickers putting best foot forward

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Like most pretend football impresarios, The Loop rarely spends much time scouting kickers who, for the most part, have relatively little effect in deciding fantasy contests.

Until this year.

Kickers have made the 50-yard field goal, once an NFL rarity, into the equivalent of a 3-foot putt. Through the first two weeks of the season, they have made an incredible 35 of 39 kicks from that range. Just under 90 percent. Nine-zero.

With most leagues awarding bonus points for kicks of 40-plus yards and 50-plus, there’s a more significant premium on the long-distance booters.

The most shocking statistic, though, regards the four misses. Two of them are from Baltimore’s Justin Tucker, who is widely considered one of the league’s greatest kickers and who holds the all-time record of 66 yards.

So which potent kickers are likely available on your waiver wires? How about these guys?

Chris Boswell (Steelers) — Pittsburgh’s veteran has made all eight of his field-goal tries this season, half of them from 50 and beyond. And with Pittsburgh’s modest offense, he scored all 18 of their points in their Week 1 victory in Atlanta.

Chris Boswell #9 of the Pittsburgh Steelers kicks a field goal during the first quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 08, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Austin Seibert (Commanders) — Seibert did Boswell one better by scoring all 21 Commanders points thanks to seven FGs against the Giants last Sunday. But for his career he’s only 2 for 6 from 50 Land, though he has made 72 percent of his kicks from 40-49.

Austin Seibert #3 of the Washington Commanders celebrates with teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal to beat the New York Giants 21-18 at Northwest Stadium on Sept. 15, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Cairo Santos (Bears) — He’s also perfect this season, including three from 50-plus. The Chicago veteran has gotten better with age. Over the past two-plus seasons he has made 14 of 16 from 50 and beyond. The Bears’ inconsistent offense gives him plenty of opportunities.

Cairo Santos #8 of the Chicago Bears kicks a 51 yard field goal in the second half of a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field on Aug. 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Evan McPherson (Bengals) — He’s most famous for a 31-yarder in overtime that sent the 2021 Bengals to the Super Bowl. But he’s so trusted on long-distance kicks that Cincinnati has given him 30 chances from 50-plus in the past three-plus years (making 23).

Evan McPherson #2 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates a made field goal with teammate Ryan Rehkow #8 against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 15, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Sitting stars

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley had a bad, bad drop that led to a Monday night loss, and the stench of that may linger against the red-hot Saints. … San Francisco’s defense will shut down RB Kyren Williams and the depleted Rams. … Jets RB Breece Hall will be facing a decent New England defense, with Braelon Allen looking over his shoulder, ready to vulture TDs. … Cleveland RB Jerome Ford would be a good choice against the Giants if not for D’Onta Foreman getting most of the work. … Miami’s Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle won’t be scaring anyone in Seattle with Skylar Thompson throwing the passes. … Indy WR Michael Pittman will remain quiet against Chicago. … Detroit tight end Sam LaPorta will be eclipsed again by teammate Jameson Williams in Arizona. … And two QBs we expect to struggle again are the Colts’ Anthony Richardson vs. the Bears and the Jags’ Trevor Lawrence in Buffalo.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) leaves to field after their win against the Green Bay Packers in an NFL football game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Matchup game

It’s a big game when desperate Baltimore faces desperate Dallas, and we expect big games from Ravens RB Derrick Henry and Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb. … Tampa receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans will roam free against Denver. … We think this is the week 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk breaks out against the Rams. … The best tight end in football right now might be Vegas rookie Brock Bowers, who will feast against lowly Carolina. … The Chiefs’ Travis Kelce will start to look like himself again vs. the Falcons. … The Joe Burrow to Mike Gesicki combination will work well against Washington. … Derek Carr will again look like a No. 1 QB against Washington. … and Pittsburgh QB Justin Fields will further cement his starting role by running free against the Chargers.

CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys attempts to catch the ball as he is defended by Martin Emerson Jr. #23 of the Cleveland Browns in the second quarter of the game at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sept. 08, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. Lamb dropped the ball on the play. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Injury watch

It has been a rough first two weeks, and Week 3 will not include the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Isaiah Pacheco, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel and Tua Tagovailoa. … Two great receivers, the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson and the Lions’ Amon-Ra St Brown, are a little banged up but are expected to play. … Green Bay QB Jordan Love and Philly wideout A.J. Brown are pretty doubtful. … The ranks of the questionable include Houston RB Joe MIxon, Seattle RB Kenneth Walker III, Tampa Bay RB Rashaad White, Tennessee RB Tajae Spears, receivers Jordan Addison of the Vikings, Keenan Allen of the Bears and the Bengals’ Tee Higgins, and four tight ends (Jaguars’ Evan Engram, Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson, Browns’ David Njoku and Saints’ Taysom Hill).

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs into the end zone for a topuchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Deepest sleeper

Chances are most of you had never heard of Chiefs RB Carson Steele before he scored in last Sunday’s win over Cincinnati. And you might not hear of him again if the Chiefs reunite with Kareem Hunt, or if Clyde Edwards-Helaire comes back healthy. Steele has but nine carries for 27 yards in his NFL career. But he did have 3,780 yards and 30 touchdowns in his collegiate stops at Ball State and UCLA. If he’s lucky, Steele could become the most famous guy to come out of Ball State since David Letterman.

Carson Steele #42 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates his second quarter touchdown run against the Chicago Bears during preseason game action at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Aug. 22, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

The Thursday pick

Patriots at Jets (-6½)
Pick: Jets by 7

Braelon Allen #0 of the New York Jets scores a second half touchdown against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Sept. 15, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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18 Sep 2024

Opinion: City of Yes Will Help Turn Underutilized Space into Life-Saving Housing

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“Infills can create new housing while also helping provide funding or upgrades to preserve existing buildings, all helping to reinvigorate a neighborhood.”

NYC HPD

Casa Celina, an affordable housing development built on a NYCHA campus in the Bronx.

CityViews are readers’ opinions, not those of City Limits. Add your voice today!

On NYCHA’s Sotomayor Campuses in the Bronx, a previously underutilized parking lot has transformed into 204 beautiful and deeply affordable apartments for older adults. More than 60 of those apartments will house formerly homeless seniors.

This new development, called Casa Celina, isn’t just a safe, stable home—it will be a thriving community. One with a gym, laundry room, library space, rooftop terrace, community room, 24-hour security, and lounges on every floor, and where JASA, the nonprofit manager of the property, will provide supportive services and community-building events to ensure residents can age with dignity and purpose in their own homes. For hundreds of older New Yorkers, Casa Celina is going to be truly life-changing.

Casa Celina is an example of a campus infill development—in which underused space on church or NYCHA campuses is converted into new affordable housing. Infills can create new housing while also helping provide funding or upgrades to preserve existing buildings, all helping to reinvigorate a neighborhood.

But currently, outdated and arbitrary zoning rules make a lot of infill opportunities impossible to pursue. For example, take a church that has available space and density on its property and wants to use that space to create housing. Even if their proposal adheres to height restrictions, arbitrary zoning regulations—such as the distance of the church from the street or required distance between buildings—could prevent the church from creating the new housing.

Infills provide an incredible opportunity to address our housing crisis and boost communities— but current zoning is making it too hard for other projects like Casa Celina to happen.

That’s where the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity comes in, with a set of common-sense reforms to campus development that will make it a little easier for communities to transform underutilized space—rejuvenating neighborhoods and contributing to the housing supply. 

And involving the whole community is crucial. For Casa Celina, that meant not only the local community board and elected officials, but NYCHA residents as well. On NYCHA campuses, potential infill locations are first identified by the public housing agency, after which they select thoughtful development partners for the project. The entire process has been guided by extensive community engagement.

From very early in the process of Casa Celina, our development team—Xenolith Partners LLC, JASA, ELH Mgmt. LLC, and The Kretchmer Companies—engaged with the NYCHA Tenant Association President and worked closely with NYCHA staff. We met with NYCHA residents extensively to hear and work to resolve their concerns, ranging from parking to the impacts of construction, while also keeping residents informed of planning and construction progress. 

Casa Celina is really important for the existing NYCHA residents too. As part of the development, 35 percent of units at Casa Celina are set aside for former NYCHA residents and those on the NYCHA waitlist, and the development team also committed to repairing some of the existing parking spaces and improving drainage in the area to alleviate persistent flooding. A portion of the first floor of the building is also a community facility that is designed to bring services to Bronx residents, which will help make supportive services increasingly available to the broader community. 

Extensive community engagement is critical in infill projects—and will still be required with City of Yes to ensure the potential new projects benefit the whole community. I’ve seen firsthand the impact that Casa Celina is already having on the Bronx. But unfortunately I also know that for those 204 units, we received 24,000 applications. The demand for affordable housing is unfathomable right now.

Addressing the demand for affordable housing for seniors, in particular, is urgent. The rate of homelessness among older adults has never been higher than today in New York City, and estimates show that we must build 400,000 units of affordable housing specifically for seniors by 2040 to meet our city’s needs.

That means we have to start taking serious action today to make more communities like Casa Celina possible across the city. City of Yes is an important step.

Kathryn Haslanger is the CEO of JASA, a leading nonprofit serving older adults and the largest nonprofit manager of senior affordable housing in NYC.

18 Sep 2024

Lyle Goldstein: What can the U.S. do to stabilize its relationship with China?

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National security adviser Jake Sullivan’s recent trip to Beijing is a good sign that President Joe Biden’s administration is taking U.S.-China relations seriously. While the visit did not result in any bilateral agreements, the two leaders agreed on having a near-term phone call.

As the fifth meeting between Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the last two years, the visit at least shows that diplomatic channels are open. The selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz, a qualified China hand, as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, moreover, seems to offer more evidence that Democrats now understand the stakes in this most pivotal bilateral relationship.

This has not always been the case. Many China watchers had the initial hope that the Biden administration would set the bilateral relationship on a more steady, predictable path after the volatile Donald Trump years when U.S.-China relations seemed to careen from crisis to crisis.

However, they were substantially disappointed by the Biden administration’s first foray into China diplomacy when an early, high-level summit meeting in 2021 seemed to devolve into an acrimonious shouting match. More concretely, the Biden administration has seemingly chosen to adopt many of the hardline policies of its predecessor. The wide-ranging tariffs on Chinese exports have been maintained. Likewise, bellicose policies toward Beijing have continued to be pervasive in Biden’s Pentagon with a full embrace of Trump’s policies of “Great Power Competition” and also the “Indo-Pacific Strategy.”

To be sure, one of the major aggravating issues now in U.S.-China relations is the new global strategic environment resulting from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Although Beijing professes neutrality and has not sent arms to Russia, Chinese diplomats still evince substantial sympathy for the Kremlin and the Biden administration has dubbed China as the foremost “enabler” of the war since its ballooning trade with Russia helps to oil Moscow’s war machine.

Washington has just levied new sanctions against Chinese companies due to their ongoing relationship with Russian entities involved in the war effort. Despite such pressures, the U.S. and China still managed to achieve well over half a trillion in bilateral trade during 2023. Yet, the present administration has rebranded the “decoupling” policy as “de-risking” and acted to define major new limits on U.S.-China commercial contacts, especially in the domain of high-tech. In particular, the CHIPS Act could be Biden’s most important legacy for China policy in that it sought to hinder the ability of Beijing’s corporations to fabricate advanced microchips.

With respect to the volatile issue of Taiwan, the situation evinces ever more tendencies toward escalation and even spinning out of control. Hope for a more balanced approach resting on “guardrails,” were dashed when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022, setting off large-scale Chinese military exercises around the island. The new pervasiveness of drone weapons (an area of Chinese military strength), as well as Beijing’s willingness to pressure Taiwan suggest that the Taiwan issue could experience even more instability in the near future. President Biden has said no less than four times that he would defend Taiwan. But these brazen assertions, a departure from Washington’s traditional policy of “strategic ambiguity,” come against the backdrop of Beijing’s rapid buildup of both its navy and its nuclear forces. Are the two superpowers careening toward a direct military conflict?

While the Biden administration is to be commended for keeping direct and high-level lines of communication open with Beijing, including with the latest Sullivan visit, the current administration has quite clearly failed to stabilize the superpower relationship in any fundamental way. Looking toward a new administration in Washington in 2025, some pragmatic steps are required to put U.S.-China relations back on track to steer it away from the militarized rivalry now so entrenched and to diminish the growing chances of catastrophic war.

Above all, Washington should embrace realism and restraint by signaling a return to “strategic ambiguity” and much stricter conformity with the “one China policy” first skillfully developed by Richard Nixon’s administration to extricate the U.S. from the Chinese Civil War. Moreover, Washington should douse regional tensions by resisting the temptation to pour ever more U.S. military forces into the western Pacific, for example, into the Philippines where the U.S. is quite provocatively upgrading bases closest to the Taiwan Strait.

Regarding the Ukraine war, the U.S. should reform its accusatory approach toward Beijing and it may have to even agree that China could play a useful role as a mediator — a role Kyiv seems to have recognized recently. Policy innovation will be required to try to stabilize the new U.S.-China race in nuclear weapons development, and this should include full consideration of Beijing’s proposals. Finally, high-tech will remain a problem area, but there is no reason not to move forward more robustly in other areas of commercial promise, from agriculture to infrastructure.

A Chinese analysis on the eve of the Sullivan visit raised the interesting point that this visit might constitute the U.S. national security adviser’s first-ever official trip to China. This points to a problematic issue. Like Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Sullivan’s background suggests little acquaintance with the Asia-Pacific region and a traditional focus on Europe with some background in the Middle East as well. For more effective U.S. foreign policy in the 21 st century, Washington may have to look for leaders with a much deeper knowledge of Asia.

Lyle Goldstein is director of Asia engagement at Washington think tank Defense Priorities. He wrote this column for the Chicago Tribune.

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