I've been in a period of transition lately, moving from one city to another, having to stay in a hotel in between.
Being constantly on the move isn't easy, especially when there is work to do. Portability is everything, especially in tech gadgets.
My latest test product is all about portability. What I thought was a fairly basic, straight-forward device turned out to have far more uses than I expected.
The product is the ZTE Spro 2 Smart Projector. It's made to work with a cellular service. The one I tested was made to work with AT&T.
On the surface, the Spro 2 is a portable projector. Dig a little deeper, and you find it provides multiple uses.
Let's start with the basics: Out of the box, the Spro 2 looks like a shrunken version of a typical digital projector. It's small enough to rest on a flat hand. The projector lens is on the front of the device, volume buttons are on one side and a small vent is on the other. The back has a power port, HDMI and USB connection ports and a headphone jack. The first indication that this product can do more lies underneath these common connections. The device has two slots available: a Sim card slot and a Micro SD port. Both can be used to add files to the Spro 2.
Yes, I said add files to a projector. Of the 16GB internal storage in this device, 10GB is usable for files and media that can be copied from a Micro SD card or downloaded from the Internet.
It's not hard to download files, thanks to the biggest clue that this isn't a typical projector. The top of it has a 5-inch LCD screen. The screen displays information, allows for quick navigation through its apps or provides a place to surf the Internet for media or periodicals. It also has touch controls for all of the main features, including the projector.
As it turns out, this simple projector runs an Android operating system, much like a smartphone. Apps can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, which is built into the projector's operating system.
Still, that's not the only surprising things this projector can do.
The Spro 2 can store media and documents like a hard drive, then play them through the projector or use them through the LCD screen. Files can be tucked away in File Manager or stored in the built-in photo gallery, drive app or documents folder. The Spro 2 can even access Gmail, Google's email program.
The Spro 2 has the capabilities to access the Internet on its own, thanks to that Sim card slot on the back. The Sim card will need to be purchased from a cellular carrier, such as AT&T, and that might mean an increase in fees. It's best to check with a carrier to determine what fees may be incurred.
The Sim card not only allows the Spro 2 to access the Internet on its own, but it also can serve as a hot spot. That means other devices can connect to it and use its cellular signal to access the Internet. As someone who has spent a week in a hotel, I can tell you this is a very welcome feature. In a location where a good Wi-Fi signal is hard to come by, the Spro 2's Wi-Fi hot spot was a welcome addition. I was able to use it for several hours without wearing down the internal battery too much. The device even provided a password, so the signal was protected from others around me who might see it and try to connect without permission. The main screen even keeps track of how much data is used during hot spot use, so you won't go over your data limit.
All these features make the Spro 2 a useful product to tote, but it doesn't answer the most basic question -- how is it as a projector?
As it turns out, the Spro 2 does a very nice job as a projector, if you keep the image at a reasonable size. At about 2 feet by 3 feet, the colors and picture were fairly sharp. Go much bigger than that, and some of the sharpness is lost, but not by much.
The only really annoying thing I found was the autofocus. If the picture goes dark, the autofocus kicks in, and it moves the image in and out of focus repeatedly. It gets annoying very quickly. The only solution is turn off the autofocus and adjust it manually, which can take longer. With low-light images, though, it may be necessary.
The Spro 2 projector turned out to be an impressive product. Not only does it serve its main purpose well, but it has several other uses, particularly for professionals on the road. It can store files, play media and even serve as an access point for the Internet.
For someone who has been on the road a lot lately, I can tell you, a product like this has multiple uses. It certainly beats hauling a suitcase of electronics around.
Melissa L. Jones can be reached via email at mljones72@me.com.
SundayMonday Business on 05/30/2016