In order to make your way into my heart, you must be functional, straightforward, and free of baggage. Following these criteria, I fell in love with the Brookstone Pocket Projector. This iPhone 4 accessory combines my two favorite things: convenience and entertainment. Perhaps even more important, it keeps my kids quiet for hours. The appeal of this pico projector is that it does not require its own bag of accessories. It simply piggybacks onto my iPhone, leaving my hands free for the innumerable tasks of a mom on the go. From impromptu movies in the backyard to slideshows at team victory parties, I have been equally impressed with both its image quality and utility.

When the projector arrived, I was thrilled to find a one page user manual written for not only the techies of the world, but also for those who still have no idea what USB stands for. This device is easy. I charged it via my computer's USB port. I slid my cherished iPhone into the projector and set off to conquer the world. Weighing about the same as a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer, the projector added no weight to the duffle bag I call a purse. It mingled nicely with the Nintendo DS and bottle of Motrin that accompany every adventure. I knew this accessory was gold when my six-year-old used it to watch Netflix movies on the back of a folding sports chair while attending his brother's soccer tournament. After the final game, the parents and players were able to relive the victory through a team slideshow projected onto the side of a minivan. Ideally, the picture is best when you have a smooth, white surface, but in my family, it is all about using what is available at the moment, and this device completely adapts to its environment.

A terrific surprise came after a week of using my pocket projector for picture slideshows, home videos, soccer skills training, and countless episodes of Smurfs on YouTube. While playing a heated game of Temple Run, my iPhone's battery was threatening to sabotage my mission. However, with my iPhone still docked in the projector, I was able to simply slide its power switch to the "Charge" setting, and the projector charged my phone. Yes, you read me correctly. It went above and beyond the call of duty. If it were a man, I would have married it. Not only can this accessory display a beautiful 50 inch image onto the backyard fence but it can double as a quick charger while you search for that always elusive power cord. All joking aside, this is pure genius.

Having already professed my love and affection for this projector, as is the case in most relationships, I'd make a couple of changes if I could. First, the focus wheel is tedious. For such a remarkable device, the wheel seems somewhat prehistoric. It was difficult to adjust without having to pick up the device and elicit angry comments from the peanut gallery. Like many of its pico projector brethren, the volume is weak. It simply cannot stand up to a group of 9 year old boys cheering on Harry Potter. Your kids will be forced to practice their "quiet voices." Finally, with a retail price of $230, weighing the value of this device in one's life becomes very individual. In the busy life of this mom, it serves way too many purposes and warrants the two months of shaken iced teas I had to give up to buy it.

The true beauty of the Brookstone Pocket Projector for iPhone 4 is that the complexity of the device is fully hidden from the end user. They have found a way to take the complicated, yet truly amazing pico projector technology of Texas Instruments and turn it into a must-have accessory. We all know that the goal of pico technology is integration into smartphones. Until such time, this is the next best thing.

For more detailed specifications and connections, check out our Brookstone Pocket Projector for iPhone 4 projector page.

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