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Sony's experimental projector that turns surfaces into touchscreens is coming to the US

Sony's experimental projector that turns surfaces into touchscreens is coming to the US

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Image: Sony

The time has come for you to turn your doors, walls, and cabinets into touchscreens. Sony unveiled its Xperia Touch projector at Mobile World Congress back in February, and now, it's bringing the device to the US. It's available through Amazon and costs $1,699.99. It'll also be available in select T-Mobile stores in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami, as well as in the Sony Square display room in New York City.

Sony says it envisions the Xperia Touch serving as a family hub. Users can view calendar events, weather data, and a memo board, where they can leave notes for family members to see. They can also access Skype video chats and leave video notes. It's equipped with a 13-megapixel camera.

The projector runs Android Nougat, so it does anything an Android tablet can do, including web browsing, watching videos, and downloading apps from the Google Play Store. It should last about an hour on its charge, Sony says, although you can plug it in through its USB-C port.

While I don't necessarily buy that this projector can revolutionize the home, the idea of families gathering around an interactive screen sounds nice. I know some parents are mindful of how often they’re on their phones in front of their kids, and are conscious of how much time their kids spend staring at phones and tablets. At least this way, no one has to have private time with a screen and can instead broadcast what they're doing to the whole house.