Oh, yes, we remember microprojectors. They were an innovation that tech seers (like me) predicted would transform the way we use gadgets and share media. All the way back in 2008, when I got my first taste of what pico projectors (as the devices are often called) could do, I figured it was only a matter of time before the devices shrunk to a size that would make it possible to jam these babies into just about any gadget. Our phones would double as movie-playing projectors. Our laptops would project PowerPoint slides on the wall for instant presentations. So why is it that today (an eternity later in tech time) your phone, tablet, laptop and GPS are all but certainly microprojector-free?

Although it’s easy to interpret this as a sign that tech companies have basically given up on the technology, the truth is that the inevitable march of microprojector progress has quietly been carrying on. Microprojectors may still take over the world – just a bit more slowly than we believed.

Here are some points of progress. Microprojectors are now capable of producing a 1280 x 800 HD image – something that would have been impossible when the projectors debuted. This resolution bump comes courtesy of the new Texas Instruments DLP Pico HD chip, which is being built into current or upcoming stand-alone projectors from Dell, Acer and Optoma. Microprojectors are also better than ever in bright environments. Early projectors required near-total darkness, but we’ve seen new models work in all sorts of well-lit rooms, with impressive results.

Of course, there’s still the question of why our gadgets don’t have projectors built into them. For sure, they can add a lot of wow factor, but manufacturers are reluctant to include a feature that is so expensive, bulky and power-hungry. This is especially true when it comes to that one carry-always device: the phone. Projector phones have shown up in some countries, to be fair. In US, though, mobile carriers dictate which devices make it to market. And these companies just aren’t ready to take the plunge on the tech.

That’s not to say there aren’t any devices on the market for the budding projectionist. A number of iPad docks and a few cameras – such as the 3M Shoot ’n Share CP40 and Nikon’s Coolpix S1100pj – have projectors built in. These pocket-size devices can turn any gathering into a movie night or an instant slide show.