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FAQs
Questions before you buy
Questions for Project-a-Phone owners
Questions before you buy
Q. How do I know if Project-a-Phone will work for my device?
Project-a-Phone was designed to work with virtually all popular handheld devices. It accommodates widths between 3.8cm and 12.3cm, and up to a 14.7cm height. Some larger devices, such as the Sidekick II™, will work by extending and clamping in place the screen (see tips for the Sidekick II). We have not encountered a handheld device with a screen that was too large to display. However, the Nokia 9500 device itself is too wide.
Q. Which model should I buy?
This depends on your budget and your need for image resolution for screen shots. The ICD-5005 lets you take 3.1 megapixel pictures compared to 1.3 megapixels for the ICD-1300. If you are taking screen shots for forensic evidence or printed marketing materials, for example, you should choose the ICD-5005. If your primary use will be to display or record video, however, you will probably not use the highest resolution setting because the frame rate becomes too low. Please see the Product page for sample screen shots and video clips from each model.
Q. Can I use Project-a-Phone to record video, audio, and still images?
Yes. The software lets you record both the audio and video portions of your demo using your computer's microphone and the Project-a-Phone camera. You can also take still snapshots directly with your camera or program the software to take a series of snapshots.
Q. What happens if I am not satisfied with my purchase?
Project-a-Phone has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you are not fully satisfied with the product, you may return it within 30 days of the invoice date for a full refund of the product purchase price. You pay only shipping costs.
Q. What warranty do you offer?
If your unit fails due to a manufacturing defect during the first year, simply return it along with a shipping and handling fee equal to $20 for shipment to a destination within the US or $35 for destinations outside the US, and we will repair or replace the unit free of charge.
Q. Can my company get a volume discount?
If your company purchases five to nine units at the same time, you will automatically receive a 10% discount when you check out. For ten or more units, you will receive a 15% discount. For quantities above 25, contact sales@projectaphone.com.
Q. How is Project-a-Phone better than the Elmo visual presenters?
Although Elmo products are excellent for many uses, they were not designed specifically for handheld devices. Project-a-Phone offers several advantages. It is the only product that lets you securely clamp your phone in place so you can operate the buttons without unwanted screen movement. By connecting directly to your computer and using the proprietary Project-a-Phone software, you can share the screen on a monitor or through the Web using a screen sharing service, and you can make audio and video recordings or take screen shots for your marketing materials. It has a faster update rate (30 frames per second vs. Elmo's 20), so it can present a more fluid image. It is also significantly lighter, more compact, and costs a small fraction of the Elmo.
Q. How good is the image Project-a-Phone displays?
Project-a-Phone produces a very readable rendering of your phone screen enabling you to effectively demonstrate applications, services, and interfaces. However, it was designed to be very affordable and portable, and consequently the image is not as sharp as the imaging devices that cost 20-30 times as much. We encourage you to look at the sample screen shots on our Product page to evaluate the image quality. Also note that there is variance across different devices; these same screen shots were taken from a Palm Treo. If you decide that you need higher quality and are willing to spend several thousand dollars, we recommend the Wolfe Vision products.
Q. Can I display more than one device on a computer?
Yes. You can display as many devices as you have USB ports. However, it is quite resource intensive, so most computers can comfortably handle two or three devices simultaneously.
Q. Does it work with any operating system other than Windows®?
The ICD-1300 hardware is also compatible with the Mac O/S. However, we only write software for Windows. If you want to use the ICD-1300 with a Mac, you can download software from our website that lets you display video and make recordings, but does not let you take screen shots.
Q. How and when do you ship my purchase?
During the checkout process, we give you several domestic and international UPS shipping options as well as US Postal Service shipping overseas. Note that although USPS is significantly less expensive than UPS, it does not provide tracking capabilities within the destination country, and in some cases it does not guarantee delivery timing. Receiver is responsible for any import duties.
Unless otherwise noted in the checkout process, all orders received before noon EST on work days are shipped the same day; orders received later are either shipped that day or on the next business day. We charge you our shipping costs, plus a $3.95 per unit handling fee.
Questions for Project-a-Phone owners
Q. The ICD-5000 image is displaying upside down and backwards. How do I reverse this?
When we install our software, we make a small change to the registry to orient the image correctly. The most recent upgrade to Windows XP Service Pack 3 undoes this change. To fix the problem, you can either uninstall and reinstall the software and drivers or edit the registry manually by following these steps:
- Click Start, then Run.
- Type “regedit.”
- Follow this path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ Control\Class\{6BDD1FC6-810F-11D0-BEC7-08002BE2092F}\ 0004\CameraSetting\SupportCamera\5610
[Note that the "0004" above may be different on your computer. Look in each numbered folder for “Camera Setting.”]
- Click on 5610 and double click on UsbSetting on the right side of the editor.
- Add "F1 03 FF" to the end of the string. F1 should go on line 0038, and 03 FF will wrap onto line 0040.
- Click OK and restart the computer.
Q. I installed the ICD-5000 software, but I am getting a "code 10" error and I can not see the image.
This happens when Windows® XP automatically searches for and finds an incorrect driver on the Internet. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to disconnect the computer from the Internet before installing the software or to change the Windows Update settings in the Control Panel (see steps 1-3 below for instructions on how to do this).
To fix the problem, follow these steps:
1. Go to the Windows Control Panel and choose System > Hardware > Windows Update.
2. Select “Ask me to search Windows Update every time I connect a new device.”
3. Click OK.
4. Now you need to delete the incorrect driver. Go to My Computer and the following location: C:\WINDOWS\inf. You may need to go to the “Tools” menu at the top of the page and select “Folder Options” to “view” hidden files and folders.
5. Click “Search” at the top of the window in the inf folder.
6. Search “All files and folders.”
7. In “A word or phrase in the file” search for “Project-a-Phone”.
8. Write down the numbers of all the oemXX.inf files that appear (XX is a 2-digit number like 39).
9. In the search window, click “Back.”
10. Do another search for “Omnivision.”
11. Write down the numbers of all the oemXX.inf files that appear (XX is a 2-digit number like 39).
12. Compare the two results. Delete the oemXX.inf file that appeared in the search for Omnivision but did not appear in the search for Project-a-Phone.
13. Go to the Windows Control Panel and choose System > Hardware > Device Manager
14. Click on “Imaging Devices”
15. Right click on the device with the yellow exclamation point and choose “Update driver.”
16. The New Hardware Wizard will appear and ask if you want to connect to Windows Update.
17. Click “No, not this time.”
18. Allow the wizard to install the hardware automatically (if given a list of drivers to choose, select the highest number “Project-a-Phone”).
19. If the wizard prompts you to replace a file (twn2800.ds), click “Yes.”
20. If the hardware is not installed and ready to use, you may need to reboot the computer with the camera still connected.
Q. I lost the CD that came with my unit. How can I get the software?
Please download Project-a-Phone software from our site (2 MB download), or call us at 866-581-6849 to order a replacement CD.
Q. I lost the cable that came with my unit. How can I get a replacement?
Replacement cables can be purchased from the Buy Now page. Note that the ICD-5000 cable is a standard USB 2.0 cable, but the ICD-300 is unique.
Q. I already have video drivers and software on my computer. Do I need to download the Project-a-Phone software and drivers?
Some video drivers and software will work with the Project-a-Phone camera, but if you insert the camera into the USB port, and the computer does not recognize it, see the answer to the next question. Regardless, you should need to install the Project-a-Phone software only once.
Q. What do I do if I receive the error, “Only one imaging device is connected”?
You will receive this error if you try to open more than one Project-a-Phone window when only one device is connected to the computer. Ensure the USB cable is firmly connected to both the computer and the device.
If you still receive this error, go to the following location: C:\Program Files\Project-a-Phone and delete the WSSettings.wss file. Restart the Project-a-Phone application.
Q. After changing the image capture settings, I stopped getting an image?
In early versions of our software, selecting the 2432x1368 screen resolution crashed the software. If you did this, you need to delete the file with this setting:
- Close the Project-a-Phone software window
- Go to C:\Program Files\Project-a-Phone
- Delete the following file: WSSettings.wss. (This folder is not deleted even if you uninstall the software, because it contains videos, images, and profiles that you may have saved already.
- Re-open the Project-a-Phone software window, and it should show an image
- To avoid this problem in the future, install the latest version of the software from our website.
Q. How do I record audio and video with the Project-a-Phone device and software?
You can capture video only or audio and video at the same time, and you can take screen shots individually or in a pre-programmed sequence. For detailed instructions, please visit the "Recording audio and video" section in our Usage Tips.
Q. How do I display more than one device on a computer?
The camera software enables multiple Project-a-Phone devices to be displayed simultaneously, provided that your computer has more than one USB port and you are using more than one Project-a-Phone device. Connect both devices to your USB ports. Open the Project-a-Phone software and go to the "Video" menu. Select your first device. Open another Project-a-Phone window and select the other camera device from the "Video" menu.
Q. How do I focus the Project-a-Phone camera?
Rotate the lens beneath the camera. If the image is focused but has lines or is grainy, you may want to move it very slightly out of focus to get the best overall result.
Q. How else do I get the best image of my device's display?
The keys to getting a good image are focusing, maximizing the brightness of the screen and minimizing reflection on the screen. We recommend setting the display on your device to the highest brightness setting and setting it to "Always On" throughout your demonstration. If possible, turn off any screen savers or power-saving features that dim the display after a certain amount of time. Also, dim overhead lights and close window shades to reduce light that could create glare on the screen. There are also a number of other adjustments you can make with the Project-a-Phone software that might improve quality for your particular device. Click the multi-colored computer monitor icon at the bottom of the screen to make adjustments and see how they affect the image. You can make additional adjustment in the "Camera Settings" option in the "Video" menu.
Q. If I can't place the phone directly under the camera, how do I center the image?
You can slide the camera back and forth parallel to the phone screen to center the image.
Q. Do you have any tips for doing web demonstrations?
Project-a-Phone software has been tested successfully with WebEx™, including MeetMeNow, GoToMeeting™, and Live Meeting, as well as with the free web conferencing platform Vyew. However, some users have reported problems using it with NetMeeting.
To minimize transmission delays, go to Video>Capture Settings in the Project-a-Phone software and choose 640x480 and 10 frames per second. Also, when using LiveMeeting, it is helpful to change the settings to display high resolution 16-bit colors instead of 256 colors.
Q. Do you have any tips for using my specific phone?
Please visit our "Usage tips" section for tips on how to best use different devices.
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