If you’ve been watching the development of nano projectors in the past couple of years, you knew it had to happen: a point-and-shoot digital camera with a projector on board. This Nikon Coolpix S1000pj works like a conventional 12.1 megapixel camera with a 2.7 inch LCD viewscreen, but that’s where the similarity ends.

Its projector can play back pictures and video at a relatively big 40-inch size. Not only that, but it can mix music, effects and transitions with those pictures. Sound like a lot of whizbang for $430, but we’ve seen projectors like the one inside this camera, and even in total darkness they look downright lame.

Lame now, but imagine what this technology will be like five years from now. Super-bright HD projectors inside every still/video camera. Set up a guerrilla theater anywhere. Bore the world with pictures of your kids. It’s a bright future. Nikon also rolled out three more digital cameras — read about them in this press release: