HP teams with Google to give connected printers their own email address
By Darren Murph 
posted June 7th 2010 5:43AM
posted June 7th 2010 5:43AM
We get the feeling that there will be lots more details on this whole announcement during Hewlett-Packard's forthcoming press event, but for now, all we know is that HP's next generation of web connected printers will have something that no other consumer printer has had before: an email address to call their own. As the need for printing declines with the broadening availability of cloud access, HP is having to rethink its strategy in the business. According to a report over at the New York Times, the answer lies in giving each new connected printer a dedicated email addy, which would enable users to fire off an image snapped on their smartphone and have it waiting for them when they get back home. We're also told that printing from Google Documents and Spreadsheets will be easy enough, and we wouldn't be shocked to see Picasa integration as well. We're guessing that the new devices will have a robust security suite that'll filter who can and can't dictate the print function via email (but then again, HP does enjoy moving ink), and considering that they'll be priced from $99 to $400, just about everyone will be able to buy in. Conveniently missing from the story? Any mention whatsoever of webOS. Bollocks.
Can't wait for my toaster to have an app store.
@pika2000 I'm actually waiting for my fridge to start tweeting like and emo tween.
@pika2000 Then you jailbreak it and use it to print.
@Atkins Lol, I'd have trouble handing in my essays then since they were so edible.
@pika2000
what happens when a spammer gets access to or guess the printers email address? fax machines all over again
This solves the cloud printing problem, neat!
With all the spam mail flying around, I guess this device would be only the beginning of cloud printing problems.
Not that it would hurt the ink sales $-).
Makes sense - send to printer :)
Printer received and emailed me to know my print is successful - life is getting easier!
Now, we need Google robot to go for the print out.
It could be something in line with the Google Printer System for Chrome OS/Cloud.
@NewBie
That's what I was thinking...printing via cloud, for ChromeOS. I remember reading about Google considering how to print wirelessly to printers via the cloud. Makes sense.
@gerrrg That's what I thought too. My only problem is how many file types can a Printer's firmware really support?
I could really see myself buying a web connected printer, but if my only printing options are JPEG or Google Docs, then no thanks.
@FNi
I assume that if Google and HP are working together, they'd create a simple driver specifically to print PDFs. Google would then work with Adobe - scorned by Apple - to use their existing online PDF conversion tools, to create an interim PDF file from most any file type you could possibly have.
So you send your file to an HP printer's email address; it gets intercepted and the attachment(s) processed into PDFs; the PDFs are then directed through to the printer which then needs only use a specific driver instruction set to print out your PDF file.
Of course, the potentially scary part, is that the processing will allow Google or anyone else to insert ads, for better or worse, eh?
@NewBie yeah! think about spamming your printer that would suck
@gerrrg Yes, I suppose converting your file on-the-fly into a PDF does make more sense.
My only problem would then be accuracy. I often use Adobe Acrobat to turn various file into PDF's. Even that (very) expensive piece of software often screws up layouts and typography which requires hand adjustment.
Then again, I doubt this hardware is really designed at mission-critical or professional usage, so my point is pretty moot.
@NewBie
Yeah! A Google Android!!
Oh, wait...
@FNi
maybe it'd be sent as a raw image file.. i'm sure it's not going to be like sending an email to your printer.. it would be a device driver that creates the address and you'd work through an interface.. very much like how drivers work now.. just less cables.. and more bandwidth..
The days are near when my coffee machine will tell me to make it an expresso
@Zylam
via email.
@Zylam
via facetime
@samisax and FORDY
Haha, nice
Google does not care if people use their OS's. Especially when it is in regards to businesses, they do care about people using their services though. I am pretty sure HP paid money to have this service. Google makes money on ads and corporate use of their app suite. Anything that brings more clicks is the only thing Google cares about. They make products that get people to go online and stay their which increases the pre of ad clicks.
HP made a smart choice in choosing Google especially if they are allowed to print "with Google" on the boxes
HP is just thwarting innovation. WebOS is a marvel to work with.
Neat. I just got the Kodak Pulse digital frame that has its own email address too...its pretty cool.
@kspraydad WAIT! Are you telling us you don't need webOS to have an email address on a printer!?
No need to fax anymore. Now this is innovating, the possibilities are endless!
@osk It is still fax, using email address instead of phone number. :)
err.. what if someone finds out my printers email address and sends a 1000 page essay just for kicks.. or imagine spammers printing messages on ur desktop..
@nos4A2
Hopefully it'll use a white-list along with encryption, allowing print commands from only the emails you use.
@nos4A2
Or imagine that Google will now now anything you print to your printer and probably keep a copy "for you, of course" and then imagine that they will be able to also print an extra sheet with ads related to the topic you are printing. Doncha just love privacy...
I used to really like Google - only search engine I used - then when I read about the data mining on personal systems - even here in Australia, I have become a bit more cautious.
Cheers.
@MizuInOz Is it not better than letting everyone know what you printed? Privacy is misunderstood, there are two aspects, one is a bot reading, the other is the whole world reading, most people are pisssed with the latter than the former.
@MizuInOz
You haven't even understood the system and you are making wild insinuations.
With Google, ads come only for free services and not for paid services. Also, these ad placements are done automatically and not by humans. Do you want to enjoy a free service and yet not want to see an ad? That is not feasible for any business, let alone Google. As for me: I would prefer an ad supported free service to a paid service.
@mantrik00
I do understand the system.
I also understand why I was never too excited about Facebook and Twitter.
I am cautious about giving out personal information. Or transmitting it to a "cloud" - bot or not.
I am not opposed to you or anyone else using this technology. I just choose not to use it. It isn't about not understanding. It is about not using it.
I pay for my apps and all the the services I use - even email. I do not have any ads invade my email or spam (anymore). I signed up with GoogleMail a long time ago. But have since stopped using it.
I do not feel comfortable with someone having all of my correspondence on their server and not erased when I tell it to be deleted. (Check into the new laws being voted on for your cyber protection - indefinite storage by public access email servers and ISPs located in the USofA). My email server is in Scandinavia.
No Google, Hotmail, or Yahoo mail. No clouds.
I am a writer and inventor. We are a funny lot when it comes to privacy. What you may feel is not invasion, feels like it to me.
I hope that helps explain my hesitancy to use this new service.
Cheers
@dementedacademic
And of course Google isn't in any kind of sh!t storm for invasion of privacy. Nope, not them.
Right. I feel so like trusting them - less.
Sorry, I just do not like the idea of the Ogle-Mobile driving down my street and attempting to log into my WiFi network. It can't but just the idea is repugnant to me.
I guess that is OK with you.
So, I do not feel comfortable with Google teaming up with anyone to offer a new service. And I am sure it will only work on HP printers.
Funny that.
@nos4A2 Spamming will get a physical dimension.
@MizuInOz We have differing tastes, to me you come across as a privacy freak, but I probably come across as a hippie to you, its fine.
@MizuInOz
I think the idea you have more privacy and control over your data if you use a paid service is a myth. Let say I make a request to my email service and storage provider to permanently delete all my data, it's a rather unusual request, I don't have much faith that they will take the trouble to locate my data and backup copy which might be scattered in a couple of servers. and there's no way to know if they have done it.
Next thing you know we can all dock our phone into the printer and print... O.M.G... I must patent that soon. And that one you dock your phone on your head to get a cell boost.
@cdf74dc9 Why dock it when you can print from your phone anywhere?
@osk that was sarcasm :/
@dementedacademic It's early in the a.m. :( I need my wakey juice.
so we are able to send a picture to the printers email address and print it rather than going through the long process of drag and drop in the computer (wirelessly) and then print.
But then again people will be able to hack into the printer and print off porn - you didnt think of that now did you!
Can't wait to be able to get home and have my photos pre printed out, along with 20 VI4GR4 c14l1s emails, and a couple of OEM software offers.
I like this idea. It sounds pretty simple and could pretty much kill off fax. Although I believe fax is a little more secure (no real spam issues besides a wrong number or telemarketers calling it) but this is definitely the direction to move in.
@MrHashbrown Now we just need to get rid of all inkjet printers as well. Viva La Revolution!
The whole networked world is how computers should (and did!) work from the beginning. Microsoft killed all this in the early 80s to give them control. Google are freeing us again. Horray!
Be great to fire of a printmail to the guys with the large format printer next door...
It better have a damn good spam filter...
iphone killar
I guess the emails will look something like this:
password+email@gmail.com
If you want to know more about this, it's called ePrint. The reason you didn't hear about webOS is because this was in the works BEFORE it- duh.
More info can be found here- http://www.hp.com/go/eprintcenter
and also
http://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/us/en/ipg/HPeprint-solution.html
And although yes they are working with Google, they're also working with Facebook, Yahoo, American Online, RIM, Apple and others
Some time in the future, someone will reveal that Google has been 'accidentally' storing all the print jobs done until that time. There Will Be Uproar.
Think people, Google Pwns You!
This is just dumb.