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What we're buying: Our WFH essentials
Here are the work-from-home essentials that Engadget staffers use to make remote-work life a bit easier.
The best home printers
By Ben Keough This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to home printers here. From the very beginning of Wirecutter's existence, we've been testing printers. In total, we've spent nearly 500 hours researching hundreds of inkjet and laser printers, and testing dozens of them. The reliable, simple-to-operate HP OfficeJet Pro 8720, an all-in-one color inkjet, is a good choice for most people who need to print regularly at home. It delivers high-quality prints from any device you use, can scan and copy, and is just better designed ergonomically than the competition. We've also got recommendations for the best, least frustrating printers you can buy, whether you print every now and then or every day, run a home business, need to print projects for school-age kids, or even if you're a photographer who wants to print high-quality images at home.
The best laser printer
By Ben Keough and Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After nearly 250 hours of research and testing over the past few years, we've found that the best choice for an affordable laser printer right now is the Brother HL-L2340DW. Among the dozens of laser printers we've looked at, the L2340DW is one of the most economical and least frustrating models you can buy.
Which printers are worth buying?
You probably don't print as much as you used to, if at all. However, on the rare occasion that you need a crisp copy of your resume to bring to an interview or want some framed photos of the kids for your office, a printer can be pretty handy. But not every printer works for every job, so we've scoured critics' reviews across the web and assembled a list of some of the best devices out there. Whether you're looking to send out photo cards for the holidays or just need an everyday workhorse, check out the gallery below to see which printer might be up to the task.
The best tech and apps for your home office
By The Wirecutter Staff This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. You don't need the thinnest, lightest, or most elegantly designed items for your home office. You want reliable, comfortable, efficient tools—but it doesn't hurt if they look nice, too. That's why a team of three experienced remote workers spent more than 150 hours researching and testing new gear and apps, and picking the most office-friendly items from The Wirecutter's guides, to give you a selection of tools that we're sure will earn a place in your workspace.
Amazon Dash is ready to refill your printer or washing machine
Amazon has been hyping up devices with built-in Dash refill ordering, and the first wave of those devices is finally here. As of today, you can use the Dash Replenishment Service to top up the ink or toner on compatible Brother printers. If you're willing to wait until the end of January, the option will also be available for both a General Electric washing machine and a Gmate blood glucose monitor. Whichever device you get, the only real requirement is that you turn on the service -- Amazon will automatically order resupplies whenever your device is running low.
Wireless label maker is a boon for cable-hating office supply fetishists
For some just the phrase "P-touch" elicits feelings of organizational euphoria. We get that label makers aren't exactly the sexiest gadgets in the world, but like ever other gadget there is a need to evolve. Brother took the obvious route and just crammed a wireless radio into the PT-P750W. Under the hood is a WiFi radio that multiple computers, phones and tablets can connect to and, since you have the option of powering it with batteries (either 6 AAs or a rechargeable lithium ion pack), you can even use it while travelling. Even set up is painfully simple since there's an NFC pad at the top that will automatically connect your phone to it. Obviously, it takes a certain kind of person to spend $130 on a label maker, but there are more than enough people out there with a fetish for organization. And, if we're being honest, there might be a few of them on staff here.
New Brother portable scanner sends docs directly to Evernote, Facebook and Flickr
Let's be honest -- with certain exceptions, most portable scanners aren't very exciting. Brother's new ImageCenter ADS-1500W promises to liven things up, however. The WiFi-equipped reader lets users send any documents directly to cloud services like Evernote, Facebook and Flickr; if you want to share receipts with social networks, you can. Would-be archivists can transfer files to email and FTP servers, too. The 18 ppm scanner ships this month for $299, and it should be accompanied by a lower-end (though currently specification-free) ADS-1000W model at $249.
Kodak tentatively sells its scanning business to Brother for $210 million
Kodak as we once knew it has been shedding its identity piece by piece, and today it's selling off key elements of a more familiar cornerstone. The one-time photography legend has made an initial deal to offload assets of its Document Imaging division to Brother for $210 million through a stalking horse bid. If no one else makes a sweeter offer, Brother is likely to take partial control of Kodak's scanning hardware and software in an agreement that's expected to receive bankruptcy court approval by June. It's almost the end of an era for a company that's all too familiar with ending eras -- let's just hope it gets around to starting one of them in the near future.
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: printers
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we have printers on our minds and on our desks -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the series we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! It's safe to say that, at some point, you'll need to print out a collection of assignments this fall. We're looking to save the environment just as much as the next set of folks, but physical outputs are still required for a number of things -- especially in the realm of academics. Now that WiFi has become a standard option on most ink-to-paper peripherals, the ability to print from mobile devices has become a hot commodity. A number of our selections offer just that, allowing you to get the job started without needing to be in front of a computer. Enough chatter, though... head on past the break to peruse our picks for the back to school season this year.
Brother crams all-in-one functionality into a pint-size package for Business Smart series
Looking for a color inkjet all-in-one that won't use up all of your desk space? Brother's talking up its Business Smart line as a way getting a slew of features without the added office footprint. Aimed at small business owners, the line's first entry, the MFC-J4510DW, utilizes landscape printing and redesigned printer cartridges to help fit all of the requisite features into a smaller body. The peripheral does wireless and mobile printing, auto-two sided printing and features touchscreen controls. It's expected to hit the big office chains and Best Buys in October for $199, with more entries in the line following later this year. More info in the press release after the jump.
Brother AirScouter glasses bring augmented reality, unsightly add-ons to your face
Head-mounted displays may be all the rage as of late, thanks to Sergey Brin's own recent fashion choices, but the space is hardly new. Brother, for one, has been in the game for a while now, with its AirScouter glasses, and before fellow printer-maker Epson steals all its glory, the company wants you to know that it's got some new wearable augmented reality on the way. The AirScouter WD-100G and WD-100A are being targeted toward business users, allowing workers to get all of the relevant information from their computer, without staring at a proper monitor -- of course, you're going to want to use the included USB cable to tether you to that PC. The glasses do SVGA images in full color over an eye, while the other eye remains unobstructed, keeping you relatively aware of your surroundings -- best of all, you can choose the eye. The new AirScouters will be available in Japan this summer for a pricey ¥199,800. But really, how can you put a price on looking like the business casual version of the Terminator?
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: printers
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Yeah, yeah... we know -- paper is so 20th century. But truth be told, there are still a lot of us that have use for the old-fashioned printed page. Whether you're a student who needs to output seven copies of that term paper, or an aspiring photog looking to cut down on professional printing costs, we have some thoughts on what to look for this holiday season. Perhaps you're ready to take those homemade Christmas cards to the next level? Print them yourself! Who doesn't love an early present? Read on past the break to see just what caught our eye this year.
NEC's Tele Scouter head-mounted display makes it really hard to not look evil
Case in point: the guy on the right. Sure, he's probably a mild-mannered, law-abiding citizen, but with NEC's Tele Scouter strapped to his spectacles, he looks just a wee bit sinister, doesn't he? The system he's wearing consists of a paperback-sized computer powered by an ARM 500MHz CPU and an AirScouter display mounted atop a pair of glasses. The display, manufactured by Brother, projects images upon the naked eye, but NEC insists that it won't completely block a user's field of vision. To the viewer, in fact, these projections appear as if they were displayed on a 16-inch, 800 x 600 screen standing one meter away. According to NEC, the idea is to allow employees to view manuals or other important documents while working with their hands, though that kind of multi-task wizardry certainly won't come for cheap. The Tele Scouter will begin shipping on December 26th, with the device priced at ¥400,000 (about $5,200) and the software sitting at ¥1.9 million (around $25,000).
Engadget's back to school guide 2011: printers
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we have printers on our minds and on our desks -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Sadly, most of your professors probably still expect assignments to be turned in on dried-up wood pulp. And, while that doesn't mean you'll have to remaster the fine art of writing in cursive, you will need a printer to put your (carefully proofread and thoroughly researched, of course) prose on paper. Jump past the break for our recommendations, and another opportunity to enter our back to school giveaway. Simply leave a comment below to be entered to win, and head over to our giveaway page for more details.
Brother KH-930e knitting machine hacked for computerized garment printing
Got an old Brother KH-930e knitting machine collecting dust somewhere? If not, chances are that your mum does. Or maybe your grandmum. Regardless of where you snag one, just make darn sure you snag one. It's not often we get our jollies from an 80s-era garment maker, but thanks to a bit of wizardry from the folks at Craftzine, the aforesaid device is just a few hacks away from being a gnarly computerized printer. We'll spare you the details -- after all, every single one is just a click away. Vid's after the break, DIYers.
Brother's AirScouter floats a 16-inch display onto your eye biscuit (video)
First announced in July, Brother's updated AirScouter wearable display is finally getting its first live demonstration at Brother World in Japan. The prototype Retinal Imaging Display (RID) projects safe, fast-moving light directly onto your retina that appears to the viewer as a 16-inch display floating transparently at a distance of about 3 feet. The tech used by Brother was harvested from its own optical system technologies found in laser and inkjet printers. Brother plans to launch the AirScouter for industrial uses in Japan where the glasses could overlay operating manuals onto machinery, for example. Later, Brother plans to adopt its RID tech into consumer products worldwide making for a more immersive (and practical) augmented reality experience.
Brother shakes up expectations with vibration-charged low-power batteries
Lithium-ion battery technology keeps improving by (theoretical) leaps and bounds, but what good's that to you when you're faced with a dead TV remote? Brother Industries has a plan, and it doesn't involve ink for once -- the Japanese printer company's developed a set of prototype batteries you simply shake to charge. AA and AAA models are already in the works, though you shouldn't expect to slot them into cameras or R/C cars, as the miniature electromagnetic induction generators inside are designed for infrequently used gadgets and provide as little as 10mW (or as much as 180mW) when shook. Of course, when it comes to TV remotes there's an even lazier way for couch potatoes to squeeze the juice, but we have to imagine standard-sized cells have a slightly better chance at market.
Apple releases printer driver updates
In addition to today's Aperture update, Apple has released a series of printer driver updates. Brother Printer Drivers for Mac OS X v10.6 weighs in at 100MB and includes the latest Brother printing and scanning software for Snow Leopard. Samsung Printer Drivers for Mac OS X v10.6 weighs in at 23.25MB and includes Samsung printing software that shipped with Mac OS X v10.6 (Snow Leopard). The updates require 10.6.1 and 10.6, respectively. The drivers are also available via Software Update.
Brother's SV-70 e-book reader is a little bit cheaper, still $1,100
Remember the SV-100B "Document Viewer" from this time last year? It's okay, we had to look it up too. With its $1,500 MSRP and exclusive release in Japan, it hardly made waves over here. We're expecting the SV-70 to have a similarly ripple-free reception in the States, since it too probably isn't coming here, but there's no telling how Japanese businesspeople will take to it, ditching the Bluetooth module that gave its predecessor a bit of charm, and even the lowly 2GB microSD card that was formerly included on the way to a lower (but still high) $1,100 MSRP. Other specs remain the same, including a relatively expansive 9.7-inch, 1200 x 825 display, 100MB of internal memory, microSD expansion slot, and 83 hours worth of battery life. Why, that's plenty of time to read even the lengthiest of pseudo-inspirational corporate memos.
