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Canon unveils two AirPrint printers, thinks you should print more stuff from your iPad
Want to print stuff from your iPad, but hate drivers and cords and stuff? Good news, Canon's offering up the Pixma MX512 and MX432, two all-in-one inkjets that offer up Apple AirPrint support, letting users wirelessly prints photos, docs and the like from their iPad, iPhone and iPod touches running iOS 4.2 or later. Canon also used the announcement to reaffirm its commitment to the technology, ensuring as before that it "will be available with the majority of Canon PIXMA Wireless All-In-One inkjet printers launched from this point forward." A brief, fully printable press release can be found after the break.
'Still Alive' played on 3D printed record, takes music piracy to complicated new levels
We're still in the relatively early stages of the 3D printer revolution, and as such, it's hard to say just how these devices will play a role in our daily lives. We've seen some really cool toys like turtleshell racers and Weighted Companion Cubes, but what about some everyday products? This 3D printed record keeps the Portal printer theme going by cutting our old pal Jonathan Coulton's "Still Alive" into its grooves. The single was printed over at Shapeways and played on a Fisher-Price record player. Video after jump.
MakerBot releases free-to-download Playsets, will have you printing a Captain Kirk Chair in no time
So, you've always wanted to build a dollhouse out of ABS plastic? Well here's your chance. MakerBot has announced the release of its "MakerBot Playsets," a collection of free-to-download schematics used to create objects such as dolls, dollhouses and furnishings with the company's 3D printer. The files are available in .stl and .dxf formats for use with CAD programs, and take away the guesswork involved in coming up with a uniform design for larger projects. Take a look at the current collection -- including such objects as a Telescope, Moon Rover, Captain Kirk Chair, Treasure Chest and Suit of Armor -- and see what you think. You'll find the entire collection at the Thingiverse link just below.
MakerBot Replicator hands-on (video)
Sure, there's really not much of a DIY presence amongst the shiny new mass produced gadgets that line the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center during CES, but MakerBot's public appearances at the show managed to leave an impression on just about everyone who spotted the company's newly announced Replicator 3D printer. Founder Bre Pettis stopped by our stage at the convention center's Grand Lobby, becoming our final interview of the show. We managed to get him to print something out during our conversation, but the real draw was, no doubt, the large plastic rocket ship lamp sitting at the end of the stage, a pretty solid visual reminder of the concept of being able to print out just about anything you can imagine with one of these devices.MakerBot is one of the driving forces in bringing 3D printing to a mainstream audience, and the Replicator takes yet another big step in that direction. For starters, there's the fact that, unlike past products from the company, the units ship assembled, taking the difficult and time consuming construction process out of the equation -- at less than $2,000, it's also a good deal cheaper than a fair amount of the competition. Pettis also insists that the printing process itself is rather simple. There's an SD slot on the front -- pop in a card and choose a project from the simple LCD.There are pegs for the spools of plastic on the rear of the device. Opting for the $1,999 version lets you do dual extrusion -- using two different spools for two-color objects. When the printing starts, the plastic spools (made of ABS, the same stuff that Lego is made from) feed through tubes, getting melted down, hot glue gun-style. The layering of the plastic creates a ribbed effect on the objects, though Pettis points out that some people sand down their projects after they're finished.The process is a bit time consuming -- Pettis was printing out a small plastic cupcake that didn't finish during our 20-minute-long interview. Apparently it takes closer to 45 minutes to finish something like that. But this model has a key competent its predecessors lacked: the ability to print large objects. You can print things up to the size of a loaf of bread using the Replicator.We're working with MakerBot to get a unit that we can spend a bit more time with -- and believe us, we can't wait. In the meantime, watch Pettis give a guided tour of the device after the break.
Lantronix xPrintserver mobile printing system hands-on (video)
It's been nearly a month since Latronix announced its xPrintserver mobile printing solution and today, we finally got to see it in the flesh, here at CES. With this little white box, users can wirelessly print photos or other documents directly from their iDevices. All they have to do is hook it up to their network, select an image from their iPhone or iPad, and just click the print option in iOS. That kind of convenience will cost you a mere $150, and it's about as simple as it sounds, as we found out during a demonstration here at Pepcom. Check it out for yourself, after the break.
Berg's Little Printer churns out RSS feeds with a receipt and a smile
It's hard to think of a device more aptly named than BergCloud's Little Printer. It's little. It prints. It even smiles at you. And why wouldn't it? It's adorable. Equally notable is what it produces -- RSS feeds printed out on grocery store-style receipts. All you have to do is hook it up to your router, configure your RSS subscriptions from your smartphone and press a button to print them out. The Little Printer connects wirelessly to a small box that's plugged into your router. This box, in turn, interfaces with the Berg Cloud (also unveiled this week), providing constant updates and pulling down any web content you've selected. If, for instance, you want to print out Foursquare updates, you can use the app to add them to your queue and print them out for later reading. It's basically like InstaPaper... with more paper. BergCloud has already struck partnerships with ARUP, Foursquare, The Guardian, Nike and Google, though more are on the way. No word yet on pricing, but the device is slated to go up for pre-order sometime next year. Check it out in action, after the break. [Thanks, Dave]
Autonomy CEO talks about HP's future, promises 'really stunning technology'
New details are emerging today about HP's plans for Autonomy, nearly two months after Whitman & Co. purchased the software-maker for a cool $10.4 billion. In an interview with ZDNet UK, Autonomy chief executive Mike Lynch said his company's search, data analysis and AR technologies will be integrated within a range of HP products, including its printers, servers and storage unit, and its consumer-focused Personal Systems Group, which handles phones, tablets and PCs. "There is a lot of work going on between the different business units at HP," Lynch explained. "Servers and storage is obviously key [but with the] Personal Systems Group stuff is going to come that was only available for very large companies." He went on to say that Autonomy's data analysis artillery will be linked up to HP's public cloud service, and that both companies have developed some "really stunning technology" for printers. The exec didn't offer many details beyond that, but he did promise that more information would be released "very shortly."
Little Printer to add tiny, adorable printing for iPhone and Android
Little Printer by Berg Cloud is a cute concept for a printer that'll produce a daily newspaper for you. It grabs the headlines from your social feeds, emails, news sources, horoscopes, puzzles and more. You can choose what it will print and when it will print using a companion app for your smartphone. The Little Printer is designed to place an emphasis on appearance and presentation. It's not just a dump of information; each print-out will be formatted to be pleasing to the eyes and easy to read. It prints the information ticker-tape style which makes it easy to grab and go. Of course, the concept of printing stuff that is already on your phone -- which you'll presumably also be taking with you when you leave the house -- is a little bit odd. Still, for things like shopping lists that you want to check off or flight schedules where you'll need to turn off your mobile device, it could come in handy. Berg Cloud will begin accepting pre-orders for the beta edition of Little Printer in 2012. You can sign up at the company's website to receive an alert when it becomes available.
Researchers expose printer vulnerability, turn LaserJets into literal time bombs (update)
Your precious printer might seem innocuous but, in reality, it could be a ticking time bomb just waiting for some hacker to trigger it. Oh, and we mean that not just figuratively, but literally as well -- they could actually be caused to burst into flames by some ne'er-do-well half-way around the globe. Of course, the potential doesn't end at remote arson, an attacker could easily gain access to a network or steal documents, and hijacking the lowly device would require little more than printing an infected file. So far researchers at Columbia University have only managed to exploit the hole on HP printers, but it's possible (if not likely) that others are also affected. Most printers look for a firmware update every time they receive a job but, for some reason, they rarely check the validity of an incoming file. A fake upgrade could easily be attached to a file sent over the internet, directly to a device -- no need to even trick anyone. HP says it's taking the issue very seriously and looking into the vulnerability, though, it says newer devices aren't affected (a claim the researchers challenge). For a lot more detail on the what and how check out the source link. Update: HP (unsurprisingly) issued a rebuttal. It's working up a firmware update right now for certain flaws, but it'll have you know that "no customer has reported unauthorized access."
Holiday Gift Guide: Buying a printer (Updated)
Welcome to TUAW's 2011 Holiday Gift Guide! We're here to help you choose the best gifts this holiday season, and once you've received your gifts we'll tell you what apps and accessories we think are best for your new Apple gear. Stay tuned every weekday from now until the end of the year for our picks and helpful guides and check our Gift Guide hub to see our guides as they become available. For even more holiday fun, check out sister site Engadget's gift guide. Updated to correct AirPrint availability for Lexmark and Epson. As much as we'd all love to get away from the piles of paper that dominate our lives, it's still hard to live without a way to commit digital content to paper. Whether you're printing labels and envelopes, need to print a report for school, or you like to print photos from your iPhone or iPod touch, a printer may be a necessity for most computer users. Printers have come a long way from the days of the slow and noisy ImageWriter II shown above, and now even cheap printers can astound you with their high quality output. In this edition of our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, I'll provide some hints on what you should consider when purchasing a printer to work with your Mac or iOS device. We'll start with the basic questions you need to ask yourself about the way you print and the features you can't live without. All-in-one or print-only? Most printers these days come in two styles -- all-in-one printer/scanner combos (often referred to as multi-function devices or multi-function printers) and just plain printers. All-in-one printers are very useful if you often need to scan documents that have been signed, or if you want to be able to scan printed photos. Those who are thinking about doing high-quality photo or slide scanning should opt for a separate printer and a specialized photo scanner. While the scanners in the all-in-one models have improved dramatically over the years, they usually can't match the high resolution, scanning speed, and retouching software that comes with a dedicated photo scanner. There are some differences in the all-in-one printers as well. Some are designed just for printing and scanning, while others provide the ability to send and receive faxes. If you're still using the ancient technology of faxing to send documents, you'll want to look for a model that has the built-in fax modem and RJ-11 telephone port. Photos, printouts, or both? The next thing to think about is what you'll be printing. Photo printing is done on special coated paper that provides either a matte or gloss finish to your images, and even a low-cost photo printer can turn out fairly good printed pictures these days. On the other hand, if you do a lot of photo printing, it's going to be much less expensive in terms of consumables (ink cartridges and photo paper) to just take your images to a local drugstore or photo shop on an SD card or flash drive for printing. A 2005 New York Times article noted that printing a 4" x 6" photo from a home printer could cost anywhere from 28¢ to 50¢ per image. Consumers in the US can go to a number of retailers and get prints in the range of 10¢ to 16¢ a piece, or easily use one of a score of online photo printing services (including Apple's built-in print service in iPhoto). Prices of consumables -- the print paper and ink -- haven't dropped much, so these numbers are probably still accurate. What are you paying for? Convenience. You can do one-off prints of favorite pictures in a minute or less. I've often been able to upload photo files to a local Walgreen's store and pick them up in about an hour, which is still pretty convenient. Most inkjet printers will do both photo and regular printing, so if you still think that you need a printer that does a decent job of making photo hard copies, go with inkjet. Which brings us to our next topic: Laser or inkjet? Laser printers have dropped considerably in price over the years while capabilities have soared. In fact, a quick look at the HP website showed two black and white laser printers with a price tag of less than $100. The least expensive color laser printer is now running $149 on sale. What's the big attraction of laser printers? Speed. Many laser printers can pop out a first page in less than ten seconds, then churn out pages at anywhere from 12 to 42 pages per minute. For the impatient folks in the crowd, that's a plus. However, inkjet printers are no longer as poky as they used to be, with print speeds up to 35 pages per minute. Once again, it's the consumables that will bite you every time. Toner cartridges are expensive, especially for color laser printers that generally require four cartridges -- black, cyan, magenta, and yellow -- to print a full range of colors. It's not uncommon to spend well over $200 for toner cartridges for a color printer, and $75 - $100 for black toner cartridges. Inkjet printers are also quite inexpensive. HP has a low-end color inkjet printer that is available for $30. How can printer manufacturers sell printers cheaply? It's easy -- they're using the pricing model that was pioneered by razor manufacturers years ago. You basically give away the razor and then make money on the consumables -- the razor blades. In this case, the manufacturer makes a ton of money on ink (or toner) cartridges. With that $30 printer I was referring to, you get a single black ink cartridge and a single color cartridge, good for about 165 pages of printing. When it's time to buy a new set of cartridges, you're looking at $58 -- almost twice the cost of the printer! The page yield on those replacement cartridges is about 330 (color) to 480 (black) pages, which adds up quickly. If you do a lot of printing, I'd recommend a laser printer. The toner cartridges are more expensive, but they also last a lot longer -- usually in the range of 1,300 (color) to 2,000 (black) pages. The extra speed is also going to make you happy if you're printing big reports all of the time. For photos or casual color printing, it's inkjet all the way. USB or wireless? Back in the day, every printer had a cable. Whether it was AppleTalk, Ethernet or (more recently) USB, you were constrained to printing from a computer that was tethered to a printer. Now many printers come with built-in Wi-Fi (or Bluetooth, rarely) connectivity so that you can print from anywhere on the network. For those who just want to print from a desktop Mac or PC and don't mind being anchored to a printer, then USB is just fine. For those who want to print from a laptop, Wi-Fi is the way to go. And for those who want to print wirelessly from an iOS device without an intervening personal computer running something like Printopia, you want to look for an AirPrint-compatible printer. There's a full list of AirPrint-savvy devices in this recently updated Apple knowledge base article. Lexmark is represented with the fewest devices (3) and Canon's list is deceptively long, since most of those model numbers are variations on the three announced printers. Epson & HP, on the other hand, have a relatively complete suite of options there. HP has the most AirPrint printers, with more than 20 models listed on the company's US site as supporting direct printing from iOS (Apple's list of HP devices is longer, including some not sold in the US). Canon recently added three AirPrint-compatible printers to its line and promises that future Pixma photo printers and all-in-ones will also support AirPrint. Epson supports AirPrint on most of the devices that fall under its Epson Connect feature branding; the three printers that don't support AirPrint do work for photo printing using Epson's iPrint app. Conclusion There are a lot of good printers on the market. Remember when you're looking for one to use with your Mac that you should make absolutely sure that it supports Mac OS X printing. Printers from most manufacturers, including HP, Canon, Epson, and Lexmark, work very well with Mac OS X, but be sure to check older models for compatibility. If you're trying to ditch the PC or Mac and just go straight from iOS, then be sure to look for AirPrint compatible printers from HP, Canon, Epson or Lexmark. Be sure to check manufacturer online stores for deals that you can't usually find in stores, and also keep an eye out on the Apple Online Store (or ask at Apple retail locations) for free or low-cost printers added to a Mac package. Whatever printer you decided on, remember that consumables are the biggest part of the lifecycle cost of your printer. Look at the replacement toner or ink cartridge costs before you buy, and try to get a feel for the cost per page that you print. Printers are becoming less of a necessity for computer users, so think about your needs before you choose. Don't buy one with all the bells and whistles unless you have money to burn or really need all those capabilities.
Cambridge researchers translate graphene into printable circuitry material, bring basic 'Skynet' factory to you
Yes, graphene is amazing and possesses many useful / otherworldly properties. The ability to use graphene itself to print flexible, transparent thin-film transistors via an inkjet printer is just another one of them. Over at the University of Cambridge, researchers have discovered that it's possible to print standard CMOS transistors using a graphene component. Provided the graphene is chipped off a block of graphite using a chemical solvent and the larger (potentially print-head blocking) chips are removed, it can be turned into a polymer ink which can then run through a conventional inkjet printer. The potential result of this is flexible, transparent and wearable computer circuitry coming from ordinary printers as opposed to several multi-million-dollar machines in a factory, which has long been the historical standard. Besides, who wouldn't want to print their own circuitry on a PhotoSmart MFP rather than whatever report might be due the next day?
Holiday Gift Guide: The all-purpose Mac setup
Welcome to TUAW's 2011 Holiday Gift Guide! We're here to help you choose the best gifts this holiday season, and once you've received your gifts we'll tell you what apps and accessories we think are best for your new Apple gear. Stay tuned every weekday from now until the end of the year for our picks and helpful guides and check our Gift Guide hub to see our guides as they become available. For even more holiday fun, check out sister site Engadget's gift guide. Holiday deals are in full swing, and now is the time to start thinking about your gift list. If you are a Mac owner or buying for one, we have a list of some must-have accessories that'll help you create the best all-around Mac work (or play) environment. External Keyboard/Mouse If you have an iMac or a MacBook Pro, your system already has a nice keyboard and mouse/trackpad combination. Mac mini or Mac Pro owners will benefit greatly from a nice keyboard and mouse. Top of the list is Apple's wireless keyboard and its Magic Trackpad (US$69) or Magic Mouse ($69). The Apple wireless keyboard ($69) is rock solid and perfect for desktop use. If you pair it with a Magic Trackpad, you can duplicate the awesome keyboard/trackpad combination of the MacBook Pro/Air. The Magic Mouse is also an excellent product for those who prefer a mouse to a trackpad. External Monitor This is another category applicable only to Mac mini and Mac Pro owners whose systems ship without a monitor. Most people connect any old monitor, which you can do if you have the right Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort to DVI or VGA cable. If you really want a treat, you should take a closer look at Apple's Thunderbolt Display ($999). At 27 inches, this display is big and beautiful. It also contains a MagSafe connector that'll charge your MacBook Pro/Air and has a Thunderbolt port that can be daisy-chained with other Thunderbolt devices. External Speakers External speakers are essential for all Mac owners, because the ones that ship on a MacBook Pro/Air and the iMac range from merely decent to mediocre. One excellent but expensive choice is the Sonos Play:3 ($299), a wireless system that lets you pipe your iTunes library all over your house. We reviewed this system earlier this year and liked it quite a lot. There are also a handful of AirPlay-compatible speakers on the market now, including the Philips Fidelio SoundAvia, SoundCurve, SoundRing and the SoundSphere, which was reviewed by our sister site, Engadget. There's also the JBL On Air Wireless ($200) and the compact iW1 from iHome ($299). You can find a full list of AirPlay speakers at the AirPlaySpeakers.com website. If you're looking for wired speakers, Bose is an excellent choice if you can afford it. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with a mid-range offering from Logitech or Creative. Printer Every computer needs a printer, and there a lot of options for Mac owners. If you have a Mac and an iOS device, you will want to grab a printer with an AirPrint option, so you can print documents wirelessly from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Pickings were sparse when AirPrint was first announced, but most major printer companies now sell AirPrint-compatible models. Apple has compiled a recent list of AirPrint compatible printers from Canon, Epson, HP and Lexmark. You can find this list in an article on Apple's support website. Backup Device Every computer owner should back up their data on a daily basis, and Mac owners are no exception. Apple has made backups easy with Time Machine, a backup utility that ships on every Mac. The best choice for a backup storage device is Apple's Time Capsule (starts at $299). It's an Airport Extreme wireless router with built-in storage for backups. It'll provide an almost zero-configuration way to start backing up your data. If you already have an AirPort Express and only need a hard drive for backup, you can purchase an external drive like the Western Digital My Book for Mac (starts at $139). If you need additional storage or RAID support, there are other options like the LaCie Network Space 2 (starts at $159) or the Netgear ReadyNAS Duo (starts at $299). Drobo and Pogoplug also sell backup solutions that offer greater capacity and additional features like cloud storage and media streaming. We've reviewed several of these products in the past, including the Drobo FS (starts at $699), the LaCie Network Space 2 and the Pogoplug ($45). Wi-Fi Router Another must-have for any home network is a wireless router, and your best choice in the Mac world is the AirPort Express ($99) or the AirPort Extreme ($179). Both have several Mac-specific features like built-in support for AirPlay and AirPrint which makes it attractive for Mac owners. The AirPort Express is the smaller of the two and is great for travel and use in apartments and smaller homes. The AirPort Extreme is its bigger brother and is great for use in a larger house with multiple machines. If you think the Airport Extreme is out of your price range, then you'll want to read our article about buying the Airport Extreme to see if its multiple features change your mind. If you still decide to go with a non-Apple product, you'll want to find a model that has gigabit ethernet, support for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, and a USB port. D-Link, Netgear and Linksys make quality wireless routers. External Hard Drive Most Mac owners will want an external hard drive for file storage. You can choose from a portable, smaller drive like the Western Digital MyPassport for Mac ($199) and the LaCie Starck Mobile (starts at $109). LaCie also has a series of rugged drives (starts at $160) such as the Rugged Mini and the Rugged Safe, which includes biometrics and an encryption option. If you don't need the portability of a smaller drive, you'll want to consider a larger hard drive like the Western Digital My Book. We recently reviewed the 3 TB My Book Studio model. All these drives are formatted for the Mac and can be used for basic file storage and USB-based Time Machine backups. Those who want ultimate peace of mind in a storage device should look at the ioSafe drives. They are expensive, but they offer protection from fire and water. We recently reviewed the SoloPro model (starts at $249). iPhone owners may be interested in the GoFlex Satellite (starts at $209) from Seagate, a portable drive that lets you transfer media from your Mac and watch them on your iOS device. Wireless headset/headphones There are a variety of wireless headphones and headsets on the market, but the best ones for the Mac connect via Bluetooth. All Mac computers ship with Bluetooth and will easily connect to a pair of Bluetooth cans without the need for a USB dongle. I have a non-Bluetooth wireless headset from Logitech and am always losing the dongle. Plantronics makes several headphones and headsets that'll work with the Mac including the popular BackBeat 906 headphones. There's also Jabra, which makes the HALO headset and other less expensive models. We recently reviewed the NuForce BT-860, which is another inexpensive but capable wireless headset. When shopping for someone else, make sure you buy the right product -- headphones are for listening only and headsets are for listening and talking. Battery Backup If it hasn't happened to you yet, it will. One day, you will be in the middle of editing an important document and a power surge or outage will cause you to lose your work. Notebook owners can skip this advice, but desktop owners need to keep reading. To protect your precious iMac, Mac mini or Mac Pro, you should be using a battery backup. They provide surge protection as well as a backup power source, which gives you ample time to save your documents and shut down your computer in case of a power failure. The most widely available consumer models are made by APC, and they cost as low as $60. CyperPower also makes a decent battery backup, and their latest Adaptive Sinewave models (starts at $130) feature a pure sine wave electrical output. This clean source of energy is better for sensitive electronics. Accessories for the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air owner MacBook Pro and Air owners could use a few accessories specific to their portable needs. There are the protective accessories like the InCase cover for the MacBook Pro/Air, the Moshi Clearguard keyboard protector ($25), Trackguard trackpad protector ($12) and the PalmGuard palm rest protector ($20). You can also add an anti-glare film like the RadTech ClearCal (starts at $20) if you have a MacBook with a glossy screen. We've used some of their products in the past, and they make quality stuff. MacBook Pro/Air owners always on the run may want a 3G/4G portable hotspot device so they have an Internet connection everywhere they go. They probably also need an external charging source like the HyperJuice external battery (starts at $160). Of course, they will need a case, and there are a variety of cases ranging from the ultra-rugged Pelican cases (starts at $200) to the sleek WaterField Designs bags, which are great for the MacBook Air. Other devices that make having a Mac fun The iPad ($499), iPhone ($199 for 4S) and Apple TV ($99). All three devices can share content via iTunes, AirPlay and iCloud. You easily can watch the videos on your Mac using the Apple TV and share your photos seamlessly between your iPhone and iPad using iCloud. Because they are so intertwined, it's great to have all these devices in one household. If there's any must-have accessory that you use with your Mac, share it with us and others in the comments.
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.
Insert Coin: SeeMeCNC H-1 cuts entry price to the world of 3D printing
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Maybe it was the Turtle Shell racers, or the ability to crowdsource homes for crabs, but we're enthralled with the potential of 3D printers. Now, SeeMeCNC is looking to offer up its skeletal H-1 as "the most affordable" entry-level three-dimensional printer available. Its design roots come from the open source RepRap's latest self-replicating machine, the Huxley. However, there are a few differences here. SeeMeCNC has replaced several parts for injection molding, which apparently shaves a substantial chunk off the manufacturing costs. This includes using plastic roller bearings instead of metal bearings, while the machine has also been readjusted to inch measurements. Fans of the imperial system and 3D printing antics can peer beyond the break to judge whether the cut-price printer will still cut the mustard.
SWYP concept printer combines good looks with touchscreen editing
A concept printer from Seattle-based designers Artefact wants to bring those touchscreen editing skills learnt from smartphones and tablets to the not-so-electrifying world of printers. The streamlined SWYP (See What You Print) has a pretty striking design -- for a printer. The paper tray even folds away flush on top of the touchscreen in a very (very!) familar way. That contraption shown above would be able to connect directly to your camera or phone, foregoing the PC step with editing and collating all done on-screen; there's even an augmented reality interface that visualizes ink levels and those inevitable printer woes. At present, these guys aren't gunning to take out the only thing HP hasn't flubbed lately, but hopefully the glossy concept vid after the break will tide you over till commercialization (prayerfully) hits. [Thanks, Gene]
Canon enables AirPrint on a trio of PIXMA wireless printers, plans to keep up the trend
Here's the scenario: A., You've been getting your wireless print on with Canon's PIXMA MG8220, MG6220 or MG5320 all-in-one inkjet printer, and B., you own an iDevice. Well, feel free to do a little dance (just not this one), because Canon's added AirPrint support for the lucky three aforementioned. Simply (we hope) update your printer to the latest firmware, and boom, you'll be printing over iOS 4.2 and beyond. Better yet, it's also stated that the "majority" of forthcoming PIXMAs will follow in a similar AirPrint-enabled fashion. Need more info? Full PR is just past the break.
MakerBot's Turtle Shell Racers cruise around our offices (video)
This weekend's Maker Faire in New York City was lousy with 3D printers. Every tent in the outdoor area was packed to capacity with the things, their owners standing beside them, showing off the small trinkets they'd created with the devices. Judging from their presence, there seems little question that the technology has proven a success with the maker community. Amongst the general public, however, they've been a much harder sell. Perhaps it's the price, or maybe it's the generally dull connotations of the word "printer," or it could just be the fact that there hasn't been the right iconic image to help sell the products to the public at large. MakerBot's Turtle Shell Racers may well be just the ambassador that the world of 3D printing needs. The toy football-sized RC cars are proof positive that the devices can turn just about anything you can imagine into reality. There are certain limitations, of course, like the fact that the objects printed can't be larger than five inches in diameter. The Shells' creator circumvented that admitted shortcoming by assembling the products out of small pieces that snap together. Check out more hands-on impressions and a video with the racers after the jump.%Gallery-134372%
HP TopShot LaserJet Pro M275 scans 3D objects but only prints in 2D (video)
For some reason, HP thinks your small business really needs the ability to scan 3D objects -- which is why it is releasing the TopShot LaserJet Pro. "TopShot" is the fancy name for the all-in-one's overhanging arm with a high resolution camera, which combines six images (three with flashes from different angles, and three in ambient light conditions with different exposure levels) to mimic a studio-like product shot. What's more, thanks to the Biz Card app, the TopShot can scan and import multiple business cards simultaneously. Also included are Google Documents integration and cloud apps as well as the usual ePrint and AirPrint features, which you can run without a computer on the 3.5-inch touchscreen. HP isn't talking about pricing or availability, but you can see a walkthrough of the TopShot after the break.
Kodak dons cape for a Google Cloud Print-compatible Hero all-in-one printers
Looks like HP will be getting some company in Google's print cloud. Kodak today announced a new line of Cloud Print-friendly all-in-one devices, which let users print documents without all of those pesky cords. The imaging company is rolling the Hero 3.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and 9.1. The low-end 3.1 features a 2.4-inch display and does printing, scanning, and copying for $99, while the top of the line 9.1 adds faxing, a 4.3-inch display, a 30 page automatic document feeder, automatic two-sided printing and Smart Sensor technology to the mix at $249. The $199 6.1, meanwhile, is the most business-minded of the bunch, with its home office networking capabilities. All of the models will be available this month. Printable press info after the break.
Canon launches PIXMA MG6220 and MG8220 photo printers, trees fear for lives
Canon's not done insulting your Photoshop skillz, as it announces the PIXMA MG8220 and MG6220 Wireless Photo All-In-Ones. These 9600 x 2400 dpi color printer / copier / scanners promise wireless printing of pictures and more boring items like Google Docs, Gmail attachments and PDFs from phones, tablets, laptops and computers. Print wirelessly with Canon's dedicated photo app (for Android and iPhone) and PIXMA Cloud Link, or access Picasa albums from the printer directly and add cool-ish effects like Fish-Eye, Miniature and Toy Camera using the touchscreen. When it comes to actually printing things, the $299.99 MG8220 is a step above its counterpart, with add-on features like a film adapter to convert old slides and negatives to digital. The MG6220 loses some of the high end features but keeps all the connectivity of the MG8220, for a much more reasonable $199.99 price tag. Inkjet enthusiasts, go ahead and check out the press release for all the dirty dpi details.
