printing
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BlackBerry PlayBook 2.1 update goes live with SMS, portrait email
RIM's attention around its QNX-based platforms might revolve around BlackBerry 10 as of late, but don't think that it's leaving BlackBerry PlayBook users behind. A PlayBook 2.1 update is rolling out today that fills in some of the gaps left by 2.0 earlier this year. Habitual messagers can now start SMS text messages directly from the tablet when tethered through BlackBerry Bridge; they also get overdue support for a portrait view in email, calendars and contacts. If communication isn't the cornerstone of your life, you'll still find a few niceties such as Android App Player support for the camera and in-app purchases, device encryption that extends to personal data and wireless printing beyond the local network. For now, you'll have to be an owner of the original, WiFi-only PlayBook to leap on the 2.1 train today -- those who sprang for the usually carrier-bound PlayBook 4G LTE should get their upgrade within a month.
Dropbox now lets you print documents at FedEx Office retail stores, online too
The cloud locker behemoth that is Dropbox has taken to Twitter to announce it's now allowing users to "easily" print documents at FedEx Office stores, both retail and online. But just how "easy" is it, really? Well, the physical deal's fairly simple: head over to the nearest FedEx Office shop and self-serve yourself to a friendly three-step method, which includes picking Dropbox as the service of choice (there's also Box and Google Docs), entering the appropriate credentials and, naturally, selecting whatever doc you're looking to print out. Unfortunately, both companies failed to mention how much the handy service will cost, but we can't imagine it'd be much different -- if at all-- than the fees you're accustomed to now.
MakerBot Replicator impressions: the dawning of 3D printers in every home?
There's something universally appealing about the concept of a 3D printer -- that concept being an automated system capable of turning computer code into real-world objects. I found myself forced to give a brief overview of the technology to AOL employees in our shared New York City office space after a particularly noisy initial run of MakerBot's Replicator. Reactions to such explanations tend to follow a fairly standard arc, beginning with wide-eyed wonder as one attempts to wrap their brain around the idea, followed almost immediately by a list of things they'd love to print out, given a chance. This is usually coupled with questions like "can it print food?" and "can I print a car?" Both of which speak to that larger, vitally important question: "can I print anything useful?" This, in turn, speaks to another important concern: "how long until it pays for itself?" When we received an unexpected package from the folks at MakerBot last Friday, we realized it would afford us the opportunity to field some of these questions. Though, before opening the thing, we can tell you pretty confidently that, if you're looking for something that will "pay for itself," that answer won't come in a giant cardboard box with a MakerBot logo on the side. Some key questions are a little less straightforward, however, like whether or not this technology is ready for consumers -- or if it's still just the territory of enthusiasts.%Gallery-161579%
Windows 8 streamlines printing, puts old architecture on the chopping block
Anyone who's ever attempted to configure a new printer from their PC knows the process can be cumbersome at best and Microsoft largely agrees. So, in anticipation of its upcoming OS refresh, Redmond's pulling back the curtain on how it managed to trim the fat from its previous printing architecture. The new system which will underlie both consumer-focused iterations of Windows 8, simply dubbed v4, slims down the 768MB of disk space previously required on Vista for a significantly lighter 184MB (an average) footprint in Windows 8 and adds greater in-box support for more commonly used, contemporary printers -- specifically for Windows RT. The team's also worked hard to keep the experience consistent, separating manufacturer UIs from drivers and paving the way for Metro-style support where necessary. The changes will reportedly ease the load on ARM-based devices and streamline the end user experience with a hassle-free, plug-and-play approach. In the words of team program lead Adrian Lannin, "it just works." Indeed, we'll be sure to find out if it does this October 26th. Hit up the source below to sift through the minutiae of these behind-the-scenes changes.
Windows Phone Kodak Pic Flick app pushes photos to printers -- as long as you have version 7.5
Kodak's recent announcements may have circled around patent brawls (and victories), but if you've indentured yourself to the company's range of all-in-one printers and digital photo frames, you might want to pick up its new Windows Phone app. Pic Flick will share your images with compatible hardware through WiFi -- provided you're connected to the same network on your phone. It's largely identical to the existing iOS version, albeit cocooned in Microsoft's metro style, and includes a handful of simple editing tools and filters. However, you will need to check that your Windows Phone is running version 7.5 or later. If you pass that requirement, hit up the source for the download.
Sony, Panasonic OLED partnership is official, aims for mass production in 2013
The rumor that Japanese electronic giants Panasonic and Sony would team up on OLED HDTV technology has been confirmed by a press release (included after the break), and the two plan to establish mass production in 2013. Together, they'll be able to utilize the core and printing techniques that each has so far developed separately to roll out HDTV-sized OLED panels. Still, while they will be BFFs behind the scenes don't expect any crazy cross-branding of releases, as the release notes each company plans to "develop and commercialize its own competitive, high-performance, next-generation OLED televisions and large-sized displays." Can this combination help them catch up to Korean counterparts Samsung and LG? Those two will individually put super-skinny, ultra high contrast ratio OLED HDTVs on store shelves this year, but if Panasonic / Sony can get prices down from the $10k~ range then we're sure most consumers will be able to overlook their tardiness to market.
Lantronix announces xPrintServer Home Edition: print your iPhone photos, high scores wire-free
Sick and tired of all those suits hogging the iDevice wireless printing fun? Or your original alternative finally conked out? Then Lantronix's new "Home Edition" of its iPhone / iPad friendly xPrintServer is for you. If you already have a USB printer, simply plug the little guy into it, and hey presto, you can print from you iOS device. Lantronix says you don't even need the host computer to be switched on. While there's support for up to two networked printers, the added bonus is that it'll make your old USB beast appear like one too (handy for the laptop). What does the office-like experience cost? Just 99 expensable dollars. Print off a pre-order via the source.
Kodak Gallery iOS app: now with 100 percent more physical printing at Target / CVS
It's not quite as earth-shattering as Zuck's deal to snap up Instagram, but one of the pioneers of photography is making waves any way it can. Kodak Gallery has been available on the App Store since November of last year, but starting this week, users will be able to order photos right on their iPhone for pickup at participating Target and CVS locations in America. Kodak claims that the time between order and pickup is usually around an hour, with all prints (available in 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 sizes) arriving on Kodak photo-quality paper. Pricing, as you'd expect, will vary by store, and more deets can be spotted in the release after the break.
Google Cloud Print adds FedEx, Canon to remote printing roster, throws Android users a PDF bone
Chrome users are in store for a bundle of printing perks today courtesy of a recent update to Google Cloud Print. In addition to wirelessly sending documents to nearby printers, Mountain View's now adding FedEx to the drop down destination list, granting users the ability to obtain retrieval codes for use at any of that shipping service's locations across the U.S. The remote printing feature has also gained an additional device partner, enlisting Canon into the ranks of participating companies, occupied by the likes of Epson, Kodak and HP. And as an extra bonus for the Android faithful, handsets and tablets sporting the search giant's Ice Cream Sandwich OS will now be able to receive and display transmitted docs as PDFs, although you'll need to install the beta version of the company's mobile browser to take advantage of this seamless integration. Open OS, meet the closed-off cloud.
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.
Live from Apple's education event!
Ready to get smart in the Big Apple? We are, and so is Apple. Since announcing today's event we've heard talk of a focus on digital books and personal publishing tools. Basically, Apple's looking to do to the textbook publishing market what it did to the music industry with iTunes. Is today a day that will change history for trees worldwide? Join us as we find out. We'll be starting at the time below. January 19, 2012 10:00 AM EST
Sculpteo brings 3D printing to the iPhone
Sculpteo is a fascinating French company that's working to bring 3D printing to the masses. The company had a booth at CES, and while some of our chat with them had to go through a French/English barrier, they very nicely explained to us how they're doing business and allowing almost anyone to make custom 3D printed objects, even through iOS. The company can print custom items through its official website. You can upload your own 3D object file, and by following its web interface, you can have Sculpteo print the object out on demand. I chatted with Sculpteo's rep about how easily that worked, who agreed that while the process itself is generally pretty easy, there are usually a few tweaks that have to be made. Obviously a digital 3D object is not subject to the laws of physics, so sometimes things have to change in the object to make sure it stands up under gravity and can exist at the dimensions planned. But generally, Sculpteo can print out almost anything that someone has previously put together into a 3D file, either on a Mac or PC. However, the most interesting part of the company (and the real showpiece at CES this year) is the iOS app. The app isn't quite as open as the web interface (you can't just upload your own 3D files), but it does allow you to create custom 3D objects like pre-designed mugs, vases, or even iPhone cases, then customize those things directly from your phone. Created items usually cost from $30 to $40; once created, iOS users can order items right from their devices with immediate shipment. The 3D printing quality is touch and go. Some of the objects Sculpteo showed off had a sort of glaze over the 3D printing powder, but some items, including an iPhone case, were still very dusty to the touch. It's unclear if those objects were just on display or finished products meant for end users. Assuming that the printing process finishes everything correctly, the end result is that almost anyone can create customized 3D objects on an iPhone or iPad, then get those renderings printed out into real objects. 3D printing has been around for a few years already (even for DIY hobbyists), but it hasn't been utilized by most of the public. 3D printers and the various costs associated with them are still a little too pricey for common mass market use, and many items created with 3D printing are still too fragile to be much more than showpieces. But Sculpteo hopes its app can "demonstrate the printing process" to the public and show that things like this are possible, even easy and relatively cheap. Sculpteo's app is a free download on the App Store. The company says its sales of 3D items have seen "an incredible response so far," and it's adding new patterns, items, and functionality to the app all the time.
Lantronix xPrintServer brings networked printers within reach of iOS devices
For enterprises and small businesses that are embracing iOS devices to empower employees, printing from those devices can be problematic. The solution for many organizations with scads of networked printers and armfuls of iPads and iPhones is to set up one or more Macs or PCs to handle print sharing via apps like Printopia. The app makes networked printers visible to AirPrint-enabled devices. To complement the software-only solutions, Lantronix has developed the xPrintServer (US$149.95), a device that automatically discovers networked printers and makes them all available to your iOS devices for quick and easy printing. Why would you want such a device? Well, to enable printing you could replace all of your existing printers with AirPrint-enabled units, print to shared printers (Mac-only), or use something like Printopia as described above. You could also sync documents to your Mac or PC and then print them, but that's time-consuming and you need a personal computer available for printing. The device I received for review was still a beta version, and the company plans to start shipping the real thing sometime in the first quarter. The xPrintServer is about the size and shape of an iPhone, and is plugged into power and an Ethernet connection. At that point, it automatically discovers printers on the network, and then translates the iOS print format to a PDL (page description language) specific to each printer. %Gallery-144622% How many printers does the xPrintServer support? Well, I didn't feel like counting, but it's a very long list -- over 4,000 and growing. Considering you can find everything from the Apple ImageWriter to the latest and greatest laser and inkjet printers from major manufacturers on the list, chances are very good that your office printers are covered. Lantronix says that if your printer is not currently on the list, you can email them the brand and model number and they'll provide support where possible. The printers need to be network-connected (wireless or wired) with one of three protocols: JetDirect (AppSocket), LPD, or IPP. The iOS devices must be running iOS 4.2 or later, covering the iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS and later, and the iPod touch 3rd-generation and later. Setup Setup of the xPrintServer is drop-dead simple. Once you've plugged in the power brick and then attach the device to a router, switch or hub, it auto-discovers and auto-provisions the printers. The xPrintServer can't auto-detect printers that are on subnets different from the one that it's connected to, but those printers can be added later via the xPrintServer's web GUI. A note for our non-North American readers: the xPrintServer comes with a boxful of adapter plugs, so using the device probably won't require the purchase of a separate adapter. Once the device is done with the discovery and provisioning, the X on the word Lantronix pulses an orange color. At this point, you're ready to print. Lantronix notes that the xPrintServer can support an unlimited number of concurrent printers on a network, but recommends one device for every 7 to 10 network printers on the same subnet. That means that in many office buildings, you might need one or two per floor. Usage In actual usage, the auto-discovery on a network with a single wireless printer on the same subnet took about 15 seconds. Not bad, considering that there was no other configuration required -- the xPrintServer is truly plug-and-play, and even a corporate deployment would be fast to implement. The printer that was discovered is a rather old HP DeskJet 6800 series, and it was up and running quickly. Printing from both a Wi-Fi connected iPad 2 and iPhone, the print times varied depending on what app I was printing from. In my initial tests, before I updated the firmware on the device, selecting a printer would sometimes take 30 - 40 seconds, and printing would take a while longer. After updating the firmware, selecting the printer and printing a single page took less than 10 seconds. There was one issue I ran into: although the xPrintServer worked flawlessly in terms of discovery and printing, everything I printed from the iPhone and iPad came out as grayscale on a color printer. Once again, I want to emphasize that this was a beta device. The Lantronix tech support team responded immediately to my queries about this issue, and I expect it to be fixed quickly. For businesses using a number of xPrintServers, there's a built-in web-based administrative tool for setting security, naming the devices, installing firmware updates, and capturing diagnostic information. The firmware update process was simple and took about a minute. Conclusion Whether you're a network administrator for an enterprise using a lot of iOS devices and networked printers, the owner of a small business with a couple of printers and a dozen iPads, or even an individual with a several networked printers and a desire to print without keeping a Mac running all the time, you're going to love this product. Lantronix has done a fantastic job at making the xPrintServer easy to install for the novice, and yet provides enough tools to keep any network administrator happy. The xPrintServer is available for pre-order now, and will ship later in the first quarter. If my gizmo intuition is correct, Lantronix is going to sell a ton of these things. As they used to say on those late-night TV ads, "order now to avoid bitter disappointment."
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.
xPrintserver offers up wireless printing for iOS devices, makes convincing argument for iPad business expenses
So you have your iPad. You also have some highly important contracts that have just landed in your inbox and needed printing 30 minutes ago. There's no time to faff around with that archaic work PC -- what are you going to do? Well, Lantronix think it's got the answer in xPrintserver. This iPhone-sized box will plug right into your network and give you wireless printing from any iOS device you have hanging around the office. The device supports more than 4,000 printers, connects directly to the print option within iOS and will set back wireless-printing businessmen $150 when it ships January 2012. Anyone unconvinced by alternative methods can investigate the press release below for more details.
Kodak's Document Print app means never visiting the girl from the Xerox place
Printing on the road usually leaves you at the mercy of your local Kinkos FedEx Office, but as long as you've got one of Kodak's cloud-print enabled Hero printers, you can avoid getting gouged. The company's just released an Android app that lets you print nearly everything, even webpages as long as they're accessed from the baked-in browser -- provided that you've left your home printer switched on. You can pull it down for free from the Android market from today and if you're interested, head on past the break for an unusually terse press release from the company.
Researchers print a fully-functional OLED control circuit using an inkjet
Don't worry, this isn't about teaching bacteria how to climb out of a petri dish and follow a subway map. The picture above actually shows an OLED display control circuit that was quickly and cheaply manufactured thanks to the joys of inkjet printing. Its makers at UCLA start-up Aneeve Nanotechnologies also claim their carbon nanotube circuit yields better performance than traditional silicon counterparts and should therefore be considered a competing technology. On the other hand, it's also true that inkjet circuitry has been around in various forms for years, so we must return to the fundamental question: will we ever be able to afford one of these?
Stradivarius violin recreated from CAT scan, 'sounds amazingly similar'
We've seen all kinds of crazy things being printed -- from bones to blood vessels -- and now you can add antique violins to that list. Music loving Radiologist Steven Sirr popped his into a CAT scanner to see what it was made of, then showed the results to a violin-making friend. Curiosity soon led them to scan everything from guitars to mandolins, so when the chance to take a peek inside a 307-year-old Stradivarius came up, how could they resist? 1000 scans later, the files were converted to 3D CAD format and another violin maker enlisted. Crucially, the images show the density of the wood all the way through, allowing a CNC machine to carve out copies of each section, with different woods used to match the differing densities. With all the parts in place and a lick of varnish, the replicas were complete. Sirr claims the copies sound "amazingly similar" to the original, but we are unsure if he plans to make it open-source.
Researchers use inkjet acumen to create wireless explosive sensor from paper
Meet Krishna Naishadham and Xiaojuan (Judy) Song. They're researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and those little devices they're holding may one day save you from an explosive device. This petite prototype is actually a paper-like wireless sensor that was printed using basic inkjet technology, developed by professor Manos Tentzeris. Its integrated lightweight antenna allows the sensor to link up with communication devices, while its functionalized carbon nanotubes enable it to pick up on even the slightest traces of ammonia -- an ingredient common to most IEDs. According to Tentzeris, the trick to such inkjet printing lies in the development of "inks" that can be deposited at relatively low temperatures. These inks, laced with silver nanoparticles, can then be uniformly distributed across paper-based components using a process called sonication. The result is a low-cost component that can adhere to just about any surface. The wireless sensor, meanwhile, requires comparatively low amounts of power, and could allow users to detect bombs from a safe distance. Naishadham says his team's device is geared toward military officials, humanitarian workers or any other bomb sniffers in hazardous situations, though there's no word yet on when it could enter the market. To find out more, careen past the break for the full PR.
Print your own blood vessels, no need for red toner
Barely 24 hours after we told you about printing your own bones, the franken-science continues with the announcement that blood vessels are next on the body-parts-you-can-print list. Unsurprisingly, you'll need more than just regular toner if you want to start printing your own at home, but pioneering work by application-oriented research organization Fraunhofer has claimed to have cracked it by adding some good old 'two-photon polymerization' into the mix -- yeah, obvious once you know. The added photon special sauce is what makes the printed synthetic tubes biofunctionalized, which in turn enables living body cells to dock onto them -- we're guessing that's important. Sounds cute, but how long until we can start printing whole people -- Weird Science, anyone?
