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Rumor: iBooks update to bring Collections, PDF emailing and printing
Update: So much for rumors. Readers have let us know about two German websites pointing to explicit discussion of iBooks collections in the iOS 4.2 documentation, of all places. We can expect to see collection support in the next version of the iBooks app, which can be updated independently of the main OS releases. Steve himself has hinted at improvements "coming" soon to iBooks, and 9to5Mac claims to have nabbed some internal Apple documents that lay out those improvements. The biggest feature is called "Collections," and it sounds like it works the same as Folders in the rest of iOS -- you can combine items in iBooks however you like, and the collections you've got in iBooks can be viewed right on your bookshelf in the main screen. Sounds handy, if not all that revolutionary. Second, PDF users will get some nice additions -- PDFs will be able to be shared via email as well as printed off with AirPrint directly from the iBooks app. That functionality won't work for actual book files, obviously, given that if you want to read one of those, you'll have to buy it. But if this document is legit, it should make things a little easier for people who want to share and print PDFs from iBooks itself. We don't know yet when these features will actually come to iBooks, but presumably we wouldn't need to wait until an iOS update -- Apple could update the iBooks app. We'll keep an eye out for that soon.
Shapeways glass vase: 3D printing at its finest
Who says pottery will never be trumped? As 3D printing becomes an increasingly viable solution to producing -- well, just about anything -- Shapeways has introduced a glass vase that would look just lovely on your mum's kitchen table. Oh, in case you missed the whole "putting two and two together bit," this is a glass vase created with a 3D printer. Traditionally, 3D printers haven't delved into the world of glass, but it's clear from this that it's not only possible, but a great material to use when looking to craft stupendously detailed gear. The colors you see were added after the fact, so in theory, you could get one in any color you so desire. Too bad a price point isn't readily available...
Hands on: iPad printing with 4.2 and AirPrint, a limited menu
If AirPlay's first-generation limitations have disappointed a lot of would-be iPhone video mavens who had dreamed of quickly sharing their clips to the big screen, you can just imagine how irate everyone is about AirPrint. The universal shared printer solution for iPhone and iPad was kneecapped in late builds of Mac OS X 10.6.5 for reasons yet to be revealed, and the result is that a big-ticket feature has shipped with very little real-world applicability -- at least, out of the box. Fortunately, if you're willing to do a little bit of finagling or lay out a small amount of cash, you can quickly gain back the AirPrint functionality you were promised, and more. Let's take a quick look at what's in the 'vanilla' version of AirPrint, then move on to the expanded remix edition.
FingerPrint app for Mac enables AirPrint for the printers Apple left behind
Printing never "just works," does it? There always has to be some wrench thrown in. We were hoping Apple was about to solve some of that with AirPrint, but at the last minute it left out the Mac printer-sharing functionalities that were supposedly going to arrive with Mac OS X 10.6.5. That means as of right now the only way to do AirPrint with the yet-to-be-released iOS 4.2 is to buy one of those fancy new HP printers with the AirPrint-compatible ePrint functionality. We're guessing Apple is just giving this feature a little more time in the oven, but if you're just too passionate about printing things to wait, the FingerPrint application from Collobos might fill the void. The $8 app shares just about any printer that your Mac can find over Bonjour and... well, that's about it. Some printers work, some don't, and there's a trial period to find out if it'll work with your particular setup. Too rich for your blood? There's always the hack.
Hands on: FingerPrint enables AirPrint for many non-compliant OS X printers
FingerPrint is a new Mac OS X application from Collobos Software that enables AirPrint printing for many OS X printers. AirPrint is Apple's new wireless printing technology for iOS devices. It works over Bonjour, Apple's version of zero configuration networking, allowing devices and services to communicate with each other on local area networks. As originally planned, AirPrint was supposed to provide printing to shared OS X printers and to a small group of HP printers that support HP's ePrint mobile printing service. However, this feature was disabled in the final Mac OS X 10.6.5 release, and AirPrint now only supports the HP printers. FingerPrint brings the capability back to shared printers without having to resort to Terminal commands. The $7.99 application works by browsing for Bonjour printer services. When it finds them, it re-advertises the printers adding a special field to the Bonjour data that indicates AirPrint compliance. By projecting that compliance information, your iOS devices are able to detect and then write to those printers using standard OS X protocols. Update: See our exclusive first look at Ecamm's competitive offering, Printopia for Mac
AirPrint: how to make it work for shared printers
Update: The clever fellows over at Netputing bundled the files together with a snazzy install/uninstall button to produce AirPrint Hactivator, which takes care of all the under the hood business for you. The same caveats apply: remember that you are installing obsolete/beta system files, use at your own risk, and if you'd prefer a supported product there are options. Mac OS X 10.6.5 was released yesterday, and one of the features it was expected to bring to the table was support for AirPrint, a new feature in iOS 4.2 that was supposed to enable wireless printing from an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Unfortunately, whether it's because of technical problems or patent trolling, Apple pulled support for this feature at the last minute. In its current incarnation, AirPrint in iOS 4.2 will now only work with specific printers that come with AirPrint functionality built-in... and you probably don't own one of those. iOS 4.2 hasn't been officially released yet, but some enterprising developers, Steven Troughton-Smith and Patrick McCarron, have already found a way to re-enable AirPrint functionality in Mac OS X 10.6.5. Apparently, three files from earlier developer builds of 10.6.5 were removed or altered for the final public release, and it's these files that are essential to restoring full AirPrint functionality. Click "Read More" for a walkthrough on how to enable AirPrint. The usual caveat: This procedure involves a moderate degree of peril, and TUAW cannot help you if you mess up your system. Proceed at your own risk.
Target rolls out 'social network connectivity' at its Kodak kiosks, Sorkin furiously prepping script
Target's just announced that, effective immediately, most of its stores nationwide now offer social network connectivity at its Kodak Picture Kiosks. What does this mean for you, dear Target consumer? Well, it means you can now head over to Target and log into Facebook (or your Kodak Gallery account) and print photos directly from there -- if you can find anything worth actually printing, of course. Can you imagine anything better than casually printing out a few years' worth of photos of yourself making the KISS face on New Years' Eve while shopping for Michael Graves-designed tchotchkes? We can't. Press release (which you could print out if you really wanted to) is below.
HP intros Envy 100, Android-powered Photosmart eStation AIO with Yahoo widgets (update)
We're not sure where CNET's getting its information, but we're liking what we see -- a streamlined HP Envy-branded printer with a 3.45-inch touchscreen for apps, games, scanning docs, and yes indeed, occasionally affixing dye to pressed wood pulp at 30 pages per minute. It reportedly has a pair of mechanical paper trays that open and close like a CD drive, and CNET says it'll ship October 4th for $249. Before you take those figures verbatim though, know that they might not be quite right, as the publication also says the $399 Android-powered HP Photosmart eStation C510 (aka Zeus with 7-inch Zeen tablet) is coming September 13th -- a day when, we're sure you'll agree, the printer failed to arrive. Also apparently slated for September 13th is the HP Officejet Pro 8500A Plus, a full-size all-in-one inkjet model with a 4.3-inch touchscreen, now imbued with HP ePrintCenter apps. Why sit and talk to co-workers around that boring water-cooler, when you can play with your office's printer instead? Two more pictures of the Envy 100 after the break, which is apparently badass enough to come with its own tote bag and 802.11n WiFi. Update: We're waiting for the HP IPG summit news conference to begin and, well, three guesses what that is hanging out on stage (pictured above). There's a second shot after the break, with a Yahoo search widget clearly on display. Update 2: Now official, dubbed the Photosmart eStation AIO, and unless our eyes deceive us, we definitely spotted an Android lock screen and status bar. All for $399. There's a partnership in place with Yahoo, including numerous widgets (we've spotted search and weather so far). Something tells us there won't be another search option, but we'll find out for sure and let ya know. It's currently being demoed live on stage. Google Calendar is there, as is a web browser. Update 3: Hands-on! %Gallery-102759%
MakerBot's Automated Build Platform enables handsfree, multi-part 3D printing
Currently, 3D printers require users to remove a finished object, clean things up and input more commands before it starts building something from nothing a second time around. At least, the "affordable" ones do. But our pals over at MakerBot Industries have a far better idea, and if we didn't know any better, we'd say this type of problem solving would get the ever-desired thumbs-up from one Anthony Sullivan. Put simply, the Automated Build Platform works with your existing 3D printer, and thanks to its mighty conveyor belt action, it wipes away completed objects, clears the boogers off the nozzle, resets itself and prints again. It's up for order right now for $160, but you should probably check out the (admittedly enticing) video after the break before deciding if it's right for you. Oh, and if you're too lazy to click through, chances are it is.
Epson and Thinxtream roll out PrintJinni printing app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
You may have to wait until November to get some wireless printing capabilities on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad courtesy of Apple's own AirPrint, but at least some Epson printer users now already have an alternative option at their disposal. The company's just rolled out its new PrintJinni app that it developed with a little help from Thinxtream, which will let you wirelessly print files to any WiFi-enabled Epson printer. Unlike AirPrint, however, this option will cost you -- the app runs $9.99 but is currently discounted to $6.99 for a "limited time." Full press release is after the break.
iOS 4.2 beta hits Apple's developer portal, wireless printing dubbed 'AirPrint'
(function() { var s = document.createElement('SCRIPT'), s1 = document.getElementsByTagName('SCRIPT')[0]; s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.async = true; s.src = 'http://widgets.digg.com/buttons.js'; s1.parentNode.insertBefore(s, s1); })(); Digg If you're an iOS developer (or good friends with one), today is going to be totally awesome. Apple has just let loose the official iOS 4.2 beta builds for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch -- meaning that someone somewhere is going to be experiencing multitasking on the 'pad (sans jailbreaking, of course). Additionally, Apple has decided to bestow a name upon its new printing experience (the direct-to-printer tech the company showed off at its fall event). And that name? AirPrint. In a piece of PR just issued by Apple (available to read after the break), it's noted that owners of HP products with ePrint tech will be the first to take advantage of the new tool -- so that's something. Of course, all that news should be lost in a cloud of excitement over 4.2. As usual, we're going to take the OS for a spin on our developer iPad here and see what's what, and then report back to you cats and kittens about whatever nuggets of joy we find. Stay tuned!
New HP e-All-in-One printers make it easy to print from anywhere
HP recently announced two new wireless, Web-connected All-in-One printers that provide features that are sure to make Apple owners happy. The printers, the HP Officejet Pro 8500A e-All-in-One series (above at left, starting at US$299, currently available with a rebate for just $229) and Officejet 7500A Wide-Format e-All-in-One (above at right, starting at $299, not currently shown on the US HP website) feature connectivity to the Web, which allows them to print from various services without needing to fire up a computer to do the printing. Here's a quick look at some of the unique (and some not-so-unique) features: HP ePrint -- sometime this fall, you'll be able to download the HP ePrint iOS app and print documents on your device directly to your HP Officejet Pro 8500A or Officejet 7500A from literally anywhere you have an internet connection. Until then, or when you're on any internet-connected device, you can attach your document to an email and send it to your printer. ePrint supports PDF, Word, PowerPoint, text, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, and GIF files, and you'll receive feedback from the printer if the print job is successful or if there's an issue. Borderless printing -- If you want to print anything from a 3" x 5" card up to a 13" x 19" brochure, you can do it on the 7500A Wide-Format printer, and you can print to the edge of the paper. That's useful for doing printing of business documents on-demand, rather than sending them to a printer. Wireless and Wired networking -- Both printers have built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi and 10/100Base-T Ethernet networking capabilities. The LCD display on the printers makes setup easy with on-screen instructions. (Correction: Wi-Fi is an option available at additional cost on the 8500A.)
iPad OS will be revved to 4.2 in November, unifies the line
During today's Apple event, Steve Jobs announced that the next version of the iPad flavor of iOS, 4.2, will be available as a free update in November 2010. The iOS 4.2 version will support the iPhone and iPod touch (4.0 friendly versions of those devices) in addition to the iPad. Among the new features in 4.2 will be folder organization for apps on the iPad, bringing parity with the 4.x smaller devices. Innovations include AirPlay, which will allow you to stream video and audio from iTunes to your iPad or from your iPad to the newly-announced Apple TV. Also added: printing! The iPad will be able to print to networked printers or printers connected to your computer, details TBD.
Apple demos iOS 4.2, features AirPlay media streaming
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/news/technology/apple_demoes_ios_4_2_for_the_ipad_not_shipping_yet_engadget'; Apple is also talking up iOS 4.2 today, which will be everything iOS 4.1 is bringing, plus some extra goodies, and will finally bring iOS 4 (hello multitasking!) to the iPad. The most exciting of the new features is AirPlay, which is Apple's redub for AirTunes, with the important addition of being able to stream music and video to your i-device over WiFi (with an iPad even acting as host for the new Apple TV). Also over WiFi is a new wireless printing feature, complete with a little Print Center applet that sits in the dock and lets you manage your print jobs. It might not be sexy, but it's certainly a welcome addition to iOS. Apple will be launching iOS 4.2 for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch devices in November. %Gallery-100929%
Pogoplug adds printing support, wireless adapter and Biz start shipping
Neat little update for Pogoplug owners today: the latest firmware update adds printing support, allowing iPhones, Android devices, and anything else that can hit the diminutive home server's web interface to print files. Any HP or Epson printer from 2005 or later is supported over USB -- network printers just need to be on the same network -- and the firmware is rolling out now. Pogoplug is also shipping that 802.11 b/g/n wireless adapter it announced earlier this month today, as well as the more enterprise-focused Pogoplug Biz. We're also told the new firmware will enable some other features, but there's no breakdown yet -- we'll let you know when we find out. PR after the break.
Behind the scenes look at US money printing factory
Paper money... it's pretty cute, right? Like old fashioned pencils and other trinkets we don't really use anymore. Except, of course, we're still printing billions of dollars every year, and it's got to be made somewhere, right? Cnet's just gotten a behind the scenes look at the printing of the next generation $100 bill, and we have to say that what we're seeing is more than a little intriguing -- though it's also rather painful to see this much cash money in one place and know it'll never be ours. Hit up the source for the full story and more delicious photos of currency.
HP ePrint really works: eMails and attachments printed from the cloud (video)
We don't blame you if you missed this the first time round, but HP's ePrint service is probably best seen in action anyway. Fortunately, our brethren over at Engadget Chinese had the opportunity to play with these new web-connected printers recently. The idea is that each ePrint printer gets a unique email address, meaning you can send in a document from any email-enabled device to get it printed, thus eliminating the hassle of finding a computer and drivers or installing an app on certain smartphones and tablets. So how does one go about setting up this bad boy? According to our sister site, you must first register your printer on HP's ePrintCenter website to obtain a randomly-generated email address (don't worry, you can always get a new one if necessary), and then you're good to go, literally. Read on to find out if ePrint's as straightforward as it sounds.
Recycled ink cartridges used to build bike path in Australian National Park
We've certainly witnessed one too many ink cartridges perish at the hands of a crushing radial, but those instances all stemmed from fighting the good fight with frustration. Australia's National Park Service is giving those fed up with paying far too much for far too little ink another, more reasonable method of extinguishing their anger with the creation of a 17 kilometer long bike path connecting Alice Springs to Simpsons Gap in West MacDonnell National Park. 'Course, recycled ink cartridges are just part of the eco-friendly solution, but it's not too far-fetched to think that another couldn't be built entirely from what your own corporation trashes in a single month, right? On a related note, that guy looks like he's having an insane amount of fun. Jealous. [Image courtesy of Centralian Advocate]
DIY: How to make your own t-shirt printer
We're not really in the clothing business here (though we've been known to darn a sock or two), but this DIY garment printer is really well done. Plus, there are super in depth and easy to read instructions about making your own, which is exactly what we'd be doing right now if it weren't for... oh, right.
HP teams with Google to give connected printers their own email address
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.
