Polaroid's inkless printer to launch

Polaroid's Zink (a.k.a. Zero Ink) printer, which we Craved about back in January, has a launch date. Mark July for the pocket-sized printer if you happen to be near a Best Buy or Target outlet on your next US visit. It'll probably mosey along to Asia eventually. But if you can't wait, the pint-sized PoGo could yield savings on those costly ink cartridges as it employs an inkless technology. Not only that, with US Customs now getting stricter on luggage weight, the palm-sized PoGo will barely put a dent on baggage allowance at just 226.8g (8oz).

According to the specs, the PoGo outputs 2 x 3-inch prints with sticker backs at 60 seconds per full-color printout. It'll work with camera-phones via Bluetooth and digital cameras through PictBridge. The Zink photo paper, which is waterproof, tear-proof and smear-proof, is expected to cost 33-40 US cents per print; US$3.99 for a 10-pack; or US$9.99 per 30-pack. The printer, which works both with a battery or charging cable, will retail for US$149.

Source and picture credit: Polaroid Newsroom

Xerox digital-printer ink works on almost anything

Xerox gave a sneak peek recently at its cured gel ink for digital printers that works on a large variety of materials from foil to super-slick plastic to cardboard.

Xerox's ink, previewed at the print industry trade show Drupa in Germany, is aimed at taking a bite out of the estimated US$400 billion offset printing market.

The cured gel ink, with its peanut butter-like consistency, is heated up and becomes a thick liquid, similar to motor oil. The liquid squeezes through the printheads and onto a printing surface, such as a piece of paper, foil or plastic. As the liquid cools, it reverts back to a peanut butter-like consistency and is then shot with a pulse of ultraviolet light to harden the ink.

"Today digital systems shine in many applications, while offset presses are selected for others. The ability to print on nearly any surface will bring a world of new applications within the reach of digital printers," Steve Hoover, director of the Xerox Research Center, said in a statement.

The ink is currently in the research mode and no timetable is available for when it may hit the market, said Bill McKee, a Xerox spokesman. But he noted: "When we introduce something at a commercial trade show, we're committed to offering it to the market."

Currently, the challenges in getting the cured gel ink to market comes down to having the ink react accordingly, no matter what type of surface it's printed on, whether it's a cardboard box or a glossy magazine, said Jim Larson, Xerox Inkjet program manager.

Via CNET Crave

HP introduces new "green" label for products

Sure, recycled paper is nice, but what about feeding it through a recycled printer?

Not as in refurbished and resold, but a new Deskjet that is composed of 83 percent recycled plastic. Hewlett-Packard is introducing a new green-focused label for some of its peripherals, and one of the first items under that label is the aforementioned D2545 printer.

HP hopes to tempt the environmentally conscious as well as those looking for a bargain with the D2545, which retails for US$45. Even the ink cartridges it uses are made of recycled plastic resins.

The printer is one of several products that will fall under the HP Eco Highlights label. So far it also includes three LaserJet printers (P4015x, P4515x, and P4515xm models). HP says the label will list the environmental attributes of the product, and will eventually encompass all products the company offers.

HP recycles tons of dead tech products every year, so it makes sense that it's able to make products from the materials it recycles. So while consumers are becoming much more aware of the environmental impact of the products we use, and even businesses are beginning to see the boon that green policies are to their bottom lines, why not make this standard instead of an outlier?

HP responded that by 2010,100 percent of its Deskjet printers will contain some recycled materials, and will increase by three times the number of inkjet printers made from recycled materials.
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9-in-1 printer--makes you multitask

All-in-One (AIO) printers touting three to four features such as copying, scanning and faxing are aplenty. But when we received news of a 9-in-1 AIO, that blew us off. Well, almost.

Brother's MFC-885CW has to be one of the most feature-packed printer's we've seen this year. This color inkbox can not only print, scan, copy and fax, it is also capable of direct photo printing from a flash card or USB drive and PC fax. That's six features already. Ready for the weird-yet-wonderful? The Wi-Fi-enabled printer incorporates a cordless phone, built-in speakerphone and, to sweeten the deal, the gizmo is an answering machine, too.

Set on the printer is a nice 4.2-inch color widescreen display (one of the biggest we've seen for an AIO), which you can use to view photos or edit (tweak colors or remove red-eye) before printing.

The MFC-885CW is a part of the new lineup of printers that Brother is launching this year for its 100th anniversary. It's available now for S$528 (US$376.36).

For an additional 50 bucks, you can even make it dispense coke and toast bread. Just kidding.

A bucket full of printing needs

My mom uses a bucket to soak the laundry, so I'm going to keep the Canon Selphy CP770 away from her since it looks too much like one.

I can bring it to the beach and no one will know it's a photo printer. The dye-sub unit sits on top of the bucket and is detachable so the space below can be used to store extra photo papers or maybe shovels and sand molds to entertain the kids while you snap and print their pictures.

The button layout below the 2.5-inch color display is now more user-friendly, and you can plug in commonly used flash card formats (like CompactFlash, SD or Memory Stick) straight into the printer. If your image-capturing device has an infrared port, images can be beamed to the inkbox as well. Those more tech-savvy may want to get the optional BU-30 Bluetooth module.

Before printing, the CP770 can automatically adjust the brightness of images for optimum print results or to correct red-eye effects. While making the 300 x 300dpi print, the printer also applies a thin overcoat of lamination over the paper to prevent smudging and to extend the longevity of the picture.
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