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printer posts

Xerox announces silver ink, keeps printable electronics dream alive

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 29th 2009 at 9:35AM

Here comes Xerox, huffing and puffing its way back from obscurity with what it believes is a revolutionary new advancement. Its brand new silver ink and related printing technologies promise to make it possible for the lazy or breadboard handicapped among us to print their own circuit boards atop plastics, film, and even textiles. The wizardry of it lies in the company's development of a metallic ink with a melting point lower than that of plastics, which allows the former to be laid (in liquid form) atop the latter. It's all very neat, and the potential for flexible, lightweight, disposable electronics is well and good, but haven't we heard this all before?

Sony's S-Frame DPP-F700 digiframe / printer hybrid hitting America in January for $200

by Darren Murph posted Oct 24th 2009 at 3:02AM

Need a digital photo frame? Need a printer? Need them to happen within the same enclosure? If you're one of the oddballs who curiously answered yes -- and you don't actually need it until after the holiday shopping season -- Sony's got you covered. The DPP-F700 digital picture frame with one-touch printing that we saw pop up internationally just last month has finally been blessed with a US ship date and price, and if you've paid any attention whatsoever to the headline, you're probably well aware of what those two data points are. The frame itself will boast a 7-inch display (800 x 480 resolution), 1GB of memory, a multicard reader and will print out "professional quality" 4- x 6-inch photos at 300 x 300 dpi. There's also a nifty "screen capture" mode that prints out exactly what's displayed during a slide show, though there's literally no telling how pricey those refills will be.

[Via Slashgear]

Epson's PictureMate Charm is the cutest photo printer we ever did see

by Darren Murph posted Oct 13th 2009 at 1:27PM

Epson's PictureMate line is one with a long-standing history, but as with most everything else in consumer electronics, the latest in the lineup seems to have shrunk. The appropriately named PictureMate Charm is a kinda-sorta portable printing solution, delivering 4- x 6-inch color prints in as little as 37 seconds. The mini printer also boasts a 2.5-inch LCD, a multicard reader, optional Bluetooth support (via a separate adapter) and room for either 150 glossy sheets or 100 matte sheets of 4- x 6-inch paper. It'll ship next week a buck-fifty, but the replacement ink and sheet packs will probably drive you into bankruptcy.

Mimo's iMo Foto Frame Printer does precisely what you'd expect

by Darren Murph posted Oct 1st 2009 at 6:44PM

Mimo's made quite the name for itself with its delightful array of USB-powered secondary monitors, but now it seems the company is spreading its proverbial wings and introducing something strikingly out of character. The iMo Foto Frame Printer most certainly isn't the first (or second) of its kind, but it just might be the cutest. The digiframe / printer hybrid boasts an 8-inch panel, a memory card slot, bundled remote and an inbuilt photo printer that shoots out 4- x 6-inch images with a 300 x 300dpi print resolution. $229.99 gets you the unit itself, a few cables and a paper cartridge for 36 prints -- after that, you're on your own. Godspeed, young one.

[Via Red Ferret]

Sony DPP-F700 digital picture frame with one-touch printing

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 29th 2009 at 12:03PM

Digiframes -- how we love to loathe them. Occasionally we see one with a feature such as a scanner or, in this case, a printer, that actually adds some interesting functionality to the thing, but more often than not we're stuck with a tacky housing, odd display dimensions, and occasionally Swarovski crystals. So how about this new Sony DPP-F700? Possibly out as soon as November, this guy sports a 7-inch (16:10, WVGA 800×480) display, 1GB of memory, time / date display, support for a variety of storage formats (including Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, SD Card, SDH Card, CF Card, and xD-Picture Card), and simple editing functions (rotate, zoom, and crop). The printer itself creates 4 x 6-inch, 300 x 300 dpi printouts with integrated TruFast technology and a "one touch printing" button. Rumor is that it will sell for around €200 ($290).

[Via Sony Insider]

MIT students develop new 6dot braille labelmaker prototype

by Laura June posted Sep 26th 2009 at 4:37AM

A group of students at MIT have just unveiled a new prototype of a braille labelmaker / printer, the 6dot. Though not the first, the MIT group's model is apparently more advanced, easier to use, and cheaper than currently available models. Designed with the blind and visually impaired in mind, the labelmaker features an around the neck strap, and six buttons (for each of the dots of a braille character), allowing quick production of accurate labels, including contractions. The internal processor of the device can store up to 16 characters, and "prints" the characters onto adhesive label paper, which the user can then affix for easy identification of household items, such as medications, canned goods, and so on. Though it's still in prototype phase, it's possible the device could cost as little as $200 when it does hit the market.

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

Belkin Home Base brings wireless printing and file sharing to any PC

by Darren Murph posted Sep 15th 2009 at 2:54PM

You've been looking for it, we've been looking for it -- heck, displaced Martians have been looking for it. We're talking about that mythical, magical box that adds all sorts of connectivity to any networked PC, and rather than making consumers purchase separate devices to add NAS capabilities and wireless print sharing to one's home, Belkin's Home Base does it all. This sleek little box includes four USB 2.0 sockets and an Ethernet jack, and when connected to one's home router, a printer and at least one external hard drive, any machine on the network instantly gains wireless printing abilities as well as network access to your USB HDD(s). Furthermore, Home Base can wirelessly backup your connected PCs behind your back, and with the automatic sharing feature, your most intimate photos can be whisked away to Flickr-land without you having to know. Are you as giddy as we are? Pull out $130 and get to shoppin' -- it should be available today.

Update: This thing is sicker than we thought. It actually has a wireless module built-in, so even if your hard drives and printer(s) are in a different room than the one your WLAN router is in, you can simply connect it to the peripherals and let it communicate with the router (and thus, your computers) from another location.

Gallery: Belkin Home Base brings wireless printing and file sharing to any PC

Canon announces voice-guided SELPHY ES40 photo printer

by Laura June posted Aug 19th 2009 at 9:23AM

Canon's just unveiled a compact little photo printer -- the SELPHY ES40. Now, we don't have a ton of info to go on in the press release, but we do know that this little guys boasts a voice-guidance system to work with its 3.5-inch LCD and scrollwheel to navigate through the menus. We don't usually find printers to be in any way interesting, but there's something about this one that we rather like -- maybe it's the fact that we've been "talking" to our own printers for years, and have sadly never gotten a response. No word on availability yet, but it'll run you around $149.99 when it arrives. There's another shot of this bad boy after the break.

Continue reading Canon announces voice-guided SELPHY ES40 photo printer

Empty ink cartridges repurposed as glorious lamps

by Darren Murph posted Aug 3rd 2009 at 5:37AM

We all know that those ink cartridge refills never really function perfectly as advertised, so rather than paying too much to have a lackluster printing experience, boxlightbox has decided to repurpose his empty Epson boxes into prepossessing lighting instruments. The simple (albeit masterly) lamps maintain the iconic presence of an ink cartridge while still fitting into the overall feel of an art deco home. At $350, the sensational Ink-Cartridge Chandelier shown above certainly isn't the cheapest of fixtures, but for those who spend entirely too much time at Kinko's, it's totally worth the investment. Hit the read link for more ways to spend money that you don't have -- or, you know, to just get a few ideas for scratching that DIY itch.

[Thanks, David]

Engadget's recession antidote: win a DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo!

by Darren Murph posted Jul 31st 2009 at 12:00PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got three DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbos on offer, ideal for blasting out labels and sticky love notes at your desk. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Big thanks to DYMO for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. Three (3) winners will receive one (1) DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo. Approximate retail value is $209.99.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Friday, July 31st, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here.

Engadget's recession antidote: win a DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo!

by Darren Murph posted Jul 25th 2009 at 12:00PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got two DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbos on offer, ideal for blasting out labels and sticky love notes at your desk. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Big thanks to DYMO for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. Two (2) winners will receive one (1) DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo. Approximate retail value is $209.99.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Saturday, July 25th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here.

HP unveils Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web: "world's first web-connected printer"

by Ross Miller posted Jun 22nd 2009 at 1:17PM

Looking to make the wild and not-entirely-wondrous world of printers exciting for the first time in decades, HP has just unveiled the "world's first web-connected printer." If you're wondering how it plans on accomplishing such an impossible mission, let us just say this: the Photosmart Premium is going the way of the widget. Up on the 4.33-inch front panel is Touchsmart Web, a touchscreen interface with several bundled, online apps to accommodate usual paper-friendly tasks such as printing Google maps, tickets from Fandango, coupons, recipes, Sudoku, etc. There's even a full-on HD Apps Studio just in case downloading new apps on one's printer really becomes the new hotness. The API's being made open for the entire realm of developers, but we have to wonder what kind of interest we'll see here. Pricing is set for $399, and if you're thinking "why not just buy a cheap netbook and plug it into my current model" we hear ya, but we get the impression this is aimed squarely at another crowd. Lots more details are just past the break.

Update: We just had a chance to try the printer / Touchsmart for ourselves. First off, surprise, the screen is capacitive touch, and it works well -- but only one finger at a time. We asked a rep about multitouch and were told that while technically feasible, it's not gonna be supported at this time. The widgets are created with a combination of HTML5 and Java, and much to our surprise, video streaming has been implemented. The Monsters vs. Aliens trailer we saw was decent resolution, but really, it's not a place where we need pristine quality. More screens in the gallery below.

Gallery: HP unveils Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web: "world's first web-connected printer"

Gallery: HP unveils Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web hands-on

Continue reading HP unveils Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web: "world's first web-connected printer"

Printer beautifies eggs before eating (or throwing)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted May 5th 2009 at 9:33AM

It used to be enough just to eat it, but it's becoming apparent that there are those who would like to elevate the most important meal of the day to the level of art. The Egg Drawer follows in the fine tradition of the Scan Toaster, placing pretty pictures (and perhaps, someday, product placement) on your humble continental breakfast. Sadly, there are no real details for this thing -- just a lonely Flickr photostream -- but we have plenty of time until next Easter to get the details banged out. Hit the read link for all the pretty pictures.

[Via Make]

IOGEAR puts four USB devices on your network with USB Net ShareStation

by Darren Murph posted Mar 24th 2009 at 11:04PM

We've seen a few devices that put your existing USB external hard drives on home networks, but IOGEAR's latest contraption does that crowd one better. The 4-Port USB Net ShareStation (shown left) enables everyone with access to a local network to access four USB devices (HDDs, printers, scanners, drink coolers, etc.), and moreover, that access can be cord-free if the hub is plugged into a wireless router. In other news, the outfit has revealed the 2-Port USB 2.0 Printer Auto Sharing Switch (shown right), which it describes as the "only automatic printer switch compatible with Macs and PCs." Both devices should be scattered across office supply stores by the end of this month for $99.95 and $39.95, respectively.

Ask Engadget: Best wireless router with USB printing capabilities?

by Darren Murph posted Mar 12th 2009 at 10:22PM

If your low-rate router fails on you, you might as well select a replacement with more utility than the one you're burying, right? Axel sure thinks so:

"My bargain-basement CompUSA-branded wireless router is finally starting to fail on me, prompting me to buy a new one. I want to get my huge color laser printer (a Konica Magicolor 2400w) off my desk and tucked away next to the router, so I want it to have wireless USB print hub functionality. Gigiabit Ethernet and Draft-N are also necessary here, as I am eventually going to be adding media clients around the house to stream to every TV. Thanks a lot!"

So, there you have it -- which wireless router will provide solid, relaiable USB printing while handling the heavy loads of high-def streaming? Think carefully, you wouldn't want to ruin this guy's life. Oh, and if you have a question of your own you'd like to see here, send it over to ask at engadget dawt com.