Printerinks.com News

Xerox Sponsors Clean Water Awareness Group Blue Legacy For US Tour

2010-07-23T10:09:00.003+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

Friday 23 July 2010 10:08 GMT
Image: AlexandraCousteau.org

Blue Legacy founder and president Alexandra Cousteau

Ink cartridge manufacturer Xerox has become the document partner for clean water awareness group Blue Legacy's US tour. Named Expedition Blue Planet, the tour commenced earlier this month and chronicles water issues across the country. It will cover 14,500 miles in 138 days.

Blue Legacy will use Xerox products and printing materials throughout the tour. These include:

The Xerox ColorQube 9200 printer. This machine produces a 10% smaller carbon footprint than comparable rival products over its lifetime.
Xerox solid ink technology. This ink requires no plastic cartridge case, and is hence highly eco-friendly.

The awareness group plans to produce brochures, flyers, permits and photo release forms using these products, housed on the Expedition tour bus. This demonstrates 'the flexibility of Xerox MFPs in challenging situations,' according to a Xerox spokeswoman.

Blue Legacy founder Alexandra Cousteau – Jacques Cousteau granddaughter – meanwhile praised Xerox's environmental commitment. She said in a press release: 'Xerox's solid ink is a step in the right direction for greener, more sustainable printing.'

Cousteau established Blue Legacy in 2008 to raise awareness of water environmental issues including scarcity and pollution. The Expedition continues until November, visiting locations across the US.

Sources

Christina Williams, 'Xerox Ink Gets Green Props From Blue Legacy,' SustainableBusinessOregon.com, 21 July 2010.
Lisa Weaver, 'Xerox Joins The Expedition Blue Planet Water Conservation Campaign,' MarketWatch.com, 21 July 2010.
Judy Jefferson, 'Xerox Teams With Blue Legacy On Water Awareness Project,' PrinterComparison.com, 22 July 2010.

HP Receives Trademark For Name PalmPad: iPad Competitor On The Way?

2010-07-22T17:02:00.003+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

Thursday 22 July 16:48 GMT
Image: Techgenie.com

On the way? - A mock-up of the potential HP PalmPad

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard has received trademark rights to the name PalmPad, igniting rumours the company will soon release an iPad competitor.

HP has not released specific details about the trademark. However according to the application form the PalmPad name can be applied to: 'Computers, computer hardware, computer software, computer peripherals, portable computers, handheld and mobile computers, PDAs, electronic notepads, mobile digital electronic devices.'

This easily encompasses a tablet.

Rumours about an HP tablet have been circulating for years. For example:

Earlier this year Hewlett Packard began collaborating with Microsoft to build the HP Slate. This project however has been scrapped.
HP recently bought smartphone developer Palm for $1.2bn. Palm's WebOS operating system in particular enables HP to release countless mobile devices – including web enabled printers.

Hence given the new trademark the release of an HP tablet looks increasingly likely. Look out Steve Jobs!

Sources

Ashok Bindra, 'HP Files For PalmPad Trademark With USPTO,' TMCNet.com, 22 July 2010.
Ben Woods, 'HP Slate 500 Found Buried On HP Website, PalmPad Trademark Also Acquired,' ZDNet.co.uk, 21 July 2010.
Edward Berridge, HP TradeMarks PalmPad,' TheInquirer.net, 20 July 2010.

Times Website Loses 66% Of Readers Following Paywall Introduction

2010-07-20T11:28:00.007+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

Tuesday 20 July 10:44 GMT
Image: Guardian.co.uk

The Times website has lost 66% of its readership following the introduction of mandatory registration and a paywall. The decline, though massive, is smaller than industry predictions.

Visitors to The Times' website are redirected to the paywall.

The Times newspaper's website has lost 66% of its readers following the introduction of mandatory registration and a paywall, according to new figures by website traffic monitor Experian Hitwise. The figures are better than expected: other newspapers that introduced paywalls experienced up to 90% declines in readership.

The Times began charging visitors £1 per day or £2 weekly on July 2nd, following owner Rubert Murdoch's decision to end free access to online content last year. His decision is controversial: most online publishers including The Guardian believe online newspapers can make profits using advertising revenues – without charging people.

Experian Hitwise figures show though that The Times website performed better than expected. In the week following the paywall's introduction, readership fell to only 33% pre-paywall levels: other news sites that implemented paywalls, such as Long Island's Newsday, encountered 90% readership drops. To this extent The Times experiment can be considered successful.

Interestingly, the Experian figures reveal readership fell by only 8% in the week following the paywall's introduction. Instead, the majority of readers – 58% - stop reading when The Times introduced mandatory registration 1 month before the paywall. This two-tiered approach suggests The Times intended to weed out casual readers before charging for content.

However, the Experian Hitwise statistics do not reveal whether The Times' paying readership can make the newspaper's website profitable. This information is crucial: it determines whether The Times' experiment has succeeded and, for the newspaper industry, whether online paywalls can be feasible. Hence final judgement of the paywall ought be suspended until The Times reveals its online revenues.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Paywall Leads To Two-Thirds Drop In Times Online Readership,' TheFrontline.v3.co.uk, 18 July 2010.
David Teather, 'New Paywall Costs The Times 66% Of Its Online Readership,' Guardian.co.uk, 18 July 2010.
Greybeard, 'The Times They Are A-Changing; Paywall Sees Two Thirds Drop In Web Traffic,' Unthinkable.biz, 19 July 2010.
Matthew Ingram, 'Rubert's Paywall Is Meant To Keep People In, Not Out,' Gigaom.com, 19 July 2010.

New York Cartoonist Creates Luminescent Ink Posters

2010-07-09T11:07:00.005+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

09 July 2010
Image: JoeAlterio.com

Click for a bigger view of Alterio's poster!

New York cartoonist Joe Alterio has created three innovative ink posters that become luminescent when exposed to heat.

Printed for the UK Institute of Physics, the posters contain 2 layers of ink: one on the surface, and another that becomes visible after heat is applied. The effect means the posters glow.

The posters will be displayed in schools across the UK.

Writing on his website, Alterio explains why he accepted the project:

“Part of the problem, it was postulated, was that UK kids were not exposed to the interesting side of what physics is at a young enough age; by the time physics becomes a school course option, most kids have already relegated physics to the ‘boring’ category, and go on to pursue their degree in macrame interpretive dance.

But even as an artist, I can say, this is not so! Physics is without a doubt one of the most far-thinking, philosophical fields out there.”

Other images of the posters – before and after heat application – are available here.

Enjoy!

Sources

Annalee Newitz, 'Photo Luminescent And Thermal Ink Physics Posters Are Awesome,' io9.com, 07 July 2010.
Joe Alterio, 'Get Physical!' JoeAlterio.com, 06 July 2010.

HP Hit Print Ad: Life, The Universe & Everything Inside 2 Minutes

2010-07-08T09:56:00.005+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

08 July 2010 10:03 GMT
Image: TheJunketClub.Wordpress.com
Videos: YouTube.com

The product of graduate animators Matt Robinson and Tom Wrigglesworth, new short film HP Hit Print covers pretty much everything.

Tom Wrigglesworth: One half of the creative partnership behind HP Hit Print

Graduate animators Matt Robinson and Tom Wrigglesworth have created a sequel to last year's HP printer-centred short film Invent.

The original film (included below alongside the sequel) was created as part of a D&AD student competition, and showed several HP printers performing a synchronised dance.

The new film though, commissioned by Hewlett Packard this time, encapsulates life, the universe and everything inside 2 minutes. It's called Hit Print and, honestly, it's excellent. Check out both films below.

HP Invent

HP Hit Print

Sources

Brian Barrett, 'A Tale Told By A Printer,' Gizmodo.com.au, 07 July 2010.
Eliza Williams, 'HP Hit Print,' CreativeReview.co.uk, 06 July 2010.
Matthew, 'HP Hit Print Ad,' GadgetVenue.com, 05 July 2010.

Reading Print Books Faster But Less Enjoyable Than Reading eBooks, Says New Study

2010-07-07T11:33:00.009+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

07 July 2010 10:24 GMT
Image: Grockit.com

People read printed books most quickly but find reading iPads most enjoyable, according to user experience testers Nielson Norman Group.

Apple iBook: The Most Fun You Can Have Processing Sequenced Characters Into Cognitively Enriching Experience

Reading printed pages is 10% faster but also less enjoyable than reading iPads and eBooks, according to a new study released by the Nielson Norman Group.

User experience testers Nielson Norman compared reading speeds and user satisfaction on several formats including: printed books, iPads, Kindle 2s and PC monitors.

Testing 24 subjects, the Group found that reading printed pages is outright faster than reading other formats, but slightly less enjoyable than reading eBooks and iPads. The PC monitor tested worst on both criteria.

The study worked as follows:

24 users were asked to read an Ernest Hemingway short story on the different formats. Report writer Jakob Nielson notes that: “We picked Ernest Hemingway because his work is pleasant and engaging to read, and yet not so complicated it would be above the heads of users.”

Users were timed, and then given a comprehension test to assess their retention and understanding. The average reading time was 17 minutes 20 seconds: “enough time to get them immersed in the story,” says Nielson.

This average aside though, the formats tested substantially different for exact times and user enjoyment. For example, though comprehension tested equal:

Print page reading time was fastest (unstated) and rated 5.6 on an enjoyment scale out of 7.

iPad reading time was 6.2% slower than the printed page, but rated 5.8 on the enjoyment scale.

Kindle 2 reading time was 10.7% slower than the printed page, but rated 5.7 on the enjoyment scale.

PC monitor reading time was slowest (unstated) and rated only 3.6 on the enjoyment scale.

Users also made specific comments about each format in addition to scoring them numerically.

For example, users disliked the iPad's weight and the Kindle's grey-on-grey text. Reading on PC monitors meanwhile scored poorly because the format reminded people of work.

In contrast, users found reading printed pages relaxing and liked that the iBook app included remaining chapter length.

Nielson concluded the study by saying: “This study is promising for the future of e-readers and tablet computers. We can expect higher-quality screens in the future, as indicated by the recent release of the iPhone 4 with a 326 dpi display.

But even the current generation is almost as good as print in formal performance metrics — and actually scores slightly higher in user satisfaction.”

Comment

For advocates of printed or digital reading, the report provides ammunition for both sides: reading print is faster but reading e-books more enjoyable.

Head of eReaders at Sony Steve Haber predicted last month that printed text will be obsolete in 5 years: Nielson's conclusion that technological improvements will make eBook reading easier seemingly corroborates this. To this extent the publishing industry looks in trouble.

On the other hand: people may not abandon printed books simply because an alternative is available.

For consumers meanwhile, the Nielson Norman report raises a question: what kind of reading experience do you want?

For fast and relaxing reading printed books are preferable. For ultimately more enjoyable user experiences choose eBooks.

There are obviously other factors to consider: the higher price but greater capacity of eReaders for example. The choice though seems ultimately clear.

Finally, it is worth querying the Nielson Norman report before potentially spending hundreds of pounds based on these findings.

The 24-person test group is notably small for example – and what are their characteristics? The comments and preferences of a PhD-educated English Literature lecturer are likely to differ from those of a Tesco trolley attendant.

Furthermore, what does numerically rating the experience of these reading formats truly tell us? One user may be fiercely prejudiced against electronic devices; another may be predisposed to receiving paper cuts.

In short then, it is difficult to assess the genuine value of Nielson Norman's report without more information.

Sources

Adam Hadhazy, 'Reading Print Book Faster Than E-Books On iPad And Kindle,' iPadNewsDaily, 06 July 2010.
Darren Allan, Study Says People Read eBooks Slower Than Print,' TechWatch.co.uk, 07 July 2010.
Jakob Nielson, 'iPad And Kindle Reading Speeds,' UseIt.com, 02 July 2010.
Ryan Fleming, 'Study: Reading eBook eReaders Takes Longer Than Print,' DigitalTrends.com, 06 July 2010.

2010-07-06T23:27:00.004+01:00

Xerox 'Print Advisor' Utility Offers Printing Efficiency And Savings

By Peter Lavelle
06 July 2010 22:57 GMT
Image: Xerox.com

Ink cartridge manufacturer Xerox has unveiled Print Advisor: a software utility aimed at enabling businesses to improve their printing efficiency.

Xerox's Print Advisor Software Utility

Ink cartridge manufacturer Xerox has unveiled a new software utility aimed at enabling businesses to optimise their printing processes and save money. Named Print Advisor, the utility works as follows:

Businesses install Print Advisor and the software monitors printing output across the office network.
Print Advisor then issues a report advising business owners how to optimise their printing, reducing waste and saving money.
In addition, Print Advisor informs users about to print inefficiently how they can save money printing another way: for example, by duplex printing.

In the future, IT managers will also be able to monitor the printing habits of individuals using Print Advisor. This will enable further savings (though with an Orwellian tinge.)

Print Advisor is currently only planned for release with ColourQube 9200 Series MFP Xerox printers. Business owners can freely download the utility this Autumn.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Xerox Unveils Software Tool For ColourQube 9200 Series,' TradingMarkets.com, 06 July 2010.
Heather Clancy, 'Xerox Software Urges Your Staff To Print Smarter,' ZDNet.com, 05 July 2010.
Jstokdyk, 'Xerox Targets Waste With Print Advisor,' AccountingWeb.co.uk, 06 July 2010.

2010-07-05T16:14:00.005+01:00

New Scottish Arts Council Will Not Support Print Publishing

By Peter Lavelle Monday
5th June 15:44 GMT
Image: BBC.co.uk

Perhaps owing to public sector funding cuts, Scotland's new arts council Creative Scotland will not support print publishing.

Fiona Hyslop SMP: Less A Chaînés Turn Than An Attitude Leap For Scottish Culture?

The newly launched Creative Scotland arts council will not support print publishing, according to the organisation's chief executive Andrew Dixon. He told allmediascotland.com recently that Creative Scotland's remit includes theatre and short films, but not newspapers and general publishing. Ironically perhaps given this, the new body was launched at Edinburgh Printmakers.

Creative Scotland was launched earlier this month to support Scotland's creative and cultural industries. The new body is the product of a merger between Screen Scotland and the Scottish Arts Council and, according to Scottish Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, is Scotland's first “single national body for the arts, culture and creative industries.”

In spite of this though, Creative Scotland may have limited influence. Widespread public spending cuts mean the organisation has only a £60m budget and, according to Mr. Dixon, will have to find “new ways of investing in the industry.”

Comment

The arts budgets are often the first thing to disappear in times of economic hardship, making the creation of Creative Scotland itself heartening. Equally though, print publishing has been hit especially hard in this recession; hence Creative Scotland's limited scope is ultimately disappointing. For example, who decided that theatre was more creatively valid that newspaper publishing? The axe must obviously fall somewhere, but a period of public consultancy might perhaps have made the chop less brutal.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Creative Scotland Aims To Boost Arts and Culture,' News.BBC.co.uk, 1 July 2010.
Anonymous, 'Creative Scotland Rules Out Support For Print Media,' allmediascotland.com, 2 July 2010.
Anonymous, 'New Arts Body Officially Launched,' DissExpress.co.uk, 5 July 2010.
Tom Allan, 'Edinburgh Today – Creative Scotland Launched, Car-Jacking, African Piglets & Thrift,' Guardian.co.uk, 1 July 2010.

2010-07-01T17:46:00.004+01:00

Gloucester MP Blames Printer For Parliament Gaffe

By Peter Lavelle
01 July 2010 17:40 GMT
Image: BBC.co.uk
Video: YouTube.com

Gloucester MP Richard Graham arrived late for a House of Commons debate this Tuesday, after the printer he was using to print his speech jammed.

Richard Graham: Perhaps ought claim managed print services on expenses.

Gloucester MP Richard Graham has blamed his printer for making him miss the beginning of a House of Commons debate he was supposed to open. The Right Honourable Mr. Graham says his printer malfunctioned this Tuesday night while printing his speech, hence causing him to be late. The Gloucester MP has since apologised, and hopes to reschedule the debate.

Printer malfunctions have been responsible for many disasters in the past. For example, this gem:

Here's hoping Mr. Graham reacted more rationally in the face of printer-related inconvenience.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Gloucester MP Red-Faced After Jammed Printer,' BBC.News.co.uk, 30 June 2010.

Specsavers Launch Poster Poking Fun At World Cup Referee

2010-06-30T10:24:00.004+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

Wednesday 30 June 10:04 GMT
Image: Facebook.com

Referee Mauricio Espinosa has received a ribbing from Specsavers, in a new poster mocking his oversight during last Sunday's England-Germany match.

On behalf of assistant referee Mauricio Espinosa: Ouch

High street glasses retailer Specsavers has launched a poster advertisement, poking fun at assistant referee Mauricio Espinosa's failure to grant England's equalising goal against Germany on Sunday. Featuring a pair of glasses and the headline 'Goal-Line Technology: From £25', the poster mocks Espinosa's failure to spot that Frank Lampard's 38th-minute strike clearly crossed the goal-line. The poster featured in national newspapers yesterday.

Specsavers' marketing director Richard Holmes oversaw the poster's creation, according to CampaignLive.co.uk. No official comment regarding the poster has emerged though, excepting a sentence on Specsavers' Facebook page calling the image 'cheeky and topical.'

Comment

Excellent posters compel the viewer's attention while attracting them to a product. Too often marketers achieve only one or the other: for example, creating an image that people remember while forgetting to sell the product. Specsavers though have managed the balance here, tying a nationally-felt injustice to their product in a humorous way. Hence this is really great marketing.

Of course, Espinosa could definitely benefit from a visit to Specsavers himself.

Sources

Joe Thomas, 'Specsavers Creates Print Campaign Around England's World Cup Exit,' CampaignLive.co.uk, 29 June 2010.
Rosie Baker, 'World Cup Referee Should Have Gone To Specsavers,' MarketingWeek.co.uk, 29 June 2010.

HP Buys Melodeo Music Streaming Service For $30m

2010-06-29T14:06:00.005+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

29 June 2010 12:48 GMT
Image: Brand-M.Biz

Hewlett Packard has bought the mobile music provider Melodeo, sparking rumours that HP intends competition with Apple's music streaming service Lala.

NuTsie: Much much more than an anagram of iTunes.

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard has bought the music streaming service Melodeo in a deal rumoured to be worth $30m. The chief asset of Melodeo is NuTsie, a program that scans the user's iTunes library to create playlists on their mobile device. The purchase enables HP to integrate cloud-based music streaming into their portable products.

The acquisition is important for several reasons:

Melodeo's NuTsie is an alternative to the Apple-owned music streaming service Lala. NuTsie has to date been a minor player in music streaming. Hewlett Packard's backing though means NuTsie could soon have a much larger presence, encouraging competition and ultimately better deals for consumers.

Increasingly it looks like Hewlett Packard is seeking a showdown with Apple. HP's recently revealed Slate tablet for example is an obvious iPad competitor, and incorporating NuTsie gives the State greater clout. Once more, this competition can only benefit consumers.

Speaking more generally, buying Melodeo could be an astute move by Hewlett Packard. Sales of mobile devices are expected to outstrip PC sales in coming years, and buying Melodeo gives HP an excellent foothold into this market. Moreover, the purchase compliments HP's recent buy-out of mobile OS developer Palm. Palm's webOS operating system gives HP the capacity to produce, if not a smartphone or iPhone competitor, then something similar. HP's recent purchases are certainly converging toward a single mobile-device oriented purpose.

Speaking in a press release, a Hewlett Packard representative said of the purchase: “HP's acquisition of Melodeo is another example of our efforts to bring new, innovative technologies to market. We are excited about the potential of this technology to bring the power of cloud-based delivery services to millions of customers.”

Comment

Hewlett Packard is demonstrating itself a company with foresight recently. Though representatives insists printer and PC sales are buoyant, the corporation's newest initiatives suggest it is investing elsewhere to secure its future. For example:

HP recently rebranded itself a service provider rather than hardware manufacturer. This refers to the company's buy-out of Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 2008, a document management service provider. HP has since grown this sector of its business significantly. Further, reports this week stating that the managed print services is worth $20bn give HP every reason to exploit this goldmine while the going's good.

Elsewhere though, HP has worked hard to guarantee its relevance in the changing digital landscape. Hence the recent announcement of internet-ready printers featuring individual email addresses. Hence the announcement of the Slate tablet. Hence whatever project HP is planning using the newly acquired Palm WebOS. HP obviously refuses to be left behind in the digital revolution: on the contrary, the company intends to lead the pack.

Hewlett Packard's ambitions may be frustrated though, and by one company in particular: Apple. HP is the world's biggest electronics manufacturer, but in the markets HP is targeting – mobile devices, tablets – Apple are the undisputed leaders and innovators. Hence in this sense Hewlett Packard is already playing catch up. To be sure, no one really knows what HP intends with its newest acquisitions, but one thing is certain: to knock Apple from the top spot the release must be something special.

Sources

Farukh Shaikh, 'HP Snaps Up Mobile Music Service Provider Melodeo,' News. Ebrandz.com, 28 June 2010.
Evelyn Rusli, 'HP Goes NuTsie For Melodeo, Pays $30M For Music Streaming Service,' TechCrunch.com, 23 June 2010.
Thea Chard, 'HP Buys Melodeo, Rumblefish Partners With YouTube, Motoricity Declines & More Seattle-Area Deal News,' Xconomy.com, 29 June 2010.

New Literary Journal Is Published In Matchstick Boxes

2010-06-28T12:16:00.004+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

28 June 2010 12:03 GMT
Source: Mercurynews.com
Image: Sevell.com

To challenge shortening attention spans, Santa Cruz resident Kyle Peterson has launched a literary journal containing short stories housed in matchboxes.

She's not surfing the internet, but this woman clearly has problems.

Conventional wisdom has it that the internet has caused people's attention spans to shorten, while publishers have been complaining for some time about diminishing sales. Fortunately then, one Santa Cruz resident has found a way to compensate for both these problems: by releasing literary journals written in matchboxes.

Kyle Peterson has been publishing Matchbook Story since earlier this year, featuring stories only 48 words long. He received seventy entries during the March-June submission period for the second edition, which was released last week. Printing 2,500 copies of Matchbook Story costs only $250 using a local Santa Cruz printer.

Copies of Matchbook Story are available in book stores and even bars across South California. Passerbys can buy copies of the journal placed in bowls on bartops or information desks.

Editor Peterson explained his reasons for publishing Matchbook Story to the Santa Cruz Sentinel recently. He said: “The publishing industry is really brutal right now. People are reading less and less and print and publishers are feeling that.”

Meanwhile Bookshop Santa Cruz employee Seana Graham said: "People take them because they're free, and tourists take them as (souvenir) matches, but a lot of people take them with the idea that they might submit.'

Comment

Publishers of Matchbook Story Kyle Peterson has a point about diminishing attention spans. The BBC published an article eight years ago acknowledging the internet's harmful effect on our capacity to focus: according to the article, the surfeit of information available on the internet encourages users to skip rapidly between sites, adversely affecting concentration.

Importantly though, I featured Matchbook Story on this blog not because I think the journal will improve attention spans, but because it's interesting. To the contrary, I'm afraid Peterson's journal will exacerbate the attention span problem. Here's why:

By publishing stories only fifty words long, Peterson is pandering to people whose attention spans are already diminished. His logic seems: “Get people to read something, anything!” Instead, if Peterson really wished to improve attention spans, he'd launch a campaign encouraging people to read actual books. He would not publish toward existing standards but encourage people to challenge themselves.

Of course Peterson himself notes that increasing membership rates is not his only motive for publishing Matchbook Story. He notes too the precarious position of the publishing industry, especially in an internet age. Hence it is his responsibility as a businessman, interested in his economic survival, not to challenge his customers but cater to their preferences. This means:

The short length of stories in Matchbook Story is inevitable in a climate where people switch off after fifty words.
Matchbook Story's potential lies most in helping the publishing industry survive in a digital age. Notably, 'survive' rather than 'flourish' is the important word.

It is of course tragic that Matchbook Story exists at all in some senses. In an ideal world the internet would not have a detrimental effect on attention spans, but fulfil its potential as font of information. Further, in an ideal world the detrimental effect of the internet on people's minds would not cripple the output of the publishing industry.

On the other hand, Peterson's intentions are obviously good. It is unfortunate that the potential of Matchbook Story amounts to: “Get people to read something, anything.” Peterson would probably agree though that this, finally, is better than nothing.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Santa Cruz Writer Publishes Literary Journal On Matchbooks,' MercuryNews.com, 27 June 2010.
Anonymous, 'Turning Into Digital Goldfish?' BBC.co.uk, 22 February 2002.

Hewlett Packard Claims $2,500 Savings With Laserjet Printer Campaign

2010-06-25T13:48:00.007+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

25 June 2010 13:00 GMT
Image: DailyFill.com

Hewlett Packard has launched a marketing campaign claiming consumers can save $2,500 by switching to its new multifunction laserjet printers.

Bill Rancic and Invanka Trump at HP's campaign launch.

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard has launched a marketing campaign promising businesses they can save up to $2,500 by switching to the company's latest range of laserjet printers. The corporation claims businesses can reduce costs owing to cut-price ink cartridge and paper prices. The new campaign – named “Laserjet Pays You Pack” - is aimed especially at home office and small business users.

To kickstart the marketing campaign Hewlett Packard has partnered with entrepeneurs Invanka Trump and Bill Rancic, and hired agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. Highlights include:

A launch event in Madison Square Park in New York, where Trump and Rancic will “pay pack” attendants with Hewlett Packard gifts.
3D online advertising, asking viewers “When was the last time you bought a printer that paid for itself?”
A social media campaign asking participants what they consider a good return on investment. Responses will be integrated into HP's online banner campaigns.
An “HP Laserjet Pays You Back” minisite, enabling visitors to calculate the savings they could make by switching to HP's laserjets, and sign up for special offers.

Businesses that buy into the campaign could benefit from HP's newest technology in addition to making savings. Earlier this year for example HP unveiled new plug-and-play printers that work instantly on any machine without installing drivers. Businesses hence stand to save both time and money.

HP's Vice President of Laserjet and Enterprise Solutions Ron Coughlin said of the campaign: “Upgrading to an HP Colour Laserjet MFP is like trading in your gas guzzler for a hybrid that pays for itself in gas savings and then continues to pay the owner after that. The campaign helps demonstrate how HP laserjet printers are an investment that keep giving back to your business.”

Comment

I am often wary of marketing campaigns like HP's “Laserjet Pays You Back.” It is after all the objective of marketing to present information selectively, and present that information in the best possible light. This often amounts to misleading the consumer. How then might Hewlett Packard's latest campaign mislead the consumer?

The means by which consumers can make their $2,500 saving is stated only in the fine print. Customers must print fifty copies of a double-sided glossy brochure twelve times a month to make these savings, according to HP estimates.
Consumers may be able to recoup the cost of their laserjet printer by buying HP ink cartridges, but they'd make even greater savings buying remanufactured cartridges. HP of course would be loathe to admit this: the company is finding reasons to sue cartridge remanufacturers, including several Eastern businesses at the present time.

On the other hand though, Hewlett Packard ought be commended for its “Laserjet Pays You Back” campaign for several reasons. In particular, the company is second to none where customer engagement is concerned. In this case this concerns:

The campaign's launch event – with free gifts!
The deeply immersive social media strategy.

Hence though I must criticise Hewlett Packard for its probably optimistic savings figure, the company remains a marketing powerhouse. I look forward to seeing how the campaign plays out.

Sources

Dianna Dilworth, 'HP Kicks Off Payback Effort To Promote LaserJet Line,' DMNews.com, 24 June 2010.
Nathan Eddy, 'HP Teams With Trump On Printer Payback Promotion,' ChannelInsider.com, 24 June 2010.
Shaun Nichols, 'HP Touts Cost Savings Of Laserjet Printers,' v3.co.uk, 25 June 2010.

HP Plans $300 Notebooks Aimed at Young Students

2010-06-24T10:48:00.008+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

24 June 2010 10:26 GMT
Image: Geekzone.com

Hewlett Packard has released the Mini 100e Education Edition notebook, a notebook aimed specifically at young students.

HP's Mini 100e Education Edition Notebook

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard has unveiled a miniature laptop aimed specifically at young students. Named the Mini 100e Education Edition, the notebook includes several features making it convenient for schoolchildren users. These include:

A low $300 price tag, for high affordability.
A spill resistant keyboard, ensuring the notebook survives any accidents.
Tough metal alloy hinges, meaning the Mini 100e can withstand sudden drops.
A miniature (but very readable) 10.1 inch display, perfect for young students.
An ultra-light 3.19 lb weight, meaning the Mini 100e can be easily transported.
Microsoft Office 2010, including Microsoft Maths and the cloud-based document software EverNote.

Hewlett Packard's decision to release the Mini 100e Education Edition is motivated by a belief that increasingly effective learning must be digital. The company plans to release several related products in the future. Hewlett Packard's Vice President of Business Notebooks said in a statement: “The HP Mini 100e is an affordable, feature-rich device that helps ensure every student has the tools needed for success in their academic endeavours.”

HP however may have trouble securing funding from cash-strapped public schools based in the US and overseas. Education budgets are being strapped everywhere, and HP faces tough competition from Dell and Intel, who've been targeting the education sector for some time. For example:

Dell's Education Package includes teacher resources, a hardware ecosystem and custom disc management.
Intel's Classmate notebook converts into a tablet and comes bundled with several education programs.

In fact, according to technology consultant Christopher Dawson, HP's Mini 100e is easily inferior to these alternatives. The inclusion of Microsft Math in the Mini 100e no way competes with Intel's software package for example. Hence, marketing the Mini 100e at least, Hewlett Packard may have trouble establishing a foothold in the education market.

On the other hand however, the Mini 100e Education Edition is HP's first venture into education-oriented notebooks, and the company plans to release related products in the future. Perhaps in time then HP will release a notebook comparable to it's rivals products, and make a more attractive proposition to schools and colleges.

Sources

Frank Michael Russell, 'HP To Sell $300 Notebook For Heavy-Duty Classroom Use,' MercuryNews.com, 23 June 2010.
Michelle Maisto, 'HP Mini 100e Notebook Offers Microsoft, Intel To University Users,' eWeek.com, 23 June 2010.
Mike Pearson, 'HP Sends New Mini Notebook To School,' TechNewsWorld.com, 23 June 2010.
Randomus, 'HP To Market Notebooks For Young Students,' Myce.com, 24 June 2010.
Shane McGlaun, 'HP Unveils New 100e Education Edition Notebook For Schools,' i4u.com, 23 June 2010.

Three Million Apple iPads Sold In Eighty Days

2010-06-23T11:06:00.008+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
22 June 2010 10:54 GMT
Image: OscarBetanCur.com

Apple has sold three million iPads in eighty days, far exceeding analyst expectations.

Apple's iPad

Three million Apple iPads have been sold in less than three months, according to a recent Apple announcement. Taken at face value, that means 37,500 iPads have been sold every day, or 26 per minute, since the iPad's launch eighty days ago. The iPad is hence on the way to becoming the fastest selling electronic device inside a twelve month period.

The iPad's sales figures break down as follows:

28 days to sell the first million iPads
32 days to sell the second million iPads
20 days to sell the third million iPads

Apple has not announced what percentage of these sales are US domestic. However, the iPad is set to launch in nine more countries next month, making it possible the Apple tablet will pick up greater steam before 2010's close.

Ironically though, the iPad's immense success may prove troublesome for Apple. Before the tablet's launch, one Wall Street Analyst predicted two million iPads would be sold inside twelve months. Now Apple has smashed these targets though, analysts are raising their expectations. Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberts believes for example that Apple could sell sixteen million iPads in twelve months, while PocketGamer's Jon Jordan wonders if Apple can't outstrip Sony's 14.5 million sales of the PlayStation Pocket.

For the moment though, Apple's Steve Jobs is probably simply enjoying the iPad's success. He recently said: "People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives. We're working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more people around the world.”

Sources

Anonymous, 'Apple Sells Three Million iPads,' WebUser.co.uk, 22 June 2010.
Erica Ogg, 'Apple: 3 million iPads Sold in 80 Days,' Cnet.com, 22 June 2010.
Gerald Lynch, 'Apple Sell 3 Million iPads In 80 Days,' TechDigest.tv, 23 June 2010.
Jon Jordan, 'Apple Could Generate $2 Billion In Q3 2010 From 3 Million iPads Sold,' PocketGamer.biz, 23 June 2010.

Price Of Amazon Kindle Falls To $189

2010-06-22T12:11:00.005+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

22 June 2010 12:03 GMT
Image: McLibrary.Duke.Edu

Amazon.com has responded to Barns & Noble's slashing the price of its Nook 3G eReader but dropping $60 from the price of the Kindle, potentially sparking an e-reader price war.

Amazon's Kindle eReader

Amazon.com has slashed $60 from the price of its Kindle eReader, bringing the device down to $189. The price cut has been widely interpreted as a response to Barns & Noble's recently cutting $50 from its Nook 3G eReader. The Nook 3G now costs $199.

The price cuts are obviously great news for consumers, who presently enjoy a variety of e-reader choices. Alternate products include:

Barns and Noble's WiFi-only Nook, costing $149
Sony's Digital Reader, costing $149
Estaco Jbl-en's eReader, costing $129
Bookeen Cybook's eReader, costing $200
Apple's iPad, costing $499
HP's Slate, costing $549

Numerous commentators have noted though that this glut is not sustainable. Every price cut after all brings down the profitability of e-readers. Hence it is almost inevitable that before long certain products will be discontinued.

Consumers therefore have two options: choose from the existing range of e-readers and risk buying a product that will soon be obsolete, or wait eighteen months and choose from a smaller range of hopefully superior items! Either way it will be interesting to see which e-readers emerge victorious.

Sources

David Carnoy, 'Amazon Drops Kindle Price To $189,' Cnet.com, 21 June 2010.

Canon Warns Digital Printers Pose Security Risk

2010-06-18T12:12:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
18 June 2010 12:10 GMT

Canon's Director of Information Security Quentyn Taylor has warned that digital printers at the end of their lifespan pose a major security risk. The problem is that images and data enter these printers unencrypted meaning that, once their hard drives are disposed of, information is accessible to anyone. He advised that print suppliers install encrypted hard discs onto their presses to protect customers' details and images.

Speaking to InfoSecurity Magazine yesterday, Taylor said this problem affected high-end digital printers in particular. This is because high-end digital printers, unlike traditional litho presses or even older digital presses, contain servers that store information. Further, Taylor revealed that 40% of print suppliers didn't know this, making the threat widely unacknowledged.

In addition to updating their presses with encrypted hard discs, Taylor advised that print supplier shred the data on their existing discs, instead of simply selling them to third parties. He said: "This is a potentially major security issue that companies using high-end printer technology should be aware of. Just as computer hard drives need erasing at the end of their working life [in an organisation] so the printer hard drive also needs wiping.”

Sources

Anonymous, 'Canon Warns Of Digital Printer Security Issue,' InfoSecurity-Magazine.com, 17 June 2010.

HP To Incorporate Ads Into Web-Connected Printers

2010-06-17T10:57:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
17 June 2010 10:55 GMT

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard has joined forces with Yahoo to deliver targeted advertising for the corporation's new line of web-connected printers. HP unveiled the new printers last week: they enable users to download web pages without connecting to a computer, and print images sent from a mobile device using printer-specific email addresses. Yesterday though, HP revealed it planned to couple downloaded content with targeted ads. In theory the advertising will work as follows:

People who connect to the net using HP's new printers reveal their location, because all web-connected machines have IP addresses. Companies can use this information to send location-specific adverts.
People who use HP's new printers can also be tracked according to their behaviour and download habits. This enables companies to further individualise advertising for each user.

HP's Senior Vice President of Imaging and Printing Stephen Nigro said that in pilot shemes “people were not bothered” by the advertising. He said “Part of it I think our belief is you're used to it. You're used to seeing things with ads.” This suggests HP's decision to incorporate targeted ads is not motivated by a desire to improve the user experience. Instead the company is including advertising because people do not significantly object and it increases revenues.

President of HP's Printing and Imaging Group Vyomesh Joshi noted however that HP would be careful not to misuse consumer data when targeting ads. He said: "That's where we need to be very clear business rules in terms of privacy.”

Sources

Anonymous, 'HP Teams Up With Yahoo, Brings Targeted Ads To Printers,' UberGizmo.com, 17 June 2010.
Jeremy Kirk, 'HP Partners With Yahoo For Targeted Advertising,' PCWorld.com, 16 June 2010.

Xerox CMO Stresses Need For Personal Marketing

2010-06-16T11:54:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

16 June 2010 11:47 GMT
Image: Xerox.com

Chief Marketing Officer at Xerox Christa Carone has told an audience of marketers they must use the human touch to build relationships with consumers. Speaking in New York yesterday, Carone told attendees of the Digital Marketing Days Conference they cannot depend on technology to get through to people. Instead they must create experiences meaningful to each person to establish trust.

Carone emphasised that people remember perhaps four of the three thousand media messages they receive daily. Especially given the difficult commercial climate businesses face at present, she said marketers ought do whatever needed to ensure their messages have impact. She pointed to earlier successful campaigns:

Xerox used a playful email video to generate sales leads. The video comically warned that information overload turns office workers into zombies, and advised that Xerox products can prevent this. Featuring personalised names for each recipient, the video had a 50% referral rate of 370,000 prospects.
Australian pet chain Best Friends Pets had success tailoring their marketing according to each customer's activity and pet. It used direct mail and email marketing.
MSC Industrial Direct used telephone research to develop messages more relevant to individual customers. The company saw response rates on follow-up orders increase 20% as a result.

Carone warned however against being too personal. She referred to Liongate's recent campaign for the movie Saw V, which enabled people to sign up friends to receive a threatening phone call from one of the film's characters. Personalised to include each person's name, some recipients however thought the threat was real. Carone said: “We don't like it when someone we don't know knows too much about us.”

Sources

Christopher Hosford, 'Xerox CMO Carone Stresses Need For More Relevant Marketing,' BtoBOnline.com, 15 June 2010.
Dianna Dilworth, 'Xerox CMO Tells Marketers To Get Personal With Customers At Digital Marketing Days Keynote,' DMNews.com, 15 June 2010.

HP Helps To Create More Secure Applications With Threat Analysis Service

2010-06-15T11:18:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
15 June 2010 11:07 GMT

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard has unveiled a new threat analysis service that may ultimately result in cheaper and more secure software applications. Named the Comprehensive Applications Threat Analysis service, the service provides guidance and recommendations to developers during the application development cycle. It aims to help developers avoid stability pitfalls and virus vulnerabilities that make patches necessary after release.

In the short term this service may help developers reduce the length of the application development cycle. Developers use HP's expertise to address latent security issues, and ensure the application complies with legal requirements. Ultimately though, consumers may also benefit. This is because:

Development costs are lowered as companies work from Hewlett Packard's guidelines, resulting in potentially cheaper applications.
Programs are more stable as they are subject to HP scrutiny before release, meaning fewer patches and updates need be released.
Programs are created more rapidly as developers benefit from HP's expertise, meaning consumers receive the applications sooner.

Of course developers must choose to pass these benefits onto consumers. Equally they may invest the savings from HP's service into greater profits rather than cheaper products.

Hewlett Packard's threat analysis service is part of a complete security package aimed at developers, and also includes: the Quality Centre For Security Requirements, and the Application Security Centre For Web Vulnerability Testing. Each of these aims to help developers create the most stable and secure application possible before release. They are available now to developers worldwide.

Sources

Nathan Eddy, HP Offers Application Development Security Solutions,' Eweek.com, 14 June 2010.
Nick Farrell, 'HP Gets Into The Security Business,' TheInquirer.net, 11 June 2010.
Raju Shanbhaq, 'HP Introduces Comprehensive Applications Threat Analysis,' TMCNet.com, 11 June 2010.

HP Buys 'Instant On' Linux OS From Phoenix

2010-06-14T18:01:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
14 June 2010 17:52 GMT

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard has bought the Linux operating system HyperSpace from BIOS developer Phoenix Technologies. The $12m deal enables Phoenix to focus on its core strength of BIOS development; however it is unclear what Hewlett Packard intends for the technology. HyperSpace has several potentially invaluable strengths, including:

'Instant On' functionality - meaning that unlike Windows, HyperSpace has no start up period.
Incredible stability – meaning that the OS continues running even when Windows has stalled or crashed.
Almost total security – meaning the OS is protected from virus or trojan attacks.
Low power consumption – meaning HyperSpace can easily run on a battery-operated device.

These strengths make HyperSpace attractive both for business users who abhor trojan attacks, and for mobile device development. The purchase may therefore compliment HP's recent acquisition of Palm's webOS, rumoured to mean that HP is development a smartphone. HP however has not commented on the purchase.

In addition to HyperSpace, HP has purchased HyperCore and PhoenixFlip from Phoenix. HyperCore manages HyperSpace from a computer's BIOS, while Phoenix Flip enables users to run Windows and HyperSpace simultaneously. Users can alternate between them at will.

Sources

David Marshall, 'HP's Acquisition Of Phoenix Virtualisation Adds To Its Linux Muscle,' InfoWorld.dl, 14 June 2010.
James Cullimore, 'HP Snaps Up 'Instant On' OS From Phoenix,' ITProPortal.com, 14 June 2010.
Tom Espiner, HP Buys HyperSpace Fast-Boot Linux,' ZDNet.co.uk, 14 June 2010.

Xerox Appoints Kevin Warren Head Of Its US Solutions Group

2010-06-14T12:03:00.005+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

14 June 2010 11:57 GMT
Image: Xerox.com

Ink cartridge manufacturer Xerox has appointed Kevin Warren as the President of its US Solutions Group. Warren becomes responsible for direct sales at US Xerox, having served as the Chairman, President and CEO at Xerox Canada. He replaces the outgoing Doug Lord, who is retiring after a 34-year career at Xerox. This appointment matters because:

Warren has been described as partly responsible for the turnaround at Xerox. He spearheaded the 2007 buy-out of Global Imaging Systems, a worldwide document management service provider. This helped transform Xerox from an ailing copier manufacturer in 2002 to the world's leading managed print services provider in 2010.
The Xerox US Solutions Group sells Xerox products and services to print industry-focused companies across North America. Warren has hence become responsible for increasing the presence of Xerox hardware and services withiin: the graphic art industries, commercial printers and even printers inside government.

Warren has an especial sales focus, having begun his Xerox career as a sales trainee in 1984. Print-oriented business owners ought keep an eye on Xerox in coming months then, to see what propositions the corporation makes.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Xerox Names Kevin Warren President Of U.S. Solutions Group,' News.Xerox.com, 09 June 2010.

Australian Cycle Path Built From Recycled Ink Cartridges

2010-06-10T11:55:00.004+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

10 June 2010 11:43 GMT
Photo: Inhabitat.com

The Australian National Park Service has found a way to kill two birds with one printer peripheral, unveiling a national cycle path made entirely from recycled ink cartridges. The 17km path runs through West Mcdonnell National Park and connects Alice Springs to the Simpson Gap. Uniquely though, the path is made entirely from Replas: a recycled plastics construction material which includes ink cartridges.

The new path cost $330,000 and is part of an £8m tourism stimulus package by the Australian government. Wildlife Minister Karl Hampton said at the path's unveiling: “In keeping with our government's commitment to sustainable development, the bridge is made from recycled plastic decking or Replas, saving landfill, trees and ensuring a longer life with less maintenance. Alice Springs has a great bike culture and with the upgrades complete, residents can enjoy a short ride after school or work or longer weekend explorations.”
Sources

Anonymous, 'New Eco Path Opened,' CentralianAdvocate.com.au, 28 May 2010.
Jaymi Heimbuch, 'Old Ink Cartridges Form Bike Path In Australian National Park,' Treehugger.com, 09 June 2010.
Victoria Broadus, 'Recycled Printer Cartridges Pave Bike Path,' TheCityFix.com, 09 June 2010.

London Printer Comes To The Rescue Of Brunel University Expo

2010-06-09T15:17:00.004+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
09 June 2010 15:20 GMT

London, England, 09 June 2010: Brunel University's highly prestigious design and engineering exhibition Made In Brunel received rescue yesterday from London-based print supplier PrintExpress.co.uk. The innovative company swooped in to provide top-quality posters and banners at the last minute after Brunel's print supplier pulled out.

--

Brunel University's annual exhibition Made In Brunel gives design and engineering graduates an incredible platform to showcase their talents. The exhibition boasts support from universities around the world as well as global brands including Xerox and HSBC. Exhibiting students have the unique chance to win support for their innovations from industry-leading businesses.

This year however Made in Brunel almost didn't happen. The university's print supplier pulled out with only 3 days before the exhibition's 08 June launch, leaving the student organisers in the lurch. They needed more than 1,500 exhibition maps in addition to mounted posters for every exhibit printed in 72 hours. This kind of printing normally takes 3 weeks to produce and deliver. What could they do?

Fortunately PrintExpress.co.uk was available. The London-based print supplier already enjoyed excellent relations with Brunel having supplied free business cards and banner stands for the exhibition. After Brunel called on Friday night 04 June to see if PrintExpress.co.uk could give emergency assistance then, the company agreed to perform the impossible: produce in 3 days exhibition materials that would take lesser print suppliers 21 days.

The labour was Herculean. The finest members of PrintExpress.co.uk's production team worked without sleep from Friday night until Tuesday morning to deliver the print. Of course only the highest quality would suffice: Made In Brunel was Brunel graduates' 1 chance to showcase their talents to an international business audience. Hence the production team had to produce show-stopping print under almost impossible time constraints.

The result though was that at 6AM Tuesday morning – the day the exhibition opened – PrintExpress.co.uk was delivering several pallets of top quality print to Made in Brunel's London location. By Tuesday afternoon everything was in place: exhibition maps, mounted posters, banner stands and all. Owing to the incredible dedication and professionalism of PrintExpress.co.uk, Made In Brunel 2010 opened without a hitch and was a complete success.

Made In Brunel's Communications Manager Clive Gee said: “PrintExpress.co.uk has created print of an incredible standard and done so under extraordinary circumstances. Made In Brunel would like to thank the company for its courtesy, speed and efficiency. Matching Made In Brunel's 2010 theme of Innovation That Works, PrintExpress.co.uk has shown itself a true innovator.”

PrintExpress.co.uk CEO Murtaza Daya said: “We at PrintExpress.co.uk would like to thank everyone at Made In Brunel for the chance to support this fantastic event. We were thrilled to produce a range of exhibition materials, even with short notice, and hope our print helps secure the future of Brunel's hugely talented design and engineering graduates.”

About PrintExpress.co.uk

PrintExpress.co.uk has delivered high quality bespoke print products and professional design services for 25 years. The company aims to provide a comprehensive print service: customers can therefore enjoy everything from corporate rebranding to artwork archiving services. Of course customers can enjoy the highest quality print too: PrintExpress.co.uk offers a 100% Quality Guarantee and 48 Hour Turnaround on all orders.

Contact:
Peter Lavelle
PR Officer
[W] www.printexpress.co.uk
[E] peter@printexpress.co.uk

Unit 5, Stonefield Way
South Ruislip
Middlesex
HA4 0JS

###

Dell Streak Round-Up: A Smartphone-Tablet Hybrid

2010-06-09T09:17:00.005+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

09 June 2010 09:16GMT

Earlier this week ink cartridge producer Dell released the Dell Streak, a smartphone-tablet hybrid running on Google's Android operating system. Bridging the gap between smartphone and tablet, the Streak is a possible alternative for people unable to afford both an iPhone and iPad.

Presently the Streak is available only through O2, either for the fixed sum of £399 or £35 on monthly contract. By comparison, buying an iPhone and iPad together will cost you £870, or a £60 combined monthly tariff.

Technical Specs

A 5 inch multi-touch WVGA display (by comparison the iPad display is 9.7 inches.)
A 1ghz Snapdragon processor (matching the iPad's 1ghz Apple-made processor.)
16GB of storage, with 32GB available (identical to the default iPad hard disc, though Apple offer a 64GB option.)
WiFi, BlueTooth and 3G compatibility (identical to the iPad.)
HDMI output (something in fact missing from the iPad, but available on the iPhone.)
5 megapixel camera (matching the newly announced iPhone 4.0's 5 megapixels.)

Criticisms

On paper then the Streak appears roughly comparable to the iPad. However, since launching last week reviewers have noted a number of weaknesses in Dell's device that may make you think twice before buying. For example, CNET's Flora Graham comments in her review that:

The Streak's size makes it inconveniently large for using as a phone.
The user interface is poorly thought out compared to the iPad's, making inefficient use of the available space.
The Streak lacks basic phone features like spelling correction and predictive texting.
The Streak's browser doesn't support BBC iPlayer, and also lacks the latest Flash.

Other reviewers have meanwhile noted:

ZDNet's Matthew Miller believes the Streak's 5 inch screen is too small for a tablet.
PCWorld.com's Brennon Slattery notes that the Streak's 5 megapixel camera suffers alongside HTC's recent 8 megapixel release the 4G.

Summary

The consensus then appears that by trying to please both smartphone and tablet users the Streak satisfies no one. On a basic level the Streak's size illustrates this problem: some reviewers call it too small for a tablet, others too large for a smartphone. Ultimately Dell's hybrid only succeeds in reminding people of features present elsewhere.

However before condemning the Streak completely it is worth noting this is Dell's first entry into the smartphone-tablet market. With time Dell may release an improved Streak, perhaps featuring an updated Android OS, keeping alive the possibility of an iPod-iPhone alternative.

Sources

Flora Graham, 'Dell Streak,' Cnet.co.uk, 07 June 2010.
Matthew Miller, 'Endgadget's Dell Streak Review, Is It More Appealing Than The HTC EVO 4G?' ZDNet.com, 07 June 2010.
Nick Farrell, 'Dell Streak Is In The Shops,' TheInquirer.net, 04 June 2010.
Brennon Slattery, 'Dell Streak: The Details... And The Reviews,' PCWorld.com, 03 June 2010.

Sony Boss Predicts eBooks To Outsell Print In Five Years

2010-06-07T12:58:00.003+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
07 June 2010 12:51 GMT

The Head of Sony's e-book division Steve Haber has told Telegraph.co.uk he expects e-book sales to outstrip print sales within 5 years. He told the newspaper last week: 'Within 5 years there will be more digital content sold than physical content. 3 years ago I said within 10 years but I realised I was wrong – it's within 5.”*

Haber's prediction defies evidence to the contrary from several reputable sources. For example:

The Publisher's Association told PCPro recently that e-book sales make up less than 5% of the market.
Retailer Waterstones told The Bookseller recently that e-books will account for 8% of sales only in 2013.

Haber meanwhile offers no compensating evidence for his prediction. It is however notable that Sony's Reader faces still competition from multi-function tablets like the iPad. Perhaps the Sony executive is trying to create free publicity for himself? In other words, book lovers probably need not worry about buying an e-reader in the near future because Amazon has stopped selling paperbacks.

*(Does Haber mean e-book sales will outstrip print sales within 5 years of his original prediction 3 years ago, in which case e-books will dominate in 2 years? Or does he mean e-books will dominate 5 years from now, in which case they'll dominate 8 years from his original prediction?)

Sources

Adam Hartley, 'Will E-Book Sales Overtake Print Sales Within Five Years?' TechRadar.com, 03 June 2010.
Darren Allan, 'Sony Sees E-Books Overtaking Traditional Publishing Within Five Years,' TechWatch.com, 03 June 2010.
Nicole Kobie, Sony: E-Books Will Outsell Print In Five Years,' PCPro.co.uk, 03 June 2010.
Shane Richmond, 'Sony: E-Books To Overtake Print Within 5 Years,' Telegraph.co.uk, 02 June 2010.

HP Announce Printers With Own Email Addresses

2010-06-07T11:52:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
07 June 2010 11:45 GMT

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard announced a slew of innovations for its printers yesterday, intended to bring the PC peripherals into “the iPhone age.” Chief among these is the introduction of email addresses for each printer, enabling users to send images wirelessly for printing, whether from their smartphone, notebook or desktop computer. This brings benefits including:

The death of the printer driver. No longer will users have to install a printer's specific software before use, but may transfer images instanteously.
The death of the USB cable. No longer will users be forced to remain within 3m of the printer, connecting their mobile device to the machine, but may print wirelessly anywhere inside the WiFi radius.

To this end HP is installing 7,000 email-enabled printers in locations across the US, including retail outlets and airports. The idea is that wherever you're browsing your smartphone you have the chance to print.

HP is also introducing iPod-like applications for the new printers, meaning users may enjoy exclusive products and images. For example, children's TV network Nickelodeon has already agreed to create exclusive 'Dora The Explorer' activity packs, while Dr. Seuss Enterprises promises unique character wallpapers. Hence users may theoretically access HP printers both for hassle-free printing, and special content.

HP's Head of Printing Vyomesh I. Joshi believes the new printers make printing relevant in an age dominated by smartphones. The printers are designed for people who access the internet both through their desktop PCs and smart devices, while printing not only text documents but web pages. He told NYTimes.com recently: “We think by next year more printing will be done from the Web than from word-processing applications.”

HP's new printers will retail for between $100-$400, and offer several benefits for iPhone users still interested in printing. It may however be worth pausing before buying these new printers: they do not integrate HP's recently bought WebOS operating system. This promises to turn printers from peripheral machines into stand-alone smart devices, enabling the owner to browse the web without supporting hardware. It may be worth waiting for these printers before upgrading your existing model.

Sources

Anonymous, 'HP Planning To Launch Printers With Dedicated Email Addresses,' Ubergizmo.com, 07 June 2010.
Ashlee Vance, 'Printing In A Smartphone Age,' NYTimes.com, 06 June 2010.
Dan Nosowitz, 'HP To Announce 'Printers Built For The iPhone Age,' Without Irony,' FastCompany.com, 07 June 2010.

HP CEO Hurd In Reverse Gear About HP Smartphones

2010-06-04T11:03:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
04 June 2010 10:54 GMT

Hewlett Packard's recent buy-out of developer Palm for $1.2bn led many to speculate that HP planned to enter the smartphone market. Palm's WebOS operating system seemed the perfect platform for HP to lanch a competitor to the iPhone, and foster an App community comparable to Apple's. HP CEO Mark Hurd's initial comments two weeks ago did not encourage these rumours but did little to quash them: he said the chief reason for buying Palm was to develop web-enabled printers, capable of printing images without connecting to a computer. The smartphone question was one did he didn't address.

In a technology conference on Tuesday however, Hurd finally revealed his thoughts about the possibility of an HP smartphone – and they were not well received. He told attendees of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch conference that getting into smartphone development “doesn't in any way make sense.” Hurd probably meant this to mean that competing head-on with established smartphones would be unwise at the present time. HP however was committed to WebOS, intending to integrate the operating system into a tablet.

Unfortunately however, Hurd's comments were taken to mean that HP was not dedicated to WebOS. The company (it was perceived) was unlikely to further invest in Palm's operating system, sending a negative message to developers responsible for third party Apps. In other words, Hurd was accidentally strangling the possibility of HP's fostering an Apple-like App community, before the notion had been seriously considered.

It comes as little surprise then that yesterday Hurd was in reverse gear, seeking to reassure third party developers on whom any future HP smartphone depends. After almost dismissing the possibility of an HP smartphone at the Bank of America conference, Hurd yesterday released a new statement: “When we look at the market, we see an array of interconnected devices, including tablets, printers and, of course, smartphones. We believe WebOS can become the backbone of many of HP's small form factor devices, and we expect to expand WebOS's footprint beyond just the smartphone market.”

Here Hurd is hardly committing himself to the development of an HP smartphone. Much as before the Bank of America conference, his priorities seem elsewhere. He does however assure developers that WebOS Is central to future HP releases, potentially reviving their confidence in the platform. In short his latest comment reveals little about HP's future plans. Instead they are damage control, in which Hurd seeks to rebuild the bridges accidentally burnt on Tuesday.

Sources

Andrew Williams, 'HP Says WebOS Smartphones Coming After All,' FoneHome.co.uk, 04 June 2010.
Ed Hansberry, 'How Bad And Why HP Wanted Palm,' InformationWeek.com, 04 June 2010.
Larry Dignan, 'HP CEO Mark Hurd Talks Datacenters, Networking and Palm,' ZDNet.com, 04 June 2010.
Matt Brian, 'HP Decides It IS Going To Venture Into Smartphone Market,' TheNextWeb, 04 June 2010.

Printer Made From Lego Uses Felt Tip Pens

2010-06-03T18:05:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
03 June 2010 17:58 GMT

Lego enthusiast and b3ta forum member Squirrelfantasy has unveiled the internet's newest novelty printer: a machine made entirely from lego that creates text using felt tip pens! Click below for a video of the lego printer in action – spelling out the message 'Hello World!'

Squirrelfantasy meanwhile today completed an interview with CNET.com, in which he estimates the lego printer's performance. He believes the printer capable of only 75dpi (dots per inch) and 1ppm (page per minute.) By comparison, Canon's newly released PIXMA MX560 features 9600dpi and 6.8 photo quality images per minute. The manufacturer probably doesn't have to worry about competition from the lego sector then!

Sources

Justin Yu, 'Lego Printer Introduces Itself To The World,' CNET.com, 02 June 2010.

New Adobe Software Digitises Magazines – But Is It Any Good?

2010-06-02T13:34:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Wednesday 02 June 13:22 GMT

The news that Adobe has released an iPad App digitising the print magazine WIRED boasts 603 news articles on Google News at the moment. Hence (unless by some irony this is the first article you've clicked related to the topic) you probably already know the salient details: Adobe's WIRED App gives magazine publishers the chance to digitise their titles in an iPad-friendly way. Magazines retain their original format insofar as there are pages instead of links, while using the iPad to include elements like video.

Beyond these facts though, the 603 Google News articles are mostly useless. Few address such basic questions as: Is Adobe's WIRED Reader any good? What might the software's release mean for print magazines or the iPad? Hence (if only for the sake of breaking with 603 near-identical articles) this post addresses those questions. What's more, because monitors cripple our ability to concentrate on words (unless you do something radical like trying) I'm sub-titling my responses. Let's get down to business then:

Adobe's WIRED Reader Probably Isn't Very Good

I say 'probably' because I haven't tested the App. Yet according to two reviews floating around (I couldn't find more) Adobe's iPad version of WIRED isn't very good. For example, ShinyShiny.tv's Ashley Norris comments that the App is a whopping 527mb. That's enough to fill a 16GB iPad in 30 issues, and means WIRED takes five minutes to download. Moreover, Norris also notes that iPad WIRED is swollen with adverts.

Elsewhere, PCWorld's Harry McCracken comments that WIRED on the iPad lacks intuitiveness. Pages are tricky to navigate, and the magazine lacks the straightfoward left-to-right format of the paper version. In addition, the magazines lacks social media compatibility needed to really exploit the digital format.

Both reviewers conclude that Adobe have work to do before iPad WIRED becomes a real alternative to paper.

Adobe's WIRED Reader Really Shouldn't Exist

Back in April Steve Jobs posted at Apple.com saying that Adobe's Flash format was banned from Apple products, including the iPad. He argued that, because Flash is a proprietary software, it's incompatible with Apple's 'open' technology policy. Rather: because the internet is about the free propagation of information, Jobs argues that relying on technology owned by one company is dangerous. (Coming from Steve Jobs this can only be ironic: no one alive has worked harder to create a monolithic technology empire).

Anyway the point is that Adobe's WIRED Reader shouldn't exist given Jobs' antipathy to Adobe. The company has been banned from releasing Apps at the iStore, while the iPad uses HTML instead of Flash. So why the turnaround? Well, according to TheGadgets.net's Owaies, Adobe 'tricked' Apple by releasing the WIRED Reader through WIRED. The iPad App is available after all in the magazine's name, while Adobe only announced the Reader after it was accepted at the iStore. Hence – according to Owaies at least – Adobe were running a campaign to enter the iStore even without Steve Jobs' permission.

Alternately of course, Steve Jobs simply changed his mind about banning Adobe Apps without telling anyone.

Take Up Of Magazines On The iPad Have Been Slow

The iPad has been touted as the saviour of magazine publishing. In fact, you can barely move your elbow without poking a journalist crying that print publishing is in terminal decline, and Apple the only saviour. This is theoretically sound: for example, though people access the WIRED website for free, the iPad version is priced identically to the original version. On paper at least, the iPad represents the alternate revenue stream magazine publishers have been looking for.

In reality however, take up of magazines on the iPad has been slow. Last week for example, GQ publishers Conde Nast revealed they had sold 365 copies of the magazine on iPad – bringing in £1091 revenue. Of course, it is impossible to know if this is representative of all iPad magazine sales; but it suggests the publishing revolution promised by Apple hasn't (yet?) happened. It suggests moreover that WIRED's appearance on the iPad isn't very important – unless of course, next week readership has rocketed.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Wired Magazine Unveils iPad Application,' Google.com, 27 May 2010.
Anonymous, 'Adobe WIRED Reader Digital Viewing App Launched,' DeviceMag.com, 02 June 2010.
Ashley Norris, 'Wired iPad Magazine Review,' ShinyShiny.tv, 26 May 2010.
Ben Bold, 'GQ Sells 365 Copies Of Its Apple iPad – or $1,091 In Sales,' WallBlog.co.uk, 19 May 2010.
Frank Michell Russell, 'Adobe Touts iPad Workaround But Apple's Jobs Unimpressed,' SeattleTimes.com, 01 June 2010.
Harry McCracken, 'Wired's iPad App: Finally Here, Still A Work In Progress,' PCWorld.com, 27 May 2010.
Owaies, 'Adobe's Digital Publishing Platform Gets Its First iPad App Approved On iTunes,' TheGadgets.net, 02 June 2010.
Steve Jobs, 'Thoughts On Flash,' Apple.com, 10 April 2010.
Tom Arah, 'The Benefits Of New Improved Flash,' PCPro.co.uk, 01 June 2010.
Vineetha Menon, 'Adobe Software Can Digitise Print Mags,' ITP.net, 01 June 2010.

Toshiba Carbon Offsetting Scheme Helps Kenyan Cooks

2010-06-01T10:24:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

1 June 2010 10:16 GMT

Carbon offsetting is a familiar buzz phrase these days. It refers to the practice of investing in environmentally-friendly schemes to offset the CO2 you produce. Conventionally, businesses looking into carbon offsetting invest in schemes like renewable energy or forestry projects. You think of carbon offsetting as something more helpful to the environment than other human beings.

Recently though, ink cartridge manufacturer Toshiba announced a carbon offseting scheme that challenges this idea. The company is enabling UK and Irish businesses to opt into a scheme that, rather than funding windfarm development and the like, gives people across Kenya access to greener and healthier cooking appliances.

The scheme is simple. Businesses across the UK and Ireland who purchase Toshiba multi-function printers can opt into something called the African Energy Efficient Stove project. Managed by CO2balance.com, this project gives Kenyan people access to domestic stoves that replace open fires. These stoves both cut the consumption of firewood by more than half – saving 3 tones of CO2 per cooker each year – and bring down the 1.6 million deaths caused by smoke inhalation across Keyna annually.

Businesses that opt into the scheme not only offset the carbon produced in their own use of the multi-function printers. They also offset the carbon used in Toshiba's manufacture and distribution of the printers. Moreover, Toshiba's scheme enables businesses to offset the CO2 produced throughout each printer's lifetime, including peripherals like paper and ink cartridges. Companies can choose to offset either five years of printing or one million copies.

Toshiba's TEC Imaging Marketing Director Steve Hewson said: "The African Energy Efficient Stove project delivers savings on two continents and means that as well as contributing to your own environmental efforts, you can make a very real difference to the lives of people in East Africa."

For more information please visit CO2balance.com.

Sources

Hannah Cross, 'Toshiba's Carbon Free Printing Makes Kenyan Cooking More Sustainable,' PRNewswire.co.uk, 1 June 2010.

Dell Release Driverless WiFi Printers

2010-05-28T11:55:00.000+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
28 May 2010 10:50 GMT

Yesterday Printerinks.com News reported Dell's strategy to enter the managed print services market using printers embedded with document management software. The company is targeting specific industries in this way: for example, offering to schools software that automatically grades and sorts test papers.

In addition though, Dell are offering a free program that enables Wifi users to connect to their printer without a driver. Called Dell Proximity Printing, the program is available to download from June 8th. Users will be enabled to print without knowing the printer's name or other details; they simply need be within Wifi Range.

More information is available from Dell's website.

Sources

Tony Hoffman, 'Dell Announces Mono Laser Printer, Biz Printing Solutions,' PCMag.com, 27 May 2010.

Dell Targets MPS Market With Document Management Software

2010-05-27T12:58:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Thursday 27 May 12:50 GMT

The managed print services market resembles an untapped oil field at the moment. Several prospectors have scented the potential profit, and are attacking the same territory with their respective equipment. Yesterday Xerox vendor Bytes Digital Solutions demonstrated (for me at least) that MPS can be truly worthwhile for companies in a new press release. They showed (using several university clients as examples) that good quality MPS means identifying the specific source of print mismanagement in a business, and removing it. They showed (in other words) that Xerox make MPS valuable because they provide a genuinely bespoke service.

Today meanwhile Dell (a relative newcomer to ink cartridge making) has announced its managed print services strategy. Unlike Xerox, Dell is not constructing a service division but integrating MPS into its printers. According to the Product Manager at Dell's Printing and Imaging Division Orlando Lacoyo, henceforth Dell multi-function printers will feature embedded document management software. This software (on a basic level) will enable users to automate printing tasks or reroute documents into the correct folder automatically. It will (theoretically) make each company's printing workflow much more efficient.

Next to the army of third party vendors Xerox have accredited to sell its managed print services, Dell's strategy may seem small potatoes. To Dell's credit though, it is not offering generic document management software but several programs made for specific industries. For example, Dell is pitching a Healthcare Print Station program to the medical sector. This program automatically sorts scanned documents into relevant patient folders – greatly reducing bureaucracy. Elsewhere Dell is offering its Classroom Print Station software to schools and colleges. This software automatically grades tests and places the results in the proper document.

For Dell these announcements are interesting because the company can make headway into a hitherto untapped portion of the managed print services market. They can offer products of genuine value to customers without competing directly with the MPS behemoths: Xerox and Hewlett Packard. It will be interesting to see if Dell's strategy succeeds: on the one hand, selling document management software enables companies to see exactly what benefit they will receive; on the other hand, the scope of these benefits is perhaps lower than the 'complete printing overhaul' services offered by Xerox and Hewlett Packard.

Sources

Agam Shah, 'Dell Adds Document Management Features To Printers,' PCWorld.com, May 27th 2010.

Universities Reap Savings With Xerox MPS

2010-05-26T11:20:00.003+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
26 May 2010 11:12 GMT

In recent months ink cartridge maker Xerox has been pushing its managed print services heavily. The company has accredited several companies around the world to become third party MPS vendors, and trained countless salespersons to cross-sell MPS alongside existing Xerox products. In spite of this however, many consumers (myself included) remain uncertain exactly what MPS constitutes. Xerox promise to improve a company's printing efficiency and reduce costs – but how?

Fortunately then, third party MPS vendor Bytes Document Solutions (BTS) has posted a press release explaining the benefits of MPS. The release illustrates the value of MPS using several customers – and surprisingly perhaps, these customers are not businesses but universities. They include:

Canada's University of British Columbia. UBC anticipates $8m annual savings because Xerox MPS has provided them a consistent print workflow across the campus. Students and staff now follow an efficient printing schema, reducing costs.

South Africa's University of Johannesburg. UJ has benefited from a unique bit of Xerox MPS software that enables images and text to be integrated before printing. This in turn reduces needless printouts.

North America's Hobart & William Smith Colleges. HWS used Xerox managed print services to reduce their printer count from 550 to 81 and saved $135,000. (Presumably Xerox did this without compelling some poor students and staff from walking half a mile to the nearest printer or somesuch.)

The article lists other examples. Pertinently though, six months ago several bloggers thought MPS impossible to define: each service was so bespoke it defied general explanation. (You can probably Google 'What is MPS?' for several debates on the subject.) Speaking personally I didn't necessarily disbelieve this: it is often tough to define a burgeoning service. But the failure of MPS salespersons to provide a concise explanation of their business made me wonder if MPS wasn't nonsense. Too often persons who can't explain themselves are compensating for an insubstantial centre to their ideas, after all.

Today's release by BDS is a pleasant surprise then. It demonstrates that MPS really can provide a bespoke service that benefits customers according to their circumstances. (I must however end on a cynical note. Doubtless BDS cherry-picked these clients as examples of outstanding Xerox MPS performance. I would love to hear from customers that contracted Xerox MPS and received no benefit. Moreover I would love to know the ratio of MPS successes to failures too. Perhaps you could leave a comment below!)

Sources

Grant Long, Universities Slash Up To 30% On Printing Costs With Xerox,' ITWeb.co.za, 26 May 2010.

OKI Release New LED Printers

2010-05-25T17:42:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
25 May 2010 17:36 GMT

Flashing lightbulbs. To date they've been good for transmitting morse code and causing epileptic fits. Recently though the fine people at OKI decided that giving lonely lighthouse keepers something to do wasn't a worthy purpose for the lightbulb. They've therefore integrated LEDs into their new printers, and given them the noble task of generating printouts. Oh what benevolent ink cartridge manufacturers!

The new OKI C330dn and C530dn printers produce colour printouts, while the B411 and B431 series printers produce monochrome printouts. Each model though depends on a wonderful series of flashing lightbulbs to generate characters. In addition the C330dn and C530dn boast EnergyStar status, making them both energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Really though, no one cares about eco printing (this is almost official: yesterday an executive at Kyocera, a company renowned for its environmental policies, called these policies “green crap.”) What's important is knowing that your printout is generated by the electronic equivalent of several people blinking really fast.

Oh yes.

Sources

Nathan Eddy, 'OKI Printing Debuts LED Printers,' Eweek.com, 25 May 2010.

Do Consumers Care About Eco Business Policies?

2010-05-24T13:27:00.004+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
24th May 2010 13:21 GMT

I consider myself a newcomer to the world of business. I finished my master's degree only one year ago, and have experience in only two office environments. However in spite of the different atmospheres of these companies, one kind of behaviour unites them: they find out what the competition is doing, and improve on them. This mentality informs everything from website design to the USPs. More recently though (because of the direction my work has taken me), this 'keeping up with the neighbours' has centred on one area: environment policy. Almost overnight, it seems every company must display its environmental credentials – simply because other companies have started doing so. The details of the policy seem barely relevant – it could involve carbon offsetting or recycling. More important is that the company appears to be doing – well, basically anything.

I bring this up because today Mike Jennings of PCPro.com posted an article querying how crucial eco policies really are to consumers. If two companies offer the same product at the same price, are people truly more likely to buy from one because they boast environmental credentials? Or (as I wonder) are green credentials something companies emphasise only because their competitors do so, and really consumers don't care if businesses use environmentally friendly materials etc.? The problem is that too often companies can only use rival companies to guide their policies. They become isolated from the concerns of the buying public on whom their revenue depends.

Of course it is possible to conduct surveys to identify what concerns influence public buying decisions. Last year EverythingCorporate.com ran a survey assessing the attitudes of their clients to eco friendly products. The number of people surveyed isn't stated, but one third of people had already bought environmentally friendly items according to the results. Moreover 50% of people intended to buy these products in the future. This suggests that a company's green credentials have a large impact on a consumer's buying decisions.

On the other hand these surveys cannot accurately recreate the buying process. To isolate eco friendly policies in a questionnaire is to exaggerate their importance, because they are the buying factor being centred on. In theory 100% of people would support more environmentally responsible business. But would they support this if, for example, prices increased in consequence? Only by incorporating an environmental policy into its corporate identity and measuring the reaction can a business discover this. The game becomes one not of blindly following the competition but implementing a change and seeing what happens.

I guess that's how it works.

Sources

Mike Jennings, 'Do You Care About Environmentally Friendly Policies?' PCPro.com, 24 May 2010.

Ricoh Release Wireless Printing App For BlackBerry

2010-05-21T12:26:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Friday 21 May 2010 12:20 GMT

Perhaps two years ago ink cartridge manufacturers raced to release wireless printing apps for the iPhone. Given that the iPhone was (and is) the smartphone to beat, this decision made obvious sense. However since then, these manufacturers seem to have realised that other smartphones exist, and are hurriedly release comparable apps for these markets. Earlier this week for example, Merchant Solutions released a wireless receipt printer for the Motorola Android – something available on the iPhone since February.

The latest example of catch up is Ricoh's release of a wireless printing application for BlackBerry users. Named the Ricoh Hotspot Printing application, the software enables BlackBerry users to connect to wireless-enabled Ricoh printers within the print radius. Users simply email their documents from their BlackBerry to the Hotspot printer and let the printing magic happen.

Given that this function is already enjoyed by iPhone users, Ricoh's announcement is unlikely to convert consumers to the BlackBerry. It may however make existing BlackBerry owners feel less neglected.

Sources

Linda Montefusco, 'Ricoh Introduces Mobile Printing App For BlackBerry Smartphones,' EarthTimes.org, 20 May 2010.

Printing In Better Shape Than Ever Says HP Boss

2010-05-21T11:44:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Friday 21 May 11:34 GMT

You've probably been living in a cave if you haven't heard the rumours that printing is a doomed enterprise. The first article referring to the paperless office was published in Business Week in 1984; since then Microsoft founder Bill Gates has claimed several times that this is direction in which we're headed. More recently the news of the widespread fall in printed newspaper readerships was widely reported; while last year a market research firm claimed (rather irresponsibly) that 90% of Britain's print suppliers faced bankruptcy.

Yet according to Hewlett Packard's Executive VP for Imaging and Printing Vyomesh Joshi, these reports are wildly at odds with the truth about printing. Speaking to Reuters.com he commented that, far from abandoning our printers at home and the office, we're printing more than ever. He said: “There are 50 trillion pages printed every year. A lot of people think we're going to the paperless office... the reality in 2010 is 10 times more paper is used than in 1984.” This suggests advocates of reading online have overstated the impact of the digital revolution. Office networking, far from beinging down printing rates, has actually increased our printing output. As Joshi states: “On average, 6% of [IT managers'] revenue is spent on imaging and printing.

Hence there's no need to worry if you're concerned that the paperless office bandwagon has already left you behind. In truth this bandwagon probably doesn't exist. It is more likely the invention of digital devotees, sadly equipped with voices loud enough to shout their agenda – accurate or not – above everything else.

Sources

Anonymous, 'HP: Think Before You Dis Print(Ing),' Reuters.com, 19 May 2010.

miSoft Release Design And Print App For iPad

2010-05-21T10:36:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
21 May 2010 10:15 GMT

Presently the internet is rife with speculation as to when Steve Jobs will release wireless printing compatibility for the iPad. The fires were stoked last week when Jobs himself replied to a customer email asking after wireless printing with the cryptic response: “It will come.” However, the Apple CEO's slothfulness has not stopped other developers from stepping up to the plate. Today miSoft – self-proclaimed “hot iPad and iPhone App developer” - has announced an App enabling wireless printing AND artwork design.

Named Print Shop, the miSoft application is intended for much more than connecting users wirelessly to home printers. Instead the App provides a comprehensive artwork design and printing service – more resembling a mobile print supplier than a smartphone utility. Hence users can design everything from business cards to postcards and letterheads, then forward these to their local print shop. There options including paper stock become available before the design is printed.

The miSoft App sounds wonderful in theory. However, it is difficult to guage how professional miSoft designs will appear next to carefully rendered Photoshop efforts. Is the iPad capable of delivering professional looking business card designs? Moreover the miSoft press release is written in a highly excitable tone of voice. The company's claim to be “front and center at the iPad and iPhone media revolution” suggests they're perhaps compensating for the inadequacies of a poor product by inducing hysteria.

Of course without having tested the miSoft Print Shop this is pure speculation. The application might be everything it promises. It's available to download now from the Apple Store for $0.99 – might an intrepid iPhone owner download it and test its capabilities? Please post your user experiences below!

Sources

D Alexander, 'miSoft Announces App Store Approval of Print Shop, the ePrint App destined to Revolutionize Personal Printing,' SkyNewsWire.com, 20 May 2010.

Samsung Targets Indian Market With World's Smallest Laser Printer

2010-05-20T15:49:00.003+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

20 May 2010 15:41 GMT

Last year Samsung accounted for 20% of printer sales in the Indian market. This year they want to raise that figure to 30% and challenge HP's market dominance, and they've released the world's smallest laser printer to do that. The Samsung ML-1666 (so named) is one of eight new printers released specifically for the Indian market. Unlike most laser printers the ML-1666 can be carried comfortably by one person, and it prints 16 pages per minute. Moreover, the printer retails with a full toner cartridge capable of printing up to 1500 pages.

The Director of Samsung Mobile and IT Ranjit Yadav said yesterday: “This year, we will aggressively grow printer business with 56 to 58% jumps in volume.” To this end Samsung are releasing their new printers in Chennai (South India) which accounts for 30% of sales. Yadav did not indicate however whether the world's smallest laser printer would see release elsewhere in the world.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Samsung Bets On Printer Products,' TheHindu.com, 19 May 2010.
Anonymous, 'World's Smallest Printer By Samsung,' TechTree.com, 19 May 2010.
Anonymous, 'Samsung India To Aggressively Grow Laser Printer Biz,' EconomicTimes.com, 19 May 2010.
Anonymous, 'Samsung Targets Top Slot In Printers Market,' FinancialExpress.com, 19 May 2010.

HP To Integrate Palm's WebOS Into Wireless Printers

2010-05-19T11:37:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
19 May 2010 11:11 GMT

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard announced their intention to buy smartphone developer Palm for $1.2bn at the end of last month. Commentators at the time intepreted the announcement as an attempt by HP to strengthen their hand in the mobile communications market. For example, HP have promised that their forthcoming tablet – the HP Slate – will run the full internet.

However in a recent conference call regarding HP's Q2 earnings, CEO Mark Hurd revealed he had different intentions for Palm's technology. In addition to integrating Palm's WebOS operating system into HP-branded tablets and smartphones, Hurd intends to integrate the technology into HP's wireless printers. He said: "You've now got a whole series of Web-connected printers that, as they connect to the Web, need an OS. We prefer that OS to be our [intellectual property], where we can control the customer experience.”

This is potentially game-changing for printers, turning them from a computer peripheral into a stand-alone product. Consumers might forgo their PC entirely, instead surfing the net using integrated printer touchscreens. Receiving theatre tickets by email (for example) and printing them could be done from a single device.

Hewlett Packard already offer integrated touchscreen printers: the Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web was released last June. That printer though only enabled users to print from websites HP had partnered with specifically. By comparison, the Palm acquisition means HP can now produce fully web-enabled printers.

Sources

Erica Ogg, 'HP: WebOS Headed To Web-Connected Printers,' News.Cnet.com, 18 May 2010.
Eric Savitz, 'HP: CEO Hurd Sees Web-Based OS Slates, Web-Linked Printers,' Blogs.Barrons.com, 18 May 2010.
James Niccolai, 'HP Wants Palm OS For Web-Connected Printers, Hurd Says,' ComputerWorld.com, 18 May 2010.

Receipt Printer Released For Motorola Android

2010-05-18T11:09:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
18 May 2010 10:57 GMT

The integration of smartphone and printing technology has to date been mostly restricted to the iPod. For example, wireless printing apps for Apple's smartphone have been available for some time, and back in February VeriFone released a receipt printer that connected to the iPod. This handy app enabled small merchants (or trend-conscious waiters) to make transactions and print receipts safely through their smartphone.

Fortunately then for non-Apple devotees, a similar app has recently been released for Motorola Android owners. Developed by Advanced Merchant Solutions and called the Pocket Verifier Professional, the application features an integrated debit card swiper and printer. Users simply connect the app to their Android using bluetooth and payments are made safely. For added convenience, Advanced Merchant are even shipping the Pocket Verifier with a leather carry case.

Tech geeks may like to know the Pocket Verifier generates receipts using inkless technology. Instead, characters are printed using thermal strips. This enables the printer to remain small: after all, no ink cartridges are needed.

For small merchants-cum-Android users who don't want iPod owners to have all the receipt printing fun, Advanced Merchant are stocking the app through their website now.

Sources

Calvin Azuri, 'MerchantAnywhere Launches Bluetooth Card For Payment Processing On Android Phones,' Mobile-Barcode.TMCNet.com, 18 May 2010.
Shane McGlaun, 'Android Devices Get New Bluetooth Credit Card System With Receipt Printer,' i4u.com, 18 May 2010.

HP Region Encode Their Printers!

2010-05-17T11:18:00.004+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
17 May 2010 10:59 GMT

The practice has irritated movie watchers for years: hardware manufacturers encode their DVD players to only play movies bought in the same country as the machine. Hence (for example) British consumers cannot play DVDs bought in Europe – unless they have the technical savvy to reset the DVD player's encoding.

However, a new TheInquirer.net post has brought to light an encoding practice even this seasoned ink cartridge blogger did not know about. Hewlett Packard (it has emerged) encode their printers to only use cartridges bought in the same country as the printer! Hence people who innocently emigrate (as TheInquirer.net illustrates using Michelle Sullivan, who moved from Australia to Malta) find their existing printers useless.

A little digging on Google reveals that HP have kept this nefarious practice since 2004. HP's European executive responsible for encoding Kim Holme told The New York Times in 2005 that (in writer Victoria Shannon's words): “the reason was to help the company set prices and help consumers know how much it would cost to print with HP.” This is of course nonsense. Regional encoding is always about preventing consumers from exploiting exchange rates to buy software cheaply, so forcing them to pay the prices manufacturers dictate.

Of course there is nothing illegal in this practice. HP are perfectly free to encode their printers and ink cartridges. However, Victoria Shanon rightly pointed out in 2005 that this practice wholly contradicts the 'digital freedom' zeitgeist. ExtremeTech's Mark Hachman says in The New York Times article: “Technology should facilitate, not impede. Regional encoding is just another wall.”

Moreover, HP have hardly been upfront about controlling where (and how much) people pay for ink cartridges. Unlike DVDs, printer regional encoding is nowhere stated on HP packaging. This suggests Hewlett Packard know perfectly well that encoding would warrant a negative public reaction if widely publicised. Though not removing all trace of the practice from the internet, they are hardly being honest either.

TheInquirer.net's Lawrence Latif points out that consumers can (theoretically) recode their printers by contracting HP customer services. Recoding can be easily completed over the telephone. Tech forums though are full of complaints from consumers who, having emigrated, received no support from Hewlett Packard. One HP customer who moved from Qatar to the UK (read here) received the correct code only after buying a £15 service voucher.

The lesson therefore appears that HP are reluctant to distribute the region codes – effectively forcing consumers to buy new printers. They apparently accede only after consumers pay a hidden service charge or (as with TheInquirer.net) instigate a journalistic investigation.

Sources

Lawrence Latif, 'HP Unlocks Printer Regionalisation,' TheInquirer.net, 17 May 2010.
Victoria Shannon, 'What Zone Is Your Printer Ink Cartridge?' NYTimes.com, 03 October 2005.

Ink Cartridges: Is Quality Or Value More Important?

2010-05-14T11:52:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Friday 14th May 11:44 GMT

IrishTimes.com has posted an interesting article today chronicling Hewlett Packard's struggle to justify the premium price of their ink cartridges to consumers, and the company's tumultuous relationship with remanufactured (after market) cartridge producers. Writer Adam Maguire notes from the outset that HP representatives positively burst with impressive-sounded trivia about their cartridges – for example stating that their cartridge nozzles are one third the length of a human hair. HP's European Marketing Product Manager Geraldine Morel meanwhile is adamant that “ink is not just coloured water.”

Maguire though notes that in spite of Hewlett Packard's best marketing efforts, the company faces increasingly intense competition from remanufactured cartridge producers. These companies (for the blissfully uninformed) sell cartridges made from the empty cases of officially manufactured products. They simply refill the plastic cases with new ink and retail them. Hewlett Packard are quick to reference independent studies demonstrating that these remanufactured cartridges are lower quality: a recent QualityLogic study for example showed that 18% of refilled cartridges tested simply didn't operate. Nonetheless, remanufactured cartridge producers retail their products for significantly less than HP; and according to another QualityLogic study, HP printouts cost on average a massive 17p each (compared against Kodak printouts, costing on average 4p each.)

If Hewlett Packard are genuinely losing out to remanufactured cartridge suppliers then, the lesson appears that (as long as a minimum standard of quality is maintained) consumers more frequently choose the cheaper option. This appears true not only of ink cartridges but (as them most recent example I can recall) sound quality. Five years ago consumers had a choice between premium quality DVD-Audio discs (damn near replicating the experience of being in the recording studio) and mp3s (often at 128kbs quality, thereby removing the highest and lowest sound frequencies and making the recording muddy) to replace the ailing CD. Today 128kbs mp3s are the standard and DVD-Audio discs are no longer produced.

Hence: consumers would probably appreciate the finer quality of black text (for example) HP offer. They (consumers) appear unwilling though to pay the 10x higher price HP charge for this finer quality – even taking an 18% chance (according to QualityLogic) that the refilled cartridges alternately available won't function. HP could probably make their cartridge nozzles one tenth the length of a human hair and it wouldn't influence consumers: the obvious way to remain competitive is to slash the cost of their cartridges.

Sources

Adam Maguire, 'Buying Ink Cartridges Is No Longer A Black And White Issue,' IrishTimes.com, 14 May 2010.

'Efficiency' The Keyword For New HP Printers

2010-05-13T11:14:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
13 May 2010 11:04 GMT

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard used a Sydney trade show yesterday to show off a truckload of new products and applications – each of which bear the theme 'efficiency' at their centre. These include: several new printers featuring HP's Smart Install software, a program built into the printers that enables users to print instantly from any computer without driver installation; an Auto On / Off feature meaning printers use three times less energy than the existing Sleep mode; and HP QuickPage, a cloud-based application enabling users to do everything from request maintenance for their HP printers to order new ink cartridges.

Each of these products and applications is aimed at SMB (small to medium business) customers: enabling them to improve their office workflow; reduce their carbon footprint; and ultimately save money. The newly unveiled HP LaserJet Pro 1102 for example Hewlett Packard calls: “the most energy efficient laser printer on the planet.” Using Auto Off this printer uses 26 times less energy than printers in normal Sleep mode. The printer even boasts wireless connectivity.

Perhaps the most interesting thing though about HP's announcements yesterday (aside from the obvious advantages of the new products to businesses) is the increasing synergy it demonstrates between the hardware and MPS (managed print services) sides of HP's business. Hewlett Packard appear no longer content using MPS to refine existing workflow practices among business customers. Instead they are developing products that themselves (quite substantially) refine workflow practices, and thereby clearly compliment MPS. For example: HP's plug and print devices make redundant driver CD-ROMs and enable any office worker to print within moments. The QuickPage cloud service meanwhile gives users complete control over their print inventory from a single interface. This is incredibly convenient.

Hewlett Packard have therefore shown great astuteness by integrating the (previously disparate) hardware and MPS sides of their business. They have altered their product lineup to match the market's mood. Having done so though, I would now expect HP to begin pushing these new machines very hard on companies that request MPS; and equally I anticipate MPS marketing material will be forwarded to companies that request these new products.

Sources

Mendelson Tiu, 'Efficient SMB HP Printers Launched,' SmartOffice.com.au, 13 May 2010.
Paul Hayes, 'HP Offers Paper Reduction Through Improved Efficiency,' Current.com.au, 13 May 2010.
Xavier Verhoeven, 'Smarter Printing From HP,' MacWorld.com.au, 13 May 2010.

Aussie Government Funds Printer Apprenticeships

2010-05-12T10:47:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
12 May 2010 10:44 GMT

Two weeks ago in a post reporting a Banksie-inspired pavement stencil of (now Prime Minister!) David Cameron, I lamented the lack of print-oriented policies in each political party's manifesto. Politicians (I raged) cared nothing for the dilemma of the ink cartridge consumer – torn between officially produced cartridges and remanufactured variations. This remains true: the hours-old Con-Dem Coalition has done nothing (outrage!) to address the problem of overpriced cartridges.

Yet in Australia the politicians (though blind to what I hereby dub Ink Cartridgegate) are not blind to the difficulties of the wider printing industry. Recently the IBSA (Industry & Business Skills Australia) body reported that the average Aussie printer is 46 years old, while the industry suffers from a shortage of essential skills. To encourage young Australian blood into such noble professions as screen printer or printing mechanic then, and ensure the industry's future, the Aussie government is investing $661m in training apprenticeships over the next four years. This sum (to be fair) is being partitioned across all Australia's skilled professions: yet printers can still claim around $5k for retaining an apprentice for nine months.

The benefits of the $661m government injection (divided into several schemes including the Apprentice Kickstart program and Critical Skills Investment program) are multiple. Printers receive an immediate payment for training an apprentice, and create the pool of skilled professionals needed for the industry's future health. The skills shortage is apparently nearing crisis point: according to Heather Ridout of the Australia Industry Group, there now exists a “rapidly expanding skills gap of some 240,000 workers per year.” The new investment will go some way (though not the whole way) to correcting that.

Incidentally I've perhaps given the impression that British printers have been left languishing recently. This remains true where government initiatives are concerned – why the Con-Dem Coalition has not already forced into statute the Cheap Ink Cartridge Act I cannot understand. Yet not three weeks ago the BPIF (British Printing Industries Federation) secured funding from the ERDF* (European Regional Development Fund) to promote a new eco certification scheme for SMB* (small to medium business) printers. Called EcoPrint London, the program promises a cost-effective alternative to expensive ISO 14001 green accreditation. It won't bring thousands of teenagers pouring into the offices of British printers; however it might bring down the industry's carbon footprint.

*Too many acronyms.
*You probably know that one. Thought I'd stick it in for the sake it.

Sources

Daniel Fitzgerald, 'Printers To Get Training Boost From Budget 2010,' ProPrint.com.au, 12 May 2010.

Eco Printer Uses Ground Coffee For Ink

2010-05-11T10:25:00.003+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

11 May 2010 10:14 GMT

There exists a seemingly endless list of inventions meant to replace the normal ink cartridges found in printers with eco friendly alternatives. For example: the printer that runs using pencil stubs or the printer that erases (thanks to special ink) and reuses the same sheet of paper up to 1000 times. You might ask how mainstream producers such as Canon would react if one of these inventions actually saw widespread release. Would they dismiss out of hand the pencil stub printer? Or release a competing line of pencils (boasting different grades to change the printout quality)? That I suppose would depend on the public reaction.

Anyway the newest conceptual printer doing the rounds replaces everyday ink cartridges with coffee grounds. Named the RITI Printer and designed by Jeon Hwan Ju, he intends that you literally take the filtered dregs of your morning coffee and feed them into your printer. Moreover Hwan Ju is convinced for some reason that printing is too much a spectator sport: he hence requires the user to move the coffee cartridge back and forth repeatedly until the printout is completed. On the plus side this reduces your electricity bill. On the negative side this both makes large quantities of printing impossible and augurs the creation of a new type of repetitive stress injury.

[Via Core77.com]

Sources

Jeon Hwan Ju, 'RITI Printer,' Core77.com, 02 February 2010.
Len Amadora, 'Earth Day Gadgets Part II,' MB.com.ph, 11 May 2010.

iPad Printing: “It Will Come” Says Jobs

2010-05-10T10:51:00.004+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

10 May 2010 10:40 GMT

Last month's iPod OS 4.0 Conference disappointed many Apple devotees because (among other things) Steve Jobs neglected to announce an iPad printing function. Yet three weeks on, adorers of printing and products prefixed by the letter 'i' need not despair: according to a new MacRumours.com post, Jobs has promised iPad printing in reply to a customer service enquiry. He makes irrelevant the conjectures of countless technology journalists in only three words: “It will come.”

Of course MacRumours.com itself emphasises that these email replies are difficult to substantiate. For example, why is Steve Jobs answering customer service emails? Moreover, if the reply genuinely comes from Jobs, why so cryptic? He might at least have included an expected release date.

Whether the reply is genuine in any case, the MacRumours.com post proves one thing: the rumour mill will not cease working until printing comes to the iPad.

Sources

Arnold Kim, 'Steve Jobs Says Printing “Will Come” For iPad,' MacRumours.com 10 May 2010

MIT Use Print Reduction Software Developed By Own Student

2010-05-07T10:35:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Friday 07 May 10:29 GMT

Printer manufacturers such as Xerox and Hewlett Packard now offer comprehensive managed print services to their customers along with hardware, intended to reduce printing expenditure. These services include everything from initial consultancy to office network restructuring: anything to improve printing efficiency.

Yet in Cambridge, Mass., the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has declined these services in favour of a solution proffered by one of its students. The university has integrated Virebo software across the campus to regulate its printing output: the creation of medical engineering doctoral candidate Joseph Barillari.

Barillari told Cleantech.com recently that he devised the print management software and founded a startup company during a year's break from his studies. He created Virebo to monitor the output of a printer network, and eventually device solutions to improve efficiency. The software includes an easily accessible web-based interface and quickly interpretable data displays.

However, though Barillari is still refining the second part of his Virebo software (i.e. that which provides solutions) MIT has already become his paying client. The software went live across the university last October.

Once completed Barillari intends that Virebo become available to paying customers to download, with a simplified version freely available. He explained: “We are focusing on markets where people print a lot and can't avoid printing,” listing such sectors as print media where paper and ink are rapidly consumed.

Thanks to MIT patronage the startup is now profitable, and Barillari estimates that in the final version customers will be able to cut 15-30% on printing. Of course Virebo remains only a piece of software: customers themselves must implement the changes to see benefits. As Barillari added: “We can provide data. It is up to who is using it to decide what to do with it.”

Sources

Lisa Sibley, 'Virebo Helping MIT To Reduce Its Carbon Footprint,' Cleantech.com, 06 May 2010.

Xerox Takeover Of ACS: Bearing Fruit

2010-05-06T12:40:00.005+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Thursday 06 May 12:28 GMT

Browsing printing forums in recent months, I read from several users that Xerox was a spent force, no longer capable of the innovation that once made the corporation a household name. The evidence pointed to this conclusion: excepting niche product sectors the printer hardware market has stagnated, and last decade Xerox cut their workforce by 50% to 50,000.

Even last September's £6.4bn takeover of business process outsourcing firm ACS could not change the opinion of these (safely anonymous) forum goers. They argued that Xerox and ACS were companies too different for genuine synergy to emerge. After the takeover was announced Xerox share prices fell 20%: proof positive that the strategy was a futile attempt by Xerox to reverse its decline.

I would love to read what these same forum goers have to say about the string of deals ACS have announced recently. For example, on Monday ACS snatched from Hewlett Packard a contract held for two decades: management of California's Medicaid Management Information System. The contract has $1.6bn estimated value and lasts ten years. ACS even recommended Xerox managed print services to California Medicaid: a deal potentially worth another $200m.

Moreover Xerox have been working hard to generate synergy between themselves and ACS since the takeover. Two hundred general account managers have been trained in cross-selling ACS produces and services to date in the US. They will be joined by another one hundred account managers in Europe next month. This strategy too is already showing results: ACS President Lynn Blodgett recently announced a new deal with Proctor and Gamble to administer workforce benefits, citing that the Xerox affiliation helped close the deal.

Finally, Xerox Chief Financial Officer Larry Zimmerman recently said that ACS has another $500m worth of deals in negotiation. Xerox expect their ACS takeover to generate $100m in profit before the year's financial close, and $375m before the third year's close. In other words the affiliation seems to be working.

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns recently told FT.com that the corporation under her new leadership (she was promoted from President last July) has not yet taken final shape. The company's new service-oriented direction may require investment in software development. Printer hardware customers meanwhile remain reluctant to upgrade their equipment. Yet based on the successes of the last week at least, Burns can relax. She is achieving what they naysayers thought impossible: the rejuvenation of Xerox.

Sources

Bud Fox, 'Xerox Forms Symbiotic Association With ACS,' Benzinga.com, 05 May 2010.
Dana Mattioli, 'Xerox Outlines Plans To Drive Services Deal,' WSJ.com, 05 May 2010.
Richard Walters, 'Xerox Chief Sets Out The Big Picture,' FT.com, 05 May 2010.

Robot Inkjet Printer Shoots Paintballs

2010-05-05T10:21:00.003+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

Wednesday 05 May 10:14 GMT

Regular inkjet printers work by spraying thousands of droplets of ink onto a piece of paper. They work delicately to produce words on a document or even complex images. But imagine what might happen if those thousands of droplets were compressed. You'd have the printer equivalent of a paintball gun, right?

Exactly this thinking has led to the recent invention of the Facadeprinter by a trio of German designers (Martin Fussenegger, Michael Sebastian Haas and engineer Julian Adenauer.) Using a cylinder of compressed air and a tripod for pellets, the Facadeprinter shoots five paintballs per second at 100mph. Operated using an in-built touchscreen and sporting a USB port for programming instructions, the printer is intended to create works of large-scale graffiti.

The design team describe their invention as a communication tool, and explain: “Even the application of the artwork is part of the message: straight and direct. The artwork is prepared as vector or pixelfile, we shoot it dot by dot onto the facade. The viewer is watching the emerging artwork like the drawing of a magic pin.”

Indeed, Fussenegger and co. envision more for the Facadeprinter than mere spectator sport. Their invention has to date created artworks on materials including: concrete, plaster, brick, steel and glass up to 40ft from the target surface. Yet the team believes the printer may be useful in rapidly communicating warning messages in hazardous areas.

You can see several examples of the Facadeprinter in action (including shots of the gathered crowds) at the designers' website. You can even – for an unstated fee – book custom facadeprints. The team promise to meet challenges “with optimistic realism.”

Sources

Anonymous, 'FacadePrinter: Paintball Gun Mixed With Printer,' NewsLite.Tv, 04 May 2010.
John Chan, 'Facadeprinter: A Robot That Shoots Paintball Art,' News.Cnet.com, 04 May 2010.

BPIF Launches Eco Scheme For Small Printers

2010-05-04T10:24:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Tuesday 04 April 10:38 GMT

The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) has been eager to improve the environmental reputation of printing for some time. The industry body already offers printers courses in offsetting their carbon footprint, and helps printers achieve ISO 14001 accreditation (the international standard for 'green' business practices.)

To this end, in the last week the BPIF has announced a major new environmental accreditation scheme for printers called EcoPrint London. Run in collaboration with Carbon Smart and fully-funded by the European Development Regional Fund (EDRU), the scheme helps printers to demonstrate their green credentials to consumers.

Printers invite Carbon Smart consultants onto their premises to inspect their printing practices, including areas such as: resource usage and carbon offsetting. Printers then attend training workshops to help them implement any necessary changes and, once these are completed, gain the Carbon Smart certificate. This proves to consumers that printers have a substantial eco action plan.

Carbon Smart has in fact run the award scheme since 2006, and more than 200 printers are already accredited. The BPIF announcement is important though, because EcoPrint London will markedly increase the certificate's profile. Perhaps most significantly for printers: new EDRU funding makes the scheme much more affordable. Printers previously hampered by limited resources will be enabled to demonstrate their eco conscientiousness to consumers for the first time.

The Commercial Director of the BPIF Richard Gray said he hopes 150 printers will become accredited during EcoPrint London's two year running time. He commented: "Printers in London particularly need this project. It is the smaller companies that find it difficult to find the time and the money to implement environmental certification schemes."

Sources

Anonymous, 'EcoPrint London,' BritishPrint.com.
Helen Morris, 'BPIF Targets SME Printers With Environmental Certification Scheme,' PrintWeek.com 30 April 2010.

Tesco Ink Cartridge Refills: Mixed Blessing?

2010-04-30T11:16:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Friday 30 11:11 GMT

Supermarket giant Tesco is one of several retailers stocking ink cartridge refill kits. These kits have a reputation of being fiddly to use, and often leave the user sporting more ink than the empty cartridge. However, according to a recent (and charismatic) article by Cork student journalist Daniel O'Connor, Tesco have solved this problem. He states that, through whatever miracle, the Tesco injection method is almost totally unproblematic. There is only one proviso: the user must inject the ink slowly. Otherwise the ink spills through the semi-permeable foam of the cartridge and (as per usual) leaves the user doused.

On the other hand, (without malicious intent) O'Connor may not be telling the full story. According to a 2006 report by independent testers Wilhelm Imaging Research, Tesco refill printouts fade 730 times faster than specialist ink brands. For example, though you can expect official HP cartridge printouts to last 73 years, Tesco refill printouts last 2 months. Moreover, Tesco refill kits lack ISO certification: the hallmark of quality ink (you can find this certification at specialist ink cartridge retailers.) Hence the Tesco kits are unregulated and lack industry recognition.

In short they may be simple to use compared to other refill kits. But is simplicity enough when the product is shoddy? Probably not, when quality remanufactured cartridges are available elsewhere at comparable prices.

Sources

Daniel O'Connor, 'Tesco Refill Kit Scores Full Marks,' CorkStudentNews.com, 29 April 2010.
Mark Goldstein, 'Refilled Ink Cartridges Fade Rapidly,' PhotographyBlog.com, 23 August 2006.
Robert Redwood, 'Cheap Ink Refills,' EasyElements.com.

Anti-Cameron Print Mimics Banksy

2010-04-29T19:36:00.005+01:00

By Peter Lavelle

Thursday 29 19:33 GMT

The general election is upon us, and you might reasonably ask: what significance could this have for ink cartridges and printers? To my knowledge, none of the main parties have policies geared toward ink cartridges (though the US Department of Weights and Measures does dispute the excessive pricing of official branded cartridges.)

However, though the politicians may have nothing to say about printing, that doesn't mean printing has nothing to say about the politicians. Case in point: the pavement stencil of David Cameron that recently appeared at Hither Green train station in Greater London. According to NewsHopper.co.uk reporter David Mills, the image resembles the work of graffiti artist Banksy, and likens David Cameron to Adolf Hitler. (Actually, I'm reasonably positive the artist had Orwell in mind: something about boots stamping on a human face forever.)

Either way, it's an inventive example of guerilla propaganda. Perhaps more potent than a hundred officially-sanctioned posters.

Sources

David Mills, 'Is David Cameron Pavement Print The Work Of Banksy?' NewsHopper.co.uk, 29 April 2010.

Managed Print Services: News Or Marketing?

2010-04-28T18:36:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
28 April 18:34 GMT

Today I again broach a topic that deserves much more attention than I can devote. SiliconRepublic.com has released an article reporting that 84% of Irish companies don't regulate their print expenditures. This itself barely warrants comment: chances are that managers at these companies have higher priorities (I can hardly imagine CEOs and President lurking behind copiers waiting for redundant printouts.) The news article deserves comment though because SiliconRepublic.com represents this statistic as a failed or missed opportunity by Irish business. It trumpets possible virtues in regulating printing costs. In other words, this news article is a disguised advert for managed print services.

To scratch the surface: the survey from which SiliconRepublic.com take their statistics was conducted by a firm that sells managed print services. The person from whom SiliconRepublic.com take their quotations (attesting to the tragedy of print overspending) is an employee at this managed print services company. His comments asserting the value of managed print services barely withstand scrutiny too – though I won't dissect them here. I'll make my point instead and end this post. News and marketing material serve two different purposes: the first to inform and the second to persuade. To intentionally confuse them is to mislead people. It is propaganda.

Thank you and goodnight.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Few Companies Know Cost Of Printing, Survey Says,' SiliconRepublic.com, 28 April 2010.

Ink Cartridge Desk Lamps: Product Upgrade Or Not?

2010-04-27T10:36:00.004+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
27 April 2010 10:31 GMT

Yesterday geek chic website GeekSugar.com reported the newest ink cartridge innovation: desk lamps made from empty ink cartridges. The product is the invention of Etsy sellers Lowell and Louise, and closely resembles the ink cartridge chandeliers previously released on Etsy (now defunct.) Like any ordinary lamp, users plug the device into the socket and all darkness is banished.

The most interesting thing about the GeekSugar.com post though is that the reporter doesn’t call these lamps recycled ink cartridges. He calls them upcycled ink cartridges. Is this verb commonly used? I would dismiss it as a neologism except it warrants a Wikipedia entry. I quote: “Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.”

This definition is expansive enough to mean turning one product into another i.e. the newly converted product has equal value to the previous product. However the term itself implies that the newly created product has superior value i.e. “up-scaling”. Perhaps this is for propaganda reasons. By suggesting that products made from old products are better, recycled is encouraged.

This is beside the point however. The question is: what prompted GeekSugar.com to assume that desk lamps have more value than ink cartridges? Perhaps because cartridges are peripheral products inserted into a parent machine? Perhaps because the retail value of lamps is higher? (Unlikely: official brand cartridges are hardly cheap.) In short I am asking: what determines the hierarchical value of things? Is this hierarchy fixed? For instance, would all consumers rate desk lamps above cartridges? How about computers versus televisions? Or spoons versus knives? What informs these opinions?

I would love to research this question. However I have more pressing obligations. Perhaps another time.

Sources

Anonymous, ‘Office Space: Ink Cartridge Desk Lamps,’ GeekSugar.com, 26 Monday 2010.

Text-Message Based Printer Saves Lives

2010-04-26T18:30:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Monday 26 April 18:26 GMT

One consequence of working in a particular product industry is that you become especially aware of that product on a daily basis. For instance, my father is the procurement manager for a greeting cards manufacturer. He has inspected and selected the materials for greeting cards for almost three decades. It is hence impossible to send him Christmas and birthday cards, because he scrutinises whatever he receives. Has that glitter been glued effectively? Are the layers of paper nicely integrated? The man cannot help himself.

I mention this because almost six months into writing an ink cartridge and printer blog I notice the same thing happening to me. I might not yet be reciting the pages per minute printing average of the newest Lexmark multi-function (indeed, I have made this blog a shrine to novelty printers.) However, I have developed the printer equivalent of a spider sense. I could (rather have) written essays analysing the internal state of the printer industry. I am constantly alive to new mobile applications for wireless printing (choose your weapon, sir: Motorola Droid, Apple iPad, Lexmark Prestige.) Time is running out before I don an Epson-branded hairshirt and rename myself the Inkjet Monk.

This all of course makes the discovery of a new printer application both surprising and (alas perhaps) exciting. For instance: this press release describing that SMS printers (commonly used by restaurants here to print receipts) are being used by medical authorities in Mozambique to reduce mortality rates. Health workers there are using the SMS printers to convey critical Early Infant Diagnosis messages to doctors. They have reduced the average diagnosis waiting period from 85 to 33 days.

Now how extraordinary! What inventive thinking that a machine used by the English in the services industry is saving lives in Mozambique! (I might obviously ask whether the technology has reduced treatment times – not just diagnosis times. That however would be cynical.) Perhaps I’m not thinking straight. Right now however it seems remarkable that, in the printing industry, where the biggest announcements typically involve saving 33% in managed print services, somewhere authorities are using printers to save children’s lives.

Sources

Tim Clayton, ‘SMS Printer: What Is It And How Is It Being Used?’ PRFire.com, 26 April 2010.

Lexmark Marketing Encourages Less Printing: Are They Crazy?

2010-04-23T11:13:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
23 April 2010 11:04 GMT

Have you ever read The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams? If so you perhaps recall an anecdote early in the novel about the Damogron Frond Crested Eagle. This misguided creature constructed nests from paper mache, making it impossible for newly born eagles to liberate themselves. The hatchlings suffocated in the nest, and the Eagles nested themselves to extinction. Douglas Adams himself puts it: “The Damogron Frond Crested Eagles had heard of the notion of survival of the species but wanted no truck with it.”

I include this extract because ink cartridge manufacturer Lexmark have apparently taken inspiration from the Damogron Frond Crested Eagle for their latest marketing campaign. The basic principle: people print too frequently. People contribute to the destruction of the rainforests by using paper needlessly. People ought use their printers less and buy fewer ink cartridges. Indeed the key slogan for the campaign is: “Print Less, Save More.” Have Lexmark's management therefore lost their marbles? Perhaps they've hired Tony Robinson as a creative consultant, and the campaign comprises a “cunning plan” to attract environmentally-conscious consumers?

Well – people concerned about the environment may not believe their ears when they hear Lexmark's explanation. Because apparently the corporation is doing something environmental campaigners have wanted since forever: putting the planet before profit. Preaches the Vice-President of Lexmark's Asia Pacific Headquarters Chin Hon-Cheng: “Cutting down on the use of paper is the key message of our “Print Less, Save More” campaign. One of the biggest kinds of wastage is the printing of unnecessary documents.” Other initiatives in Lexmark's campaign include: increasing awareness of the print preview function (revelatory!) and encouraging people to buy eco-friendly printers (ground-breaking!)

Irony aside though, Lexmark's initiative constitutes a positive (and even necessary) move toward creating a green society. The success of the campaign depends now upon: 1) the reaction of the public followed by 2) the reaction of rival printer manufacturers. Simply put: if consumers embrace Lexmark's initiative this will both benefit the environment (and potentially consumer wallets) and encourage other companies to launch similar initiatives. On the other hand though, Lexmark may not emphasise the economic benefits of their campaign enough. The slogan “Print Less, Save More” after all resembles behavioural modification as much as marketing. Rather: consumers may sense they're being told how to behave, and react negatively. Everything therefore depends on the approach Lexmark take.

What do you think? Is the public ready for marketing interlaced with environmental messaging? Or are Lexmark signing their own death warrant? Leave your comments below!

Sources

Anonymous, 'Lexmark Pushes For More Efficient Printing,' Star-TechCentral.com, 22 April 2010.
Douglas Adams, 'The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy,' Flag.Blackened.Net, 1978.

HP Updates Print Management Software; What Might This Mean For People?

2010-04-22T11:25:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Thursday 22 April 11:12 GMT

Am I the only one who thinks print management software announcements increasingly resemble science fiction plots? Last week for example Google announced the Cloud Printing Service for the Chrome operating system. This application enables people to print images on any printer anywhere on the planet. Doesn't that sound convenient? Certainly. But doesn't that also resemble a certain movie featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and a genocidal computer network? Yes – I am arguing that Google Cloud is the printing equivalent of Skynet. Expect Google to announce (in the not too distant future!) a centralised artificial intelligence determining what deserves printing.

Fortunately perhaps then, Google are not the only corporation capable of engineering a Cloud Printing overlord. Because Hewlett Packard has announced plans to update its print management software. The new Smart Decisions Suite (credit to whoever dreamt up that title) enables management to view the activity and status of network printers. These managers (admittedly mere mortals and not AIs for the moment) acquire Godlike power over printing activity. “You there,” the pink-faced supervisor calls at the trembling employee, “Was that reprint of yesterday's spreadsheet truly needed?” The employee shakes his head: from then on each printout becomes a torturous decision.

Hewlett Packard has also collaborated with communications firm Research in Motion to create an ePrinting application for Blackberry users. The new application enables users to print wirelessly through business networks and Hewlett Packard's PrinterOn public network. This is fantastic news for companies: employers can legitimately ask underlings to create printouts anywhere. Employees on the other hand – already tightly leashed by their Blackberries – discover their private lives further eroding. Thanks Hewlett Packard!

The HP Cloud Printing service officially launched in 2007. The service has obvious advantages: by bypassing printer-specific drivers people can print documents on any machine. This is certainly advantageous. Yet the service (whether using Google Chrome or HP Smart Decisions) troubles me because any network requires administration. Cloud Printing hence centralises power and hands employers undue powers of surveillance over employee activities. In addition, WiFi-printing enabled Blackberries increase the extent to which persons are employees rather than private individuals. WiFi has enabled employers to demand more from people outside regular working hours simply because they are more accessible. I don't seriously believe Cloud Printing foreshadows a Skynet-like scenario (although the tendency to centralised worldwide communications is troubling.) I am however concerned that Cloud printing etc. reduces persons to the tasks they complete. HP's recent announcements (and Google's last week) have done nothing to allay these concerns.

Sources

James Hutchinson, 'HP Signs Up Fedex, Hilton, For Public Cloud Printing Service,' ComputerWorld.com, 22 April 2010.
Shaun Nichols, 'HP Updates Print Management Product Line,' v3.co.uk, 22 April 2010.

Cookbook Advises Cannibalism; Not First Time

2010-04-21T17:55:00.004+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Wednesday 21 April 17:48 GMT
Image: http://ytorf.com/2008/10/a-modest-proposal/

Experimental cooks of an inquisitive nature may be intrigued by a recent misprint by publishers Penguin Australia. The newly released Pasta Bible advocates that budding chefs add: “salt and freshly ground black people” - pepper, quite clearly – to their tagliatelle with sardines and prasciatto. Already seven thousand copies of the cookbook have been pulped by Penguin Australia at a $20,000 charge. However, there are no plans to recall the volume from retailers.

The Head of Publishing at Penguin Australia Robert Sessions defended the company's proofreaders, attesting that only “small minded” people would be offended. Moreover, by advocating cannibalism the Pasta Bible inadvertently enters a rich literary tradition. Back in 1729 Jonathan Swift (known for Gulliver's Travels largely) published a pamphlet called A Modest Proposal. Herein Swift proposed that the most effective method of alleviating Irish poverty at the time was eating Irish infants. I quote:

“I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, basked or broiled.” Swift proceeds to suggest that Irish children are particularly suited to ragouts.

Knowing this Robert Sessions at Penguin Australia may have been even more brazen in his response to the printing error. He may indeed have refused to recognise the spelling error as a misprint altogether. After all – if eighteenth-century classic writers can advocate cannibalism, why not modern publishers?

Sources

Adam Arnold, 'Book Axed Over 'Ground Black People' Typo, News.Sky.com, 19 April 2010.
Jonathan Swift, 'A Modest Proposal,' Art-Bin.com, 1729.
Richard Lea, 'Penguin Cookbook Calls For 'Freshly Ground Black People,' Guardian.co.uk, 19 April 2010.
Rob Bautigam, 'Books About Cannibalism,' ShroudEater.com, 26 October 2008.

Ought Games Developer Ubisoft Scrap Paper Manuals?

2010-04-20T14:18:00.008+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Tuesday 20 April 12:17GMT

Longstanding computer gamers around the planet may share a tear: veteran developer Ubisoft have announced they will no longer box their releases with paper manuals. Instead, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 owners will find future releases packing on-screen manuals completing the same function. The first release to feature this on-screen manual will be Shaun White Snowboarding released this autumn, with all future releases obeying the same format. Expect classic manuals – such as those boxed in Final Fantasy releases containing back stories long enough to constitute novels – to become rare collectables.

The reasons for Ubisoft's decision bear scrutiny however. For example, the President of Ubisoft's North American branch Laurent Detoc recently said: 'Ubisoft is often recognised for making great games, but it's a special privilege to be the industry leader in saving trees.' This may be correct – Ubisoft are also switching their DVD cases to 100% recycled material with Technimark.

Yet there are conspicuous absences in their green initiative: releases for the Nintendo DS and Playstation Portable will retain forest-munching manuals. Perhaps Ubisoft felt these console formats could not conveniently support on-screen manuals? Perhaps the developer will abandon printed manuals for these formats if the initiative succeeds? Either way, customers should not be misled: Ubisoft executives have not yet taken to chaining themselves to sycamore trees and wearing hemp clothing – for the moment.

Another of Ubisoft's reasons bears scrutiny too. The company's recent press release states that: 'Including the game manual directly in the game will offer the player more intuitive access to game information, as well as allow Ubisoft to provide gamers with a more robust manual.' But is this truly accurate? Presumably Ubisoft intends nothing more radical than shifting a text manual from paper onto screen or monitor. Yet it is commonsense knowledge that reading text for prolonged periods on screen damages our eyesight.

Indeed, the American Optometric Association recognises a condition called C.V.S. (Computer Vision Syndrome): defined as “A complex of eye and vision problems which are experienced during and after computer use.” Hence Ubisoft are not only misleading gamers when they argue that on-screen manuals provide intuitive access to game information (how is navigating game menus easier than browsing pages?). Ubisoft are also risking the health of their consumers, by shifting printed text to the monitor without taking the new medium into account.

Moreover it is also possible that Ubisoft are missing a huge chance by not exploiting the on-screen format of their manuals. Players of Fahrenheit (or Indigo Prophesy for North American readers) may remember that training took place in-game, communicating with a computer generated version of chief developer David Cage. Learning in a virtual 'backstage' prior to the game proper, Cage taught the gamer the tricks necessary to survive in the game's universe. The relationship resembled that between Neo and Morpheus in The Matrix.

Now – according to cognitive researchers Kirschner, Sweller and Clark, this learning method is simply more effective than reading (see: Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work, 2006.) Gamers cognitively process and easily assimilate the control method etc. between learning the controls and interacting with Cage. Simply put: the most effective learning is through doing. By comparison, translating textual instructions into action is simply more challenging: hence why following instruction manuals is troublesome.

Therefore by merely bringing paper manuals on screen Ubisoft are wasting the chance to redefine the training manual. The developer may be saving forests, but to argue that bringing manuals in-game creates an intuitive experience is simply false. If anything, bringing manuals in game may be detrimental to the experience because of the additional strain on player's eyesight. But who knows? Perhaps Ubisoft will someday recognise and amend this mistake.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Ubisoft Launches Environment-Friendly Packaging For Its PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 System Video Games,' GamesUltra.com, 20 April 2010.
Ben Parfitt, 'Ubisoft To Ditch Instruction Manuals,' MCVUK.com, 19 April 2010.
Brett Molina, 'Ubisoft Going Green, Ditching The Paper Game Manual,' USAToday.com, 19 April 2010.
Chris Faylor, 'Ubisoft Doing Away With Printed Manuals,' ShackNews.com, 19 April 2010.
Josh Lowensohn, 'Ubisoft Ridding Its Xbox, PS3 Titles Of Manuals,' News.Cnet.com, 19 April 2010.
Mike Luttrell, 'Ubisoft Will No Longer Print Game Manuals,' TGDaily.com, 20 April 2010.
Paul A Kirschner et al., 'Why Minimal Guidance During Insruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure Of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching,' Cogtech.Usc.Edu, 2006.

Xerox ACS Aggregate Social Media Information For Customer Service Solutions

2010-04-19T12:42:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Monday 19 April 12:24 GMT

In September last year ink cartridge manufacturer Xerox bought business outsourcing firm ACS (Affiliated Computer Services) for $6.4 billion. The purchase signalled Xerox CEO Ursula Burns' desire to move from hardware production to services provision. The copier market has (excepting niche categories such as MFP colour devices) reached saturation: becoming service-oriented is hence an obvious step for Xerox. By purchasing ACS, Xerox is actually replicating measures taken by Hewlett Packard and Dell. These two companies have respectively bought Electronic Data Systems (now called HP Enterprise Services) and Perot Systems (operating as Dell Perot Systems) in recent years.

Business process outsourcing – along with related practices managed print services and document management – marks an untapped revenue source for electronics companies (and copier manufacturers in particular.) Therefore everyone wants their share of the treasure. Now – Xerox bought ACS back in September. Since then the business process outsourcing players have been arguing among themselves: how will Xerox secure their share of the treasure?

Finally they have received their answer. Last Wednesday ACS announced a new service called Community as a Strategy: a method of enabling companies to compile consumer thoughts about them, and incorporate this data into their customer service strategies. For example: perhaps you supply computer peripherals, and are encountering logistics difficulties. Products are not leaving the warehouse quickly enough, and deliveries are too slow. Unless customers complain, how can you formulate an effective CRS solution to the problem?

The Community as a Strategy service aims to resolve this difficulty – by scanning the internet (using relevant keywords) for perspectives about your company, and compiling them in a document. Based on the aggregated data, companies then device a response to their problem – whether logistical, branding, or whatever. ACS is offering companies a direct line to their customers' thoughts.

According to the ACS press release blurb, Community as a Strategy will let companies: “pro-actively connect with their customers before they contact them.” This will undoubtedly enable companies to provide a more effective service to their customers. However, the service also augurs an unsettling change in business-customer relations. By contracting ACS to trawl social media networks (Facebook, Twitter etc.) to collate customer opinions before customers have themselves communicated these opinions to the company, such companies render themselves almost (pardon the surreal metaphor) psychic butlers.

Imagine you're reclining on a beach somewhere – thoroughly relaxed. It's deserted. You think to yourself: “A cool pint of Stella Artois would be fantastic now.” Then suddenly a Stella Artois marketing rep pinches your shoulder, holding a pint. Where's he come from? You accept – why not, you're thirsty? - but by fulfilling your wants before you've expressed them (i.e. incorporating comments made on Facebook not intended for the company into customer relations) the magical Stella rep has done something profoundly invasive.

It's equivalent to restaurants bugging their tables to discover customer opinions of the service. The restaurateur may only wish to create a better dining experience – but what gives him the right to invade his customers' privacy? Of course, the ethics of the internet are less clear-cut than a restaurant. Arguably all content – including that on social media sites – is public. Hence Xerox ACS can justify their Community as a Service strategy. Yet regardless of whether the service increases Xerox's standing in the business process outsourcing market, it is troubling that the company would disregard the private / public divide simply because it is technically permissible.

Sources

Alan Tan, 'Warning: BPO Will Get Hot As Xerox Enters The Market,' EnterpriseInnovations.net, 30 September 2009.
Anonymous, 'ACS Introduces Next Generation Customer Service Solution With Comprehensive Social CRM Offering,' BusinessWire.com, 14 April 2010.
Anonymous, 'The Ethics Of Social Media,' SocialMediaWorld.net, 8 February 2008.
Brendan B. Read, 'ACS Launches Social CRM Solution,' CallCenterInfo.net, 15 April 2010.
David Roe, 'Xerox Moves Into Social Media Space With New CRM Solution,' CSMWire.com, 15 April 2010.
Joe Mescher, 'Social Media Marketing: Making Money Without Sacrificing Ethics,' SocialMediaCommando.net, 13 April 2010.
Larry Dignan, 'Xerox Buys ACS; Makes Its Big Services Bet,' Blogs.ZDNet.com, 28 September 2009.

Google Chrome Cloud Printing Enables Universal Printing

2010-04-16T11:29:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle 16 April 2010 11:08 GMT

Perhaps one of the biggest drawbacks of the anticipated Google Chrome OS has been the absence of computer peripherals compatibility. The drivers contained in printer software etc. simply haven't been announced compatible with Google's operating system, requiring printer owners to use Linux or Windows to print pages from the internet. Yesterday though, Google announced a significant step to repair this weakness in their operating system, with the introduction of: Google Chrome Cloud Printing.

This system does far more than simply provide printer driver compatibility with Chrome, as you'd probably expect from Google. Instead, Chrome Cloud Printing bypasses the driver compatibility altogether by running the printing application straight through Chrome. Users simply submit their print jobs to the Google Cloud – enabling them to print not only through computers connected to their network, but any PC (or electronic device) connected to the Cloud. Printing jobs therefore become possible through any hardware running Chrome anywhere on the planet.

Google recognises that new machines are at present unlikely to come packaged with the Chrome Cloud application. Moreover, their recent announcement only signals their intention to release the service: it is not yet available. Yet Google hopes their application will eventually become packaged as standard in Linux, Windows and even Mac machines. Moreover, the Chrome Printing Cloud potentially gives Chrome a major advantage over Windows and Linux operating systems. These after all remain dependent on the drivers contained in the printer software. Google's solution on the other hand encourages universal compatibility among both hardware brands and device types. Expect further updates as Google release them.

Sources

Anonymous, 'Google Cloud Print: Printing From Anywhere, To Anywhere,' iTechReport.com, 16 April 2010.
Chris Ducket, 'Google Chrome Increases Printer Voodoo,' Builderau.com, 16 April 2010.
Duncan Geere, 'Google Cloud Print Revealed,' PocketLint.com, 16 April 2010.

HP Unveil New ‘Plug And Play’ Laser Printers

2010-04-14T13:39:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Wednesday 14 April 13:31 GMT

In recent years printer manufacturers have done their utmost to make their customers feel like nuclear scientists. How else to explain the laborious number of steps required to get the machines working? There’s not only the problem of connecting the printer to the computer via USB cable. There’s the problem of installing the printer drivers (CD-ROM or Flash Drive), then installing the maintenance software, then registering the printer. Half an hour into the process, you’d swear constructing a fission reactor was less tiresome.

Which makes Hewlett Packard’s recent announcement that they’ve seen the error of their ways all the sweeter. Retailing soon at all good computer hardware stores: HP laser printers that work the moment they’re to the computer. That’s right - Hewlett Packard have banished to the netherworld the driver installation disc, making quality laser printing a simple matter of ‘plug and play.’

The new laser printers (the LaserJet Pro P1100 series, the LaserJet Pro M1130/M1210, and the LaserJet Pro P1566/1606dn series, retailing for around £100) are intended for the office – but there’s no obvious reason why home users shouldn’t benefit from this convenience also. Unless – of course – you fancy yourself a nuclear scientist?

Sources

Marie Boran, ‘HP Brings Industry’s First ‘Plug and Play’ Laser Printer,’ SiliconRepublic, 14 April 2010.

Epson Introduce Augmented Reality Feature Into Portable Printers

2010-04-13T11:29:00.003+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Tuesday 13 April 11:18 GMT

Epson’s Colorio range of portable printers resemble something in which you’d transport a sandwich. The plastic handle swings upward exactly in the manner of a child’s lunchbox, and the front cover opens to reveal – not a packet of Walker’s crisps, but the printer settings. Doubtful appearance aside though, the Colorio design is actually rather clever: the cover acts both as protective cover and paper tray, and the printer houses a 2.5 inch LCD screen for previewing images. What’s more though – it’s portable! Users need simply grasp the handle and – blammo – printing on the train! In the garden! On the mythical floating island of Laputa!

Recently Epson contributed even more to the Colorio range of innovative features by giving customers the option to create ‘augmented reality’ postcards. (For the uninitiated, ‘augmented reality’ is the practice of superimposing computer generated images on otherwise lifelike images. This can range from introducing animated characters into film ala ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ to displaying statistics during a football match.) Colorio owners in Japan need only produce a greetings card or postcard, then place the postcard before a webcam. The image on screen then becomes animated – interacting with the watching Colorio owners.

Colorio printers are presently available in Japan only, retailing for $600. Epson have no plans to introduce them into Europe or North America – though perhaps they should. The design (lunchbox resemblance aside) is practical and the features engaging.

Sources

Anonymous, ‘New Look For Portable Printers,’ Wired.com, 6 October 2006.
Cosmin Ghiurau, ‘Epson Printers Augmented Reality Greeting Card For New Year 2010,’ AugmentPro.co.uk, 30 December 2009.
Daniel Ionescu, ’15 Amazing Concept Printers,’ PCWorld.com, 27 March 2010.

Lehigh University Eliminates Dorm Printers In Green Initiative

2010-04-12T12:16:00.005+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Monday 12 April 12:10 GMT

Recently universities are proving quick to adopt “green” printing policies.

Last week the University of Wisconsin (perhaps surprisingly) made headlines by announcing it was changing the official college font from Arial to Century Gothic. The underlying logic was that Century Gothic used fewer pixels to print each letter – thereby promising thousands of dollars in ink cartridge savings.

Today Lehigh University of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania announces a similar initiative: in an effort to reduce printing expenditures, the Residential Services are removing printers from the student dorms.

Speaking to college newspaper The Brown And White, Lehigh director of Resident Services Ozzie Breiner said the decision was prompted by two factors.

The first is perhaps specific to Lehigh facilities: “… most of the laserjet printers currently provided in the residence facilities are not housed in a climate-controlled environment, and high humidity causes them to jam frequently and break down."

The second factor though may prompt universities elsewhere to review their printing policies: "We have found that a majority of our students already have their own printers, which are equipped to meet their needs.”

Residential Services will remove the printers from student housing in August.

According to Eric Feather’s article in The Brown And White, the decision can only reduce printing expenditures at Leigh: aside from frequently breaking, packs of computer paper are frequently stolen from the residential printers, and documents are not collected.

The policy has drawn a negative reaction from the student body though, chiefly on the grounds that alternate library printers are located too far away. Laments student Jeffrey Hoffman: "In no shape or form am I going to take 20 minutes out of my life to get in my car and go to the library just to print a document.”

The new Lehigh University policy therefore prompts numerous questions.

Are college authorities right to eliminate official printing facilities to reduce costs? Is this policy not counterproductive given that students must continue printing with their own machines – thereby eliminating any green benefit? Or do college authorities believe the benefits derive from students’ printing more responsibly with their own machines?

Ought Residential Services not pass on their print savings to students? Ought other colleges adopt an equivalent policy? And finally – why are universities proving so quick recently to regulate their printing policies?

(I bet you never thought printing could be so morally ambiguous.)

Sources

Eric Feather, ‘Printers In Dorms Ousted To Go Green,’ TheBrownAndWhite.com, 12 April 2010.

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns Receives Sizeable Pay Increase

2010-04-11T15:47:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Sunday 11th April 15:45 GMT

The cliché goes that with great power comes great responsibility. Yet by all accounts great power also comes with great financial compensation – as Xerox CEO Ursula Burns can attest. Promoted from Vice President in July 2009, Burns received an estimated $11.2 million in cash and stocks last year – compared to her previous salary of $6.8 million. Though Burns received a relatively paltry(!) $900k base salary, she accrued $6.9 million in stock through the company's Executive Long Term Incentive Program.

Burns's salary will likely balloon again in the near future: in May she will replace former Chief Executive Anne M. Mulcahy as company chairperson.

Sources

Matthew Daneman, 'Xerox's Burns Saw A Big Raise in 2009,' DemocratAndChronicle.com, April 8 2010.

Further Employment Woes For HP Workers

2010-04-11T11:32:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Sunday 11th April 11:28 GMT

Printer manufacturer Hewlett Packard keeps an uneasy relationship with its workforce. Two weeks ago employees at HP Enterprise Services (members of the Public Services Union) cancelled a planned strike regarding pay-cuts and redundancies in North-West England. Hewlett Packard would have faced a potentially thousand-strong picket line, if not for last-minute intervention from employer-worker mediation company ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Services.)

The latest employment turmoil meanwhile at Hewlett Packard concerns planned redundancies at the company's Erskine facility North-West of Glasgow. Workers there have been given 90 day's notice, following a year's 'restructuring and consultation' exercise. The 1,300-strong workforce – concerned largely with production – have feared for their positions since May 2009, when HP first announced the restructuring initiative.

The recent announcement though only substantiates those fears: according to the Inverclyde Employment Rights and Advice Centre's Jim McCourt, hundreds of redundancies could follow. Mr. McCourt said: “The axe has been hanging over them [the Erskine plant workers] for a year. In some ways it's a relief to know the process has started.” Hewlett Packard will presumably announce the exact number of job losses in the coming weeks.

Sources

David Moroney, 'HP Workers Fear For Their Jobs,' Greenock Telegraph.co.uk, 10 April 2010.

Spray-On Printer Could Revolutionise Skin Grafts

2010-04-09T11:18:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Friday 09 April 11:11 GMT

Inkjet printers have proven a source of unexpected inspiration for people in recent years. For example, Italian inventor Enrico Dini has since 2003 been creating a machine that prints buildings. His printer compresses particles – replicating the natural process of creating sedimentary stone (of course, Dini’s machine takes not countless years but mere hours.) Elsewhere, conceptual designer Yejin Mun recently incorporated inkjet printing into his P: log system: a blogger platform giving prisoners creative release. Inmates express their grievances in long-hand before scanning their entries online – where it becomes available to print!

The latest group to experience a sudden brainwave staring at their Hewlett Packards are the medical researchers at Wake Forest University in Winston-Smith, North Carolina. They have been developing alternatives treatments for burn victims (skin grafts are subject to many complications and scarring) and believe inkjet technology holds the solution. Rather than crudely attaching whole pieces of skin to the damaged area, they have developed a spray-on skin machine. The device uses cells from the victim’s dermatitis (ensuring colour continuity etc.) and takes three weeks treatment to mend. The advantages? Printer grafts replace the missing areas cell for cell: if conventional grafts are like bunging a hole with wet toilet paper, inkjet grafts are like inserting the missing piece of a jigsaw.

The research team at Wake Forest (called the Translational Regenerative Medicine Forum) call their innovative treatment: bioprinting. To date only rodents have been beneficiaries, but the results have encouraged the team: they have applied to the US Food and Drug Administration to begin human tests. Eventually, the machine could aid soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, and provide alternative treatments for conditions including diabetic foot ulcers. Indeed, inkjet technology could ultimately replace whole organs: product development firm Organovo recently make the world’s first organ printer available commercially.

Sources

Lani Shadduck, ‘Old Printers Offer Hope For Burn Victims,’ Huliq.com, 8 April 2010.
Maggie Fox, ‘Inkjet-like Device Prints Cells Directly Over Burns,’ NationalPost.com, 7 April 2010.

iPhone OS 4.0 Conference To Announce iPad Direct Printing?

2010-04-08T10:45:00.001+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Thursday 08 April 10:31 GMT

The Apple iPad launched in the United States less than one week ago, and the British launch is more than two weeks away. This isn’t stopping Apple though from updating the software of their hugely successful tablet (300k iPads were sold on opening day alone according to EnGadget.) Countless sources around the interweb are reporting that Apple will announce direct printing from the iPad at today’s iPhone OS 4.0 conference. This will enable iPad owners to send documents directly to printers using the magic of WiFi – avoiding the hassle of connecting to a personal computer first. Of course, the printer concerned must be WiFi enabled: otherwise it’s rather like pointing your remote a television switched off at the mains.

The websites reporting this expected announcement are at pains to highlight their reasoning process. Electric Pig writer Mic Wright outlines for example:

“The support pages for the iPad versions of iWork currently state: Printing directly from iPad is not currently available.” Look at that wording carefully – “not currently available.”

Fortunately for those people who find one beating about the brains inadequate, William Wallace at HandHeldItems.com states things even more plainly:

“But if you looked at the support page for the iPad, you will find this sentence: “printing directly from iPad is not currently available,” which basically gives the hint that they WILL be coming out with a printing feature in the future.”

Basically gives the hint? Apple could not be more obvious if Steve Jobs ran through the streets in nothing but a sandwich board that stated: ‘Direct iPad Printing Soon.’ (I lie. They could be more obvious – by staging a conference to make this announcement.) The point remains though: somewhere a faculty of Shakespearean scholars are deeply terrified they face sudden competition from the IT journalism crowd.

Fortunately perhaps, Apple have remained tight-lipped regarding what other announcements today’s conference may contain. Potential updates (according to Examiner.com’s Jeff Cormier) include: 1) enabling multiple apps to run on the iPhone simultaneously, 2) the ability to sync iPhone files with iTunes, 3) an updated iPhone user interface and, 4) iPhone and iPad inter-connectivity. Regardless, the merest appearance of Steve Jobs on stage is certain to further cement his Godlike status. Expect Apple staff members to be renamed Profits of the Church of Jobs any day now.

Sources

Anonymous, ‘New iPhone OS 4.0 Rumoured Will Support Direct Printing,’ Anakbawang.com, 8 April 2010.
Darren Murph, ‘Apple Sells 300,000 iPad Tablets On US Launch Day,’ EnGadget.com, 05 April 2010.
Jeff Cormier, ‘Apple iPhone OS 4.0 Revealed April 8,’ Examiner.com, 5 April 2010.
Mic Wright, ‘iPad iPhone OS 4.0 Update To Add Direct Support Printing?’ElectricPig.co.uk, 7 April 2010.
William Wallace, ‘iPhone 4.0 OS Update – iPad Can Print!’ HandHeldItems.com, 7 April 2010.

John Lewis Purchase 27 Xerox Digital Presses

2010-04-07T18:53:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Wednesday 07 April 18:46 GMT

Conventional wisdom has it that printed marketing is a dinosaur, woefully oblivious to the approaching meteor called ‘the internet.’ Even advocates of printed marketing make their defences in terms suggesting direct mail campaigns etc. are backed against the wall.

For example, last year Ottila Otlacan published an article with Ad Ops Online entitled: ‘Marketing ROI: In This Electronic Age, Print Articles and Print Advertsing Still Sell Cars.” Still? This on the one hand likens print marketing to an unexpectedly flavoursome piece of gum: it keeps dispensing pepperminty goodness long after you expect. Though on the other hand, this also likens print to an eighty-five year old heavyweight boxer: waiting to have his lights punched out permanently.

Therefore it’s encouraging when a respected retailer signals its support for printed marketing by announcing it has purchased several new presses. Case in point: John Lewis has (in the phrase of PrintWeek.com reported Tim Sheahan) “invested in a fleet of 27 Xerox DocoColor digital presses.” You might imagine these DocuColors arriving outside Xerox Headquarters in some kind of military formation: no other image quite befits the word ‘fleet.’

Their purpose anyway is to produce John Lewis point-in-sale printed marketing (posters and the like) in double-quick time: the retailer often requires marketing materials “at short notice,” according to Senior Analyst of Operational Systems Steven Masters. Fortunately the DocuColor 242 produces print more quickly than a cadre of Olympic sprinters escaping a burning building: colour pages materialise at forty per minute.

Sales and marketing analyst Heidi Tolliver Nigro commented three years ago through Expert Business Source that successful marketing sometimes depends on serendipity. Distributing flyers or exposing people to a poster is equivalent to throwing darts blindfolded. How often can you expect to hit the board, let alone bullseye? Indeed, marketers consider a 3% response rate to a direct mail campaign spectacular.

There is little doubt though that captivating print produced on quality equipment can increase the rate of success. Often the little things make the biggest difference. For example, John Lewis’s Stephen Masters notes the skin tones produced on the DocuColor 242 – “typically hard to translate into print” – are outstanding. Printed marketing has the potential to supply these little touches – touches that potential customers may not necessarily single out, yet contribute buckets to the overall impression. For this reason printed marketing remains vital.

Sources

Frank Washkuch, ‘Augmented Reality A Boon For Print And Web Marketing,’ DMNews.com, 05 April 2010.
Heidi Tolliver Nigro, ‘Analysing The Benefits Results Of Print Marketing,’ ExpertBusinessSource.com, 02 October 2007.
Ottila Otlocan, ‘Marketing ROI: In This Electronic Age, Print Articles and Print Advertising Still Sell Cars,’ AdOperationsOnline, 16 June 2009.
Tim Sheahan, ‘John Lewis Signs For 27 Xerox DocuColors,’ PrintWeek.com, 05 April 2010.

Hewlett Packard Settles Patent Infringement Suit

2010-04-06T11:31:00.006+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Tuesday 6 April 2010 11:23 GMT

Image: http://www.freewebs.com/thornthefirst/

Ink cartridge manufacturers have a relationship with their patents that resembles that between the dragon Smaug from The Hobbit and his treasure. Though not headquartered at the centre of the Lonely Mountain (the transport links are non-existent) the cartridge makers hoard their patents like gold pieces. One suspects too that these companies would cheerfully breathe fire on anyone making unlawful claim on these patents – if only incineration were legal.

The latest slumbering dragon to be awoken by the unsanctioned jangle of its treasure is Hewlett Packard. The gold piece threatened: the electronic chips contained in the brand’s ink cartridges. And the (not so) intrepid band of hobbits? Hong Kong-based ink cartridge remanufacturer Print-Rite Holdings.

Until recently Print-Rite retailed the ink cartridge range HP02 across Hong Kong and Australia. This particular line featured a chip component informing the printer that the ink cartridge was official Hewlett Packard branded. (Loading unofficial ink cartridges doesn’t usually sit well with Hewlett Packard printers. It turns them into expensive paperweights.) Of course, from Hewlett Packard’s perspective the Print-Rite ploy defeats the entire object of these chips.

Not long ago the HP lawyers therefore mounted their white steeds and filed an injunction against Print-Rite. They required that the HP02 range of cartridges be taken off the shelves. Print-Rite (under the auspices of the probably-not-as-amicable-as-it-sounds “mutual agreement”) soon agreed. HP thereby retain exclusive (and obviously legitimate) hold over their golden piece.

Of course, underlying this patent skirmish is the centuries-old conflict concerning ink cartridge revenues. Print-Rite makes money from taking the disregarded corpses of used ink cartridges and giving them new blood. These renewed cartridges are then retailed at a fraction of the original price. Hewlett Packard (among other manufacturers of these original cartridges) doesn’t take kindly to this practice. They can’t outright prevent Print-Rite practices though, and so make hay wherever possible. Hence the weary patent infringement waltz herein.

Sources

Anonymous, ‘HP Enters In Amicable Settlement With Print-Rite,’ ITVArNews.net, 5 April 2010.
Brett Winterford, ‘HP Strikes Back In Ink Cartridge Wars,’ CRN.com.au, 6 April 2010.
Zacks Equity Research, ‘HP Ends Patent Dispute With Chinese Co.,’ Zacks.com, 1 April 2010.

Dell To Challenge Xerox And HP In Managed Print Services Market

2010-04-01T11:31:00.003+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Thursday 1 April 11:23 GMT

Lately an increasing number of printer manufacturers have found hardware production inadequate. They have begun bundling printing regulation software with their machines, and promising customers they can reduce their printing expenditures.

Perhaps these printer manufacturers believe that market saturation has been reached. Perhaps they believe regulation packages the natural next step for their business. Perhaps one of these manufacturers spotted this gap, and everyone since is playing catch up.

Either way, this movement toward service-oriented business (managed print services) has fundamentally changed the nature of printer production. The revenues are apparently mouth-watering, and everyone wants their piece of the pie.

The latest printer manufacturer to dip their toes in the water is Dell. Known chiefly for their personal computers, the American company is a relative newcomer to printer production. They began manufacturing printers (to the consternation of Hewlett Packard, their chief rival in computers) only last decade.

Yet this isn’t preventing Dell from entering the lucrative managed print services market. Speaking recently, the senior product manager at Dell’s printing and imaging division Donald Heath said they will begin releasing printers oriented to service provision soon.

The goal is not to make managed print services an optional extra, but an integral part of Dell’s business model. Hence the November acquisition of business service provider Perot Systems for $3.9bn, lately renamed Dell Services.

For big cheeses in managed print services Xerox and HP, this news can only spell trouble.

Dell will begin their assault on the managed print services market later this year, when they incorporate OpenManage Printer Manager software into their product packages. Like most printer regulation software, OpenManage brings printer habits under surveillance – and hence theoretic control. Companies become not only aware of their printing habits but able to regulate them.

Secondly, Dell will incorporate Javascript into their printer software. This enables employers to make particular printers function-specific – giving managers greater control over printing habits. The objective is to reduce frivolous printing, and thereby save money.

The need to regulate printing has grown as PC networks have become more sophisticated. Ever great quantities of information are bouncing between computers, increasing the risk of document duplication. Of course, though networks have grown more intricate, the means of supervising them have not. Hence the expanding opportunities for service provision, and Dell’s planned entry.

To date Xerox and Hewlett Packard have been largely unchallenged in managed print services. Last year Xerox purchased service provider ACS (Affiliated Computer Services) to ensure their MPS clout. In 2008 Hewlett Packard bought business process outsourcing company EDS for the same reason. Dell’s intentions though suggest these manufacturers will have to compete more fiercely.

The managed print services market is expanding rapidly - suggesting room enough for these hardware giants. Equally though, their competition can only benefit companies hoping to shrink their bloated printing expenditures.

Sources

Agam Shah, ‘Dell To Enter Managed Print Services Market,’ BusinessWeek.com, 31 March 2010.
Kat Orphanides, ‘Dell Launches Low Cost Mono Laser Printers,’ ExpertReviews.co.uk, 31 March 2010.
Scott Ferguson, ‘Dell Releases Eight New Printers To Compete With HP, Xerox,’ eWeek.com, 30 March 2010.

Is Century Gothic The Greenest Font Of All?

2010-03-31T10:31:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
31 March 2010 10:23 GMT

People looking to reduce their printer ink expenditure ought acknowledge a recent policy change at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. Officials there have changed the college font from Arial to Century Gothic, claiming the font uses 30% less ink. According to the college Director of Computing Diane Blohowiak, printer ink costs $10k per barrel and accounts for 60% of printing costs. The change may therefore mean huge savings.

Century Gothic is more economical than Arial because the font is thinner. Each letter requires fewer resources to print. Moreover, Century Gothic preserves the aesthetic integrity of print – unlike “green” alternatives. For example, the “eco-font” creates savings by punching holes in each letter. Yet letters become less readable in the process. The “draft” printing mode also consumes fewer resources than normal. Yet the print quality is similarly reduced. Century Gothic may therefore be the best of all possible worlds.

The font shift is part of a Five Year Plan by the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay to become environmentally responsible. Related schemes at the college include discouraging students from excess printing. Speaking on Wisconsin Public Radio, Diane Blohowiak said: “It was appealing to people to save money on their supply and expense budget.”

Before changing to Century Gothic though, people ought also take into account findings by Consumer Reports. The publication recently stated that printed pages cost between 1.5 cents and 10 cents – depending on ink consumption. Century Gothic is more economical than Arial at first glance because it is thinner. However, Century Gothic also features bigger spaces between letters. The thinner font may therefore consume more paper than Arial in printing, though the cost per letter is smaller. Potential savings may therefore be offset.

Of course, only people kept awake at night by their printing costs would devote such deliberations to their choice of font. Either that, or people working in managed print services.

Sources

Matthew Wheeland, ‘Can Green IT Be As Simple As Changing Your Font,’ GreenBiz.com, 26 March 2010.
Tannith Cattermole, ‘Century Gothic Is The ‘Greenest’ Font,’ Gizmag.com, 29 March 2010.
Tom Barlow, ‘Should You Change Font To Go Green, Save Money,’ WalletPop.com, 29 March 2010.
Vincent Bevins, ‘University’s Font Choice Cuts Ink Use,’ Guardian.co.uk, 29 March 2010.

Waste Management Body Encourages Ink Cartridge Recycling

2010-03-30T10:46:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
30 March 2010 10:37 GMT

The Waste & Resources Action Programme has asked families to recycle ink cartridges, in an attempt to salvage “green” waste management policies. The action is critical of UK households are to reduce their carbon footprint.

Spokespersons at WRAP made these comments amid reports that British households waste 8.3 million tonnes of food annually. The average four person family could save £50 monthly by wasting less food, according to communication manager Emma Marsh. 20 million tonnes in CO2 emissions in food waste management could be avoided.

In related news, WRAP recently announced two recycle bank pilot schemes encouraging SMES (small-to-medium enterprises) to dispose their waste responsibly. ‘Bring bank’ projects in Bristol and Merseyside will enable companies to recycle: glass, cardboard, paper, metal cans and plastic materials.

The first pilot scheme in Bristol will provide free collection to attract companies. The Merseyside scheme meanwhile will require companies to register first, and include waste and electrical equipment. WRAP will review these services after 6 months and if successful encourage them to be adopted elsewhere.

A WRAP spokesperson said: “We hope that these schemes will overcome some of the barriers encountered previously by SMEs and make it easier for small businesses to recycle their waste.”

Sources

Lynn Baker, ‘WRAP Says UK Households Must Recycle Ink Cartridges,’ Recycle.co.uk, 29 March 2010.
Tiffany Holland, ‘WRAP Trials Bring Bank To Encourage SME Recycling,’ MRW.co.uk, 29 March 2010.

Hewlett Packard Employees Cancel Strike

2010-03-29T18:02:00.002+01:00

By Peter Lavelle
Monday 29th March 17:53 GMT

Employees at Hewlett Packard have cancelled a strike scheduled for 29th and 30th March, following intervention by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).

Members of the Public Services Union were set to strike against scheduled pay cuts and redundancies by printer manufacturer Hewlett Packard. Instead, union representatives will meet with Hewlett Packard tomorrow.

However, though PCS have cancelled their March strikes, more strikes are planned for early April. Whether these go ahead depends on whether ACS can resolve the dispute.

PCS National Officer for HP Jim Hanson said: "We had talks last week that were quite successful and we will have more talks tomorrow. We haven’t got a final offer yet, so we are mid-way, but the talks have been positive enough to suspend the action."

Earlier this year around 1000 PCS members rallied outside Hewlett Packard facilities in Northern England.

Sources

Anh Nyugen, 'Two Day HP Strike Suspended,' ComputerWorldUK.com, 29 March 2010.
Anonymous, 'Proposed Strike By HP Workers Called Off Following Intervention From ACAS,' ITProPortal.com, 29 March 2010.
Nicole Kobie, 'The Public and Commercial Services Union Has Called Off A Strike In Order To Negotiate With HP,' ITPro.co.uk, 29 March 2010.
Spencer Dalziel, 'HP Strike Is Called Off,' TheInquirer.net, 29 March 2010.

Printers’ Charitable Corporation Seeks Wider Audience With Name Change

2010-03-26T12:06:00.002Z

By Peter Lavelle
Friday 26 March 11:52 GMT

The Printers’ Charitable Corporation has changed its name to The Printing Charity. This reflects the fact that its services are available not just to printers, but people in related industries. The change follows research undertaken with the Cass Business School City University, and became effective on 23 March 2010.

The charity has updated their logo to accompany the name change – switching from an angel watching a family to 4 coloured window panes. This reflects the charity’s intention to appeal to people in print-related industries, regardless of belief or creed. Eastbourne-based company Manor Creative oversaw the new design.

Last year The Printing Charity distributed more than £1m to people in print-related industries. They focus on people whose income is below 60% the national median. The charity supplies retraining grants to printers who are made redundant, and can provide £20 weekly financial help. The charity also gives grants for purchases including: mobility aids such as chairlifts, nursery home top-up grants, and hearing aids.

Reflecting the name change, President Michael Johnson said: "We know it's a very difficult time for many in the sectors we support and the rebranding is key to our strategic objective of ensuring more people benefit from our services."

The Printing Charity was established in the early nineteenth century as the Printers’ Pension Society in London. Originally the charity assisted only those who paid subscription, but this changed in 1972. Among the charity’s illustrious lists of Presidents are: Charles Dickens, Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone.

Sources

Abbey Dean, ‘Charity For The Printing Industry Rebrands,’ ThirdSector.co.uk, 25 March 2010.
Anonymous, ‘The Printing Charity – Change Of Name,’ ThePrintingCharity.org.uk.

Fiat Signs Contract With Xerox For Managed Print Services

2010-03-25T12:34:00.002Z

By Peter Lavelle
25 March 2010 12:25 GMT

Italian car maker Fiat has signed a contract with printer manufacturer Xerox to receive managed print services. Fiat hopes to reduce their operational costs by 30% by distributing Xerox MPS to facilities worldwide. Like most MPS strategies, Xerox will reduce Fiat’s number of output devices and encourage efficient printing practices.

Fiat have arguably made an astute decision by contracting Xerox. The ink cartridge manufacturer has received numerous awards for its managed print services – including being named the 2009 MPS market leader by research firm Quocirca.

Perhaps capitalising on this reputation, Xerox recently accredited 22 new European partners to distribute its MPS. This suggests Xerox views MPS as a significant source of future revenue. Indeed, according to Quocirca 70% of companies consider printing a strategic priority.

President of Xerox Global Services Stephen Cronin said of the Fiat contract: “Companies like Fiat who partner with Xerox have a significant advantage – our global delivery capabilities and MPS market leadership position mean we can quickly transform the way business is done – and build a sustainable infrastructure for the future.”

Sources

Andrea Deckert, ‘Xerox Inks Contract With Fiat,’ RBJ.net, 23 March 2010.
Becky DzieDzic, ‘Fiat Group Deploys Xerox’s Managed Print Services Worldwide,’ Xerox.com, 23 March 2010.
Winnie Palaran, ‘Fiat Group Deploys Xerox’s Managed Print Services Worldwide,’ TTKN.com, 23 March 2010.

Ricoh Release Innovative Gel-Based Ink Cartridge

2010-03-24T10:56:00.002Z

By Peter Lavelle

24 March 2010 10:45 GMT

Printer brand Ricoh has released details of an innovative gel-based ink cartridge – marketed as an economical alternative to both laser and inkjet printing. The gel-based cartridges fitted in the Ricoh Afficio GX e5550N allegedly dry instantly on paper, enabling people to print with incredible speed. This is because the gel cartridge has a viscosity similar to wine, meaning it doesn't smudge – unlike traditional inkjet technology.

Ricoh maintain that their gel technology outstrips both inkjet and laser printing, because the Aficio GX e5550N prints photo quality images at speeds comparable to laser printers. Product Manager at Ricoh UK Robert Brown outlines: “The first colour print is ready in only five seconds, it prints up to 30 pages per minute and has a high paper capacity of 1,350 sheets with options.”

Additional features of the Aficio GX e5550N include plant-based plastic components and duplex printing as standard. These environmentally-minded features ought be expected from Ricoh: last year the ink cartridge brand unveiled the pioneering biomass toner. This toner is produced using surplus plant material, greatly reducing the petroleum component present in ink cartridges.

The gel printer is aimed at small office workgroups – who print both text documents and both images. Yet the previous iteration of Ricoh's GX series received a mixed reception: the GX 3000 failed to print at the advertised speeds, and the colour images lacked the clarity of a bottom-rung inkjet printer. The new model may eliminate these flaws though, and capitalise on Ricoh's unique technology.

Sources

Barry Ashmore, 'Ricoh Releases Gel-Based Printer Ink,' Internet-Ink.co.uk, 23 March 2010.
Carolyn Scrivener, 'Aficio GX e5550N – Ricoh Launches A Fast And Affordable Colour Printer With A Low Total Cost Of Ownership,' Ricoh.co.uk, 15 February 2010.
Robin Morris, 'Ricoh Aficio GX 3000 Gel-Based Printer,' PCAdvisor.co.uk, 11 May 2007.

Japanese Ink Cartridge Makers Expand Recycling Scheme With UNEP Donations

2010-03-23T10:27:00.002Z

By Peter Lavelle
Tuesday 24 March 10:15 GMT

The Ink Cartridge Homecoming Project may sound like a graduation celebration for printer supplies – perhaps involving ink cartridges wearing miniature tuxedos and dresses. But it is actually a collaboration between six ink cartridge brands – seeking to take responsibility for the environmental impact of their products. Since April 2008 the six companies – including Brother, HP Japan, Epson, Lexmark and Dell, in alliance with the Japanese Post Office – have created ink cartridge recycling points across Japan. Consumers can discover the dangers of improperly recycled ink cartridges at these points, and deposit their cartridges. Supplemented by advertising across Japan, the Project’s stated aim is to encourage a recycling-based society.

Today the ink cartridge brands have announced they are expanding the Project – not by introducing the scheme to other nations, but with donations to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Every 6 months each company will donate three Yen for each ink cartridge recycled. This could contribute significantly to UNEP projects – including protecting biodiversity and encouraging the better use of resources. The donation scheme marks the first time in Asia that private enterprise has aided conservation efforts through the United Nations, and the six companies hope the gesture will encourage increased recycling among the Japanese public.

There are currently no plans to expand the Homecoming Project outside Japan – nor to explain the Project’s name. Presumably ‘Homecoming’ doesn’t refer to an obscure printer supplies coming-of-age ritual. Perhaps then it means that by being recycled the ink cartridge components are “coming home” – either to the Earth or their manufacturer. Please submit your alternate explanations in the comments!

Sources

Winnie Palaran, ‘Brother Canon, Dell, Epson, HP Japan and Lexmark To Kick Off Support For UNEP Via Collaborative Ink Cartridge Collection Effort,’ TTKN.com, 23 March 2010.

New HP Printers Make Printing Blueprints A Cinch

2010-03-22T10:22:00.002Z

By Peter Lavelle
Monday 22 March 10:14 GMT

Ink cartridge manufacturer Hewlett Packard has released two new DesignJet printers able to replicate architectural blueprints. The HP T1200 and HP T770 models print specifically using thin blueprint tracing paper. Architects can hence reproduce the intricate details of building designs in minutes – and in unlimited quantities.

The two DesignJet models have been made to accommodate heavy workloads. For example, the Hewlett Packard T1200 can produce A1 prints all night without interruption. In addition, the new printers are not only capable of printing blueprints. Their optimised setting improves the optical density of prints – producing darker fills and defined lines.

The new printers are being released through Hewlett Packard’s branch in the Philippines. The general manager Margaret Ong said the new printers gave companies a: "competitive edge through impeccable imaging quality, whatever the print size."

Sources

Myla Iglesias, ‘HP Expands Large Scale Printing Solution,’ Malaya.com.ph, 22 March 2010.
Raquel P. Gomez, ‘HP Enables Prints Of Tall Buildings In A Single Try,’ Inquirer.net, 21 March 2010.

Xerox Opens First Research Lab In India

2010-03-17T10:35:00.002Z

By Peter Lavelle
Wednesday 17 March 10:30 GMT

Ink cartridge manufacturer Xerox has opened its first research laboratory in India. Initiated in January last year and housed in Chennai, the lap will develop innovative approaches to document management in developing markets. In conjunction with Indian universities, it aims especially to address managed print services through local concerns. It will develop projects including: multilingual technologies and rural technology initiatives.

The lab’s concern with document management reflects Xerox’s recent move away from printer manufacturing into service provision. Recently Xerox purchased business processing outsourcing company ACS (Affiliated Computer Services) for $6bn for this purpose. In addition, last week Xerox accredited 22 new partners to distribute its managed print services in Europe.

The new Indian research centre will join laboratories already housed in: Canada, France, Palo Alto and Webster. Later this year Xerox plans to show the fruits of its research centres in a new technology showroom. The showroom is intended to assist researchers in India concentrate on ‘pain points’ in emerging markets.

Sources

Anonymous, ‘Xerox India Innovation Hub,’ Xerox.com, 2010.
Katie Hoffmann, ‘Xerox Opens Research Lab In India, Its First In Emerging Market,’ BusinessWeek.com 17 March 2010.

Italian Entrepreneur Plans Printed Buildings

2010-03-16T11:29:00.002Z

By Peter Lavelle
Tuesday 16 March 11:24 GMT

Imagine a grey cathedral apparently carved from a single rock. The sedimentary stone stretches several hundred metres skyward, looming over the brick and concrete structures below.

The buildings are rectangular, but the cathedral lurches at weird angles. It resembles a Christmas tree, threatening to topple. The cathedral’s windows are oddly shaped mouths agape.

The complete structure is lunar grey, as though carved from the moon and transported to earth.

This might be taken from the imagination of Italian entrepreneur Enrico Dini. A resident of Piza, Dini has spent 7 years labouring to bind sand to chemical solutions. He hoped to create a machine that prints buildings.

Now with help from his mechanical engineer brother Ricardo he has succeeded. The machine housed in his shed in Piza can not only print structures including cathedrals. It can potentially use the moon’s dust to create buildings on the lunar surface.

Dini’s invention can revolutionise architecture. By binding layers of sand with a magnesium solution, the printer creates solid rock. The results are capable of withstanding freezing and boiling temperatures. The million-year process require to create sedimentary rock is reduced to a day.

Even better, the printer forms buildings at a third of the price of concrete construction and several times faster. The organic curves banished from architecture by practical necessity become possible. Building planners need be inhibited by neither vision nor cost.

Dini calls his printer “d-shaped technology.” He is presently finalising a pavilion for a roundabout in Pantedera – a nearby town. The pavilion is a “proof of principle” project intended to impress potential investors.

Already though the Architectural Association has requested a market model of his machine, and Dini is negotiating with the European Space Agency. They are interested in the application of his machine to expand our lunar presence.

In the meantime Dini has ambitions to print a cathedral, and jokes about recreating the Leaning Tower of Piza. Whether this happens though depends on investment – Dini has spoken with several London equity firms seeking financial support. But if his printer gains popularity, it could change the face of building construction.

Sources

Jane McEntegart, ‘3D Printer Could Build A Church (Or Moon Houses),’ TomsGuide.com, 15 March 2010.
John Baichtal, ‘Giant 3D Printer Can Print Buildings (Theoretically),’ MakeZine.com, 12 March 2010.
Tim Abrahams, ‘The World’s First Printed Building,’ BluePrintMagazine.co.uk, 8 March 2010.

BBC Announces ‘Move Away From Magazines’

2010-03-15T11:03:00.002Z

By Peter Lavelle
Monday 15 March 10:56 GMT

Director General of the BBC Mark Thompson has cast doubt on the future of the corporation’s printed magazines. In an interview with internal BBC magazine Ariel, Thompson suggested several magazines would be sold in a corporate shake-up. He said: “Over time, the strategic direction of [BBC] Worldwide will be away from things like magazines and into digital.”

Titles in the BBC roster presently include Top Gear and Radio Times. Yet the corporation has already implemented the recommendations of a committee to restrict its commercial ventures. In future, all BBC purchases “must be in keeping with the BBC brand.” This decision especially reflects last year’s acquisition of travel guide publishers Lonely Planet – a purchase widely criticised.

A four-to-six week review of BBC properties is presently underway. The publications to be sold will be announced at that period’s end.

Sources

Alex Alvarez, ‘BBC To Sell Magazines, Look Beyond ‘Physical Media’ In UK,’ MediaBistro.com, 3 March 2010.
John Plunkett, ‘BBC ‘Likely To Sell Its UK Magazines,’ Guardian.co.uk, 2 March 2010.
Matt Whipp, ‘BBC Director General Warns Of ‘Move Away From Magazines,’ PrintWeek.com, 10 March 2010.
Maisie McCabe, ‘Future Of BBC Magazines In Doubt After Thompson Sidelines Print,’ MediaWeek.co.uk 3 March 2010.

Xerox Accredits 22 EU Firms For Managed Print Services

2010-03-12T10:51:00.003Z

By Peter Lavelle
Friday 12 March 10:43 GMT

Printer inks manufacturer Xerox has accredited 22 new European partners to supply its managed print services. Launched in October 2009, Xerox MPS helps customers identify new ways to manage their document workflow, and revise existing processes. The new MPS partners include six in the United Kingdom, among them Bytes, Document Express and Xenith.

The new partners are certified to provide sales, solution design and service delivery, through Xerox Print Services. This follows a formal accreditation programme. The new partners will target a primarily SMB (small to medium business) customer base.

The Managing Director at Document Express Peter Bradford explained that Xerox accreditation enables resellers to enter the rapidly expanding MPS market, when they might otherwise lack the resources. He said: XPS ultimately enables resellers who recognise the MPS opportunity to get up and running fast, providing them with a compelling offer to succeed in the MPS market.”

In addition, resellers can supply non-Xerox devices through their accreditation – though Xerox will maintain them. To date Xerox manages more than 1.5m devices globally, of which more than 50% are non-Xerox.

Sources

Anonymous, ‘Xerox Signs Up New Partners For Managed Print Services,’ ChannelPro.co.uk, 11 March 2010.
Fleur Doidge, ‘Xerox Signs Up Six New Managed Print Partners,’ ChannelWeb.co.uk, 11 March 2010.

Lexmark CEO Total Pay Drops 36% To $2.2m

2010-03-11T10:54:00.002Z

By Peter Lavelle
Thursday 11 March 10:48 GMT

The CEO of ink cartridge manufacturer Lexmark Paul Curlander received a $2.2m total salary in 2009, down 36% from 2008, according to figures compiled by Associated Press. Curlander’s $1m basic salary did not decrease in 2009 from the previous year: however, last year he did not receive stocks and options compensation. In 2008 he received a $3.4m total pay packet – including performance-based stocks and options.

Curlander has served as CEO at Lexmark since 1999, when original helmsman Marvin Mann retired the position. Until recently, Mann retained a seat on Lexmark’s board of directors.

Lexmark posted $3.88bn in revenue in 2009, and $145.9m profit. The ink cartridge maker was created almost 20 years ago as a spin-off from IBM.

Sources

Anonymous, ‘Former CEO Leaving Lexmark Board: Mann Leaves With ‘Mixed Emotions,’ TradingMarkets.com, 8 March 2010.
Marley Seaman, ‘Lexmark CEO Gets 2009 Pay Of $2.2m, Down 36 pct.,’ BusinessWeek.com, 9 March 2010.

HP Pay Dispute To Continue

2010-03-10T10:23:00.003Z

By Peter Lavelle
Wednesday 10 March 10:17 GMT

Employees at Hewlett Packard facilities in the North East return to work this morning, following a two-day strike action in which they petitioned against falling job security and pay freezes. An extended campaign is planned.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) working under contract at the Department of Work and Pensions picketed colleagues on Monday and Tuesday. The strike concerns the 3,400 redundancies Hewlett Packard have made since taking over EDS (now HP Enterprise Services) in 2008, and the further 1,000 job losses HP plan before July.

The two-day strike received support from 92% of PCS members, while 78% favoured long term action. The strikes follow negotiations between PCS and Hewlett Packard begun on 22 January. HP management refused to make “sufficient movement” to conciliate union members however.

According to national officer at PCS Jim Hanson, no formal discussion with HP has been scheduled, though the ink cartridge giant has been in touch: “We haven’t had any talks since the week before last. If management comes up with a serious offer we would be happy to discuss it with them.”

Speaking yesterday outside HP’s offices in Newcastle, Hanson expressed satisfaction at the success of the picket: “The car park is looking somewhat empty, so we’ve had a good day.” He was worried that some members would find a two-day strike too long, but added: “We have been pleasantly surprised at the support”

Hewlett Packard has attempted to mitigate the impact of the strike by focusing on critical projects. A spokesman said: “As a global company, we have got enough resources in the company that we need to continue operating.”

Even as PCS members resume work today, whether these resources can compensate for future strikes remains to be seen.

Sources

Anh Nyugen, ‘HP Workers Begin Two Day Strike,’ NetworkWorld.com, 9 March 2010.
Anh Nyugen, ‘HP Focuses On “Critical Work” As Strike Continues, ‘ComputerWorldUK.com, 9 March 2010.
Nicola Brittan, ‘HP Workers Picket For A Second Day,’ Computing.co.uk, 9 March 2010.
Spencer Dalziel, ‘HP Faces A Two Day UK Strike,’ TheInquirer.net, 8 March 2010.

HP Launches Surprise Lawsuit On Asian Companies

2010-03-09T14:56:00.004Z

By Peter Lavelle
Tuesday 9 March 14:46 GMT

Printer manufacturer Hewlett Packard has filed a lawsuit against four Asian companies, alleging that 1) these companies sold ink cartridges infringing on HP patents and 2) they sold products containing stolen HP components. The ink cartridge giant has requested they stop selling the patent-infringing cartridges, and filed for triple damages.

MicroJet Technology of Taiwan and PTC Holdings of Hong Kong have been accused of selling cartridges that mimic HP designs. MicroJet sold these cartridges under its own brand, or as generic cartridges through PTC holdings, as well as Hong-Kong based Mipo Technologies. According to HP, Mipo sold these products through sites including Amazon and Craigslist between April and June 2009.

Separately HP alleges that MicroJet, PTC Holdings and US-based Mipo-affiliate SinoTime Technologies converted more than 300,000 printheads stolen from HP’s Asian facilities. They were then sold through Mipo Technology.

Speaking in a press statement, MicroJet spokesman John Kuo said the company had not yet received legal documentation from HP. They had discovered the lawsuit only yesterday. “Our lawyers are currently investigating the situation,” he said.

Sources

Brandon Bailey, ‘HP Says Stolen Components Found In Ink Cartridges Sold Online,’ MercuryNews.com 9 March 2010.
Charmian Kok and Perris Lee Choon Siong, ‘MicroJet Haven’t Received Any Legal Documents On HP Suit,’ WJS.com, 8 March 2010.
Karen Gullo, ‘Hewlett Packard Sues MicroJet, Mipo Alleging Patents Infringed,’ BusinessWeek.com, 8 March 2010.
Spencer Dalziel, ‘HP Sues Four Ink Cartridge Companies,’ TheInquirer.net, 9 March 2010.
Vivian Yeo, ‘HP Sues Asian Firms For Patent Violations,’ ZDNetAsia.com, 9 March 2010.

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns To Receive $200k Pay Increase

2010-03-09T12:13:00.001Z

By Peter Lavelle
Tuesday 9 March 11:39 GMT

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns is to receive a $200k pay increase. From April, her $900k basic salary will increase to $1.1m. This is according to paperwork filed at the US Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the trustees compensation committee at Xerox, the raise reflects Burns’ “increased scope of responsibility.”

The $200k raise is the first increase in Burns’ basic salary since becoming Xerox CEO in July last year. Since then, Burns has overseen the $6.4bn takeover of ACS (Affiliated Computer Services) by Xerox. The takeover is perceived as an attempt to move Xerox upmarket. ACS specialise in business process outsourcing, while Xerox are famed as copier manufacturers.

Aside from the ACS takeover, Burns concedes her accomplishments to date are negligible. Last month she said: “The accolades I get for doing absolutely nothing are amazing – I’ve been named to every list, literally, since I became CEO. What have I done? In the first 30 days, I was named to a list of the most impressive XYZ. The accolades are good for five minutes, but then it takes kind of a shine off the real story. The real story is not Ursula Burns. I just happen to be the person standing up at this point representing Xerox.”

As President in 2008 Burns received a $550k bonus in addition to her $900k salary. She also received around $4m in shares, according to the SEC.

Sources

Adam Byrant, ‘Xerox’s New Chief Tries to Redefine Its Culture,’ NYTimes.com, 20 February 2010.
Anonymous, ‘Xerox’s Burns Receives Raise,’ DemocratAndChronicle.com, 9 March 2010.
Matthew Daneman, ‘Xerox CEO Ursula Burns Is Getting A Raise,’ RocNow.com, 8 March 2010.

Create A USB Flash Drive From Your Empty Ink Cartridge

2010-03-08T17:13:00.003Z

By Peter Lavelle
Monday 8 March 17:02 GMT

People with a penchant for DIY may enjoy this story. The creative folks at Instructables.com have posted instructions for turning your empty ink cartridge into a USB flash drive. The project requires little more than electrical tape and a knife – and is completely free! The final device is perfect for storing private data, because the USB cartridge slots into the printer. Close the cover, and who would know?

Sources

Fuogger, ‘Printer Cartridge USB Drive,’ Instructables.com, 7 March 2010.

What Might Canon’s Takeover Of Océ Mean For Consumers?

2010-03-05T14:45:00.004Z

By Peter Lavelle
Friday 5 March 13:58 GMT

Recently Canon completed a 71.3% takeover of Dutch printer manufacturer Océ. This is the product of negotiations started in November between the two companies, and by 19 March Canon hopes to acquire the remaining Océ shares. Stakeholders that refuse to sell will become minority investors in a Canon-controlled company. Together, Canon and Océ aim to “create the overall No. 1 presence in the printing industry,” according to their 16 November joint press statement.

The Canon takeover of Océ has been widely reported in the business press. The consequences of the deal however have been much less well publicised. For example: How does each company benefit from their combination? How does the deal affect their competitors? And most importantly, what does the takeover mean for consumers? This article addresses these questions.

Let’s started by answering the last query first: What can consumers expect from the Océ takeover? The answer in the short term is: nothing. The two companies will take three years to consolidate their facilities and technology. During this period, Canon will transfer their Research and Development to Océ’s European HQ. The Marketing, Sales and Logistics Departments of each company will be integrated. Notably, though Canon has been taken over, no redundancies are expected. The Océ shareholders’ board will retain its independence, though reporting ultimately to Canon.

In the longer term, Océ branded office imaging products (including printers and copiers) may disappear. This is because Océ technology and branding are widely inferior to Canon in this sector. For example, in 2008 Océ took less than 1% of the North American imaging market. Moreover, Océ does not manufacture its own products, instead rebranding technology suppied by OEM manufacturers such as Konica Minolta. Anticipating the takeover, Océ altered the terms of their technology alliance with Konica Minolta last month. Océ will no longer receive office imaging equipment. Hence, given both this and Canon’s existing office imaging clout, Océ branded products are likely to be phased out.

The consequences of the takeover for the SOHO (Small Office / Home Office) market are in fact limited. Consumers may notice an extended range of Canon products, owing to improved economies of scale and greater research and development clout from the deal. The primary benefits though, come from Canon’s acquisition of Océ’s wide format production printing technology and document management software, and Océ’s greater access to the Asian market through Canon’s presence. In short, the deal has potentially great B2B (business to business) implications.

For example, Océ’s biggest customers are European banks and architecture businesses. Their wide format production printers meanwhile are industry leading, and arguably kept them afloat during the recession. Moreover, Océ’s wide format toner cartridges and RIP (Raster Image Processing) software are also first rate. Hence the deal with Canon enables Océ to introduce these excellent products into Asia, and grow their market share beyond their traditional customers. However, consumers not involved in print production are unlikely to notice this.

The changes in Canon by comparison are likely to be more visible. The Japanese manufacturer will gain greater access to European markets through Océ’s presence. The takeover has greater implications for Canon though, because it could transform their business. Presently Canon manufactures office imaging equipment. However, by acquiring Océ’s document management software, Canon can begin the transition to a managed print services provider. The company can incorporate pre-sales and after-sales services into their portfolio. Océ has especial expertise in mailroom automation. By integrating this, Canon can offer customers a service package to accompany their printing hardware. This is highly lucrative.

Moreover, it reflects Canon’s recognition of the changing printer market. Few major players today confine themselves to manufacturing. For example, Xerox recently ventured into BPO (business process outsourcing) with the $6.1 billion acquisition of ACS. Last year Hewlett Packard made similar steps into IT services by buying EDS (now called HP Enterprise Systems.) Similarly, Ricoh last year purchased IKON Office Solutions. Global players in other words concern themselves not only with selling office imaging products. They sell the supervised use of this equipment and its maintenance. Canon and Océ’s stated objective is to become the overall No. 1 presence in the printing industry. To achieve this, Canon must enter document management services – and with Canon they can.

The takeover of Océ also enables Canon to fill significant gaps in their product portfolio. This concerns production printers for the most part: the feed inkjet production printing market is expected to grow significantly, and by acquiring Océ Canon can increase their revenue here. Canon will also garner useful digital production technology from the deal.

However, the most important consequence of Canon’s takeover of Océ is their capacity to challenge Hewlett Packard, Fuji Xerox and Ricoh as global print services. This challenge will largely emerge out of sight of consumers, and will not emerge quickly. It will affect businesses, and print producers. Canon’s takeover of Océ though, reflects the changing printer manufacturing market. Perhaps because of the recession, leading corporations no longer feel comfortable confining themselves to one specialty. They are diversifying, and becoming more global. They require scale to feel secure. This is the market consumers now co-habit.

Sources

Anne Valaitis, ‘Canon To Acquire Océ,’ InfoTrends.com, 16 November 2009.
Cary Sherburne, ‘Canon’s Acquisition Of Océ: The Details,’ WhatTheyThink.com, 17 November 2009.
Chris V. Nicholson, ‘Canon To Buy Océ, The Biggest European Printer Maker,’ NYTimes.com, 16 November 2009.
Richard Berger, ‘Canon and Océ To Create Global Leader In Printer Industry,’ Oce.com, 16 November 2009.

Canon Secure 71% Of Oce Shares

2010-03-04T17:48:00.002Z

By Peter Lavelle
Thursday 04 March 17:33 GMT

Japanese printer manufacturer Canon has secured 71% of Dutch office peripherals company Océ. This falls short of Canon’s 85% target declared when the €1.1 billion takeover bid was announced in November. Canon has given remaining shareholders until 19 March to surrender their stake.

The Canon takeover bid encountered opposition from Océ shareholders Hermes Assets Management and Universities Superannuation Scheme. They were concerned Canon’s bid undervalued Océ, taking their objections as far as the Dutch commercial court. There they demanded an investigation of the talks that initiated the takeover bid, deeming them questionable. The Amsterdam court rejected the shareholders’ claims however.

Following the close of the tender offer on 1 March, Canon declared the offer unconditional. This gives the remaining shareholders – including Hermes – a fortnight starting tomorrow to surrender their shares. Otherwise they become minority holders in a Canon-controlled company.

Analyst Jos Veerstag of brokerage Theodoor Gilissen told Reuters.com, “It’s a done deal now.” He expects the remaining shareholders will surrender their stake, and added: “They’ll make the best of it.”

Océ and Canon said in a joint-statement: "With this announcement, Canon and Océ have successfully taken an important first step in their aim to create the overall No. 1 presence in the printing industry.”

Sources

Harro ten Wolde, ‘Dutch Court Rejects Shareholder Claims Against Oce,’ Reuters.com, 3 March 2010.
Juro Osawa, ‘Canon’s Oce Stake Climbs to 71.3%,’ WSJ.com, 4 March 2010.
Nobuhiro Kuro and Harro ten Wolde, ‘Canon Says Oce Bid Unconditional, Seeks 100%,’ Reuter.com, 4 March 2010.
Tim Sheahan, ‘Canon Seals Takeover Of Oce,’ Printweek.com, 4 March 2010.

Myrtle Beach Launches Environmental Initiative

2010-03-04T15:17:00.003Z

By Peter Lavelle
Thursday 04 March 15:01 GMT

Companies in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area are to date unable to recycle glass, plastic and aluminium. This is set to change though, thanks to local company Fisher Recycling.

The company plans to audit waste and provide recycling bins to companies on the Grand Strand, as part of the South Myrtle Chamber of Commerce ‘Going Green’ Campaign.

Fisher Recycling will introduce plastic recycling along Myrtle Beach, including for ink cartridges. Certain businesses there already use their service, where a large percentage of the waste can be recycled. However, Fisher aim to make recycling widespread.

President at Fisher Recycling Kira Roff said: “"We are truly excited to be able to be here and be able to offer this type of service.”

For more information, please visit the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce campaign page.

Sources

Chandi Lowry, ‘Recycling Company Aids Businesses In The Grand Strand,’ WMBFNews.com, 4 March 2010.
Mervyn Warren, ‘Chamber Of Commerce Sets Toner Cartridge Recycling Example,’ Internet-Ink.co.uk, 2 March 2010.

Rusty Ray, ‘Grand Strand Businesses May Find It Easier To Recycle,’ Scnow.com, 4 March 2010.