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HP to embed search into printers and PCs

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:39:35 GMT

Hewlett-Packard is planning to launch a series of printers and computers embedded with Autonomy’s search software, bringing the group more directly into competition with companies such as Microsoft and Google.

Mike Lynch, who sold Autonomy to HP last year and now runs HP’s information management business, said Autonomy software – best known for catching insider trading at banks and monitoring call-centre phone calls – would be coming into the hands of ordinary consumers later this year as HP launches a number of “intelligent” computers and printers embedded with the technology.

“What we have done with people from HP is give them assets and technology to do things with,” Mr Lynch said. “We have the luxury of very high margins that allow them to be experimental. I think they are enjoying that.”

Mr Lynch gave no further detail on devices, but a mobile phone or tablet computer with Autonomy’s augmented reality software, for example, would be able to search for information and internet links after simply being pointed at an image.

Frank Gillett, analyst at Forrester, the technology research group, said Autonomy software, which is able to extract meaning from unstructured data such as audio, video, social media, email and web content, could also turn HP printers into intelligent storage devices. These might not only scan documents but also organise them based on the information they contained.

“It would create an electronic document storage system that could be linked to an online HP service,” Mr Gillett said. “The printer might even be able to say ‘hey that looks like an insurance document and the last date of the insurance is coming up, do you want to renew?’”

Autonomy could also give HP additional tools for mobile phone software and services, an area that the computer company has so far had little success in. Production of the company’s TouchPad tablet was aborted after poor sales last year, but Meg Whitman, HP’s chief executive, has recently been promoting HP’s mobile operating system, WebOS, which it has made into an open-source platform.

“What is on your smartphone is not structured data,” HP’s Mr Lynch said. “On a mobile the system needs to understand the context, such as where you are now. Mobile is going to be a primary platform for Autonomy.”

Such moves could help HP justify the $10.3bn it paid for Autonomy last year, a deal that ultimately cost HP’s then chief executive Léo Apotheker his job. HP has so far integrated the Autonomy software into some of its servers, but using the technology for consumer products could extract further value.
However, Forrester’s Mr Gillett warned that the move would also push HP into more direct competition with companies such as Microsoft, Google and Apple. All three already offer online storage and management of documents and media, and voice-recognition technology such as Apple’s Siri is building on an ability to understand human data such as speech.

Adrian Drury, analyst at technology research group Ovum, is concerned that HP would struggle in a consumer market where other big technology companies have already staked their claims.
“Pushing some kind of smart document management system into the consumer market might be too radical a proposition,” Mr Drury said. “We are looking for HP to get its strategy back on track by focusing on the enterprise market, not overstretching itself by becoming a consumer devices company of a consumer cloud services company.”

HP, which has seen sales of its PCs suffer as customers switched to using tablet computers, has already started fighting back against Apple in a number of ways, including the launch of a range of thinner, lighter notebooks and a series of HP “Total Care” centres, which are like Apple’s Genius Bars, physical stores where computer experts are at hand to help customers.

Apple Releases Canon Printer Drivers v2.7

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:44:37 GMT

Apple has released Canon Printer Drivers v2.7 for Lion and Snow Leopard via their Software Update Utility and website for direct download. According to the company, this update installs the latest software for your Canon printer or scanner. More information about the supported printers and scanners can be found here. The update itself weighs in at 324.08 MB and requires Mac OS X 10.6.1 or later. It should also be noted that Apple released updated drivers for Samsung, Gestetner, Ricoh, Lanier, Infotec, and NRG printers as well today.

Apple releases slew of new printer drivers for OS X

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:00:16 GMT

Apple's print system is built on the open-source Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) technology, which it acquired a few years ago and implemented in its Mac operating system. The printer drivers for the CUPS system are largely developed by refining generic driver sets to accommodate the features in new hardware, rather than being developed completely from scratch and distributed by companies separately. As a result, Apple periodically releases driver updates for printers from various companies.

Today Apple has issued a new round of driver updates for Mac users running Snow Leopard and Lion, which covers new and current print and scanning devices from Canon, Samsung, Gestetner, Ricoh, Infotec, Lanier, InfoPrint, and NRG. Apple has made these driver sets available for download from its Support Downloads Web page.

While most of the driver packages are between 16MB and 34MB in size, the drivers for Canon, as with other large-name printer manufacturers, are well over 300MB in size, because it contains the software for numerous devices instead of just one or two.

Even though Apple makes these driver packages available for download, you can instead use Software Update to install the drivers. Software Update will detect which printer devices you have and only download the driver updates for those devices instead of installing many that you might never use. These driver updates include some for Samsung, and following recent problems some people have had with Samsung printers causing a "printtool" process to use up system recources, these updates might help address the issue.

Epson Launches NextGen Wide Format Printer, New Branding

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:57:04 GMT

The “inkjet drupa again” will not only be featuring production inkjet, as WhatTheyThink contributor David Zwang has been writing about in his pre-drupa series. Visitors to drupa 2012 will also be able to see new inkjet products in other categories, including wide format. This announcement by Epson is one of many that we are likely to see in the drupa run-up.

Epson is introducing ts next-generation 64” solvent wide format printer, and is also taking this opportunity to bring to market new branding. Known as the Epson SureColor S30670, this is the first ever solvent-based printer to use theinternally-developed Epson’s MicroPiezo Thin Film Piezo (TFP) printhead that has been engineered to work with solvent ink and deliver twice the density of Epson’s previous solvent printer, with 720 nozzles per color, versus 360 which is the current standard in solvent. The launch of the SureColor S30670 marks the first time that Thin Film Piezo (TFP) printheads have been able to be used with solvent ink.

According to Reed Hecht, product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc., the equivalent line of products was previously known as Epson Stylus Pro. Epson decided to pursue new branding because the company does not own “Stylus” as a brand, just “Epson Stylus.” “In addition,” he says, “the new branding is a better reflection of our value proposition.”

According to the company, Epson currently has about 10% global share of the entire solvent market from 30” to 100”. In the 60” roll-to-roll solvent market, the company currently has about 29% market share.

Along with the printer, Epson is introducing a new family of inks. CMYK Epson UltraChrome GS2 features a third generation of chemistry, including a new high-performance yellow ink. Hecht says, “Yellow is always the first color to fade, the weakest ink in the inkset. With our patented technology, we believe this new yellow ink will have light-fastness for up to three years outdoors without lamination.” He also stated that while Epson does sell inks and printheads to other manufacturers, these new inks and printheads will only be available in Epson products.

In light of Epson’s environmental sustainability stance, I asked Hecht how solvent inks fit into the picture. He said, “First of all, we believe that solvent inks offer more versatility and are the best technology for outdoor signage, fine art and vehicle graphics. Secondly, the solvent we are talking about is a unique form of ink that has no harmful VOCs, has less impact on the environment and has no smell. In other words, it is a safe solvent.”

The SureColor S30670 also features other new capabilities, such as 700 ml ink cartridges whose loading and unloading has been simplified, and a new roll media loading system, Epson LiftAssist, a 90-lb. roll input system that is completely motorized. “The benefit of this function,” says Hecht, “is more consistent printing. Without such a motorized feed system, you can get varying quality at the beginning or end of a heavy roll. This motorized input system ensures that media is pulled at a consistent speed, providing constant tension and consistent quality, regardless of where you are in the roll.”

Mikaki claims world's fastest sublimation inkjet printer

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:26:44 GMT

Mimaki has introduced the world's fastest sublimation inkjet printer along with a new ink, designed to enhance productivity for the textile apparel and soft signage markets. The Mimaki TS500-1800 printer and the new Sb300 sublimation ink are expected to be released in April 2012.

‘We are excited to bring to market the world's fastest dye sublimation printer, capable of printing at 150 square metres per hour on transfer paper,’ said Sakae Sagane, managing director of Mimaki Europe. ‘This printer is ideal for production of textile apparel and soft signage, both of which are seeing growth in run lengths appropriate for digital printing. We believe the TS500-1800 will enable manufacturers of apparel and soft signage to capitalise on the growing demand for shorter runs and customised, or even personalised, products in these two burgeoning digital markets. Our new ink delivers brilliant colour, and using RasterLink 6, operators can easily convert special colours to specific Pantone colours to ensure colour integrity.’

The TS500-1800 features a number of new capabilities that set it apart in the marketplace, including:
•   Unmatched printing speed for sublimation paper at 150 sq/m hour in high-speed mode. The TS500-1800 uses newly developed printheads that achieve a maximum speed in four- or six-colour mode. The printer includes six printheads, with three staggered.
•   Mist removal filter - The mist removal filter prevents problems caused by ink mists and enhances the stability of print operations by suctioning the mist inside the printer.
•   Mimaki Degassing Module - The Mimaki degassing module (MDM-20) eliminates the gasses or bubbles that can occur in inks during the printing process, decreasing the likelihood of nozzle blockage and improving the accuracy of ink dot placement. In addition, this module enables the printer to use un-degassed bottled inks instead of conventional degassed ink packs, thus reducing ink costs.
•   New dye sublimation ink - Mimaki has developed a new ink, optimised for dye sublimation printing and for use with the TS500-1800. Sb300 ink offers an affordable price, dries quickly and produces brilliant colours. Sb300 ink is available in six colours (K,Bl,M,Y,Lbl,Lm).
•   Auto Media Feeder (AMF) - Mimaki's unique Auto Media Feeder provides stable feeding and take-up of print media, eliminating much of the need for operator intervention during printing
•   Larger Roll Media Size - The TS500-1800 can accept rolls of media up to 60kg and 300mm in diameter, further improving operator productivity by eliminating the need for frequent media changes. Larger orders can be continuously printed without interruption, or batches of smaller orders using the same media can be easily handled.

Lantronix xPrintServer review: Easy printing from iPads and iPhones

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:53:16 GMT

Over and over, TabTimes is hearing from more and more businesses and users that want to be able to print from their iPads. Surprisingly, it’s not that straightforward.

Yes, AirPrint-compatible printers allow you to do this. So does Google CloudPrint--although it takes some wrangling. But given the large number of non-AirPrint legacy printers in offices and homes around the world, and the level of content creation being performed on tablets these days, we found ourselves puzzled at the dearth of network printing solutions for tablet devices.

Lantronix is a hardware manufacturer that made a name for itself with a series of network print servers in the 1990s. When we heard that the company had recently released a network device that it said enabled easy, auto-configured printing from iOS devices to printers on the same network, we couldn’t wait to put it through its paces. Was the xPrintServer the answer?

Thankfully, the answer is yes. We could say a lot of things about the xPrintServer, but the most important thing you need to know is a very simple two-word sentence: It works.

You connect the xPrintServer to your network (be it office or home), plug in the power, and the device, which is about the same size as an iPhone, but twice as thick, automatically recognizes and provisions all the printers on that network.

From here, you simply use an iPad’s or iPhone’s built-in Print function (the same button as “Share” in iOS) to identify, connect to, and print to the printer of your choice.

xPrintServer test results
We tested the xPrintServer in our small San Francisco office, which has three different network-attached printers to a single network access point via three different network switches. We also tested the xPrintServer in two other environments—a medium-sized bike shop with two printers, and a medium-sized non-profit office with seven printers connected to multiple switches and Wi-Fi repeaters.

In all cases, the xPrintServer worked flawlessly in detecting network printers and allowing our iOS devices to print to them. Print speeds were also surprisingly snappy; we didn't notice any discernable difference when printing text pages between this solution and a desktop or laptop computer. Larger and more image-intensive print jobs did create a little slowdown, but it wasn't too bad. Most importantly, we didn't see a single job failure.

Based on Lantronix’ Supported Printer List, it appears that the device supports pretty much every printer from every major manufacturer on the planet. The only types of printers it does not support are those which are attached to a computer solely via USB cable.

The only other potential flaw for larger organizations is that the xPrintServer only automatically detects printers that are located on the same subnet of a network. Thankfully, you can access the device via a web-based admin interface and manually configure access to these printers in no time.

Theoretically, you could connect a large number of printers to the xPrintServer, but for ideal print spooling, Lantronix recommends that you connect no more than 10 printers to each device. At $150, this is an indispensable device for independent, small and large organizations alike.

Canon PIXMA MG8250 review

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:23:35 GMT

The Canon PIXMA MG8250 is a beautiful all-in-one printer for anybody interested in general-purpose home use, but with a particular interest in reproducing photographs. It's a delight to use, produces excellent prints at reasonable speeds, but is comparatively pricey to run. Extras like the transparency adapter and CD/DVD print and the facility to print remotely from a wide variety of devices makes it a very flexible scanning and printing device.

Key Features
Transparency scanner
Direct CD/DVD print
Fastest A4 PIXMA printer
Remote printing via PIXMA Cloud Link
Eos camera look and feel
Canon PIXMA MG8250 - Design and Features
Canon's big, black all-in-one printers aimed at home users, and specifically at photography enthusiasts, have made quite a name for themselves. The PIXMA MG8250 sits right at the top of its range, so has all the extras the company can throw at it.

Said to be modelled on its EOS range of digital cameras, the matt look of the printer is a great improvement over the high-gloss, fingerprint-prone models further down the range and we can only hope the new look filters down. The scanner top looks quite plain, until you switch the machine on when, not only does the 88mm LCD display light up in the centre of the lid, but illuminated touch buttons appear towards its front and indicators shine through its beautifully textured surround. It's a kind of magic.

Under the lid is a fold-down front panel, which becomes the output tray, and below that is a 150-sheet paper cassette. There's a second, 150-sheet paper tray which lifts up from the rear of the machine, so you can load both plain and photo paper simultaneously. A third printing source is for CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs, which you get at by pulling down a guide inside the printer and sliding in the supplied disc tray.

To the right of the front panel, a flip-open cover gives access to three memory card slots, adding CompactFlash to SD and MemoryStick, which are the usual complement. Under these is a USB/PictBridge socket, for insta-printing from your camera. Yet another way to get pictures onto this printer is by removing the white reflector under the scanner lid and using the transparency adapter to scan in slides or negatives, at resolutions up to 4,800 x 9,600ppi.

Other data connections include USB, 10/100 Ethernet and wireless. The wireless connection is particularly noteworthy as it gives access to a wide range of direct print technologies, including PIXMA Cloud Link, which uses Google Cloud Print, and AirPrint for iPad, iPhone and other wireless Apple devices.

The machine uses six inks, with both pigmented and dye-based black and an extra grey ink to add to the CMY set, useful when printing black-and-white photos. They each clip into the semi-permanent head and LED indicators show when they're properly located and flash when ink is low.

Epson GT-S55 & GT-S85 Printers

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:52:19 GMT

Epson has today released two new A4 sheet-fed simplex/duplex scanners for business users - the Epson GT-S55 and GT-S85 - designed from the ground up with advanced software features and innovative technology to deliver performance, versatility, quality and speed.

The GT-S55 and GT-S85 are fast, high quality document scanners that quickly capture database information and whole documents for current use and archiving in business and home office environments, improving productivity and speeding up workflow.

The Epson Scan software in both scanners has been enhanced to include dual image output and edge fill options. The Dual Image Output feature allows users to simultaneously create two scan files in different formats with different output settings such as resolution, image type, image option and edge fill with only one scan. The Edge Fill feature lets users correct shadowing around the borders (the edges of the scanned document) by filling them with a selected colour.

Other software features include: Text enhancement to increase text visibility when scanning text documents, whether in colour, greyscale or black-and-white. Auto Area Segmentation to automatically detect text and picture areas on a page and scan text in black-and-white and pictures in halftone to achieve the best results.

Colour Enhance is a smart function that clearly captures specific colours on office documents that would not be captured using normal black-and-white scanners. Examples of this useful feature include enhancing signatures on cheques and documents using blue ink, or “Confidential” and “Urgent” stamps that use red ink. Colour Dropout removes a single colour (red, green or blue) from documents such as coloured backgrounds and over-stamps that might obscure text.

Auto Orientation ensures documents are scanned in the correct direction by automatically determining the top and bottom of the page from the orientation of text. Industry-leading software provided for a complete document management solution includes NewSoft Presto! PageManager, ABBYY Fine Reader Sprint Plus, and Presto! BizCard Reader.

With impressive scanning speeds of up to 40ppm (single sided/simplex scanning) and 80ipm (double sided/duplex scanning) for the GT-S85 and 25ppm/50ipm for the GT-S55, and a high-capacity 75-sheet ADF that readily accepts a wide variety of business documents from stacks of A4 sheets to an individual business card, these scanners allow users to spend less time scanning and more time on other tasks.

Epson Event Manager makes it easy to integrate the GT-S55 and GT-S85 into office processes, speeding up workflow and enabling users to capture, convert, distribute and store document information in virtually any management system. It can also customise ‘scan to job’ functions for up to 10 one-touch jobs, such as ‘scan to email’ or ‘ scan to a shared folder,’ and much more.

Epson Event Manager also allows direct scanning to all Epson projectors or printers, and networked destinations such as Microsoft® SharePoint Server, Windows Shared Folders, WebDAV or FTP folders.

Epson ReadyScan LED technology in the GT-S55 and GT-S85 allows instant scanning with no warm-up time, and is cost-saving and eco-considerate with its low in heat dissipation and low power consumption.

Both scanners include an ISIS Driver for seamless integration between the scanner and custom built business applications, and both support Windows and Mac operating systems for high quality imaging and document management across a broad range of IT environments.

HP presents latest latex printers at FESPA Digital

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:54:20 GMT

HP has announced its line-up of printers for FESPA Digital in Hall 3, including the first showing at a major international exhibition of the new HP Designjet L28500 and HP Designjet L26500 Printers that use HP Latex Inks, and offer a broader range of indoor and outdoor signage.

In a comprehensive display that extends beyond the exhibition hall, HP will present a range of its printers for flexible and rigid applications both on its stand and at its GSB Experience Center in nearby San Cugat. Visitors to the stand will find examples of new applications that can enable print service providers (PSPs) to develop new revenue streams and grow their businesses.

Adding value to the visitor experience, HP will be demonstrating the full Sign and Display portfolio (including the new HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Press, the HP Scitex TJ8600 Industrial Press and HP Scitex XP series printers) at its GSB Experience Center- just 25 minutes away. A shuttle service will be in operation throughout the show.

The 2.64m HP Designjet L28500 Printer, launched in November, delivers speeds up to 70 per cent faster(1) than the HP Designjet L25500 Printer, while the 1.55m HP Designjet L26500 Printer is ideal for customers entering the growing soft-signage market.(2)

Both systems feature new HP 792 Latex Designjet Inks, which produce rich blacks and glossy results on banners and self-adhesive vinyl, and offer double-sided printing capabilities(3) with less user intervention and more accurate, automated registration.

Also on show from the HP Latex printing range is the established 3.2m HP Scitex LX850 Industrial Printer, a production solution that delivers maximum versatility and productivity with multiple workflow features, including dual-roll, roll-to-free fall and roll-to-collector handling and an ink collector.

Along with the printers using HP Latex Inks, there will be information and advice available to help PSPs reduce their environmental footprints.

Tools for growth
Among other versatile printers on the stand are:

•   The HP Scitex FB700 Printer helps PSPs increase their capacity to fulfil customer requests and grow their businesses with high-quality prints on virtually any rigid or flexible media(4) using UV-curable inks. The FB700 prints on materials up to 64mm thick and up to 2.5m wide by 3.05m long(5) for the production of durable outdoor and indoor applications, including point-of-purchase displays, tradeshow graphics, interior decorations, banners and furniture. An optional White Ink Upgrade Kit for specialty applications is also available.

•   The HP Designjet Z6200 Photo Printer with HP Vivid Photo Inks, delivers high-quality output and the highest speeds of large format printers in its price class.(6) With chromatic red, HP Vivid Photo Inks offer a wide colour gamut with vibrant colour and deep rich blacks and uniform gloss, enabling PSPs to expand their offering to include top photo-quality prints.

•   The HP Designjet Z5200 PostScript Printer - a simple, affordable device for small commercial print businesses interested in entering the large-format market. Suited for a broad range of applications, the 1120mm printer includes HP Instant Printing Pro software that offers fast, easy file preparation and automates production tasks. The printer is compatible with new ColorPRO papers that produce striking, cost-effective everyday prints.

HP personnel will be on the stand to provide information on high-end production devices like the new HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Press that features new HP FB225 Scitex Inks, workflow improvements for increased productivity and versatility and an optional multi-sheet loader. A video will focus on the capabilities and versatility of the HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Press to enable PSPs to evaluate its potential for their businesses. Delivering power production capabilities with speeds up to 95 full boards per hour and a new POP print mode that images 55 full boards per hour with indoor quality, the HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Press offers a variety of enhancements to accelerate throughput on a wide range of flexible and rigid media.

Special focus areas on the stand will provide business-building advice and examples of applications that will show PSPs how to expand their services into areas of interior decor and textile printing, as well as their environmental programmes.

(1) The HP Designjet L28500 and L26500 Printers produce an extremely broad range of both outdoor and indoor applications from a single device, which surpasses the number of different applications that traditional eco-solvent printers or water-based printers can produce. The HP Designjet L28500 Printer achieves speeds up to 70 per cent faster than the HP Designjet L26500 and L25500 Printers .
(2) For best results, print on media that does not let the ink trespass onto the printer. Performance may vary depending on media. Users should consult their media supplier for compatibility details.
(3) For best results use media options intended for double-sided printing.
(4) Flexible media printing with an optional HP Scitex FB700 Roll-to-Roll Upgrade Kit.
(5) HP Scitex FB700 Extension Tables are required for long materials. Two sets are required for printing materials up to 3.05m (120in) long.
(6) Based on published manufacturer specifications as of June 2010.

New benchmarks in portable label printing

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:02:11 GMT

From March 13 to 15, 2012, TSC Auto ID EMEA Technology GmbH will be at LogiMAT 2012 in Stuttgart to present their latest product development, the Alpha-3R portable label printer, for the first time in Germany. This superlight 550 g printer has a variety of attractive standard and high-performance features that simply cannot be found in comparable printers in its class. TSC Auto ID will also be presenting its TTP-2410M Pro series, which is based on the familiar best-selling TTP-2410M and guarantees top performance in industrial thermal transfer printing.

With the new Alpha-3R portable thermal direct printer, TSC Auto ID is setting yet another new highlight. The Alpha-3R prints a maximum print length of 2268 mm (more than twice that of a comparable model from the competition!) and at a print speed of 100 mm/sec and a resolution of 203 dpi, for razor-sharp labels with a printed width of up to 80 mm. That makes the Alpha-3R perfect for many requirements in commerce, in sales, in the warehouse, in production or in transportation - but also in the public arena such as the police, fire-fighters or clinical uses. 8 MB DRAM and 4 MB of Flash memory provide plenty of storage capacity. USB 2.0 is integrated by default, along with the programming languages TSPL-EZ (EPL2, ZPL2) and CPCL.