A silicon valley startup called Presto has quietly launched a new service aimed at people who don’t currently have Internet access, but want to be able to receive emails and photos from loved ones. It combines a special printer produced by Hewlett Packard with a web service that sends data to the printer over a normal phone line - no need for internet access or a computer.
Featured prominently throughout the Presto website are pictures of happy old people receiveing photos from (younger, presumably tech savvy) loved ones. My guess, based on those ubiquitous pictures, is that old people are the target demographic for the Presto service.
Teasing aside, Presto looks like a pretty cool service for some people (possibly the parents and grandparents of TechCrunch readers). The printer costs $150. Take it out of the box and feed it electricity and a normal phone line. No need for broadband internet service. You are assigned a special @presto.com email address, and when someone sends photos or other content to that email address, it prints out on the printer. The old person user simply takes it off the printer and looks at it. We’ll be getting a test version of the printer and service and will post a more lengthy review after a hands on experience.
The service itself costs another $10 per month, which is where Presto makes their money. HP makes their money off of the ink cartridges that people will buy after using the service.
I do have a spam concern. It’s a pretty good bet that spammers will be sending mass emails to %@presto.com, knowing that a hard copy will be printed out and delivered to the end user. I’m sure Presto will have filters in place to deal with most of this. But I also wonder if Presto’s incentive to sell advertisers the right to send a limited amount of “special offers” to Presto users will become too great to ignore over time, perhaps in exchange for a free or reduced price account. We’ll see.
Presto is backed by Kleiner Perkins and Clearstone Venture Partners.
Update: I should have done this before, but I dug into the potential spam issue a little more. You have to be an accepted sender for the printer to accept the email, so unsolicited spam will not be printed. However, to access the user account to accept/reject friends requires a computer, so I guess a family member or friend will help them with account maintenance if they don’t have one.
Oh my, the kind of spam granny will get on this - I can only imagine. Although, Viagra ads may be more relevant :D.
Seriously though, that’s a valid concern, hopefully Presto has a really impressive spam filter. People won’t be too happy when porn spam starts printing out in their living room.
Heh, funny article
I think it’s an interesting idea but you are totally right about spam. I love that lady you have a picture of - she’s on the web site like 100 different, always looking amazed at the pictures coming out of her phone line.
You’ve got goatse!
I would be pretty upset if Presto sold my e-mail. Not only the nuisance, but the fact that my EXPENSIVE HP ink is being wasted on spam.
Grandma gets excited. A new picture of little Jimmy is on the way. The printer begins to print.
Oh no. It’s a message from Fidelity. Grandma’s brokerage account has been deactivated due to suspicious activity. Thank god for Presto. Grandma can now call a phone number and get her account reactivated by providing some account information to the Fidelity customer service agent with a funny accent.
And what perfect timing. The printer starts printing again and grandma’s reactivation of her Fidelity account couldn’t have come at a better time. There’s a hot little energy company in Nevada that’s just ready to explode on the Pink Sheets exchange and with a call to her broker she can purchase 2 million shares at only 5 cents each!
Little Jimmy’s photo finally arrives and grandma can’t help but thank Presto for making technology a part of her life. Not only can she watch as little Jimmy grows up so fast, but it looks like grandma will be able to put him through college when ABC Energy goes to $5/share.
must be another spam monster……a good way for spam…in fact, the idea is idealised facing this true world…I got more than 500 spam in my yahoo mailbox almost everyday….HP will be happy with that…500 pritng a day….they got the way for selling their ink cartridges and printing paper…
I wonder how spam mails are going to look like on the thing
hum…if I were the one to send the spam…I will make it well designed just like movie poster…
Apparently only whitelisted addresses can send email to the printers so spam is not really an issue.
http://www.presto.com/wip_features.aspx
“Presto Friends - Create a list of friends who can send you email, so there is no spam, no ads, no junk.”
Spam is not an issue with Presto because it is permission-based. Each account has a “Friends List” where you enter email addresses for the people who are allowed to send mail to the box.
I was an early beta tester and I have nothing but good things to say about it. It’s a great service with a worthy goal and a rapidly multiplying target demo.
Yeah, I just found that and updated the post above. I’m not sure how grandma will accept friends if she doesn’t have a computer. I guess a family member can do that for her. If she does have a computer, I’d imagine she could figure out how to hit the “print” button all on her own, without the need for presto.
Yeah, Mike I think the idea is that someone purchases the unit and subscription for their parent/grandparent and then sets up that access information, which you can change at any time.
They have also done a good job of creating an area where that administrator can monitor the unit’s activity from connection times down to ink and paper levels. I’m in the west and my parents are back east and it has been very simple, much easier then the TiVo support calls I get from them
Yup…Michael, you are right, this is what i gotta asked… it’s hard for a grandma to filter her friends or fmaily memebers, although her family memebers could do it for her, but how about her long lost friends? the permission is not the final way to solve the problem, it ’s another tip.
Another question is, will Presto send the ad via their service? this is a good way for them to make money, I believe they would not do so…
In another hand, this service is a kind of network, maybe not the social network but the network, more people knwo the service, more printers will be sold…will Presto jsut stand on the premission base?
As Michael mentioned, in case of grandma could configure the white list. She might be able to blog or sending email.
I got an idea for them to solve this problem…but would not tell them. haha
how is that better than a fax machine with a simple email-to-fax service (there are dozens of them…) ?
please explain.
The idea is brilliant.
As it has already been detailed on the post, how Presto deals with the problem of facing _spam_. Michael’s comment clarifies again.
Presto can also add the functionality to send a reply (may be a photo from granny, etc).
This product may also be helpful in very tight - security corporate environments - where one would want a seperate, inexpensive private option for correspondance that would NOT be on the network.
But in terms of the home experience….
The irony of this is that one could just get a color automatic fax / phone system and connect it to their phone line - and only tell a few friends they have an alternate fax -
since people can also send emails that convert to faxes, it would not really be that different of an experience
The title and picture of this post is priceless =)
Hey everyone!
Presto invented the Fax machine!
If this takes off, it’s brilliant that Presto could remarket such a device… and manage to sell subscriptions to boot!
Go capitalism!
LOL anyone who is talking about how you could just set up a fax and use an email to fax service instead just doesn’t get it. You have been so jaded by geekdom that you can’t see something good right in front of your face. And that is ok, this isn’t your realm. But if you would spare the rest of us from your obvious Radio Shack work arounds it would be much appreciated. We understand that there are many ways to do one thing, we are not as simple as you think.
This seems to be a simple service targeted very specifically for a reason. You are not that target.
I feel that a printer (yeah it costs only $150
) might be an overkill for receiving e-mail. And above this you have to pay for the service and the ink cost. I think they should give the printer on a rental basis or free of cost and charge slightly more for the service or have ads. Either have a slightly higher subscription charge or have a lower subscription charge and print ads.
This can be a brilliant option for advertisers to push local advertising. Send coupons and messages which can be used in a radius of around 10 miles. I think something like a travel plan email can have an ad from a travel agency in a nearby area. But, privacy concerns might be an issue here. Actually, Presto can have an option in which people can say that they are ready to receive ads of certain things and wouldn’t entertain some others. And then the ads will become more meaningful to the advertiser and the receiver.
I am also wondering how different this service is from a email to fax service. Maybe it is easier to send to an email address.
P.S: That picture is really nice.
Just to address the questions about ad push. Non-photo content like article and ads are currently treated as subscriptions in the “Presto Newsstand” section of the admin site.
There are catagories such as “Home & Garden”, “Travel”, and “Crosswords & Puzzles” with individual sponsored and non-sponsored digests inside. Most follow a pre-defined delivery schedule and tell you how many pages they contain. As an example inside of “Crosswords & Puzzles” there is a “Sudoku” digest that will be 1 page delivered 7 days a week if you subscribe to it.
All of this content is currently opt-in only.
Um - I’m obviously missing something here - why not just send your beloved relative a letter? A little slower, but much much cheaper.
Seems like a pretty feasible replacement for mail. Priced well within range of “Christmas present” also for grandparents.
They just need an “Accept” button on the printer for new senders (so they dont need to go to the website to configure their accept list).
Anyways, great find. I’d totally get one of these for my parents who are on dialup anyways, and rarely check their email.
Between this and Old Glory robot insurance, I know what Grandma’s getting for Christmas: http://youtube.com/watch?v=L3sLE-Jk0rw
Welcome to Web 0.5: the fax machine!
I know a little about this service and it’s better than a fax because it’s an all-in-one solution. You plug the thing in for the non-techy, someone who is tech savvy then manages the whitelist of addresses and even gets notified when the ink is running out so they can replace the ink for the non-techy (because do you really want grandma having to futz with ink catridges?). It’s a simplified solution to a big problem.
Why not send a letter? Convenience. E-mail is way more convenient. That’s why the post office is raising stamp prices and considering dumping many mail boxes around the country.
To all the geeks around here - this is a great service and am sure it will fly. Just think of many times you send your friends a letter with an update on your life. Well, right now your family members without email are excluded from that.
This is a simple fax-machine, preferably one that doesn’t give you PCL ERROR messages.
Spam and allowing unknown senders to email you isn’t really an unsolvable problem. If someone not on your friends-list sends you a message, presto.com will send a message back saying they are not on the list and if they want to apply to be on the list, they should call XYZ number. Call center in India then amalgametes all the people who want to get in touch with your granny and then give her a call once a week at a preset time. They will read a message to Granny saying a reason why the people want to get in touch with her and recommend to her whether they look like spammers or not. Alternatively if granny doesn’t remember them, she can ask the service representatives to release her mail address or phone number to the person. Then they can contact her offline first to confirm their identity and intentions…
Whatever - these are details. The big idea is great! Think about the aging society in Europe.
Actuall, when I come to think of it:
I wonder who is going to be the first printer or modem company to release a small black-box modem device that will give you USB port to plug into any cheap printer. Then you won’t be stuck with HP cartridges and presto network.
Second movers certainly have a huge advantage in this market.
why not just buy a fax machine? much cheaper. no spam.
I just wonder, how this idea can sell? I mean, why do you need other extra devices, if you can teach ur grandpa how to use a computer to receive email. It not only improve the relationship between ur grandpa and u, also helps them to improve their lifestyle. They now have more things to play with.
“why not just buy a fax machine?”
Dear granny, here is a photo of your new grandchild.
(Pixellated black blob)
IMHO, this only works if requires absolutely zero maintenance, for that to be true, it needs to get rid of ink cartridges in favor of a standard-3-colors-pen driven plotter.
and what about adding scanning capabilities?
it will allow the old lady to reply with a paper photo of herself queeuing in the bank to pay the $10 monthly bill sticked with cellophane to a lovely hand-written letter…
Why not just have a phone line into the television. Then another ‘box’ in the house is not needed.
Michael - you note “quietly launched” - if quietly launched is about 100202942 infomercials, than everything is quietly launched
If you happen to catch the advert, it really screams to old people to buy it - whether its useful or not, i am sure getting pictures from your loved ones is a good salespitch.
Besides the ink cartridges, I’d be worried about paper jams and other technical difficulties. I don’t think my 70-year-old mother-in-law would be able to handle it. My 60-year-old parents, however, would drop kick Presto out of the park. They’ve got five PC’s between the two of them.
I upload our photos to a photo printing service and them mailed directly to my mother-in-law. Higher quality and no stress on her part.
Guys, all people must know how to change a lightbulb (or have someone who does it for them), so they must surely be able to change print-cartridges.
Problem with showing stuff on TV is well, that you need that TV to see it. Standard paper rules, look where those eBook readers are now - seen anyone reading book on his PDA recently ?!?!?…
Majority of old people won’t learn the basics of OS just to check their email. Sure, they got lots of time, but it’s simply not a priority for them. How many 60+ have you seen with iPods? Compare it to those that you’ve seen listening to plain radio in their home and that should make you realize the size of Presto’s market.
Give it a few years, appliances like this will be ubiquitous and probably available for free (same principle as with cell phone plans).
Interestingly the worlds first color fax machine was invented in 1946 and also retailed for $150.
http://blog.modernmechanix.com.....hine-1946/
Brother also sells a color fax machine for $110, but I really don’t know how good the quality would be. I didn’t even know there were color fax machines.
http://www.amazon.com/Brother-.....B00067JAS0
“Email. It’s not just for those young whippersnappers.”
Very good idea, this will work in many context and has huge potential in developing countries.
and every now and then occassion for photo sessions.
Let’s take example of India where there are 13 festivals in 12 months
In my personal case : my family can print using the printer instead of getting the photo printed from outside.
Another case : As I am staying away in London, so instead of me uploading the photo to some Indian order-to-print photo site, I can uplaod it it Presto and get it printed in my home
ahha but presto is still in US…. the idea can be explored by existing players in India such as Picsquare.com and others.
As someone who’s parents have not crossed over to the connected generation (no matter how many times I’ve set up a computer for them) - the Presto service offers a really elegant solution to letting my folks experience what those of us who are over connected do every day. It has let me and my siblings better fit them into our life’s and how we communicate. It is really easy to see something on the web and email them the page or to send some goofy photos from the kids. Just sending them a reminder about an appointment is great. It does create some implied responsibility to send them something with some regular frequency - I still remember the Cieva-guilt when I hadn’t sent my mother-in-law any new pictures for a few weeks.
We were beta testers and they love it. It dials-out three times a day using a POTS line (how 1980’s!) and picks up messages. The industrial design of the unit is excellent. Remember, this is designed to be ordered by one of us for them - it gets shipped to their address and you want them to be able to set it up. You just stick in a single ink cartridge, some paper and plug it in.
We have not had much experience with the services - though this is an area with a lot of potential and by scheduling a regular email from a 3rd party you make sure they are getting some mail you make them feel connected. Building a feed reader option into their platform is an interesting option for the future. I could see my Mom loving to get specials from the local grocery store or even a daily menu from a favorite restaurant. All of this will become very interesting if they can get a large enough footprint of users.
The whole system works best if someone gifts the Presto and takes charge of administering the account though I believe the have an 800# you can call and they will set it up for you. If your parents are not connected and you are thinking about a gift for the holidays - you should seriously consider a Presto.
More interesting may be a product about to be launched by a company called In View in Sweden. It uses wireless (GSM) technology to receive pictures in the form of MMS messages, which are easily sent from a camera phone, and displays them on a television screen.
Windeye: is there anyone out here who uses MMS? Costs a bit too much for the little benefit. All the carriers were thinking it’s the next big killer app. Like with mobile-videoconferencing or off-board navigation.. I say - just forget it…
Am sure In View will go after all carriers, make up nice charts about increased ARPU and over-optimistic forecasts on user-demand. And all the middle-managers will get excited, because now they can push something that is certainly a killer-app. It makes them look good and who cares if the company doesn’t make money, if they can only get that bonus!
I wonder when shareholders will finally force mobile-carriers to stop pursuing ventures like those…
There’s another service called Celery (http://mycelery.com/) that does the same thing, but it’s bi-directional.
Here’s a funny commercial featuring a grandma.
Cool service, funny commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40EtjCu3fpE
As a few others have pointed out, it sounds a lot like… a fax machine.
It brings back memories of 1991, when I would get 6-8 faxes per day from brokerage firms (mostly Drexel Burnham) of the infamous “Scud Missile Launcher” camel cartoon.
Anyway, as someone who tried to get a parent to use WebTV a few years back, with limited success, this does sound like a decent offering for sharing emails, photos and perhaps jokes.
Of course, one-way communication is somewhat limited, but for sending the grandparents the latest pictures of their grandkids, it’s a decent option (and less expensive than Ceiva).
This is a great idea, and will prove to be a wonderful service that will have 500,000+ users by 2012 (and no; I don’t work for the company, wasn’t a beta tester, nor have any conection/s w/them)…will gladly sign up once my parents reach that point.
…does generate a humerous image ala’ those commercials for personal alarm systems, tho’…
“Help! Help! I’m out of ink and I can’t get up!”
Save $150… paper… ink… and service costs.
Go with pen and paper… or maybe even get grandma a cell phone… and call her.
Thanks for the update Michael, that makes this pretty much useless then.
Interesting concept I guess…what happens when grandma tries to stuff a reply back in to the printer? I’d love to see an 80 year old try to figure out a paper jam. PC Load Letter anyone?