Instant Digital Prints (and Polaroid Nostalgia)

Polaroid wants to conjure up those golden analog days of vast sales and instant gratification — this time with images captured by digital cameras and camera phones. The New York Times reports.

"This fall, the company expects to market a hand-size printer that produces color snapshots in about 30 seconds.

Beam a photograph from a cellphone to the printer and, with a gentle purr, out comes the full-color print — completely formed and dry to the touch.

The printer, which connects wirelessly by Bluetooth to phones and by cable to cameras, will cost about $150. The images are 2 inches by 3 inches, the size of a credit card."

... The potential market for instant printing of photos captured by phones and digital cameras is vast and largely untapped, said Steve Hoffenberg, an analyst at Lyra Research, a market research firm in Newtonville, Mass. “There’s an explosion in picture taking,” he said, “primarily because of the sheer number of camera phones out there on a worldwide basis.” Lyra projects shipments of about 880 million camera phones in 2008.

HP invents printing for your cell phone

According to Tech.co.uk, Hewlett Packard has invented a service that enables you to print documents anywhere in the world using your mobile phone.

"The service, named Cloudprint, works very simply: All you have to do is save a PDF of your document on to HP's servers to retrieve a unique code that is sent by text message to your mobile phone.

You can then retrieve the PDF by accessing the message code, then print the document off at a locally-available printer - a Google Maps directory of which is included in the Cloudprint service".

Nokia launches Mobile Photo Printing Service

Nokia has launched a fully integrated mobile printing service in Europe for the Nseries handsets, accessible from the Gallery application.

"The Nokia XpressPrint service ets you order prints via LAN or cellular networks directly from your Nseries phone.

Simply select the images to be printed, insert address and other requested information, and press 'Order now'. The order is then processed by CeWe Color and prints are delivered to the entered address. You can also have your favorite images printed on stickers or gift items like mugs, jigsaw puzzles and T-shirts, and have them delivered to a friend. "

[via i4u]

Zero Ink Printing

Do you print pictures you've taken with a camera phone? Not likely. Zink Imaging hopes to change that.

Zink, whose name is derived from "zero ink," has devised a patented way to print color images without ink cartridges or ribbons. The technology, which originated at Polaroid, can be embedded in mobile phones, digital cameras and other devices. [via USAToday]

The ZINK technology enables a new category of color printers and paper that work as a system to print a whole new way.

The key to this process is the patented ZINK paper, an advanced composite material with dye crystals embedded inside and a protective polymer overcoat layer outside. ZINK paper is durable, colorful, and affordable.

See a video of how it works

Nokia adds mobile printing software to N-series phones

According to Engadget Mobile, Nokia will be releasing software that allows the "Internet Edition" N80 (and a yet-to-be-announced trio of other N-series mobiles) to order prints from the Snapfish website directly from the phone.

Nokia Adds Mobile Printing Service

Software in four of Nokia's Nseries camera phones will enable users to order prints of their pictures for store pick-up or home delivery from services such as Hewlett-Packard's Snapfish. The new software will add to the printing capabilities of the phones, which can already connect to certain printers over USB or a Bluetooth wireless connection. [via PC World]

Picture of laziness

Globes [Online] writes about a start-up company called I-Com Mobile, which offers a sevice allowing anyone taking a digital picture with an advanced Orange camera phone, to press a button to print the picture. "At the end of each month, the selected photographs will arrive at the person’s home in an envelope together with their phone bill. I-Com Mobile was founded on the basis of this service."

"Is there really a need to set up a company to manage such a simple service? I-Com Mobile CEO Shahar Amitai says of course there is. He says that in the not-too-distant future, after taking a picture by camera phone, the photographer will get a menu listing the options “send to print”, “send e-mail”, “send to blog”, “send to a friend”. In addition, the moment the picture is taken, it automatically appears on I-Com Mobile’s site.

Photo-Me helped by digital kiosks

The growing popularity of digital photography has helped photo-booth operator Photo-Me International enjoy a 56% rise in annual pre-tax profits, according to the BBC.

The firm has benefited from the roll-out of digital media kiosks, which enable people to print pictures from digital cameras or mobile phones.

Photo-Me has an international network of 28,000 photo booths, in locations such as railway stations and Post Offices.

There are already 3,000 operational digital media kiosks and the firm hopes to add an extra 5,000 by the end of 2005".

Users can print out pictures by either plugging in their digital camera's memory card, or by using infrared or Blue Tooth wireless technology.

SMSC Sets Camera Phone Images Free with Infrared

Looking to create an easy and inexpensive way to transfer photos from cell phones to PCs or other devices, SMSC is introducing a device that offers USB-to-infrared and 15-in-1 flash media conversion, reports Electronic News.

"The USB2230 “sets free” all the photos that are trapped in cameraphones by being the first in the industry to combine flash media and infrared technology.

Many consumers don't know how to download the photos from their camera phone, so the pictures are shown to friends or family and then erased,” said Morry Marshall, VP of strategic technologies at analyst firm Semico Research..

He added. “Downloading requires a connecting cable, too challenging and cumbersome, or a telephone data connection, too slow and expensive. The SMSC infrared solution, combined with a flash card reader provides a simple, speedy, intuitive connection, point and download, which should find a ready market.”

The USB2230 device controller can be integrated into PCs, photo kiosks, TVs, set-top boxes, printers or other receiving devices that will allow consumers to send pictures wirelessly.

It lets consumers use infrared transfers for free instead of paying 25 cents to 50 cents per picture via a cellular network."

Canon and Siemens team up for Wireless Printing

Siemens and Canon have joined forces to bring users a direct printing solution for their high-resolution digital camera phones, reports Mobilemag.

"The new Canon photo PIXMA iP90 and SELPHY DS700 printers will allow for convenient cable-free printing via Bluetooth or IrDA wireless.

These printers are lightweight and semi-portable. Canon describes the quality as “superb”, when printing from 1.3-megapixel cameras."

Mini Printers to make stickers of camphone pics

Mini printers in the window of a Japanese store - produce stickers of cameraphone pictures. [via Kirai.net]

Wireless Camphone Shot Printer

LG Electronics is launching a Wireless Photo Printing Service that prints pictures taken by cell phones wirelessly, the company announced Tuesday. [via Telecoms Korea]

"LG's One Phone (KF1000) works with Kodak's Digital Dock Plus and Bluetooth so that users can get their pictures printed within 10m radius from the printing devices.

So far, pictures taken with cell phones were printed using fixed-line based on PictBridge technology and KF1000 is the only handset currently available that allows wireless picture printing, the company emphasized."

In Digital Age, A Clash Over Fading Photos

The boom in digital photography has sparked a backbiting squabble over the longevity of pictures made on home printers, reports the WSJ.

"As more people use digital cameras, many are making homemade prints. Yet many shutterbugs could end up disappointed by the shelf life of their photos; fading due to light and susceptibility to ozone and other pollutants.

The clash pits printer makers eager to market their own lines of expensive specialty photo paper against big paper purveyors like retailer Staples Inc. and photo giant Eastman Kodak Co., neither of which makes inkjet printers of their own."

Long Day's Journey Into Night

A favorite part from a MocoNews post, blogged live from the CTIA - on Day 1.

"The Nokia folks at Pepcom's Mobile Focus sent a picture to a random printer just to see where it would end up. They were still trying to figure out the landing zone when a Sony Ericcson staffer came up with the print — she used the clues in the picture to decipher where it belonged. A fun moment but just imagine the havoc that could be wreaked on unsecured devices and unsuspecting casual consumers".

Guidelines For Printing Pics From Camera Phones

The Mobile Imaging and Printing Consortium, an industry group developing solutions and implementation guidelines for printing images captured with camera phones, have announced their first set of guidelines for the mobile and printing industry, reports Mike Grenville for 160characters.org.

"The guidelines leverage existing connectivity technology standards and solutions, such as Bluetooth(TM) wireless technology, printing from memory cards and PictBridge.

The aim is to provide consumers with seamless interoperability between a broad base of mobile phones and printers. Any products that follow the MIPC technical guidelines will work with each other in that applicable technology."

The first version of the MIPC Implementation Guidelines is now publicly available and will be provided upon request via the following link: www.mobileprinting.org/developers

Mobile Pocket Printer: Fuji Film Pivi

a pocket-sized photo printer for mobile phones. The Fuji Film Pivi as you can see in the photo fits in a back pocket, reports 14U,

"On a single battery charge 130 photos can be printed. A photo is printed in 21sec.
The Data transfer from the mobile phone is infra-red. The Fuji Film Mobile printer MP-100 (Pivi) will go on sale November 15th in Japan. "

Photo-me and no curtains

A photo kiosk operator is set to cash in on the booming demand for digital picture printing in Northern Ireland, reports the The Belfast Telegraph.

"Photo-Mec, which has been in business in the province for more than 40 years, is to open more than 100 digital photo printing kiosks in the next 12 months.

The kiosks will be sited in shopping centres, airports and hotels right across the province.

"The investment we are making in Northern Ireland is a significant one. With two-thirds of mobile phones now sold having a camera facility, and the number of digital cameras growing by more than 15% a year, it is clear the market exists." - The company's Belfast-based chief executive office, Glenn MacFarlane , Glenn MacFarlane

Sprint Gives Camera Phone Users Printing Power

Sprint has teamed with Fuji Photo Film to make printing digital camera phone pictures a little easier. Thanks to the partnership, Sprint's Picture Mail customers will be able to print their pictures at several retail locations, reports Wireless Week.

RadioShack, Sprint in Mall Kiosk Venture

RadioShack on Tuesday said it has signed a deal with Sprint Corp. to open wireless kiosks at malls nationwide, reports Reuters.

"Both companies, which have been working together since 1996 via a store-within-a-store concept, plan to complete the roll-out of the multiyear kiosk arrangement to nearly 500 malls over the next three years.

RadioShack, with nearly 7,000 stores, is already the nation's leading seller of wireless phones and accessories, a segment that now accounts for a third of its sales as growth in its other key products lags."

Canon ready for home printing boom

Canon is closing in on the expected boom in the home printing market with the increasing widespread use of inkjet multifunction printers (MFPs) globally, as digital cameras and camera phones enter the mass market, reports the Malaysia Star.

"Canon Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd vice-president and general manager Liew Sip Chon said the use of MFPs at home, capable of printing photo images from cell phones and camera phones, to output digital photos was one of the fastest growing applications in the world as ownership of digital cameras and camera phones continued on an uptrend. 

“With digital cameras closing in fast on film cameras, the home printer is quickly emerging as the virtual darkroom of the 21st century,” he said after the launch of the new PIXMA range of printers – the first in Asia – in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.  

Kodak: Print Wireless Pics At Home

Eastman Kodak is hoping to spur more printing of camera phone pictures with the introduction of its EasyShare Printer Doc Plus, reports Wireless Week.

"The printer doc enables photos to be wirelessly transmitted from a mobile phone and printed at home without the need for a computer.

Imperfections in the camera phone photos can be corrected, including dark spots."

Camera phones to lead in digital printing

Mobile phones with built-in cameras are now outselling digital cameras by six to one, a leading Australian industry executive says. This means that mobile phones and not cameras will be the key growth area for digital printing in the future, according to Digital Connect News.

"Fujifilm Australia Digital Services General Manager Roger Crellin said there would be an explosion of people wanting digital prints from their camera phones as more units with higher pixel capacities hit the market."

Nokia and Fujifilm have announced a joint promotion to help boost consumer awareness of the ability to print camera phone pictures from Fujifilm Digital Photo Centers across Australia. There are now more than 700 Fuji Photo Centers across Australia in shopping centres and retailers, where customers can insert their camera or phone memory card and print out their shots.

Prints can be derived from xD cards, SD cards, PC cards, Memory Sticks and more. The Centers are also fitted with Bluetooth connections.

Crellin expects more of these centers to pop up around Australia from both Fujifilm and its competitors. He said the market could probably take 6000 to 8000 units nationwide".

Photo-Me

Times Online has a market watch article on a company called Photo-Me which caught my eye.

This company is the world's largest photo-booth operator, as well as being a leading supplier of photo processing labs. Their long term plans are "to cash in on the emerging popularity of digital cameras and camera phones, by developing standalone processing kiosks, which allow people to develop pictures themselves.

Initial trials have gone well, generating gross average monthly revenues of £1,650, on a booth that costs £2,000 to make. The plan is eventually to roll out 300 to 400 units a month.

Stickpix Launches First U.K. Camera Phone Printing Service

Stickpix. has this week launched the U.K.'s first mobile phone only picture printing service, reports More Mobile.

"The new service enables users of camera phones to print out their pictures by simply MMSing the picture to the Stickpix phone number - no registration, no credit card details, no website subscription is needed. Users get the high-quality prints sent, first-class, to an address of their choice anywhere and anytime".

Your cellphone takes pictures. Now what?

Kodak recently introduced a service in Europe that lets customers send pictures and videos from certain camera phones, like Nokia's 6600, 7650 and 3650, to private albums on the Web, reports the IHT. Consumers also can order prints from Kodak directly from the phone.

"Kodak is installing Picture Maker kiosks equipped with Bluetooth, a short-range wireless technology, at Nokia stores in Britain, Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands. The kiosks are also being tested in other retail outlets, like Carphone Warehouse and Orange stores, and will eventually be installed in public places like train stations."

New cameraphone printing service

dotPhoto has announced Click & Deliver, a new service that streamlines the process of receiving high-quality prints of photos from camera phones, reports Phonescoop via Engadget

How it works:

Users sign up online, then simply send photos directly from their phone to prints@dotphoto.com. Photos are automatically printed and mailed when the queue reaches a user-defined number (such as 36 prints at a time). Users can also send a simple text message to request their prints immediately. The 3" x 4" prints are made using Kodak paper and shipped via mail or overnight. An account and the first 10 prints are free, after which each print costs 11 cents.

Mobile printing for Sony Ericsson smart phones

Sony Ericsson and HP today announced an agreement to offer mobile printing to Sony Ericsson's P800 and P900 Smartphones, according to a company press release.

Using the HP Wireless Printing for Mobile Phones software application and an HP printer that supports the Bluetooth Basic Print Profile, Sony Ericsson smartphone users can select and print JPEG photos, email (text and JPEG attachments), SMS, contacts and calendar items from their phones.

Phone makers team with printers

InfoSync World reports that Nokia, Samsung, and Siemens have teamed up with The Mobile Imaging and Printing Consortium (MIPC) to ensure that printing from mobile phones becomes as easy as desktop printing.

"According to research firm InfoTrends, camera phone users will print over five billion images in 2004. That number is expected to grow to 37.2 billion printed pictures in 2008, when, InfoTrend predicts, 85% of all mobile phones sold will include an embedded camera".

For more on camera phones and printers, check out this category in Picturephoning.com.

Printing Photos on the Go

Walt Mossberg for the WSJ reviews two tiny photo printers, $199 each, that can churn out snapshot-size prints directly from a camera or a memory card, without involving a computer or software.

-- The Epson PictureMate

-- The Olympus P-10

"Even though they are clumsy to use, both printers produce good-quality photos that look like they just came back from a photo lab".

For more on cell phone printers, check out this category in Picturephoning.com

Cell Phone with Camera = Scanner

Slashdot reports on a new technology developed by NEC and the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, that lets people use their cellular phones with cameras as scanners.

"It says all you have to do is move your phone over the surface of the piece of paper while recording a movie, and the technology (some sort of software I presume) will construct a high resolution image from the individual frames of the video."

Printer firms focus on camera phones

Hewlett-Packard, Epson and Canon have started a group to promote standards for printing images taken with the increasingly popular camera phones, acccording to News.com.

"The three printer companies plan to implement guidelines for the mobile phone industry to deliver reliable wireless printing options to consumers by the second half of 2004. Existing connectivity standards will be used, the companies said, including Bluetooth wireless technology, printing from memory cards and PictBridge, a wired technology for linking digital still cameras directly to printers."

For more on cell phone printers, see this category in Picturephoning.com.

Camera phone photo printing goes nationwide

The USA based pharmacy, CVS has announced plans to introduce mobile image printing capabilities at KODAK Picture Maker kiosks at more than 3,000 stores throughout the USA.

The service, to be available in early 2004, will offer customers the ability to print pictures from their image-enabled mobile phones. [Cellular News]

"At the kiosk, customers will use a simple touch screen to preview and select only the photos they want to print, choose sizes and quantities, and make image enhancements such as red-eye reduction. Prints will be ready for pick-up upon checkout. New 3" x 4" and 1.5" and 2" photo prints will be available from the enhanced kiosks.

Other printing kiosks:

-- Camera Phone "Order Stations" - Carphone Warehouse will be launching an instant photo service in partnership with Kodak...

-- Do-it-yourself photo kiosk for multi-media cell phones

-- Printing booths

Other related articles on printers for camera enabled cell phones.

Kodak, Cingular in Camera Phone Printing Pact

Eastman Kodak on Wednesday unveiled agreements with telecommunications company Cingular Wireless LLC and mobile phone maker Nokia aimed at spurring users of camera phones to print more pictures reports Yahoo News

"Under the pact, Cingular Wireless customers will be able to transfer pictures taken with a camera phone onto Kodak's new Kodak Mobile service. Then, via a Web site, the picture can be stored for later viewing on the phone, e-mailed to others or printed".

Update : A more insightful article has been published by Ben Rand for The Democrat and Chronicle. Rand points out that the Kodak deal is more subtle than it may appear at first. For instance, printing is not terribly prominent, because Kodak is concentrating on the interfact on the phone. Second, though Kodak announced deals with Cingular and Nokia, Anwone with a WAP phone can play today. Thirdly, the service lets you access your online collections in other parts of the web -- not just cell phone images.

For more on cell phone printers, check out this category in Picturephoning.com.

Fuji Photo Film Sells Palmtop Printer for Camera Phones

Fuji Photo Film has announced a small printer, the «Cheki Printer NP-1» for camera phones, scheduled to launch December 14, according to JCN Network.

"It receives photo images taken with a camera phone wirelessly via infrared light, and produces 62x46mm color photo prints at 480x640 dpi resolution.

The printer uses two CR2 lithium batteries, on which the system can print up to 100 pictures."

For more on cell phone printers, check out this category in Picturephoning.com and a post yesterday in Textually.org, entitled New patented technologies for cell phones, for those who want permanent copies of their text messages.

HP puts printers in public locations in AP

Hewlett-Packard has launched two schemes to make its printers available in public locations in Asia, reports CNET Asia:

-- "The first is a pilot program that allows hotel guests to rent printers that work with PDAs and the Nokia Series 60 handsets.

-- In the second scheme, printers have been installed in stores. The scheme, called U-Print, is available at 50 access points in Seoul".

And interesting, a business application mentioned:

"Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance has deployed the U-Print service for its insurance agents, so they can print insurance contract applications on the spot."

For more on cell phone printers, check out this category in Picturephoning.com.

Print your MMS photos from AGFA, Fuji, Kodak or Konica

Malta operator Go Mobile has launched two new services. The first allows mobile users to send their MMS photos to AGFA, Fuji, Kodak or Konica for prints. The second service allows go mobile members users to send MMS directly from mygo. di-ve]

Printing pictures from your cell phone

Hewlett-Packard launched a new wireless printing platform specifically designed for mobile phones, based on Bluetooth technology. Nokia is the first cell phone company to take advantage of this offer. [CRN News] via [MMS Memo].

For more on cell phone printers, check out this category in Picturephoning.

'Snap-n-Print'

ClearSky Mobile Media, previously Data on Air, a leader in technology services for wireless carriers, has announced the company's new Snap-n-Print application, a cool new tool for camera phone users that turns their digital snapshots into real postcards, according to Yahoo News.

"Snap-n-Print is an easy-to-use program that can be downloaded onto almost all camera phones. From the color screen on the phone itself, the consumer simply picks the picture he or she wants to send and types in an address and message. The wireless transfer, formatting, printing and mailing are all seamless operations that ClearSky oversees with its patent-pending process".

Bandai Unveils Portable Printer with Infrared Port for Cell Phones

Japanese Entertainment company Bandai has just unveiled it's first printer for picture phones due to launch in November, allowing users to print out photos on the spot. It does not require a cable or a memory card, data is transmitted wirelessly from an infrared port, according to NE Asia Online via Mobile Media Japan.

More on cell phone printers in Picturephoning.com.

Pocket size printer for cell phones

Print Dreams has recently announced the release of PrintBrush, the world's smallest mobile printer. It can fit in a shirt pocket and weights around 350 grams.

Internet content, SMS, pictures and other information is downloaded to the PrintBrushfrom PDAs, mobile phones and laptop computers through a Bluetooth wireless link. [Cellular News]

Fuji PhoneCam printer is shipping

Fuji is shipping it's small color printer that communicates with phonecams via infrared to output mobile snaps. The Battery will hold for 100 prints and it takes about 15 seconds for one print, according to MMS Memo via boingboing, via Gizmodo.

Do-it-yourself photo kiosk for multi-media cell phones

Fujifilm has announced plans for a new do-it-yourself Digital Photo Centre kiosk that allows consumers to print photos taken on mobile phone cameras.

The Digital Photo Centre will be able to extract images from multi-media memory cards as well as via infrared reader so that consumers can simply point their phone at the Photo Centre, download photos and order a quality print at the touch of a button, according to Gizmo.

For more on printing developments for cell phones from Hewletter Packard, Eastmann Kodak, Matsushita Electric Industrial, check out this category in Picturephoning.com

Cell Phone to printer

Hewlett-Packard has released an application to let users to print content directly from their Nokia handsets. The Phone2Print software currently works with only two Bluetooth-enabled devices from Nokia and HP - the Nokia 3650 handset and HP Deskjet 450 mobile printer., according to Silicon.com via Gizmodo.

For other cell phone printers, check out this category in Picturephoning.

Nokia and Kodak in picture printing partnership

Nokia and Estman Kodak Co. announced an agreement today allowing Nokia users to store, print and share digital pictures using the Kodak Picture Center Online service. The online service started operating in Europe this week and will be unveiled in Asia later this year. A similar service offered by Rochester, N.Y.-based Kodak called Ofoto is already in place in the United States, according to Silicon.com.

This follows an announcement made last week, between Kodak and Carphone Warehouse for an instant photo kiosk-service to be rolled out in their shops (cf Camera Phone "Order Stations").

And according to an article in Europemedia, owners of the Nokia 7650 and Nokia 3650 picture phones have access to more than 1,500 Kodak Picture Makers kiosks across the Asia Pacific, allowing them to print pictures on paper, as stickers, personalised calendars, or enhance the pictures with special templates from a wide selection of themes.

Camera Phone "Order Stations"

Carphone Warehouse will be launching an instant photo service in partnership with Kodak, according to the Financial Times. "Customers will be able to come into shops and upload pictures from their phones using infra-red or wireless Bluetooth connections. They can then be viewed and adjusted on the "Order Station" touch screens. As many as nine images can then be printed on a single 6" by 4" Kodak paper in around 25 seconds, for £1 a print."

For an overview of other companies offering printing booths for camera phones, see Cell Phone Printers in picturephoning.com.