printing

Polaroid opens Fotobar shops to print photos off mobile devices

It this era of immediacy, it can be hard to remember the days when people would shoot a roll of film on a camera and then wait to get it developed before they even saw the photos. In a sense, before digital photography, the only instant pictures that existed were Polaroids.

Now, Polaroid is looking to change up the game again. It's opening several retail shops called Fotobars where people can bring in digital photos they have stored on their mobile devices -- including those in apps like Facebook, Picasa and Instagram -- and get them printed.

"There … Read more

Print files from your Android device with Cloud Print app

Printing a file from your device used to be quite cumbersome, but with this app those days are over. Cloud Print allows you to simply and effectively print any file from your Android-powered phone or tablet on virtually any printer.

Downloading and setting up Cloud Print is very easy. However, there is some setup required on the printer side using your PC and Google's Chrome browser. We found this setup fairly straightforward, and the tutorial was very helpful. Once the app is set up properly, it works great. The clean white layout is friendly to your eyes and exhibits … Read more

Old vs. new tech -- and old tech wins by a landslide

The LP was invented in 1948, and judging by the sales surge over the past few years, LPs won't be going away anytime soon. Amanda Ghassaei's "3D Printed Record" project demonstrated vinyl's continuing relevance in the 21st century. Years ago when I saw an early demonstration of 3D printing, I knew the technology would eventually lead to printing LPs, but now it's a little closer to becoming a reality. First, however, there are major sound-quality issues to overcome with 3D printed LPs (though they can play tunes with fidelity that's far below MP3 … Read more

Love low-fi? 3D-print your own vinyl records

I can't bear to part with my record collection. It's got gems like Steely Dan's "The Royal Scam" that sound better on a turntable and amplifier than on MP3.

Maybe analog sound can feel better because we're analog creatures. Whatever the reason, vinyl's recent popularity has led to events like Record Store Day and DIY projects like Amanda Ghassaei's 3D-printed records.

An editorial staffer at Instructables.com, Ghassaei managed to lay down digital audio files on 3D-printed 33 rpm records that she played on a standard turntable.

The results, as heard in the video below, sound about as clear as phonograph cylinders from the 1880s. The audio output has a sampling rate of 11kHz and 5- to 6-bit resolution, but tunes like Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" are easily recognizable. … Read more

Get a Canon Pixma MG4220 multifunction printer for $49.99

I'm so in love with today's deal, I want to bring it home to meet my parents.

Wow, was that terrible. I was going to go with the slightly raunchier, much funnier version of that line, but then I remembered this is a family blog. No Chris Rock-style material here; the best I can give you is Bob Saget.

Anyway, for a limited time, and while supplies last, GearXS.com has the Canon Pixma MG4220 wireless multifunction printer for $49.99, plus $12.99 for shipping. That's after applying coupon code CNET-40 at checkout (click Apply Discount … Read more

The Undetectable Firearms Act and 3D-printed guns (FAQ)

Citing the threat of plastic, 3D-printed firearms, U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., held a press conference this weekend calling for the renewal of the Undetectable Firearms Act. The act was originally conceived in 1988 in response to the Glock 17, a handgun with some components made from plastic composites.

The law has been renewed several times since its inception, most recently in 2003. It's currently due to expire in December 2013.

For gun rights advocates, the Undetectable Firearms Act comes across as legislative hand-wringing. Others find the law to be an example of security theatrics and a … Read more

New Xbox this time next year?

Microsoft might have a new Xbox for the 2013 holiday season.

A new report from Bloomberg suggests that Microsoft might be readying the successor to the Xbox 360 for the 2013 holiday season. We here at CNET have been speculating the company might do the big unveiling at E3 2013 next summer and then set up a release shortly after. Some of the rumored features of the next Xbox -- aside from an obvious bump in performance -- are a Blu-ray drive and a more precise version of Kinect.

Industry site Telecoms.com has discovered some information about the iPhone 5'… Read more

Staples to offer in-store 3D printing on demand

Need a custom architectural or medical model in short order? How about a 3D map or, um... a handgun? Soon, Staples could be the place for all of the above -- OK, maybe not the gun -- through a new in-store 3D printing service just announced this week.

The office supply chain's apparent partner in the venture, MCOR Technologies, makes a commercial-class color 3D printer called the Iris that will be deployed first to Staples locations in the Netherlands and Belgium in early 2013. MCOR announced the printing service, dubbed Staples Easy 3D, in a press release, and at … Read more

3D printer on moon or Mars could make tools from local rocks

NASA is already experimenting with 3D-printing components for rockets to Mars, but the fun doesn't have to stop at liftoff.

Researchers at Washington State University and NASA are suggesting that rocks on the moon or Mars could be used to print useful objects like tools or replacement parts.… Read more

3D book scanner eyes novels at 250 pages per minute

As we progress further into the Digital Age, many believe it's important to preserve our printed past.

Dai Nippon Printing announced today an astounding machine that can scan books at a blazing rate of 250 pages per minute. The Japanese company co-developed the book scanner -- which it claims is the world's fastest -- with University of Tokyo Professors Masatoshi Ishikawa and Yoshihiro Watanabe. … Read more