Camera company unveils mini-printer for mobile phones
A camera company today unveiled a portable printer for mobile phone images.
Once famous for cameras that developed their own prints, Polaroid plans to market the printer in America later this year.
The printers, which will also connect to digital cameras, require no ink, they use a thermal printing technology and special paper.
The printers, slightly bigger than a deck of cards, and priced around $150 (€102), were revealed at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Once connected to a phone or camera by Bluetooth wireless or the USB port, the printers need less than a minute to churn out 2-inch-by-3-inch prints pictures, which can be peeled off a backing and used as stickers. Sheets of paper for the device will cost about 40cents (26 cent) each, less if bought in bulk.
Another mobile printer using thermal paper was shown at the show, although it is much larger and designed for business people.
The Printstik from Canada-based Planon Systems Solutions weighs less than 2lbs but prints in black and white, in the familiar 8-by-11-inch paper size.
After a connection via USB cord or Bluetooth wireless, the Printstik can churn out paper copies to ease the task for people who tire of reading text on the small screens on devices like BlackBerrys.
