People often like to say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But every January, there’s at least one notable exception: the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where tomorrow’s hottest products go on display today in front of visitors from around the globe. This year’s tech fest takes place at the Venetian and the Las Vegas Convention Center from January 7-10. Of course, you know that the show will feature the latest in MFPs, photo printers, and your more traditional models. But two groundbreaking printing technologies should get some special attention from CES guests this year: the AirPrint portable printer and ZINK’s upcoming line of printing products. All of these printers fit in the palm of your hand and come with plenty of pre-CES buzz.
AirPrint is a credit-card sized device that uses thermal technology to print plane tickets, coupons, photos, maps, and other paper-based items on demand from your mobile phone. AirPrint connects via Bluetooth or USB and offers a subscription service that gives you access to exclusive web content anywhere you go. Expect the first AirPrint to hit the market in early 2008 at an MSRP of $99. The web content service will cost around $3.99 per month, and a ten pack of credit card-sized paper will go for $1.09. Overall, AirPrint should help alleviate desktop or even laptop withdrawal for busy consumers with places to go and people to see.
As for the second technology set to make waves at the 2008 CES, ZINK Imaging has developed a photo printing process where the printer doesn’t need ink. So where does the color come from? It all starts with ZINK’s specialized paper, which contains cyan, yellow, and magenta crystals. Before printing, the crystals lie dormant, so the paper looks normal. But after you press print, heat from the printer activates the crystals to create a full-color image. As of now, ZINK has two printers that it plans to sell through its partners: a handheld printer that connects to your camera wirelessly or via USB, and a camera with a built-in ZINK printer. Both print 2×3 inch color photos. Expect the first ZINK-enabled devices to come out sometime in 2008 at MSRPs ranging from $100-200. Paper will cost around $0.25 per sheet. Overall, ZINK has essentially transplanted the ink from the cartridge to the paper itself, so if the company continues to develop its product line and its paper ends up costing less than cartridges in the long run, photo enthusiasts may have some tough decisions to make in the near future.
In any case, I attended the CES a few years ago and soon learned that for all the reading you can do on the latest tech products, you won’t really know what’s coming until you see it and touch it for yourself. So if you’re on the west coast, this show gives you a great reason to visit Sin City. And if you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the technology that could change the way you work and play for years to come.
