Tuesday 19 January 2010

Sand Printer Provides Seagulls With Reading Material











Ever wanted to print a document viewable from space? Without petitioning HP to make a 100ft tall printer with ink cartridges to match, you couldn’t have found much luck.

Until now that is – because the sand printer by conceptual designers Zanadesign produces letters several feet tall. The only things to worry about are the tide, and that the Spanish wheel only prints the words ‘Cadiz 2012.’

The brainchild of Tomás Silva Alonso, a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art, the sand printer is powered by positioning small children inside the circumference, and convincing them to push.

Though the words ‘Cadiz 2012’ commemorate 200 years of the Spanish constitution, meaning that the wheel was created in the spirit of peace, how the children are made to push we can’t imagine.

The sand printer came into being after Alonso sent the idea to Cadiz council, winning first prize in a ‘Promote Cadiz 2012’ competition. The council soon contacted Alonso, and asked him to develop a working model.

Made of inorganic materials, the sand printer impacts on the beach without making a negative impression on the environment. What’s more, it gives the seagulls something to peruse whilst chewing on stolen chips.

Thursday 14 January 2010

Companies Settle With Canon Over Ink Patent Infringement

999inks.co.uk News: Companies Settle With Canon Over Ink Patent Infringement


A patent infringement lawsuit raised by Canon against five companies in Japan has been settled. The suit concerned the firms’ alleged recreation of Canon’s LED-equipped ink cartridges - a patented innovation – in their own cartridges without permission. The settlement means the five companies concerned are agreed not to sell, import or display the patented cartridges. Canon has agreed to drop the lawsuit.

Canon’s preliminary injunction for the lawsuit was petitioned on 31 October last year. Since then the Japanese ink merchants have agreed to halt sales of 28 products of 3 brands. Each of these products, though non-genuine, is compatible with Canon printers.

Canon’s press release – dated 17 December – contains an (almost) apologia for the lawsuit. It states: ‘Canon filed a patent infringement suit for preliminary and permanent injunctions because the company determined that the abovementioned actions infringed its intellectual property rights.’ This self-justification accompanies a grace period in which the Japanese companies must dispose of their inventories of the patented ink cartridges. The closing date is the 31st March 2010.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Drug Dealer Squirreled £1,700 In Printer

999Inks.co.uk News: Drug Dealer Squirreled £1,700 In Printer


A 20 year old male who kept cannabis in his home for a drug dealer squirreled £1,700 in payment inside his printer, a Liverpool Crown Court hearing found this Tuesday. The home of Ashley Moorcroft was searched by police the day after he was caught holding a bag of cannabis and £1,825 in his car. Pleading guilty for possession of the drug, Moorcroft has been sentenced to 6 months in prison and ordered to perform 180 hours unpaid work.

According to a 17 December 2009 article by Linda Roughley at Crosbyherald.com, police caught Moorcroft on the evening of May 1st in Blundellsands. He was seen walking to a Silver BMW from his own car, where on return he was questioned by police. Officers noted the strong smell of cannabis in the vehicle, and Moorcroft’s extreme nervousness. On searching the car, the police found a bag of cannabis in the roof lining of the driver’s side.

Initially Moorcroft protested that he didn’t know to whom the cannabis belonged. However, he soon conceded that he was holding it for a drug dealer. On being arrested and taken into custody, Moorcroft was found with £1,825 about his person. It was on the following day that police searched his home on Merrilocks Road, and discovered £1,700 hidden inside his printer. The money was stored in the ink cartridge slot.

Moorcroft pleaded guilty to counts of possessing cannabis and concealing criminal property, when his trial was held at the Liverpool Crown Court. His 6 months sentence has been suspended for 12 months, and he must perform 180 hours unpaid work.

Friday 1 January 2010

Firms Save 30% with Managed Print Solutions

Print News: Firms Save 30% with Managed Print Solutions


Report by Market research Firm InfoTrends shows consultancies lead to reduced office expenses.

The market research firm InfoTrends has released a report stating that ‘prime markets’ including schools and legal firms stand to save up to 30% on printing processes with managed services. The survey, which involved 500 respondents, documents the rise in managed service solutions and potential growth for the sector. For those that don’t know, firms turn to managed service providers to optimize their office environment – and where documents are concerned, their printing processes. The InfoTrends results are based on criteria including: printing habits, hardware investments, managed service investments, and economic impact.

Though independent consultancies offer managed services, it is also possible to acquire these from your hardware provider. In the print industry, famous brands including Hewlett Packard, Canon and Lexmark each offer ‘complete enterprise solutions.’ For example, back in November Kodak announced an agreement with US distribution firm D&H to help firms ‘reduce their paper workflows and increase digital capabilities.’ This week, Pitney Bowes has signed with Kilburn Office Automation, a supplier of postage technologies and a distributor of copiers and printers, to help the transition to digital ‘post and stamp solutions’ across India.

The report by InfoTrends will give much-needed impetus to firms looking to make savings through efficient office management. Just last week, Japanese printing brand Ricoh released a report critical of the sluggish manner in which European offices are adopting document management. In spite of agreement of the potential benefits, most companies have not implemented even half the available process refinements. The new report by InfoTrends, which showcases the demonstrable benefits of managed print solutions, may encourage firms to put their printing processes into outside hands. They will find many consultancies wait with open palms.