Printing makes easy: Polaroid mini printer

 

Polaroid, a name once synonymous with photos, has been on a decline since before Instagram became popular. Still, the brand has been re-invigorated and now comes attached to a nifty little photo printer called the GL10. The GL10 is billed as ‘a slick, easy to use appliance that produces the Classic Polaroid 3 x 4 inch prints, with or without white border, in just 50 seconds’.

Launched in Australia a year ago, but largely unavailable due to high demand, the GL10 prints using an inkless printing technology called ‘Zink’ (Zero Ink). ‘Zink’ print technology relies on special photo paper that contains colour-forming chemistry which is activated during the printing process.

At only 425g, the GL10 is small and light enough to carry around when needed. The built-in Bluetooth is all but useless for iOS users, however Bluetooth printing can be used from your Mac. Android users are able to print wireless via Bluetooth using the Polaroid app, available for download in the Google Play store. Prints from the GL10 are very durable; the ZINK paper is both smudge-proof and comes with a water resistant coating. The rechargeable battery is good for about 40 prints, which is more than a standard pack of ZINK paper which will set you back $30.

 

Technology

Polaroid mini printers make use of patented ZINK technology, which it claims to be the digital version of instant film. ZINK stands for "Zero Ink." This implies that it doesn't make use of ink systems utilized by traditional printer models. Instead, it works by using heat to imprint an image on a special kind of photo paper. Thus, cartridges and ribbons are no longer necessary in order to produce the colors in a photograph. The Polaroid mini printer allows for printing in borderless images measuring 2 by 3 inches in less than a minute.

Paper

The backbone of ZINK technology lies within the special paper used. The paper is a material with dye crystals that come in yellow, magenta and cyan colors. These crystals are then activated by pulses of heat that can number up to 200 million within 30 seconds. The paper itself can have up to a billion dye crystals, which ensures that the images are clear and easily discerned. The paper used in the Polaroid mini printer is sturdy enough to withstand tearing as well as water damage.

Features

In the spirit of convenience, the Polaroid mini printer can be attached to the camera or phone using a USB or Bluetooth. This means that no cords or computer connections are required in order for the printer to receive the images and print them. The printer is equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that allows it to produce 15 pictures when fully charged. Hence, the mini printer is named as a part of the Polaroid on the Go series.

Printing From a Phone

To print from a mobile phone, a Polaroid mini printer works by selecting the desired image from the gallery of the phone and going to the Options menu. From there, select "Send via Bluetooth" and search for the Polaroid printer to print. Note that the Bluetooth feature of the mobile phone must be turned on in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Printing From a Camera

For those who want to print directly from the camera, connect it to the printer and go to the menu to confirm that a connection has been established. If the settings still indicate USB, download the PictBridge, or program needed for the Polaroid printer to identify the camera. Once it's on, select the image to be printed and follow the instructions for printing. Don't disconnect the USB cord or turn off the printer while printing is ongoing.

New robotic exoskeleton from Japan

With gardening becoming increasingly popular, Japanese scientists have come up with a robot suit designed to help with tilling the soil. According to lead researcher Shigeki Toyama, a robotics professor at The Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, the suit which is worn as an external skeleton, is the latest technological advance designed to assist Japan's rapidly ageing farmers. He have been working on this for about 10 years because few young people want careers in agriculture now and older farmers need help to do their work. 

The suit is fitted with motors at the key joints - the lower back, knees, elbows and shoulders - that work in tandem with the wearer and provide additional strength. It is designed for a range of activities that farmers are required to do, such as carrying heavy bags of potatoes, pulling 'daikon' (Japanese radishes) from the ground, or pruning branches. Professor Toyama's robotic suit weights an unwieldy 25 kg, but he is aiming to reduce that by half and have it on the market within two years. Early versions are likely to cost as much as Y1 million (£7,370), but he hopes that mass production will reduce that to around Y300,000 (£2,210) per unit.

Japan's agricultural sector is in crisis as young people abandon the countryside for jobs in major cities. Nearly half of the nation's agricultural workers are aged over 60 and the amount of cultivated land here is shrinking. Becoming increasingly reliant on imported food has caused consternation in government circles here and efforts are under way to encourage more people to take up farming. At the same time, technology is being pressed into service to increase yields and efficiency.