From jkOnTheRun and Engadget I see that ZINK Imaging — a new company developing “inkless” printing in a small form factor — is slated to incorporate its product in a digital camera in late 2007 (see below).
ZINK (for “zero ink”) was a big hit during the Demo conference and there was a lot of discussion about the possibility of using the technology for camera phones, either as an integrated product (probably too large) or as an external accessory.
ZINK’s printer uses special paper with embedded crystals that are heated to reveal the colors. The company has posted a video of situations for taking and printing photos (see below), but I don’t think anyone would have a problem thinking of times when a printer could be useful.
Seems useful
The photos for the integrated printer/camera are only 2” x 3” but that could be sufficient for a variety of uses. The camera is seven megapixels with a flash, two-inch display and SD card slot.
Certainly there already are portable printers. But a small, lightweight, inexpensive portable printer could be a useful accessory for business applications or for consumers taking a camera to, for example, a party or family affair.
Of course, as Engadget notes, we’re still waiting to see the quality of the photos.
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