Not for the tech-savvy

Damian Koh | May 23, 2006

If you have a relative who isn't IT-illiterate enough to set up Web and email connection on a computer, and you don't wish to spend hours explaining how when all you want is just to show her some pictures of her grand children, Presto Services has the answer for you.

Tom Krazit from News.com has reported that Presto Services, which is made up of former veterans of Ofoto, Yahoo and TiVo, plans to preview its new service at an annual conference organized by the Wall Street Journal next week.

The idea sprang from the founder and CEO of the new company, Joe Beninato, when he tried to set his mother up with a PC equipped with Internet access. In the end, the computer was left to collect dust as his mother gave up on the marvels of technology.

It's a software-based solution. "The printer contains software that accesses an online mailbox set up by a more tech-savvy relative or friend. New snapshots can be emailed to the mailbox, and the service will take those photos and send them to the printer every so often," wrote Krazit.

Okay, so it's cool that you need only plug the printer to the telephone socket and the device doesn't require any configuration, but who's going to buy the ink and paper supplies when they run out? And who pays the monthly/annual service fee? The sender or recipient? Until we figure that out, it's back to patiently walking mum through the setup process.

Full report here.