DIY 3D scanning for US$2,495

We've heard of 3D scanners before, but never got to see one in action. Ex-CNET staff Veronica Belmont did. Lucky her. On one of her recent Mahalo Daily episodes, she hosted Dan Gustafson from Next Engine who gave her a demo of 3D scanning and its uses. Basically what the machine does is it triangulates the light against the sensors and measures the speed of light. We can't really make out the rest of the stuff, but the things that they showcased looked pretty awesome.

Just in case you think this is another one of those random, silly stuff that would never make it to the market, you are wrong. You can actually own the Desktop 3D Scanner at a cool US$2,495. Price includes the scanner, ScanStudio CORE, AutoPositioner, PartGripper, PowederPen, PaintPens and a one-year parts and labor warranty.

Hit the read more link for the video interview. They even have a 3D printer toward the end of the interview! Sweet.
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Dell, Microsoft looking for some Red ink

Microsoft and Dell are seeing Red.

The two companies planned to announce on Friday that they were teaming up to offer three (Product) Red PCs, supporting the charitable effort that benefits women and children affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa. However, their news dribbled out early, after the New York Times' John Markoff mentioned the plans on the paper's Davos blog.

Dell plans to slather its all-in-one desktop PC, the XPS One, in red. The two are also teaming up on Red versions of the XPS M1330 and XPS 1530 notebooks, which, should be noted, were already available in red paint. The difference will be a special version of the operating system.

The PC is Red on the inside, too, with a special edition of Windows Vista Ultimate edition that includes specially themed desktop wallpaper and sidebar gadgets.


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Mobile printers get anorexic

Poor "Greta." Like so many other Swedish models, this portable printer has been forced to face a hard but inevitable truth: There's always a younger, thinner competitor just around the corner to take its place.

This time it's PlanOn's "Printstik," a mobile Bluetooth printer that measures a mere 25.4 x 48 x 273mm, while weighing just 680g--battery and paper included. It maxes out at 3 pages per minute, but this is a game of size (or lack thereof) over speed.

And, as ProductDose notes, it would be a perfect partner for KinLan's portable paper shredder of similar dimensions. Because the last thing you need is to leave behind any incriminating evidence of your encounter with a model, Swedish or otherwise.

Via CNET Crave | Photo credit: PlanOn

A printer that serves two audiences

Because Fuji Xerox Printers is better known in office circles than in the home, we didn't think we'd have much to write about its new DocuPrint C1110B laser printer. After all, most of its stuff are specific for a demanding office environment. The C1110B can output at 12ppm (color), start up in 16 seconds and kick one page out the barrel in 12. It also has a decently deep media tray that can store half a ream's worth of A4-sized paper (250 sheets) and deal with an assortment of paper weights.

Then we saw the price.

At S$449, it's cheap… for a Fuji Xerox. And if you are of a mind, paying out S$150 more lets you upgrade to the C1110 (without the "B"). The B-less version includes 640MB memory, Ethernet connectivity and compatibility with more print languages. Of course, laser toners don't come cheap though. A black toner would set you back by S$100 and it's S$130 for cyan, magenta and yellow.

Grow your own toner

If only that was true. But with printer companies making the bulk of their money from selling ink to us, that doesn’t sound likely.

But the big one from Palo Alto has created toner particles that are chemically grown. Instead of mechanically grounding toner powder from a carbon block, HP's spherical monochrome toner is vat-grown.

It sounds like Frankenstein science, but unlike Shelley's monster, HP's homegrown toner makes a bit of sense.

HP claims that this process results in a consistently round toner particle which allows for a more efficient printing process that will led to a smaller cartridge. HP also claims that toner placement on paper will be more precise because of the evenness of this new toner particle.

Question is: Would this newly spawned toner come with a monster price tag per cartridge?

   

For more details on the toner's design, click on the images.

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