Random Movement Printing Technology

Re:fp by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 16:30 · Score: 0

Awesome job man :)

What's really be cool... by AtariDatacenter · 2003-06-27 16:31 · Score: 5, Interesting

Is if this was adapted into a tattoo gun. Just wave it over the skin, and have a permanent (or temporary might be more marketable) tattoo placed on the body. Anything you can dream up or download could be printed onto the skin.

This sounds really bad.
In a good kinda way.

Re:What's really be cool... by Photar · 2003-06-27 17:14 · Score: 3, Interesting

Seems to me that you could do temporary tatoos just using special ink with this same device.

--
He who knows not and knows he knows not is a wise man. He who knows not and knows not he knows not is a fool.
Re:What's really be cool... by darkov · 2003-06-27 17:29 · Score: 5, Funny

Yeah, it would be cool until you discovered you had tattooed "Attempt to dereference a null pointer at 0x0F6F75E4" on yourself.

--
Reliable, Great Value Hosting: $7.95/mo 2.4G/120G
Re:What's really be cool... by AtariDatacenter · 2003-06-27 17:34 · Score: 2, Funny

No. That'd be pretty damn cool, actually!
Re:What's really be cool... by aechols · 2003-06-27 18:17 · Score: 1, Flamebait

Three words: forehead barcode gun. This must be a sign of the coming apocalypse. Repent and be saved!

--
Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Re:What's really be cool... by moncyb · 2003-06-27 18:49 · Score: 1

Doesn't a tattoo tool (I don't know what they're called) just embed normal ink deep into the skin with pins? I think you'd just need a setting where the pin doesn't go very deep into the skin to create a temporary tattoo...
Re:What's really be cool... by teklob · 2003-06-27 20:20 · Score: 2, Funny

Imagine getting ahold of a tatoo gun that could imprint images permanently on someones face and finding your friend passed out drunk...
Re:What's really be cool... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 20:21 · Score: 0

Temp tattoo's are just air-brushed on usually, or painted on the outside of the skin...
Re:What's really be cool... by Aidos · 2003-06-27 20:56 · Score: 1

Or go to a tattoo artist who can draw up - "Anything you can dream up or download," With the added benefit of being able to adjust the image to your body in "Realtime"
Re:What's really be cool... by BranchingLichen · 2003-06-27 21:01 · Score: 1

Kinda like to "Offroad Tattoo" in MTV Jackass?
Re:What's really be cool... by JeremyALogan · 2003-06-27 23:44 · Score: 0, Funny

I can see it now... some random Windows exploit allows a script kiddie to hax0r it so instead of the cool "Tux" logo (we're all nerds here, right???) you get "Property of Frank" tattooed right on your ass.

--
Jeremy Logan's Website.
Re:What's really be cool... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 03:04 · Score: 0

It is a good thing that some people don't know about felt tip markers or paint pens. Or paint. Or branding irons. Or red-hot pokers.
Re:What's really be cool... by SEWilco · 2003-06-28 03:39 · Score: 0

Print someone else's face over your own.
Re:What's really be cool... by Hellkitten · 2003-06-28 05:41 · Score: 1

Imagine getting ahold of a tatoo gun that could imprint images permanently on someones face and finding your friend passed out drunk..

I imagine you'll be running out of friends pretty fast..

--
- We are the slashdot. Resistance is futile. Prepare to be moderated -
Re:What's really be cool... by bev_tech_rob · 2003-06-28 06:41 · Score: 1

Or teeth ... after yours was kicked out after he slapped you to the floor....

--
You're messin' with my Zen Thing, man.....
Re:What's really be cool... by angry+old+man · 2003-06-28 07:18 · Score: 1, Funny

Forget about the tattoo gun idea....
I'm going to use it to counterfeit postage stamps!!!!!
Thanks to Hewlett-Packards' economical cartidges & paper, then I should be able to print $0.37 postage stamps for about $0.36 each... and make BIG BUCKS!!

--
-vax computer, vi, lynx. 'nuf said

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by bradkittenbrink · 2003-06-27 16:32 · Score: 0

seriously, and he didn't even include a link to the real smallest printer...
talk about dickhead....

World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Bowie+J.+Poag · 2003-06-27 16:32 · Score: 5, Informative

..When I used to work for the Chemistry Department here at the local U, I got to listen in on alot of the conversations the chem geeks had about emerging technologies. One of them was a new form of electron microscopy..err, well maybe not *electron* microscopy specifically, but, a device for visualizing atomic-scale structures, and "printing" them.

The "head" of this thing (a nanoprinter?) used the vibrations of nearby atoms to move...The vibrations were tracked by a controller of some sort, and if the head was bouncing around at just the right angle, they'd "print" an atom onto a surface. I was told this was how they made those famous pictures where individual atoms could be precisely lined up on a surface to show letters or numbers.. I remember IBM doing this sort of thing with Xenon atoms back in the late 80's or early 90's.

So, nyah. WOrld's smallest printer my ass! :) I've seen atomic printers, baby!

--
Bowie J. Poag

Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by IvyMike · 2003-06-27 16:34 · Score: 1

I think you have to count the whole electron microscope, not just the print head.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 16:40 · Score: 0

Fuck off, Poag.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Bowie+J.+Poag · 2003-06-27 16:40 · Score: 1

Perhaps. I wish I remembered more about that conversation -- Every day I'd hear shit like that. :) The read/write head, the armature it sat on, were all atomic-scale structures, only a few angstroms across.

Totally different subject: I remember coming into work one day, and there was a huuuge pile of old guys standing around one of the workstations researchers used for doing visualization..Big honkin' SGI boxes. Anyway, seems that one of them had built a "proton motor"..Literally, a little mechanical motor, made out of a collection of atoms, that would turn a "crank" if given a hydrogen ion. It was sort of cup-shaped at one end with a tail at the other, sort of like the butt-end of a sperm. It was explained to me that if you dropped a hydrogen ion into the cup, the tail would turn 360' in the socket...and would propel the thing (presumably) toward more hydrogen ions.

Atomic scale ion propulsion, layed out in a simulator. I dunno if they ever built one.

--
Bowie J. Poag
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by nhaze · 2003-06-27 16:47 · Score: 2, Informative

Yeah Duke's done a bunch of work along those lines.
http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jliu/labgroup/research.h tml
scroll down to 2. AFM "Dip-Pen" Nanolithography
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Acts+of+Attrition · 2003-06-27 16:50 · Score: 5, Funny

I've been using an item smaller than this printer to reproduce pictures on paper for years. I like to call it the Pen(TM). I'm looking on getting a patent on the technology. It can also use random movement technology to create the wonderful Squiggle(TM) effect.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Bowie+J.+Poag · 2003-06-27 17:00 · Score: 1

Hey, rad... thanks for the link. :)

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Bowie J. Poag
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by thynk · 2003-06-27 17:20 · Score: 1

The article doesn't even claim to be the smallest printer.... from the article...

the world's smallest wireless pocket sized printer.

So, as far as wireless pocket sized printers, this one is the smallest (so far). I have no idea how many other wireless printers there are, or what a LARGE pocket sized printer would be like... but - looks like they have the market nitch of Wireless AND pocket sized.

--

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 18:12 · Score: 0

While maybe not what you're thinking of, there's a company called "Nanoink" that makes "ink" (chemical) printing systems based on modified atomic force microscopes (AFM's) which make some pretty damned small work.
I have seen atomic manipulation done with tunneling microscopes, people lining up atoms and such (famous "IBM" words written on a substate, for example), but that's not really printing.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by PurpleFloyd · 2003-06-27 19:03 · Score: 1

A lot of HP's LaserJets have had IRDA support (offered mostly on laptops and PDAs) for a while. Look for a little black plastic window. Also, there have been various inkjets marketed towards laptop users that are just barely larger than 8.5"; they were and are just miniaturized inkjets, with no real new technology.
That said, carrying around a Laserjet and the power supply necessary to make it truly wireless would probably telescope your spine, or at least give you a massive hernia.

--

That's it. I'm no longer part of Team Sanity.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 19:03 · Score: 0

Once I saw a thing at the toy store called the "Squiggle Wiggle Writer" which was a pen that had interchangeable tips and a small motor with an offset weight that shook it around so that you wrote all in squiggles.

Sound familiar? Maybe that's basically because it was a vibrator marketed at children. Your post brought back my memory of this thing, so I decided to see if it was still around. It is indeed still around and you can still buy it for about 3-9 bucks.

Here is some linkage I dug up out of morbid curiosity:

Someone recounts her childhood memories of the Squiggle Wiggle Writer

Therapy fun for kids?! What's even sicker than the site itself is that they are serious!

In an otherwise innocuous page of poetry find a sordid bit about this horrible children's toy.

Another page talking about the Squiggle Wiggle Writer as a masturbation tool.

And finally, narrowly getting edged out by necrophiliacs, the Squggly Wiggly makes an appearance on a nice big List o' things that are gross.

You get the idea.

Hopefully Hart's Whackin' Pals won't leave as many scarred childhood memories.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by polished+look+2 · 2003-06-27 19:35 · Score: 2, Informative

Here are some images at IBM of tiny drawings.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 20:52 · Score: 0

someone mod the parent up, it's the best post i've read in ages. female masturbation ahoy!
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 22:11 · Score: 0

I have to echo the other reply:

Fantastic Post

I'm pi**ing my pants at moment.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by dolphi0 · 2003-06-28 02:04 · Score: 1

I think what you're refering to is the Atomic Force Microscope. There's a couple different methods of opperation, but essentially there is an atomic scale probe or needle that floats above the individual atoms. It floats because of atomic repulsion. At the atomic level, the idea of "touching" an atom becomes fuzzy. However, using this method, the atoms look like hard spheres, which is consistant with the way they are often viewed and thought about. Thus, the probe can map the countor of surfaces down to the atomic scale. So, essentially, what you get is a sort of topographic map of the surface. However, that is not a "printer." It's more of a reader, the same way you would scan an object significantly larger in size, such as a photo or a bar code. Just because you can display it on a screen, or recreate the image, doesn't mean the original reader was a "printer."
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by InfiniteWisdom · 2003-06-28 02:43 · Score: 1

That may may produce the smallest print, but that does not make it the smallest printer. I'll bet the whole device filled a room.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by toonrmeusa · 2003-06-28 06:00 · Score: 1

The technique is scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), used by Eigler and Schwiezer to position individual xenon atoms on a nickel crystal, as shown here.
The original reference is: A D.M. Eigler, E.K. Schweizer. Positioning single atoms with a scanning tunneling microscope. Nature 344, 524-526 (1990).

--
Toon toon! Black and white army!
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by gumbi+west · 2003-06-28 06:13 · Score: 1

He is actually talking about a STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscope). The STM is similar to AFM. The AFM basically drags an attomicaly pointy (if you are lucky) pyramid over a surface and measures the height of the apparatus to insane accuracy so that a map of the surface is produced. Notably, it is extreemly hard to get AFM to show attomic level detail but it can be done.
STM, however, is based on quamtum tunneling and is easier to get attomic level detail. One takes a Pt-Ir needle and cuts it to an attomic point. This is done using a wirecutter at about a 60 degree angle which for unknown reasons allows you to "get lucky" often (not always--yes I have done this). Having this attomically pointy needle, you can measure the current passing between it and some surface while its height is known with extream precision. Because the quantum tunneling current is highly distance dependant, the distance between the point of the needle and the nearest atom on the observed surface can be known with great precision.
Now for the printer:
Every now and again the needle looses pointyness and you have to open this apparatus, cut a new needle, mount the new needle and then move it to within a few atom distances from the surface. This takes a long time. However, if you back off the needle and apply a huge voltage to the needle it will often deposit its tip on what you are observing and the new tip may be attomically pointy (saves a huge amound of time). Well, if you do this in a somewhat more controlled manner you can pick up an atom from the surface and then deposit it somewhere else. Now you have a printer.
The only thing is that while this printer prints very small things, it is itself large (about the size of a coffee can).
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Michael_Burton · 2003-06-28 06:35 · Score: 1

So, nyah. WOrld's smallest printer my ass! :) I've seen atomic printers, baby!

Wow! Good eyesight!!

--
When all you have is an axe, everything looks like a grindstone.
Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 08:59 · Score: 0

The device used to move atoms around on a suitably prepared surface is called an Scanning Tunneling Microscope. What is happening is that a small tip is scanned across the surface to be "imaged" the x and y coordinates are recorded along with the 'tunneling current' at that point. Electrons have a finite probability to 'tunnel', that is to jump across a barrier that they normall wouldn't be able to cross (the reason for this is complicated, the chance depends on the nature of the potential well (how close the electron is to the surface) that the electrons are in and their energy). You then plot the tunneling current at each point, and you have a nice picture of the 'terrain' of the surface. If you get the tip really close atoms can be dragged into positions on the surface (IBM drew their logo this way).

http://www.almaden.ibm.com/vis/stm/images/stm10.jp g
and
http://www.almaden.ibm.com/vis/stm/gallery.html

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by whereiswaldo · 2003-06-27 16:32 · Score: 4, Funny

<a href="link to smallest printer goes here">no it isn't</a>

Wouldn't have been too hard.

If its not the smallest by Derg · 2003-06-27 16:33 · Score: 3, Insightful

then wheres the proof? That editors note is rather convenient, but it doesnt prove anything, which is easily done by providing a link or two to sources of smaller devices.

I looked at the links, and from my brief once over, it looks pretty cool, I just cant figure out how the device knows with respect to the media, where it is and accurately enough to print without mucho mucho problemo's

--
I'm a little tea pot.

Re:If its not the smallest by stratjakt · 2003-06-27 17:54 · Score: 1

There is a smaller printer, and michael knows all about it.

It's used to print the label on his jockstraps.

--
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Re:If its not the smallest by Shade1001 · 2003-06-27 18:19 · Score: 1

That editors note is rather convenient

You mean it's not very convenient instead. It's not very helpful to say the info is wrong without providing the correct one, now is it? Sign of laziness...
Re:If its not the smallest by stixman · 2003-06-27 19:06 · Score: 2, Funny

then wheres the proof? That editors note is rather convenient, but it doesnt prove anything [note: yes it does] , which is easily done by providing a link or two to sources of smaller devices.

Just kidding. Google doesn't know for sure what the world's smallest printer is, but here, here, here and here are a couple possibilities. Really convincing is the line "World's smallest printer IN THE WORLD!"

Hope I've helped.

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Re:If its not the smallest by zabieru · 2003-06-27 19:14 · Score: 1

Yeah, there's a different World's Smallest Printer, but we sent it to Mars, so it's not in the world anymore, and we forgot how to make it. That's why there's this big push to go to Mars, it's to get our printer back.
Re:If its not the smallest by Derg · 2003-06-27 21:04 · Score: 1

No I mean it is convenient. Not for the reader however. For the editor, yes, yes it is convenient. Spank you very much.

--
I'm a little tea pot.
Re:If its not the smallest by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 03:33 · Score: 0

Problemo isn't a word. It's "el problema."

This will probably be... by slobber · 2003-06-27 16:33 · Score: 0, Redundant

the end of tatoo industry as we know it!

--
"You mortals are so obtuse." -Q

SPIKE TV by bugsmalli · 2003-06-27 16:36 · Score: 1, Funny

man, StripperElla gets everything before we do. Did you check out the way she scanned the documents in yesterday's show (for the uninformed, she had a tongue scanner). I wish she'd scan me...

I know where she's gonna put this printer ;)

Re:SPIKE TV by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 16:43 · Score: 0, Offtopic

Your stealth marketing tactics won't work on me. I don't have a TV. Sucka.
Re:SPIKE TV by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 18:03 · Score: 0

It was still TNN yesterday.

Get the marketing right.

I still have my doubts... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 16:36 · Score: 5, Funny

I bet I could still manage a paper jam.

Re:I still have my doubts... by FearUncertaintyDoubt · 2003-06-27 17:08 · Score: 3, Funny

I bet I could still manage a paper jam.
PC Load Letter! What the fuck is that?!

How it knows where the printhead is... by ranos · 2003-06-27 16:37 · Score: 1

perhaps the same way an optical mouse knows where it is ?

--
Enjoy throwing things ?

Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 16:40 · Score: 0

Oh, so it's elven magic? Neat.
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by nochops · 2003-06-27 16:44 · Score: 1

Really?

Do yourself a favor and lift that optical mouse (or any mouse) off the table. Then move it to another part of the table and put it down.

The pointer on the screen didn't really move too much huh?

So no, an optical mouse really has no idea whrere it is at all.

--
"A terrorist is someone who has a bomb but doesn't have an air force." -William Blum
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Moofie · 2003-06-27 16:47 · Score: 2, Informative

Well, mine does a pretty good job of tracking velocity and position changes as long as it's touching my mouse pad. You know, sorta like this printer would need to.

But, hey, maybe yours works differently.

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by jpmkm · 2003-06-27 17:06 · Score: 2, Funny

Well, mine does a pretty good job of tracking velocity and position changes as long as it's touching my mouse pad.

What the fuck kind of mouse doesn't do that?
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Moofie · 2003-06-27 17:07 · Score: 1

That, my friend, is an excellent question.

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:30 · Score: 0

I had one that didn't. this guy came and told me it was broken. I hardly ever use it anymore.
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:39 · Score: 0

This is a mouse that works just as good held in the air.

http://www.gyration.com/gyromouse.htm
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:42 · Score: 0

Well, mine does a pretty good job of tracking velocity and position changes as long as it's touching my mouse pad.

What the fuck kind of mouse doesn't do that?

That, my friend, is an excellent question.

A trackball, perhaps? You can knock yourself out by moving it all over the mousepad, and it'd still be clueless about its position.
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Pig+Hogger · 2003-06-27 17:57 · Score: 4, Funny

Well, mine does a pretty good job of tracking velocity and position changes as long as it's touching my mouse pad.
What the fuck kind of mouse doesn't do that?
A broken mouse?
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by MikeFM · 2003-06-27 18:11 · Score: 1

Obviously you've not done tech support for computers using male (the ones with balls) mice. Most of those suckers will quickly get clogged up and start jumping around like a rat on a hotplate.

I never understood why so many businesses use that type of mouse. $10 for a male mouse or $15 for a female (optical) mouse. I've never seen a case where an otpical mouse isn't better equipped to handle heavy usage by dirty nasty users.

--
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by YrWrstNtmr · 2003-06-27 18:24 · Score: 1

I never understood why so many businesses use that type of mouse. $10 for a male mouse or $15 for a female (optical) mouse.

hmmm...maybe it is because optical rodents have not been around that long?
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by acidrain69 · 2003-06-27 18:32 · Score: 1

Well, technically, velocity is a vector, so it kind of implies position change. The mouse doesn't actually know WHERE it is, just how it changed relative to where it was.

Some rocket scientist you are! :)

--
-- Having a Creationist Museum is like having an Atheist place of worship
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by GoRK · 2003-06-27 19:09 · Score: 1

We didnt use them for a long time because we still had a case o' ball mice. When you buy em in bulk, they come up to about $2.50 each which isnt so bad since they last on average 6months or so.

Even the optical mice die with age, though. I have had most of the really old (1st gen intellimouse optical) ones die, and a few logitechs too.

~GoRK
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by MikeFM · 2003-06-27 19:19 · Score: 1

Long enough. I remember them from way back when I was a kid. Of course back then they were expensive. ;) Of course back then all computer stuff was expensive.

--
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Moofie · 2003-06-27 19:22 · Score: 1

Velocity is the rate of change of position, dx/dt. Therefore, by taking the velocity history at a known time interval, you can determine the position history by integrating. Obviously, your time interval must be sufficiently small to accurately model the motion of the mouse.

In practice, pointer motion is typically not linear with respect to mouse motion, but that is a convenience for the user, not a limitation of the hardware.

So, in point of fact, by only knowing the velocity history, you COULD know your position history with respect to some origin (IE where you put the mouse down on your pad, or more to the point where you put the printer).

I'm not suggesting that the printer uses an optical sensor like my mouse does. I'd guess it would need far finer resolution (at a guess, at least twice as good as the desired printout resolution, which of course need not be terrifically high in order to be useful) than is currently available with optical mice. It seems like it would also need an orientation sensor, which would at least require a second optical sensor and some very clever code.

Care to go another round? : )

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by MikeFM · 2003-06-27 19:25 · Score: 1

True, I get ball mice for something like $2 or $3 each and keyboard for about $5. I won't use the ball mice myself but the keyboards IMO are a pretty good deal. In offices and labs ball mice just seem to cripple to fast. I've had places where they had to be cleaned every other day. On 50 computers that's a substantial investment in time. At least it takes a lot of effort to cripple an optical mouse and they are usually easier to clean. My current optical mouse is a cheap one that was like $15 and it has all three buttons (middle doubles as scrollwheel) needed by Linux. Overall I'm happy with it since it was just some trash I grabbed from Walmart when the last one died (dropping any mouse is bad for it).

--
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Moofie · 2003-06-27 19:29 · Score: 1

It'd have a not-bad notion as to the position of the ball.

Of course, mice are only two-axis devices, but trackballs are three-axis (in the sense that they can be rotated about all three axes, and typically only two axes, X and Y, have encoders on them).

So, the point stands. A trackball does a pretty good job of tracking the position of the ball. Wonder if that's where the name came from?

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Moofie · 2003-06-27 19:32 · Score: 1

If by "works" you mean "makes the pointer stagger across the screen in a vaguely controllable and infinitely frustrating manner", then you're absolutely right.

I've played with those before, and boy are they annoying.

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by CitizenJohnJohn · 2003-06-27 19:45 · Score: 1

Because we are manly computer users and therefore need a mouse with balls (or at least one of them).
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by MikeFM · 2003-06-27 20:16 · Score: 1

If I want a manly computer I'll shape the case like a naked woman and make the nipples dispense beer. Plug the network cable in and it must moan and make improbable claims as to how good you are at networking. Such a computer must run Windows 95 so that every night when you try to use it it can complain of headaches (that are obviously your fault) and crash.

--
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by johny_qst · 2003-06-27 23:38 · Score: 1

I can recall one situation where a switch was made from the optical mouse to the ball mouse for a development team using UltraSparc workstations. These were developers working on trading systems for a large bank and they had fewer support problems when using the weaker technology. The old sun optical mouse needed these nasty shiny mousepads to work at full efficiency and that was harder to keep clean than the mouse ball. Dirty nasty developers will out funk dirty nasty users any day of the week!

--
Fnord.sig
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Paradise+Pete · 2003-06-28 00:15 · Score: 1

A trackball, perhaps? You can knock yourself out by moving it all over the mousepad, and it'd still be clueless about its position.
That's fine, except the question wasn't "Name something that's not a mouse."
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by acidrain69 · 2003-06-28 02:20 · Score: 1

"Care to go another round? : )"
Certainly.

In practice, pointer motion is typically not linear with respect to mouse motion, but that is a convenience for the user, not a limitation of the hardware.
So, in point of fact, by only knowing the velocity history, you COULD know your position history with respect to some origin (IE where you put the mouse down on your pad, or more to the point where you put the printer).

But that's what I said, only slightly more complicated. The mouse doesn't know it's position, because it doesn't keep a velocity history. The computer is CAPABLE of doing this, but normally it doesn't (except a very small history to determine the pointer movement, hence the integrating). But the printer in question, as a self contained unit, would need to know this; thus necessitating the orientation sensor you mentioned.

Anyway, my whole point was that the mouse isn't really "aware" of it's position. The "why yes, I AM a rocket scientist" made me jump on the reply key when it said "velocity and position" 3 messages up.

--
-- Having a Creationist Museum is like having an Atheist place of worship
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by MikeFM · 2003-06-28 02:34 · Score: 1

I've nver used one like that. Will have to see if I can dig one up to play with. Ahhhhhh I've been blinded by my mousepad again. Damn that would really suck for LAN parties.

--
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by SEWilco · 2003-06-28 03:08 · Score: 1

Rocket science?
Sufficiently powerful rockets on the mouse will hold it against the table so you can't lift it, thus it won't get confused about its position. Problem solved.
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Moofie · 2003-06-28 12:12 · Score: 1

You are splitting hairs.

Just so's we're clear. I am not trying to imply that the mouse "knows" anything, since it is a non-sentient hunk of plastic. I am also not arguing that the mouse hardware has any ability in and of itself to keep track of its position.

However, when taken together with its support software, the mouse system does in fact have sufficient data (that would be trivial to collect) to determine a reasonably accurate position and velocity history.

My contention was, and remains, that the same hardware that makes your optical mouse would, in principle, work for the print head.

If you set your "mouse acceleration" to zero, then your mouse pointer's position is directly proportional to the displacement of the mouse, so in that sense, the mouse "knows" where it is with respect to the place where it started.

I'll go round for round with your pedantry. Hope you're having fun.

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by More+Karma+Than+God · 2003-06-28 14:33 · Score: 1

One without balls.

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Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Moofie · 2003-06-28 15:49 · Score: 1

I think that grabbing said mouse to move it would be really uncomfortable. The first thing they taught me in my Rocket Science 101 class is: "Rockets is hot."

Sorta like my dad's stories about his pharmacy classes. Rule 1: Do not lick the spoon.

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by SEWilco · 2003-06-28 20:51 · Score: 1

Even I can design a rocket which is colder than room temperature. It doesn't need two tanks, either, only a single tank with a liquid "gas".
It would be a mouse which can chill a keg of favorite beverage.
Sorta like my dad's stories about his pharmacy classes. Rule 1: Do not lick the spoon.
Rule 2: Do not sniff when cyanide is involved.
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-29 06:48 · Score: 0

So would dropping your balls....

~GoAT~
Re:How it knows where the printhead is... by Moofie · 2003-06-29 10:05 · Score: 1

I like to differentiate between rockets (that combust) and cold-gas thrusters, although I don't know if there is a formal distinction in the definition of the term.

Call it an idiosyncracy. : )

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!

had to be said... by Klimaxor · 2003-06-27 16:37 · Score: 0

..is that a printer in your pocket or you just happy to see me

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Re:had to be said... by MikeFM · 2003-06-27 18:14 · Score: 1

Umm.. hope your pocket doesn't have a hole in it. You might convince your significant other that you were coming down with some geek illness if you accidently printed kernel source code on the wrong body parts.

--
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.

Is there a limitation on speed? by gotr00t · 2003-06-27 16:40 · Score: 5, Interesting

If the movement is so "random", then I just have one question after visiting the site and witnessing their really "non-technical" movie about how it "works". It looks like the animated dude's arm is moving in random directions, to be expected, but he just literally zips that thing right across the paper, and it didn't smear or cause streaks on the page.

Frankly, I find it hard to believe that on this system, you can move it THAT fast. There MUST be some limitations to how fast you can move it, as the print heads can't possibly respond soooo quickily.

Re:Is there a limitation on speed? by Alien+Being · 2003-06-27 17:06 · Score: 1

The maximum acceptable response time would also depend on the acceptable distance from start of swipe to start of printing, and maximum allowable acceleration.
Re:Is there a limitation on speed? by Greger47 · 2003-06-27 19:10 · Score: 5, Informative

I've actually played with one of these printers at an exhibition in Sweden over a year and a half ago.

You could swipe it around in about the same speed as you would an ordinary mouse. To fast and the output got lighter bacause of increased distance between the dots (it was possible to go back and "fill in" color to get dark output again).

The quality of the output was somewhere bewteen a matrix printer and an inkjet.

It was also a tad large, maby 3 times the volume of a regular mouse.

Ofcourse I expect them to have improved it since then, and if thay arn't going to introduce it on the market untill 2005 I guess it comes with a built in coffe machine by then...
Re:Is there a limitation on speed? by mikeophile · 2003-06-27 20:32 · Score: 1

Modern inkjet print heads have at least 1200x1200 dots per inch, so if an 8x10 can be finished in 2 minutes, the heads can spray nearly a million dots per second, covering 3/4" of surface area. If the print head is 1/4" in area and the optical sensors are fine enough, you could move the head at 3" per second. That seems pretty quick. I have no idea how it relates to the actual device though.
Re:Is there a limitation on speed? by eric2hill · 2003-06-28 05:50 · Score: 1

"Ofcourse I expect them to have improved it since then, and if thay arn't going to introduce it on the market untill 2005 I guess it comes with a built in coffe machine by then..."

No, it's electronic. It will come with a small camera built in so you can take crappy, low-resolution pictures and print them off in black and white, or email them to all your friends.

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Killer app for bluetooth? by Tetravus · 2003-06-27 16:40 · Score: 5, Interesting

What do you guys think? This looks like the first killer app for bluetooth to me.

Imagine being able to print hardcopy contracts or directions on demand... though, the flexibility of the device to deal with different paper surfaces will be crucial to its widespread adoption.

~Tetravus

Re:Killer app for bluetooth? by GoofyBoy · 2003-06-27 17:23 · Score: 1

Why is this unique to bluetooth? Why not any old wireless technology?

--
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Re:Killer app for bluetooth? by mszeto · 2003-06-27 17:31 · Score: 1

What do you guys think? This looks like the first killer app for bluetooth to me.

I completely agree. I was originally thinking about getting a Tungsten C (read: without Bluetooth) and this is making me reconsider. This is exactly what the technology needed - a good kick in the pants.

Why is this unique to bluetooth? Why not any old wireless technology?

I've looked online for the differences between Bt and 802.11b -

Bluetooth works at 720kbps - Wifi at 11mbps
Bluetooth is geared towards point-to-point - Wifi network oriented
Bluetooth has a smaller power requirement

Bah, read for yourselves

Re:Why be such a jerk, 'Editor'? by Klimaxor · 2003-06-27 16:41 · Score: 1

It's an editor's job to make sure what is being printed is correct in a whole, and has all rights to put in a note as to whether it is or not. Besides, who cares, really. i mean, does it matter?

--
your sins into me, oh my beautiful one.

How does it work? by io333 · 2003-06-27 16:41 · Score: 1

I went digging through the site while it's still up and I can't figure it out. There's a flash demo and it shows someone just waving this thing about the size of a mouse all over the paper and the print magically appears. And it's supposed to write on any surface. How in the world can it know where the print? .... Unless maybe you are supposed to start in the direct center of where the image is supposed to be and then it tracks from there I guess? In any case, I WANT ONE! And this is the first computer related item I've wanted in a long time. I think the company is going to make zillions.

Re:How does it work? by onco_p53 · 2003-06-27 16:57 · Score: 2, Informative

And the Flash is a FAKE! look carefully and you can see the text appear before the device gos over it.
Re:How does it work? by Large+Green+Mallard · 2003-06-27 16:57 · Score: 1

In theory you'ld make it so the first stroke with it is from the top right/left/whatever corner, then any future strokes need to overlap other strokes.. and then in each stroke there's some sort of "random" scatter which tells the device where it is on the page..

I don't know how this thing works, but this is how I'd do it :)
Re:How does it work? by pompousjerk · 2003-06-27 17:05 · Score: 5, Insightful

"I can't figure it out."
"[Wave] something the size of a mouse and the print magically appears"
"How in the world can it know where [to] print?"
"I WANT ONE!...I think [this] company is going to make zillions."

Gentlemen, I believe that this post pretty much encapsulates all of consumerism in those phrases. No matter how much doubt there is, "OMG, that's so spiff!" often takes over.

Like those shitty products on infomercials that you know won't do anything worthwhile, but look damn spiffy up on the screen...

Impressive.
Re:How does it work? by VoiceOfRaisin · 2003-06-27 17:17 · Score: 1

well i guess it works like an optical mouse. and unlike a mouse i guess if you lift it up and put it down again, it can reorient itself by rerolling it over a part thats already printed. (of course it needs to know what it has already printed). maybe it remembers the entire surface that youve moved the unit over. youd think it would need quite a bit of memory for that though. anyone here know the sampling resolution of an optical mouse? as in pixels per inch and bit depth?
Re:How does it work? by 1u3hr · 2003-06-27 17:34 · Score: 1

And the Flash is a FAKE!
Yes, becasue this is just a concept, not a product. They have developed a technology that includes a tracking chip (seems to be optical). They are touting for printer manufacturers to actually make a printer. So don't look to buy one for a couple of years, if ever.
Re:How does it work? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:45 · Score: 0

Reeeally. And to think I thought this was vapourware.
Re:How does it work? by io333 · 2003-06-27 17:49 · Score: 1

My goodness. You nailed me on that one! Looking again I can hardly believe I wrote that. I thought I was immune. I even have mod points and would mod you up but can't cause you're replying to my post.
Re:How does it work? by hbackert · 2003-06-27 18:08 · Score: 4, Interesting

How in the world can it know where the print? .... Unless maybe you are supposed to start in the direct center of where the image is supposed to be and then it tracks from there I guess?

Good point. Can be solved however by making the device aware of the paper. Thus you'd move to the corners of the paper (even a while paper on a white surface should be ok, as there is a contrast difference visible) and as long as you don't lift the printer thing up, the printer is able to find out your relative position on the sheet.

This will not work on very large surfaces. Or spheres. My guess is, you push a button where it's supposed to start printing. And you click again to make sure the printer knows where "right" is. Or "down" or "left" in other languages.

What interrests me most is how you can swipe over a freshly printed surface without making a mess, unless they limit surface-ink combinations. Only if the printer thingy touches the surface on the lower, yet unprinted part of the paper, then it would not smear as it does not touch the upper part. The "random movement" becomes less random that way though.

All in all, a nice idea, even given some limitations like randomness of movement, special fast drying ink, limited surfaces.
Re:How does it work? by interiot · 2003-06-27 18:40 · Score: 1

Or require the user to never lift off of the page, and just using the natural scatter available on the paper/cardboard to orient yourself constantly.
Re:How does it work? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 19:50 · Score: 0

How in the world can it know where the print?

How does a light pen/gun know where it is on a screen when the screen has a solid color background (eg: totally white screen)? This and many other things are simply *magic*.
Re:How does it work? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 06:02 · Score: 0

Dont need to have a 'Right' button. Just a simple gravity sensor. once you know down, left is just 90 deg. further. right is -90 deg, and of course down is 0 deg.

cool idea by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 16:42 · Score: 5, Funny

Just take one of those mini RC cars, add an ink jet and a blue tooth interface and you could have a printer the size of matchbook.

It would be slow, but you could just set a piece of paper on a flat surface and have your laptop/pda "drive" the printer over the paper squirting out ink where needed.

Plus. if you needed a faster printer, imagine a beow... never mind

Re:cool idea by ocelotbob · 2003-06-28 09:47 · Score: 1

How about going one step farther and creating a PDA with one of these chipsets in there so that your PDA is your printer? Load your PDA with contracts and the like, and whenever you need some doc work, just print out the forms you need. Yeah, for real important stuff, you'd probably want a full-sized printer, but this seems like it would be perfect for one-off paperwork.
And your implication of a beowulf of printers isn't far off how large print jobs are handled by some companies. Get a shitload of printers together, and have them go to town. It's usually cheaper than one insanely huge printer.

--
Marxism is the opiate of dumbasses

Hmmm.... by Pig+Hogger · 2003-06-27 16:43 · Score: 2, Insightful

I wonder if the ink will leak if you shake it too much...

Re:Hmmm.... by wilko11 · 2003-06-27 19:19 · Score: 1

I suspect that it might use a thermal transfer ribbon like some electric typewriters and labelers. That way there is no ink to leak.

Also, based on the fact that it won't ship until 2005 and all of the "articles" on the printer actually seem to be press releases from the company itself (articles on at least two different web sites have the same text) it may not leak by virtue of being "vapour" :-).

Well fuck by jpmkm · 2003-06-27 16:43 · Score: 1

I had an idea very similar to this at work the other night(I work alone overnight sometimes when the store is closed, so I have a lot of time to think). It was basically a bigger version of this, about the size of a paint roller. Anyway, it would have a wheel on each end of the roller that would detect movement. It would have several paint(or ink or whatever) nozzles along it. When you roll it along a surface it would detect how fast and how far it is moving and how much it is turning and it would shoot paint out of the nozzles(like an inkjet) to paint a picture. If this this is completely different than that tiny printer deal then let me know so I can patent this.

Re:Well fuck by Moofie · 2003-06-27 16:49 · Score: 4, Funny

Why let prior art stop you? Doesn't seem to bother any of the technology patent obstructionists, and your idea is much cooler than most of theirs.

: )

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:Well fuck by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 16:52 · Score: 1, Interesting

So it's like a regular inkjet printer, except the ink moves rather than the paper? Or am I missing something? Posting AC for obvious reasons.
Re:Well fuck by jpmkm · 2003-06-27 17:02 · Score: 1

That's right. But the key is that it would be able to detect turns so you wouldn't have to go in an exactly straight line(like a regular printhead).
Re:Well fuck by NathanBFH · 2003-06-27 18:23 · Score: 1

Detect them how? Handheld scanners used to be like this, and they had horrible tracking. Remember the old hand held scanners that you had to move up an down the piece of paper with? Kind of like a paint roller (same movements) but looked more like a supermarket bar code scanner, and didn't do a very good job of keeping things aligned.
Re:Well fuck by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 00:20 · Score: 0

So it's like a regular inkjet printer, except the ink moves rather than the paper?
That thing flying around on your injet is not the paper.
Posting AC for obvious reasons.
No shit.
Re:Well fuck by bobthemuse · 2003-06-28 00:49 · Score: 1

There was a guy who did this, hooked up sprayer nozzles into a hole he cut in the middle of a van, lines going to 4 or 5 paint cans. He'd drive at a specfic speed (~5mph or so) and the computer would turn on and off the jets to leave some piece of graffiti on the road.

Can't seem to find the site - anybody?
Re:Well fuck by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 04:11 · Score: 0

Thanks for the idea! I've filed for a patent already after creating a prototype. I'll let you know if it makes it big, but naturally no money will be coming your way.

grafitti time by phatman808 · 2003-06-27 16:44 · Score: 0

Sounds like a grafitti artist's dream come true. Does it work with any flat surface, or special paper only?

--

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Hwa!

Re:grafitti time by zabieru · 2003-06-27 19:18 · Score: 0, Redundant

Or better yet, find a way to gt it to dispense toner and use it to give yourself temporary tattoos...
Re:grafitti time by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 23:28 · Score: 0

Yeah I can hear and smell it already, the screams when the fixer warms up and the smell of frying flesh when the toner is burnt in... yummm!
Re:grafitti time by zabieru · 2003-06-28 03:22 · Score: 1

Well, there's that... but have you ever spilled toner on your skin? Stuff's hell to wash out, even with no fixer.

Re:Why be such a jerk, 'Editor'? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 16:44 · Score: 0

If he wants to make a note, and he knows something to be false, either fix it (remove the incorrect part) or point us to the correct information. Just saying something wrong doesn't help us very much.

Next: the infinite distance printer! by fireboy1919 · 2003-06-27 16:47 · Score: 4, Funny

The principle of generating small amounts of finite printing by simply hooking the logic circuits of a Bambleweeny 57 Sub-Meson Brain to an atomic vector plotter suspended in a strong Brownian Motion producer (say a nice hot cup of tea) is now well understood - and such generators are probably going to be used to break the ice at parties by printing embarassing messages on the hostess's dress, in accordance with the Theory of Indeterminacy.
Many respectable physicists said that they aren't going to stand for this - partly because it is a debasement of science, but mostly because they don't get invited to those sort of parties.
Another thing they won't stand is the perpetual failure they encountered in trying to construct a machine which could generate the infinite distance printer needed to print mind-paralysing distances between the furthest stars, and in the end they will probably announced that such a machine is virtually impossible.

--
Mod me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!

Introducing... by Sophrosyne · 2003-06-27 16:47 · Score: 0

Introducing the worlds smallest printer! also known as...... the stamp!

Re:Introducing... by innosent · 2003-06-27 17:28 · Score: 1

Maybe that's what michael was referring to! Or better yet, a broken piece of 0.3mm pencil lead. Quick! To the patent office!

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--That's the point of being root, you can do anything you want, even if it's stupid.

No more waiting for tickets! by frs_rbl · 2003-06-27 16:49 · Score: 2, Funny

Wow! I just can't wait to see this policeman writing my parking ticket in seconds! Talk about getting them by mail!!

but... wait

now he can print the ticket IN my car! Amazing

--
This is not my opinion. Actually, it's not even an opinion. And I'm nowhere to be seen near it

Re:No more waiting for tickets! by Crash+Gordon · 2003-06-27 17:09 · Score: 1

now he can print the ticket IN my car!
Face it, Flounder -- he can print the ticket ON your car!
Re:No more waiting for tickets! by frs_rbl · 2003-06-27 17:12 · Score: 1

sorry I meant IN yous *ss

--
This is not my opinion. Actually, it's not even an opinion. And I'm nowhere to be seen near it
Re:No more waiting for tickets! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:23 · Score: 0

Not only that, he can print the ticket ON your car!

Sounds like a fantastic form of deterrence to me!
Re:No more waiting for tickets! by jpetts · 2003-06-28 03:30 · Score: 1

now he can print the ticket IN my car! Amazing

Screw that: he can print the ticket ON your car!

--
Call me old fashioned, but I like a dump to be as memorable as it is devastating - Bender

No it isn't? by netsharc · 2003-06-27 16:49 · Score: 3, Funny

Well, why isn't it? is it a hoax, does it really print or is the Tomshardware review gonna tell us how much of a bitch it is to use but you're not mentioning it, Mr. "ed"?

Until then I'll just ignore ed's comment, and say, this will probably be the next thing after Palm Pilots that will be added to standard management's attire.. but how fucking annoying, now they'll put every little thing in print.. I can just imagine it.. PHB scribbles something with graffiti, taps the screen a few times to get Bluetooth working, oh wait, turn on the printer to get its Bluetooth in listening mode (hopefully it still has enough ink), alright, tap "Transfer Data", and then rubs the printer over a piece of paper to produce a note to remind you about the TPS reports, meanwhile the Post-It pad and pen gather dust in his drawers.

--
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Re:No it isn't? by Moofie · 2003-06-27 16:55 · Score: 1

You mean stupid people will use tools to do stupid things?

You don't say. When will the madness end!?

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 16:51 · Score: 0

This one is smaller (262cc vs 336cc). But it's still twice the size of your brain.

GraffitiWriter by IvyMike · 2003-06-27 16:51 · Score: 1

Your idea sounds pretty close (but not identical) to GraffitiWriter, a remote control car with a "print head" consisting of 5 cans of spray paint. You should check it out.

Re:Why be such a jerk, 'Editor'? by Moofie · 2003-06-27 16:52 · Score: 1

Yeah, and if he wasn't a pedantic git, he'd have included a link to refute the claim.

Just saying "Nuh uh!" is not a useful function for an editor.

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by ldspartan · 2003-06-27 16:52 · Score: 1, Informative

Hah, you think he's a dick now, have you read about what he did before joining /.?

You are all wrong by frs_rbl · 2003-06-27 16:54 · Score: 2, Funny

The real breakthrough with this printer is not that it's the smallest around:

its the first unjammable printer!

--
This is not my opinion. Actually, it's not even an opinion. And I'm nowhere to be seen near it

Re:You are all wrong by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 00:25 · Score: 0

its the first unjammable printer!
I'll bet you could find a place to jam it.

It's a mouse that prints. Okay. by fmaxwell · 2003-06-27 16:55 · Score: 1

Without actually reading the information (I am a Slashdot user after all), it looks to me like this thing is just a mouse that prints. It recognizes positional (including rotational) information and spews dots accordingly. It's cute, but it's not like they've invented a fantastic new technology. Why it can't hit the market before 2005 (their estimate) is beyond me.

hmmm...very interesting device... by Kiriwas · 2003-06-27 16:56 · Score: 2, Interesting

My best guess on how it works is very much like an optical mouse except that it can record rotation as well (every spin your optical mouse? if you do it just right, the pointer doesnt move). My guess also, is that you can't lift your hand once your start printing and that whatever orientation the printer is originally at is how the orientation of the image will be. It's really not a complicated technology in my view (not to say it wasn't difficult to implement, just that the idea is simple). I wonder if there have been attempts before to build something such as this. I also wonder if there will be any chance of a WIFI version. I never caught onto BlueTooth (though, if the price is right, I may with this).

Re:hmmm...very interesting device... by frs_rbl · 2003-06-27 17:10 · Score: 1

...ever spin your optical mouse?

hmmm...very interesting behavior :)

--
This is not my opinion. Actually, it's not even an opinion. And I'm nowhere to be seen near it
Re:hmmm...very interesting device... by Breakfast+Pants · 2003-06-27 17:25 · Score: 1

handling rotation just needs 2 sensors instead of one.

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WHO ATE MY BREAKFAST PANTS?
Re:hmmm...very interesting device... by dopaz · 2003-06-27 17:41 · Score: 1

Perhaps the optical mice do not move on rotation because a traditional ball mouse wouldn't move either? If the optical sensor has 2 dimensions of vision and sufficient (albeit low) resolution, couldn't you identify rotation type movement by analyzing the input?
Re:hmmm...very interesting device... by lunatik17 · 2003-06-27 18:55 · Score: 1

it works is very much like an optical mouse except that it can record rotation as well (every spin your optical mouse?
My mouse responds correctly when I rotate it. I have one of those Logitech optical mice with two sensors.

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Re:hmmm...very interesting device... by Repugnant_Shit · 2003-06-28 01:18 · Score: 1

How do you get the cursor to not move? I almost sent my wireless mouse flying off the desk trying to get this to work :)

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Vote for global prefs bug

We admit it is mostly vapor at the moment... by dbc · 2003-06-27 17:00 · Score: 4, Informative

Quoting company representative: "We are expecting the first RMPT based printer products to be launched on the market early 2005"

This is not real yet. These guys are still pulling back the foreskin of technology. Call me back when it is on the shelf at Fry's.

Re:We admit it is mostly vapor at the moment... by transient · 2003-06-27 17:24 · Score: 3, Funny

These guys are still pulling back the foreskin of technology.
Thanks for that, you fucking weirdo.

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irb(main):001:0>
Re:We admit it is mostly vapor at the moment... by darkov · 2003-06-27 17:33 · Score: 0, Offtopic

Also quoting the company representative: "I don't have a foreskin, you insensitive clod!"

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Reliable, Great Value Hosting: $7.95/mo 2.4G/120G
Re:We admit it is mostly vapor at the moment... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 18:13 · Score: 0

AHHHHHHHHH HAHA !!!!!!!!!!!

How the fuck can you not have a foreskin??!!!

Oh.....American right?
Re:We admit it is mostly vapor at the moment... by TheMidget · 2003-06-28 01:22 · Score: 1
How the fuck can you not have a foreskin??!!!
- be a girl
- be a jew
Re:We admit it is mostly vapor at the moment... by martinze · 2003-06-28 03:07 · Score: 1

Shouldn't one or both of those ce capitalized? MZ

--
If you live long enough eventually you get to see everything.
Re:We admit it is mostly vapor at the moment... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 05:49 · Score: 0

Your mum didn't want you to masterbate... it doesn't work too well..

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by LBArrettAnderson · 2003-06-27 17:01 · Score: 1

the article submitter meant "full format"... which i think means "can print a full page"... can it?

Re:It's a mouse that prints. Okay. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:01 · Score: 0

They don't want to produce them. I believe that all that they have now are internal prototypes and models of proposed finished devices
They think that the real money is in the license to use the technology - not in making it. Unfortunately things like this can take a lot of time to put together. Partnerships, NDA's engineering, test, engineering, manufacture, test, ship. You are looking at about a 12 month time to complete this process.

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by Moofie · 2003-06-27 17:01 · Score: 1

Wow.

What a dick.

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!

Shucks! by Mostly+a+lurker · 2003-06-27 17:06 · Score: 2, Insightful

We are expecting the first RMPT based printer products to be launched on the market early 2005" says CEO PrintDreams Jan Erik Hedborg.

Seems like a great idea but, based on this quote, it is all just vapourware right now.

Smallest Printer by TomGroves · 2003-06-27 17:07 · Score: 1

FWIW: I searched 10 pages deep in Google and the best I could come up with for 'smallest printer' was: http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/102/C1447/?la rgeimage=yes Which probably isn't smaller than the one in this article.

Re:Smallest Printer by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:37 · Score: 0

Here.

It'll at least spice up the bathroom... by stienman · 2003-06-27 17:07 · Score: 2, Funny

Imagine, now, instead of the scratchy scrawl you write on the bathroom walls now, you can not only print the number but also a picture of your roommate's girlfriend.

Admit it - you were always jealous he usually had one. Could be because he didn't go into computers...

-Adam

I hate to say it... by Maserati · 2003-06-27 17:11 · Score: 1

but that is patentable.

Practical, maybe. Patentable, sure.

--
Veteran, Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force, 1992-1951

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:11 · Score: 0

"can print a full page"

What size page, fucktard?

Tip for the marketing department... by taped2thedesk · 2003-06-27 17:12 · Score: 1, Funny

I can see the biggest market for this: kids...

" Conventional "kick me" signs can be removed and even stuck to someone other than your intended target... but with the world's smallest printer*, you can permanently etch "KICK ME" on to any article of clothing, or even your victim's skin! It's so quiet your victim will never notice, and it prints at the lightning-fast speed of 60,000 cm^3/s!"
*Warning: may not actually be the world's smallest printer.

Re:Tip for the marketing department... by Victor+Liu · 2003-06-27 19:09 · Score: 1

"...it prints at the lightning-fast speed of 60,000 cm^3/s!"

Wow, that's a lot of ink...

Re:It's a mouse that prints. Okay. by zanderredux · 2003-06-27 17:17 · Score: 4, Insightful

Guess it's another stupid IP-only company, just as Celera Genomics is.

They expect some other big manufacturer to take the challenge of making the technology viable for mass production while they sit and wait for the IP-rights cheques to arrive!

Whipped Cream and Other Delights. by teamhasnoi · 2003-06-27 17:17 · Score: 5, Funny

Combine this with a pda bacode scanner and you can print new barcodes at Walmart on the fly. Scan the crap model, put a blank label on the nice one,(still not illegal??) then print your new barcode. (ILLEGAL)

Good way to pick up chicks - wave your hand with the printer concealed in it over a bar napkin and hand her your magically appearing phone number and a dirty limerick (ok, no limerick)

Label everything you own - roomies will no longer be able to claim the beer/CD/toliet paper wasn't yours.

Print up fake parking tickets for random cars.

This would rock for labeling CDRs - I might actually do it with this thing.

Add mystery "ingredients" to grocery store items. "What the hell is lead sucrose doing in these hot dogs?"

Graffiti made easy! Free Mumia, Impeach Bush, Repeal the 1st Amendment - easy as a wave of your hand! No incriminating paint can or marker!

Print barcodes on unsuspecting foreheads - "Hold on, I think there's a bee in your hair..." - Just for fun. For now......

Add inappropriate menu items at your favorite resturant. "Baby Seal and Carrots?!! WAITER!!!"

Fake classifieds - "Dude, what's this about you selling the state's largest used children's undies collection? Your name, phone number and everything!!"

Hide small notes on the bathroom walls in strategic places - "If you can read this, you're poopin'"

Quick name tags for people - don't worry, it'll wash off! Frankly, this thing is cool and sounds like fun - it may even be useful for labeling things, or handing out info. Of course, it will probably be priced too high for most people who would actually use it. It will probably be good for manufacturing, labeling parts and other irregular things.

Just remember, you read it on K5.

Re:Whipped Cream and Other Delights. by Descartes · 2003-06-27 18:03 · Score: 1

Good way to pick up chicks - wave your hand with the printer concealed in it over a bar napkin and hand her your magically appearing phone number and a dirty limerick (ok, no limerick)

I don't know the kind of bars you go to (maybe they're different in Silicon Valley or something) but good luck with that one.

I've found the best way to pick up chicks is to strike up a conversation rather than show off your gadget. Uhh... you know what I mean.
Re:Whipped Cream and Other Delights. by Tablizer · 2003-06-27 18:23 · Score: 1

You forgot one: Instantly increase your karma score on the screen even if you are a boring troll :-)

--
Table-ized A.I.
Re:Whipped Cream and Other Delights. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 18:34 · Score: 0

"Baby Seal and Carrots?!! WAITER!!!"

Seriously, carrots? Don't you think that's going a little too far?
Re:Whipped Cream and Other Delights. by drinkypoo · 2003-06-28 04:02 · Score: 1

Printing a new bar code is not illegal. Sticking it on the package is illegal - it's vandalism. When you pay for it, it's illegal - you're stealing. Just thought I'd pick a nit. I like the graffiti stuff, though.

--
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"

less / fewer by wheezl · 2003-06-27 17:25 · Score: 1

I suppose they should be forgiven for the language in the flash animation on the site...

"are less mechanical parts" should read
"are fewer mechanical parts"

*sigh*

Still, it's quite a nifty little device.

--
-- oh.... so..... sleeeeeepy.

Re:less / fewer by 1u3hr · 2003-06-27 17:46 · Score: 2, Funny
More choice quotes:
- Traditional printers has some sort of paper-feeding mechanism
- Beem over the document to your printer
English isn't their native language, but Swedes usually speak better English than most Americans (certainly better than our esteemed editors)...
Re:less / fewer by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 00:30 · Score: 0

"are less mechanical parts" should read "are fewer mechanical parts"
You sure? I took it to mean there's the same number of parts, but its parts are not quite as mechanical.

de facto standard by Matthew+Weigel · 2003-06-27 17:28 · Score: 1

...based on their proprietary technology.

Oh, like a monopoly.

--
--Matthew

A small problem... by mattypants · 2003-06-27 17:29 · Score: 2, Funny

...it'll leak in your pocket, making it just as messy as a pen.

Re:A small problem... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 22:36 · Score: 0

So you can solve that problem like a pen: put a cap (sleeve) on it?

Or maybe there's a switch so you can just turn the damned thing off...

Am I the only one by thynk · 2003-06-27 17:30 · Score: 3, Funny

who read RMPT as RTFM at first glance? Only I guess with this, PTFM might fit better.

--

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

Relax, mszeto by bonch · 2003-06-27 17:31 · Score: 1

Just becase you were wrong is no reason to have an anonymous temper tantrum.

Re:Relax, mszeto by mszeto · 2003-06-30 01:29 · Score: 1

just fyi, whatever you were refering to it wasn't me - I've only posted on this article once and it was about the differences between BT and Wifi =)

bluetooth deodorant by g0at · 2003-06-27 17:31 · Score: 2, Funny

...the first RMPT based printer products...

Armpit based printer products? :O

--
myselfmusic

[ed. note: no it isnt] by stratjakt · 2003-06-27 17:33 · Score: 1, Funny

Yes it is! You are WRONG michael.

This IS the worlds smallest printer.

Because I say so.

--
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!

Uh, duh! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:35 · Score: 0

Seriously, did you not get the reference?

Re:Uh, duh! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 21:47 · Score: 0

Office Space, you know. A thorougly disturbing movie. mmmkay?

Have One by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:42 · Score: 3, Funny

I already have a Small Random Thingummybob
Printer.

I move it over a paper & letters appear on the
paper.

It's called a PEN

Re:Have One by Jason1729 · 2003-06-27 18:05 · Score: 1

That's not random; you have to go to the extra effort of moving it only where you want it to print.

Jason
ProfQuotes
Re:Have One by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 02:58 · Score: 0

I just give paper and a pen to my secretary.

[ed. note: no it isn't] by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 17:45 · Score: 0

[ed. note: no it isn't]

okay, so what is? If you're gonna [ed] at least provide [url].

Re:[ed. note: no it isn't] by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 18:27 · Score: 0

Hey, Michael is GOD. He doesn't have to. Nor does he have to conform to other any journalistic standards such as grammar (for one).
Re:[ed. note: no it isn't] by wheany · 2003-06-27 19:56 · Score: 1

No, at least mention a name. Or some vague reference, like "I remember reading about some really small printer on Toms hardware guide."

"No it isn't" means nothing.
Re:[ed. note: no it isn't] by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 22:28 · Score: 0

"pen"

Ingenuity by Corbie · 2003-06-27 17:46 · Score: 1

This month's special is the amazing Vandaltron 9600. Apply astoundingly witless phrases to signage, walls, clothing, and small animals WITHOUT A SINGLE STROKE OF A PEN! It's like MAGIC! But that's not all! Now, with the Vandaltron 9600, you have the power of forgery in the PALM of your HAND! Surprise your friends and family! Get free food! Be the target of major lawsuits! And if you order now, you'll get a kickass bluetooth PDA absolutely FREE! (with your inclusion of a $500 check) What are you waiting for, kids?? Buy one TODAY!

They have no facts by imadcow1 · 2003-06-27 17:58 · Score: 0

Why is it that when i click facts nothing shows up?

very nice by DaLiNKz · 2003-06-27 18:00 · Score: 1

now instead of signing my childish logo on bathroom stalls I can do it in style with a hand held printer...

--
I've left to find myself. If you happen to see me, please, keep me there until I return.

it won't work well by Tuxinatorium · 2003-06-27 18:06 · Score: 1

if the motion sensing thing skips ever so slightly, the output will be fubar'd, so i don't think this is a very good idea.

--
Repeal the DMCA!

It's been done for scanners. by Animats · 2003-06-27 18:08 · Score: 1

This has been done before for scanners. On the printer side, the PenMan plotter and the GraffitiWriter are the closest devices I know of.

The measurement precision required to make this work well is quite high. I look forward to seeing it work.

Re:It's been done for scanners. by Cy+Guy · 2003-06-30 02:25 · Score: 1

This very brief cNet article implies it is a scanner as well, but their description seems off so they may just misunderstand the product.

But if you consider that scanning is an inherent property of the device to help determine is current movement and distance from the printing surface, then it seems adding a scanning function would not require a major change to the hardware if any.

Having both in the same handheld device would be useful as it would make it a true multifunction device able to scan, print, copy, and (wirelessly linked to your cell phone) even fax. Of course a decent quality digital camera incorporated into your bluetoothed enabled phone could be combined with a print only device to also cover all these functions.

BTW, if they aren't currently doing this, I claim prior art for any future attempts to do so and release the idea into the public domain.

--
Work for Change & GET PAID!

Sorry by gantrep · 2003-06-27 18:17 · Score: 1

I regret to inform you that I have stolen your idea and patented it.

Applications: by YrWrstNtmr · 2003-06-27 18:18 · Score: 1

Give this a couple years development...

Temporary tattoos on demand
Want a mural for your wall, but can't paint? Grab an image off the web and go for it.
CD labeling
Coffee shop business meeting. Beam that database diagram directly from your laptop to the napkin. No more illegible chicken scratch.

Custom paint jobs on anything

This is one of the very few gadgets here on /. that I'd actually buy.

Dude, you are *dangerous* by fm6 · 2003-06-27 18:19 · Score: 1

I think I'm staying away from you!

more likely by SHEENmaster · 2003-06-27 18:20 · Score: 4, Funny

Such a device would be controlled by a robot arm, a la Starshit Troopers.

If the robot runs Windows, which is very popular in tattoo parlers, then you are more likely to get a 300 page raw postscript dump. If you are put under for the tattoo, or pass out from the pain, you will awake to have postscript covering your entire body.

At first this sounds bad, but you could sue M$ for enough money to buy the UNIX code and GPL it.

(Sorry if this turned into a rant, the printer at work dumped hundreds of pages of postscript onto expensive paper under the direction of a Windows XP system. My Debian iBook came to the rescue and reprinted it correctly.)

Anyways, postscript is cooler than a null pointer exception, especially if it's a poscript http server.

--
You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.

Re:more likely by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 20:03 · Score: 0

I AGREE WITH THIS POST!
Re:more likely by jafiwam · 2003-06-28 04:16 · Score: 2, Interesting

Hmm. That type of activity is also a symtom of one of the new Windows worms... Bugbear maybe.

Might want to check that out. (Unless you want an excuse to wipe the machine to put something else on it at any rate....)
Re:more likely by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 19:05 · Score: 0

LINUX TO THE RESCUE! thank god for linux and people telling us about it every 5 minutes!! you may have actually had to figure out the problem. every time my os crashes i just get a new one! that'll show 'em!

Wile E. Coyote? by Nicodemus · 2003-06-27 18:25 · Score: 4, Funny

So does this work like the paint buckets in old cartoons, where you can paint a whole picture with the swipe of a single brush?

/me quickly paints a picture of a tunnel on a blank wall.

=)

Nicodemuis

Re:Wile E. Coyote? by floydigus · 2003-06-27 19:23 · Score: 1

Tartan paint!

--
All things in moderation; including moderation
Re:Wile E. Coyote? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 20:43 · Score: 0

Remember: Wait for the train before entering the tunnel. And look behind you too...

Who's really cool... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 18:27 · Score: 0

Jesus saves, repentance is nothing without faith!

Re:It's a mouse that prints. Okay. by Tablizer · 2003-06-27 18:27 · Score: 2, Funny

"Wait! That is not a mou.........never mind. too late."

--
Table-ized A.I.

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 18:27 · Score: 0

Hes not a dick hes an asshole.

OK, Maybe the Master Penmen Should Be Aftraid by weston · 2003-06-27 18:28 · Score: 1

If this invention doesn't wipe out handwriting, nothing will...

--
Tweet, tweet.

Student uses by Tablizer · 2003-06-27 18:31 · Score: 1

"What do you mean I got an F, Dad? This one right hhhheeeere? No, See, its an A."

--
Table-ized A.I.

Cheap, Fast, Good: Pick Two by StandardCell · 2003-06-27 18:33 · Score: 1

That's the limitation on speed.

CEASE AND DESIST by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 18:34 · Score: 0

Please stop the unauthorized use of my name which is causing confusion to the public.

-- Spike Lee

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 18:42 · Score: 0

what do you think he means by "full page," retard? like.. maybe the page size used 95% of the time?

Vandalism by qat · 2003-06-27 18:43 · Score: 1

This thing is any llama's dream. You meet some prick at LANTrocity who can beat you at any game, so go find his car and print him a little message on his windshield... "Asswhipe set us up the bomb" This will be used for way too many inappropriate things...

--
Pls No Negative Modding!

Re:Vandalism by MrWorf · 2003-06-27 19:52 · Score: 1

"... find his car and print him a little message on his windshield"

I don't think it will work. My guess is that this device will have the same drawbacks as any optical mouse out there. Which means that as long as it's flat and not too reflective it will work.

Either way, I think it's waaay cool and I want one now to play with :D

Btw, what if they combined it with a mouse ... Then you could use it with your laptop and also print when needed. Would reduce the amount of junk you need to take with you ... Besides, bluetooth would give alot better range than most common RF based mouses.

Just a thought...

Advertisment by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 18:47 · Score: 3, Interesting

I can see people using these to bomb ads all over, on everything from school posters to that ugly shaved cat up the street.

Personally I think I'd use it to print clever things on the back of bills when I go out. Perhaps comments on service quickly typed out on the PDA and then printed in detail. Instant gospel message too.

This would be great for actually getting that information OUT of that PDA to people who don't have one, forget beaming a business card, print it on their hand, ok not exactly professional.

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by glitch · 2003-06-27 18:52 · Score: 1

I was quite pleased to see Michael's comment. Usually I have to wade through five or ten user-posted comments and apply all of their various corrections just to get a composite version of a news blurb that isn't wrong in some fundamental way. This way is much quicker.

More importantly, boy is it amusing to see these damn sloppy submitters put in their place =].

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2003-06-27 19:04 · Score: 1

Comment removed based on user account deletion

MICHAEL, YOU STUPID DICKSUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!!! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 19:06 · Score: 0

fuck off and die, you sorryassed piece of no-editing sack of bitchtits....DIE FUCKER!!!

lick your mother's rotten, crusty sore ridden cunt, you fucking dick prick...

ps, eat a dick.

Hand play. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 19:13 · Score: 0

"I never understood why so many businesses use that type of mouse. $10 for a male mouse or $15 for a female (optical) mouse. I've never seen a case where an optical mouse isn't better equipped to handle heavy usage by dirty nasty users."

I guess we now know why optical mice are popular with the geek set.

Re:It's a mouse that prints. Okay. by GoRK · 2003-06-27 19:16 · Score: 1

A suprising number of products start this way. This company seems to have a marketing department going at it full force already, though, which is a questionable move since it may harm any OEM's they eventually get a contract with. I wouldn't lump them in with Celera and call them stupid though. Obviously, they don't have the expertese, funds, or experience to ramp this thing up for themselves, so they're taking bids on someone else to pick it up. It's a win-win-win thing. They make money from their invention. The manufacturer makes money selling the thing, and the consumer gets a good product (hopefully)

Besides, somehow, don't you think they'd be involved in assisting a manufacturer with R&D through the implementation process? Somehow I would think that all that money they get after "sitting around waiting for the cheques to arrive" might just be money they have earned.

I researched this years ago... by DoktorGonzo · 2003-06-27 19:21 · Score: 1

I just remember back in kindergarten, where we could accurately print the image of an oak leaf using random movements. Would have had the patent, too, if Crayola didn't have prior art.

Re:I researched this years ago... by SEWilco · 2003-06-28 03:21 · Score: 1

It's called a "rubbing". Artists often do it with paper and charcoal. Genealogists often make copies of tombstones. It also is popular at the U.S. Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.
This printer creates virtual rubbings. Connect two optical mice to a print head, then print a dot wherever one should be. (Two mice are needed to detect rotation)
Accelerometers can be used instead of optical mouse technologies.
Detecting up/down precisely would also allow printing perfectly horizontally or vertically.
Using a video camera to detect horizontal or vertical patterns also could be used for alignment. Even for detecting the edge of a piece of paper.
Using bubbles or small blocks, a device with accelerometers can detect position in 3 dimensions and "print" 3-D objects.
"Skywriting"
"Matrix skywriting"
There have been people making devices for spray-painting on streets. Like an inkjet printhead using paint sprayers.
Have highway paint trucks been doing this for decades?
"10 feet..OK, there should be another white line here..SPRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY"
(memo to self: give people with too much time an array of highway paint trucks...)

Possible Investment Scam by stephanruby · 2003-06-27 19:22 · Score: 1

The product will be available "early 2005". For all we know, they're using the "flying car"/ "disposable phone"/ cool idea gimmick to con money out of gullible investors.

I know one of the articles said they had a working prototype last year, but I wouldn't be surprised if both wow-com.com and pdacortex.com reprinted the company press release without checking any of the facts.

Re:It's a mouse that prints. Okay. by Greger47 · 2003-06-27 19:23 · Score: 1

Well, they are building and showing off working examples.

I've seen and tried out the printer over a year and a half ago, and I know they went to Cebit and made a splash last year.

But ofcourse, mass production will certainly be handled by some big operation like Logitech. Their scanning pen thingy for example was developed by another Swedish startup, www.anoto.se.

MOD PARENT UP!!!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 19:51 · Score: 0

Taht is teh INSITEFUL shizzzzat!!!!!!

Re:MOD PARENT UP!!!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 20:53 · Score: 0

Werd!!1one

Let's just say that the tracking does work... by Bingo+Foo · 2003-06-27 19:57 · Score: 1

So if the tracking worked perfectly, it seems that it would still be only relative position that it senses. How do you get the thing aligned to print square with respect to any piece of paper? Some long pre-printing alignment calibration for every sheet?

--
taken! (by Davidleeroth) Thanks Bingo Foo!

Re:Let's just say that the tracking does work... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 20:37 · Score: 0

"How do you get the thing aligned..."

That's where the peanut butter comes in.

That is a seriously patentable idea. by mikeophile · 2003-06-27 20:06 · Score: 1

I don't know how you stand on being able to get one now after disclosing it on this forum.

Anyone know the law on this?

Re:That is a seriously patentable idea. by AtariDatacenter · 2003-06-28 07:22 · Score: 1

I enjoy proactively destroying patents by talking about ideas, often obvious, in public. That way, a nice web search, and *boom*! Your tattoo printer isn't all that novel. Serves them right for trying to patent something kind of obvious.

Speaking of obvious, using skin pores to determine location of a printing device, or the relative stretch of skin would be an obvious positioning and print density technique. Obvious.

Why do you need to adapt it? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 20:08 · Score: 0

It seems like it would do just fine at printing artwork on skin already. Maybe use some hypo-allergenic inks and you're all set.

RTFL: It shows actual printouts too by Mongoose · 2003-06-27 20:21 · Score: 2, Informative

http://www.pdacortex.com/printdreams.htm

Re:Next: the infinite distance printer! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 20:30 · Score: 0

A rather nice adaptation of Douglas Adams. But, I always have to read his stuff twice to get the jokes.

But then, I'm not invited to many of those sorts of parties.

Why waste the paper? by mikeophile · 2003-06-27 20:39 · Score: 1

He'll print the ticket ON your car.

Errr, those aren't articles... by Moofie · 2003-06-27 20:44 · Score: 1

They're press releases.

Articles are written by writers. Press releases are written by marketing flacks.

Although, anymore, it's harder and harder to tell the difference. : /

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!

Wow! Is this really the same guy? by Shturmovik · 2003-06-27 21:45 · Score: 1

Mod me -1 Troll, Flamebait, or, yes, Off-Topic, but I can't help but comment on this. I just spent the last hour reading about things I'd never heard of before, including the whole Censorware project (a worthy cause if ever there was one, and a source of shame to me in the fact that I knew nothing of it previously). I read everybody's statements, including those of the Michael Sims of Censorware.org. I see truth solidly being on the side of everybody other than he in this matter. All that reading has lead me to conclude that the Michael Sims involved in that whole sorry saga should not be permitted to practice journalism, anywhere, anytime, until he does a full public Mea Culpa. For anybody, Slashdot or other, to employ him in any capacity, indicates either ignorance (of these preceding events) or wilful contempt for the victims of the shenanigans perpetrated by the Michael Sims involved: victims including anybody interested in the efforts to fight censorware. I find it difficult to believe that the Michael Sims of Slashdot and the Michael Sims of Censorware.org infamy can be one-and-the-same. Why would Slashdot employ such a person? Sorry to vent, but man, just how shitty can one embarrassed webmaster get?

Re:Wow! Is this really the same guy? by ldspartan · 2003-06-28 03:10 · Score: 1

Mleh, I found the site linked through mispelling /.; www.salshdot.org redirects you to /. and spawns a new window with the site about censorware.

It definitely gives you a background to micheal, and it doesn't surprise me now when his editorial comments are so slanted.

--
Phil

patented by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-27 21:57 · Score: 0

what? no one to complain that they dared patent their invention? ;-)
clever tricks always seem so evident, after...

How does the positioning sensor work? by alany · 2003-06-27 23:14 · Score: 1

Optically or some kind of MEMS accelerometer?

What about the actual marking engine?

Re:How does the positioning sensor work? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 02:05 · Score: 0

I read that as:

What about the actual marketing engine?

LOL

Cool!! by sploxx · 2003-06-27 23:18 · Score: 1

I would by one, if I only had enough money :( Like all the other toys which are usable but essentially superfluos. But maybe I should not complain, studying physics to get my hands on knobs of interesting, expensive and cool toys at work time ;)

Random Movement? Got one... by allanj · 2003-06-27 23:43 · Score: 1

It's called a Lexmark, and it does lots of random movements with my paper...

--
Black holes are where God divided by zero

If this works on vertical surfaces by unicode · 2003-06-28 00:57 · Score: 1

Is cheap, and can do big prints it would be great. I would get one to paint my walls. If this dose what it claims, it could be a lot of fun. When dose a color one ship?

Best thing for graffiti makers since spray paint by ikeleib · 2003-06-28 01:42 · Score: 1

This will really improve my graffiti.

What was even more impressive ... by jc42 · 2003-06-28 01:44 · Score: 3, Insightful

... was how, in the demo movie, it seemed to know where the print head was going to be, and made the text appear there just before the printer passed over the spot.

That is truly impressive tracking technology.

--
Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.

Prior Art! sort of... by schtum · 2003-06-28 01:47 · Score: 1

There was an episode of Pac-Man (the cartoon) where they painted their house with "Polka-Dot Paint". They'd dip the brush into the can, slop it onto the walls, and out would come perfect polka dots. Terrible show, but that scene always stuck in my head.

Seriously though, your idea is great. Imagine (if you haven't already) being able to load images into your paint roller's memory, and have those images automagically painted onto any surface. I'm looking around my house right now thinking "Plaid for the bedroom ... a blown-up Mona Lisa on this wall ..." Basically anything you might use as wallpaper on your PC desktop could be wallpaper (wihtout the mess of actual paper) on your walls! If you build it, I will buy.

Method of printing? by dolphi0 · 2003-06-28 02:23 · Score: 1

Okay, I'm trying to figure out how this works...I figure from "Opitcal," they mean that the location sensor works very simuliar to optical mice. But, can anyone figure out how it puts the ink on the page? Is it like an inkjet that sprays ink on the page, or something like the old dot matrix printers, where's there's actually contact with the paper to put the ink on the page, or perhaps more like laser printers, or perhaps something completely different. I need two: One to take apart and figure out how it works, and one to play with. I wonder what the ink capacity of somethign that small would be...

I can just see it now, instead of seeing RO + EC 4 EVR spraypainted on bridges, we'll see some photo "printed" onto whatever surface of his choice.... could be, uh, intersting?

Incorrect by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 02:28 · Score: 0

No, several posters have seen working demos.

No, it isn't by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 03:08 · Score: 0

Ok, I remember a presentation by Ted Selker who invented this at Atari research over 20 years ago. It was a pen-like device that sensed movement and spritzed ink at the appropriate times to produce imagery. I think it was _also_ used as an input device (basically, a pen). Hope Ted's aware of this.

Some questions by telstar · 2003-06-28 03:32 · Score: 1

I'm curious how this device maintains context of where it is on the page. This device reminds me most of the new Logitech iO which records what you write. It requires that you use specially dotted paper so that it can track where on the page you are. I'd be amazed if this little printer is able to keep track of paper context without some special surface like that.

Then again, they have that Flash movie online which demonstrates absolutely nothing ... so I guess I'll trust them.

Re:Some questions by Oswald · 2003-06-28 04:24 · Score: 1

My first thought was that the printer scans the page as you move it and uses what it has already printed to locate itself. That leaves the problem of how you start out.
I couldn't figure that out, so I gave up. I'll trust them, too.

vCards by Eric+Savage · 2003-06-28 04:17 · Score: 1

So now instead of writing your phone number on someone's hand, you can just print your whole vCard out on it.

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This is not the greatest sig in the world, this is just a tribute.

Forget the typewriters! by chrisleonard · 2003-06-28 04:44 · Score: 1

Now those 1,000 monkeys can actually do something useful.

Mod parent UP by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 04:49 · Score: 0

I almost fell off my chair reading that one!

Registration and orentation of the print head? by pixelfreak · 2003-06-28 05:40 · Score: 2, Insightful

An optical mouse only tracks relative movements.

Beyond the needs of an optical mouse, the device needs to keep track of orientation and registration.

The human hand is not capable of keeping the device exactly parallel to the side of the page. It also needs to keep track of registration issues such as page margins, etc. This means it must it calculate the absoulte x, y position of the document, track the orentation of the print head and compensate accordingly.

What's interesting about this is that the print head must be able to print text at any angle... even when this angle changes several times per second!

Obligatory Office Space quote: by chiph · 2003-06-28 05:53 · Score: 1

PC Load Letter?
What the fuck does that mean?

armpit technology? by baitisj2 · 2003-06-28 06:48 · Score: 1

I wonder if the ink they use in this device has some... interesting properties? RMPT!

works using? by jago25_98 · 2003-06-28 07:09 · Score: 1

- with any old ink? or locked down i wonder?

- uses camera similar to ball-less mice?

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A blog I run for the wealth

Phony video? by dpbsmith · 2003-06-28 07:37 · Score: 1

Their see how it works link looks very odd to me.

As the hand scans the second and third paragraphs--beginning "small size" and "totally silent," it certainly appears to me that printed words are appearing AHEAD of the printer.

What's going on? Either the video is a fake, or the printer is held several inches above the surface and sprays ink very accurately over a wide "cone of printing..." or... well... I think it's a fake.

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"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!

Re:Phony video? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 08:08 · Score: 0

Em... It's a Flash animation (a simulation).

MORE MORE MORE by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 09:07 · Score: 0

I want MORE devices built in.

Color printing ( of course ) for digital photos..

It needs a optical scanner so can scan in pictures as well as read them. (text and photos)

It needs OCR (optical charater recognition )
So it can parse text.

Hand writing recognition so it can OCR notes.

A cell phone / wireless modem...

A GPS tranciver

Finally, logic that recognize and execute commands
writen down on a piece of paper
For example a hand written note....

<printout directions to here >
* it does so*

< sendemail address="foo@bar.com" >
bill check this out!

< image > :-) *actual photo*

< /image >
< /sendmail >

scans it in and send it to bill who can print it out.

Convergence of a lot of technology. It all exists.
Just not small enough and packaged together.

Apply Moores Law and someday we will have it.

Here is a link to the smallest printer by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 09:44 · Score: 0

http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/102/C1447/?

Accuracy? by drunkahol · 2003-06-28 10:41 · Score: 1

I hope it's a bit more accurate than my patented Random Movement Piss Technology.

I employ this technology every time I have had rather too many beers (and probably a bloody kebab) before returning home.

The Random Movement Piss Technology has no problems in pub urinals, but my missus gets rather narked when I use the technique at home :(

Re:World's smallest? I'd argue that....wrongly by aserra · 2003-06-28 16:00 · Score: 1

This is a claim to the worlds smallest printer, not the worlds smallest print. I bet the "device for visualizing atomic-scale structures, and "printing" them" was about a big as a house and did not fit in one's hand. I remeber an article a few years back about the propeller-heads in the IBM labs printing "IBM" with lined-up atoms. There is also another IBM initiative dubbed "Millipede" that may prove to be the smallest printing....

Thanks michael. Took you long enough. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 16:26 · Score: 0

You fuckwit.

Re:Michael, You Don't Know Shit... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 16:28 · Score: 0

notice how quickly this was modded down? it was 2nd post yet was modded down within about aminute or two. i would bet money that michael the cunt modded it himself.

Use it for home decorating! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-28 17:22 · Score: 0

You could have paint on wall paper. Some fancy design (perhaps a non-repeating tessellation!) could be painted on the wall. Just like how the cartoons had paint that was checker board or plaid. :)

You could also use it for painting on logos and number and names on doors and windows. It beats using a stencil. Obviously the printer would have to be modified to use actual paint rather than ink. But the software would be pretty much the same.

Windows to Postscript Printer by oldCoder · 2003-07-07 07:56 · Score: 1

The answer is too simple. If you have a postscript printer you can just use the command line "print" command to send the .ps file to the printer. Works great.

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