Shutterbugs have it easier these days than when I was a kid, hauling around a rock-heavy Canon single-reflex camera--and then shelling out big bucks to see the results of my experimental shots, which were all too often disappointments. With digital cameras affordable, and photo printers downright cheap (not to mention excellent, and often free, digital editing software), once the first investment is made, there's no reason why aspiring photographers can't keep trying till they get what they like. But finding the right photo printer is not always easy. I've got a list of the Top Budget Photo Printers, which can help those with an eye on the bottom line, and a full set of in-depth photo-printer reviews for you to peruse. PC Mag has some more suggestions. M. David Stone's How to Buy a Dedicated Photo Printer asks the questions that should be asked before you invest in a dedicated photo printer, such as: How much do you print? Do you need to print in color or black and white? And how are you going to connect? Thanks again to David for his excellent articles!

HP has several new printers that I'll be looking at soon. The HP 6500, according to HP, is fast, economical, and eco-conscious--it uses as much as 40 percent less energy than a laser printer, the company says. At under $100, the HP 6500 printer is likely to be a great buy. The big-brother version of the HP 6500, the HP Officejet Pro 8500, can print color documents for up to 50 percent less per page, HP claims--and, if you're using HP's high capacity cartridges, you'll save money on consumables compared to laser printers. Read more about the HP 8500 specs.

The Lexmark X204n is a monochrome laser printer that sells for well under $300. It's also networkable, fairly fast, eco-friendly, and has a relatively small footprint for a laser printer. Check out the Lexmark X204n Review for more specs on this new monochrome laser printer from Lexmark.

Yes, it was strange to type that title, but thanks to Shapeways, which allows you to create your own jewelry, ringpoems, and other fun stuff using a 3D printer, you can in fact create your own custom cufflinks (with your initials on them), in silver. Or a ringpoem, a ring of silver made of the words of your favorite poem. The links are only $99, the ringpoem (makes a handy napkin ring) $129.

Want to start your own 3D scanning studio, and get any shape you want printed in 3D (including a monkey statue, as used in the demo)? Then you'll want to check out the DAVID 3D Starter Kit, reviewed on the Shapeways blog. For less than $300, you can start scanning stuff at home and turning it into 3D digital models. Monkey not included.