April 01, 2004Printers / Scanners Blog Archives |
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Accessing Your DriverIf you're interesting in knowing how you can better use all the features of your printer and/or scanner by accessing your drivers, I've published some basic instructions on where to find them right here.01:39 PM # Wireless PrintingIf you want to use your printer without adding to the tangle of wires behind your PC, and don't have a wireless network handy, you could try IOGEAR's new Bluetooth USB Print Adapter or Bluetooth USB/Parallel Combo Print Adapter. These adaptors plug into your printer and communicate with your Bluetooth-enabled PC or PDA. (Bluetooth is a wireless communication protocol; the other popular type is 802.11x.) If this sounds like something you could use, you can find more details at IOGEAR's Web site.09:09 AM # Family FotosI have no reason to think that today's mothers are any less Web savvy than the rest of the population -- in other words, their knowledge varies from expert to novice -- but a new online photo album service called OurPictures seems to think that they need lots of help. The service, which provides an easy-to-understand interface for families that want to put their photos on the Web for viewing, sent out a press release that stated that they "spoke with hundreds of mothers across the country that live with the frustration or guilt of having pictures locked away on their digital cameras." Presumably, none of these moms were capable of reading the instructions on their cameras explaining how to download (or print) the pictures. (Dad, of course, doesn't even come into the picture.)Not having tried OurPictures, I can't talk to its quality pro or con. Family Internet Guide Marcy Zitz has a handy list of other services available to help you post family photos online here. 09:03 AM # Laser vs. LEDIf you're shopping for a laser printer, check the specs carefully -- you may actually be looking at an LED printer. Stores and buying services tend to class the two together. I've just written a short article explaining the differences between the two -- you can find it here.11:02 AM # Xerox CounterfeitsAccording to a recent press release, Xerox affirmed that 7,200 counterfeit color toner cartridges for its Xerox Phaser 780 color laser printers -- worth more than $1.3 million -- have been seized or quarantined by authorities in the past two weeks. It has put a page up on its Web site that explains how consumers can identify the counterfeit cartridges, and suggests that owners of those cartridges contact their vendors for return and refund.03:35 PM # What, No Driver?A reader recently sent me an e-mail asking where he could get a driver for his trusty HP DeskJet 720C printer. He had recently upgraded to Windows XP, but his older driver wouldn't work with the new operating system. I thought, "Well, this is easy," and went to HP's Web site, fully expecting to find the needed driver -- only to find that HP had only posted the documentation for the popular printer, and that the drivers were nowhere to be found. I wrote to an HP representative, but haven't heard back yet -- if I do, I'll let you know. Meanwhile, I'm going to do some research as to where to go when you've got an older device and need driver software. Stay tuned.11:38 AM # Review of a new photo printerSometimes, a digital photo alone is not enough -- you want to be able to give a copy away immediately. The Canon i80 is a really good choice when you need to take it with you -- it's lightweight, can run on battery power, and produces really nice snapshots. You can find a review of the i80 here.12:39 PM # |
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