Printing and mobility generally go together like England and success in World Cups, but some results are being achieved through old-fashioned email.
I was impressed that the Los Angeles hotel I stayed at this month would automatically print anything I emailed it from my laptop. Now, Pogoplug owners will have a similar solution if they own HP or Epson printers.
The Pogoplug networking device and software allows users to plug storage devices into its USB connections and give themselves, friends and co-workers easy access to their files over the internet.
Later this summer, a firmware upgrade will allow printers plugged into the same USB ports to print attachments emailed to the Pogoplug.
This means owners of smartphones and laptops will not need to go through the pain and troubleshooting of installing special printer drivers or setting up network connections to use printers.
Cloud Engines, the maker of Pogoplug, says this will work for HP and Epson printers dating back to 2005 – appealing to existing printer owners and getting in ahead of new ePrint models from HP that will have their own email addresses and perform the same function.
HP is also following Lexmark’s lead in turning its latest printers into platforms for apps and cloud services.
Last week, Lexmark gave a new meaning to printing and mobility, adding Tripit to its offerings. This widget allows users of the travel planner to print their itineraries through the printer’s touchscreen interface, rather than having to boot up their computer to do so.
