Having a printer that can accept documents from a smartphone or tablet is great, but unfortunately, there are still a lot of legacy printers out there that can't print without wires. That's the problem that ImageTech is aiming to solve with its printWiFi and printUSB devices.
Android and iOS mobile devices are not able to install printer drivers, nor are they able to physically connect to most printers via wires, which means that printing while on the go can be impossible. The two devices from ImageTech give users to the ability to connect to all kinds of printers.
The first device, called printWiFi, allows multiple devices to connect to a printer without wires. The device itself connects to the printer via its USB port, and from there, the smartphone or tablet is able to connect to the printWiFi through the custom printView app.
With the printUSB, only one device can connect at a time. Like printWiFi, the device connects to the printer with a USB cable. The difference comes from the fact that the mobile device also connects to the printUSB with a wire.
One of the main-use cases here would be anyone who does a lot of traveling, such as a salesperson. printUSB and printWiFi are portable, which will allow users to carry it with them to sales calls and hook it up to all kinds of office printers. Of course, the problem could come from the fact that users will need to go behind printers to get access to the USB port, and some offices may not be a fan of that, but as long as permission is granted, that shouldn't be too much of an issue.
As far as the portability of the devices is concerned, each is 4 inches (10.2 cm) long, 2.2 inches (5.6 cm) wide, and .85 inches (2.2 cm) deep. They weigh just about a half a pound (227 g). This should make it easy enough to carry around, allowing users to print in places where they typically wouldn't.
ImageTech is seeking funding on Kickstarter for its printWiFi and printUSB devices. It's seeking US$10,000, and it's rapidly approaching that goal while still very early in its funding period. The minimum pledge required to pre-order a printUSB is $69 while the early specials last. From there, the price jumps to $79. For printWiFi, the minimum pledge is $99 with the first tier of specials, then it jumps to $129 for tier 2, and finally to $149. The team plans to deliver devices to backers in February 2015.
The Kickstarter pitch video below provides more information on printWiFi and printUSB.
Sources: ImageTech, Kickstarter
