SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO: Remember the Open Printer, the fully open-source inkjet printer with DRM-free ink and no subscriptions that was announced last year? A working prototype has now appeared. And while we still don't know details such as pricing or a release date, it's supposedly "coming soon."
It's been many years since printing from a PC involved little more than buying a printer and some ink, then purchasing extra cartridges when needed. Today, the industry is filled with DRM-locked ink cartridges, subscriptions, and other unsavory tactics.
That's why the open-source Open Printer received so much attention when it was announced late last year. Designed by Paris-based firm Open Tools, the printer's electronics, mechanical design files, firmware code, and bill of materials are licensed under Creative Commons, allowing anyone to provide custom enhancements or replacement parts. It doesn't allow people to build and sell the printer, though.
That repairability, combined with the lack of DRM chips and subscriptions, makes the Open Printer an enticing prospect.
Now, Open Tools has released a short video of the printer in action, along with the promise that it's coming soon.
