Since the digital era is in full swing, there’s hardly any need for paper in our daily lives. Every passing day and every other gadget pushes us more towards a paperless system that’s not only more efficient in terms of management and storage, but also more environment friendly. However, time and again, we come across the need for hard copies of various items – from receipts to memoirs and whatnot. Since printers have virtually become a dime a dozen these days, it’s not really a challenge anymore, either, but what about on-the-go printing? What if you want to keep on paper whatever you have on your iPhone’s screen? That’s precisely what Rolto aims to do.
Rolto is a niche, novelty gadget that basically lets users print an exact replica of whatever is on their iPhone’s screen to its thermal paper, using a Wi-Fi driven wireless connection. The printer itself is small enough to be carried around with you, and will probably come in handy the most when you want to keep a record of online receipts, redeem digital coupons in actual stores, follow recipes without getting your device to the kitchen, or share maps and directions with friends on the go.
The flip side to the whole deal, however, is the fact that Rolto costs a rather hefty $160 (even more at some other sources), and hence, might put its usefulness in question.
The printer, which is a Japanese product, by the way, can be ordered online with worldwide shipping options. It comes with black & white printing options only, and has support for iPhone 4 and above. The interface is in Japanese, however, which can be a little unsettling. Nevertheless, graphic icons make operation for non-native language users easy as well.
The printer is easily pocketable (at least in a jacket or a coat) and weighs only 150g.
While the concept behind Rolto is really interesting, its Achilles’ heel is the pricing. With wireless printing being common and the printer costs going down by the day, it begs the question of how much on-the-move printing do you actually need to opt for Rolto? Do you find it absolutely necessary to print whatever’s on your phone’s screen on the go, right there and then? If not, then probably you’re better off saving on these $160.
(via: Gizmodo)
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