Print Files on Your Printer from Any Phone or Remote Computer via Dropbox

Cloud Printing

The above link shows a video which demonstrates the script in action, but the four-step setup is pretty simple. The short version: 1) Install Dropbox on the computer connected to your printer, 2) make sure Dropbox is also installed on the device you want to print from (or set up an email-to-Dropbox service like previously mentioned Habilis), 3) run the VBS script on the printer-connected computer (available at Digital Inspiration) to create and monitor a PrintQueue folder in your Dropbox folder, and 4) send any file you want printed to the PrintQueue folder.

Facebook's Rolling Out High-Resolution Photo Sharing

As big fans of photo-sharing site Flickr, one of the most frustrating things about the popularity of photo sharing on social-networking site Facebook has always been the relatively terrible quality of Facebook's highly compressed photos. Starting today, that's changing.
Over the next few weeks, Facebook will be rolling out support for high-res pictures for free to every user:

"We're increasing the size of the photos stored from 720 pixels to 2048 pixels on the largest edge, for an 8 times increase overall. I'm really excited to be launching this feature. To see the quality of these pictures, you can view National Geographic's "Top-Rated Your Shot Photos (September)" album or Sports Illustrated's "Football Across America" album. Download high-resolution photos by clicking the "Download" link."

They're also updating their photo viewer with a new lightbox interface (think Flickr's new galleries—dark background with the image popping out in the forefront). Chances are you're not seeing any of the updates in your account yet, but the rollout starts today, so if you aren't, you can expect it in the near future.

More Beautiful Photos [Facebook Blog]

Five Things Apple iPad 2 Needs to Keep Its Edge

If Apple had any doubt when it launched the iPad, it seems clear by this point that competition in the tablet arena will be fierce. Apple will not enjoy the same two year head start it had in smartphones with the iPhone, as upcoming tablets are already raising the bar on the standard set by the iPad.

I don't expect that Apple is necessarily watching what competing tablets are doing and altering its development efforts based on that. For one thing, I assume that Apple already had a vision for the iPad 2 when it launched the original iPad and that development on the next-generation tablet has been chugging along since then. Besides, Apple strikes me as too confident--or arrogant--to consider rival tablets a threat or change its strategy based on what competitors are doing.
That said, competing tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the BlackBerry PlayBook have the kinds of features that many had hoped would be in the original iPad, and will offer formidable competition for the iPad once they hit the street. In order for the iPad 2 to maintain its edge, or even just remain relevant, here are some key elements it should have.

1. Camera(s). Arguably the most anticipated non-feature of the original iPad was a camera...or two. Not that tablet users want to replace their Nikon DSLR, or even their Sony pocket point-and-shoot with an iPad, but cameras have a variety of useful functions for the tablet. Cameras are a de facto feature of other tablets--both front and rear facing, so Apple needs to add them just to keep up.
2. FaceTime. Video chat is perhaps finally maturing into what it was expected to be 15 years ago. The main problem with video chat now is that there is no standard. One person may use Skype, while the next is using Windows Live Messenger, and another is connected to Google video chat. FaceTime is already present on iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4 devices, and Apple has set it up as an open standard so that other platforms might use it as well. Adding the millions of iPads to the FaceTime family is an imperative.
3. Processor. ARM recently announced that it has developed a 2.5GHz quad core processor. That isn't expected to be available in mobile devices until 2012, but it definitely signals that single core is yesterday's technology. The BlackBerry PlayBook uses a dual-core processor, and Apple should at least match the processing horsepower of the RIM tablet.
4. Memory. The iPad seems to function quite well on its 256Mb of RAM, but even the iPhone 4 has 512Mb. The iPad has quickly been eclipsed by competing devices with the Galaxy Tab having 512Mb or RAM, and the BlackBerry Playbook raising the bar to 1Gb. Again, Apple's goal should be to set the bar and keep its edge, but it essentially needs to have 1Gb of RAM at this point just to keep up.
5. Weight. With a 9.7-inch display and weighing in at a pound and a half, the iPad is a behemoth compared with the svelte 7-inch competitors coming to market. There are rumors of a possible 7-inch iPad, but hopefully that will be in addition to--rather than in place of--the larger model. Competing tablets use plastic casing rather than metal to shave weight. I don't think Apple should sacrifice construction quality, but it would be nice to shave off a few ounces and come in around a pound.
Those are the must-haves just for the iPad to keep up with where the bar has been set by tablet competitors. Since the pricing details of rival tablets are not yet known, these elements alone might be enough for the iPad to maintain an edge among consumers.
As for the business arena, though, Apple needs to be watching RIM, or maybe even Cisco. While the iPad is very useful as a mobile business computing tool, it's still a little like fitting a square peg into the round hole. RIM has the backend infrastructure for IT admins to manage and protect BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook tablets, and functions like being able to tether the tablet as a larger display for the smartphone are innovative and useful.
Apple managed to use its leverage as a consumer smartphone to infiltrate the business market with the iPhone, but with tablets it may be the platform that wins the business battle that eventually becomes the default consumer tablet similar to PCs. Users are not going to spend money to buy an iPad if their employer has already given them a PlayBook.

AOL Buys TechCrunch: Will The Scandals Continue?

The technology industry is still reeling from news that AOL purchased TechCrunch, the popular blog focused on technology start-ups, for a reported $25 million to $40 million. TechCrunch will join gadget blog Engadget in AOL's stable of technology-focused sites. Once a major provider of dial-up Internet service, AOL has focused in recent years on its Web content business, enhancing its offerings for news, maps, online games, and streaming television episodes connected through its main portal, AOL.com.

Many are wondering what will become of TechCrunch and its controversial founder, Michael Arrington, now that AOL is in charge. Will TechCrunch continue to make news with rabble rousing stories such as the recent charge that angel investors were engaged in price fixing; Scamville, a critical look at the advertising practices of social gaming companies; the Twitter hacked documents scandal; and the ongoing CrunchPad saga?

 
Here's what people are saying about AOL's purchase of TechCrunch.
No Muzzle
TechCrunch will maintain its editorial independence, according to AOL's statement announcing the sale. That's an easy declaration to make now, but what happens the next time TechCrunch unearths a potentially scandalous story and runs with it based on one or two sources? "Arrington becomes a part of the story when he publicly jousts with PR folks as well as executives, which may become a liability for AOL, a large, publicly traded company," AdAge points out.

Not going anywhere

Before the sale was announced, Arrington had forwarded on several occasions the idea of selling TechCrunch and getting out of the tech blogging business altogether. In January 2009, Arrington took a leave of absence after being spat on at a conference in Germany. As recently as June, the blog TechFlash reported that Arrington said he was ready to sell. Despite previous statements about being burnt out and exhausted, Arrington now says he's going to stick around for a "very, very long time."

Vengeance Shall Be Mine

Not everyone was happy for Arrington and the TechCrunch team when news of the sale broke. Jason Calacanis, founder of Mahalo, and Arrington's former business partner for the annual TechCrunch 50 conference let his feelings known via Twitter. "It is now complete: @arrington stole @techcrunch50 from me, sold to AOL & laughed in my face. I will have my revenge," Calacanis said.

Arrington announced in May that he and Calacanis had parted ways, and that the TechCrunch 50 would be replaced by the Disrupt series. At the time, Calacanis said there were "no hard feelings" over the break up, according to the LA Times. Apparently, Calacanis has had a change of heart since then.

TechCrunch may have a new owner, but it looks like revenge, scandal and Michael Arrington will remain a part of the tech blog, at least for the near future.

How to Get Cheap or Free In-Flight Wi-Fi

Want to stay connected above 10,000 feet but don't want to pay the premium? Here's how to get in-flight Wi-Fi at a discount or even completely free.
Home and technology blog Unplggd offers a few tips on grabbing in-flight Wi-Fi on the cheap. The obvious suggestions are Googling coupon codes (or checking RetailMeNot) and buying in packages (you can cut out up to 35% this way), but it turns out you can grab a free Wi-Fi pass pretty easily through promotions. If you're renting a car, booking a travel package, or just getting a parking spot near the airport, there are often promotions to get a free in-flight Wi-Fi pass. Just call and ask.
Here's a bonus, semi-evil tip for getting a discount without any codes: identify your laptop's browser user agent as a mobile phone (Firefox/Chrome). When you fly, Wi-Fi for mobile phones is usually a few dollars cheaper than it is for bigger devices like a laptop or even a tablet. If you identify your web browser as a mobile phone when you sign up, you'll pay the lower price. Once the sign up is complete, you can switch back and browse normally.

FaceNow Initiates FaceTime Calls Without the Hassle or the Phone Call

iOS: Much like the FaceTime app on the iPod touch, FaceNow's purpose is to make it easier and faster to make FaceTime video calls from your iPhone without the hassle of menu navigation or making a real, voice call first.
FaceNow is a very simple app. You open it up, add a contact from your address book, and you're ready to go. When you want to make a FaceTime video call, just click their name and the app will bypass all the usual steps and take you straight to the video connection.
FaceNow is available right now and is completely free.

FaceNow [iTunes App Store]

The Early Apple TV Reviews Are In

The new Apple TV is small — hockey-puck small. That's impressive, but we all know size doesn't matter, whereas speed does. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it connected to the iTunes library on my desktop computer. The Apple TV does this noticeably faster than its ancestor using a 'home sharing' option, which connects with any iTunes account in your household — Mac or PC.
The biggest new thing about the Apple TV is the feature my mom will like the most: If you're a Netflix subscriber you can watch movies instantly on it. Every web-enabled TV component can do that these days, including game consoles like the Xbox 360 and Sony PS3 and dedicated boxes from Roku and Boxee, so it's an expected feature. But on the new Apple TV it's fast, easy to set up, and easier for consumers like my mom to appreciate.
[...]
The new Apple TV is very promising, but it won't amount to hill of beans if Apple markets it the same way they did the last one — basically not at all. Apple can jokingly call it a 'hobby,' but if the company wants it to be a successful hobby they need to educate consumers the same way they did with the iPad.

Pros:
Compact design. Intuitive user interface. Streams video, music, and photos from your computer, iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. 99-cent TV-show rentals. Streams Netflix Watch Instantly content, YouTube, and content from iOS devices to Apple TV.
Cons:
No hard drive. Can't purchase content-streaming only. Can't rent a show on Apple TV and watch it on other devices or your computer. Limited rental content available. Connects via HDMI-not compatible with older televisions without purchasing adapter. Doesn't ship with an HDMI cable.
Bottom Line:
A lower price, a more compact design, and the ability to stream content from iOS devices and rent 99-cent TV shows makes Apple's latest Apple TV set-top box an excellent option for iTunes and Netflix users.