This just into PCWorld/Macworld Labs: the new HP TopShot LaserJet Pro M275, which is a color laser multi-function printer with what I call a scanner-on-a-stick. It’s a camera on an elevated arm that takes six different shots of a three-dimensional item (apple, soda can, whatever) and creates a 3D-like image, either as a copy or as an electronic image file.
It looks like a small color laser printer with a white tray on top. The scanner-on-a-stick can nest flat on top of the platen or raise up on a hinge for use.
We tried 3D scanning with an accommodating pear to give you a quick peek.
Just your average pear.
Here’s the HP TopShot LaserJet Pro M275 with the pear placed on the platen.
If I were a betting geek, I'd guess the one on the left is legit.
We made a 3D copy of the pear, and here’s the pear and the copy. Can you tell the difference?
Stay tuned for a more detailed first look at this item, as well as our full review.
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The small-office-oriented Canon ImageClass MF8080Cw color laser multifunction printer looks expensive, but it’s available for just $450 (as of November 9, 2011). After a couple of hours of enduring its lack of automatic duplexing, sluggish speed, and other drawbacks, however, you'll understand why it's so inexpensive. And your first trip to the store for consumables will provide another moment of realization: The MF8080Cw's toner is hardly bargain-priced.
At $600 (as of November 9, 2011), the Canon ImageClass MF8380Cdw costs $150 more than its cousin, the ImageClass MF8080Cw, but is an infinitely better product. It's faster, it costs less to operate, and it produces better output. It also offers automatic duplexing to save on paper costs, and it's set to duplex by default--a first in my book, and major green kudos to Canon for that. On top of everything else, it's a very competitive workgroup color laser multifunction printer (copy/print/scan/fax) in its price range.
Carol BartzThe latest rumors suggest Google may help finance a possible deal by others to acquire Yahoo. Other players who may be looking to buy Yahoo include the Chinese Internet company Alibaba Group and unsuccessful previous suitor Microsoft. 
According to The Associated Press, companies looking to acquire Yahoo include Alibaba, of which Yahoo owns a 43 percent stake, as well as Microsoft, which offered to buy Yahoo for $47.5 billion in 2008 before withdrawing the bid. 
Some have also seen potential in meshing Yahoo’s media assets with other online media companies, such as AOL, although when asked about it last week Ross Levinsohn, Yahoo's executive vice president for the Americas, would not comment. He did, however, talk at length about the massive reach the company has through its websites and advertising platforms, emphasizing in particular the company's focus on professionally produced video content. 
[Photo: Joong Han Lee]3D printing is fun and all, but it’s just so impersonal when you let the computer do all the work. Joong Han Lee, a masters student at the Design Academy Eindhoven, wants to change this and bring a level of craftsmanship to 3D printing, and his creation does so in a very unique way.
Canon's Pixma MG6120 is a color inkjet all-in-one printer that packs in a lot of features for the price: USB, ethernet, and Wi-Fi connectivity; automatic duplexing; memory card slots; slots for USB thumb drives and PictBridge device, and more. Back in April we gave the Pixma MG6120 four of five stars for its stylish design, feature set, and very good print quality. Abe's of Maine has the Pixma MG6120 for only $139, and shipping is free. 
[Photo: Bård S D]There have been all kinds of guitars made in a zillion different ways, but the “Zoybar Tor” is a guitar with unique roots: Designed by Bård S D with open source design software Blender and a 3D printer. The result is a badass fretless guitar that sounds awesome. Skeptical? Check out this clip on Vimeo, and you can see it’s the real deal. 
Brother's new $150 (as of September 27, 2011) MFC-J825DW color inkjet multifunction printer (print/scan/copy/fax) is a budget-friendly choice for your small or home office, enhanced by a few higher-end features--namely, CD/DVD printing and some Web connectivity. A two-year warranty sweetens the deal.
Looking to print a few flyers for your garage sale this weekend, or maybe print a few things for your upcoming Halloween party?
According to our printer experts, "The Epson Stylus NX625 color inkjet multifunction ... brings no-nonsense design, speed, and generally good output to your home office." (Read our review for details.) This Wi-Fi all-in-one printer was only $150 when it launched about a year ago, which made it a great deal. For a limited time, though, B&H has a fantastic deal on the Stylus NX625: It's only $80, with free shipping.
Samsung's CLP-775ND color laser printer has power to spare for a busy workgroup, at a midrange price of $750 (as of September 21, 2011). It breaks no new ground in output quality--photos are a challenge for it, as they are for most color lasers; but aside from that, it's a printer well worth considering.
Brother's MFC-9970CDW is a top-notch color laser all-in-one that prints, scans, copies, and faxes--and it uses inexpensive toner. When we reviewed the MFC-9970CDW a few months ago it was selling for $700, and that price has held. You can get it for only $520 at OfficeMax, though, if you use coupon code CART20 at checkout.
Brother's HL-2270DW monochrome laser printer connects via Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet. When we reviewed the HL-2270DW in August, we remarked on its low price of $150. Right now, though, you can get this laser printer for only $90 at Buy.com--and shipping is free.
Photo: Joshua HarkerThe power of 3D printing has brouhgt many great projects to life--just look at the delicious chocolate printer, or perhaps the machine capable of printing out blood vessels. 3D printing is even becoming useful in the arts, as the quirky Crania Anatomica Filigre project by Joshua Harker proves.
[Photo: Luke Jerram]It’s been almost eight months since the massive 9.0 Tohoku earthquake hit Japan, leaving devastation in its wake. In an attempt to extract art and beauty out of that terrible event, British artist Luke Jerram has created a 3D-printed sculpture of the seismogram (the read-out from a seismometer) from that earthquake. 
3D printer printing bone-scaffold material. [Photo: Washington State University]Need a new femur? How about a new cranium? Thanks to a new 3D-printing technology, getting yourself a new bone may not be too far off. 
[Photo: Brook Drumm]There are a host of 3D printers out there, but none are as simple and inexpensive as the Printrbot created by Brook Drumm. It’s still in Kickstarter mode, but as of this writing,( the Printbot has already met the pledge goal. So we’re going to be seeing some of these in the future, and I know I already want to get my hands on one. 
If you're a fan of futuristic controls, you'll love the handsome Canon Pixma MG6220 color inkjet multifunction (print/scan/copy). The controls and LCD screen are embedded into the scanner lid, and you'll feel like you're operating the transporter in Star Trek the first time you use them. Beyond that, the Pixma MG6220 serves up high-quality printouts and decent scans, and it's fast for an inkjet MFP. However, you pay a lot for this model's good looks ($200 as of September 22, 2011), and its ink costs are a tad high as well.
In our annual Reliability and Service survey, where we ask PCWorld readers to assess their experience with the tech products and tech support they've used in the previous year, Canon always earns high ratings for customer service in its product categories (specifically, printers and cameras, though last year we couldn't rate the company's camera service and support because we received too few responses on those measures). After reading some of the glowing praise that Canon customers have volunteered on behalf of the company's help system, I was curious to see the place that handles its tech support.
The facility itself reflects Canon's emphasis on positive, professional customer service. One of the first things you notice when you enter is how open, spacious, and tidy the work environment feels. The workstations have very short dividers, enabling everyone to see everyone else. The walls around the outside of the center are composed of glass, so there's a lot of natural light and you can see outside.
He says that he likes to interview candidates multiple times on different days to find out what they're like on a day-to-day basis. This eliminates the chance of talking to a candidate on a particularly "up" day, and then seeing a different sort of person after the hiring.
A year ago Canon hired a full-time wellness consultant to help support reps stay healthy and balanced. Yoga courses are taught on site in the evenings, and a smoking cessation program is underway--as is a "biggest loser"-style weight loss challenge.
The customer service reps have two monitors at their desks. One usually displays the PeopleSoft customer relationship management (CRM) system, which Canon uses to store detailed information about the customer's product and support history. The other screen displays the Canon Knowledge Base, a large Web-based repository of information about all Canon products now being used in the wild. The data stored may include how-to's, step-by-step fixes, and detailed product schematics.
Sometimes the customer can be more difficult than the problem in need of resolution, particularly when the rep's answers aren't what a customer wants to hear. This may happen, for example, when the problem rests with the customer's PC operating system or the wireless router, rather than with the printer.
I've heard a lot of companies brag about how wonderful their support is, but Canon's U.S. support operation has backed up its claims in past years with strong performance in our survey results. We've just completed our 2011 Reliability and Service survey--and when we tally up the numbers, I'll be very surprised if Canon didn't perform well again this year.
