VALHALLA, N.Y.-Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. released a new portable printer the company said is designed specifically for camera-phone users to print out their phone images. The company said its new MP-70 portable printer will be available commercially this summer, and will work with camera phones from the likes of Nokia Corp., Siemens AG and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P..
“The digital camera market exploded before the infrastructure to provide simple, quick prints was ready,” said Bill Drysdale, vice president of marketing for Fujifilm’s Digital Devices Division. “We’re taking steps to make sure that when the next generation of high-resolution camera phones reach mass market levels, the industry is already there.”
The company said the printer will create a credit card-sized photo from an infrared-enabled camera phone in about 20 seconds.
Camera-phone printing has garnered a significant amount of interest. Already printing companies HP, Epson and Canon have formed the Mobile Imaging and Printing Consortium, which is developing specifications for camera-phone users to print out pictures. Other companies such as Intermec Technologies Corp. and Symbol Technologies Inc. have designed portable printers that utility workers can use to print out parking tickets, receipts and other items. Wi-Fi companies are also on board selling home-networking adapters that can replace the wires between computers and printers.
