Print from anywhere as HP launches the first Google Cloud Print printers

Google first outlined the idea of ‘Cloud Print’ back in November. The service would let you print from a browser anywhere – your phone, for example, to an assigned printer. There was one problem – you couldn’t actually buy a printer that supported it.

Today that’s changed as HP has announced a new range of printers that support Cloud Print out of the box.

Cloud Print is an important step to Google making Chrome OS and Android a better fit for enterprise deployment. As the company notes : “Imagine printing an important email from your Chrome notebook on your train ride to work, then finding the completed printout in the printer tray when you reach the office. Or printing your airline boarding pass from your smartphone to your home printer, so you can grab the printout on your way out the door.”

Chrome OS and the mobile versions of Gmail and Google Docs already support Cloud Print, so if you pick up one of HP’s new printers you can get going right away.

Further support is available in the form of a third-party Android app , Chrome extension and Firefox add-on , while the latest Windows and Mac beta versions of Chrome feature Cloud Print Connector to help non-Cloud Print printers use the service.

Google says that in the next few days it will enable printer sharing, letting multiple users print to the same printer.

Could this finally be the perfect iPad accessory?

If you’ve used an iPad then you know how frustrating it can be to find just the right way to hold it. Whether you’re laying in bed, kicking back on a couch or sitting at a desk, nothing seems to work exactly as it should. Many attempts have been made to create accessories to solve the problem, but none of them have looked quite as promising as the meglio .

Where meglio is different is in the fact that it has so many uses. With a single attachment, you can go from having your iPad sitting comfortably on a desk, to being held securely in your hand or hanging on your treadmill during your morning workout. What’s more? It’s cheap. With iPad accessories coming near the $100 mark on regular occasion, meglio’s $40 price tag is welcome.

Want to get involved, there’s a Kickstarter project going on for meglio right now, and it needs a boost. Help get it funded and you’ll be one of the first to get your very own meglio as soon as they’re produced.

Camtrol Prime: Is this camera platform worth $400?

If you have much experience shooting video by hand, you’re already familiar with the fact that getting shots from lower or higher vantage points can be a pain (literally). If you’ve not yet experienced this, then you’ll still want to read on to see whether the Camtrol Prime can make you a better videographer.

The Prime is the midrange product from Camtrol. It’s a multiple-configuration shooting platform for just about any consumer-class camera that you can find, and it’s priced to match its name — $400.

Opening the box, you’ll see the Prime, plus a slight bit of documentation and an urging to download the user guide from the Camtrol site. Trust me, you’ll want to do this. It’s time well spent. Our demo version also included an articulating arm that is meant to be mounted to the main shelf of the Camtrol, allowing more precise control for smaller video or point-and-shoot cameras.

So is it worth the cash? At first I compared it to a Gorillapod, but I was quickly shown that this isn’t some basic $50 device. The Camtrol is meant for true prosumer level work, or for those of us who at least want to look like it. It’s heavy, sturdy and work like a dream.

At this point, I still can’t say that I could drop the $400 price tag to own one. It’s going to take a bit of time, and I want to see the results that I’m able to create with it. Stick around. This isn’t the last you’ll hear about the Camtrol Prime.