Polaroid recently announced it will launch its PoGo portable photo printer later on this summer. First seen at CES 2008, the printer, whose name is short for Polaroid-on-the-go according to Polaroid, achieves its compact 4.7- by 2.8- by 0.9-inch size by not requiring any ink cartridges. Instead, it uses Zero Ink technology and ZINK Photo Paper as its medium.
The PoGo interfaces with cell phones via a Bluetooth link to print photos captured by the devices' integrated cameras, and via a FireWire-connected PictBridge interface with digital cameras. It's capable of outputting a full-color, 2- by 3-inch photo in under one minute. The ZINK 'paper' contains colorless cyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals that are activated by the heat emitted by the PoGo, making photos instantly ready. The setup evokes memories of Polaroid's original photos that took a few minutes to appear but didn't require a lengthy developing process.
The PoGo will be available for sale at Best Buy stores throughout the US starting on July 6, and at Target locations on July 20, priced at $149. Ten sheets of ZINK paper retails for nearly $4, with a 30-pack trading for $10.