Wireless technology has been around for a while now, and it should have been incorporated into more devices. Voice activation has been around for a long time, but it is not well supported. ..
Brother, a large printer manufacturer, as of this writing, does not have any Smart Home printers. ..
If This, Then Print
The advantage of using a Smart device is that it can be activated by voice commands. This means you don’t have to remember to turn on the device each time you want to use it. The disadvantage is that you need your phone with you when using the Smart device. This can be inconvenient if you’re not always available, or if you have to leave your house for work.
The article discusses how some smart devices, like those with Alexa and the other voice activated services, are not as smart as they seem.
The smart light bulb contains a wireless radio that can understand and execute IFTTT technology. In other words, the listening device hears: “If you hear Alexa, turn on the living room light (if this), then turn on the light (then that),” which is very simple, basic programming.
A wireless printer can be “smart” by understanding and executing IFTTT, which it already does in one way or another. For example, you can speak to the printer by using an app on your phone.
The Google Print command interprets and sends the IFTTT command, sometimes directly and sometimes over the internet. So, when you say, “Google, print my schedule,” all the printer does is respond to a Print command, followed by the data required to print the schedule; it doesn’t actually “hear” anything.
- HP
- Canon
- Lexmark
- Brother
- Samsung
Brother
Brother doesn’t offer voice activation technology on its low-end AIO inkjet printers, which are designed for the home, and on its laser printers, which range from entry-level to high-volume. ..
The company offers a Business Smart series of AIO devices, but that brand was named long before the advent of Smart Home technology. ..
Canon
Canon has announced that all of its consumer-grade inkjet printers will come with IFTTT support in the near future. This is a big change from the past, where printers only came with basic support.
The company makes a line of printers and AIOs, ranging from lower-end to midrange. Several of these are designed for small and home-based offices. ..
Canon is not yet releasing any information about whether they plan on adding IFTTT support to these machines, and the PR rep’s response to my inquiry was, “Sorry, you’ll have to wait and see.” This is not unusual for any company that keeps their new-product plans secret (they all do).
Epson
Epson has made a firmware update available for all its current and past Epson EcoTank, WorkForce and Expression models that support Epson Connect, which entails just about every machine the company has made over the past few years. This update includes new features like voice activation and Alexa support.
The company has only implemented Alexa support; however, there are solutions for Google Home and other voice activation services. Google, for example, provides help for creating your own IFTTT commands here. And you can find all the help you need and more at IFTTT.com.
Epson has not yet announced any plans to expand its support for Google Home and other smart home devices, but a spokesperson told me that they are “fully committed” to the technology.
HP
HP’s Tango AIO is a home-based office machine that comes with Alexa, Google Home, and IFTTT support. The downside is that it doesn’t come with a wrap to disguise the machine, so your home décor isn’t mucked up by a lowly printer.
If you have an HP printer, you can activate Alexa on other HP web-connected devices by using the unique email address that HP assigns to each of its printers and by enabling what HP calls the “HP Printer Skill.” ..
You can find instructions for setting up Alexa at this website. Google Home will work with other web-connected HP machines via the HP printer app and Google Cloud Print by following these instructions.
The Future of Smart
Printers
Many people today say that voice-activated printers are already pretty smart, without the need for a physical printer. I believe there is an advantage to printing documents without leaving your couch, but I also believe there is not much else you can do with a voice-activated printer other than print.
If you want to make copies of documents, you need to place them on the scanner platen or in the ADF. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of time and money.
Brother is likely to soon join the ranks of companies offering voice-activated machines. ..
Canon and Epson are both expected to release new products that support other services in the near future. It is likely that these products will include features for business-oriented printers. We will just have to wait and see what these products entail.
