E-Mail -- Without Internet Or PC
Hammacher Schlemmer is selling a $149.95 printer-and-service combination that prints e-mail -- without the user needing a PC or Internet connection. The printer itself is an HP color inject that connects to a standard phone line. The printer calls a toll-free number once per day, and downloads and prints any messages sent to a dedicated e-mail address. Picture attachments are printed on their own sheets of paper. The subscription service costs $9.99 per month. It's the perfect thing for that NEO-LUDDITE in your life who hates computers, but wants to stay in the loop.
2:18 PM * PERMALINK * 3 comments
Comments:
While it may seem like a good idea at first, I can see the device becoming both an annoyance and fountain of waste paper once the address starts getting hit with spam. Something that is bound to happen eventually to any email address (especially if spammers know that there is a near 100% chance of someone reading an email sent to whatever domain the device uses). Spam filtering seems like it would be out of the question too, since the target demographic of non-computer owners would have no way to check their spam folder for messages incorrectly marked as spam. Maybe if there was a display on the device for previewing messages before printing it would be more useful, but judging from the pictures it does not.
I can see it now... some well intended christmas gift to grandma becomes a instant porno producer.
You can have the service provider set it up so it will only print email from certain addresses. It will filter out the spam that way.
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