Google has unveiled their Google Cloud Print that will enable you to print to ANY printer that is connected to the internet from ANY computer.
Our goal is to build a printing experience that enables any app (web, desktop, or mobile) on any device to print to any printer anywhere in the world.
According to Google, the cloud print will work with all printers, including those that are not themselves connected to the internet (referred to as “legacy printers”). You will no longer need a local computer and printer drivers to print!
The Google Cloud Print is exciting news for the mobile real estate professional.
Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.
There are obvious security concerns with the Print Cloud. Google already controls vast amounts of data through Gmail, Google Voice, and their search engine. Their cloud print would mean they would control even more data as all of the printed documents pass through their cloud. There would also have to be some control over user permissions. You would not want anyone to to be able to print to your printer.
Let’s forget the security concerns for a minute. The Google Cloud Print means that you could pick up your smartphone, laptop, or iPad, or any computer and print a document no matter where you were. Not to mention printer drivers are a pain, especially when you upgrade your computer or operating system. You might not have to every worry about printer drivers again.
There are numerous real world scenarios where the Cloud Print is useful: A real estate appraiser needing to print a document for a homeowner could use his/her smartphone and print the document while they were at the homeowner’s house. Maybe you are sitting in Starbucks checking your email and realize you need to print something. You can see there is an available printer at Kinko’s next door, print the document, walk next door and pick it up.
The possibilities go far beyond just printing from your smartphone. With Google Cloud Print (or something similar) you might be able to print from any device. You might want to print a coupon that is on your TV, you could print the diagnostics test results from your car to your home printer, or even print photos directly from your digital camera without the need to hook it up to a computer.
While you might be moving towards a paperless office, there will always to be need to print and the Google Print Cloud appears to be a good solution, especially for mobile devices.
Bottom line: enabling any app to print to any printer is very exciting.
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Bryan,
This is great. I can think of many times this would have been handy. Thanks for letting us know about it.
Interesting stuff (as always). I appreciate all the tech stuff I learn here Bryan.
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