8 ways smartwatches will knock your socks off

 Enter this Best Buy 20% OFF Coupon Code  during checkout to get 20% 50%  Promo Code Off  for activity trackers & pedometers. Check Best Buy 20% OFF Promo Code now! Don't forget to use Best Buy Coupons 20% OFF 2016.

There are all sorts of the cool things you can do right from your wrist, thanks to advancements in Android Wear™.

When it comes to smartwatches, new features—including Android Wear’s intuitive operating system—mean there’s a ton of cutting-edge things to try out.

Sleek, stylish and doggone handy, here are eight reasons why a wrist near you might enjoy wearing a smartwatch:

1. Get directions

With the car packed and your crew buckled up, get turn-by-turn directions (as long as your phone is in the car with you).

How it works: Just say “OK Google, navigate to” and state your destination. Turn-by-turn navigation such as “turn right on Washington Street in 50 feet” will appear.

2. Connect to your phone from afar

You can connect your phone to any of the smartwatches with the latest version of Android Wear, even when they’re miles apart. If your smartwatch is connected to Wi-Fi while your phone is connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network, you can send messages and access email on your smartwatch.

How it works: Make sure your Wi-Fi password is already loaded on the smartwatch. If you’re going to a new place and a Wi-Fi password is needed, your phone must be present to key in the password (but only once). To connect your compatible smartwatch to Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi must be set to automatic in its Wi-Fi settings. You also need to make sure Android Wear cloud sync is on. On your phone, open Android Wear, touch the settings icon, touch cloud sync, and move the switch to the on position.

3. Use voice search

Ask a question or text a friend hands-free, all while buying movie tickets or waiting in the checkout line.

How it works: To activate voice search, just say “OK Google,” which tells your smartwatch to start listening. Ask anything, such as “Will it rain tomorrow?” You can even set reminders, such as “Remind me to call Jill at noon.” Need to text a friend you’re running late? Just speak into the smartwatch, and what you say will be converted into a text that you can send. You can also start an app simply by saying “OK Google, open,” and then the name of the app.

4. Send “hand drawn” emojis to your pals

You can reply to your friends using Facebook Messenger, “canned responses” or texts by sending emojis.

How it works: Simply draw them with your finger on your smartwatch screen. Suppose a friend texts: “drinks or a bike ride after dinner?” Just swipe your smartwatch until you see “reply,” then select “draw emoji.” When you start to sketch a cocktail glass, for example, the smartwatch recognizes it and gives you a list of emojis to choose from. Just select the one you want to send and, voila.

5. Stay informed

Get alerts about breaking news and weather, great for helping make sure your travel plans don’t hit any unexpected roadblocks.

How it works: With Google Now cards, your information is automatically organized into simple cards that appear when needed. Just sign in and adjust the settings to determine what info you want and when without having to search for it. Google Now will also give you info you didn’t realize you needed, such as “leave now for your 10 a.m. meeting,” while factoring in traffic, weather and location. View the list of cards now available.

6. Play music, shop, book a flight and more

Customize your smartwatch with thousands of Android Wear apps that let you do everything from making an airline reservation to changing your font size for a more stylish look.

How it works: Visit the Google Play™ store, then download apps to your smartwatch. There’s one that lets you shop on Amazon. Another lets you use Pinterest (the app will alert you if you’re near a place you’ve pinned). You can even track your steps or distance traveled. Use your smartwatch as a remote to play music on your phone or you can download music to your smartwatch and listen to it through a Bluetooth® speaker or headset.

7. Respond to messages on the fly

Access emails and messages and reply to them right from your smartwatch.

How it works: Digging for your phone to thumb out a reply can take more time than you have—and often isn’t necessary. Ping them with a pithy response from your wrist by using your voice, a canned response or a few emojis.

8. Dress it smartly with different watchbands

Bring a sense of personal style to your smartwatch by swapping out the band with one that better suits your tastes.

5 ways technology is revolutionizing the way we shop

Enter this Best Buy 20% OFF Coupon Code  during checkout to get 20% 50%  Promo Code Off  for activity trackers & pedometers. Check Best Buy Promo Code  10% OFF now!

No matter how easy it has become to shop online, sometimes you just want to visit an actual store. Why? Because the in-store experience matters. And it is improving all the time, thanks to technology.

Once you enter a store, advanced technology may be at work in ways most shoppers might not even realize — through devices that tell retailers when your favorite items are running low and with apps that help you navigate the floor plan. Here are just a few of the cool technological advances starting to happen in brick-and-mortar stores today.

1. Beacons

Once used primarily to alert customers to discounts and coupons, beacons — which communicate with your smartphone using Bluetooth — are starting to transform the shopping experience.

Consider a customer who walks into a retail store in search of one item. If a customer has never been in that store before, he or she might wander aimlessly down the aisles, get frustrated, and leave without buying anything. With beacon technology, shoppers can download the retailer's app, opt into beacons, and then easily learn where that item is, as beacons broadcast signals to their mobile device.

"When brands stop marketing to customers in a general way and start treating them as individuals with specific preferences," explains Maya Mikhailov, chief marketing officer and cofounder of the mobile commerce platform GPShopper, "that personalization will make customers more loyal to brands."

In the future, beacons will be able to enhance the experience of loyal customers by, for example, notifying sales associates the moment you walk into your favorite store. "Say a shopper always goes to a store on Wednesdays, but today they go on a Thursday and their favorite sales associate is out," Mikhailov says. "A Bluetooth peer-to-peer experience might allow them to share their shopping list with a sales associate in real time, and now that sales associate can give informed suggestions." 

2. Smart shelvesiStock

Have you ever picked up an item you thought was on sale, only to get to the register and find out the sale ended yesterday and no one updated the price? Or you head to the store only to realize the shampoo you need is out of stock ... again.

Relying on humans to update pricing or restock items ends up being costly and time-consuming for businesses. In fact, Harvard Business Review found that out-of-stock shelves cost retailers 4% of their annual revenue. That's why major retailers like Whole Foods, Walgreens, and Lowe's have turned to smart-shelf technology to monitor inventory in real time.

With smart shelves, retailers and manufacturers can scan the content of a shelf using embedded sensors and alert store employees when inventory is running low or when a theft has been detected. Retailers can also change prices of products in real time, ensuring accurate pricing for customers and saving time for associates who were once required to monitor those shelves.

Some manufacturers are also hoping to use smart-shelf technology to increase sales of their products by automatically sending shipments to stores when products are running low. Consumers would never have to worry about their favorite products being temporarily out of stock, making it a win-win for customers and retailers.

3. Virtual reality

Many brick-and-mortar stores have begun incorporating virtual reality into their in-store experience. For example, certain Lowe's locations let customers see 3D renderings of future bathroom renovations before they buy anything. Customers can meet with a trained sales representative to pick which items they want to upgrade (such as faucets, a toilet, or a tub). Once they've decided what they want, they step into a 30-by-20 room to see, using a tablet and 3D technology, how those products would look in their bathroom.

Another way retailers are meshing the digital world with the physical world is through experiences such as virtual changing rooms. In Japan, Toshiba developed a way for customers to virtually try on clothes using a digital changing booth. Shoppers simply stand in front of a 3D camera to get their bodies scanned and measured, and the measurements are uploaded to their phone. From there, customers can mix and match outfits, both in the store and from the comfort of their home, to decide which pairings look best with their measurements in mind. They can then go on to purchase items that are guaranteed to fit.

4. Retail appsiStock

These days, there are plenty of perks to using a retailer's app that go beyond scoping out new products. For starters, consumers can track inventory at their favorite stores with a click of a button. If a store runs out of your shoe size, you can easily search a nearby location to see whether the shoes are in stock using the retailer's app. Another benefit of having a retailer's app is being able to leave your wallet at home.

Customers at chains like Starbucks and Subway can use their apps to pay for purchases and receive special discounts and promotions. National retailers such as Walmart allow consumers to ditch newspaper inserts and instead check weekly deals and pricing from within the store's app. Customers can also see how much they saved by buying specific items at Walmart compared with the store's competitors.

5. Social showrooming

A recent trend with mass retailers is social showrooming. Stores such as Nordstrom have found a great way to integrate social media into their brick-and-mortar locations. The department store encourages followers on social media to pin their favorite Nordstrom items on Pinterest, and the retailer then highlights the most popular picks in fun and interactive displays within the store.

Customers can find popular pinned shoes and handbags throughout the store with a prominent Pinterest tag attached. In addition, Nordstrom created an in-store app that helps sales associates see the most popular items on Pinterest in real time so they can swap out inventory based on demand.

Bringing it all together:

Retailers can expect technology to shape the in-store customer experience for years to come, especially in terms of social media and mobile. According to a Synchrony Financial study, 30% of people surveyed have bought something after seeing it on social media. A strong social media presence helps ensure that brands stay connected to their consumers and, in turn, drive sales both online and offline. And as mobile plays a larger role in consumers' lives, retailers who embrace mobile payments and financing help ensure a smoother in-store shopping experience for their customers.

Mobile tools, such as retail and loyalty applications, can also help to inform retailers of their customers' preferences and needs. This information allows retailers to create a customized in-store shopping experience while also catering to the demands of an increasingly digital age. For example, a mobile app could allow consumers to tag an item they see in a store and have it immediately placed in their online shopping cart. In this case, the consumer benefits from in-person customer service, as well as the convenience of purchasing at home.

In-store shopping is not going away, but it is getting an upgrade. Technology helps close the gap between in-store and online, making shopping more enjoyable for today's customer — and a happy customer is always good for retailers. 

5 Things You Are Doing To Damage Your Hair

You need Best Buy Coupons 20% OFF Entire Purchase:  Enter this Best Buy 20% OFF Coupon Code  during checkout to get 20% 50%  Promo Code Off  for activity trackers & pedometers. Check Best Buy 20% OFF Promo Code now!

Cold weather, dry air and harsh winds can wreck havoc on hair, particularly if you have dry hair to begin with. While you can't control the weather, there are some things you may be doing that cause damage. And while some are obvious, you may be surprised by others. Here are a few tips on how to reduce minimize damage and keep hair healthy looking all year long.

Frequent Washing

Yes, washing your hair is damaging. Even just getting hair wet can lead to more breakage! When hair becomes wet, the shaft swells, resulting in hair that is more elastic and easier to break. In addition, shampoos can sometimes work too well, removing the oils your hair naturally produces resulting in hair that looks dull and dry.

Solution: Wash you hair less. Dry shampoos are a good option for spot treating on those in-between days. If you must wash daily, use a mild shampoo (avoid products labeled as deep cleansing or clarifying) and focus on the roots where hair is more oily and generally has more product buildup.

Brushing Wet Hair

As previously mentioned, wet hair is more susceptible to damage than dry hair. Wet hair is more elastic and more likely to break. Even brushing dry hair excessively is damaging since brushes and combs can snap or break hair.

Solution: Be gentle with wet hair. Use your fingers or a wide tooth comb to remove tangles.

Towel Drying

Yep, towels can damage your hair. Have I mentioned that wet hair is more susceptible to damage? Even rubbing hair with a towel can rough up the cuticle (outer layer of the hair), causing it to look frizzy or fluffy and potentially lead to more breakage.

Solution: Blot your hair with a towel instead of rubbing it to remove moisture. Also, investing in a super-absorbent towel may be a good idea, especially if you have really thick hair.

Blow Drying

No surprise here, heat causes damage. Blow drying causes a “flash drying” effect that not only removes the surface moisture but also removes water that is bound to the hair, which is called water of hydration. The effect of this flash drying is that the cuticles become dry, rigid and brittle. When the hair flexes, the pressure causes the cuticles to crack. Combing hair with this degree of cuticle cracking causes significant breakage.

Solution: Ideally, don’t blow dry your hair. Of course, this isn’t a realistic option for many women (including me!). To help mitigate some of the damage try using a heat-protector spray or leave-in conditioner containing glycerin and propylene glycol because these ingredients reduce water evaporation. Additionally, use the low heat option on your dryer to further minimize damage.

Flat Irons/Curling Irons

These type of appliances can damage your hair in a different way than blow dryers. Ironing hair can cause two different types of damage, depending on whether the hair is ironed dry or wet. Ironing dry hair causes cracking along the edges of the cuticles, which can lead to chipping. Ironing wet hair causes the moisture to burst out in little steam explosions. This causes a bubbling and buckling of the cuticle that appear as tiny hair blisters under magnification. Both types of damage can lead to breakage and split ends.

Solution: Iron damage can be reduced by using conditioners formulated with ingredients like cetrimonium chloride. Exposing hair to heat in the presence of such a conditioning agent can increase the strength of the hair, making it harder to break. Products labeled specifically to protect against heat are a good option. Of course, not using an iron is the best solution.

Bottom Line

While it is nearly impossible to prevent all types of hair damage, there are a few simple solutions that can keep your hair looking and feeling healthier without sacrificing your beloved blow dryer!

How To: Find The Right Hair Dryer For Your Hair Type

You need Best Buy Coupons 20% OFF Entire Purchase:  Enter this Best Buy 20% OFF Coupon Code  during checkout to get 20% 50%  Promo Code Off  for activity trackers & pedometers. Check Best Buy 20% OFF Promo Code now!

Not sure why tourmaline and ionic are important in a hair dryer? What is the cool shot button really for? You might be surprised to learn how much hair dryers have evolved in recent years, and picking up a professional dryer can make all the difference in your styling routine.

That’s why we created this Hair Dryer Buying Guide to give you all the info you need to know in order to choose the very best dryer for your hair.

The Right Hair Dryer for Your Hair Type:

Everyone can benefit from a good quality hair dryer, and some hair types need special features too. Keep in mind that the more often you use your hair dryer, the more important it is to have a high quality one. But ‘high quality’ can still come at an affordable price point, which is why we provided a few different options below.

As a general rule, a dryer with 1875 watts of power will dry your hair well (especially thick hair). The Solia SuperHot Dryer combines ionic technology with 1875W double-wave heating technology to dry hair in a fraction of the time.

Hair dryers with less wattage are best suited for short or fine hair, or if you use a dryer only for small sections of your hair, like your bangs. The power will impact the air flow and the stronger the air flow, the quicker the drying time.

Heat is also important. Warm and hot temperatures dry hair quickly and cooler air is gentle on fine or frizz-prone hair. The best dryers (professional ones) such as the Parlux 3500 Super Compact Ceramic Ionic Hair Dryer or the Parlux 3500 Super Compact Ceramic & Ionic Edition Professional Hair Dryer use ceramic heaters and parts (or a ceramic coating on parts), which distribute heat evenly.

The last element that makes a great hair dryer is its technology. Ionic technology – found in dryers like the Sedu Revolution Pro Tourmaline Ionic 4000i Hair Dryer – produces negatively charged ions that have a super-smoothing affect on your hair, which also cause it to dry faster. Tourmaline magnifies the effects of ionic technology so the two together are a super duo for fast drying and shiny hair.

No matter the power level, the key to preventing damage is to keep your dryer moving. Don’t let it sit too long in any one spot or you’ll risk damage from over drying.

Interested in checking out all of the hair dryers we offer? Click here for the full list.

5 Things To Know About The Best Buy Hairdryer

You need Best Buy Coupons 20% OFF Entire Purchase:  Enter this Best Buy 20% OFF Coupon Code  during checkout to get 20% 50%  Promo Code Off  for activity trackers & pedometers. Check Best Buy 20% OFF Promo Code now!

If you haven’t heard yet, Best Buy have reinvented the hairdryer. Dyson invested £50 million in the development of the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer – including creating a state of the art laboratory dedicated to research, design, development and investigating the science of hair from root to tip – how it reacts to stresses, how to keep it healthy and how to style it. Over four years they tested the product on different hair types and over 1010 miles of real human hair have been used in testing. Best Buy- Dyson made 600 prototypes before they mastered the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer.

So what can £50 million worth of investment, 103 engineers and four years of development create to make you spend €399 on a hair dryer? 

We won’t be able to buy one to find out until June online or exclusively from Arnotts, but if you really want to try it out, the only Irish venue you can try it is Dylan Bradshaw’s Dublin hair salon. Until we get a chance to try it out, here’s everything we know so far.

It costs €399.

Hairdryers can be bought for 20 quid at the moment so we are struggling to comprehend how revolutionary this hair dryer can really be. When it comes to a hair dryer, our biggest complaints would be that they are too loud, they’re too heavy, they’re damaging for your hair and the whole process of drying your hair just takes too long. You can avoid the noise, sore arms, weak hair and waste of time by just letting your hair dry naturally and accepting that you’ll have spend the day looking like you got caught in the rain. These are the issues that Dyson took into account when they decided to invest 50million into designing a new hairdryer. “Hair dryers can be heavy, inefficient and make a racket. By looking at them further we realised that they can also cause extreme heat damage to hair. I challenged Dyson engineers to really understand the science of hair and develop our version of a hair dryer, which we think solves these problems”, said James Dyson.

It’s very quiet, so you won’t wake up the whole gaff drying your hair in the morning.

The Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer is engineered to reduce noise. The Dyson digital motor V9 spins at up to 110,000 times a minute, with one inaudible frequency. A rubber mount helps to prevent the motor from vibrating against the inside of the handle, reducing the transfer of noise between the motor and the case. A team of Dyson aero-acoustic engineers gave the motor impeller 13 blades instead of the usual 11, which pushed the hair dryer one tone within the motor to a sound frequency beyond the audible range for humans – hence, Supersonic. Additionally, the motor has been embedded in the handle – obviously, as what was traditionally a nozzle on a hair dryer is now large hole – which is surrounded by acoustic silencers to further reduce sound. Basically, there is a lot of science and money gone in to making this hair dryer quiet.

It’s very light, so you won’t break your arm holding it up anymore.

The motor created for this hairdryer is half the weight of a normal hair dryer motor, and is placed in the handle, unlike your usual hairdryer where the motor is stored in the head. If you’ve ever known the fear of your hair getting caught in the motor at the back of the hairdryer and having to get your mam to cut the matted tangle out, you’ll appreciate this new feature. It’s Dyson’s smallest, lightest, most advanced digital motor, and it has a fast airflow that’s ergonomically engineered for balance in your hand, so no more arm cramps. Also, you’ll be able to bring your hair dryer on holidays without worrying about all the extra weight in your suitcase.

It’s good for your hair.

The Dyson hairdryer has intelligent heat control, helping to maintain Dyson’s optimum temperature and to ensure hair isn’t exposed to excessive temperatures. The diffuser simulates natural drying, helping to reduce frizz and improve definition. It measures air temperature 20 times a second to protect from heat damage. Also the attachments remain cool to the touch so you won’t scald yourself by accidently touching off anything. “You need a certain amount of heat to style hair, but extreme heat can cause damage. By keeping the temperature under control, our hair dryer can help to protect your hair,” said design engineer Annmarie Nicholson.

Dyson promises that it will dry your hair quickly.

If this is true, it’s worth the additional hours I would gain in my life to pay €399 for a hair dryer. The Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer uses Dyson’s patented Air Multiplier™ technology – by the way, Dyson have 100+ patents pending, 16 patents are pending for the attachments alone. The volume of the air drawn into the motor is amplified by three due to this technology, producing a high pressure, high velocity jet of air, unlike the usual weak airflow in hair dryers.

So would you pay €399 for a light weight, quiet hair dryer than won’t damage your hair, promises salon styled hair, won’t scare your cat or wake your family and won’t take you an hour? Let us know!

5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE BEST HEADPHONES FOR RUNNING

You need Best Buy Coupons 20% OFF Entire Purchase:  Enter this Best Buy 20% OFF Coupon Code  during checkout to get 20% 50%  Promo Code Off  for activity trackers & pedometers. Check Best Buy 20% OFF Promo Code now!

The perfect soundtrack makes an okay run into a great one, but not without the right equipment. Our fan in the UK, Will Tottle, shares some of his expertise in a guest post about choosing the right headphones.

Choosing headphones for working out and running can be pretty tricky and require a lot of thought, especially considering the number of factors that could affect your headphones and overall experience. Things like the sounds quality, price, and durability are things that can make the decision process that much harder.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. All you need to do is think about the kind of headphones you want: the style, the fit, everything that would make them perfect for you. Don’t be afraid to test some out.  Your perfect pair of headphones are waiting, and here are a few tips to help you through the decision process.

#1 Buds or phones?

The first question you need to ask yourself is whether you want earbud or headphones for working out and running. Some people find headphones a bit sweaty and slipper, while others find that extended use of earbuds can cause discomfort and an increased risk of spots as a result of the collection of sweat. Try on a few pairs of each type to figure out what you like best.

#2 Bluetooth

You need to ask yourself if you want Bluetooth or not. It really is paving the way for the future with its wireless headphones and ear buds. The best part is that they sit really comfortably and you don’t need to worry about the wires hitting your chest as you run.

Not only this, but there are no longer any reasons for you to stop and fiddle with your phone as they come with remotes on the side so that you can control music/volume and even answer calls.

#3 Resistance

Waterproof, water resistant, and sweat proof headphones can be a really integral part of the headphone selection process. If you are triathlon training or bound to be running in pouring rain, then you will need a pair of these.

Sweat proof ones are less likely to fall out of your ears/off your head while you run and are protected from any damage that could be caused by your sweat. They are a safe and sensible purchase to make.

#4 Sound Quality

The headphones you choose should have a clear sound, and if you feel like spending a little extra, come with a smooth bass. Good sound is vital to a good run, the music is what helps to motivate you and keep you running to a steady beat. Clear sound means an effective and worthwhile workout.

#5 Durability

A final word of advice is to buy a pair of headphones that you know will last. It’s all well and good to buy a cheap and easily breakable pair, but you end up spending more in the long run. A good pair of headphones will cost a little extra, but you know they will last you years as opposed to six months.

A pair of headphones that are durable and sturdy should be able to survive life in a gym bag and being thrown around a little without an effect on their overall performance.

How to choose the best printer

You need Best Buy Coupons 20% OFF Entire Purchase:  Enter this Best Buy 20% OFF Coupon Code  during checkout to get 20% 50%  Promo Code Off  for activity trackers & pedometers. Check Best Buy 20% OFF Promo Code now!

Printers don’t last forever. Ink splashes collect and coagulate, bits of paper gather, rollers wear out, and ink cartridges become ever more expensive. Buying a new printer every few years can become a bit of a pain, and that’s before you even start looking at the current prices.

But you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get a reliable and versatile new printer.

By knowing exactly what you want, the features you need, the print quality you expect, and the budget you have; you’ll find that buying a new printer isn’t the money pit you thought it was.

A New Printer for the Price of Some Ink?

Unless you’re looking for a color laser jet printer for bulk document printing, it’s unlikely that a new printer will cost you any more than the price of a pair of ink cartridges. It’s a strange idea that the hardware that uses the ink through a combination of mechanical and digital processes should cost less than the total volume of ink needed to print, say, 250 sheets of paper, don’t you think?

This is largely due to the manufacturing costs of the cartridges, particularly from an environmental point of view, but there is, of course, an element of targeting customers with inflated prices.

Avoid Reconditioned/Fake Cartridges

Buying a new printer is a little bit like buying a car. You wouldn’t spend money on a new motor only to put the wrong fuel in, would you?

Similarly, it’s a bad idea to put reconditioned/refilled ink cartridges into your printer, new or otherwise. Although, of course, you should get as much use out of them as possible!

While they might be more economical compared to official/approved ink cartridges, this is a false economy. Sure, some of these cartridges mightwork, but the following might also happen:

• The cartridge leaks
• Ink cartridge isn’t detected
• Cartridge displays as incompatible

So, you’ve saved money – but you’re not printing (although our own Kannon Yamada has used recycled ink cartridges without any problems).

Therefore, it is in your interest to purchase only the approved ink cartridges. It’s good to get these things sorted out, isn’t it? Let’s move on, then, to the task of finding the right printer, one that will give you the results you want without breaking the bank.

Laser Printer or Inkjet Printer?

While a laser printer is considerably more expensive than an inkjet printer (perhaps 10 times more), you need to ask yourself what print quality you expect, and what volume of printing you’ll be outputting.

Those laser jet printers that can be found in offices around the world are expensive, but they’re almost always network printers, serving two or three (or many more) users at a time. This saves space and money, and is therefore efficient.

You probably don’t need this type of printer at home.

Brother HL-L2340DW Compact Laser Printer, Monochrome, Wireless, Duplex Printing, Amazon Dash Replenishment Enabled

Upon activation, the Amazon Dash Replenishment service measures the toner level and automatically orders toner from Amazon when low. This ensures that you never run out again.
Price: $85.78

Buy Now at Amazon.com

Additionally, some laser jet printers employ a secondary replaceable component, the imaging drum, which is an important part of the print process. These can be around twice the price of a replacement toner cartridge.

An inkjet printer will be far more affordable, and with cheaper ink, and no imaging drum.

Canon PIXMA MX922 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer

AirPrint: Print wirelessly and effortlessly from your compatible iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch- no drivers needed!
Price: $69.79

Buy Now at Amazon.com

Black Ink or Color? Photo Printing Required?

Planning on any color printing? Want to print your photos?

If you only want to print in black, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a black-only inkjet printer. While they do exist, you might find it easier to load a standard color printer with only black ink, which some manufacturers support.

For photo printing, you will often find that the device manufacturer specifies particular ink and photographic paper for success here. As before, it’s a good idea to stick to this advice; the wrong photographic ink and paper combination will result in quite poor quality photos that will fade.

Wi-Fi Enabled Printing or Cabled?

There was a time when choosing a wireless printer would set you back around twice the price of a standard device, but those days are long since passed. You can now purchase a wireless printer for well under $100, which is a difficult price to turn down (of course, you could alwaysconvert your old printer into a wireless printer with the help of a Raspberry Pi).

With wireless printing, you gain the ability to print direct from your iPad, iPhone or Android device, as well as any PCs on your network. Because the printer connects wirelessly to your router, you’ll be able to print to it from a computer connected with an Ethernet cable or over Wi-Fi.

Put simply, if you have wireless devices, you need a wireless printer.

Do You Need an All-in-One?

It looks and feels high-tech, but do you really need an all-in-one printer/fax/scanner? Opting for such a device can double the price you might be expecting to pay at this stage, but if you don’t really need a scanner (a smartphone can be used instead in most cases) then you can discount this from your plans.

And few people use physical fax machines these days, preferring instead to use the Internet fax services.

All-in-ones also have a key support issue: if a feature breaks, and you send it away for repairs, you’re without the rest of the unit. So if the scanner broke and went away for servicing, you wouldn’t have a printer any longer. It is certainly worth keeping this aspect of all-in-ones in mind before opting to purchase such a device.

Make Your Mind Up Time

So, you now know what sort of printer you need. All you need to do next is place the order, whether online via Amazon, or at your local, reputable, electronics retailer. Just make sure the printer comes with ink, and that it is compatible with your operating system.

Do you need help buying the right printer? Have you had trouble finding a printer, or are you still using a really old device with no sign of it breaking down? Tell us in the comments.