Lets move right past the anti Google rhetoric and right to the core of this article. We can argue about who will take over the world first, Facebook, Google, Apple, or Microsoft another time.
Google has released quite possibly one of the coolest things I have yet to encounter with my beloved iPhone. Cloud Printing. Simply put, you can now print from your iPhone (or other mobile device) to your desktop printer from ANYWHERE YOU HAVE A 3G OR WIFI CONNECTION--Provided you have the latest beta version of Google Chrome installed a Windows PC with a printer attached. Not only will this work with the iPhone, it will work from most mobile devices. WITHOUT BEING JAILBROKEN!!!
You read that correctly, no Jailbreaking, no hacks, no tweaks or drivers to deal with. And it is also the low price of NADA, ZIP, $0.00.
If you have never had a reason to use the Google Mobile Apps, Docs or Gmail, I think this just sealed the deal. You will be able to print email messages, PDF's, DOCs, and images.
CLICK HERE for Google's official press release.
Sorry Mac Users, Google left you out on this one. A Linux and Mac offering is currently under development, according to Google.
Google Cloud Print comes at a time when most of us are put off by the price of HP's AirPrint compatible printers, rendering the AirPrint featuresof iOS 4.2 useless.
I'm excited about this. I searched the far corners of Internet to find a simple, cost effective way to print from my iPhone. Google Cloud has for now, ended my quest.
Google Cloud Print is a step in the right direction for document printing and how it relates to mobile devices. I cannot wait to set this up at the office. Imagine, being able to send reports and documents right to the office from my iPhone, from anywhere. This will definitely be useful.
By the end of this post you will be able to print from Google Web Apps like Gmail Mobile and Google Docs Mobile. More on that in a moment. On to Google Cloud Printing....
Here's how Bruce T does it:
Have a Google account of some sort. Your Gmail user name and password will work just fine. If you don't have one, now is a good time to create one. Remember, your password for Google Voice, Gmail, etc will work for all google Apps.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD and install the latest beta version of Google Chrome on your desktop computer that your printer is connected to.
CLICK HERE AND FOLLOW THESE FOUR EASY STEPS provided by Google.
If you already have the Gmail Mobile App or Google Docs Mobile App, you are all set.
If you don't have the Gmail Mobile App or Google Docs Mobile, follow these steps to get it:
Go to the iTunes App Store from your iPhone and download Google's "Google Mobile App".
Once installed onto your iPhone, launch the Google Mobile App and click on the icon located at the bottom of the screen labeled "Apps".
Click on Gmail and it will install right to your home screen. You can do the same for any other app you would like. I have not verified what Google Mobile Apps this works with yet. So far I have only tried this using the Gmail Mobile App, printing only emails with attached images, and docs.
Once you open the Gmail Mobile App, log into your account and you are set.
Once in Gmail, select a message. To print, just click the double down arrow to drop the menu.
For attachments, scroll to the bottom of the message and tap "Print"
Another Mobile Safari window will open showing the list of printers you have enabled. Tap on the printer you want to send to and it will hi-light. Tap Print. Your document will now print.
That's it!!!!! Go get the document from your printer. Your document has arrived from the cloud.
And that's how Bruce T Does It!!!!
Update 1/25/2011
Last night I remoted into my office desktop and installed Google Chrome. I enabled Cloud Print using the steps above. the Gmail App now showed my local printer and network printers. I sent a document, low and behold, it was in the printer when I arrived this morning. Way cool!
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