Inside: Epson L550 A 4-In-1 Printer With Fax & ADF Capability

Review courtesy of Techmoran

We have used the Epson L550 Printer, a 4-in-1 for printing, scanning, copying and at times faxing, an we loved it.

Build with an integrated ink system, the printer is ideal for home offices and small offices like ours, but small to us is 20 people, each printing at least one document a day.

With Micro Piezo printhead technology, desktop printer comes with an ADF, a two-line LCD screen, Ethernet connectivity and two extra bottles of black ink. One can print from their desks on a LAN or internet network. It’s easy to refill the ink tank with their clear labelling and drip-free nozzle. With Epson iPrint one can print wirelessly from smartphones and tablet PCs within the office while its new multi-copy function also allows you to copy one page up to 99 times in a single go, making it ideal for creating documents quickly for meetings.

The L550 offers a low-cost per page for both black and colour printing, with each set of high-volume ink bottles capable of printing up to 4,000 pages in black and 6,500 pages in colour.

The L550 has a 12 percent smaller footprint than previous models, and easily complements any work environment.

Technology

Printing Method	On-demand inkjet (Piezo electric)
Nozzle Configuration	180 Nozzles black, 59 Nozzles per colour
Minimum Droplet Size	3 pl, With Variable-Sized Droplet Technology
Ink Technology	Epson Dye Ink
Printing Resolution	5.760 x 1.440 dpi
Category	Consumer
All-in-One Functions	Scan, Copy, Fax

Print

Printing Speed ISO/IEC 24734	9 Pages/min Monochrome, 4,5 Pages/min Color
Printing Speed	33 Pages/min Monochrome (plain paper 75 g/m²), 15 Pages/min Color (plain paper 75 g/m²)
Colours	Black, Cyan, Yellow, Magenta

Scan

Scan speed black A4	300 dpi 2,2 msec/line, 600 dpi 2,4 msec/line
Scan speed colour A4	300 dpi 7 msec/line, 600 dpi 12,7 msec/line
Scanning Resolution	1.200 dpi x 2.400 dpi (Horizontal x Vertical)
Output formats	PDF
Scanner type	Contact image sensor (CIS)

Fax

Type of fax	Walk-up black and white and colour fax capability
Error correction mode	CCITU/ITU Group3 fax with Error Correction Mode
Fax speed dials (max)	60 names and numbers
Page memory	Up to 180 pages (ITU-T No.1 chart)
Fax Functions	PC Fax, Auto Redial, Speed Dial

Paper / Media Handling

Number of paper trays	1
Paper Formats	A4, A5, A6, B5, C6 (Envelope), DL (Envelope), No. 10 (Envelope), Letter, 9 x 13 cm, 10 x 15 cm, 13 x 18 cm, 13 x 20 cm, 20 x 25 cm, 100 x 148 mm, 16:9, Legal
Duplex	Manual
Automatic Document Feeder	Standard (built-in)
Output Tray Capacity	30 Sheets
Paper Tray Capacity	100 Sheets Standard, 100 Sheets maximum, 20 Photo Sheets
Compatible Paper Weight	64 g/m² – 95 g/m²
Media Handling	Auto Sheet Feeder

General

Energy Use	ENERGY STAR® qualified all-in-one, 10 W (standalone copying, ISO/IEC 24712 pattern), 2 W (sleep mode)
Supply Voltage	AC 110 V – 240 V,50 Hz – 60 Hz
Product dimensions	474‎ x 377 x 226 mm (Width x Depth x Height)
Product weight	6,2 kg
Noise Level	5,2 B (A) with Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper / Photo RPM mode – 37 dB (A) with Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper / Photo RPM mode
Compatible Operating Systems	Mac OS 10.5.8 or later, Mac OS 10.6+, Windows 7, Windows 7 x64, Windows 8 (32/64 bit), Windows Vista, Windows Vista x64, Windows XP, Windows XP x64
Included Software	Epson Easy Photo Print, Epson Event Manager, Epson Scan, EpsonNet Print
Interfaces	USB, Ethernet
Mobile and Cloud printing services	Epson Connect (iPrint)
Power Supply	220V
What’s in the box	4 x 70ml individual ink bottles (Bk,C,Y,M) plus 2 extra black ink bottles, Driver and utilities (CD), Installation/safety manual, Power cable, Setup guide, Software (CD), User manual, User manual (CD)

Other Features

LCD screen

Type: Monochrome, 2-line text

Sony World Photography Awards 2014 – Judges revealed alongside last call for entries

·     An exclusive selection of submissions to the 2014 awards are available for publication via press.worldphoto.org  and image.net

·         “Winning… made my work reach out to a worldwide audience… opened up new opportunities for me and was a huge motivation to continue following the stories that I believe in.” Andrea Gjestvang, 2013 L’Iris d’Or/ Photographer of the Year

·         All competitions close 6 January 2014 except Professional categories which close on 9 January 2014 

With just over one month remaining for photographers to enter the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards, the World Photography Organisation (WPO) is proud to announce the Honorary Judging Committee for this year’s competition and to reveal an exclusive selection of submissions to the 2014 awards.

 The 2014 Honorary Judging Committee will be chaired by William Hunt, a New York-based photography consultant, who will once again also host the annual awards gala on 30 April 2014.  The full panel comprises of photography professionals from the World Photographic Academy including: Ruth Eichhorn, Director of Photography, Geo Magazine (Germany); Johanna Neurath, Design Director for Thames & Hudson publishing (UK); Isbaella Icoz, Curator (Turkey); Guy Harrington, Director, Soho Management (UK); Matthew Pillsbury, Photographer (US); Harry Hardie, Panos Pictures/ HERE Press (UK); Suzy Koo, Creative Media Manager, Burberry (UK); Poorna Bell, Lifestyle Editor, Huffington Post and Simon Barnett, Director of Photography, CNN Digital. 

Entries to the Open and Youth competitions of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards will close on 6 January, followed by the deadline for the Professional competition on 9 January. All entries are free via www.worldphoto.org. 

Exclusive images, which have been entered into the 2014 Open competition, can be downloaded from the WPO press centre at press.worldphoto.org.  

Now in its seventh year, the awards are one of the leading photography competitions in the world and it gives international exposure, recognition and opportunity to both its winning and shortlisted photographers. 

Norwegian photographer Andrea Gjestvang, winner of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year title, comments: “Winning the L'Iris d'Or was a great recognition and it made my work reach out to a worldwide audience – not only to editors, collectors and potential collaborators in the business but, most importantly, the everyday readers who were moved and engaged by the images. It opened up new opportunities for me, and was a huge motivation to continue following the stories that I believe in.” 

In the 2014 awards professional photographers will compete for the coveted title of L'Iris d'Or/Sony World Photography Awards Professional Photographer of the Year, plus a $25,000 (USD) cash prize. Judges will also award the 15 winners for each of the Professional categories for their series of work.  

Amateur and enthusiast photographers will contend the Open Photographer of the Year 2014 title, plus a $5,000 (USD) cash prize.  The judges will also select the best single winning shot for each of the ten Open categories.  In addition, three photographers under 20 years old will be chosen as winners of the Youth competition. 

All category winners across the awards will receive the latest digital imaging equipment from Sony. Furthermore, the winning and finalist photographers will receive an exhibition of their work at Somerset House, London, from 1-18 May 2014, will be published in the 2014 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards book and will also be featured across the WPO website. 

The shortlists for the 2014 awards will be announced on 4 February, followed by the winners of the Open categories on 18 March.  The overall and Professional categories winners will be revealed at the Sony World Photography Awards gala ceremony held in London on 30 April. 

The Kenya National Award is new for the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards and is open to photographers of all abilities from across the country. Entries are free via www.worldphoto.org and photographers can enter one of ten categories.  The judges, including Documentary Photographer Amunga Eshuchi, Kennedy Gathuru, Sony Middle East & Africa local office representative and Astrid Merget, World Photography Organisation Representative, will uncover and honour the best single image by a Kenyan national from across these categories. 

Further details about the Sony World Photography Awards and the World Photography Organisation can be found atwww.worldphoto.org.

Consumers turn the heat on Gotv over actual cost of hardware

As Nairobi residents brace themselves for the imminent switch off of their analogue television sets, consumers have been in a rush to acquire approved set top boxes which will enable them continue accessing the essential service beyond the December 13^th date, a gazette deadline where Communication Commission of Kenya is expected to initiate the 1^st phase of ensuring Kenyans access television on the digital platform.

Pay television companies have taken advantage of this period to have brisk business but it seems in the process, the public are left at the mercy of companies eager to make money at the expense of the service they are to supposed to provide.

A letter sent by a concerned consumer to COFEK has been intercepted by Business News East Africa which shows a consumer raising concerns on how he was made to purchase a Pay Television decoder from Gotv only to realize that he had to pay monthly fees as opposed to what he thought was a decoder to migrate him to the digital platform at no fee.

In the end, the poor Kenyan is being pushed to spend up to Ksh 7,100 on a set top box whereas essentially there are those retailing at between Ksh 4,000 to 5,000 which would have seen him save up to Ksh 2,000!

See the letter copied below…Kenyans are urged to evaluate their options while purchasing their preferred set top boxes to avoid such frustrations as below. BE INFORMED! A visit to the digital Kenya website http://www.digitalkenya.go.ke/list-of-type-approved-dvb-t2-set-top-boxes-and-authorised-vendors will give you a list of approved set top boxes and their prices.

Consumer Exploitation by Gotv

My Name is Hesbon and I live in Kahawa Sukari. Given the indication that the Government intends to switch off the analogue television sets, I took up the initiative to purchase a set top box from Gotv for Ksh 4,500 where according to the company’s attendants who served me at a tent set up within the company’s compound in Westlands, I was to access all channels including our Kenyan channels.

Towards the end of October, I noticed I could only access KBC, I switched the decoder on and off and checked my aerial but the problem persisted. I then decided to take the decoder back to the company offices.

The attendant I met told me that what I paid when I purchased the decoder was inclusive of subscription which had now expired and if I want to continue accessing channels I had to pay monthly or pay another 2,600 to access Kenyan channels!! Why am I being charged extra money to access our channels which essentially should be free???

This means I will end up paying Ksh 7,100 (4,500 + 2,600) whereas had I known this before I purchased I would have purchased from another company which I see being advertised between 4,000 and 5,000. Gotv attendants said their decoder was cheaper now its evident it is very expensive!!

COFEK, don’t you protect consumers from such evident consumer exploitation? I feel cheated and bitter, I wonder how many Kenyans have been taken through the same.

Please do something.

Thank you.

Hesbon Wanyoike.

KENYA A BEARDED MARKET? ONLY 40PC SHAVE AT HOME

The Kenyan shaving market is still in its infancy stages with only 40 percent of Kenyan men shaving at home with the rest preferring to visit the barber shops who utilize electric shavers. 

The market which has over 10 million potential razor users sees a man spend on average KES 2295 per month and a woman spends KES 1200 on blades and razors over a similar period.

Gillette brand manager, Mr. Mutune Kilonzo said that despite the steady growth in the grooming market, the greatest challenge the Gillette brand has been facing is in trading up consumers to the more premium and better performing brands.

Today, Gillette which commands about 60 percent of the market, attributes its leadership position to its constant innovation that sees the brand implementing consumers’ positive criticism.

“The main challenges that sees us continue constantly innovation is the African hair gene. As African men, we are particularly susceptible to bumps due to the coarse, curly nature of their facial hair. Our research has however shown that one can reduce the occurrence of bumps by shaving more often, using new blades, using superior blades, and of course prepping oneself before a shave,” said Mr. Mutune.

Mr. Mutune added that once consumers understood the art of shaving, the market is bound to experience a steady growth.

The global blade and razor industry (male and female blades and razors) is currently valued as a $12.3 billion business with 800 million men shaving.

Mr. Mutune was speaking during the unveiling of the Gillette brand of male and female razors and blades into the Kenyan market.  The brand unveiled into the market its five blade Fusion to compete with Mach 3, a three-blade range in a bid to upgrade existing consumers to the premium product. The move to bring Fusion into the market was guided by consumers request for a product that offered a smoother and clear look with less skin irritation which is a great inhibitor to blades purchase.

“What we have done is to continue to introduce better quality products in the markets at different price ranges for our consumers. Our research has shown that our loyal consumers are more likely to try out a new razor which offers something more than the one he currently uses,” said Mutune.

Best known for its slogan, “The Best a Man can Get”, Gillette is seeking to maintain its market leadership by offering consumers a larger variety inorder to maximize its the category sales.

“The strategy that the brand is employing is to trade up consumers from using our disposable such as Blue 3 to using our systems such as Mach 3 to give them a better shaving experience but is also cost effective in the long run,” said Mr. Mutune.

Mr. Mutune added that P&G spends over 2 billion on research and development which is paramount to Gillette as the brand believes in once the consumer experiences the products superior quality they will be willing to pay a high price for it.

However, the brand still faces challenges in the market from consumers who are price sensitive settling for low priced locally available blades and those who still prefer the traditional methods of hair grooming.

Since its acquisition by Procter & Gamble in 2005, the 112 year old brand has seen itself rise to become its own competition in a market where the demand for hair grooming accessories is growing yet the supply of quality products is low. In addition, the conversion ratio of consumer who prefer modern methods such as non-disposal and electric shavers to traditional methods such as razors blades. However, this has not stopped Gillette which has the major share in the market from planning to expand further to capture more share and push volumes.