Watch Digital Gumbo on the Eyewitness Morning News, Thursdays on Channel 4

Jerry Seregni Eyewitness Morning News Technology Analyst

Remember the Polaroid Land Camera, the Polaroid Swinger, or the Polaroid SX-70? Polaroid cameras were hugely popular when I was in high school and college -- almost 50 years ago! I still remember the Swinger's catchy jingle, and the classy TV commercials featuring James Garner and Mariette Hartley.

So what has the company best-known for instant photography been up to lately? Answer: the Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer.

Polaroid's PoGo lets you print photos from your camera cell phone or digital camera with ZINK (Zero Ink Printing Technology).

Roughly the size of a deck of cards, the printer uses a Bluetooth or USB connection to receive pictures and create full-color digital photos without ink cartridges or ribbons. No computer is required.

The heart of the process is the ZINK Paper, a patented, composite material with embedded yellow, magenta and cyan dye crystals.

The printer uses heat to activate 100 billion crystals in each 2 x 3-inch print. The activation process takes 30 seconds, in a single pass.

The Pogo holds ten pieces of paper at a time. The paper comes in packages of 10 sheets for $4, or you can buy a bundle of three, 10-sheet packages for under ten dollars.

The unit fits in the palm of your hand, not including its external power supply, which is about same size and weight. Its rechargeable battery delivers about 15 to 20 prints on a single charge.

The PoGo connects to cell phones via Bluetooth. Polaroid claims the device works with 80 percent of the Bluetooth-equipped camera phones on the market, although the Apple iPhone is not among them. See Polaroid's Web site for a complete list of compatible phones.

PictBridge-enabled digital cameras can print directly to the device via USB. You can also connect the Pogo to a PC, but an desktop application to print images won't be released in Q4 2008.

The Polaroid CZA-10011 PoGo Instant Mobile Printer lists for $150 and is available at Best Buy, Target, and other retailers.

Polaroid pioneered instant photography 60 years ago, but the popularity of digital photography recently led the company to halt instant film production. Hopefully, the company's expanding line of digital products will keep this iconic brand around for years to come.

RELATED LINKS

Polaroid CZA-10011 PoGo Instant Mobile Printer

Last Updated: August 28, 2008

Submit Your Digital Feedback Question HERE! This Week's Digital Feedback Questions