Instant prints anyone?

I take more photos with my phone than I've ever taken with a camera, but I almost never print them – typically I share them with social apps. I also use photos for reference when I’m taking something apart or to document where I parked at the airport. On those rare occasions when I do need to print something, I just do it on a color printer.

However, there may be times when an instant hardcopy makes sense – as a memento for friends or to share with one of the increasingly small number of friends or family that don’t have electronic media. It could be handy if you want to pass around photos without handing people your camera.

Or perhaps you’re doing some sort of inspection and need a “permanent” record of what you see to attach to a physical file.

If you do need a glossy, hard-copy print instantly – here’s an interesting option. It’s called the Zip Printer, by Polaroid. It prints 2” X 3” photos over Bluetooth in 10 seconds or so. It costs $150 and prints on “zero-ink” paper costing $0.50 per print. It’s small – about the size of an external hard drive – and charges with a micro-USB. There’s an app that lets you do some basic editing, but you could use other editing tools on your phone as well.

It’s definitely a niche product – what business uses can you think of for this device?