The Business Centre

Adobe has updated its stable of design software, including releasing version 9 of is PDF creation tool Acrobat, and has introduced an online collaboration portal, Acrobat.com.

Hewlett-Packard has set ambitious goals to improve the energy efficiency of its printers and use more recycled materials in their manufacture -- and it intends to draw buyers' attention to the features with a new Eco Highlights labeling plan.

In the not-too-distant future, people could use computer printers to make simple medicines as part of a do-it-yourself model of health care, a top Microsoft executive said Friday.

The long-awaited, Web-based and free version of Adobe Photoshop is now available as a beta, Adobe announced this week.

Hewlett-Packard Monday offered a peek into future printing technologies, introducing a new inkjet printer that prints thousands of pages per minute and ink that retains its shine even when exposed to extreme elements.

Printers for small businesses account for a large chunk of the printer market. These days, businesses have plenty of choice -- between inkjets and lasers, multifunctions and standard printers -- and this can make decisions about which printer to purchase confusing.

Imagine the last time something in your house broke - a cup or plate, a bracket, a door handle, a component in an electrical appliance or mechanical device, a hinge, a switch - the list can go on and on. But instead of tossing the entire device out, or heading to the local hardware or electrical store to find an often costly replacement, imagine if you could recreate that object or component in your home on a 3D printer. Now imagine if the 3D printer you use to make that part could recreate itself as well.

It isn't until you've tested several printers that you realise just how much the quality of output can vary from model to model. But a more striking discrepancy is the one commonly noted between the colours onscreen and those that are printed.

Around the end of the 19th century, King C. Gillette began making disposable razor blades. He sold the handles for these at less than cost price, making a loss but drawing in the punters. Then he sold the blades themselves at far, far above cost price, ensuring a steady revenue stream from numerous customers for years to come. Naturally, the design of the blades was patented, preventing competitors from making cheap alternatives.