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A printer is an absolute staple of the student set-up. The trick is finding one that a) doesn't take years to print a single page and b) offers good value for money. And this is why I always recommend ink tank printers for college and university students.

I've specifically chosen tank printers like the EcoTank, Smart Tank, and MegaTank lines because almost every one you buy comes with a generous amount of bottled ink in the box that can last for your entire time at college or university (and ink is cheaper to buy if you do need to top up). So, you won't need to blow your student loan on expensive inkjet cartridges like I had to!

Our senior printer editor has extensively tested the best home printers and the best ink tank printers - and based on those reviews, I've hand-picked the 6 top cartridge-free printers for students that performed brilliantly for text and phot printing, as well as offering value for money. For each one, click View details to see our review notes and how they fit into student life.

My top back-to-school ink tank printers

Epson

EcoTank ET-2400

Why it's good for students. It's one of the cheapest ink tank printers around, and it's the one I use on a regular basis. It's an all-in-one for printing, scanning, and copying. Print-outs are good across both text and photos, it's compact, and it's quick enough for most. For me, it ticks all the boxes for general use.

HP

Smart Tank 7001

Why it's good for students. We found this HP printer printed quickly, efficiently, with good results across black-and-white and color text documents, while photos feel fresh and vibrant. It features HP's Self-Heal Wi-Fi and automatic two-sided printing.

Read our full review

Pros

Neat design

Bluetooth simplifies setup

HP Smart for desktop

Plentiful inbox ink

Cons

Flimsy build quality

Small display

Feeble paper handling

No NFC or USB Host

Canon

Pixma G3270

Why it's good for students. A superb budget ink tank printer from Canon here for those that just want a reliable, compact all-in-one without worrying about unnecessary features like automatic two-sided printing, front-loading, and other terribly exciting extras like that.

Read our full review

Pros

Cheap for a MegaTank

Affordable ink

Broad paper compatibility

Lots of inbox ink

Cons

Manual duplex only

No front paper drawer

Limited paper capacity

No ADF, or USB Host port

Brother

DCP-T780DW

Why it's good for students. Brother's ink tank printer delivered excellent results during our tests. It really shines when it comes to color documents and photographs, where colors popped off the page, and it showed exceptionally detailed resolution.

Read our full review

Pros

Low running cost

Versatile paper handling

Detailed print quality

Lots of inbox ink

Cons

Small tanks and bottles

Bottles do not re-seal

Only 4 paper presets

No touchscreen or fax

Epson

EcoTank ET-4950

Why it's good for students. Arguably the best of the best right now for the price, we struggled to think of a similarly priced ink tank printer that offered so much ink and so many features. As you'd expect from an EcoTank, it delivered a strong performance across the board.

Read our full review

Pros

Auto-duplex scan

Low running cost

3 years' ink in the box

User-friendly design

Cons

No USB Host port or NFC

No multi-purpose tray

No Bluetooth

Cannot scan heavy paper

Canon

PIXMA G620

Why it's good for students. It might not be packed with features and it's certainly not the fastest, but for photo printing, this model from Canon excels thanks to six ink tanks offering bright, vibrant results.

Read our full review

Pros

Six-ink color printing

Cheap to run

Lots of inbox ink

Wide paper compatibility

Cons

No auto duplex

No main paper drawer

Small 2-line display

Low paper capacity

How we test printers for student life

All our printers are put through our unique standardized test, which lets us compare the speed, quality, and functionality against the others. This test covers every aspect of a student's printing needs.

To check performance, we use a uniform stack of test cards, text documents, and photos, and a range of paper sizes and types. If the manual says you can print on envelopes, labels, or t-shirts, we put that claim to the test, too. We're looking for crisp fonts and vibrant colors without smudging, smearing, or feathering.

We use a ten-page mixed text and color document to measure print speeds. We never take the manufacturer's word for this, and while they are usually accurate to be fair, we always time it ourselves. So, if you've got a deadline looming, you'll have a pretty good idea if your printer can get the print-outs in time.

Total cost and overall value are a core part of our review process. And this is specifically why we recommend ink tank printers for students. While they're a little more expensive than traditional, cartridge-based inkjets, they deliver better performance and they're cheaper to run for the duration of your course. Bottled ink is a lot more affordable than an inkjet cartridge, and with the amount you get in the box, it can last most of your time at college or university anyway.

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LONDON — Police in southwest England said Friday that the death of former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe will be investigated as a murder.

The 78-year-old, a former MEP and staunch Brexiteer who found popularity on reality competition shows, was found dead in her home in Devon on Thursday with evidence of “serious injuries,” according to the Devon and Cornwall police .

Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson said the suspect is believed to be a white male, adding that the force is “deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened and to locate the person responsible.”

She appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

Tributes had been paid throughout the day to Widdecombe, who served for years as a Conservative member of parliament and had backed Reform UK since 2023.

Reform leader Nigel Farage said Widdecombe had a “decisive role in getting Brexit over the line” when she stood as a Brexit Party candidate in 2019.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Widdecombe as a “formidable politician,” while former leader Iain Duncan Smith told the Today program that she “gave her opinions even if you didn’t necessarily look for them.”

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The Prime Minister was saddened to hear of the death of Ann Widdecombe. She was a distinctive figure in British politics for many years, and he pays tribute to the conviction and dedication with which she served her country.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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The Palworld 1.0 patch notes are gigantic, but an understated element of the update was only spotted after players dove into the new content themselves. Several old Pals have been redesigned, seemingly to bring them up to par with modern creature designs, but many fans also noted that the new versions put some distance between similar Pokemon designs that sparked comparisons in the past.

On the Palworld subreddit, user Silverr98 assembled side-by-side comparisons of the new designs for four updated Pals. Verdash, a green bipedal Pal, is now a bit shorter but has much longer ears, a less pronounced collar, and poofier shorts.

I think this is all redesigns from r/Palworld

"Verdash actually has its own identity now instead of giving off 'legally distinct Cinderace' vibes," Reddit user Pends101 says in a reply, and they're not the only one that feels this way.

"Verdash is now a smol boi instead of grass Cinderace," says Twitter user Rasen .

The Pal Robinquill, whose colors and overall shape drew comparisons to the Pokemon Decidueye, now sports an olive green cloak and a leaner silhouette which sheds the feather headpiece altogether.

Similarly, Fenglope, which previously used colors close to the horse-like Pokemon Cobalion, now uses a purple palette and has more flame-like horns.

Players also spotted a small change to the Pal Grintale, whose bright yellow eyes and jagged smile were often compared to the Galarian version of the Pokemon Meowth. After update 1.0, Grintale has subtle eye markings and straight teeth, with more of a Cheshire Cat vibe overall. Congratulations on getting the braces off.

Obviously, Pocketpair hasn't drawn a straight line from these changes to the Nintendo lawsuit it's still dealing with , but assuming it was a motivating factor, this wouldn't be the first time the developer has updated Palworld to avoid overlap with Pokemon.

Reactions to the new Pal designs seem pretty positive overall, and they do feel closer to the more recent (and, in my opinion, generally better) Pal designs. We still haven't topped the best Pal design of all time, though: Chillet.

Palworld 1.0 sees the survival game's biggest Steam player spike since its record-breaking early access launch and 96% positive reviews: "Better than even Pokemon."

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U.S. Marines on Guam recently fired the service’s new Medium-Range Intercept Capability system, representing the validation of the Corps’ first medium-range air defense system since the divestment of the service’s legacy HAWK platform in the 1990s.

The ongoing Exercise Valiant Shield became the proving ground for III Marine Expeditionary Force personnel, as Marines at Camp Blaz successfully used the MRIC to intercept an aerial target on June 30, 2026.

The MRIC is a “significant leap in operational capability,” a service release stated. The system bridges the gap between the shoulder-fired Stinger Man-Portable Air Defense System and the long-range Patriot missile system and is designed for the “expeditionary nature of Marine Corps operations.”

Deployed via trailers carrying 20 interceptors each, MRIC systems can down targets from two to 43 miles away.

The deployment of the system allows Marines to provide an “air defense umbrella” that moves with Marine forces as they maneuver inside an enemy’s weapons engagement zone, all while defending critical assets like expeditionary air bases, runways and forward arming and refueling points, according to a service release.

In 2023, the service announced that it would incorporate technology from Israel’s Iron Dome system to help furnish the Corps with its first medium-range air defense system in decades.

According to the service’s Force Design 2030 , three batteries of MRIC are slated to be fielded by 2028.

“Before the MRIC, we were primarily a short-range air defense capability,” Maj. Emi Gutierrez, commander of the firing battery, said in the release. “The Marine Corps employed the Stinger for years, but that capability is significantly different. With the evolution of air defense weapon systems, we saw a need to adapt.

“Our ability to rapidly insert and fill critical gaps within an integrated air defense system is critical not only to the Marine Corps but also the joint force as a whole,” Gutierrez continued. “The MRIC fits into expeditionary warfare perfectly because of its ability to be rapidly deployed.”

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The first customer Apollo Evo is known as the Caribbean Dragon.

Apollo has painted the hypercar in white with blue carbon accents.

The cabin features many 3D-printed aluminum parts, including the dash.

Things often move slowly in the world of multi-million-dollar hypercars. Extreme designs and ambitious performance targets, paired with tiny manufacturer footprints, mean the wait between a promised car and an actual one usually stretches into years. The Apollo Evo proves the point. It first broke cover in late 2021, and only now has the first customer-spec example arrived.

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Presented at the Goodwood Festival of Speed , the first Apollo Evo is named the Caribbean Dragon. The supercar launches 20 years after the radical Gumpert Apollo and will be capped at just 10 units worldwide. While we’ve become familiar with the Evo’s otherworldly design over recent years, the configuration of this car is particularly striking.

Read: Ferrari’s V12 Lives On In A Hypercar You’ll Never See On The Street

Most of the Evo’s bodywork is painted in a glistening shade of Pearl with a special Diamond Dust finish, ensuring it sparkles under direct light. Apollo says painting the car was so difficult that it took more than 1,000 hours. For the Caribbean Dragon, the white paint is designed to reflect a white-sand beach, while small areas in Ocean Blue paint and tinted blue carbon take inspiration from the Caribbean Sea.

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The Ultimate Exotic

Among the areas finished in blue carbon fiber are the intricate engine cover, parts of the hood and front wheel arches, and the roof scoop. There’s truly nothing else like the Evo on the roads today, and it’s arguably even more flamboyant than the Apollo IE, which it replaces. If you don’t like making a statement behind the wheel, then it clearly isn’t for you.

The interior is just as special as the exterior . The inner parts of the carbon fiber monocoque are now finished in blue carbon. Continuing the theme of high-end materials, it features 3D-printed aluminum parts with a natural metallic finish, including the center spin running between the two seats and the dashboard structure.

Apollo has also had the funds to mill the steering wheel from solid aluminum and trim it with leather and blue carbon accents. The seats, meanwhile, are trimmed in white and blue leather, continuing the beach-inspired theme, and also include racing harnesses.

Screaming Ferrari V12 Power

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The Caribbean Dragon is powered by, as in every other Evo, a Ferrari-sourced 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V12, torn down and reworked by race specialists HWA AG to make 800 hp and 765 Nm of torque. That engine pairs with a six-speed sequential gearbox driving the rear wheels, for a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 208 mph (335 km/h).

Photos Apollo

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Poland’s first offshore wind farm has begun to deliver electricity. Once complete, the facility, known as Baltic Power, will generate 4 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually, enough to meet around 3% of Poland’s demand, powering the equivalent of 1.5 million homes.

The project is part of ambitious plans by Poland to develop wind farms along its Baltic Sea coastline. The government aims for around a fifth of the country’s electricity to come from offshore wind by 2040, as Poland moves away from reliance on coal and towards renewables and nuclear.

💡 Baltic Power będzie produkować energię dla ponad 1,5 mln gospodarstw domowych.

To skala porównywalna z łączną liczbą gospodarstw w Warszawie, Poznaniu i Trójmieście. Energia z Bałtyku oznacza więcej czystego prądu w polskim systemie i większą niezależność energetyczną kraju. pic.twitter.com/QRV9t1cAFw

— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) July 10, 2026

“This is a technological victory for all those who believed that Poland could be among the leading countries in modern energy,” declared Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a ceremony announcing the first electricity from the Baltic Power facility.

He said that offshore wind would help protect Poland’s energy security and sovereignty by providing power that is “independent of geopolitical turbulence in these highly uncertain times”.

Tusk noted that the energy crises sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Poland and other EU countries stopped importing Russian gas and oil , and the current crisis in the Middle East, which has prevented oil and gas exports from the region, highlight how important it is to have a diverse energy mix.

“Polish wind will blow regardless of what happens in Iran or Moscow,” said Tusk. He also noted that, in the same coastal district where the offshore electricity comes onshore, Poland will soon build its first nuclear power plant as another key component of its energy strategy.

Popłynął pierwszy prąd z naszej morskiej farmy wiatrowej. Polska zwycięża! 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/I4b6672BN5

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) July 10, 2026

Plans to build offshore wind farms and nuclear power plants were launched under Poland’s former Law and Justice (PiS) administration and have been continued by Tusk’s coalition government, which took power from PiS in December 2023.

Construction of Baltic Power began last year , and 54 turbines have already been installed. The project is a joint venture between Polish state energy giant Orlen – which has long been associated primarily with oil but has moved into greener forms of energy – and Canadian company Northland Power.

Baltic Power is scheduled to be completed by autumn this year, by which time 76 turbines will have been installed, with a total capacity of 1.2 gigawatts (GW). Over the coming years, five more wind farms are due to be established in the Polish Baltic, with a combined capacity of just over 6 GW.

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Other projects include another by Orlen, called Baltic East ; the Baltic 9 by PGE, another state energy firm; and a project developed by private Polish firm Polenergia and Norway’s Equinor.

In a major development last December, Poland’s Energy Regulatory Office (URE) concluded the country’s first-ever auction for offshore wind power, awarding contracts to three projects with a combined capacity of 3.4 gigawatts (GW).

The agreements provide for guaranteed prices for electricity produced from the wind farms for 25 years, with the state making up the costs if prices are lower but receiving excess revenues if they are higher.

Poland has also undertaken major investments in its power grid and other infrastructure to accommodate increased renewable sources , with much of the work funded by billions of euros from the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery funds.

Poland has successfully completed its first auction for offshore wind power.

It awarded contracts for three projects with a combined capacity of 3.4 GW, making it the largest such auction anywhere in Europe this year https://t.co/L3tYgbwS8D

— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) December 19, 2025

The developments are part of a major shift by Poland, begun under PiS and continued by Tusk, to move away from coal, which still accounts for around half of power generation .

In 2023, PiS set out plans for Poland to generate around three quarters of its electricity from zero-emissions sources by 2040, with 51% coming from renewables and 23% from nuclear.

Under a national energy and climate plan approved by the current government last month, it plans by 2040 for Poland to generate 18-21% of power from offshore wind and 22-27% from onshore wind. A further 15-16% will come from nuclear, 14-18% from solar, 7-8% from gas and 0-5% from coal.

Speaking at today’s ceremony alongside Tusk, energy and climate minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska admitted that “offshore [wind] energy is more expensive than onshore wind or photovoltaic [solar] sources, but it competes well with gas and coal”.

Hennig-Kloska previously led efforts by the current government to expand onshore wind power, which had been largely blocked by the former PiS administration . However, a bill intended to loosen the rules for building onshore turbines was vetoed last year by PiS-aligned President Karol Nawrocki.

Poland's new president has used his veto for the first time, against a bill easing rules for building onshore wind turbines and freezing household electricity prices.

He criticised the government for combining the two issues in one piece of legislation https://t.co/1dCOUt7yQN

— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) August 21, 2025

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Orlen (press materials)