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Open Printer challenges traditional printers with a repairable open hardware design

Raspberry Pi powers a printer built around user control

The project rejects DRM restrictions through open firmware and designs

Printers have earned a reputation for frustrating owners through DRM chips, subscription ink schemes, and firmware that blocks non-branded cartridges entirely.

Paris-based Open Tools now wants to challenge that model with a repairable, open-hardware inkjet called Open Printer.

The printer runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero W, which handles the print server, while a separate STMicroelectronics STM32 microcontroller independently manages the cartridge board.

Hardware built for repair, not restriction

Users can interact with it through a 1.47-inch TFT LCD screen paired with a jog wheel, alongside USB-C, USB-A, Bluetooth 4.1, and a 24V DC input.

Printing runs through CUPS, the open source Common Unix Printing System, letting the device work across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS without vendor-specific drivers.

The printing resolution reaches 600 dpi for black and white output and 1200 dpi when printing in colour.

The prototype accepts HP 63 cartridges in the U.S., HP 302 in Europe, and HP 803 in Asia, with black and colour tanks operating independently.

Open Tools licenses its electronics, firmware, mechanical files, and bill of materials under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 agreement.

This non-commercial license allows owners to repair, modify, and share the design, but it explicitly bars anyone from manufacturing and selling the printer commercially.

Relying on HP cartridge bodies raises an odd contradiction, given HP's long association with cartridge lockouts through its HP+ and Instant Ink programs.

This means that Open Printer's refill freedom depends entirely on HP continuing to sell those cartridges in a form that accepts third-party ink.

Progress continues, but key details remain unresolved

Beyond the cartridge and licensing questions, Open Tools continues refining several technical aspects of the machine's core function.

Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity are still being integrated, according to the company's latest development update shared with supporters.

Engineers are also refining ink drying, printhead cleaning cycles, paper insertion mechanics, and dithering algorithms used for colour rendering.

The specification sheet lists Wi-Fi 5 support, which exceeds the older 802.11n radio built into the Raspberry Pi Zero W.

This suggests that networking will likely depend on an additional module, though final implementation details remain unconfirmed.

Open Tools has not published a funding goal, stating that final pricing depends on production volume and component costs.

Certification requirements and remaining engineering work will also affect the final price once crowdfunding formally begins.

Nearly nine months after first appearing on Crowd Supply, the project still has no confirmed price, release date, or print speed.

In a recent video, the company shared a working prototype of this device and revealed that it has earned two French Design Award nominations.

However, prototypes and design award nominations do not guarantee a shipped product, and open-hardware crowdfunding projects frequently stall before reaching customers.

Whether Open Printer ever reaches buyers at all remains the real question hanging over its DRM-free promise.

Via Tomshardware

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What a year it’s been for Taylor Sheridan fans, who have been treated to a handful of new projects, some connected to the Yellowstone universe and other original shows. Sheridan has expanded the story of the Duttons with a pair of offshoots, Marshals and Dutton Ranch , and while the reception has varied wildly from project to project, both have been watched enough to warrant Season 2 renewals. Sheridan is also preparing to return to the world of moviemaking with his new action thriller, F.A.S.T. , which is opening in theaters around the world on April 23, 2027. He’s also been tapped to write the script for a Call of Duty movie in the works at Paramount with Peter Berg directing, and the film has already been dated for release on June 30, 2028.

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The Slate Truck’s options can nearly double its attractive entry-level price.

Converting the pickup into an SUV adds thousands before accessories even begin.

Customization is the brand’s biggest strength and its biggest pricing trap.

Slate has built its entire pitch around simplicity, affordability and endless customization. Those goals sound great together, but spend just a few minutes in the company’s online configurator, and you’ll discover they can also work against each other.

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It’s already easy to question the truck’s value compared to the Ford Maverick , but start checking option boxes without much restraint, and the budget-friendly EV suddenly looks a lot less like a bargain.

More: Carvana May Have A Foot In Bezos’s Slate Auto Already

The startup’s electric pickup starts at $24,950 before destination charges, but that’s only the beginning. Buyers wanting something more practical than the standard pickup can choose either the Squareback SUV conversion for $29,950 or the Fastback SUV for $31,950, both of which add a bed cap and rear seating. From there, it’s remarkably easy to inflate the sticker price.

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The Accessory Rabbit Hole

Slate’s business model revolves around personalization, and the accessory catalog is extensive. Exterior wraps alone can add $1,599.99, while decorative decals, auxiliary lighting, roof racks, fender flares, alternate grilles, spare tire carriers, and upgraded 20-inch wheels all pile onto the total. The configurator even lets buyers choose whimsical graphics, including faux business branding, alongside more traditional racing stripes.

The interior follows the same philosophy. Buyers can add a center console, upgraded armrests, storage accessories, floor mats, and optional speakers because the truck doesn’t come with a traditional audio system as standard. A front-center speaker costs $249.99, while additional dash speakers add another $149.99. Even the dashboard-mounted tablet, which serves as the infotainment interface, a feature that will no doubt be popular, still doesn’t have a published price.

Also: Ford’s New $30K EV Truck Barely Clears An Expedition’s Shoulder

As Car and Driver found, and as we confirmed ourselves, stack enough of those accessories together and the math changes dramatically. A fully optioned Fastback SUV sailed past $46,000. Ours hit $46,607.49, to be exact, and you still have to crank your windows by hand, at least until the electric kit Slate has hinted at actually shows up. Keep in mind, there are some more exotic options like a lift kit, off-road tires, and more that aren’t priced or available yet, so the figure will go up. Importantly, none of this is a criticism of the strategy.

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The Upside Of Paying For It

Pretty much every legacy brand boasts about all the customization buyers can do, but none of them come close to this. Slate lets customers choose exactly where to spend their money without hiding unique features behind a giant trim upgrade. Someone who simply wants a basic electric pickup can still buy one at the advertised starting price, while enthusiasts can build something far more distinctive.

That all said, it’s an important reminder that while a $24,950 truck makes headlines, the price out the door can be dramatically higher.

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Photos: Slate Auto

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Generative AI has given rise to a new breed of business that can generate synthetic content, be it video or music, and Suno AI is among the biggest names in this category.

The startup's CEO, Mikey Shulman, however, landed himself in hot water when he made comments about the joy and fulfilment that musicians get from practising their craft.

Making music 'enjoyable' again

Shulman was speaking on the 20VC podcast in January 2025 when he remarked that making music isn't something that most people enjoy doing.

Quote of the day

This article is part of TechRadar Pro's QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here .

He framed his words in such a way that would suggest that his platform, Suno, cuts out a lot of these steps – largely centered around mastering the skills that you need – which would, in turn, lower the barrier to entry for those who aren't naturally gifted or have the time to 'get good' at making music.

In his words, he wanted to "[give] everybody the joys of creating music" which he deemed a huge departure from the status quo. His remarks, however, drew the ire of countless working within the music industry as well as regular people on social media.

Struggling artists

The threat of AI to the lives and livelihoods of those working in the music industry is very worrisome, according to research , with workers standing to lose 25% of their income over the next four years. It's no surprise, then, that Shulman's comments instigated such a fierce and violent backlash – forcing the CEO to row back and apologize a couple of months later.

His critics also suggested that the comments fundamentally misunderstood the nature of art and working in a medium such as music, where the hours of toil, practice and refinement are, in and of itself, part of what makes it such a fulfilling endeavor.

However, generative AI is still a new phenomenon and companies like Suno have only just entered the arena . Although the nature of the existential threat to the creative industries is clear, the specific economic impact on artists in the years to come remains unclear – especially in an uncertain landscape in which a strong backlash against AI art is brewing.

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Video showcases China's road-mobile electromagnetic catapult launching an aircraft for the first time

The footage comes from a now-deleted social media post from the Beijing Institute of Technology's School of Mechanical Engineering

Leverages China's existing EMALS tech by miniaturizing what it already uses on its aircraft carrier

China seems to have solved one of the biggest challenges modern drones face: deploying without a runway anywhere on the planet, thanks to a miniaturized version of the EMALS catapults found on its newest aircraft carrier.

A short video clip that surfaced towards the tail end of last month, from a social media post by the Beijing Institute of Technology's School of Mechanical Engineering, shows three eight-wheeled trucks linked together in a Lego-like fashion to form a runway that allows a propeller-driven drone to take flight.

The footage also shows all three trucks detached, coupling with each other, and exhibiting all-wheel steering that, in principle, enables them, if given enough space, to launch drones or small aircraft in any direction.

Replacing a runway in the modern battlefield?

China's move is not one that occurred in a vacuum: the United States was the first country in the world to deploy an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), sparking an arms race when it launched its first aircraft in 2017 aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford.

China followed suit with its own aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which sports three EMALS catapults to the US's four, possibly accounting for the Chinese carrier's smaller size relative to its principal naval rival's largest.

China has, however, beaten the US to the punch when it comes to demonstrating a portable EMALS, it seems, with its three-truck solution essentially marking a first for either country.

Chinese state-owned giants account for a significant share of the 70+ organizations directly involved in an impressive achievement that sets the stage for the next generation of drone-based combat.

Despite the video making its way across social media, it was taken down by the Beijing Institute of Technology's School of Mechanical Engineering, which originally posted it. The move, however, has not stopped defense forums and Chinese analysts from offering insights into what is clearly a major technological achievement for the country.

With France and India both committed to launching EMALS (albeit on future aircraft carriers for now), only two countries currently have the tech deployed on a ship, and only one of them has a land-based, portable option in play for now: China.