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Cloud Google Printer Windows

Google Launches Cloud Printer Service For Windows 135

Posted by Unknown Lamer from the not-invented-here dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Google today announced it is bringing its Cloud Print project to Windows. The company has launched both a driver and a service, both of which are available for download now from Google Tools. For those who don't know, Google Cloud Print connects Cloud Print-aware applications (across the Web, desktop, and mobile) to any printer. It integrates with the mobile versions of Gmail and Google Docs, and is also listed as a printer option in the Print Preview page of Chrome." One of the things that annoys me about Android: having to print through the Cloud (tm) when I have an Internet Printing Protocol CUPS server on the same network as my phone connected to a printer ten feet from me. It wouldn't be so bad if the Google Cloud Print libraries weren't proprietary and did something like IPP proxying instead of using a similarly proprietary API.
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Google Launches Cloud Printer Service For Windows More

Google Launches Cloud Printer Service For Windows

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  • Ads in the middle of your print jobs (Score:5, Funny)

    by blarkon ( 1712194 ) on Monday July 22, 2013 @10:13PM (#44357501)
    Will the advertisements be in the middle of your print jobs or printed to the side?

    • Re: (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward

      it won't be on the same page, but you might experience some lag due to NSA snooping

      • So will NSA get it then? (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        I've always wondered with Cloud Print, it is routed through Google servers?? So Google and NSA sees everything you print?

        i.e. it's not just some sort of exchange of IP addresses and port numbers, it's an actual man-in-the-middle attack on printing? You print to the printer in Epson in your house and it actually routes the thing through Google/NSA data center?

        Really??

        • What is your problem, they already saw you download it?

    • Re:Ads in the middle of your print jobs (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Demonantis ( 1340557 ) on Tuesday July 23, 2013 @02:11AM (#44358611)
      They will just cancel it a few years down the road when they realize they can't monetize it. After destroying the competition. Leaving everyone who liked it angry and wondering what the hell they are going to do. Sorry I'm still mad about Reader.

      • Re:Ads in the middle of your print jobs (Score:4, Informative)

        by Cinder6 ( 894572 ) on Tuesday July 23, 2013 @02:14AM (#44358623)

        Use Feedly? I switched with absolutely zero issues. In fact, my RSS app updated, said I should switch to Feedly, and all I had to do was click a button and log in with my Google account. It was the most painless migration I've ever experienced. I'm aware that's no longer available, but the service itself is good, though there have been a couple of short outages due to maintenance.

        • I switched to theoldreader. I am really happy with it. It took a while to find a replacement though. Its just frustrating to watch google open up more projects after saying they were trying to be more focused on what they offer.

      • cant monetize? are you joking? this is pure gold - they scan every print job for keywords and save that data for eternity.

      • I intentionally stayed away from Feedly because (at the time at least) it was free. That doesn't scale terribly well, as we well know. I went over to FeedBin.me (using the Reeder app for iOS) and am very happy to pay then $20/year for a service I actually enjoy using.

  • Remember when ... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by BitZtream ( 692029 ) on Monday July 22, 2013 @10:13PM (#44357503)

    Google supported existing open APIs instead of pulling a Microsoft and inventing their own for everything and dropping support for open APIs?

    Whats next to be replaced by some Google specific protocol for Google users? SMTP?

    • Re:Remember when ... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Monday July 22, 2013 @10:42PM (#44357671)

      Whats next to be replaced by some Google specific protocol for Google users? SMTP?

      Don't be dramatic. Google is not going to replace SMTP.

      They're just going to require your email recipients first be added to one of your Google+ circles.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      We can only hope. We need a protocol that has encryption and sender verification built into it rather than all this crap layered on top of SMTP.

      Maybe if Google made a new protocol people would actually adopt it.

    • Whats next to be replaced by some Google specific protocol for Google users? SMTP?

      SHIT

      The new Google toilet will analyze your bowel movement in the cloud. It will look for signs of disease, figure out what you last ate, and where and who you ate it with (using location based awareness). Then, using a synthesis of powerful AI data-mining and machine learning coupling your search history with a list of the contents of your emails and contacts, it will figure out whether you are a pedophile/terrorist/atheist or don't support government spying, and forward this intelligence to your girlfrien

    • Re:Remember when ... (Score:4, Interesting)

      by fluffy99 ( 870997 ) on Tuesday July 23, 2013 @02:08AM (#44358595)

      Google supported existing open APIs instead of pulling a Microsoft and inventing their own for everything and dropping support for open APIs?

      Whats next to be replaced by some Google specific protocol for Google users? SMTP?

      No they didn't Go read the fucking article and do some homework. They WROTE THEIR OWN API! They are also telling developers how to write drivers for existing printers to support receiving the print jobs, instead of actually using existing protocols like IPP. https://developers.google.com/cloud-print/docs/receiveJobs [google.com] https://developers.google.com/cloud-print/docs/proxyinterfaces [google.com]

      I wonder it Google has a long range plan to get all printers Google-Cloud-Printing enabled, and then have your device auto-selecting the closest printer (not necessarily your own) based on your geo location? I still shudder at the privacy issues.

      • More likely: CUPS is owned and supported by Apple. Can't be seen to using an Apple maintained system for printing with android now can we...

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward

        You're agreeing with the GP. A proper quote would be this:

        Remember when Google supported existing open APIs instead of pulling a Microsoft and inventing their own for everything and dropping support for open APIs?

        The GP just split the sentence between the subject and body, like many posts on slashdot do.

        Apparently the moderators missed this too.

      • I wonder it Google has a long range plan to get all printers Google-Cloud-Printing enabled, and then have your device auto-selecting the closest printer (not necessarily your own) based on your geo location? I still shudder at the privacy issues.

        All prints can be picked up at the local NSA field office.

      • You are arguing with someone who agrees with you.

        Hint: The start of what they have to say is hidden in the subject of their reply.

  • IPP/CUPS printing (Score:3)

    by Grishnakh ( 216268 ) on Monday July 22, 2013 @10:16PM (#44357525)

    Would it be possible for alternative Android rom makers like CyanogenMod to replace or augment Google's cloud-printing service with printing directly to your IPP-capable printer or CUPS print server when connected to your home network?

    It seems like it should be possible for someone to make a custom rom set that eliminates a lot of the Google spyware stuff and makes Android closer to just plain Linux-on-your-phone, while still being compatible with all the Android apps.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by _merlin ( 160982 )

      Samsung TouchWiz phones will print without any "cloud" involvement, but only to certain models of Samsung printer, which unfortunately excludes by slightly older but still rock solid CLP550N.

    • You can run Cyanogen, etc, with no Google interactions at all. You can do the same for most of the stock Android devices as well, just skip the Google sign-in.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Well, their are a number of options for printing to a CUPS printer from Android. This one works just fine:

      https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blackspruce.lpd

      Remote CUPS look OK

      JfCupsPrint looks OK

      I would say you have a few options to do this.

      Would I rather see CUPS built in to make it "just work"? YES! I bet we would see a LOT of printers suddenly shipping with built-in CUPS servers if this were to happen. And I would love to see built in SANE support as well (insanescanner is out, but not

    • Re:IPP/CUPS printing (Score:5, Informative)

      by niftydude ( 1745144 ) on Monday July 22, 2013 @11:12PM (#44357831)
      There is an app in the play store that does this Let's Print Droid [google.com] (lpd :-) ). From the description:

      If you have a business grade laser or print server (CUPS,LPR,SAMBA, etc) , the app will talk directly to them without any off-site conversion. No print data leaves your local network unless you choose the GCP (Google Cloud Print) option. (This app is not NSA approved ;-)

  • It would be helpful... (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    ... if Google announced the date this service will be discontinued so my business partners won't be crying like they have about Chrome Frame and Google Reader.

  • PrinterShare (Score:4, Informative)

    by rueger ( 210566 ) on Monday July 22, 2013 @10:28PM (#44357593) Homepage
    One of the things that annoys me about Android: having to print through the Cloud ... to a printer ten feet from me

    Sure it would be lovely to have easy printing built into Android, but honestly I've found that PrinterShare [google.com] works just fine.

  • I guess Google wants to have access now to the traditional hardcopy documents that you provide to your tax accountant and your banker.

    The world is quickly separating into two stable groups: Google fans and Google haters. The latter started as the former, but got better.

  • Android local printing (Score:3)

    by magarity ( 164372 ) on Monday July 22, 2013 @10:47PM (#44357689)

    "One of the things that annoys me about Android: having to print through the Cloud"

    A networked Samsung printer can print on your local network from an Android device via Samsung's print app.

    • I wonder if Google has realized that Samsung is now the greatest threat to Android and not Apple. I know in building mobile Apps we've changed our policy from testing on the Google Devices, additional handset QA extra to testing "Android" on Galaxy SIII, S4, and Galaxy Tab as that's now what most of our clients now identify as "Android".

      Samsung is not a small company and I'm wondering how long it will be until they say, "So long and thanks for the OS. We're forking and replacing your services with our own

  • Yeah, for how long? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    As much as the privacy concerns, I'd be worried that they'll shrug and suddenly decide to 'pull the plug' a year after I incorporate it into my routine. This is too low-level of a function to hand over to a bunch of easily distracted next-big-thing buccaneers.

  • Wow wow wow! (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Wow, they reinvented spam and printer sharing?! What an innovative company!

  • And print it whenever you like. Woz was right - nobody owns anything anymore, you're just using a device (terminal?) to access content that another has agreed to let you access. Soon printing your own content will be seen as some kind of subversive act.

  • For those who don't know, Google Cloud Print connects Cloud Print-aware applications (across the Web, desktop, and mobile) to any printer

    So if I want to print my document to a printer in Bulgaria, no problem! That's just flat out daft. Cloud storage, processing and applications provide ubiquitous accessibility. Cloud printing provides ubiquitous inaccessibility.

    Google 2.0 is a collection of some of the dumbest ideas I've ever seen in my life. Surely there's still somebody with common sense working for Google?!?

    • Re:Google is becoming synonymous with idiotic (Score:5, Informative)

      by swillden ( 191260 ) <shawn-ds@willden.org> on Tuesday July 23, 2013 @12:30AM (#44358193) Journal

      For those who don't know, Google Cloud Print connects Cloud Print-aware applications (across the Web, desktop, and mobile) to any printer

      So if I want to print my document to a printer in Bulgaria, no problem! That's just flat out daft. Cloud storage, processing and applications provide ubiquitous accessibility. Cloud printing provides ubiquitous inaccessibility.

      Actually, I find cloud print to be very convenient. I print to my home printer while I'm at work and printers at work (my office and remote offices) from home, I have printed to my mom's printer and my father-in-law's printer from another state (easier than sending them a document and helping them print it). It's also zero setup when I get a new computer... as soon as I'm logged into Chrome I can print and it just works. No fiddling with drivers because that was already done once.

      Surely there's still somebody with common sense working for Google?!?

      Bah. Common sense is usually neither common nor very sensible. But what do I know? I work for Google :P

      • Re:Google is becoming synonymous with idiotic (Score:4, Funny)

        by OhANameWhatName ( 2688401 ) on Tuesday July 23, 2013 @12:40AM (#44358239)

        But what do I know? I work for Google :P

        Well blow me down with a feather! Someone working for Google who thinks Google's ideas are good.

        Who would have seen that coming?

        • Which is why I said "What do I know?". But, regardless, I do find cloud print to be really convenient.

          • I do find cloud print to be really convenient

            I'm happy for you. Have you thought of starting a club?

            • Re: (Score:1)

              by Anonymous Coward

              You mean a Hangout+ surely ;-)

            • I do find cloud print to be really convenient

              I'm happy for you. Have you thought of starting a club?

              I'm glad you're entertained.

        • The guy's brainwashed. Giving himself up completely to the company. Of course he's going to say nice things about their ideas/products. If he didn't like them, he wouldn't have posted as it would have been career suicide (if he could be identified of course).

          • The guy's brainwashed. Giving himself up completely to the company. Of course he's going to say nice things about their ideas/products. If he didn't like them, he wouldn't have posted as it would have been career suicide (if he could be identified of course).

            Bah, I have no problem being critical of Google products that I dislike, and there would be no repercussions whatsoever. Google isn't that kind of company, there's no blowback for criticizing -- in fact good criticism is more likely to garner kudos. And identifying me is trivial.

      • Actually, I find cloud print to be very convenient. I print to my home printer while I'm at work and printers at work (my office and remote offices) from home, I have printed to my mom's printer and my father-in-law's printer from another state (easier than sending them a document and helping them print it). It's also zero setup when I get a new computer... as soon as I'm logged into Chrome I can print and it just works. No fiddling with drivers because that was already done once.

        So how long before you start getting spam sent to your printer? Or we discover printer firmware has bugs and sending it "special" print jobs gives an attacker a foothold into your local network?

  • Really surprised (Score:3)

    by Lord Bitman ( 95493 ) on Tuesday July 23, 2013 @03:35AM (#44358895)

    As someone who's been trying to use Cloud Print since it launched, I had assumed that the project was abandoned long ago. It has always been extremely flakey, it never "just works", etc. When it works, it's great. When it doesn't, you are left staring at a screen identical to when it does, with no diagnostics, and no sign of potential progress.

    There are also some rather insane missing features, like the inability to rename printers (eg: if two of your friends have an HP DeskJet 1050a, and they both left it with the default name, have fun trying to decide which one to print on. Or if they both renamed their printers, but gave them sensible names like "HP (Upstairs)")

    CloudPrint was a nice idea which Google has given zero attention. I do not expect things to suddenly work now that Windows is in the mix.

  • Is Google trying to get out of their way just to acquire every last bit of information for NSA masters?
    I cant deny information to an app - its an app that decides if it will run on my phone depending on what Im willing to give it. Dont want to share my contact list? wont play half the games.
    Then Google disables WiFi button because 'gotta have this location data no mater what!'
    "Let Google's location service and other apps scan for networks, even when Wi-Fi is off"
    And now they want copy of everything I print?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by cheros ( 223479 )

      Funny, that was about the first thing I thought too.

      Wrt your other complaints I could, of course, observe that other platforms offer a much finer granulation of access control, even AFTER installation, but we still have to acknowledge that being asked is better than not being asked at all, as was the case before..

    • Then Google disables WiFi button because 'gotta have this location data no mater what!'

      Are you saying they have done this or projecting they will?

      I have two Android devices running pretty current versions, and I have a button to disable wifi.

      In fact, I routinely turn off wifi on both devices to prevent ads and other network traffic when I don't want it. Neither has access to cellular data.

      My test for a new application is airplane mode ... if it can't operate in airplane mode, it gets immediately deleted.

      • Then Google disables WiFi button because 'gotta have this location data no mater what!'

        Are you saying they have done this or projecting they will?

        I have two Android devices running pretty current versions, and I have a button to disable wifi.

        this button will stop working in 4.3, it will still be there, but it wont turn off wifi :) it will be there to make you feel good

  • Printing on Android is truly execrable. Some of the better apps have a "Print to PDF" which at least produces a file which can be previewed and printed from somewhere else. The remainder have nothing at all except a "Send to" option which a Cloud print app hooks into. Then the Cloud print app will do its half assed best to rerender the file format and send it to a cloud print device. And to cloud print you either have to be running a PC with Chrome as a proxy to the printer or have a special cloud print ena

  • The Android software works like a charm (except for the occasional forgetting that pages that require logging in won't be logged in -- your receipts, for instance, aren't so simple to print).

    On the other hand, HP's software, which only operated while I am on the WiFi, never worked to print a web page (I could print photos). I'd get a blank page, or worse, a black page.

  • I set this up the other week for the mother in law, and me, I'd stick with cloud printing through Chrome the way I set it up for her.

    Why? Because I can sign out of Chrome until I need it again.

    Installing this as a driver into Windows means I've now put Google into the operating system -- and increasingly I believe they will take advantage of that and record and send data when I'm not directly using it.

    So, I will pass on installing a Google cloud-print driver, because I prefer the option of being able to tu

  • I have used cloud print for my wireless printer for quite a while for home or mobile use. Though always through Chrome browser.

    Perhaps I've missed an obvious step but after loading the Cloud Print for Windows I cannot seem to find a way to connect my work PC to my homes Cloud Print printer. As with many that work from home, I log into the company network via VPN. While on Chrome I can easily print to it but have not found a way to print to it using any Office app as it doesn't load drivers for a "Clou
    • Partially corrected, found it was the Cloud Print Server that I was using instead of the Cloud Print software. But still cannot print, even though printers show online and can print via Chrome. It just gives me an "in Progress" status whether logged in to my VPN or not.

  • ...this project?

    http://www.chromium.org/developers/how-tos/build-instructions-windows [chromium.org]

    Yea, we have this up already, but nice to see an actually-released installer.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • I've had this setup on my Windows machine for a long time now. It's been a feature in Chrome for a very long time.

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