Hammered by the economic crisis that began in 2008, the printer and ink cartridge industries suffered a first-ever year-on-year drop in profits in 2009. Market research firms have released data showing the sectors' profits fell by at least 2% from the previous year's figures.

No wonder some industry executives are often pictured with some unprintable faces and are often heard with unquotable, not exactly filled with optimism quotes. But do not throw in that towel yet. The worst may yet be over, the bad news done and on their way out.

Some industry analysts are saying they have seen signs of recovery for the market. And who are we to contradict them. After all, we are all hungry for some good news.

Research firm Lyra Research, for example, has argued that "print volumes for desktop inkjet printers are expected to begin growing rapidly in 2012 as the technology enters more and more small office environments." Beyond those technological gobbledygook and jargon, what those market data purveyors are telling us that the bad times are about to end, and the good times (together with their prone-to-overexpansion risks) are upon us once again.

And not a moment too soon.

3D Printing, Really

Three-dimensional printing may sound like stuff from a sci-fi movie, but so did airplanes and cars when they were first mentioned in history. Today, 3D printers are as widespread as those cars (with bicycle wheels) of old, but they are, in fact, real and are not mere specks from a Harry Potter world.

3D printing technology, in general, works like traditional printers. A typical 3D printer spits out thin lines of plastic or other material, one layer on top of another, and in the process, creating a physical, three-dimensional object.

Most of today's 3D printers are found in commercial settings, which is quite logical. After all, they cost thousands of dollars. Not for long, though. As some major printer vendors are increasingly showing interest in the technology.

Hewlett-Packard, for one, is partnering with smaller company Stratasys to sell commercial 3D printers. Soon, other manufacturers are expected to follow suit.

Welcome, 3D printing.

Photolab in a Box

Canon's Pixma MXX870 all-in-one printer produces great quality photos without the hassles that usually come with other designed-for-the-home printers.

Aside from offering lab-quality pictures, the MXX870 also features a two-way paper feed system, and it also does faxing and copying. A built-in 2.5 in. LCD screen allows users to easily view menus and images loaded through its memory card reader.

For a printer that comes cheaper than 200 dollars (less than 10,000 pesos), the MXX870 is one do-it-all photolab.