As curious adults, our minds are often pleasured by information, and the easiest access to that is of course our smartphones that fast become our little window to the world which can be held in the palm of our hands. Even before we get out of bed, we get online to scroll through our Facebook feed, open up Instagram to check how many “likes” we’ve gotten on a photo, and go on Twitter to find something to retweet.
While I have no problem admitting to my social media addiction, the reality is that it doesn’t do my anxiety any good. If anything, social media may as well be attributed to the anxiety attacks I occasionally suffer from; yet, it’s hard not to get lost in the multitudes of impressive travel photos on Instagram. I may not have a sizeable expense to be travelling year-round, but at least this outlet allows me to ‘see the world’ vicariously through real jetsetters.
As you probably can already tell, travelling ignites my inner fire unlike anything else, and naturally, being able to keep digitised photos of all my adventures is extremely important to me. With that said, I did do something different on my recent jaunt to Hanoi in Vietnam – not only did I manage to capture plenty of memories on my camera and smartphone, I also got to print them out instantly with my nifty little HP Sprocket.
While it isn’t anything revolutionary, this instant photo printer did bring extra joy to my travels. It’s conveniently light, portable, and doesn’t even require messy ink, thanks to the use of HP’s ZINK® photo paper. The result is gratifying 2″ x 3″ hard copy snapshots that further bind these unforgettable, and often hilarious, memories. An added bonus is that these snapshots can easily be turned into stickers simply by removing the backing.
What makes the HP Sprocket experience exceptionally fun? The HP Sprocket app that works hand in hand with the printer. Needless to say, photo printing becomes entertaining when you have the freedom to unleash your creativity however you want, and the Sprocket app, which is available on iOS and Android devices, allows just that. Aside from editing the photos, fun elements like text, borders, stickers, emojis and more can be added.
If you’re anything like me, that process is doubtlessly going to take you a while. Printing the photos on the other hand, takes no time at all. With a click of a button, the photo can be sent wirelessly to the HP Sprocket via Bluetooth, and within 30 seconds, you should have your piece of artwork in your hands. Did I also mention that the ZINK® snapshots are also water resistant, smudge proof and tear resistant?
I adore my HP Sprocket, and it’s definitely going into my backpack for my next adventure ahead. The fun that comes along with using the HP Sprocket may wane off quickly for some, but it has been a game changer for me, and for all the wonderful people I have met throughout the world who have gotten a HP Sprocket snapshot of our time together, no matter how brief. The printouts may not be crystal clear, but the novelty value remains and that is all that matters to me.
Pros
- No ink required
- Conveniently portable and file transfer is wireless
- Images can be edited to your heart’s content on the Sprocket app
- The water-resistant, smudge-proof and tear-resistant ZINK® photo paper also works as stickers
Cons
- The ZINK® photo paper can get costly
- The Sprocket app is occasionally buggy
- Sprocket and ZINK® photo paper doesn’t deliver pristine photo quality
- Printouts can sometimes appear splotchy
The HP Sprocket is priced at a recommended retail price of RM599 and is available in three colours – Black, White and Red. Meanwhile, the ZINK® photo paper costs RM40 for a box of 20 sheets.
