Isabella Products' Vizit: first 2-way touchscreen photo frame headed to AT&T in early 2010
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Nov 5th 2009 4:53AM
posted Nov 5th 2009 4:53AM
Isabella Products' Digital Photo Frame Connects Families and Friends Over The AT&T Wireless Network
November 5, 2009
Vizit™ is the First Two-Way, Touch Screen Photo Frame to Deliver Images Over the Mobile Network
San Francisco, CA - November 5, 2009 - Isabella Products, Inc. and AT&T* announced today that the industry's first two-way, fully interactive digital photo frame –Vizit–will be powered by the AT&T wireless network.
Vizit enables people to send and receive digital photos over the air and features an easy-to-use interface, real time photo sharing, a full-touch interactive display and remote photo management from VizitMe.com. Vizit's unique combination of touch-screen technology, proprietary software and cellular connectivity creates a rich, yet effortless, photo sharing experience. Vizit will be available in early 2010 at www.VizitMe.com and other online retailers.
With Vizit, parents can take a picture of their child's first steps in San Francisco from their camera phone, for example, and send it instantaneously to a Vizit frame sitting next to the proud grandparents in a New York City living room. Images are delivered immediately to the Vizit frame, without any action required from the recipient.
"Digital frames have been a great step forward in viewing convenience, but there has not yet been a single product that allows consumers to fully interact with their photos in a meaningful way," said Matthew I. Growney, Founder and CEO of Isabella Products. "With Vizit, one can now interact with their photo collection, as opposed to only receiving photos to view. Vizit combines two-way capabilities with an attractive, innovative design and an interface that makes it simple for anyone to use."
Vizit will leverage AT&T's nationwide wireless network to receive photos from mobile phones, e-mail, computers or Internet photo management sites. Users can send pictures directly from the Vizit to friends and family's email or to another Vizit, enabling them to build a private community of friends and family who are sharing their lives all at the same time.
"Photo sharing has evolved to a new level with Vizit," said Glenn Lurie, president of AT&T emerging devices, resale and partnerships. "The days of stockpiling photos on a camera or wireless phone until you get a chance to load them to a PC or photo sharing site are behind us. With a Vizit and a wireless connection, we're able to share photos in the moment."
Vizit's 10.4" high-resolution touch screen features easy-to-use icons and an intuitive carousel menu to navigate through photos. Users can see all photos in the gallery view, create photo slideshows, rotate or enlarge photos to fill the screen. When photos arrive on the frame, users can send replies back to friends and forward photos along to other friends and family. The frame's connection to the mobile network allows for features currently in development for early next year, such as eCommerce on the frame, to be sent seamlessly over the air.
Remote photo management is part of the overall Vizit experience. Each Vizit owner will have a personal Vizitme.com online account where they can fully manage their photos on the Vizit frame, including editing captions, creating slideshows, archiving photos, and inviting friends and family to share their photo albums.
With an ultra-thin display, Vizit is wall mountable and is available in gunmetal with black or rosewood accents, and silver with white or teak accents measuring 10.9" wide x 7.4" high x .65" deep. The suggested retail price is $279.99, and requires a monthly or annual photo plan.
Vizit feature highlights include:
Sending photos with ease - Photos can be sent to the Vizit frame via MMS or email from one's phone, Internet, PC or even Vizit to Vizit.
Real-time sharing - Receive photos of important milestones and memories in real-time from anyone, anywhere by way of the frame's two-way cellular network connection.
Full-circle experience - Share, reply and forward your photos directly from the Vizit frame with just a touch.
Full-touch display - The Vizit frame automatically scales your photos to ensure they look their very best on a clear 10.4" full-touch LCD. Touch the screen anywhere to pause the slideshow of photos and display the carousel menu, previous-next photo arrows, and an info balloon with photo date, sender and caption info.
Intuitive interface - The touch-activated carousel menu features simple graphic icons and large touch targets, providing easy and fun navigation for all ages and levels of tech savvy.
Always up-to-date - Software updates are sent seamlessly over-the-air without requiring further action from the user or interrupting the Vizit experience.
November 5, 2009
Vizit™ is the First Two-Way, Touch Screen Photo Frame to Deliver Images Over the Mobile Network
San Francisco, CA - November 5, 2009 - Isabella Products, Inc. and AT&T* announced today that the industry's first two-way, fully interactive digital photo frame –Vizit–will be powered by the AT&T wireless network.
Vizit enables people to send and receive digital photos over the air and features an easy-to-use interface, real time photo sharing, a full-touch interactive display and remote photo management from VizitMe.com. Vizit's unique combination of touch-screen technology, proprietary software and cellular connectivity creates a rich, yet effortless, photo sharing experience. Vizit will be available in early 2010 at www.VizitMe.com and other online retailers.
With Vizit, parents can take a picture of their child's first steps in San Francisco from their camera phone, for example, and send it instantaneously to a Vizit frame sitting next to the proud grandparents in a New York City living room. Images are delivered immediately to the Vizit frame, without any action required from the recipient.
"Digital frames have been a great step forward in viewing convenience, but there has not yet been a single product that allows consumers to fully interact with their photos in a meaningful way," said Matthew I. Growney, Founder and CEO of Isabella Products. "With Vizit, one can now interact with their photo collection, as opposed to only receiving photos to view. Vizit combines two-way capabilities with an attractive, innovative design and an interface that makes it simple for anyone to use."
Vizit will leverage AT&T's nationwide wireless network to receive photos from mobile phones, e-mail, computers or Internet photo management sites. Users can send pictures directly from the Vizit to friends and family's email or to another Vizit, enabling them to build a private community of friends and family who are sharing their lives all at the same time.
"Photo sharing has evolved to a new level with Vizit," said Glenn Lurie, president of AT&T emerging devices, resale and partnerships. "The days of stockpiling photos on a camera or wireless phone until you get a chance to load them to a PC or photo sharing site are behind us. With a Vizit and a wireless connection, we're able to share photos in the moment."
Vizit's 10.4" high-resolution touch screen features easy-to-use icons and an intuitive carousel menu to navigate through photos. Users can see all photos in the gallery view, create photo slideshows, rotate or enlarge photos to fill the screen. When photos arrive on the frame, users can send replies back to friends and forward photos along to other friends and family. The frame's connection to the mobile network allows for features currently in development for early next year, such as eCommerce on the frame, to be sent seamlessly over the air.
Remote photo management is part of the overall Vizit experience. Each Vizit owner will have a personal Vizitme.com online account where they can fully manage their photos on the Vizit frame, including editing captions, creating slideshows, archiving photos, and inviting friends and family to share their photo albums.
With an ultra-thin display, Vizit is wall mountable and is available in gunmetal with black or rosewood accents, and silver with white or teak accents measuring 10.9" wide x 7.4" high x .65" deep. The suggested retail price is $279.99, and requires a monthly or annual photo plan.
Vizit feature highlights include:
Sending photos with ease - Photos can be sent to the Vizit frame via MMS or email from one's phone, Internet, PC or even Vizit to Vizit.
Real-time sharing - Receive photos of important milestones and memories in real-time from anyone, anywhere by way of the frame's two-way cellular network connection.
Full-circle experience - Share, reply and forward your photos directly from the Vizit frame with just a touch.
Full-touch display - The Vizit frame automatically scales your photos to ensure they look their very best on a clear 10.4" full-touch LCD. Touch the screen anywhere to pause the slideshow of photos and display the carousel menu, previous-next photo arrows, and an info balloon with photo date, sender and caption info.
Intuitive interface - The touch-activated carousel menu features simple graphic icons and large touch targets, providing easy and fun navigation for all ages and levels of tech savvy.
- Gallery view displays thumbnails of all photos on the frame. Touch any thumbnail to select that photo for full-screen viewing. Touch the photo again to resume slideshow.
- Favorite icon lets users tag a photo as a "Favorite" for the Favorite slideshow. A favorite will never be deleted from your frame.
- Select play to view the various slideshows; All Photos, Favorites, or Most Recent (photos received within 48 hours).
Always up-to-date - Software updates are sent seamlessly over-the-air without requiring further action from the user or interrupting the Vizit experience.
Would Prefer a 3 way...
Maybe I'm in the minority but I want good looking cheaper photo frames. Not more expensive ones bundled with "useless" features.
As long as I can copy pictures from my computer to an SD card and stick it in the back then I don't need WiFi, internet connectivity, Skype, MSN messenger, content sharing, Bluetooth or 101 other things which will be used only a couple of times and yet add $$ onto the price of the product.
Keep it simple!
I'm in the other camp, since I have a technologically incompetent mom.
I would like a photo frame that allows me to "beam" her new photos, but without outrageous monthly fees or an outrageous starting price.
lunch?
its breakfast time...
T-Mobile tried that too, anyone remember the Cameo?
Yeah, that's what i thought.
Doesn't anybody remember the early days of digital photo frames? They were pretty damn expensive. People still bought them, and look what's happened... I think it'll be more of a niche market-type thing. I'm sure there are a number of people who would like something like this, and I'm sure those people would expect to pay the premium for such capabilities. Although I wouldn't expect the monthly charge to be anywhere above $10. Anything below would seem reasonable, but I really wonder what they'll do if people want multiple frames? They'd almost have to have some sort of packaged deal with the monthly charge...
Thanks for all the comments, we really appreciate everyone’s feedback and the great post Thomas Ricker.
For millions of consumers that have already purchased photo frames in the U.S., their biggest pain points seem to have been associated with the poor user interface of the device, lack of a secure and scalable photo management Web service, and the complications that WIFI networking provide for millions of today’s consumers. To date, photos frames have been primarily one-way collection points.
For all of Vizit’s extremely convenient and valuable features, we are charging our consumers the equivalent of the price of a mobile game (monthly). Not a steep price to stay connected among family and friends. As we continue to get user feedback, we’ll of course re-evaluate various pricing packages. Our future customers are very important to us so we’re always listening to learn more.
-Isabella Products
so your saying the cost will be less than 2.99 a month for using your vizit to vizit direct or is that the cost for using any webservice. Because first i dont see the need for the att tie in. Yes i am sure that you will have alot of customers than dont have there own wifi and dont own a computer and want to share with people. But for he customers that do have wifi and already use flickr and services like that then there should be no charge other than the cost of the frame.
Why the fuck is this coming to ATT and not being sold in walmart?
This would work for my mother, _if_ she can get AT&T reception and the monthly cost is not too high.
We got my in-laws a frame we can email to, that hooks into their wireless network. Works great for them, and there is no monthly charge.
The kids and grandkids all over the country can email them photos.
We held off buying a frame for them until we found one with no monthly fees. I know companies like them, but we are getting killed with monthly fees. $10 or $15 may not seem like much, but stick a score of them in addition to cable, phone, internet, (and thing we need like water) and it really adds up.
My Mom has no wi-fi, so this frame could work. Again only if if it is not going to be hundreds of dollars more every few years.