photoframe
Latest
Hands-on with the i-mate Momento 70
Thrown together by well-traveled ODM Inventec, i-mate's new Momento series of digital picture frames break some important ground. First of all, they do WiFi -- a seemingly obvious feature for this category of devices that's inexplicably missing from a majority of the mainstream models currently in the marketplace. Next up, the Momento is among the very first commercially available devices to support Microsoft's SideShow concept for secondary displays that should (theoretically, anyway) untether all manner of information from the PCs on which it typically resides. In that respect, the Momento is very much a first-generation device -- but as a picture frame, we came into the hands-on expecting a certain level of refinement, now that they've had a few years to ripen on the vine. Does the unit deliver on its promise as a highly connected, Vista-compatible accessory? Does it deliver as a plain ol' frame, for that matter? We took the $200 Momento 70 -- the smaller of the two, clocking in at 7 inches of diagonal real estate -- for a test drive to get some answers.%Gallery-1792%
Pandigital unveils 10.4-inch video-playing digital photo frame
Apparently Pandigital put up some stellar sales figures over the holidays with its foursome of video-playing digital photo frames, and now the company is raising the stakes by tossing out a 10.4-inch edition with 256MB of internal memory. The PAN10-2 features a 1,024 x 768 resolution, 350 cd/m2 brightness, 500:1 contrast ratio, and a 178-degree viewing angle. Additionally, the frame will play back MPEG 1/4 and AVI movie clips, MP3 files stored on the internal memory, and of course, roll through slideshows of your favorite galleries. You'll also get a wireless remote to control the action from afar, and if the quarter-gigabyte of built-in space isn't roomy enough for you, feel free to cram any of your SD, xD, MS, MSPro, MSDuo, CF, or MMC cards in the flash card reader for nearly limitless fun. So if you weren't able to woo your secret Santa into gifting you with a digiframe last month, you can pick up this 10.4-inch rendition for $249.99 in "mid-February."[Via PhotographyBlog]
ARTMU's ePHOTOZIP DEF-080PM digital picture frame
While most electronic photo frames these days are doing their darnedest to look just like their analog counterparts, the ePHOTOZIP DEF-080PM from ARTMU Museum of Art wears its digital-ness loud and proud. And why shouldn't it? The 8-inch screen, 128MB of built-in memory and SD/MMC or Memory Stick expansion are nothing to sneeze at, and the addition of MP3 playback and calendar functions are welcome. We really wouldn't have minded a bit of Flickr/RSS functionality in this thing, but the 250,000 won pricetag ($272 US) probably wouldn't allow such fancies anyways. The ePHOTOZIP looks to be available now -- Korea only, of course.[Via Akihabara]
Pandigital busts out four video-playing digital photo frames
Although the built-in MP3 player on Pandigital's newest foursome of digital frames is commendable, it's certainly not a new addition, and while they lack the integrated WiFi that certain alternatives have, boasting the ability to play back full-motion MPEG-1/2/4, and AVI video along with the usual still slideshows is definitely noteworthy. The upscale digiframes come in 5.6- ($129.99), 7.0- ($149.99), 8.0- ($199.99), and 9.2-inch ($249.99) flavors, while the whole gang comes with interchangeable wood / acrylic panels to fit the surrounding decor. Loading up those YouTube-worthy masterpieces shouldn't be an issue considering the 64MB of internal memory, "multiple" USB 2.0 ports, and a 6-in-1 media card reader that plays nice with SD, xD, MS, MS Pro, CF, and MMC formats. The units also support photo transfers directly from digital cameras, and can accept all sorts of media files from USB thumb drives or nearby computers. Pandigital plans to have these in stores "for the holiday season," and considering the reasonable prices and robust feature set, we'd say those stockings have found a stuffer.[Via LetsGoDigital]
DigitalSpectrum's MF8104Premium: a WiFi digital photo frame for Vista
What's IP addressable, runs Windows CE 5.0, plays MP3/WMA audio or WMV/MPEG-4 video, brings integrated stereo speakers and 3.5-mm audio jack, 64MB internal storage, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g WiFi with WEP/WPA, and can grab media from CF/SD/XD/MMC/MS memory cards, attached USB devices like your digicam or MP3 player, or streamed over the air from your PC or other UPnP capable device? No, we're not talking 'bout the latest PMP out of Korea, these are the specs for the DigitalSpectrum MF8104Premium digital picture frame. This 10.4-inch, 800x600 pixel TFT LCD frame is available in a variety of colors and styles for mounting on the wall or tabletop to display your family snaps stored in JPG/PNG/BMP/TIFF formats. Oh, and did we mention it ships with a remote control for navigating the embedded HTTP web server and RSS feeds from your fave photo sharing sites like Flikr? Well, it does. Hell, Microsoft's Vista will even autodetect the frame and automatically feed photos from the Vista Pictures folder. Thing is, for $380, you'll wish it did more. Available for pre-order off the biggie consumer electronics websites (hint: Amazon) with shipment expected mid-January.[Thanks, dpf insider]
Philips lands the 9-inch digital PhotoFrame
This being a digital picture frame, we're sure you don't need much introduction. What's new is that Philips is trumping their previous 7-incher with this new 9-inch PhotoFrame, giving you that much more LCD real estate for displaying embarrassing childhood memories and too-cute family moments. The frame also ups the ante with dual card readers, we suppose to allow for intense memory card hot-swap action. There's also a little bit of internal memory if you want to be boring about it. The frame comes in a "Modern" and "Classic" design (we figure we're looking at the mod version here), and both can of course be wall mounted. No word on price or availability, but we're sure you'll be able to get in on the action soon enough.
