Digital Decorating

I've been internally debating the digital picture frame boom for quite a while now, and thought that I'd share my thoughts with the world today.

This past year at CES (consumer electronics show), the tech savvy crowd was bombarded with new digital picture frames and, judging from the reviews that I've read, not many were impressed. Maybe it has to do with the fact that many people who attend CES tend to be men who have had absolutely no desire to put together a photo album or hang a picture frame without the help/pressure of a woman. However, it could also just be that the boxy, dull frames are just not eye-catching enough to draw attention away from shinier things.

Either way, I haven't been persuaded to buy one just yet either. I love the idea of not having to print out pictures and that I can update them as often as I get new photos, but I can't help but feel that they could be better.

Some of my hang-ups about current offerings:

• They tend to be bulky and boring; often only available in black, silver or white
• Many need to be plugged in, making it difficult to hang them or even place them anywhere you'd like
• They are yet another gadget that sits on all day, sucking up more energy

Some things I'd like to see in the future:

• Thinner, wireless frames which can be easily hung
• A more interesting variety of shapes and colors of the physical frame, perhaps with the ability to customize the frame with you're own words or designs
• An offering of "bundled" frames, which are all linked to your computer and can be modified from there (which also allows frames to be skinnier since photos are not stored in the actual frame)
• A feature which allows the user to set timers for when the frames should be on or off throughout the day (as well as manual on/off button)
• Picture frames that are directly linked and controlled by your digital camera
• Digital touch frames with photo editing software so that pictures can be edited directly on the frame

Despite the fact that I'd still like to see some innovations from the designers of these frames (and perhaps a price drop =-), I thought I'd share one of the best they have so far:

Kodak's week-old Easyshare line of digital frames are wireless, high definition, touch screen enabled, mp3 - playing monsters starting at $200 each. Definitely the most innovative out there so far, but still are pretty bulky and not quite economical for decorating an entire house with.



In May, Pandigital will release PanTouch which allows you to scroll through your photos by touching the screen. The thing that sets it apart from other touch frames is that it simulates a turn of the page between each photo.

There is also an interesting product from Smartpart that combines a digital photo frame with a printer. Could be cool if a friend wants a copy of a picture you have, but the quality of the prints are really low and are pretty expensive as compared to just ordering them online. Better luck with the next generation maybe...