UK Digital Cameras Blog

Consumers looking to buy friends and loved ones a leaving present may like to consider a digital photo frame.

In an article for Marketing News Gadget Talk this week, it is noted that a digital frame could be great in a student home as the panels take up very little room and allow for images to be stored long-term.

The site adds that such a “trendy” item could be an ideal solution in such a situation as very often many people could be sharing wall space in the same accommodation.

“A digital photo frame lets you rotate images constantly from either built-in memory or an inserted memory card,” it advises.

According to recent figures from GfK, the first half of 2008 saw the market for digital photo frames grow by around 75 per cent - and a number of manufacturers are taking advantage of this by offering a wide selection of panels.

Digital photo frames come with a range of options nowadays and a number of people have recently offered their opinions on what consumers should look out for.

Crave’s Lori Gruninsaid that storage can be an issue with many panels and drew particular attention to the Jobo S4 frame which suffers from resolution issues due to its low level of storage capacity.

Commenting on its latest eight-inch digital photo frame, GiiNii highlighted its ultra-thin panel and added that the unit also featured multiple memory card support and multimedia playback.

Venture Beat reported that Intel processor technology was now making its way into a number of products that act as digital photo frames and Sanwa was sure to mention the versatility of its own new PFS-DT800W model.

“This digital photo frame features controls for media playback, mono speaker, alarm clock, a remote control, slide show, headphone output and calendar,” it said.

A new article has states that digital photo frames are a popular and versatile product and are in general “a cool idea”.

Gerry Blackwell states in a recent article for Wi-Fi Planet that over the past few years a growing interest in digital photo frames has led them to become a “hot consumer item”.

He said that many panels can sit upright on shelves, desks and tables as well as hung on walls and points to a number of features included in the new ten-inch D-Link DSM-210 as a worthy inclusion in any panel.

Mr Blackwell, a technology journalist based in Canada, says the model’s wireless credentials mean that images can be easily transferred and displayed and adds that with a 1GB internal memory, storage should not be a problem.

“This is a much more useful kind of digital picture frame than conventional products … The internet features are also pretty cool,” he concludes.

According to a recent statement from Jobo chief executive, Johannes Bockemuehl-Simon, digital frames can help consumers keep “their memories alive and visible”.

Kodak has boosted its range of Easyshare photo frames with two new panels, it has emerged.

The manufacturer has announced the launch of the eight-inch Kodak Easyshare W820 and the ten-inch Kodak Easyshare W1020 and Which? reports that the panels aim to make the most of current web trends.

It is noted that both digital photo frames offer wireless technology and can be easily linked to picture-sharing websites such as Flickr and social networking sites including Facebook.

“You can email photos directly to the frames, and also receive news and traffic updates,” the site adds, noting that the touch-sensitive Quick Touch Border feature “ensures the screen is left fingerprint - and smudge - free”.

In addition, both panels feature 512MB of hard drive space - allowing up to 4,000 images to be kept onboard - and with two extra memory card slots other options are available.

The manufacturer’s range also includes the seven-inch Kodak Easyshare SV710 and the ten-inch Kodak Easyshare EX1011.

Digital photo frames are a great way to save treasured images that would otherwise be lost to a dormant computer hard drive, it has been suggested.

Mark Saltzman states in a piece for the Canwest New Service that such panels are increasingly popular due to their versatility and ability to showcase photographs that might have ended up never being enjoyed.

The article, published on the Ottowa Citizen’s website this week, added it was no wonder digital photo frames were now a regular fixture in many people’s homes, but advised those shopping for a panel to bear some points in mind.

Mr Saltzman recommended features such as touchscreen technology and printer-friendliness, but noted that wireless connectivity was one of the most attractive features a panel can have.

“It’s no wonder digital photo frames are so appealing to digital camera owners as they showcase their archived images every few seconds, minutes, hours or even days,” he said.

The ten-inch Kodak Easyshare EX1011 is one such model that offers wireless features.

Once the perfect summer snap has been captured with your digital camera, a new article suggests a digital photo frame could be the best place for it.

The Nashua Telegraph’s Stacy Milbouer states that everyone has a “quintessential summer photograph” and although it may not yet have escaped from your memory card or home PC, a frame is a great place for it.

Ms Milbouer states that digital photo frames are a great way to show such perfect summer memories and taking pride of place here can remind the whole family of that special memory.

“It’s the photograph that will make your friends jealous forever as it flashes on your digital photo frame during the Christmas open house,” she adds.

A range of panels are currently available from manufacturers such as Renoir, Aries and Kodak.

Kodak’s Easysher models come in a range of sizes including the seven -inch SV710, eight-inch SV811, ten-inch SV1011 and the Kodak Easyshare EX1011, a ten-inch model equipped with wireless technology.

Digital photo frames are becoming increasingly popular as both gifts and decorations for the home, it has been suggested.

Following the results of a recent Futuresource Consulting survey, which showed that around 3.8 million panels were sold across western Europe last year, it has been stated that many are being purchased as gifts.

The Inquirer said that in comment accompanying the reports it was suggested that many people envisage digital photo frames as ideal for other people’s walls and this could be why they are proving so popular.

“Design and price” were listed among the key things people look for in such models and this level of popularity has not been lost on some of the major manufacturers.

DigiTimes reports that Sony has launched a new seven and nine-inch series of digital photo frames and other models have recently emerged from the likes of Parrot and Samsung, among others.

The versatility and features available on digital photo frames have been praised as a great way to keep “memories alive”.

A spokesman Jobo, a consumer electronics company that deals in digital frames, said its latest 15-inch model had just such a purpose in mind and added models with interchangeable frames mean panels can be matched to their surroundings.

Johannes Bockemuehl-Simon, chief executive of the company, said: “[Our new] display was created to help consumers keep their memories alive and visible whether positioned on a tabletop or desk or conveniently mounted to a wall.”

Gizmodo reported earlier this week that Sony had also recently entered the digital photo frame market with a new model and other companies - such as Samsung and Kodak - have also been quick to recognise the demand for the products.

In other news, a US pet cremation service is offering urns that feature digital photo frames as a way to remember their companions when they are gone, Buffalo Business First reports.

The multipurpose nature of the digital photo frame has been highlighted in the news this week.

In an article for the Vancouver Sun, it is reported that for many people a digital frame could be high on a gadget wish list and that panels offering Wi-Fi technology are often the best.

It states that items such as Apple’s iPhone are in a similar category and praises a new Wi-Fi frame which combines similar touchscreen scrolling technology.

“The touch-screen lets you navigate through photos and the frame’s menu so hopefully even the most technically-challenged can enjoy an endless digital photo album on the screen,” it notes.

Elsewhere, coolest-gadgets. com reported that as very often video footage can help when learning to perform complex tasks such as cooking, a new panel called the MiBook makes the most of this.

The article states that the works well for those who might need “more help than just a step-by-step instruction booklet” and advises that the gadget even comes with two instructional cooking videos.

A new range of Kodak Easyshare digital photo frames have been praised in a new review.

Computer Active magazine states that the manufacturer’s latest ten-inch M1012 model boasts a range of features has good controls and is able to support a number of different file types.

It reports that the “colourful, vibrant display” of the M1012 highlights the need for such frames to have a decent resolution and notes that the model discussed offers a pixel count of 800 x 400.

“There’s 128MB of memory on board and if you want to add content you can either use one of the multi-format card slots, connect a USB memory key or connect the frame directly to a camera or PC,” the review adds.

It is not just the ten-inch model, however, that is currently on offer from the manufacturer.

The seven-inch Kodak Easyshare SV710 digital picture frame boasts a range of features and connectivity options for those considering a smaller panel.