Let’s face it—traditional rolls of film taken with a regular camera are expensive and time-consuming. Digital will soon be the only viable option as 35mm and the like will become hard to find, special-interest relics. Start preparing for the future by displaying those digital photos loud and proud on a brand new digital photo frame.
eStarling WiFi Photo Frame
eStarling
Techies should love the eStarling Wi-Fi Photo Frame because it sports a few extra options that will integrate nicely into a gadget lover’s life. Using an email address that is unique to each frame, you can wirelessly send your photos to the 8-inch frame and bypass the usual USB or memory card route—though they are present as an alternative. The email address also acts as a login to the SeeFrame.com website, where you can customize your frame. Within minutes, any changes will be represented on the frame. Unless you enable email filtering, anyone can send photos to you if they know your address, which can be exciting and informative or creepy and pornographic depending on who gets ahold of your address. The frame is aesthetically understated, which is nice, and the picture quality is good. For $200 you get a lot of bang for your buck, and the possibilities for photo-sharing make this the perfect frame for a college dorm room.
Pandigital 15-inch Photo Frame
Pandigital
Ever wanted to have the Mona Lisa hanging in your bathroom? Or some of Georgia O’Keefe’s oddly pornographic flowers over your bed? A digital picture frame can be your ticket to priceless art, if you get the right one. Pandigital’s frame has a 1024/768 resolution screen, which provides excellent picture quality so you won’t be squinting at Starry Night. The regular USB and memory cards are supported, and an AC adapter can be hidden within the frame. But a 15-inch frame with a cord sticking out the back isn’t going to look inconspicuous. If you can get around the prominent presence and a $300 price tag, Pandigital can help you realize that technology can be a window to the past.
Westinghouse 7-inch Photo Frame
Westinghouse
Technology too often isolates people who don’t feel comfortable in its presence. It’s a two-fold problem: On one hand, people are afraid of change, and on the other is the fact that they’ve probably been exposed to some bad tech. Westinghouse’s frame is small and discreet so it won’t stand out, but it won’t do much of anything, really. Connecting with a USB cable proved troublesome as the computer couldn’t recognize the device, and the controls seemed to stop responding at one point. At $100, it’s one of the cheaper frames available, but you’ll be paying for the faults in the end.