When is a Digital Frame No Longer a Digital Frame?

June 4th, 2009

not-dpfYesterday the Internet was all abuzz and twittering about SilverPac’s SilverFrame being shown at Computex in Taipei.

Engadget’s blog on the subject thought that SilverPac was doing “it’s best to break the boring mold of typical digital photo frames”. While over at Gizmodo they wondered if “SilverPac SilverFrame Is a Questionably Acceptable Use of the Term ‘Digital Picture Frame’.”

All this got me wondering, and wanting to ask a few questions.

  • Is SilverPac truly “breaking the mold” or is it snuffing out the digital frame’s true purpose?
  • At what point does a manufacturer cram a “frame” so full with technology and functionality that it no longer becomes a digital frame and becomes something else?
  • Are the engineers that designed this “frame,” thinking that just because it has a video screen it needs to be filled up with a lot of gadgetry like a computer?

When it comes to product design for digital photo frames I could not help but think of two famous principles of GOOD design.

“LESS IS MORE” and “FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION”

To be honest, I am not sure this “gadget” adheres to these basic design principles. Why do I say this? Well, picture frames (even “traditional” frames for old fashioned paper pictures) are such that they sit in the background in our homes and offices passively displaying and sharing images of past moments that mean so much to us. Be it simplistic, picture display is the function of the form.

So I can’t help but wonder. Do people really want to fiddle, futz and get greasy fingerprints on another gadget that has functions commonly found on their computer, or better yet, their cell phone?

If showing personal photos is to be the primary function of the form, then I believe these over designed forms are not true digital picture frames. But what are they? Well, to be honest I am not sure what to call them. I do know that at CEIVA, photo display/sharing is the primary function we honor in our forms.

So until the next post… that’s what CeivaJoe knows!


POST SCRIPT: Do I see a trend? Since posting this blog this morning I have come across another “video screened gadget” being reviewed with the hopes that it be considered a digital photo frame. PC WORLD says in their review of Trancend’s PF720 that it “does it all, but… might be too much for those looking for a straightforward picture frame.“  And Tom’s Hardware writes “We’re also wondering why SilverPac is calling this a digital picture frame…” Hmmm… I guess it is not only me after all.

COMMENT

Bookmark and Share

Picasa… NOW Fortified with CEIVA Sender

June 2nd, 2009

ceiva-sender-picasa1

Digital cameras have made taking pictures a simple task. If your camera has a battery charge and enough space on its memory chip, then all you need to do is point and shoot.  CLICK CLICK CLICK… shoot now and deal with the picture file later.

But even though you can click a ton of pictures, your camera memory card can only hold so many picture files. At some point you need to move the pictures off your camera and on to your computer for safer storage. Once your pictures are over on a computer you often discover that not every picture was as good as you would like it. No worry, thanks to photo editing software like Google’s popular Picasa 3.0.

For those of you who don’t know, Picasa is an amazing and free (yes 100% FREE!) photo editing & organizing software that puts a powerful and easy tool into the amateur photographer’s hands. With Picasa you can do editing “basics” like the pros, including: crop, remove red eye, control brightness, add text and more! Plus there are a bunch of fun special effects too. Did I mention how EASY it is?

So how could such a cool editing tool be improved?  Simple, create a bridge from it right into a digital picture frame… and CEIVA has done just that. CEIVA has made it easy to have your photos, organized and edited in Picasa, to be moved right out of it and directly into your CEIVA frames and albums with its new CEIVA Sender for Picasa.

CEIVA is committed to make the “from camera to digital frame” digital picture process effortless. The CEIVA Sender for Picasa is the latest application developed exclusively for CEIVA digital frame owners. Other applications created for these unique state of the art digital photo frames include: CEIVA Sender for Face Book and CEIVA SNAP app for the iPhone.

To get your own free CEIVA Sender for Picasa download Picasa 3 first from here and then add CEIVA Sender plug-in from here to it. It’s that easy. Finally you can to CLICK CLICK CLICK, EDIT EDIT EDIT, and SEND SEND SEND using Picasa 3 fortified with CEIVA Sender.

So until the next post… that’s what CeivaJoe knows!

COMMENT

Bookmark and Share

The Momarazzi Loves Us, Teenagers Not So Much.

May 29th, 2009

momwithcam1It is that time of year when kids all across the nation are feeling a lot like Britney Spears.  Like Britney they are being stalked by a relentless horde of camera welding fanatics. Unlike Britney’s bothersome band of followers, this picture taking faction is known as the “Momarazzi.”

What is a Momarazzi? Well, they are extremely determined paparazzi that often drive mini vans and typically have given birth to their subject matter.

If you are the teenager of a Momarazzi, be warned, there is no better photo snapping season than the spring.  Your sporting events, proms and graduations provide her with plenty of opportunity to take your picture over and over and over again.

How do I know all this? Well I recently received an email from a Momarazzi brazenly sharing her story. She writes: “My daughter went to her senior prom this weekend.  And, as I am a BIG fan of CEIVA, I sent the pre-prom pictures to everyone’s CEIVA as my network is about 20 strong.  Parents were invited only to the pre-prom party.  The kids could not make a move without a barrage of Moms snapping photos.  It was quite the scene which now is showcased on CEIVAS from coast to coast! “

You might be surprised to know that there was once a time when there were no Momarazzis. You see in the “olden days” Moms didn’t carry cameras with them everywhere they went; and if and when they did snap a photo or two, its distribution was expensive and slow.

But all that changed for Moms when digital cameras and CEIVA digital frames came along. Digital cameras made it free and easy to take your picture. CEIVA provided an “overnight distribution network” direct to an audience hungering for pictures of you…. your grandparents and relatives! Easy distribution was the final factor that turned your Mom into a Momarazzi.  Swift access to a family of digital picture frames gives her the drive, motivation and purpose she needs.

What can you do to stop the Momarazzi? I hate to say this, but except for smiling there is not much that you can do. You might as well face the fact that as long as you are under her roof, you are also within her focal range.

So until the next post… that’s what CeivaJoe knows!

COMMENT

Bookmark and Share

“In Time for My Dad”

May 21st, 2009

touching-story-1I came across this story while reading through a HUGE stack of testimonials this week.  I have to confess each time I read it… I am moved. This heartfelt account reminded me that while some people might think what CEIVA makes is just another electronic contraption; in reality what we provide is so much bigger, deeper, rich and meaningful.  That’s why I thought I would share Karen’s story with you for Memorial Day, a time for remembering those in our past.

“This may be a bit of a sad story, but it is true nonetheless thanks to CEIVA.

My father had suffered from Thyroid and Bone cancer for three years. It had been dormant, but had become increasingly more active and aggressive since January. We made plans for my parents to come to Michigan for the summer, but as they live in Houston, Texas, and had to be close to the hospital, they had to stay home.

My parent’s 37th anniversary was this spring. My husband and I bought the CEIVA frame for their anniversary. I spent the time setting up and uploading and downloading the pictures. I created albums for each family and linked them to the receiver so that they would rotate daily.

I mailed it to them and told them to “Just plug it in!” When they did, they got the surprise of their lives! On the CEIVA frame were images of not only my family, but my sister and her family who lives in Dallas and my brother and his family who lives in San Diego. My parents were overwhelmed to be able to see all the pictures of everyone’s family and their grandchildren!

My father was in a great deal of pain and couldn’t seem to get comfortable in bed, so in the middle of the night he would wander out into the living room and sit in the recliner. He wouldn’t turn on the TV as not to wake my mother, so he would site in the dark and watch the CEIVA.

When my father was confined to a hospital bed (set up) in the dining room… they set the CEIVA up so that he could see it from bed.

My father passed away July 10th.

After the funeral, almost one hundred friends and family came to the house to have a meal and fellowship.  Everyone was excited about the CEIVA. People stood around it for hours looking at the pictures of our families and the CEIVA channels and such. Most of all, people where able to see the most recent pictures of my dad, in the days before his cancer was winning. It turned out to be a true bright spot in the day for everyone, especially us kids and our mom.

I am so glad that we purchased the CEIVA in time for my dad to truly enjoy it.

… I just wanted you to know how CEIVA has touched our lives.”

Karen P.

So until the next post… that’s what CeivaJoe knows!

COMMENT

Bookmark and Share

SECRETS REVEALED! What Consumers Really Want in Digital Photo Frames

May 18th, 2009

crystal-ceivaRecently I was reading a blog where the author thought that it was almost magical how quickly digital photo frames have risen in popularity… which made me chuckle. What might seem to be an overnight sensation, I assure you, has been a long 9+ years of steady growth since CEIVA first introduced the digital picture frame to the world. Now our “crystal ball” which has served us well, reveals a secret as to just what will make digital frames even more popular with consumers in the future.

To foresee the future, it will help to look back at the past.

When digital cameras first hit the market they were interesting new novelties.  But soon digital camera owners began to realize that with each “click” there was a free picture that could be kept, or deleted. Gone were the days where one would have to wait and pay to see if the picture was a good one.  “Free” pictures made it easy for the digital camera to rise in popularity over the traditional film camera. However, while more pictures were being taken, most were not being seen. Pictures were and still are just stored away on a computer as data files.

Then a little while later… abracadabra! cell phones with built-in cameras appeared. These types of digital cameras added to the ease and opportunity for picture taking. Finally, it seemed as if everyone was taking digital photos with more and more wanting quick, convenient and inexpensive way to display them.

During the rise of the digital camera, we here at CEIVA were producing our magical digital photo frames that revolutionized and defined the industry. In fact, for many years after we first introduce our frames, we pretty much were the ONLY company manufacturing them.

But those days are over. Now it seems, with each new day, a new digital frame magically appears in the market; while “POOF” another frame manufacturer goes out of business, but not before offering their frame at “bargain” super discounted price.

All this hocus pocus makes for a tough market. To remain competitive, and snag any share of the market, manufacturers crank out all sorts of cheap mini gadget “monitors.”  In the rush to get anything that will display an image they miss that first and foremost what they are producing is a picture frame… that happens to be digital.  They focus more on the techno gadget and never consider what pictures mean to the people taking them.

Right from the start, CEIVA has never lost sight of what pictures meant to people. Pictures, be they paper or digital, are moments of our lives that we want to show and share. Showing our photos in a traditional frame has always been easy. Sharing, unless you had extra prints made, was a bit more difficult. That is where our crystal ball comes in.

From the beginning we here at CEIVA saw only a digital future that allowed for both showing AND sharing.  And while most digital frame manufactures still only consider the showing side of pictures, CEIVA saw that technology could also transform the way we shared our pictures. Frames, for the first time could, be that gateway technology that allowed for sharing. So from the start we “built in” a functionality that makes our frames different from all others… that functionality is the ability to SHARE pictures from frame to frame, no matter WHERE the frames are located.

So if you were looking for a quality frame that shows and SHARES your cherished photo, then your future looks bright with a CEIVA.

So until the next post… that’s what CeivaJoe knows!

COMMENT

Bookmark and Share

The Gift is NOT the Gadget

May 6th, 2009

gift-is-not-gadgetThis Sunday is Mother’s Day, an important gift giving holiday. Because of its importance, Mother’s day for CEIVA has historically been a busy time for us, as our frames are popular gift items.

On the surface one might think that our photo frames’ popularity as a gift is due to the fact that they are (1) super easy to use for technically challenged people, (2) can be “networked” with other family members who have CEIVA frames, and (3) can have pictures sent directly into them. And while all these features and benefits are nice, this is not the real reason why our CEIVA’s make great gifts.

Through the years we have learned something from those of you who have given our frames as gifts. We have learned that when you give a CEIVA photo frame as the gift, the gift ends up not being the physical gadget. The gift is what happens within the gadget… and the “gift” is ongoing and different every day.

The real gift is all those special moments in life, captured in pictures, that come shining through for all to see. Only CEIVA frames allow your family photos to “automatically” show up on a kitchen counter, bedside nightstand or anywhere you choose to place the frame. Be they baby pictures, a trip last year to the beach, a wedding, any special moment captured in pictures now all can easily be shared among family members.

So when you give this special gadget get ready… the experience is beyond description. For this “gift” placed in a loved one’s home connects them to family in a simple yet profoundly touching way.

Like you, your bothers, your sisters, and other family members will all able to send photos directly into the CEIVA frame… from anywhere in the world. Lives, families, and special moments will instantly be shared.

Imagine the joy your Mother, your parents or your grandparent will get each morning as they wake up to new pictures. But know, to them these are not just pictures, they are life, they are family, they are a testament of pride and joy.

Happy Mother’s Day

CeivaJoe

PS: We have extended customer service hours this weekend, just in case you have any questions about your new CEIVA photo frame.

COMMENT

Bookmark and Share

Not Our Words… But Our Sentiments

April 30th, 2009

Let’s face it, there is ton of ordinary and mundane “content” dumped out on to the web each day. But, every so often you will stumble on a picture, song, story or video that touches something deep within you… for it captures that which is truly important to you.

Since sharing is a core value here at CEIVA, I thought I would share a video with you. This video touches my colleagues and I,  for it reflects the sentiments we hold for the photos in your lives.

Quite simply, we know you treasure your photos, that is why we are committed to finding new ways to share and show those moments you have captured in a picture.

So while the words spoken in this video are Kodak’s and not ours… they certainly embody what CEIVA knows to be true.

Thank you Kodak for saying it so well.

CeivaJoe

COMMENT

Bookmark and Share

Do You Suffer from Multi-Mother Guilt Disorder?

April 28th, 2009

stamp-outIt’s just about that time of year when millions of you will again suffer from your annual spring flair up of Multi-Mother Guilt Disorder (MMGD). In fact, many of you will suffer an attack and not even know it.


What is Multi-Mother Guilt Disorder? Typically, it is the panic and the guilt associated with Mother’s Day gift giving.


How did you acquire MMGD? Well, first of all don’t worry only adults suffer from it. However, you need to know that most likely you caught it as a child. Typically the progression of the disorder goes something like this.


It starts early each year as a new crop of kids smash their open palms in to a wet disc of plaster that is to become their first Mother’s day gift. They let their special gift dry, paint it, and finish by tying a pretty ribbon to it. Then as this gift passes from their hands to their Mother’s, the seeds MMGD are sown.


Each year the gifts for our Mom got better, and those who qualified as a “Mom” expanded. Somewhere along the way, Grandma’s became Moms. For many, because of a divorce, a step-mother qualified for a gift. When you married, you may have not only gained a Mother-in-law but also your spouse’s two Grand Mothers. Then what about that favorite Aunt that never married and who was like a “second mother”? Doesn’t she deserve a gift on Mother’s day too?


I think you get the point. We all start out with one mother and end up with a multitude of special women that should be honored on Mother’s day. The guilt and panic (MMGD) sets in as you try to pick the perfect gift befitting the love, respect and admiration you have for each of them.


Good news! CEIVA cures MMGD! How? Well, first getting them all the SAME gift is the great equalizer that ends the worry over one Mom finding out what the other Mom got.


Plus a CEIVA frame is the gift that keeps on giving. Through the years you and ANY of your Multi-Mom’s loved ones will be able to send digital photos directly INTO any and all of the frames you give as gifts, including Grandmas… even if she doesn’t have a computer! You see, because you send a picture directly to the frame a computer is not needed. This is why sometimes our frames are referred to as “photo receivers” and there are NO digital frames in the world that can do this.


So if you want to cure your own case of MMGD and at the same time connect to one or many Mothers in your life … CEIVA Digital Photo Frames are for you. Plus, right now you can SAVE 20%! Click here to visit the CEIVA Store for details.


So until the next post… that’s what CeivaJoe knows!


COMMENT


Bookmark and Share

Digital Frames… with Gadgets Galore! But Why?

April 20th, 2009

swisspixsmallRecently I was searching the web looking for what’s new in the world of Digital Photo Frames (DPFs) when I came across this article:  Cubit Launches Photo Frame with Built-in Florescent Light.

Well, I have to admit that title peaked my interest. Why? Well, a frame with a built in florescent lamp  seemed like an odd feature to add to a frame. I just couldn’t help but wonder if the light, when turned on, put a glare over the frame’s screen.

Then I got to thinking about frames in general. It seems that lately, there is a FLOOD of new frames hitting the market, with many having some sort of “shiny” new gadget added on. It is as if the manufactures think that the more they add to their frame the more consumers will be attracted to buy it. (Kinda reminds me of this scene of Dory in Finding Nemo… but I digress.)

Anyway, I’ve seen digital picture frames with all sorts of add-ons integrated into them including such things as:

Now this is not to say that all these features are dumb. In fact, we here at CEIVA are always thinking of ways to improve our photo frames, and we have had our own share of dumb ideas. But we have learned that what works best is to stay true to what the product is… a  picture frame, that just HAPPENS to be digital.

In the 9 years CEIVA has been in the digital frame biz our customers have taught us a lot about how they use their frames in their lives.  While their frames are a big part of their daily life, they’ve shared that they don’t need or want their frame to be loaded with gadgets that constantly need to be tweaked, tinkered or fussed with like a Play Station controller.

So until the next post… that’s what CeivaJoe knows!

COMMENT

Bookmark and Share

A “SNAPPY” App for the iPhone

April 12th, 2009
Select any photo on your iPhone and send it straight to your CEIVA frame with CEIVA Snap

iPhones are all the rage. With what seems to be hundreds of new Apps being released each day its no wonder these phones are so popular.

We here at CEIVA love the iPhone. Its design and simplicity, like so many Apple products, is an inspiration to us.

So when we can build bridges between our products and Apple’s, we do so without hesitations.

Take a look at CEIVA Snap, our iPhone “bridge” application that lets you snap pictures and then instantly and directly send them to your own frame or CEIVA frames owned by your friends and family.

The CEIVA Snap app, which is FREE, allows you to take a picture from right within the app and then send to any CEIVA digital photo frame you have access to or to any album you have set up on your CEIVA account.  A copy of the picture, taken through CEIVA Snap, will still reside in your iPhone too… just in case you want to show on the go.

Taking and sharing pictures using cell phones just got easier. In fact, CEIVA’s iPhone app is so easy you might say that it’s a… “CEIVA Snap.”

So until the next post… that’s what CeivaJoe knows!

COMMENT

Bookmark and Share