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Posts Tagged ‘frame features’

Let’s face it; it’s that time of year when one can go a little crazy trying to find that ONE special gift for a special person that is just… well, just perfect. While most of us, at some point in our lives, have been on the receiving end of what we know was the perfect gift, many of us still fail to deliver on what we thought would be a perfect gift.

Why, do we often fall short when it comes to giving what we’d hope was a perfect gift? Well, to answer that question let’s look at what makes the perfect gift “perfect”. First, not only does the perfect gift need to be both useful and meaningful to the recipient; but let’s be realistic, it also has to fit into your gift giving budget. But more importantly, what truly really makes a gift perfect is the fact that it touches a recipient in a profound way. A perfect gift will take into consideration and honor the lifestyle, interests, and needs of the recipient, yet connect on a deeper level than other gifts.

So with that being said, you might be surprised to read that I believe that the typical digital picture frame is NOT the perfect gift… unless you take the time to personalize it so that it connects on a deeper level. A digital frame is just the means of delivery, not the gift. The gift is, as KODAK once said, “the moments of our lives” that are shared and displayed on the frame.

How do you personalize the gift of a digital frame? Well, that’s easy. When you first give a digital frame have it “loaded” ready to display photos that are meaningful to the recipient. However, be aware that digital frames are not like traditional frames that hold a single print. Most (not all) digital frames, usually end up showing the same pictures over and over again. Digital frames can quickly become stale energy sucking lumps of plastic, glass and metal if not updated. Over time, that gift you wanted to be personal over time just becomes annoying.

However, one type of digital frame, known as a “connected” frame, will remotely access new photos and ultimately deliver the perfect gift of fresh new photos for years to come.

Connected frames, such ones made by CEIVA, receive photos sent directly to them from any computer or standard camera phone. Plus, while CEIVA’s can directly connect to a computer via WiFi, these digital frames do NOT have to receive photos in this way. CEIVA frames also receive photos through a traditional phone land-line or Ethernet connection. (Land-line connectivity makes CEIVA frames ideal for seniors and less tech savvy people that do not have a computer or the Internet.)

Regardless of the type of connection used, these unique frames ultimately access CEIVA’s photo hosting and delivery service, known as Picture Plan. Picture Plan makes photo storing, sharing and editing an easy, safe and secure process. It also provides frame owners a way to invite family and friends in to send and share their pictures to the frame. The fact that CEIVA frames can have fresh new photos delivered right to them from loved ones keeps that personal connection alive and ultimately makes them a perfect gift.

Last week technology product review sites and blogs were all a-buzz about Hewlett Packard’s latest product release… the HP DreamScreen.  Because so much was being said I found myself enticed to read more and more. But the more I read the more I noticed a pattern develop. I noticed that many “industry experts” were confused and unsure as to what the DreamScreen is or is not supposed to be.

Below are 16 quotes from various technology gurus and geeks who grappled with their own understanding on just how to best describe what  the HP DreamScreen is and/or is not. As you read through these quotes note that what they have to say about the DreamScreen is quite varied, perplexing and at times contradictory. Regardless, I am pretty sure this is NOT the industry buzz HP wanted.

• CNET ASIA-Crave “There are products which simply defy categorization.”
  

• Tech News World “DreamScreen …is it some sort of hobbled tablet netbook, or is it a pumped-up digital photo frame?”
  

• Business  Week “HP turns the digital photo frame into an electronic social calendar.“

• Mashable “HP’s new DreamScreen Tablet is some type of hybrid between a computer, a digital photo frame, and a music player. “

• Coolest Gadgets “In the case of the HP DreamScreen, it might not be fair to call it a digital photo frame.”

• Venture Beat “It’s a category of computer that is suitable for casual use by broader, mainstream audiences who might use it while browsing TV.”

• Geek.com “HP’s DreamScreen wants to be the iPod of digital photo frames.”

• Yahoo Tech “Depending on how you look at it, the sleek new DreamScreen is either a very powerful digital photo frame or a fairly limited Internet tablet—take your pick.”

• The Inquisitr “HP DreamScreen Shouldn’t Be Called A Digital Photo Frame.”

• eHomeUpgrade “HP Launches the HP DreamScreen Infotainment Display“

• Digital Picture Frame Review “I hesitate to call the DreamScreen just a digital picture frame, although it does do that. So it’s more than a frame – it truly is a new platform.”

• Gadget Republic “You see, the DreamScreen is like a smart TV/lightweight laptop hybrid tablet that has plenty of interactivity and always-on connection via Wi-Fi but it serves the purpose of being an aesthetically pleasing media hub.”

• CNET Crave “It sort of reminds me of a super-sized Chumby–another interesting jack-of-all-trades gadget that never really seemed to take off.”

• PC Magazine “The DreamScreen is meant to act as a wireless gateway to the Internet and all of the digital media stored on your network and other home computers.”

• Tech News World “HP has shared its dream with the world, but not everyone is sure what to make of it. The DreamScreen is much more than a digital picture frame, but much less than a tablet PC.”
  

• PC World “But the DreamScreen, for me, is stuck in tablet purgatory. It’s not quite the tablet I want it to be and too expensive to justify as a replacement for the digital picture frame I never use.”

The more I read articles (with quote like these) the more I could not help but think that if the industry experts, whose business is to know and understand new technology, don’t understand what the DreamScreen is, then how does HP expect the consuming public to understand it and in turn buy it?

What finally solidified my concerns that HP has some marketing work to do on the DreamScreen was when I read a quote by Leslie Fiering of Gartner Research.  Ms Fiering, a vice president covering mobile computing concluded that “the DreamScreen appears to be an interesting product in search of a use.

So just what is the HP DreamScreen? Is it a tablet PC? Is it a Digital Frame? Is it  Social Calendar? Is it a Lite Weight TV? Or is it an Infotainment Display or possibly a Media Hub? Personally, from what I can deduce from my own reading, I think PC Magazine probably best describes what the HP DreamScreen is all about. However I won’t truly know until I actually set one up and and use it for awhile.

Regardless of what HP intended the DreamScreen to be, the industry is not getting it.

For more information about HP’s DreamScreen I recommend you visit the DreamScreen website.

Digital cameras and digital frames have made the world a greener place. When you think about it, film is not an ecologically responsible media at all. Film is plastic coated with chemicals. Once manufactured, film is then encased in a plastic or metal cartridge, which then is either put directly into a box or into another plastic container and then boxed for retail sales. The production and packaging of film uses tons of plastic, paper, chemicals and inks… and that is before it is loaded into a camera and a single shot is taken.

Then, once shot, the film needs to be processed. Before processing the film is removed from the cartridge which is then disposed of. Once the film is processed and made into a negative, the image can finally be transferred on to photo print paper. All this film and print “processing” requires additional energy, chemicals (which by the way come in plastic containers), paper and water.

Once printed and taken home, photographs are typically stored in some sort of container. Be it paper box, plastic bin, photo album, traditional frame or even a drawer, photos eventually are stored somewhere. We don’t often think about it, but storage space is typically some sort of container that is made up of material(s)… paper, plastic, wood, glass or metal. However, digital frames can act as storage space too. Unlike traditional frames, digital frames have a dual purpose. Not only do they display photos, but they also can act as storage for hundreds and sometimes thousands of photos ultimately saving space and resources.

Now it is true digital frames do require plastic and chemicals to manufacture, and the paper for packaging to initially market. Plus they will require energy to operate, but in the long run they are much greener solution.  First of all, unlike cell phones, consumers do not upgrade digital frames often. These simple devices can last for years and years. I personally have been using the same digital frame now for nearly 9 years… and have no plans of changing it out. One frame will last a long time.

As I mentioned before, digital frames require energy. But the amount of energy a typical 7” digital frame requires is only about the same amount of energy to light up a 40 watt light bulb. Since most frames can be programmed to “sleep” their energy consumption can be reduced to a trickle.  Energy consumption is further reduced in digital frames that build in other functions such as clocks, radios and phones. These multipurpose frames collapse energy consumed by many devices into one and in turn reduce overall energy consumption.

Finally, there is one other type of green a digital frame can save… that is the green we call “CA$H.”  Using the formula for estimating energy consumption posted on US Department of Energy’s website, a typical 7” frame will consume only $20.47 worth of energy per year based on the frame being turned “on” for 14 hours a day and “sleeping” for the remaining 10.  Considering the hundreds and hundreds of photos a frame holds and the sheer cost that would be associated with processing an equivalent amount of pictures, $20.47 a year seems like a bargain to me.

So until the next post… that’s the green CeivaJoe knows.

POST NOTE: This post was inspired by blog I read last week entitled Green Tip Of The Week – Go Digital With Your Camera authored by Tracy over on Planet Forward’s blog. Thanks Tracy for the inspiration… you motivated me to look a little deeper and know a little more.

The digital picture frame designers at CEIVA have tapped into the fact that more and more photos are being stored on home computers.  The new CEIVA Pro80 frame has been designed for easy access directly to an entire photo collection kept there. A clever new feature included in CEIVA’s newest frame is its built-in connectivity that allows photo streaming from Windows Media Server back to it.

Like all other CEIVA frames, the Pro 80 ingeniously connects to the internet to allow friends and family across the world to share their pictures by sending them directly into it. This exclusive internet connection is one of services that are bundled within the CEIVA Picture Plan. One year of the CEIVA Picture Plan is included FREE with every CEIVA Pro80.

The CEIVA Pro 80 features a high resolution 8-inch active matrix digital LCD screen, 640 x 480 display resolution, standard memory card readers, WiFi adapter, interchangeable face plates and CEIVA’s Perfect True-to-Photo display that puts an end to photo stretching, cropping or squishing. Internet connectivity is via WiFi or traditional phone line.

The soon to be released (release date 8/10/09) CEIVA Pro 80 has a list price of $179.99.

ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS, an electronics industry market research group, recently announced the availability of a new report they have compiled entitled “Wi-Fi Represents Strongest Opportunity in Global Connected Digital Photo Frame Market”.

According to the report, in the first half of 2009 prices for digital photo frames have dropped to affordable levels causing the  market for digital photo frames to take-off. However, due to the down turn in economic conditions and the trend to purchase digital photo frames as gifts, pre-loaded with personal pictures, most units purchased are still quite basic and lack advanced features such as connectivity to the Internet.

The report also states that it is expected that wireless-enabled internet connected photo frames will be a key growth sector and will grow at two times the rate of overall digital photo frames in 2010.

The report also goes on to make the following points:

• Worldwide unit shipments of all digital photo frames are expected to reach 50 million by 2013.

• Nearly 60% of US respondents to consumer survey identified integrated wireless connectivity as a desired feature on their next digital photo frame purchase.

• The total silicon opportunity for digital photo frame suppliers will exceed $550 million by 2013.

• Microcontrollers comprise the largest opportunity in non-wireless enabled devices.

• The BOM for a wireless 8-inch digital photo frame will fall below US$36 by 2013; the LCD, with the wireless module and the enclosure being the dominant cost items.

So while more frames will become connected to the internet, the industry still has yet to understand the value of having frames connected to each other. The importance of sharing photos easily across family & friends’ networked frames, via a secure sharing service such as CEIVA Picture Plan, is the primary reason why CEIVA owners value being “connected.”

Further details of Electronics.ca new Digital Photo Frame  Industry Report’s table of contents and ordering information can be found on HERE on their web site.

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

COMMENT

This 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

Recently 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:

• Speakers
• Video Playback
• Television
• Photo Scanning
• Telephone
• Spy camera
• Alarm Clock
• Pen Holder
• Mirror
• News Tickers
• Photo printer
• Weather Report
• Mini Monitors

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