We recently picked up an eStarling frame for my parents. It's a digital frame like you've no doubt seen, but with a twist.
The frame establishes a WiFi connection to a central server. The result? My brothers and I can now e-mail pictures directly to the frame. How cool is that? I love it when objects get e-mail addresses.
The server side software also allows you to hook up the frame to arbitrary RSS feeds (how slick is that?) and to upload files directly to the frame.
The remote maintenance would be especially handy if my dad wasn't so tech savvy. I love the idea of being able to just fix the frame without them having to do anything.
Come to think of it, why can't we setup computers this same way? I don't want access to the parents/grandparents/friends desktop, I want total *control* over it, and as a side effect have it show up on a monitor in my their house? Oh well, another idea for another time.
The eStarling frame was painless to setup, though it couldn't see the network initially, which was disappointing. It's also dropped the network connection at least once, which was also a serious issue. Though maybe it was a temporary glitch, as things seem stable now.
The only other issue I have is that the frame size is pretty tiny. The screen sizes appears to be like 5 1/2" wide or something like that - I'd love it if were closer to say 8x10".
All in all, the device is quite cool and just works. Now I've got to load it up with some pictures...
--Ben
Those digital frames are really nice.
ReplyDeleteThey are still a bit pricey, however