Toshiba's Digital Media Frame: Not Just for Pics
Nov. 30, 2009— -- Editor's note: This story has been updated since it was first posted on Nov. 30 to include new information about how to transfer photos to the frame using a memory card.
Toshiba's new digital media frame, the DMF82XKU, has great gift potential -- but be prepared for some complicated on-screen navigation.
Listed at $179.99, the eight-inch frame has slots for SD, SDHC, Multi Media, xD-picture and Memory Stick cards on one side. USB and mini-USB ports and a headphone jack are on the other.
What gives the frame its versatility is its ability to make a Wi-Fi connection. It takes less than five minutes to set up, and gives you access to a Web site called FrameChannel.com.
"In general the product is designed to take photos from various online sources," said Louis Masses, director of product planning at Toshiba.
Once you have set up an account (it's free), you will receive several "channels," turning your picture frame into a Web browser or small television, making it possible to see not only your own photographs but also social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Other channels offer news, sports, business, education and entertainment.
Aesthetically the frame has a sleek design free of the buttons that crowd other digital frames.
If you don't want to use the remote that's included in the package, on-screen touch-sensitive navigation buttons light up for use.
Unfortunately the looks are the better parts of the frame. The navigation buttons lack a calibration feature, so the frame can't be programmed to recognize your personal touch.
The buttons don't react to touch as quickly as most touch-sensitive products do; neither pressing them lightly nor mashing them down seemed to work very well. The wireless remote turned out to be easier to use.
