Digital Photo Frames Go Social

Kodak teaches picture frames new tricks - photo Kodak

There’s an old saying you can’t teach a dog new tricks, but Kodak has taken the digital picture frame and taught it a few new neat tricks that have the potential to take photography another step up the evolutionary scale.

Two Kodak Pulse digital picture frames, released late last year, the W1030S 10 inch diagonal model and the W730S 7 inch diagonal model feature an aSi TFT active matrix screen with 800 x 600 resolution in 4:3 format with a 400:1 contrast ratio.  The frames come stock with 512 MB of internal memory, plus two card slots and a USB port.

The frame is wi-fi enabled and features touch-screen control menus that are easy to use.

Probably the neatest trick is the integration with Kodak’s web site, which allows you to manage all your frames features from the web and gives your frame its own email address.  Friends and relatives can email photos to your picture frame from anywhere in real time.  You can also set up your frame to download pictures automatically from either Facebook or Kodak Gallery.

It’s a small step in technology, with some reports of inconsistent service from early models, but Kodak brings the price point down a notch from some of the other wi-fi enabled picture frames and makes the technology far more approachable for novice users.  Prices have come down some this year from their introduction, making them all the more attractive.

I can imagine it won’t be long before some events are offering live photo previews and professional photographers start offering services like live wedding photos, as the ceremony is taking place, for friends and relatives who can’t be there.  That’s a step beyond where even this frame puts us, but as the ubiquity of wi-fi enabled image display devices increases, the demand for complimentary services will increase.

Video from PCMag.com

Create panoramic photos easily with in-camera stitching

Ever wanted to create a panoramic photo? The beauty of panoramic shots is that you can capture a really wide view, great for nature photos, and architecture. Several new cameras (and some older ones) make it really easy by doing all the work for you. All you have to do is take a few photos while panning the camera horizontally or vertically, and the camera will automatically stitch them together to form a beautiful wide or tall panorama.

Many cameras have a panoramic mode, but only some perform the stitching in camera for you, instead of requiring you to run some software on your computer. In fact, there is a group dedicated to in-camera stitched panoramic photos on flickr.

Boston Skyline by soelin, using a new mirrorless Sony NEX-5. The Sony NEX-3 also does in-camera panoramas.

185 degree Panoramic lobby by Debs (ò‿ó)♪

185˚ Panoramic lobby by Debs (ò‿ó)♪, using a Sony DSC-TX5.

Cph lakes panorama by extractor2000

Cph lakes panorama by extractor2000. Taken with a Sony DSC-HX5v.

sea panorama by blumblaum

sea panorama by blumblaum. Taken with a Fujifilm S1000fd.

montblanc by mako10

montblanc by mako10. Taken with a waterproof Pentax W80, presumably the newer W90 also does automatic panoramic photos.

dusk by heiwa4126

Dusk by heiwa4126. Taken with a Kodak V705, an older camera known for its dual lens system, seems to be very popular for panoramic photos!

Bridge Under The Freeway

Bridge Under The Freeway also by heiwa4126. Taken with a Kodak V705