Wah, wah, wah. Does a tiny little LCD and CCFL really draw that much power? More than the fucking computer you're sitting at, and all the light bulbs you have on right now, etc.? I have over 5000 digital photos. Should I cut down a few acres of forest to print them all out? As for how horrible they supposedly look, I'm willing to bet they look a damn sight better than whatever crappy dorm room posters you have pinned to your wall above your disposable particleboard furniture.

superbad

Dude they rock. I've seen a few fantastic displays with multiple frames and some really cool images, we're talking museum quality. Its like anything else it's all in the content. So you suck at taking photos, don't blame the frame!

odom21

LOL @ complaining about the power consumption of a digital picture frame.

On a site that is all about energy hog TV's, energy hog gaming systems, energy hog home theater receivers, energy hog BD and HD players, energy hog HDTV Satellite receivers, energy hog computers (how many people here have more than 2 computers constantly running in their houses?)

Are you going to start calling everyone idiots who spend a ton of money on an Ipod when for a fraction of the cost a Sandisk Sansa can perform just as well?

shaunatk

@DaveExile: Good point #1 - people would be all over it if his holiness Jobs offered one to the world.

#2 yeah they do have them with motion sensors to conserve some power.

Maksimir

Ive had one of these since about 1999 or 2000 when they first came out. We still use it and love it.

You guys are just dumb and jealous.

GoatMonkey

I'd buy one for my desk... but only if i could hook an iPod up to it and watch a movie on the thing in a good resolution... oh, and if it cost no more than $30... and maybe a TV tuner would be nice too... but no more than $30.

jaydez

Excuse me? I am a red headed step child of the electronic consumer world? I don't think so, I happen to think of myself as "not a dork" :-)
I bought my wife one of these and we think it looks great displaying pictures of all our pets on the table next to the phone.
We got my Mom one for Christmas and a keychain version too (those do kinda suck). I'm gonna hafta refer you to a psycologist to try finding the childhood trauma with a picture frame you must have suffered.

pcs800

The only reason I think I'd legitimately buy one is for the office. It'd be nice to have a bunch of photos of my wife and family in one frame on my desk instead of spread around my cubicle.

As for having it in my house... yeah, no. I'd look like someone who saw "Demolition Man" a few too many times.

EvilJ

Sorry, but some of us want to look at our porn with a fake walnut frame, because it's all classy-like.

monkeyrotica

1. what if these "awful" devices had a teeny-weeny apple on the back? thought so.

2. would it be that hard to put a sleep-mode motion/light sensor on them to save power?

3. didn't people say the same things about tvs too large to embed in a piece of furniture?

DaveExile

Jeez, Frucci, if you were not here to tell millions of Americans how to live and what to buy, we'd be hoplessly lost. Thank you for your erudite guidance and expert tutelage. We have been saved!

ninjagin

@smitty1123: Yes, an off button for a device that could just not exist at all to begin with? ;) The fact is that it sucks energy when its on for the sole purpose of looping through a bunch of photos. People won't even be looking at the entire slideshow all the way through. If you were going to do that, you'd be watching it on a bigger screen.

xtremesniper

The worst thing about these photo frames is that they are overpriced beyond belief, and they suck up all the energy that we've been trying to reduce our reliance on this entire time. I'm not about to pay $150 bucks for something that will increase my electricity bill every month, and get tacky and boring about 5 minutes into staring at it.

xtremesniper

I agree with all the haters on this one. Instead of people buying these products and letting manufacturers know that they are on board with the idea, none of them should be bought, that way manufacturers will have no money to invest in better, more efficient technology, won't make them cheaper, and the dream of what you want them to be will never come to be. Yeah, that makes sense :/

Canes816

... All the frames I've seen have an off button, so complaining about them being "energy suckers" is like complaining about lights in general. Or, are we catoring to the "it's too hard to press a button" demographic?

smitty1123

@befrugalnotcheap: We get hit by an 'EM' pulse - your digital pictures will be the least of your problems.

Maksimir

I gotta say, I think the concept is kinda cool, but I'm not going to buy one because I do recognize what they are, and for the general cost of them (a little one being about $130), they're way overpriced for what they are. That I agree with.

However... come on, the inner-nerd in me wants the video/photo frames. Moving portraits would be kinda cool in a "I don't want to admit it but the Harry Potter movie's photos are cool" way.

EvilJ

Oh yeah, Yuck Foo hippie greenies.

Jaymez

Agree with aznsmith - my grandparents LOVE these things, and the easier it is to load them up with photos, the less time I have to spend figuring out the stupid things. Keep them coming!

Ellomdian

Give me a couple of largem picture window size ones and I'll be happy. I won't display family pictures, though. We're a goofy lookin' bunch. It'd make decorating much easier.

Jaymez

I'm totally getting one of these, but only loading it up with porn. My wife will LOVE it.

Elvisisdead

@AznSmith: They WOULD be good for old folks, but Gizmodo is right...the current crop of digiframes is overpriced crap.

I got one as a Christmas gift from well-meaning relatives (even though I told everyone NOT to buy electronics). I smiled politely and thanked them profusely for the "wonderful" gift, then ditched it in a closet.

I will, however, buy the Wireless Pixxa digiframe when it finally becomes available.

PS. I'm not old.

Pixelantes Anonymous

ok so, what's going on? are you guys and jalopnik suffering from an overdose of your chosen profession, or is this some denton-inspired crabbiness?

drewheyman

@xenos: So tru!

youknowit

Somebody didn't get their nap.

werk

You sound like an irrational luddite.

Back in my day, the news was printed on dead trees. We didn't have to use those new fangled "blogs"...

xenos

@Spyrojoe:

The problem is in the above article. The frames are devices that suck up energy 24/7. They are mass produced gizmos that are being delivered by the truckload to the populace that think it's the best invention since the horseless carriage. It's too easy for companies to just slap a frame onto a digital display and call it "new". There are alot BETTER digital frames out on the market if you are so inclined. Basically it's better to save up money for a top of the line digital display with a great resolution instead of these which will appeal to the more impulse buying consumer.

befrugalnotcheap

@FOUR12 That's it, you're on my list.

tivoupgrade

Wow Frucci, what's up your ass? Did someone upload goatse to your digital frame while you were out?

Chimera

We..uh..love them.

Love the small key chain ones, the 4x6 ones with the interchangeable frames, and the painting-size version on the wall when the we are not watching a program.

The SlideShow function is actually the most used feature on our iPod Touch!

We are hoping to convert all of our analog ones to digital by the end of the year....

RainyDayInterns

I'm waiting for the picoprojector version.

ripfire4

Gave them as gifts to the inlaws and parents (all over 70 years old). They love it and there are models out there with decent resolution if you look hard enough. I have one only because it was a gift. We only plug it in when people are visiting.

sora57

i am waiting for a good wi-fi frame for the grandparents. Just upload and it automatically updates the pics in the frame. That is very useful for staying in touch with grandparents who live far away and don't use computers.

glassonion718

I think they are kind of tacky for your home except for perhaps older people. In the office,however, they seem like a good option for people that would like to have photos but no room in the cube.

brianhatch

Adam, sadly, at least 20,000,000 individuals don't have any children or family or life... they're so alone and NEED these things to help them feel normal
... and there are so many nice ones to choose from!
For example, little Britney up there on the swing is my pretend niece.

ANoel

Lighten up, Francis. Geeze.

four12

Actually, the more I think about it, the more ridiculous this post becomes. I mean, what the hell? So it's not for you. It's still a neat concept. I mean, how is a traditional frame any better?

Spyrojoe

waiting for an oled version.

tutelary

I agree that they are in poor taste but I also agree with AZNSMITH about there being no better gift for grandparents.

Captain Angry

I would get one if it was huge, dirt cheap and could stream from my friends' Flickr accounts.

itchytooth

LOL. Thank you thank you for posting this article. Nothing pisses me off more than seeing those damn "high tech" picture frames. I still have boxes of of old family photos and take good care of them. If we get hit by an EM pulse I'll still have memories to lug around with me as the robots take over entire neighborhoods. Sorry, but nothing takes the place of good old photographs. WELL, I DO have some photos burned on disc but that's it. :)

befrugalnotcheap

I don't own one, but I fail to see why these are so bad. I'd use one if someone gave it to me.

Spyrojoe

Man, did someone forget to give you one for x-mas?

I don't think I've ever seen hate for an entire concept of product before. Seriously what's with the hate?

draconis2941

these things are great for old people. and the keychain versions are great for little kids. there's a lot of old people in this world and they need gifts too. load this sucker up with some family pics and scan ins from when they were young, I'm not sure you could give 'em a better present

AznSmith

They pay good commission at FutureShop. Maybe that has something to do with it? o.O

Kaegan

@ADAM FRUCCI: Who shat on your pillow this morning?

Not to be mean or anything, but you're the last person I'd take home-styling advice from. Tacky for the home? perhaps. But these are great for office use, (less clutter on your desk, good conversation starters, and great for slacking off for a daydreaming focal point :) ) so there is still some reason to purchase these. And for those of you who are complaining about their energy in-efficiency, cry me a river while you drive your gas-guzzling to work everyday, or those that keep their 400 watt computers running 24 hrs a day without Energy saving settings turned on...or keeping the facet on throughout the entire time you're brushing your teeth!!

opt2not

@itchytooth: Thats exactly why i chose to build one myself.

I took an old 14" toshiba laptop, took out all the unnecessary parts (plastic screws, hard drive, cd-rom) That left me with about 4x8 motherboard, lcd driver and lcd. I mounted that onto a 20x20 pegboard and the lcd into a hole cut into foam board, sandwiched the two.

I got a nice frame and got the lcd matted to match the decor of my living room, so it looks just like another picture up on the wall.
I run a stripped down version of debian off a CF card on a cf->ide adapter. All the pictures are stored on a nfs mounted partition which resides on my server. I can copy pictures to this partition from any of my computers or subscribe to flickr feeds from my friends and family, or subscribe to feeds based on tags.

I use my ipod touch as a remote to change pictures forward/back and to turn the lcd on and off (running a webserver on the frame for control )

danimal4326

This post is hilarious. Whether I agree with your opinion or not is irrelevant -- just having a piece going off about a gadget on a gadget web site is a refreshing change. Thanks for the laugh!

(Maybe there should be a contest on destroying digital picture frames with the prize being a standard non-electric picture frame?)

Monty

not-the-edit: "they was meant to be" for the win.

GG Subterfuge.

Subterfuge

If someone got one for me I'd tell them to get me three. I'd yank that walnut frame right off and turn them back into the display-only rectangle they was meant to be. I'd find the longest wall in the house and center all three in a row about one foot apart. Then I would display a single solid color, most likely red, and have them fade to black and back variably around every 10 seconds or so.

So yeah, I'd get all self-grandiose with my year around christmas-for-geeks™ display.

Subterfuge

Picture frame? Psh. I'll just get an HD set that takes an Sd card and set it on "slideshow". Perfect way to waste money on energy!

SomeoneUKno

hmm...so we take tons of pictures with our digital cameras, and store them on our computers, and upload them to our flickr's or our photobucket's or whatnot. But we either have to print them out, or only view them while sitting at a computer or holding a laptop? I'm not sure I get the necessity for the vitriol towards digital picture frames. Do you recommend another way for people to display their digital photos in a dynamic way that doesn't involve getting them printed or using a full-fledged pc? No, seriously, I'd like you to give us something better to use, since digital picture frames are "red-headed stepchildren" and make our homes look "terrible"

copaX

Even tackier: insulting the readers.

dmccall

There are at least 20 million computer illiterate grandmothers who have not one square inch of space left to put out this yeares kiddie pictures. I decluttered my grandmothers house with 4 of them last year, loading slideshows of all the pictures off the walls, tables, dressers, TV top, etc which I then filed away.

Now if I could only find a digital frame to hold the knicknacks.

GeorgeH

rofl, bunch of fucking gadget elitists here. People on the internet need to realize that these industries revolve around the average consumer, not some nerd online.

igneous

My brother in law is a Navy man and was shipping off overseas leaving behind my sister and their 2 year old and 1 week old children for a year and a half.

I asked an ex-Navy pilot what a good gift would be and he said one of these things. Sure they're a little tacky, but the ex-pilot said that the homesickness can be unbearable and as long as you have an outlet and a desk, these frames can help a bit and beat lugging around a ton of picture frames or a little picture album that you can't just prop up. So hate on them if you want, but I think they can serve a purpose.

blander

@xtremesniper: Well, they do exist, so complaining about their existence seems just a touch futile to me. And really, I seriously doubt the power consumption of a tiny ass LCD screen is greater than the power consumption of that printer you keep plugged in all day long that you use to print your digital pictures. (you in general, not you specifically)

smitty1123

Wow lazy dumb ass people are everywhere! If you don't want it, on for goodness sakes turn it OFF!

spjobs23

we gave these as gifts this year to both sets of parents and also siblings. our neice passed away in a tragic accident and we pre-loaded pictures on the frame for my sister-in-law. it was a nice touch. i loaded up a bunch of pics from the ages for my parents and they simply turn it off unless they have company. otherwise, it's awesome.

nice negativity. did you forget to invest in the stock of the manufacturers of this popular item?

D.LYTE

Digital photo frames are great. The tacky idiots are those selfish bastards that must not love or have any family or friends that they care to remember the good times with.

FThorn

We got one for my grandparents too. All the kids and grandkids can upload photos to it and they get a constant stream of new pictures of their loved ones to look at that doesn't involve the way-too-complicated email thing.

Pigmann

@dmccall: I second that.
I don't remember reading "opinion" at the top of this page.
I just forwarded this to a designer friend of mine, who said "these aren't that tacky, it all depends on how you use it. One or two of these strategically placed in your home could be a great addition."

opt2not

My grandparents LOVE theirs. And they don't have to take up wallspace and it's environmentally friendly, because there's no paper or chemicals...

I disagree with you, because so many people are buying them I think you're alone, enjoy your solitude.

sibertater

You seriously think this is worse than those 'tards that walk around with their bluetooth headset on all day without even being on a call?
Pick your battles, Frooch.... This is a low priority on the tackiness scale.

homerjay

Really, my only problem here is with the math. I mean, a tacky idiot might buy more than one frame, meaning that, while there might be 20,000,000 digital photo frames in 2008, there most likely will be fewer than 20,000,000 tacky idiots.

Or not.

startoestudio

Thanks, Adam, for saying what I've been thinking for quite a while, now. I mean, do we REALLY need yet another power-sucking device sitting on a coffee table that nobody looks at 99.99% of the time? And really, if you DO have a relative that is so lonely that she'll sit and stare at a digital photo frame for hours on end, just go and visit her...or call her...or at least move her somewhere with lots of other old people she can talk to.

Yes, digital photo frames are the lava lamps of the 2000s; you'll have to until 2030 before they're cool, and that'll only be due to the retro factor.

craigf

This headline might as well read - "If Apple doesn't make it, it must be crap!"

In all seriousness, have you guys looked at these lately? They've not only come down in price, but the quality has gone way up. They've gone from the living room eyesore to the office knick knack.

I bought my (divorced) parents each one - the Kodak SV811 and loaded it up with pictures of their grandkids. They love it!

Also, if you're particarly saavy, you could hook up the wireless at their houses to your Kodak account and they could download new pictures automagically!

Pretty dang sweet if you ask me.

agrajag42

I agree that a LOT of them are cheap-looking, pieces of shiite, but a co-worker has a very elegant one on his desk and it's just perfect.

These are definitely office material (stick the big man with the power bill), and great gifts. I can't imagine having one in my house with pictures of my own kids, when I can just put pictures on the wall taken by a photo studio or something.

I agree with COPAX also. It's easier to give these frames at the end of the year with your "best of" instead of constantly harassing your friends and family to come over to your lousy myspace or facebook page to look at your freakin' pictures.

AJ_Syrinx

Load 'em up and gift 'em. These frames are mega popular with grandparents, for instance. There's worse gadgetry out there.

cheesebubble

You got something against us gingers Frucci? Redheads unite against the dark forces of the world!!!

Tylas

Newer ones have timers so you can set the on/off times. Seriously, get that stick out of your arse.

BMErdin

@danimal4326: Dude, that's sick. You should make a tutorial.

itchytooth

After all the CES crap that gizmodo did, I havent been back to this site. I decided to give it another shot then I read this article, and it just confirms how lame gizmodo is, and how I see I haven't missed much not visiting this site. How are we suposed to improve technology unless the crappy stuff comes out first. I just bought a wireless photoframe with RSS support, and its one of the best purchases I ever made. I loaded an RSS feed of images from my family web site, and now, I see a continuous stream of new photos from my family and relatives without ever touching a thing. It just sits on the shelf, bothing no-one.

Nice to see gizmodo doesn't like seeing new gizmo's that get released. the more crap being built just forces manufactures to create new features like RSS feeds, etc.

teamlouish

There's nothing "tacky" about digital photo frames. Maybe some are poorly executed, but that has nothing to do with the concept. For example, the one you show in your illustration -- what's tacky about it? It's stupid to think these little things are just glorified monitors. Monitors have wires running out of them and are bulky and hot and clumsy to rotate. An 8x10 frame that displays light images that you can change instantly and rotate and put anywhere you want is a no-brainer. Tacky? Don't be ridiculous!

lbjack

I would like to have one that I could use SideShow on. I bought one for my parents this year, and they truely love it.

naegling

Amazing that someone would call a person an idiot because they own a digital picture frame. I fail to see how they are in bad taste. I got one for Christmas that plays, mp3's, avi, mpg, wma and mpg-4. It also came with a remote and alarm clock/calender. I can lay in my bed and be awakened with an mp3 of my choice and hit snooze via my remote control. How am I an idiot for owning quite possibly the most bad @ss alarm clock on the planet?

Sounds like someone is either jealous or didn't get their hug from mommy this morning. Find something else to complain about.

jraymond

Whoa. Take it easy, fella. Just because you have a face only a parent can love and nobody really cares about you to give you one, doesn't mean it's useless. Twenty million units sold or will be sold apparently found it niche on segment of a population for a reason. Live a little. Now go and play with your little Wii and feel happy about yourself.

Good grief.

Darth_Tubbie

I gave my wife a photo frame for Christmas. In the 8+ years that we have had a digital camera we have taken thousands of photo. But we never really sit down at the computer and reminisce. This is the perfect solution. It plays most of the evening as we prepare and have dinner. Sometimes it grabs us and sometimes it doesn't. But we are finally looking at all the pics we took.

ehmkec

So much anger. Digital photo frames often use less than 10-15 watts while they're on, and can sleep. If you forget to turn off one incandescent bulb in your house a few times a month, you are wasting a whole lot more electricity than what one of these things uses.

I don't own one, but I take alot of photos (I have a real camera, so I promise they don't suck) and finding a way to present them other than having your relatives huddle around a computer screen is a problem. I'm waiting to find one with an elegant frame and intelligent menu and then it would make a very nice thing to put on display *now and then*.

mmmiles

For some people it's a great product. My grandmother is starting to develop vision problems and has trouble with photographs. She can, however, see the digital photo frame scans just fine and is very happy whenever we add new pics of the family for her.

I would agree that most of the ones on the market look like trash, but there are a few that aren't complete eyesores.

kitsune23

My plan is to make everyone I know buy me the exact same digital frame for any birthday/holiday requiring gifts so I can cover an entire wall with digital tiles and express true geekdom.

tro11