They say a picture is worth a thousand words! (Then a thousand pictures must be worth????)
If you are a picture collector like me, you probably have a thousand pictures on your computer(s). How often you look at them is problematical, and largely depends on how organized they are. Then there is the question of sharing them in some sort of way that makes sense and isn’t too complicated. So far, so good…but none of the web based sharing sites are all that easy to use for everyone, and of course, require a computer! What about a picture frame that sits on a table, desk, or where-ever and automatically gets updated via the internet, either wirelessly or, via an Ethernet cable? Not only has D-link produced a frame that does this, the DSM-210, it also can provide weather, RSS feeds, news, and a whole lot of other information, all without using a computer!
Users can upload photos from their own computers or from such Internet sites as Flickr, Picasa and Facebook. Additionally, the frame can be linked to a free FrameChannel account, which includes over 400 channels of dynamic content and the ability to manage the D-Link DSM-210 remotely over the Internet. This is a really unique capability and I would suggest you take a look at the huge amount of options available to you at http://www.framechannel.com/.
You’ll be amazed at the selections you can add to your frame. The ladies I suspect will be especially impressed with the shopping channels they can add to the frame. It accepts most flash formats, including thumb drives, SD, MMC and Memory Stick, and it can interface with local UPnP servers like Media Center. This also makes for a quick and easy way to go directly from your digital camera to the frame, again, this happens without the need for a computer. Best of all, it has an internal memory of 1 gig so you can transfer pictures from any of these sources to the my favorites option and run them from that. Makes an ideal gift for family, especially for those who have computers but haven’t worked out a way to organize and view all the pictures they get via e-mail. The D-Link DSM-210 features a green-mode, in which the device automatically shuts off and on as people enter the room.
Following is a series of pictures that will give you a sense of just how versatile this is.
Here’s a look at the front of a Frame which has a black removable faceplate.
I changed mine to the white one that comes with it.
This is a look at the back and a side view where most of the connections are. The stand here is connected in the horizontal mode, but can also be attached in a vertical or portrait mode. Additionally, there are mounting slots to allow for hanging on a wall if that’s how you want to use it.
Here is a look at the credit card size remote that controls all the frames functions.
Setting up for use on your wireless network or via an Ethernet cable is pretty straight-forward, pretty much the same as setting up a new desktop or laptop. The instructions are easy to follow and if you get stuck there is a number to call for help. I used it as I thought I had a problem connecting to my wireless router. I had no trouble getting connected to a helpful tech in CA and it turned out I was just impatient and wasn’t waiting long enough for the frame to connect to the router…what…me impatient! Never {:-).
After you find your router on the list that appears, you use the remote with the on-screen keyboard to type in your password (you are running a secure wireless network, aren’t you?) And that sets you up to start using all the various ways there are to display your pictures.
Here’s what the signup screen looks like on framechannel
Four steps and you’re in business.
Once you have set up an account you can begin to add all sorts of neat things and you will have an initial view on your frame, something like this.
D-Link also offers a Widget to use with your DSM-210 frame. A Widget is a small interactive software application loaded on your desktop that will provide visual information to commonly used functions such as calendars, clocks, and stock tickers and looks like this:
It makes dragging and dropping pictures into your frame a snap. Note: The D-Link Widget requires Yahoo! Widget, which is the Widget engine, to be installed on your PC.
That’s about it, but as I said, this is most versatile and has way too many features to cover here. Take a look at the demo that D-Link has on their web page http://www.dlink.com/ and also be sure to checkout the frame channel too. I think you’ll be as impressed as I am with this top-of-the line digital frame. BTW, the price quoted as the MSRP is $249.99, but a quick browse when I wrote this in mid-August found one for $210 via pricegrabber.com.
One last reminder about safety on the net; there are lots of new ways the bad guys are using to try and get your private information, e.g. e-mails that are supposedly from CNN or MSNBC and are breaking news. Don't open them and do not click on any links...these are phishing emails! So, have fun out there on the www, but please be careful too!
Aloha, Lou
