Digital Picture Frames: Transforming Photo Frames and How We Display our Photos

Digital picture frames will likely completely change the way we display photos in our homes, offices, and public places in a matter of years. This LCD technology is on the path of similar recent ones like flat screen TVs, laptops, and cell phones. As the technology advances, prices become more affordable, and people realize the obvious benefits over the long-standing previous technology, digital photo frames will become ubiquitous.

Displaying photos in frames is virtually as old as the camera and photography itself. In fact the business and art associated with picture frames has become a huge market itself. Photo frames come in all shapes, sizes, costs, and décor. But until these new digital frames came along, traditional photo frames had one distinct limitation: they are static.

Digital picture frames build on the concepts of traditional frames and albums but use 21st century LCD technology to move them from static to dynamic. Now by simply transferring pictures in their digital state from your camera or computer to a digital frame, pictures can be displayed in a slide show format in what looks like a traditional frame.

Digital photo frames have become possible through improvements in display technology, storage and memory, and transfer methods. LCD technology has become better and cheaper, so 5-inch, 7-inch, 8-inch, 10-inch, 11-inch, and 12-inch size frames that are crystal clear are possible and affordable. Digital pictures can be stored and transferred via affordable SD memory cards, SmartMedia Cards, Memory Sticks, and USB flash drives. Changing pictures on your frame easily via one of these devices, sometimes wirelessly with select digital frames, is the magic of dynamically changing frames.

Major consumer electronics manufacturers are capitalizing on the market for these digital photo viewers, including such players as Kodak, Smartparts, and Portable USA, and highly performing frames with many features. Digital frames also come in many décor and colors such from black, brown, white, cherry, espresso, and all kinds of wood. Soon endless new features such as variable frame decors and auto on/off features will become standard.

It was only a matter of time before the world of picture frames moved into the digital age.



The author is the operator is DigitalSmartFrames.com, where visitors can find some of the most highly rated digital frames available today.

Nintendo Wii is the Favourite Console for January

As the top three gaming giants are still fighting it out between each other (Playstation, Xbox and the Nintendo Wii) there was one clear winner in January with the Nintendo Wii taking just over 52% of the gaming revenue.

Completely outselling its competitors with around 679,200 units sold in January, the Nintendo Wii is proving to be the nation’s favourite console. The Nintendo DS was second in January selling close to 510,800 units and the Xbox 360 selling 309,000 units. The Playstation 3 failed to make the top 3 by selling only 203,200 units.

Although the Nintendo Wii is expensive, it is not as expensive as the other two main consoles which I feel could be a contributing factor to the massive success it is having. Also, most of the games that are currently out on the Nintendo Wii are designed for user interaction and for groups of people. In my opinion this is something that the other consoles lack and gives the Wii a great advantage.

Although the Nintendo Wii may be lacking slightly in the graphics department compared to the other big consoles at the moment, it definitely makes up for it in the entertainment factor. With so many great games available at a fairly reasonable price it is no wonder this console is outselling the others by thousands.

Along with the actual console, there are now many add-ons for the Wii, such as the Wii Fit. The Wii fit was one of the biggest selling games in Christmas 2008 and is still selling in massive numbers even now.

If you are looking to buy a console this year I really would recommend the Nintendo Wii. Not only are you getting a great console but also the opportunity for other great games such as the Wii Fit. If you shop online to find one of these you can save yourself a packet as there are many great games available.

Bluetooth - 6 Benefits For Cell Phones

Bluetooth - 6 Benefits For Cell Phones
Bluetooth technology makes mobile phones more functional, with handy little earbud headsets that are completely wireless and allow for hands-free answering and talking on the cell phone. In fact, Bluetooth wireless technology has made many electronic components wireless and far surpasses infrared in its usefulness and practicality.

Benefits of Bluetooth for Cell Phones


1. Hands-Free Cell Phone use
For cell phones, using a wireless hands-free headset in the car, like Bluetooth allows you to free your hands for driving and safety, especially since many states now have mandatory hands-free cell phone use law while driving.

2. Bluetooth is Inexpensive
Bluetooth technology is cheap for companies to implement, which results in lower costs for the consumer on Bluetooth products and especially Bluetooth cell phone headsets.

3. Bluetooth is Automatic and User Friendly
Bluetooth doesn’t have you set up a connection or push any buttons. When two or more devices enter a range of up to 30 feet of each other, they will automatically begin to communicate. For cell phones, the user need not touch the phone, but instead can leave it in their pocket and perform most of the cell phone tasks by using the in-ear Bluetooth headset. Those functions include, completely wireless, hands-free answering and talking on the cell phone.

4. Bluetooth Provides Low Interference
Bluetooth devices usually avoid interference from other wireless devices by using frequency hopping and also low power wireless signals.

5. Bluetooth is Reliable and Universal
Bluetooth technology is a world wide, universal wireless standard. As more and more devices started to use the Bluetooth technology, more manufacturers are making make their products compatible with it making it a standard for wireless.

6. Bluetooth Consumes Little Energy
Because Bluetooth uses low power signals, it requires very little energy and will use less battery power as a result. This is an excellent benefit for cell phones because Bluetooth will not drain the battery.

Article By: JR Lang




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Board Camera: What Is It And How To Use It

What are board cameras? These tiny but very useful cameras may just be your key to designing and building your very own home or office surveillance system. They're very affordable and easy to mount. There are also several models with nifty features to choose from, which helps expand their usability. If the possibility of working on an easy but practical project appeals to your tinkering soul, here are some usage tips regarding the board camera:

What are board cameras?
Board cameras are just that – cameras. More specifically, they are made of fixed lenses that are mounted onto circuit boards. A board camera is a basic component of a camera surveillance system, which means you'll have to buy it as a part that you could assemble to create another device, such as a dome camera or a hidden mini camera. You buy board cameras as is.

Usage tips
Board cameras have a variety of uses, depending on your wants and needs. In most cases, though, they are mounted in order to work as spy or hidden cameras. As long as you know exactly what to do with a board camera, you'll be able to choose one (or a few) that has the features that will work best for you.

The most basic thing you should consider regarding a board camera or any camera for that matter is the lens. The lens is pre-mounted on a board camera and the iris is usually fixed. That means you cannot zoom in or out without an additional device or accessory. Lenses can also be pinhole type or full.

Pinholes, like their name suggests, are small lenses and are perfect for use as spy cameras. You can mount these on a table clock, a lamp, a baseball cap or even a teddy bear. Full lenses are bigger and will work well on dome or mini cameras to complete your surveillance system.

If you plan to use a board camera for surveillance, you have an option as to whether you prefer to view activities in black and white or color. There are also lenses that afford you low-light viewing, usually indicated as a low Lux count. A good Lux count would be at least 0.05, although there are others that can go as low as 0.0003. The low number means that the board camera lens will still work in near total darkness. Resolution is also a key feature to look into when considering board camera usage. Videos of activities are much easier to view if the images are crisp and sharp.



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Clock Radios - Wake Up to the Sound of Music

The alarm clock is one instrument most of us cannot do without, yet we find it a monotonous invention. Any modification to make it more appealing is more than welcome. With the advent of innovation in the communication technology industry these reminding devices have now been clubbed with other gadgets as additional features. A good example is the radio alarm clock.

What's Different?

It is basically a musical gadget that allows its user to set specific time reminders in creative ways. It can also be used to tune into a radio at a particular time to listen to a program being aired. This saves the user the inconvenience of manually keeping track of time, especially when he or she has a busy schedule.

Most digital time reminding devices are reset to 00:00 or 12:00 every time they are powered on. This means that a power outage during the night may result in your time tracker failing to trigger off at the right time. So if you are very particular that your instrument does not fail, you can go in for those that automatically keep track of time even if there has been a power outage. A radio wake up clock with a battery backup could help overcome this problem.

In Tune With Technology

For music lovers these devices come along with an iPod facility as well as a CD player. You could also set your alarm to the sound of your favorite song or any other customized audio recording. The market offers a wide range of products for those who like to explore and stay up-to-date with the latest in technology.

A typical radio alarm clock would have a LCD or LED display panel, alarm indicator and features of a radio or musical system. Another basic feature of this gadget is the snooze facility. A lot of these time trackers come with the extendable snooze option. Even better are those that offer features where the snooze timing could be set according to the end user's convenience.

Visit CORE online to get free access to more tips and advice on shopping for clock radios.

What to Consider When Buying an LCD Monitor

An LCD monitor, or Liquid Crystal Display monitor, is a screen actively sought after as a large format TV screen or an advertising screen as a result of the highest quality images produced on these screens.

Top 10 items to consider when buying and LCD Monitor:

1. Resolution Quality: Some of the key features to consider when buying an LCD monitor are resolution quality and aspect ratio. In the era of Blue-ray and high definition, it is important to buy a Full HD monitor and not go with HD ready.

2. Number of USB Hubs: These hubs usually come with the display. They prove to be very useful for plugging various media devices directly to the display vs. going through a central medial player.

3. Pixel Defects: Sometimes, when the same image is left on the screen for long, the pixels get worn out or are dead. This develops a black or white dot on the screen, thus not producing any image in that area. Pixel defects may be as a result of manufacturing defects. Make sure the warranty covers Pixel defects or spotting defects.

4. Attached Speaker Evaluation: Some monitors come with attached speaker systems. This is usually expensive when compared to the separate speaker system and usually poor quality than a stand alone system. If such an attached speaker system is available in the monitor, then it should be noted that a quick-mute button and readily accessible volume controls should be available in the monitor itself.

5. Viewing Angle: Most new LCD monitors have wide viewing angles. It is important to consider viewing-angle performance if you plan to use the monitor to view images or movies. The best way to judge is to see the unit in person.

6. Digital interfaces: Data interfaces are very important for businesses. For example, as a business you would like to remotely manage and control the various LCD monitors. Businesses should strongly consider LCD information display (also called Professional Displays) vs. an LCD TV. The Professional Displays come with the right variety of interfaces. If entertainment and TV show watching are the only concerns then interfaces are less important as most LCD monitors come with adequate interfaces.

7. Bright Pixel Elimination Feature: New LCD monitors have bright pixel elimination feature that ensures if a failed pixel occurs on the monitor, it is effectively invisible to the viewer. Not a must-have but a good feature to have.

8. Configuration Programming Software: Included programs that let you configure display settings using your computer keyboard or mouse are a big improvement over struggling with tiny front-panel buttons.

9. Portrait Capability : Increasingly portrait format is being used for exhibitions and store displays. Be sure to check that the LCD monitor you are buying supports the portrait format. Using landscape format in portrait can result in reducing the life of the LCD monitor. Portrait-capable LCDs, however, often have superior viewing-angle performance. Not all LCD monitors.

10. Included Cables: Last but not the least item is to check to see what cables are included. Manufacturers often don't provide the digital cable on dual-input models.


As a wrap-up, with technologies such as LCD monitors, it pays to buy the new generation solution as it will extend the time you will use the monitor.

How to Wireless Speakers Work?

More and more music lovers are transitioning from the regular conventional speakers to wireless speakers. Regular speakers are still popular and there are people who invested a lot of money in conventional speaker boxes and these are still as great as ever But those in tune with music have began to see a limitation with regular speakers. One of them is the unsightly wires that run from the music receiver or tuner to the speakers. If you have a lot of speakers then the wires can form a tangled mess behind the unit and when it comes time to untangle them the whole exercise can become a major headache. Then there is the risk of someone tripping on the wires and hurting themselves not to mention that if there are little children within the vicinity of the wires they can pull them out and interfere with the sound. In some cases, these cables have started fires in houses and apartments. Thus the strong case to transition to wireless speakers.

Wireless speakers are just normal speakers in appearance but rather than use a transmitter cable from the tuner to the speakers, they rely on radio frequency waves in much the same way a radio or a cell phone works. It is not uncommon to see the speakers, the tuner and a third device whose sole purpose is to transmit the signal. This device, called the transmitter, is connected to the tuner via a cable. An amplifier is also used and this is to magnify the signal and boost its quality. The signal transmitter also has a cable running from it to the electrical outlet on the wall. The frequency range for wireless speakers is the same as that of wireless or cordless phones, about 900MHz. The sound can even travel through walls for a distance of up to 300 feet.

One advantage with wireless speakers is that the sound can actually be transmitted through walls. This means that the speakers need not be in the same room as the tuner. For some, this is especially workable in the event that they want speakers in the bathroom or kitchen or even outdoors. Wireless speakers are also ideal in an zone that has small children or animals in that they can be placed out of range where they cannot access them or interfere with the sound.

Wireless speakers are definitely going to be the way people listen to music in the future even though conventional speakers with their wires are still in use in a lot of homes. One downside of wireless speakers is that they are limited in the distance where the frequency signal can reach. Wired speakers can function regardless of their distance from the tuner as long as the cable can reach them. Also, wireless speakers are subject to sound distortion because the signal is transmitted in the air much in the same way that a radio transmits. This means that if there are other wireless devices within the same vicinity the sound quality may suffer.



Theodore provides information about in wall speakers and talk about advantages of in wall speakers on his site.