Comments on: The Fourth Screen: Frame Media Turns Digital Picture Frames into Information Portals http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2007/09/11/the-fourth-screen-frame-media-turns-digital-picture-frames-into-information-portals/ Business + Technology in the Exponential Economy Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:30:41 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: JayF http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2007/09/11/the-fourth-screen-frame-media-turns-digital-picture-frames-into-information-portals/comment-page-1/#comment-4710 JayF Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:17:46 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2007/09/11/the-fourth-screen-frame-media-turns-digital-picture-frames-into-information-portals/#comment-4710 In today's world of multi-tasking, this would be another outlet to be informed. Working in a NY city skyscraper with the Captivate network in each car, I become bored and miss the stimulation when the device may not be working. I can see having a frame sitting on my desk that I will occasionally glance over at. Also, a stream of not only my own photographs, but those of top photographers would be a nice window on the world as I go through my every day paces. Pointcast wasn't a bad idea except it ate up your disk space and was a bandwidth hog in the days of tiny bandwidth. This seems to me to be a portal of images to supplement your regular PC. In today’s world of multi-tasking, this would be another outlet to be informed. Working in a NY city skyscraper with the Captivate network in each car, I become bored and miss the stimulation when the device may not be working. I can see having a frame sitting on my desk that I will occasionally glance over at. Also, a stream of not only my own photographs, but those of top photographers would be a nice window on the world as I go through my every day paces. Pointcast wasn’t a bad idea except it ate up your disk space and was a bandwidth hog in the days of tiny bandwidth. This seems to me to be a portal of images to supplement your regular PC.

]]> By: Tomg http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2007/09/11/the-fourth-screen-frame-media-turns-digital-picture-frames-into-information-portals/comment-page-1/#comment-4010 Tomg Fri, 23 Nov 2007 05:16:28 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2007/09/11/the-fourth-screen-frame-media-turns-digital-picture-frames-into-information-portals/#comment-4010 I just purchased a frame at Sams Club that "shares photos wirelessly over the internet" (IDS1500). It does this with a WiFi dongle (included) to your Access Point (WEP or WPA) and gives you the choice of using Yahoo or Google photo services (I couldn't get the Yahoo service to work, but the Google works just fine). The photos don't get saved on the frame, they are accessed in real time. The software on the frame is accessed through a bunch of menus...no way to update the SW I can see...it works now, but what happens when Yahoo/Google change and the frame can't communicate anymore? I can see why Ceiva works as well as it does. In any case, the frame has card slots that work just fine. An interesting concept for a 15", $300 screen. I just purchased a frame at Sams Club that “shares photos wirelessly over the internet” (IDS1500). It does this with a WiFi dongle (included) to your Access Point (WEP or WPA) and gives you the choice of using Yahoo or Google photo services (I couldn’t get the Yahoo service to work, but the Google works just fine). The photos don’t get saved on the frame, they are accessed in real time. The software on the frame is accessed through a bunch of menus…no way to update the SW I can see…it works now, but what happens when Yahoo/Google change and the frame can’t communicate anymore? I can see why Ceiva works as well as it does. In any case, the frame has card slots that work just fine. An interesting concept for a 15″, $300 screen.

]]> By: Bob F. http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2007/09/11/the-fourth-screen-frame-media-turns-digital-picture-frames-into-information-portals/comment-page-1/#comment-1048 Bob F. Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:15:55 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2007/09/11/the-fourth-screen-frame-media-turns-digital-picture-frames-into-information-portals/#comment-1048 The title “Information Portals” makes me think of the great “portal” mania including ATT’s 6 billion dollar “investment” in Excite@Home. No surprise that telecom companies see the world in terms of delivering services to a captive audience. The “digital picture frame” marketplace is moribund for good reason – there is no “there” there. And the home is not an elevator with a captive audience seeking respite from watching the floor number go from 1 to 2 to 3 to … But why do we think of these display surfaces as picture frames? Why not learn from the PC and give users control. Years ago the browser-only devices failed but now that we are beginning to assume connectivity perhaps a version of the idea can be revived. Not as a replacement for the PC but as a way to expand our capabilities and give users more opportunity and more choice. The title “Information Portals” makes me think of the great “portal” mania including ATT’s 6 billion dollar “investment” in Excite@Home. No surprise that telecom companies see the world in terms of delivering services to a captive audience. The “digital picture frame” marketplace is moribund for good reason – there is no “there” there. And the home is not an elevator with a captive audience seeking respite from watching the floor number go from 1 to 2 to 3 to …

But why do we think of these display surfaces as picture frames? Why not learn from the PC and give users control. Years ago the browser-only devices failed but now that we are beginning to assume connectivity perhaps a version of the idea can be revived. Not as a replacement for the PC but as a way to expand our capabilities and give users more opportunity and more choice.

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