Apple Picture Frame
Expanded Front Row interface
WiFi connection to your Mac
Touch Screen (a remote doesn't make sense for small screens)
Motion Sensor (turns off screen when no-one is looking at it)
I would put picture frames at where the mp3 player market was before the iPod, so it makes sense for Apple to re-invent the product. If you could also have read only access to documents and basic email, browsing, and IM ability it would be the perfect dumb terminal; the kind you would put in the kitchen for listening to music, looking up recipies, or intercomming the kids that dinner is ready.
If under $300 I'd put one in every room. (Small house not big wallet)
WiFi connection to your Mac
Touch Screen (a remote doesn't make sense for small screens)
Motion Sensor (turns off screen when no-one is looking at it)
I would put picture frames at where the mp3 player market was before the iPod, so it makes sense for Apple to re-invent the product. If you could also have read only access to documents and basic email, browsing, and IM ability it would be the perfect dumb terminal; the kind you would put in the kitchen for listening to music, looking up recipies, or intercomming the kids that dinner is ready.
If under $300 I'd put one in every room. (Small house not big wallet)
Comments
I wish Apple would make one. A nice OLED screen, frameless with wifi connectivity. Configurable from the mac/pc. It would be nice for instance to be able to have it turn off from say midnight until 8:00 am.
I've looked at a lot of the picture frames available today and yes it's is just as it was before the iPod. A lot of "me too" product without the fit and finish that really ignite markets.
Hell I'd love to see Apple deliver not only Picture Frame but let me view my video as well. Could Apple be looking to use those Intel Silverthorne chips in such a small environment?
I see future generations of these devices able to view pictures, video, Internet, light gaming and utilize multitouch technology. Hell they may even be battery powered for mobility and AC powered in the home.
Also by then Front Row 4 will have home automation controls...iMagine (lol) having your lighting and other home automation features jacked into these panels? Crestron eat your heart out.
I think in the next decade there will be plethora of new devices that we will use and cannot imagine life without them yet as of today their product categories don't even exist.
You could see these in all sorts of consumer markets.
Excellent idea Nostradamus.
Hell I'd love to see Apple deliver not only Picture Frame but let me view my video as well. Could Apple be looking to use those Intel Silverthorne chips in such a small environment?
Yeah, I have to say that whenever I see one of those picture frames I think, "Hey, that's a full blown LCD, totally capable of motion video. Why am I stuck watching still images only!"
Extend the picture frame idea to a kiosk view for Consumers at Restaurants, night clubs for advertisements, calendar of events for music events, etc.
You could see these in all sorts of consumer markets.
Seems like we're going into Microsoft Surface land here.
I'd actually rather digital picture frames went away entirely. It's a waste of time, TVs can do the same job and more besides. And for smaller images, why not just use a real picture frame?
Yes my $800 HDTV "could" display static pictures but why? Do I need to see my pics at 32" sizes? Often when choosing pics for display you have to leave a lot of shots out or you rotate. Digital Picture Frames (DPF) allow you to just cycle through your favorite shots. Very handy if you're a shutterbug and have more pictures than you could ever frame.
Toss in some video playback and other features and you have an indispensable product for multimedia playback made possible by shrinking LCD pricing and the move to digital files.
It's a win/win IMO. I'd use the TV (say an Apple TV) for certain gatherings to show multiple people but fror day in day out display. Just give me an 8" screen or so that looks good.
Yes my $800 HDTV "could" display static pictures but why? Do I need to see my pics at 32" sizes? Often when choosing pics for display you have to leave a lot of shots out or you rotate. Digital Picture Frames (DPF) allow you to just cycle through your favorite shots. Very handy if you're a shutterbug and have more pictures than you could ever frame.
Toss in some video playback and other features and you have an indispensable product for multimedia playback made possible by shrinking LCD pricing and the move to digital files.
It's a win/win IMO. I'd use the TV (say an Apple TV) for certain gatherings to show multiple people but fror day in day out display. Just give me an 8" screen or so that looks good.
Murch gets it.
Burn in.
Yes, digital photo frames are good for some people. Very good. And I can see where the appeal comes from. But at the very least, the idea that Apple should make one is questionable. How does it fit with their existing products? And how far can you really improve the idea. I suppose they could add Wi-Fi syncing of pictures, but they have more important things to worry about. Like updating Macs.
Updating Macs are easy now.
Step 1 - Look over Intel's extensive chipset/motherboard configurations.
Step 2- choose the configuration that meets the value prop.
Step 3- apply necessary modifications to ext interfaces for differentiation
Step 4- procure necessary components and labor to build
Step 5- add more money to the coffers.
Let's look at what Apple wants to do computing.
1. Media is very important to apple- in addition to the lucrative audio market Apple is trying to break into video. A DPF isn't enough yet no other manufacturer has the breadth of products that Apple has to leverage turning a DPF into something more.
2. Apple moves towards linking Wifi and RFID- Having a portable DPF/multimedia playback device is a natural for RFID. Or imagine that that your iPhone and ipods in the future contain RFID transceivers so that when you set them next to the DPF you're not viewing pics, video or photos via an instant connection.
3. Multitouch- I have externally mounted cameras. I hear a bump at the front door. I tap the button on my DPF and engage the views from my mounted cameras. Or I want to view more information about my latest movie downloads. I tap my DPF and the current playing movie's information pops up on the DPF with info loaded from imdb.com.
4. My lights are controlled by a Zigbee or Z-wave network and RF. I've fallen asleep on the couch and suddenly woken up. I tap my DPF..find out which lights are on and turn them off in a timed interval that allows me to walk upstairs in light knowing that all lights will turn off in all zones in predetermined intervals.
Apple doesn't have to create the uber device but what they should do is simply recognize that DPF are a growing market and find ways to add the typical Apple spit polish and features that people never knew they needed.
Seems like we're going into Microsoft Surface land here.
I'm thinking upright small scale displays, not table size. Nor am I thinking of an interactive solutions environment, but a read-only digital marketing explosion for third party advertising space to put billboard ads on small screens intermixed with your local movie times, etc.
Updating Macs are easy now.
Step 1 - Look over Intel's extensive chipset/motherboard configurations.
Step 2- choose the configuration that meets the value prop.
Step 3- apply necessary modifications to ext interfaces for differentiation
Step 4- procure necessary components and labor to build
Step 5- add more money to the coffers.
Let's look at what Apple wants to do computing.
1. Media is very important to apple- in addition to the lucrative audio market Apple is trying to break into video. A DPF isn't enough yet no other manufacturer has the breadth of products that Apple has to leverage turning a DPF into something more.
2. Apple moves towards linking Wifi and RFID- Having a portable DPF/multimedia playback device is a natural for RFID. Or imagine that that your iPhone and ipods in the future contain RFID transceivers so that when you set them next to the DPF you're not viewing pics, video or photos via an instant connection.
3. Multitouch- I have externally mounted cameras. I hear a bump at the front door. I tap the button on my DPF and engage the views from my mounted cameras. Or I want to view more information about my latest movie downloads. I tap my DPF and the current playing movie's information pops up on the DPF with info loaded from imdb.com.
4. My lights are controlled by a Zigbee or Z-wave network and RF. I've fallen asleep on the couch and suddenly woken up. I tap my DPF..find out which lights are on and turn them off in a timed interval that allows me to walk upstairs in light knowing that all lights will turn off in all zones in predetermined intervals.
Apple doesn't have to create the uber device but what they should do is simply recognize that DPF are a growing market and find ways to add the typical Apple spit polish and features that people never knew they needed.
Hmm, that is a lot better than current DPFs. That would have my support.
You know, something that's a tad more impressive than just a screen for displaying pictures. Those ideas of yours really add value.
Two words:
Burn in.
Two more:
Power consumption.
If e-paper or e-ink or whatever you want to call it ever reaches at least 6 mega-pixel resolution with at least 24 bit colour, then I might be interested in digital picture frames (power required only to change the image).
If e-paper or e-ink or whatever you want to call it ever reaches at least 6 mega-pixel resolution with at least 24 bit colour, then I might be interested in digital picture frames (power required only to change the image).
Who needs six megapixels for an eight inch picture frame? One or two ought to be plenty.
Who needs six megapixels for an eight inch picture frame? One or two ought to be plenty.
6 mega-pixels would be in combination with a larger size.
So yes, you are right, lower resolution for standard-sized frames would get me interested, with the hope of physically larger, higher resolution devices to come. Don't know if it'll ever happen.
6 mega-pixels would be in combination with a larger size.
So yes, you are right, lower resolution for standard-sized frames would get me interested, with the hope of physically larger, higher resolution devices to come. Don't know if it'll ever happen.
I haven't been too interested in DPFs simply because they're so small. I have a large display on my computer which continually shuffles my desktop pictures. After looking at it for a while, there doesn't seem to be any point in an eight or 10 inch picture frame.
However, if there was something available like you suggest; say a 12x16 inch frame that powers on several times a day to switch photos, I'd love to have one. I'd want it to be battery powered so I could hang it on the wall. (That's another drawback to the frames I've seen. Wall mounting would be difficult.)
anyways, an apple picture frame with touch control and motion sensing would be ideal, but it would probably be a waste of money IMO, because i personally like those picture frames that you can put more than 1 picture in, like a collection of baby pictures, and not have to scroll through them
Two words:
Burn in.
Never heard of slide show?
i personally like those picture frames that you can put more than 1 picture in, like a collection of baby pictures, and not have to scroll through them
Never heard of slide show?
I like your idea Nordstrodamus. Very good!