Hands on with the eStarling, version 1

Set Up

You Can’t Use a Slot-Loading CD Drive for Installation
The installation software for the eStarling comes on a mini CD-ROM. As a result, it can only be used with traditional CD drives that have trays. If your CD drive is a slot loader, you’ll lose the CD in it and have bigger problems than not being able to set up your frame. If you have a slot-loading CD drive, contact eStarling support for a copy of the software.

Windows Only
The mini CD-ROM contains a Windows-only application (no Mac or Linux support yet). To begin configuring the device, connect the frame via USB to your PC, plug it into a wall socket, and run the included CD.

Your Wireless Network Must Be Case Sensitive
Setting up the eStarling is generally pretty easy, if you remember one important thing: your wireless network name is case sensitive. When you set the frame up, you’ll need to enter the name of your wireless network. As long as you type the name in with the same capitalization used in its name, you’ll be fine.

Use

Adding and Displaying Photos
The eStarling can store and display JPEGs, GIFs, and other common photo file formats in its 128 MB of onboard memory. Photos can be added via a web upload tool, email, RSS, and various removable media cards.

Configuring RSS Feeds
Subscribing to RSS photo feeds is done by copying and pasting feed addresses and adding them through the web interface. EStarling touts RSS subscriptions of all kinds, though the model we tested was only able to accept RSS 2.0 feeds from Flickr. Luckily, Flickr accounts are free. If you plan to get an eStarling, get a Flickr account, too (sign up at http://www.flickr.com).

Inconsistent Feeds
RSS feeds, even from Flickr, sometimes behave erratically. When you subscribe, you may only see a small number of images at first, with more images from the feed starting to show up over an hour or so.

Unsubscribing from RSS Feeds, Deleting Photos
Unsubscribing from feeds does not remove the images from the frame, since images are downloaded to the frame’s memory. To delete photos added via RSS, you must use the buttons on the frame; the deletion cannot be done through the web interface.

Set Up Email Sharing Filters
One of the eStarling’s neat features is the ability to email pictures directly to frame. However, with a little knowledge and guessing, anyone could send any kind of picture to your frame – not an appealing idea. EStarling smartly lets you authorize email accounts to send pictures to frame and block all others. Be sure to use this feature to either block all emails or just allow a few specific addresses. To enable the authorization, log in to the management tool and choose the “Authorization” menu.

No Transition Control
The eStarling’s built-in software lets you control things like photo display, slideshow speeds, and deleting images. It doesn’t let you control the transition animations; you have to use the built-in transitions.

Debug

Unplug the Frame to Restart It
Just like a computer, the eStarling frame freezes up sometimes. When this happens, the frame’s buttons freeze up, too. The best way to restart the frame and begin your photo slideshow again is to unplug the frame’s power adapter, either from its side or the wall. Once you’ve plugged it back in, your photoshow will resume in a few moments.

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