Looking for a photo frame for this holiday season?

There are lots of of photo frames out there so here are few tips to help you shop for the holidays.

Editors top picks:

D-link DSM-210 and the Kodak W1020.

Shopping Tips:

1) Make sure your frame is Internet connected!

We maybe slightly biased here but a frame that is not connected to the Internet will get stale quickly.  An Internet photo frame can be updated dynamically from any location.  Imagine setting up a frame for a family member and then having all the members of your family publish photos to it from any location.

2) Simple is better

Too many frames are loading up with unnecessary features but what matters most is how well will this device do the one thing you want it to do well.  Find a device with an easy out of box experience so that you are up and running quickly.  This is the best way to “wow” your gift recipient.  In my opinion, the frame that does this best is the D-link DSM-210 which  you can buy at Amazon.com.

3) Does it work with the photosharing sites that you already use?

Many of us have photos in many places, some on our hard drive, some on Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket and other photo sharing sites and more and more social networks like Facebook.  Find a frame that will work with  your photos no matter where you keep them.  Forget the frames that require you to move your photos to a new photo service.  FrameChannel lets you access photos from the most popular photosharing sites and social networks as well as upload photos from your hard drive or email them right to the frame from your email account or cameraphone.

4) What about other content?

Now that you’ve got a frame that is connected to the Internet you might like to use this device to mix in other content such as news, weather, sports, RSS feeds and more.  That way, you will always have a mix of interesting content displayed on your frame even when you haven’t taken new photos recently.  In addition to all the major photo sharing sites and social networks, FrameChannel enables you to add content from over 400 channels along with content from any RSS feed.

5) Reliabiliy

Make sure the frame you purchase is reliable, once you set it up it should stay up and running. I’ve had good success with the D-link DSM-210 and the Kodak W1020 which you can also buy at Amazon.com

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In short, there are many frames in the marketplace this holiday season.  There are options in all price ranges and from many brands so we want to help simplify your shopping experience.  I have a frame in my kitchen, mounted on my wall, another in my den and several at my office.  While the landscape changes monthly in this hot category, I believe your holiday experience will be the most successful if you go with the  D-link DSM-210 or the Kodak W1020.  Both run FrameChannel, both are 10″ screens and both have proven to be reliable.  The D-link is easier to get up and running but the Kodak has a few neat features such as on demand news, weather and sports along with a neat touch panel so that no remote control is needed.

Happy holidays and I hope this summary helps you find the frame that best suits your holiday needs.