Some interesting news is coming out of China-based Huawei Technologies: there are plans to launch Sim-card-enabled digital photo frames in Taiwan.
According to the DigiTimes, “Huawei has held talks with a number of telecom carriers in Taiwan, and some of the telecom operators may introduct SIM-enabled digital photo frames in Taiwan in the third quarter of this year. . . .”
Apparently, Huawei Technologies is currently in talks with several Taiwan companies and wants to launch SIM-enabled digital photo frames as soon as possible. Krunker.com tells us that “With mobile phones fast replacing home phones, it’s only natural to see more and more convergence among different consumer electronics. Combining a digital photo frame with mobile phone technology is similar to caller ID photos appearing on mobile phones themselves - except with much higher resolutions.”
Sounds like a great idea to me!
Philips is one of the biggest consumer-products brands so far to enter the digital picture frame space. The company has been selling various digital picture frame models for nearly two years. Though the company isn’t entering the wireless frame space, yet its frames put a premium on style, quality, and ease of use. Wieger Deknatel, of Philips North America, took some time out of his busy schedule for this email interview.
How long has Philips been selling digital picture frames?
Since September 2005
What is the profile of your typical digital frame customer?
Customers wanting a stylish design with a high-quality picture. Market research shows that there isn’t a specific breakdown among age or gender – this is truly a product that appeals to many.
What channels do you sell the frames through?
Online retailers, gift shops like “The Sharper Image,” consumer electronics retail, Philips.com/store.
What does Philips do to make its frames easy to use?
Our goal is to make all of our products simple to set up and easy to experience. Our photo frames accept several different memory cards, feature a simple user interface and are Mac-compatible (using iPhoto). Most consumers want to immediately experience their new device, so in addition to a user manual, Philips provides an easy start guide to get the product up and running quickly for instant enjoyment.
What features differentiate Philips frames from the competition?
Internal rechargeable battery, 360-degree furniture-grade design and finish; the materials compliment the room where it is placed.
What factors — features, price, etc. — do you see as being crucial to spurring greater adoption of digital picture frames?
Price; increased consumer awareness of the category; education on what features and specifications make a great photo frame.
Are you planning to add wireless features to your frames?
That is an exciting feature that is on the horizon, but first you have to be able make it simple for the customer to use.
What have sales of the frames been like in the last 12 months?
Great, especially during gift periods. Philips’ PhotoFrame is the best gift because you can personalize it ahead of time with photos of you and your loved ones.
What do you see as barriers to widespread adoption of digital frames?
Consumer awareness; consumers also need to consider that low-quality, low-cost models will not create a positive impression once the frame is home.
What can we expect from Philips’ digital picture frame offerings through the end of the year? New 5â€, 6″, 7″ and 10″ models; limited edition models with designer frames that will appeal to consumers who seek a unique look in addition to high picture quality.
Viewsonic is one of the most well-known and well-respected names in the display industry, and provides CRT and LCD monitors, projectors, and digital signage to businesses and individuals. It only makes sense that a well-established display company would consider getting into a new, emerging display market: digital picture frames.
Not that they’re ready to announce anything yet. Digitimes, an technology publication with close ties to many of the Asian manufacturers that source electronics products for US companies, recently reported that Viewsonic and HP were going to be entering the digital picture frame space soon.
We spoke to Steve Woo, Viewsonic’s vice president of sales, to find out what the story was. And though he couldn’t confirm Digitimes’ story, it sure sounds like Viewsonic will be selling digital picture frames soon.
Digitimes recently reported that Viewsonic would be offering a digital picture frame. Could you comment on that?
Viewsonic worldwide has been studying the marketplace as there’s been enormous quantity and variety of vendors coming into the (digital picture frame) marketplace. We see that there’s a growing quantity of units, and it looks like a marketplace that we want to take a look at seeing how we can utilize our strength in the panel industry, how we can migrate into this business space.
So that sounds like that you’re looking at moving into this space but aren’t ready to make a formal announcement yet. Is that a fair characterization?
That’s probably the best way to say it. What I can say is that in our Asian sister company we are starting to play in that marketplace already. We have put our toe in the water. I’m actually going back (to Asia) this week to look at our business plan on this particular product. If we jump into the marketplace in the Americas, we will jump in very quickly and we will utilize our buying power in LCDs, from the small 7-inch up to the 12-to-15-inch frames.
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RedPost is a small start-up software, and out of necessity, hardware company, based in Goshen, Indiana. The company first came to national attention thanks to its DIY digital picture frame kit, which includes a 19-inch LCD screen, a mini PC with wireless networking capabilities, and Linux, making the kit totally configurable and a tinkerer’s dream. But, it turns out, the digital frame kit is just a means to an end. The plan, according to CEO Eric Kanagy, is to develop the software backbone to create low-cost digital signage networks. Kanagy recently took some time to speak with us about RedPost’s genesis, future, and its commitment to sustainable practices.
Tell me about how you decided to start RedPost. What was the impetus?
What it came down to was that I couldn’t find anyone else doing what I was looking for. I had looked at this whole idea about 4 years ago and LCD prices were too high at that point. I was working for a local non-profit arts organization and was trying to think of ways that we could get the word out about the theater that we were doing and so looked at building a system like what is now RedPost/Goshen. Then, it was far too expensive.
This past fall, I started looking at it again … (and found that) LCD prices were half of what they were and then started looking into the digital signage market itself. Everything was very expensive, very proprietary, closed. Nothing was really what I would want in a digital signage system, which would be able to do whatever I wanted.
What was your background before starting the company?
I was a computer science major in college and I worked a summer for Transmeta out in Silicon Valley right at the height of the boom, right before the bubble burst. I worked for another tech company, a start-up, in Charlottesville, Virginia. I was developing software, web-based software. I have a pretty heavy tech background.
How many people are at RedPost right now?
There are three of us. Myself and two software designers.
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