Pandigital intros floating photo frames

Digital photo frame maker Pandigital on Tuesday announced the upcoming release of a pair of new digital photo frames, the 7- and 8-inch PanTouch Clear with a 'floating' LCD display and touchscreen user interface. The 800x600 resolution displays in either frame appear to be floating as they are surrounded by a thin strip of glass, with the effect enhanced by a clear stand. The touchscreen interface produces icons on fingerprint-resistant glass instead of the LCD panel itself, like in many current frames that use the capacitive-touch technology.

The frames use a 4:3 aspect ratio that retains the natural proportions of photos. The two frames have a built-in 1GB of memory accessed via a USB connection, and can also connect wirelessly to computers via their integrated Wi-Fi modules and with consumer devices that share the frames' Bluetooth support. Users can also plug in memory cards from their cameras, with CF, SD, XD, MS/MSPro and MMC formats supported.

A built-in speaker allows the frames to play back MP3 music tracks and the audio from video files, while the sole supported photo format is JPEG. Either frame can be programmed for powering on or off, and has built-in clock and calendar features.

The 8-inch Pandigital PanTouch Clear frame includes a dark espresso wood frame, white and charcoal interchangeable mats, along with a white full-sized mat that covers the surrounding glass area for a more traditional look. It costs nearly $140, while the 7-inch version, which loses the full-sized mat, is priced at $120.

The company also announced today that it has partnered with Wallace Silversmiths to co-develop a sterling silver digital photo frame aimed for the luxury home decoration market. The Wallace made for Pandigital-branded frames will ship in the first half of 2009, with prices yet to be announced.

Filed under: gadgets, digital imaging
Other story tags: Pandigital, Wallace Silversmiths