Adapted Digital Picture Frame Project

[Samuel Charles Sennott]

Have you seen a digital picture frame in a catalog, online, or in a store? This emerging technology will make a terrific book reader, photo browser, partner assisted communication tool, and electronic pencil. The good news is that they are quickly shifting to including a remote control with them. :) That is wonderful, because we now have a wireless device to adapt much more easily than taking the whole unit apart! Truly, there will be units with sound very shortly, but until then, what a terrific way to read your PowerPoint books you made with Flickr, your books from the Accessible Book Collection, or whatever adapted books you can export as folders of JPGs.

I thought that this topic would be a terrific project to work on collaboratively with this Ning community. Let's put our heads together to see if we can help this technology get into learners hands, be inexpensive, and be easy to obtain.

I thought of a few general domains to work on to get us started. They are: directions for adaptation, an idea list of potential applications, and directions for converting books into the right jpg format for use in this and other tools of this type.

The other component is that it would be great if one of the adaptation companies would take this on!

What do you think of this technology? Advantages? Drawbacks? Comparisons to spending a bit more for an XO?

[Samuel Charles Sennott]

Nice ideas on how to incorporate the computer technology for the same goal. In some ways your really right in that computers are coming down in price and the software solutions are so cool! I look forward to trying the Photo Frame Show with students.

Yet, for 85 dollars, I think a 9 inch book reader would be a terrific addition to the market.

[Mark Coppin]

Along the lines of computer based solutions, I use the iPhoto slide show feature. I take the photos I want and select print. Then I choose the frames, mattes, styles etc I want. Instead of printing to a printer, I send as a .pdf to iPhoto. Then I simply create a slideshow. Another nice feature is I can include text. Another thing I do is set the slide duration for like 500 seconds, so the students have to change the photo rather than just waiting.

[K Greenhaw]

Indeed, there certainly is a market for the book reader and affordable digital picture frames. There are a few options out there already but I look forward to hearing more about the results of your switch adapted picture frame project.

[Debra Bauder]

I think these are great ideas! I will be sharing them with my undergraduate class.

[Wendy Homlish]

OK - I am still on this one! LOL Acquired a digital photo frame with sound at the local GoodWill for $ 7.99 - did not have a power source (hence the price). Radio Shack - $22 9V AC adapter and $5 adapter end - This one does have a remote, so Sunday is set aside for trial and error - let's see what this can do! Thought -save PP slides as jpg (simple story book format) and record narration. Now - gotta get those remotes switch adapted - help??? Oh -perusing the electronics aisle at the local WalMart - saw these frames with VIDEO and sound - now we're talking!! Too expensive (over $200) - will be haunting the sales and thrifts!

[Samuel Charles Sennott]

So I think that this concept of looking to the environment for useful tools is valuable, yet this particular project seems to be just a catalyst for thinking about what we want.

I believe that this particular focus, the digital photo frames, has led to a better understanding of the XO, the http://eeepc.asus.com, and the next one that comes out.

We don't need to convert these frames, but convert tools like the XO. It is $200 and can be a much better book and picture viewer.

I think that the dollar store searching mentality is so helpful. Just the other day I found something awesome from Brookstones: a four switch photo cube. http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?product_code=559641&...

Yet, in this case, there are much better options for the price! : )

[Wendy Homlish]

Hey that is pretty cool for $15! I found a 7" digital photo frame at the Goodwill (I cannot help myself...) for $9.99 the other day - it has audio as well, but the power cord was missing. Radio Shack - $24.99 and an adapter $4.99. Haven't had time to play but am really excited about my $40 reader! I'll keep you posted when I get a chance to try it!!