Home Digital Photo Frame

Google Nest Hub review

REVIEW – Remember a few years ago when digital photo frames were a popular gift? These days people don’t want a gadget that can only do one thing, they want a jack of all trades, and that’s what the Google Nest Hub aspires to be. Let’s take this photo frame on steroids for a spin.

What is it?

The Google Nest Hub is a digital photo frame, speaker, smart home control hub, digital assistant, and more.

Hardware specs

Display: 7” LCD touch screen
Speaker: Full Range Speaker
Microphones: 2 mic array
Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support
Power: 15W adapter
Ports: DC Power Jack
Dimensions & Weight: 7.02 in W x 4.65 in H

What’s in the box?

  • Google Nest Hub
  • AC power adapter

Design and features

The Google Nest Hub is a small touchscreen tablet that has a built-in stand so that it’s always at the perfect angle for viewing video and photos.

At the top of the display are two far-field microphones with an ambient light sensor between them.

On the back edge of the Nest Hub is a mute switch at the top and on the side is a volume button.

The Google Nest Hub is available with a Sand, Aqua, Chalk, or Charcoal material covered stand that has a small Google badge attached in the center.

A power port is located at the bottom of the stand. It uses a proprietary connector instead of a USB-C cable. Oh well.

The bottom of the stand has a bright orange rubber pad that keeps the Nest Hub from sliding around when you’re interacting with the touch screen.

Setting up the Nest Hub

You’ll need a mobile device with the Google Home app to get the Nest Hub up and running.




The Google Home app is where you configure settings like the clock style, which photos albums you want to as a backdrop slideshow when the Hub is idle, and connecting a variety of other devices that can be controlled with Google Assistant.

What can it do?

Although the Nest Hub is marketed as a digital photo frame, there’s a lot more to this device than just being able to view your latest vacation pics. Let’s check out the main features.

Digital photo frame

Let’s start with the main feature which the ability to show your favorite images on the 7inch display. To use this feature, you’ll need to have your images already stored in Google Photos. Then in the Google Home app, you can specify which albums you would like to show and you can create live albums images of your family and friends that will automatically update as new images are added to your Google Photo archive.

As a digital photo frame, the Google Nest Hub has a nice looking display (although small at only 7 inches) that is crisp and vibrant. The display uses an ambient light sensor to adjust the brightness so the images look good in any lighting conditions.

I like that the slide show includes the current time, the name of the album where the images are coming from, and the current weather / temperature.

If you have images in portrait orientation, you can configure a setting where it will show multiple images on the screen like the ones you see above. You can also swipe either direction in the center of the screen to see the previous or next picture.

You can also tell the Hub what images to display just by saying “Hey Google, show me pictures from my vacation in California”. At least that’s what it’s supposed to do. It was really disappointing when the Nest Hub informed me that it could not show images from that account when I used this voice command. With a little research, I discovered that if you have a Google Suites account, which I do, that this feature doesn’t work. <sniff>

Smart home hub

You can also use the Google Nest Hub as a smart home hub for all your connected devices like Nest thermostats (which I have), security cameras, and many more.

On any screen, you can pull down from the top for a dashboard of your connected devices. From there you can interact with them either manually with your finger, or with your voice by saying “Hey Google, show me my porch camera”, or “Hey Google, turn up the temperature”.

I found that I was able to easily control my older Nest Thermostat buy using the onscreen controls or my voice.

Using the Nest Hub to see live footage of from my Wyze security cams wasn’t quite as easy. A lot of times, I’d see a blank screen like I show above.

Eventually, after pausing, and playing, the live view would show up on the screen. One cool feature is associating commands like “show my camera…” and “play a video of…” to a specific screen like a TV. My Vizio TV happens to have Chromecast built-in, so I could use my voice to cast a video to the TV which would then automatically turn on and start playing. The only downside is that once you associate another display with the Nest Hub, it’s difficult to get a video to show on the Hub’s display instead of the TV.

Streaming music

Using the Google Home app, you can associate streaming services like Google’s Music service, Spotify, and Pandora with the Hub. Then you can just say “Hey Google, play music from Post Malone”.

The Google Nest Hub isn’t going to impress an audiophile, but for a small speaker, it sounds pretty good. Having the album art and song titles right there where you can see them is nice too.

You can also swipe up from the bottom of the display to get access to touch buttons for volume and brightness, or you can use the physical buttons on the back of the display.

Assistant

Since I use an Android phone, I already use Google Assistant on phone, so using it with the Google Nest Hub is not different other than the fact that you have a nice large display to see the results.

Asking questions like “Hey Google, what’s the weather like today” brings up a nice display and sound effects like birds chirping in the background.

I did run into another G Suites problem when I try the command “Hey Google, what appointments do I have today?”. I’m told that the command isn’t available but that she’s learning new commands all the time. Gee thanks Google… not.

Another assistant feature is the ability to create routines that you can trigger with your voice like saying “Hey Google, good morning”, or “Hey Google, I’m home”.



Using the Google Home app on your mobile device (it sure would be nice if you could also use the Hub to customize these features too) you can create a list of things to happen once you say the trigger words to launch a routine.

One annoying issue I’ve run into is that saying “Hey Google” to interact with the Google Nest Hub would also trigger any Android phones or tablets also in the same room. At least when I would ask to play music or video, it would only play through the Hub and not all the devices at the same time 😉

Alarm clock

If you long swipe from the left edge of the screen, you can put the Google Nest Hub into clock mode which just shows the time of day. You can also use commands to set alarms, to turn the Hub into your bedside alarm clock. The only downside is that you can set different alarm sounds for the alarms.

Watching videos

You can ask the hub to play videos from on Youtube by saying something like “Hey Google, play Taylor Swift videos”. I found that works great for the first video but then it will usually switch to playing some other videos. For example, I asked it to play Sam Smith videos and it played one and then switched to playing Taylor Swift videos.

What I like

  • Simple setup
  • Easy to use
  • No learning curve if you’re already used to using “Hey Google”

What I’d change

  • Make all the Google Assistant commands work with GSuite accounts

Final thoughts

As a digital photo frame and smart home controller, the Google Nest Hub is an affordable device with enough features to keep you happy. It has a nice display, decent speakers, and you can control most features just with your voice. As long as you’re not a GSuite user like I am, it’s a useful gadget for your home.

Price: $99.00
Where to buy: Google
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Google. Please visit their site for more info.

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Google Nest Hub review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 6, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Aluratek 8in WiFi Digital Photo Frame review


REVIEW – This past year, I have tested and reviewed several digital picture frames that all performed well, and they offered both similar and different features. One of the features that I am always concerned about is cloud storage and the possible security risks, especially when some digital frames make that the only choice. The Aluratek 8 inch WiFi Digital Photo Frame with Touchscreen IPS LCD Display and 8GB Built-in Memory offers local storage features and options while still allowing you to send pictures to the frame from anywhere in the world. Let’s see if it keeps its promises.

What is it?

The Aluratek 8 inch WiFi Digital Photo Frame with Touchscreen IPS LCD Display allows you to instantly share your photos by connecting the picture frame to any WiFi network and binding it to your Facebook or Twitter accounts or both. You can also use the IOS/Android Photo Partner app to send photos from your mobile device directly to the picture frame from anywhere. An FTP function is available to send photos from your PC.

What’s in the box


1 x 8 inch WiFi Digital Photo Frame with Touchscreen IPS LCD Display
1 x USB 2.0 Cable
1 x Power Adapter
1 x Quick Start Guide
1 x Installation Manual (English)
1 x Installation Manual (French)
1 x QR Code Card
1 x Warranty Card
1 x Contact Card

Design and features

Specifications:

  • Memory: Built-in 8GB / SD, SDHC memory cards up to 32GB
  • Connectivity: WiFi, USB 2.0, SD/SDHC Card
  • Resolution: 1024 x 768 (4:3 aspect ratio)

Features:

  • Touchscreen IPS LCD display
  • Connects to any WIFI 802.11 b/g/n wireless network
  • Photo sharing from Facebook and Twitter accounts directly to the frame using a smartphone or tablet
  • 8” TFT true color LCD at 1024 x 768 resolution (4:3 aspect ratio)
  • Built-in speakers
  • Photo slideshows can play in various display and transition modes set to background music
  • Connect a USB flash drive or SD card to easily access and share your favorite pictures, music, or videos
  • Transfer and store files quickly and easily from your personal computer to the frame’s 8GB built-in memory with hi-speed USB 2.0
  • Includes built-in clock, calendar, alarm and weather apps with auto on/off timer
  • Security slot – securely lock your frame to prevent theft
  • Frame adjustable for vertical orientation
  • Wall mountable

The picture frame is a sleek black frame with a glossy finish and no buttons on the front. The screen is a touchscreen.


On the back of the picture frame, there are the controls, the security lock and the mounting options for the stand and for wall mounting. The diagram below illustrates the manual control functions.



On one side of the frame, there are the connectivity options. As shown below from left to right they are the SD/SDHC card slot, the headphone jack, the USB 2.0 port, the mini USB port, and the AC power adapter port.



On the bottom right-hand corner at the back of the frame, there is a mount that the stand connects to.

Performance

This digital picture frame is very sleek looking and setup from beginning to end is very easy. The instruction manual provides clear instructions for binding the frame for use with your Facebook and or Twitter accounts and you can also use the IOS/Android Photo Partner app to send pictures from your mobile device to the phone. In addition, there is an FTP option to load pictures from your PC. The FTP option is the only one that I am still playing around with and trying to get right. I downloaded the Filezilla FTP client and was able to see the frame and send pictures to it. However, I could not do so when I tried from a different network which is strange. It is likely that there is something that I missed and I will provide an update when I figure it out.

I also do not like the design of the stand that is round and only supports one side of the frame. If you accidentally bump the frame, it falls over very easily.

The following are some photos of the various screens that you encounter are you go through the settings:





The next set of photos show the screens after you load your pictures including individual pictures of the slideshow:


The last photo below is a screenshot of one of the screens on my cell phone as I selected the pictures that I sent to the frame:

If you would like to read more about this digital picture frame, click here to read the manual.

What I like

  • The sleek look of the frame
  • The build quality
  • The features
  • The connectivity options that include local storage option

What can be improved

  • The stand

Final thoughts

The Aluratek 8 inch WiFi Digital Photo Frame performs very well and it is very easy to set up and get going. The features make it easy to share pictures and the display is quite nice. Other than the design of the stand and my pending issues with the FTP file transfer for a different network, I have no complaints and I do like this frame very much. Considering that some of the other frames that I reviewed are 4 times the price of this one, I do think that is is a good bang for the buck. Nicely done!!

Price: $69.99
Where to buy: Aluratek and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Aluratek.

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Aluratek 8in WiFi Digital Photo Frame review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 30, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Aura Frames digital photo frame review


REVIEW – As a photographer, a nice photo displayed in a complimentary frame is considered “a thing of beauty”. However, like many photographers, we simply have too many favorite pictures to frame, and the cost to do so and the space required to display them is simply prohibitive. In these days of advancing technology, Digital Picture Frames have “stormed” the market in an attempt to provide a solution to this issue and to do so while preserving the originality, authenticity, and purity of the original photograph. For this review, I got the opportunity to test and review a digital photo frame from Aura Frames that promises to deliver “cutting edge” technology with attractive bells and whistles.

What is it?

The Aura Frame is a digital photo display frame that allows you to wirelessly upload and display your photos.

What’s in the box


1 x Aura Digital Picture Frame
1 x Stand
1 x AC Adapter
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

The Aura Digital Picture frame (Modern Version) is 11.75” W x 10” H x 0.75” D in size and is built incredibly well with a sturdy and weighty feel to it. It actually weighs 3.2 pounds. The actual screen size is 9.7”, with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 on a LED-backlit display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. For setup and use, both Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz wireless connectivity are built in. The frame is controlled by the Aura frame app that is available for ios 9.1 or higher, Android 4.4 KitKat or above. It is available in two colors: Slate and Stardust, and can be displayed in both landscape and portrait mode.


On the back of the frame there is a locking slot for attaching the stand, and within the slot, there is a micro USB power port. Once the cable is plugged in, the stand is attached as a result it locks the power cable in place to prevent it from accidentally coming loose.




Once you power up the frame and download the app, getting connected, creating an account and loading pictures is a quick and easy process that is all controlled by the app. The following pictures are examples of some of the many screens that guide you through the process.






Performance

Once I loaded the first set of pictures, they appeared on the frame in seconds and the display is absolutely beautiful. The hand gestures that control the changing of pictures if so desired and that control the “wake up” function if the frame is in sleep mode, work flawlessly. The auto-dimming feature also works very well and enables the correct lighting to match the ambient light of any room.

Here are some additional features:

  • Aura creates collections of People and Pets using facial recognition software. You will see collections of the people you take photos most often of in the Aura app. All you need to do is select a person or pet, click “Add All” and any photo of that person – past, present, or future! – will get added to the frame.
  • Aura automatically applies a quality filter and will not display any photos that are blurry, have red eye, are duplicates, are too light or too dark, are poorly cropped, or where people have their eyes closed. Just select an album or a person or pet to add to your frame, and Aura will do the work for you, automatically sorting your photos and skipping over any you wouldn’t want to see on your frame.
  • We also have state of the art nudity filters so no inappropriate photos will ever make their way on to the frame. In addition to nudity, we also have filters to weed out photos of your driver’s license and passport.


 

The huge “elephant in the room” is that for $299, the use and the lifespan of the ability to display pictures are entirely controlled by the company. There is no built-in ability to use an SD card, or USB drive or network storage. Sine Aura can perform updates via the internet and since the frame has built WiFi, it would be a great value for them to add the option of storage via your own local network.

What I like

• The build quality of the frame
• The finish of the frame
• The ease of setup and the flawless performance
• The features including the hand gestures, the ambient light recognition and ability to enable friends and
family to load pictures to the frame from anywhere in the world.

What can be improved

  • The storage options of pictures so that the frame is not exclusively dependent on the infrastructure of the
    company
  • Additional frame size options

Final thoughts

The Aura Digital Photo frame is a really great display with fantastic resolution and in its current form, limitless storage. I love the build quality and the finish on the frame. The features are really well implemented and just make this frame a joy to have and to use. And the ability to maybe install it at grandma’s house and send current pictures of the grandkids to it is just one way that it can provide joy and value for years. However, the fact that the pictures are stored on the company’s storage and depend on their uptime and existence is a major deal that in this day and age not only raises the issue of privacy but also of ownership and longevity. For the cost of this frame, the local storage option via one’s own network is, in my opinion, a must and a big miss by this company. Otherwise, if you are willing to take the risk, then you will love this frame.

Price: $299
Where to buy: Aura Frames Website
Source: The sample for this display was provided by Aura.

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Aura Frames digital photo frame review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 17, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Nixplay WiFi Cloud Frame review

REVIEW – Several years digital photo frames were a popular gift idea. I reviewed at least a dozen of them until their popularity grew stale. But what’s old is new again and today digital photo frames are making a comeback. One new frame that I’m going to show you today is the Nixplay WiFi Cloud Frame. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Nixplay WiFi Cloud Frame is a digital photo frame that can be used to view your favorite images. Nixplay makes a variety of frames but their  Cloud Frames are available in 15 and 18-inch screen sizes. I was sent the 18-inch version.

Hardware specs

Screen Resolution: 1366 x 768 pixels
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Brightness: 350 cd/m2
Supported Photo Format: JPEG / JPG / PNG
Supported Video Format: H.264 HD 720p
Speakers: 2 x (1.5W) Stereo Speakers, 3.5mm Stereo Headphone Input
Ports: USB Drive / SD / SDHC
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
Width: 18.4 inches (467mm)
Height: 11.4 inches (290mm)
Depth: 1.3 inches (33mm) – without stand, 4.5 inches (115mm) – with stand
Weight:2.72kg – without stand, 2.80kg – with stand

What’s in the box?

Nixplay WiFi Cloud Frame
Screw in stand
IR remote
AC adapter
Quick start guide

Design and features

This is the largest digital photo frame that I’ve reviewed and I have to say that if you’re going to buy a digital photo frame, go big or forget it. This 18-inch frame is big and well made. It has black 1-inch bezels on all sides to make it look like a picture frame.

The Nixplay has two sensors that are built into the lower part of the frame. In the lower left corner is the motion detection sensor and there’s also the IR sensor for the included remote control.

The remote control has a membrane style keypad with functions to control the photo slideshow and video playback.

The back of the Nixplay Cloud WiFi Frame has mounting slots to help you mount the frame on a wall in either landscape or portrait orientation.

There are also speakers built into the back of the frame and a set of control buttons in case you lose the IR remote control.

The back of the frame has an SD card slot and a USB port if you want to load your own images from flash memory. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack and the power port.

If you don’t want people messing with the ports, you can block them by using the included cover.

The port cover is secured by two screws.

If you don’t want to mount the Nixplay on a wall, you can attach the included stand which snaps into the back of the frame and is secured by a brass thumb screw.

I opted to do my testing of the frame with the stand. However, by using the stand, you can only use it in landscape orientation.

Loading your images and videos into the frame

To see slideshows of your favorite images and video, you can load them on an SD card, a USB flash drive, or you can connect the frame to your wireless network and then load images from a selection of social media sites like Dropbox, Facebook, Google Photos, Instagram, Flickr, and Verizon Cloud by using the Nixplay web app. Note that except for the Dropbox dynamic playlist, the other social media sites will not automatically sync new images to the frame. You will need to update the playlists when you add new images that you want to show up on the Nixplay frame. Don’t worry though, it’s as easy as dragging and dropping the images into the playlist from the Nixplay web app.

Another way to get images into the frame is by email. Each frame has an email address assigned to it once you create a Nixplay account. Images sent to the frame using this address will be added to a special playlist.

Last but not least, you can install the Nixplay app on your smartphone or tablet and send images from your device to the frame that way too.

Before you can use the frame, you’ll need to create a Nixplay account which is free and allows you to easily configure a variety of settings on the frame. The free account also allows you to create and modify playlists of up to 10GB of photos for up to 5 different Nixplay frames. If you need to manage more frames, Nixplay offers a Plus account where you’ll have 10 frames per account and 30GB of storage.

For example, if you load an album of photos from Instagram or Google Photos like I did, you can remove images that you don’t want to see or disable the playlist altogether.

Note that the images will be loaded on to the frame itself so that even if you log out of the Nixplay account or lose WiFi connectivity, the frame still continues to work.

Most nicer digital photo frames allow you to set a sleep schedule so that the frame goes into standby mode during the nighttime hours when no one would be seeing it anyway. The Nixplay will allow you to either have the screen turn off or it can display a clock during the sleep schedule hours. But that’s not all. The Nixplay WiFi Cloud Frame goes even one step further by implementing a motion sensor that will put the display in sleep mode when it senses that there’s no one in the room. I love this feature and have found that it works really well.

Another feature worth mentioning is that you can control your Nixplay frame with Alexa. You can ask it to play specific playlists just by using your voice. I don’t have an Amazon Echo set up to test this feature, but you can find out more about it by visiting the Nixplay site.

Display quality

A digital photo frame is only as good as the display quality right? Well, there’s nothing to worry about with the Nixplay because the glossy LED-backlit display is bright, crisp, and vibrant with excellent viewing angles so that you can see image details even if you’re not directly in front of the frame.

The frame has a 16:9 aspect ratio so images that you take with your phone will probably not fill the screen and you’ll send up seeing bands on the sides or the top and bottom of the screen. The cool thing is that Nixplay makes the color of the bands match the image on the screen.

This way the bands aren’t just white or black.

Here’s an example of a panoramic image that I took while on vacation in Three Rivers California. See how the Nixplay is showing top and bottom bands?

Here are some other examples. Click the pics to see the full image.



You’re probably wondering if there’s a way to fill the screen with the image to get rid of the bands and yes, there is. Actually, there are a few other ways to display your favorite pictures on the Nixplay frame.

You can set the images to fill the frame which Looks good as long as the subject of the image is in the center of the picture and is small enough that certain details don’t get cut off with the image fills the frame. See the image above, it’s an Instagram picture which is typically a square image. I’ve set the image to fill the screen.

And here’s the original image. See how the tops of the mailboxes are cut off when it’s using the fill display mode?

Here’s the snapshot display mode which shows each new image on top of the previous image.

And here’s the tile display mode which shows two images side by side. This mode works great for images that are up and down (portrait) instead of wide (landscape).

In addition to the multiple viewing styles, the frame also has 11 different transition styles when it loads a new image. You can specify the one you like best or just set it to random so it uses all of the styles.

What I like

  • Great display
  • Doesn’t require a paid subscription
  • SD card and USB readers
  • Alexa enabled
  • Motion sensor

What to consider before buying

  • Price

Final thoughts

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph of this review, I’ve reviewed at least a dozen digital photo frames in the last 2 decades, but the Nixplay is the first digital photo frame that has actually impressed me on all fronts. It makes my images look great and the built-in features like motion detection and sleep schedules make this an enjoyable digital photo frame to use.

Price: $279.99
Where to buy: Nixplay and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Nixplay.

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Nixplay WiFi Cloud Frame review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 31, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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HP df1050tw Wi-Fi Photo Frame review


Digital photo frames have come a long way since they were first introduced shortly after LCD’s in the late 1990’s. The HP df1050tw Wi-Fi Photo Frame is no exception as it almost feels like a modern tablet.

What is it?

The HP df1050tw Wi-Fi Photo Frame, as its name implies, is a photo frame. However, it has a few features that make it more than just a photo frame. This HP photo frame features a touchscreen, WiFi, mobile app ability, calendar, clock and the ability to play music.

Hardware specs

Display Size 10.1 inch TFT LDC Screen
Screen Resolution 1280 x 800px
Aspect Ratio 16:10
Internal Memory 8GB
Storage Media SD (SDHC) Card up to 32GB (Class 10), USB Memory Stick
Touchscreen Yes
Speakers 2x 2W
Sensors Light
Photo Format JPG, BMP, PNG
Music Format MP3
Power AC 110~240V 50/60Hz, DC 5V/2A
Color Black, Rose Gold, White

What’s in the box?

  • HP df1050tw Wi-Fi Photo Frame
  • Power Cord
  • Quick start instruction sheet



Design and features

The HP Photo Frame is designed to sit on a flat surface, unlike some photo frames that can be hung on a wall. The initial setup included selecting the language and connecting to my WiFi. After displaying instructions on where to get the mobile app, the device detected that a firmware update was available, and was able to download that and update it without connecting the device to a computer as some devices do.



Connecting a mobile device is as easy as downloading the app, signing up for an account, and entering the device ID, or scanning the QR code on the tablet screen.

The display of photos on the screen is really nice. The colors are vibrant and the brightness is adequate. You can manually browse photos in the internal memory where the cloud photos are, or the SD card.

The photo frame and app work pretty much as designed, and for the most part they are probably adequate for most people. However, I found several things that I did not like.

The mobile app is quite basic, and poorly written. There are numerous instances of poor English and misspellings. For example, “Account” is spelled “Accout” in several places. When registering a login for the app you’re prompted to enter “Account, Password, and Nickname” – “Accout” is an obvious misspelling of “Account”, but if you leave it empty and try to create an account you’re prompted with “Username can’t be empty” – so it’s really your username. However, on the login screen of the app, it shows Username and Password. There is no password length enforcement for security either. Account and Username are used interchangeably in various messages.

If the wireless is turned off on the frame and you try to add the device via the app, the device list in the app displays “Req..erify” which is probably short for “Require Reverify” based on the poor English in the app.

Choosing the Forgot password option in the app presents you with a screen titled “Change Password”, and fields named “Please enter the device code”, “Please enter a new password”, and “Username”. This is a completely non-standard way of handling a forgotten password.

After you have selected photos on your phone and sent them to the device, there’s no indication of which photos you have already uploaded. If you select a duplicate photo you’ll have two of the same image on the device. There’s also no way of undoing a transfer so if you send the wrong photo to the device, it can only be removed from the photo frame using the photo frame user interface.

On the photo frame itself, there is an option for a screensaver, where you can set hours for it to display a clock at night for example. However, when the screensaver turns off at the end of the set period of time, there’s no way to make it automatically display the photos on an SD card, only the internal memory.

There is also a calendar option, which I thought was a really nice feature. Built-in stereo speakers and a music player provide for playing MP3 files.

The photo frame also has an alarm feature, which took me a little while to find the settings for. You have to tap the clock on the menu screen to access the alarms. After which you can set up multiple alarm times, alarm ringtones, and which days to repeat the alarm. There 7 ringtones for the alarm, but two of them sound identical.

What I like

  • Responsive and nice looking touchscreen
  • Additional features such as alarm and clock

What needs to be improved

  • Mobile device app needs much work
  • Advertises 8GB internal storage, but only 5.6GB is free to use for photos
  • In settings, if the current time is between the times set for the Night mode, you can’t change the screensaver type
  • No wall mount

Final thoughts

The mobile app needs much more work to make this photo frame a family and friends device. There needs to be a way to manage photos remotely from the app. I had thought about putting one of these at my mom’s house so I just load my most recent photos automatically to the frame but without the ability to remotely remove photos that option is not realistic.

Price: $149.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Idea Electronics.

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HP df1050tw Wi-Fi Photo Frame review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 23, 2018 at 2:05 pm.

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