New Toshiba Photo Frames Also Tap News Feeds, Facebook

Toshiba has partnered with FrameChannel to pack news, info, traffic, and weather into its new Wi-Fi Digital Media Frames...and did we mention Facebook?

Toshiba America Consumer Products has rolled out a set of three new Digital Media Frames that aim to do more than display folks’ digital photos somewhere more convenient than a PC tucked away in a study: through a partnership with FrameChannel the picture frames can also pull in real-time information like news, sports, weather, and traffic info. But that’s not all: the frames can also take into images from sites like Flickr, PhotoBucket, and even Facebook.

“Toshiba is dedicated to creating innovative and entertaining products to enhance the needs of today’s connected home,” said TACP Digital A/V Group’s VP of marketing Jodi Sally, in a statement. “Through Toshiba’s partnership with FrameChannel, our new Digital Media Frames allow the user to not only display and share photos, but also customize their frame with personalized digital content, all in one sleek package.”

The frames sport 800 by 480-pixel displays, a 4-in-1 media card reader for loading images and video right off cameras and camcorders, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi for connecting to a home network and Internet-related services. Users can also sideload images using USB 2.0 connectivity, and the units sport 1 GB of onboard storage, a remove control, and a tilt sensor that automatically orients media in landscape or portrait mode. The frames support JPEG, TIFF, and BMP images, MPEG1/2/4 video, and MP3/WMA audio—although only DRM-free media works.

The frames will be available in August, with a 10-inch version going for $229.99, and 8-inch versions (with black or white frames) going for $179.99.