Smartparts digital photo frames keep it simple

Smartparts' new 7-inch wooden digital photo frame.

If we've learned anything from reviewing digital photo frames, it's that putting photos onto one of these little snapshot displays isn't always easy. New Jersey company Smartparts, which announced two new digital frames here at CES 2007, is trying to remedy that situation with its OptiPix software. Smartparts is including the software with both of its new frames this year. Like most photo frames, they have memory card slots--in this case SD, Memory Stick, MMc, and xD Picture Card slots. However, if you're willing to connect your frame to your computer's USB jack, the OptiPix software will let you upload whole folders of images, perfectly sized to fit the frame's screen, while maximizing the number of images that'll fit in the frame's internal memory.

The difference between two models is the material surrounding their 7-inch, 800x600-pixel LCD screens. One, the SPDPF70EW, has a wooden bezel, while the other, called the SPDPF70E, has acrylic edging. Both new frames will hit stores in the middle of February with a price of about $100 each.