Kodak Pulse digital photo frame lets you e-mail your pictures to the frame

PHOENIX - Digital picture frames are great.  They let you take all of those digital pictures and show them off to family and friends.  Problem is, many of us throw 30 or 40 pictures on the frame when we first get it and never update them.  It's just too much trouble to load up a new memory card and pop it into the frame.  Kodak wants to change that.

The Kodak Pulse digital picture frame adds Wi-Fi to the equation. It still has SD, Compact Flash and USB plugs on the side like most digital frames but it also has Wi-Fi, which makes adding pictures so much easier. When you first power up the frame you'll have to connect it to a Wi-Fi network. This means, if there is no Wi-Fi where the frame is located, the wireless features won't work. Once it's connected, you can register the frame on Kodak's website. You can select an e-mail address (ending in @kodakpulse.com) for the frame. Then, just e-mail any photos to the frame and they'll pop up within about 5 or 10 minutes. You can give out the e-mail address to anyone so they can add photos too. The frame will let you display pictures from anyone or just certain e-mail addresses.

I tested it out from my cell phone, snapping a few pictures and sending them directly to the Kodak e-mail address. It worked well. A message appeared on the screen to alert the frame's owner that new pictures arrived. You can also login to the Kodak site to manage the frame. You can upload pictures through the website, delete pictures off the frame and change the frame settings. This is great if you're managing a frame for someone else, like mom or grandma. Again, they'll need access to a Wi-Fi network for this to work.

Kodak also added Facebook  pictures. You can add your Facebook account while logged into their website and then select which of your Facebook friends the frame should display. That way, if your family adds new pictures to their Facebook pages, they'll show up on the frame. It's easy to setup and a fun idea but the quality of Facebook photos can sometimes be iffy. I suppose a bit of trial and error will be required with this feature.

The frame itself is nice.  It has a black plastic finish that looks slick.  I wish there were additional frames included.  Black doesn't work with everyone's decor.  The 7" (800x600) screen is bright, crisp and pictures look great.  Your photos are stored on the built-in 512 megabytes of memory.  Expect to store about 100 - 200 photos on the frame depending on the quality of the photos.  

The best part is that Kodak priced the Pulse right at $130. It's just slightly more expensive than similar digital photo frames without Wi-Fi. If I could change a few things, I'd allow users to change out the actual frame to match their home. I'd also consider a cell phone option. Wi-Fi is great but most of the people I'd want to buy this for don't have Wi-Fi. It would be perfect for Grandma's house but without Wi-Fi, it's kind of a bust.

None the less, it's a great digital photo frame. The screen looks great and the Wi-Fi option is smart. I could really see myself adding new photos on a regular basis. If you have a family member that you love to share pictures with (and they have Wi-Fi), this is the perfect gift idea.

Find good deals on the Kodak Pulse online at Google Shopping