Microsoft fosters frame madness

A picture frame, like a toaster, is a simple idea. But let the adjective “digital” elbow its way into the picture and watch out! Suddenly slideshows are appearing in picture frames; then slideshows with music; then video clips. What good is a digital device without an Internet connection? So WiFi is added to the mix. Now Microsoft wants to push d-frames further into the cloud with its Windows Live FrameIt service. Not only will FrameIt stream photos from the Internet to frames that support the service, but it will funnel traffic, news and weather reports to them, too. Actually, the service will work its magic with any device that can handle RSS feeds.

“The Microsoft Live FrameIt application is resounding proof that today’s busy consumers have embraced digital photo frames and now want to do more with these useful devices,” Dean Finnegan, CEO of frame maker Pandigital, said in a statement.

Pandigital isn’t just praising FrameIt. It’s also making products for it. The first such offering, announced today, is its Kitchen Technology Center, or KTC ($449.99). The gizmo is a combination digital picture frame with touchscreen technology, 15.6-inch HDTV, digital cookbook with recipes from Bon Appetit and WiFi Internet device. All the unit needs now is a kitchen sink to complete its functionality as a scullery appliance.