IPEVO's Kaleido upgrades the digital picture frame

I know it's hard to get excited about digital picture frames, but hear me out on this one: IPEVO is taking the picture frame as we know it and kicking it into the modern era. Once you get a look at one -- and I got a little hands-on time with the unit last week -- you'll never consider buying one of those low-grade frames again.

The Kaleido digital picture frame is immediately distinguished by its modern styling. The Kaleido tries not to blend in with your other picture frames (as if the cheap plastic shell on most current models was fooling anyone) but tries to stand apart from them, with almost futuristic looks that prop the frame up on a vertical stand. The frame portion also pivots: If you're viewing mostly portrait shots, just twist it so the frame is upright: Pictures automatically reorient and crop themselves to fit the new layout on the fly.

Another major difference vs. old frames: Controls aren't placed on the backside of the device but rather as touch-sensitive buttons along the bottom front edge of the frame: They're unobtrusive while still being easy to reach.

Lastly, while there is an SD slot, few will bother to worry about using it: Photos can far more easily come to your frame via the Kaleido's integrated Wi-Fi connection, so no hustling shots back and forth from computer to frame via sneakernet. (And let's face it, most frames get an initial round of pictures and are never updated after that.) The Kaleido grabs photos directly from your computer and can even get shots directly from Flickr, pulling pics from your account or even based on keywords that you like. Various widgets are also available as interludes during the image rotation, such as real-time weather forecasts.

The frame measures seven inches diagonally, offers very bright and crisp images, and will be priced, when it's released (no date yet announced), at $199 to $249. Watch for it around holiday time.