Parrot is back at it again, working up a digital picture frame that’s as much about design as it is about function. But don’t let the artistic design fool you, the Parrot Speechio is full-featured and has included more ways to transfer files to the frame than we’ve seen from any other. The Speechio features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC – Near Field Communication, mini-USB port and an SD card reader.

The Internet connectivity via Wi-Fi connection and included email functionality, the Specchio can automatically receive and display pictures that are sent by an owner’s friends or family, as well as those that are uploaded onto photo sharing sites such as Picasa, Flickr and Fotolog.

Photos can also be transferred to the frame via Bluetooth mobile phone or supported device. But the really interesting feature is transferring photos via Near Field Communication. Sliding an NFC mobile phone against the back of the Parrot Specchio frame will enable photographs to be immediately transferred and displayed on the screen of the digital photo frame without the need for pairing the products. This NFC technology has been used in trials with public transportation systems and other rapid payment situations, but even with support from Nokia, the platform hasn’t yet taken off. Parrot integrating such a feature into a digital frame is certainly forward thinking as very few consumer electronics have gone this route to date.

From a design perspective, the frame looks like a metallic mirror when turned off. Only when it’s turned on, do you even realize it’s a digital photo frame. 

Unfortunately there are few technical specifications currently available, other than the storage capacity of 1500 photos and the vast wireless options and SD card slot. 

Pricing and Availability

The Parrot Specchio digital picture frame will be available in November 2008 at a recommended retail price of $500.

Martin Szekely Design

Martin Szekely, a contemporary well-known French artist acknowledged worldwide as a “master of minimalism,” with pieces in the permanent collections of the world’s major museums, including the Centre Georges Pompidou and Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, co-created an artful digital photo frame that incorporates a timeless mirror into the overall design. This luxury digital frame can be adapted to any home decor and fits many tastes — from art and photography enthusiasts to avid technology users.

Parrot has announced a new digital picture frame that’s created by designer Andrée Putman. The 7″ frame offers a high resolution 720×480 display, Bluetooth and enough internal memory for 400 photos. It’s due out this month for a whopping $450.

“I would like to pay tribute to Parrot for daring to think that this wonder of technology could be coiled up inside a beautiful wrapping… with an eye-catching flourish that goes beyond mere practicality,” explains Andrée Putman.  “I will fill this screen with photos of my children and friends, and I will place it neatly on my desk.”

At a price of $450, Putman might be the only one to fill the frame with photos. With tons of competitive products that look great, like the Sony lineup, it’s hard to imagine paying a premium for a “special” design. The spec sheet certainly isn’t interesting enough to warrant the investment, but if you love the design enough to drop two times the cost of a competitive product, by all means.

Parrot Andrée Putman Digital Photo Frame Specs

• 720 x 480 pixels, 262,144 colors
• 7″ Display – dimensions: 5.1 x 3.4 inches
• Dimensions – 8.6″ x 6.8″ x 1.0″, Weight – 24 ounces
• Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR for transferring photos
• Mini USB port
• SD/MMC card slot
• Stores over 400 photos
• Automatically adapts the picture size to the screen
• Brightness adjustment
• Automatically rotates the picture (portrait/landscapes