i-mate Momento 100 – Wi-Fi digital photo frame

Will Head Cameras, Reviews
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momento_review.jpgThe propaganda

Forget bog standard digital photo frames – the Momento 100 is a frame with Wi-Fi built in, so instead of just showing pictures from memory card it can stream them from your PC wirelessly or even download them from the internet.

The companion Momento Live service allows you to send images to your photo frame – either by email or MMS – or you can set up PictureStreams that update automatically via RSS.

The good

The Momento 100 has a decent sized 10in display that’s bright enough to view in most environments. The resolution only stretches to 800×480 pixels, which is a little on the small size – but given the screen area represents that of a 5×8.5in photo the low resolution isn’t that noticeable.

It has a multi-format reader that will accept MMC, SD, xD, Smart Media or Memory Stick cards or you can plug in a USB drive. If you’re running Windows Media Player 11 then you can use the media sharing facilities to display images stored on your PC on the screen.

It also integrates with the Momento Live service, so you can email or MMS pictures to it or set up RSS feeds from sites such as Flickr. Finally it will function as a Windows Vista Sideshow device, so you can install small apps – similar to Sidebar gadgets – on it that display info from your PC.

The bad

All interaction is via the included remote control – so if you lose it, then you won’t be able to do anything until you get a replacement. It’s also a bit sluggish to respond to commands, which is annoying.

You also need to subscribe to the Momento Live service to get access to all its features. You get a free three month trial included, but after that it’s £19.99 if you want to continue. You can still view images on your PC without the Momento Live subscription, though.

Geek Sheet

Screen size: 10in

Screen resolution: 800×480 pixels

Connectivity: MMC, SD, xD, Smart Media or Memory Stick card reader; 802.11b/g Wi-Fi

Controls: remote control

Storage: Built-in storage for up to 200 favourite pictures

Dimensions: 305x254x38mm

Overview

If you want more out of your digital photo frame than just the ability to show images from a memory card then the Momento has some great features to offer. It’ll happily stream images from your PC and the Momento Live service is well thought out, although it’s a shame it will cost you an extra £19.99 a year. Available for £199.99 it’s reasonably priced and you get additional features such as Vista Sideshow to play with – just make sure you don’t lose the remote.

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Related sites: i-mate Momento 100 at PC World

Will Head
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One thought on “i-mate Momento 100 – Wi-Fi digital photo frame”

  • It’s a shame you need to subcribe to use all of the features. I can’t see why you need to pay to pull an RSS. There’s no way to use pictures not stored on the frame or a card/USB key unless you buy into the service or leave a PC on permanently.
    I sent mine back. I couldn’t access Flikr (I thought that would be free) and it locked up frequently when setting up Wi-Fi. I thought it was faulty.
    Nearly, but not quite.

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