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The Image Wallet

Another simple, though more expensive, photo-viewing device is VideoChip's $350 Photo Wallet, a handy gadget for digital-camera users who'd like to view and show their latest shots on a screen larger than their camera's LCD panel. It's no sweat to tote the Photo Wallet, which is a little larger than a Palm III or Handspring Visor. And it displays images directly from a CompactFlash or MicroDrive digital media card, which slips into the side of the unit.

Navigating through images is easy via the three buttons alongside the unit's screen. The Photo Wallet's screen measures 2.5 by 3.25 inches and, like the Kensington Digital Photo Album, its display is 320 by 240 pixels. However, the Photo Wallet's screen is backlit and considerably brighter than the Digital Photo Album's screen. Colors on the Photo Wallet are vivid and saturated, and images can be seen from a wide angle of view. VideoChip credits the embedded 24-bit LSI Logic imaging chip for the display quality. You can display the Photo Wallet on your desk, too: It comes with a bracket that also serves as a screen cover and a stand. The device runs on two DL123A 3-volt batteries, and comes with an AC adapter.

The Photo Wallet features controls that let you specify transitions (cut or dissolve) between images. You can also move forward and backward through your images, as well as rotate individual frames. Pressing the View button displays all the images on screen as thumbnails; there you can also move forward and backward through all the images on the CompactFlash card, and enlarge any one you like. A firmware update, available at the VideoChip Web site, adds features such as power-saving timers, group image saving, and a zoom function for isolating and enlarging selected parts of an image.

Though similar in design, these two products serve different purposes. The Kensington Digital Photo Album is good for an office setting or for relatives who want to download the latest shots of family events, but don't want to view those images on a PC. The VideoChip Photo Wallet, on the other hand, with its batteries and CompactFlash slot, is designed to go with you. It's easily viewable from almost any angle, so it's ideal for anyone who wants to show off their latest shots, or even just go over them on a larger screen than the one on the back of the camera.

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