Casio picture frame turns digital photos into art

(AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck)

Casio pulled back the curtain on a picture frame that transforms digital pictures into virtual oil paintings, pastels, or water colors.

"This is the first product to create paintings using our camera technology," Casio president and founder Kazuo Kashio said while showing off the Digital Art Frame at the Consumer Electronics Show taking place in Las Vegas.

"It will change the culture of photo frames."

The frames have software that lets users turn digital pictures into artwork by selecting from a set of effects including pointillism, watercolor, airbrush, pastel, and oil painting, according to Casio.

"Have you ever wanted to decorate your home with an original oil painting?" asked Casio America executive vice president of sales and marketing John Homlish.

"Well, now you can. Digital Art Frame transforms snapshots into works of art at the push of a button."

The frames are to be available by mid-year and the price was not disclosed.

Casio also unveiled an enhanced line-up of high-speed compact digital cameras with tenfold optical zoom lenses to capture action from a distance.