Digital Camera News: Canon Digital Rebel XTi Firmware Update, Alien Skin Eye Candy Effects, 15" Pandigital Photo Frame

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi (400D) Firmware Update

Canon has issued a firmware update, version 1.0.5, for its latest entry level digital SLR, the EOS Digital Rebel XTi (also known as the 400D). The firmware provides the following improvements/fixes:

1. Fixes the printing of lens names when using PictBridge.
2. [Redeye 1] can now be selected when connecting with specific printers.
3. Improves the reliability of communication with the Speedlite 380EX.

To get the firmware and instructions on how to update your camera, see: http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/eosdigital3/e4kr3_firmware-e.html

Alien Skin Software Releases Eye Candy Effects Collection

Alien Skin Software, makers of filters and special effects plugins for Adobe Photoshop and other image editors, have release the Eye Candy Effects Collection. This collection includes 54 special effects and over 1000 one-click settings. The collection includes the full version of five Alien Skin titles: Eye Candy 5: Impact, Eye Candy 5: Nature, Eye Candy 5: Textures, Xenofex 2, and Snap Art.

If you purchase all of these effects separately, you will be out about $575 dollars. By bundling them together, Alien Skin is offering them for an estimated street price of $399.

The Eye Candy Effects Collection will run on Adobe Photoshop CS or later, Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 or later, or Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI or later.

To learn more about Alien Skin, their products, or take online deliver of the Eye Candy Effects Collection, see http://www.alienskin.com.

Pandigital Introduces a 15-inch Digital Photo Frame

Pandigital, one of the leaders in the digital photo frame market announced their largest offering - a 15 inch photo frame with 1024x768 resolution. The screen also has a 500:1 contrast ratio and 350cd/m2 brightness rating. To get your images to the frame, there is a 6-in-1 card reader that can handle SD, XD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro/Memory Stick Duo, Compact Flash, and MMC memory formats. You can leave your card in or transfer images to the 256MB of internal memory. You can also transfer images from your camera or computer using a mini-USB port or standard USB port.

The camera can also playback MPEG 1, MPEG4, AVI video clips, and MP3 files. To hear audio, there are built-in speakers or you can use the built-in headphone jack.

To match with your decor, the photo frame will ship with two interchangeable frames - black wood and cherry wood.

The new 15-inch frame (model PAN150) will be available this month from "leading retailers" at an MSRP of $229.

For more information about Pandigital, see: http://www.pandigital.net