Amazon has announced a new version of the very popular Kindle eBook reader, officially called the Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device. The new version of the device has access to Global Wireless services and is available in over 100 countries.

The major difference between the new product and the older version is the size of the screen; it was upgraded from 6 inches on the earlier Kindle to 9.7 inches on the DX. It has storage capacity for over 3500 books and lots of other really cool features. The 6-inch Kindle is already the bestselling product across all of Amazon, and I expect that the Kindle DX will also be extremely popular.

The 9.7″ Kindle DX with Global Wireless is available for pre-order for $489 at www.amazon.com/kindledx and starts shipping on January 19th.

There are over 400,000 Books in Kindle eBook format available for download at Amazon!

My Dad recently asked me about the best way to reconnect his Windows laptop to his wireless network router after the Internet Connection stopped responding. He had been fumbling around and had tried changing various hardware and software settings, including hitting the reset button on his router (don’t do this, it will reset the device to its factory default settings). Although he eventually got his wireless internet connection working again, he really wasn’t sure why it had dropped out in the first place, never mind how he fixed it.

Most likely he had a temporary glitch in the wireless connection and it eventually started working again on its own. Sometimes that happens, but usually not. I get so frustrated with wireless connectivity that I leave my laptop plugged into the router with an Ethernet cable most of the time. My wife complains about losing connections on her laptop almost daily.

Problems are often caused by cordless phones and other wireless devices operating on the same frequency as the router. If you have a 2.4 ghz phone, that could easily be the cause. Even if you don’t have a cordless phone, one of your neighbors might, and that could be enough to occasionally interfere with your wireless connection. Note that if your wireless phone is 2.4 ghz then you might consider replacing it with a DECT phone. They operate on an otherwise unused bit of wireless spectrum and should not interfere at all…

When you lose your wireless connection (and you will), try the following steps (in order):

1. Check to see if the wireless connection is disabled using a hardware on/off button. Most modern laptops have these, and they are usually just above the keyboard, but it may be different depending on your hardware.
2. Right click on the network icon in the Windows system tray. Choose “Diagnose and Repair”. Let it do its thing. Most of the time this will solve the problem.
3. Check to see if you have internet connectivity on another computer or wireless device. If you do, try plugging your computer into the router or directly to the modem. If either of these connections work, reboot your computer and test the wireless connection again.
4. Unplug the Router and the Cable or DSL Modem. Wait about 15 seconds and plug the cable modem back in. Wait another 15 seconds and plug the router back in. Wait another 30-60 seconds and check your laptop to see if the connection is fixed. You may need to try to “Diagnose and Repair” the problem again.
5. Contact your Cable or DSL Internet Service Provider to see if there are any problems with your service area.
6. Start “Windows Update” and check to see if there are any driver updates for your computer. Sometimes these are “Optional” updates that may not automatically install; they might help though so in my opinion they are usually worth installing.

If none of the above steps work then it is likely that your problems are much more serious than usual. You may have a faulty router or modem, or a bad network card in your computer. Try rebooting all of the devices again, including the router and the modem. Try testing with another computer or device, such as a friends iPod Touch or laptop. Try contacting your Cable or DSL Internet Service Provider again.

If you go through all of these steps, you should be able to get your wireless connection working again. If nothing works then you may need to get an expert in to help. Good luck!

Reactions from the mainstream media went from surprise, to shock, to outrage when Amazon recently opened up the Kindle for shipping to a large list of countries, that did not include Canada. The Kindle is a “Wireless Reading Device” (commonly known as an eBook reader) that includes free global wireless coverage and doesn’t require a computer to access new content from the Kindle Store.

I personally don’t really understand what the hype is about this class of device. I much prefer reading my books in paper form, or to have all the other features of a mini computer that are built into my iPod Touch. But there are many people out there who rave about these things, and they love the convenience of having nearly instant access to hundreds of thousands of books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs on a device with a screen that “Reads like real paper without glare, even in bright sunlight”. I’d love to give one a try, if only to see what the hype is all about.

For any of my fellow Canadians that have been waiting to get their hands on one, your time is now. For only $259 US you can order one now and have it with plenty of time to spare before Christmas!

The Kindle Store: More Than 360,000 Books
At Amazon, we’ve always been obsessed with having every book ever printed, and we know that even the best book reader is useless without the books you want to read. We are fortunate that we have tens of millions of book customers at Amazon, and as a result, we know the books customers want to read and we prioritize getting those titles. Today, the Kindle Store has more than 360,000 books available, including 101 of 112 New York Times® Best Sellers, plus top newspapers, magazines, and blogs. Our vision for Kindle is to have every book ever printed, in any language, all available in under 60 seconds.

As I have previously mentioned, the Canon EOS 7D looks like a pretty amazing camera. It has an impressive list of features and there are a few things that it brings to the table that have me really excited.

However, amazing as it is, the 7D is still missing several features from my ideal camera, and even more from my list of must-haves for my next camera. Here are a few of the main reasons why I don’t plan to buy the Canon 7D:

1. Autofocus at f/8: Most consumer cameras will only autofocus with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or larger (remember that the smaller the f-stop, the larger the aperture). This may not sound like a big deal since most professional lenses are f/2.8, and even consumer lenses typically range from f/3.5 to f/5.6. However, super zooms are often at f/4 or f/5.6, and if you add a teleconverter to the lens you will lose 1 or 2 stops further. My most used lens is the Canon 100-400mm f/4-5.6 L. It is a fantastic lens under most conditions but simply adding a 1.4x teleconverter takes it up to a maximum aperture of f/8 when fully racked out and so I lose autofocus with most cameras. (Sure, some will argue that this lens is not a good candidate for teleconverters anyway, but sometimes you need all the focal length you can get and the trade-off in image quality is worth the extra zoom). Professional cameras often extend the allowable autofocus range to f/8. If the 7D had this one feature it would be a very strong contender to be my next camera.
2. Integral Battery Grip: I don’t often need more than one battery, even for a full day of shooting, and I’m very happy to carry a spare battery in my pocket. But the really nice thing about having a battery grip on your camera is that it provides an extra set of shooting controls (including a shutter release, main dial, AE lock/FE lock and AF point selection) designed to make vertical shooting easier and more comfortable). You can buy add-on battery grips for most cameras however they are not always the perfect solution. Inadequate weather sealing is one potential drawback, and they also do not always have all of the controls that would be included on an integral grip. One feature in particular that I want in my battery grip is the inclusion of an AF-ON button, but add-on grips typically don’t include one. The 7D doesn’t have an integral grip, and the Canon BG-E7 battery grip designed for the 7D doesn’t include an AF-ON button.
3. Not Enough Megapixels: I already mentioned this in my previous article about the 7D, but it’s worth mentioning here too… Lately lots of people have been crying for the camera companies to stop chasing megapixels and focus more on reduced image noise. Not me. I want both! I shoot lots of birds and wildlife which can often be very small in the frame, and more megapixels would mean that I could crop my images tighter in post, yet still have a large file for multi-purpose use. I was expecting this camera to be at least 21 megapixels, which would be comparable to the Canon 5D Mark II. I really hope the next professional camera from Canon gets back to the winning ways of more and more megapixels.
4. Single Memory Card Slot: I’m a backup freak and the most vulnerable point in any photography storage system is at the time of capture. If a camera has only one memory card slot, then, by definition, at the time of capture there is only one copy of each image that has been created. The simple addition of a second card slot would ensure that there are always at least two copies of every image. This would be a relatively inexpensive feature to add and I’m extremely disappointed that Canon missed this one on the 7D.
5. Exposure Bracketing: Most Canon cameras provide a simple method to create a 3-stop auto-exposure bracket. In traditional film photography bracketing was used almost exclusively to ensure that you got the correct exposure. In digital that’s no longer really necessary because you can easily see the image on the LCD and decide whether you got it or not. Today bracketing is used more for HDR photography than anything else. For this reason it is often desirable to have (many) more than 3 images in the bracket. Personally I prefer 5 shots in one stop increments, so I have to shoot 2 brackets of 3 shots each in order to get all the exposures I need. Nikon cameras and Canon’s professional cameras allow much more control over bracketing. It is such a simple thing to provide (a software change only), so I’m stunned that Canon did not include this feature in the 7D. HDR photography is the hottest and most exciting thing in the photo world today (just do a quick search of HDR on Flickr to see what I mean) and Canon really missed the boat here.

I’m really excited by the possibilities that the Canon EOS 7D opens up, especially with the new autofocus system and with the built-in wireless flash controller. But Canon missed a few features that could have taken this camera from “exciting” to “damn near perfect”. I’m not saying that I will never buy this camera, but for now I’m planning to hold out for the next release in the 1D series (1D mark IV ??). Hopefully it comes sooner than later!!

The recent release of the Canon EOS 7D has created quite a stir in the photography community. Initially people weren’t sure where this camera fit into the lineup of existing Canon cameras. From the naming convention it appears to fit somewhere between the 50D and the 5D Mark II; however, the feature set is so impressive that many assumed that it was intended to slot in above the 5D in the hierarchy. As the dust has settled it appears more and more that Canon has created a new product line designed to directly fight the Nikon D300s which is positioned in the market in a place where Canon had no comparable equipment.

Marketing aside, the 7D has a very impressive list of specifications and the image quality appears to be at least as good as the 50D (with increased resolution at 18 megapixels for the 7D vs. 15 megapixels for the 50D). It may not quite match the standard set by the full-frame 5D Mark II, but this is clearly one of the best SLR cameras ever produced.

Here are a few of the main reasons why I’m excited by this addition to the Canon family:

1. New Autofocus System: I’ve had the Canon 40D for almost 2 years (and 70,000 images) and in that time I’ve never really loved the autofocus system. It works well in some situations, poorly in others, and OK in most. But I’ve always felt that it could be faster and more accurate, and could do more to help me achieve critical focus. For the 7D Canon is boasting that the brand new “19-point, all cross-type AF system equipped with dual diagonal cross-type sensors in center at f/2.8 and f/5.6 and AF area selection modes to match various shooting situations” will be exactly what I’ve been asking for: faster and more accurate. I certainly hope they’re right.
2. Low Light / Low Noise Shooting: It seems that I can almost always use a little bit faster shutter speed and so higher ISO’s with lower noise levels are definitely exciting. I use ISO800 all the time with my 40D and the noise in those images is “acceptable” but often much uglier than I want it to be. In my opinion ISO1600 is not at all usable except in those extreme situations where getting any shot is better than getting nothing at all. I was able to test a 50D for an extended period and on that camera I find the images made at ISO1600 to be comparable to those at 800 on my camera, and the 7D is supposed to be even better yet. This is a very good thing and I’m excited at the possibility of having a camera where ISO3200 is a reality, not just a crazy dream!
3. Lots of Megapixels: Lately lots of people have been crying for the camera companies to stop chasing megapixels and focus more on reduced image noise. Not me. I want both! I shoot lots of birds and wildlife which can often be very small in the frame, and more megapixels means that I can crop my images tighter and post yet still have a large file for multi purpose use. So while I’m happy that this camera is 18 megapixels, I’d be even happier with more. Canon, keep the pixels coming!
4. HD Video: This isn’t so much exciting for me as it is very interesting. I don’t shoot a lot of video, but I do want to be able to in a pinch. I’m used to always having a point and shoot nearby to use for the occasional video that I want to shoot, but it would be much nicer to have it built into my SLR. The fact that the 7D includes 1080p High Definition video, with the amazing control over depth of field that only comes with an SLR is really nice. Video has already become a de facto industry standard for SLR’s, but I’m glad that Canon is pushing the quality envelope with the video capabilities implemented in this camera.
5. Wireless Flash Control: I’m saving the best for last with this one… The 7D comes with built-in capability to control multiple external Speedlite flashes wirelessly using TTL metering. That means that the camera can control the output level of each flash where in the past an external flash with Speedlite Master capability, or a dedicated wireless Master controller, had to be mounted on the hotshoe of the camera. These units are heavy, bulky, and expensive! Canon has long been way behind Nikon in this one little detail as most (all?) Nikon SLR’s have been able to control slave flashes wirelessly for a long time. Anyone even remotely aware of the Strobist movement will immediately understand why this is a big deal. It’s not just big, it’s huge!

I don’t necessarily think that the Canon EOS 7D is the perfect camera. In fact it only adds one of the features that I really want in my next camera (AF Microadjustment, which has also already become a de facto industry standard feature). But it is a huge leap over the existing xxD cameras and in many ways an improvement over the much more recent 5D Mark II. The main thing for me is that it shows that Canon hasn’t been sitting on their laurels and that they have some fantastic new technology ready to roll. Upcoming releases in the 1D and 5D series could get very exciting!