One of my big complaints about cell phones and mobile devices generally is that the batteries are never able to adequately handle all of the advanced features which tend to be included.  The Palm Pre is a perfect example of this, with its WebOS interface, and always connected email (not to mention Internet, Wifi, 3G, and Bluetooth).  Generally, if I do not have a charger handy, then I am going to lose my phone before my day ends.  Add to that equation the fact that I love to go camping overnight, and the battery is quickly unveiled as typically inadequate.   So, I was pretty excited to hear that Kanex released a high capacity battery.  They sent me one to check out (and keep) and I thought I would share my impressions with all of you.

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I get asked an awful lot to name my favorite mobile device.  My answer is usually the same.  Well, I like this device for these things, or another device for those other things, but favorite device really depends upon what you want to do.  I never found a device which was perfect for all things.  Until now.

Today, I am ready to name my favorite mobile device, and it is probably not what you expect.  This one does not have a screen or a keyboard.  It does not make phone calls.  It does not access the Internet.  What it does is provide you with instant access to everything…from every device.  That is why the Mifi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot is my new favorite device.  Let’s take a closer look.

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In the time I have been writing here at Gear Diary, I have made it my mission to find the perfect Bluetooth headset.  Although we have tested dozens of headsets, that quest continues.  In fact, considering the rate at which new headsets are developed, I would not expect this process to reach a conclusion anytime soon.  Today, we will be looking at the Motorola H790, the latest entry in Motorola’s already extensive line of Bluetooth headsets.

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Hot on the heels of my review of the Motorola H790, yet another Bluetooth headset joins the enormous ranks of Motorola headsets.  Announced earlier this week, the H17 takes seems to take small and light to a whole new level, with its flip switch interface.  The best feature for me, however, is the use of CrystalTalk technology to suppress background noise.  The lack of this feature was one of my big complaints with the H790.  Keep reading for more from the Motorola fact sheet, or find the whole thing here.

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We all know Monster for the fantastic, heavy duty audio and video cables.  But did you know they also make headphone?  I have to be honest and tell you that I am pretty excited to see what the king of the audio cable can do with higher end headphones.   The Monster Turbine Pro headphones are due to hit stores near you in November for the extremely competitive price of $299.95 ($329.95 with an included in-line microphone which turns these headphones into the perfect companion for your Smartphone, iPhone, or pretty much any other music playing phone.  Go ahead and hit the jump for the full press release

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I have long been a fan of Adobe’s photo editing (Photoshop) and video editing (Premiere) software.  I have been fortunate, here at Gear Diary, to be able to review several incarnations of these fantastic programs.  Now, adobe has announced the release of the Photoshop/Premiere Elements Bundle 8.

There are a host of new features in this one, including:

PHOTOSHOP

• – The new Auto-Analyzer, which automatically analyzes and tags the most interesting and highest-quality photos and video footage.
• – People Recognition, which identifies people in photos, becoming more intelligent over time, as it learns to associate names and people.
• – Full-screen previews, which  displays photos and video clips in the slideshow mode directly in the Organizer.
• – Photomerge Exposure creates a perfectly lit photo that shows every detail by combining multiple shots of the same scene – with or without a flash – in just a few simple clicks.
• – Recompose (which uses the professional level Photoshop CS4 technology) provides users with an easy way to automatically resize photos without distorting the most important parts.
• PREMIERE
• – Smart Fix ensures that every clip looks its best by automatically fixing shaky footage and color and lighting problems.
• – Smart Trim identifies and helps get rid of the least interesting, lowest quality footage.
• – Smart Mix seamlessly balances audio elements to give videos professional-quality sound throughout.
• – Motion-tracking capabilities give users the power to add graphics, text and effects – such as thought bubbles and motion blur – that will automatically follow a subject within a scene.

These programs are sold as a bundle for $149.99 or individually for $99.99 each.  There is also a Mac version of Photoshop which will be available in the coming weeks for $99.99.  All of the programs are available from www.adobe.com.

When I started this series, my hope had been to tackle all of the apps in the Palm Pre App Catalog before its official launch, later this month.  But the developers turned out to be too fast for me.  In the month since I started this series, the App Catalog has grown from 30 apps to 45, and is really starting to gain momentum.  So, a slight change of plans will see the series ending today, with an overview of 30 apps.

As a finale to the series, I thought we would take a look at Yelp, the location based search tool.  But don’t worry, this will not be the end of our look at apps for the Palm Pre.  There are plenty of new apps showing up every day, both in the official App catalog and in the unofficial homebrew app lists.  And we will work our way through many of the apps in both locations.  For now, though, let’s take a look at Yelp.

Yelp is a multi-platform tool, which can help you find local businesses and restaurants in your area.  You can search either by selecting one of the preset categories or by entering your own search term.  Yelp will then find any matches in your area.

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I have to admit that I have never been one to dabble to deep in the stock market.  Most of my money is in IRAs or index based funds.  Plus, I rarely want to have the values too close, because looking at how much money I am constantly losing can get a bit depressing these days.  Nonetheless, for those of you who do like to have your net worth in the palm of your hand at all times, there is a fantastic app called Express Stocks.

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Let’s just get this out of the way quickly.  Word Ace is my new favorite game, and is the best game currently available for the Palm Pre.  OK…I know saying that any game is better than other games on the Palm Pre may not be much of a compliment…but this really is a fantastic game.

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This is a pretty simple app, but one which could be quite useful to those folks who spend a lot of time in their cars, whether that means travelling long distances, or commuting into town each morning.  This app lets you use your Palm Pre to track how many miles you are getting per gallon of gas, and how much money you are spending on gas.

To begin, just create a new account with the name of your car.  Enter the current odometer reading and you are good to go.  For the most accurate results, you should start with a full tank of gas.

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Yes…I do mean THAT Connect 4.  The one you loved as a kid.  sliding checkers into a plastic frame, trying to make four in a row.  This is one of my son’s favorite games, and I love the fact that he is so interested in a game from my own childhood.  And thanks to the folks at Hasbro and EA Games, you can now enjoy this classic game on your Palm Pre (10 times before you will have to pay for it). Continue Reading

Let’s have a show of hands.  How many of you watch the Today Show in the morning.  It is pretty hard to miss, since it is about five hours long, yet I manage to do so since I leave the house before 6:00 each morning.  So, I rarely get to watch the show upon which this app is based.

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Imagine a speaker that can go anywhere, play anything, and do it all without wires.  Now, give it a fun shape and some wireless controls.  There you go, now you have the Cyfi, which is a fantastic portable wireless speaker.  This is exactly what I need for activities like camping, hiking, or even just sitting on the deck enjoying the day.  Sound good?  I thought it might.  let’s take a closer look.

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I am pretty happily married, and have been since before dating sites like Match.com became all the rage.  So, needless to say, I do not have an account at Match.com or any other similar sites.  That being said, I can certainly see the value they might offer the modern connected single.  In fact, my sister-in-law met her husband that way.

In the interest of making sure this series is complete, therefore, I wanted to mention this app and make sure that interested individuals know that they can access their Match.com accounts from anywhere using their Palm Pre.  That being said, I found it odd that a niche site like Match.com has its own dedicated app on the Pre, while one of the most popular sites in the world, Facebook, does not.  Still, if this app helps bring busy individuals together…then I am all for it.

Note that you will need to sign up for the paid account in order to send messages.  All of the other features, including the location based features, are included with the free account.

Ever since I graduated from college with a degree in Journalism, I have tried to keep track of which newspapers have the best writing.  Consistently near the top of that list has been The New York Times (for the record, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, CNN, and the AP Newswire round out my personal top five).  So, I was pretty excited to find the New York Times app on my Palm Pre.

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