It seems as if finding the perfect Bluetooth headset has become a never-ending quest for me; it’s not just about finding one that keeps me from sounding like a fish in a barrel anymore, it’s also about finding one that fits my ear without making me look like a telephone operator or worse – a borg.  Just to make things really difficult, so many headsets seem to fall into one of two camps: ridiculously complicated and over-featured or utterly simplistic and featureless.

Finding a headset that strikes a balance between sound, comfort and features has become my mission, and the latest contender is the Plantronics Discovery 975.

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If you never know where to place your mobile phone, digital music player or GPS, but you need them to be upright and visible, USB Fever has got a sticky stand that might fit your needs. The Smart Stand is supposed to work both on your desktop and dashboard; it uses “sticky” blades to adhere to both the base surface and the back of your device, so in addition to creating a surface that will grab and hold your electronics. Due to the stickiness of the blades, it will also likely grab and hold any floating lint or dust that might be in your office or auto.

The good news is that you can wash the sticky blades as often as necessary to clean them, but those with pets in the area where this might be used can likely already envision the ramifications.

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Have you ever experienced the sinking feeling at hearing the sound of a phone cracking as it hits the pavement? One solution is to wrap your phone in an OtterBox protective case. They make them for iPods, iPhones, BlackBerries, Nokia, Palm, HP, HTC and now Samsung Instinct S30. The cases are designed to protect your phone from what happens when it meets Mr. Pavement at 5 or 10 mph. The Samsung Instinct S30 case uses a soft silicone inside a hard shell to absorb the shock of sudden impacts from drop. Available now for $34.95 from Otter Box and worth it.

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I love innovative solutions that let you charge portable electronics at home and on the go without having to deal with a scrambled assortment of cords, adapters etc. The newest comes from Technocel.

Their new PowerPak replace an assortment of chargers and cords with a single universal solution that safely powers USB devices when at home, in the car, and anywhere else you might roam. Then, if you find your device running low on power the PowerPak’s built-in battery reserve can be used when outlets aren’t available. Now that’s what I call a useful combo.

The PowerPak will be available November 1, 2009 for an MSRP of $49.99 on Technocel.com.

Full Press Release Follows…

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We’ve mentioned WildCharge – the company that allows you to use inductive charging with nearly any mobile phone or other power hungry gadget – before on Gear Diary, but tonight I realized we hadn’t given any coverage to Powermat, another company with a similar premise (but a better looking design).

What premise would that be? Why the one that says plugging your devices in to charge them is so passé; the idea that all you should have to do is lay your gadget on a mat to charge it, even if the trade-off is having to keep your phone in a special case so that you don’t have to fumble with cables. Using this system is definitely a convenience thing, but if you’ve ever fumbled in the dark to stick a charger jack into the bottom of your device only to have to turn on a light in frustration, or if you are tired of traveling with multiple cables, then you might appreciate this way of doing things.

Let’s peek at the company’s offerings, shall we?

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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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I have really been enjoying the experience of using the Blackberry Bold over the last few weeks. It is a fantastic device for e-mail and IM;and the integration with Google voice, while not as good as you’ll find on a device running Android, is quite good. I cannot see giving up my iPhone, but I am glad to have the opportunity to use both devices in parallel. While I have not gotten into the practice of surrounding myself with accessories for the device in the way that I have with my iPhone, I have discovered a few key accessories that enhance my experience of using the Bold.

Two of my favorites come from Case-Mate. One adds a tremendous amount of battery life the device, while the other merely enhances its appearance. Let’s take a look at both.

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OtterBox has always been one of my favorite case manufacturers.  I use their Defender Series case for my iPhone 3GS religiously.  My review of it was the very first article I wrote for Gear Diary.  There’s no denying the Defender Series is a bulky case.  While it provides an unparalleled level of protection for your device it also increases the overall size of your phone substantially.

I realize the Defender series isn’t for everyone and OtterBox does as well.  For this reason the company has just recently released two new cases, under their new Commuter line.  The cases, the Commuter and the Commuter TL, provide the sort of protection you’d expect from an OtterBox case in a much slimmer profile.

OtterBox was kind enough to send both Dan and myself review-keeper samples of each case. In this review we’ll both give our comments.

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One of the most important accessories I carry day in and day out is the Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 3G and 3GS. ($79.95) It is light, doubles as a protective case, and its 1200 mAh battery adds up to 270 hours of standby time, for 4.5 hours of talk time (on 3G) and more. It is a great accessory to keep around, especially on days such as today, when I will be out and about for the next 12 to 14 hours. There is, however, one problem with the case/battery- it adds just enough bulk and weight but I don’t always want to carry it in my pocket the way I would the iPhone in something like the Agent18 SlimShield.

That is where Mophie’s new Hip Holster 6000 for Mophie Juice Pack comes in rather handy. I was recently sent a review sample, so let’s take a look –

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Mophie, the company known for it uber-popular external batteries the Juice Pack and the Juice Pack air, has released some new charging accessories which work with USB compatible devices.

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I’ve tried a few external batteries for my iPhone 3Gs, but none of them have stuck.  The cases type (Mophie Jucie Pack Air, Incase Power Slider) are nice but I prefer to use a regular case most of the time and the case batteries result in a much larger phone profile.  The other choice, external batteries which plug into the bottom of the phone, are usually bulky or have an awkward connector.

The iON Power Pack from FSP Direct solves many of my external battery pet peeves.  It features a 1500 mAh battery in a super slim credit card sized shape.  It not only works to recharge my iPhone and iPod while on the go, but it comes with adapters which allow it to be used with most any electronic device that use less than 5v of power.

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