reviews

Living in Mayberry, I very rarely get a chance to attend in-person blogger events. Maybe that’s why I’ve attended every BlogHer since 2006? I am occasionally invited to events in Chicago (thank you, Kim and MomImpact!), but it’s still tough for me to get there; it’s a nearly four-hour trip. So it was extra-special that I could attend the Kenmore Live Studio event celebrating the release of Kristen Chase’s book, The Mominatrix’s Guide to Sex: A No-Surrender Advice Book for Naughty Moms.

Being there meant I could see some of my all-time favorite people (this goes beyond “all-time favorite bloggers”), including Kristen, Julie, and Kelly. It meant I could see Kristen speak live about her book (I never would have guessed she was secretly pregnant!). It meant I could taste the Mominatrix cocktail (see below). It meant meeting many new and lovely people.

It also meant ooohing and aahing over the Kenmore Live Studio. If you’re in Chicago or thereabouts, fan Kenmore on Facebook so you can see the schedule for the studio, and get yourself there for an event. It’s a beautiful space and the events and presenters/guests are top-notch. You can check out Kenmore’s surprisingly sleek and chic appliances, but it’s not a hard sell; you’re there to browse only. And to watch A-list chefs, bartenders, and other VIPs share their secrets in interactive classes demos. Even if you’re not in the Windy City, get in on that Facebook page anyway so you can see live-streamed video during events, or watch archived footage later. Here’s a post from Kim at MomImpact about the Mominatrix event that contains a Kenmore-produced video.

At the end of the evening, Kenmore gave us the choice of a few “small” appliances to take home. I received a stand mixer, complete with LED work light–is that cool or what? But I gave it to my bride-to-be sister as a shower gift. Lest you think this was totally cheap of me, I will note that I paid for the mixer in sweat and tears if not dollars. I had to take it in a cab, on a train, in a car, on a plane, and in two more cars to get it to my sister’s party. Plus, when I was detraining with the mixer in my hands and my overnight bag over my shoulder, I slipped on the wet stair of the train and fell embarrassingly down the steps. The resulting butt bruise was EPIC.

To distract all of us from that image, how about a cocktail? Thanks again to Kim, Kristen, Prescott from ImperfectParent (home of the original Mominatrix sex column) and Richard from Kenmore!

Mominatrix Cocktail

• 1.5oz Cabana Cachaca
• ¼ Hum Botanical Spirit
• ½ Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz simple syrup (1:1 ratio, raw sugar: water)

Combine all ingredients in mixing glass. Add ice and shake well to chill and dilute. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Use a vegetable peeler or channel knife to cut garnish from orange, misting top of cocktail with oil. Place decoratively in glass.

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I’ve been using the Palm Pre Plus for several weeks now and yep–I’m hooked. For starters, there’s the common-to-all-smartphones ability to check email and the Web on the fly (welcome to 2007! I am so happy to be here!). But there are also several unique features that make this phone stand out.

First, the mobile hotspot. It turns the phone into an itty bitty little portable router, basically–allowing up to five devices to connect to the Internet, wirelessly. It’s pricey at $40 a month, but wow–what a convenience. And possibly a lifesaver if you really, really need to get online. Or just impress your geek friends.

Second, the camera. It has a flash and it can record video, and it’s super-easy to share the images. Plus you have 16GB of storage–enough for a ton (to use the technical term) of images, videos, and music files too.

Third, the multitasking. Not only the whole check-your-mail-during-your-kid’s-piano-lesson thing. But on this phone, you can keep multiple apps open, scroll through them easily, and copy/paste among them simply.

Overall, I love being connected anytime I’m away from my laptop, and I love being able to do so many different things with one small, slim device.This phone easily replaces not only my old phone, but also my digital camera and at times my netbook too.

And now for the big question: Am I going to keep the phone after my free month of service runs out? Yes. I’m going to take a close look at the plans and figure out which one makes the most sense for me financially. I’ll probably have to give up, with much sadness, the mobile hotspot ($40/month), and maybe the GPS too ($10/month; the phone does have a Google Maps app that will show routes and directions, although it won’t update on the fly like the GPS can).

The final result: I got smart, and I’m not going back!

*Disclosure: I received a free Palm Pre Plus phone and one month of service from Verizon Wireless so that I could test them out for this series of reviews. These opinions are my own.

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Even my crummy, old, cheap, embarrassing phone took pictures.

Really, really bad pictures.

So bad I never took any.

Not so on the Palm Pre Plus. The phone’s 3-megapixel camera even has a flash, so no more dark, blurry shots that I look at later and say “huh? what was I going for, there?” I love that I can capture photos–and videos!–pretty much anytime, without bothering to bring my regular, larger digital camera.YAY for one less thing in my bag.

Here’s a goofy picture of me holding my sister’s cat. I had her take it while I was visiting and then I sent it to my husband so he could show it to the kids (they love the cat more than me or my sister. “MITTENS!!!!”).

And here is my son contemplating his new karate belt.

And I don’t know exactly how this happened, but I kinda like it.

*Disclosure: I received a free Palm Pre Plus phone and one month of service from Verizon Wireless so that I could test them out for this series of reviews. These opinions are my own.

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Here’s what I think I like best about this phone. It keeps saving my always-late, always-multitasking butt. I have two kids in two different schools and six different extracurricular activities. I work as a freelancer, which means I have no set schedule and my deadlines and to-dos can vary greatly from week to week. I serve on a nonprofit board and I’m in a book club and a couple of other moms’ groups.

My laptop doesn’t really like to talk to my printer  so I often scramble to access maps, directions, and other details when I’m away from home. With this phone, I can either grab this info a message I’ve saved in my email, search for it using the phone’s web browser, or even navigate using the phone’s GPS (this service carries an additional fee of $10 a month).

In the past few weeks, I’ve used the GPS to navigate unfamiliar streets on foot and by car. I’ve pulled up emails reminding me of when and where to meet someone. I’ve used the mobile hotspot along with my netbook to update my web sites remotely (and at the last possible minute, naturally). I’ve done the all-important Twitter and Facebook check when I have a few minutes to kill–thus giving me more time for work/family when I’m at home.

And of course, I’ve called people to tell them I’m running late. So far I’ve used the Palm Pre Plus phone in six states and seven metropolitan areas (wow, I really got around this month!) and I haven’t had a single problem with dropped calls or lack of coverage. Plus, it’s super-easy to switch among all the different apps and functions on the phone, and you can copy and paste from one place to another easily. The Palm Pre Plus also synchs up any phone numbers I save in Contacts with email addresses and other info it already knows from my email accounts. Handy, especially since I’m slowly entering all my phone numbers manually (my old phone’s data wouldn’t transfer–it would have had I been using another Palm device).

I’ll be posting two more entries about the Palm Pre Plus. Let me know if you have any questions about it and I’ll answer them in my final post.

*Disclosure: I received a free Palm Pre Plus phone and one month of service from Verizon Wireless so that I could test them out for this series of reviews. These opinions are my own.

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Where would a smartphone be without its apps? While the Palm Pre Plus doesn’t have millions of available apps like some other phones iCould name, it does have a serviceable assortment. You’ll be glad to know there are at least eight different fart-sound apps!

Ahem. In the Palm’s app catalog, you can search using a keyword or browse featured apps, categories such as “business” or “health and fitness,” recently added apps, or most popular. From there you can sort by how long the app has been available, by name/ABC order, by star rating, or cost. For each app you check out, you’ll see its rating (up to 5 stars) and the number of users who awarded it. You can tap a button to read reviews, share the app with another user via email or text, or sometimes even see a video demo.

Prices range from free to $9.99 (at least from what I found) and many apps have a Lite version that’s cheaper or free so you can try it out. So far, some of my favorites are:

• Pandora–free and works just like the Internet radio station (I can log on with the same username and access channels I’ve already created)
• TweeFree, for tweeting on the fly
• Facebook
• Some games for my kids: Puzzle Fun (slider-style puzzles; you can add your own photos and turn them into puzzles too); Topple Ball; and of course, Magic Fortune Ball
• The Weather Channel
• Winged Chariot: Beautiful wallpaper images from children’s books (with an option to buy each title and download it to the phone)

Still on my wish list: A workout tracker–several are available, but I haven’t found one with exactly the features I’m looking for yet; and an e-book. There is a small catalog of titles available for $1 to $2 each (plus a bunch of free religious texts). I just haven’t had the chance to do this yet, but it definitely has appeal.

The Palm Pre Plus also has a direct link to Amazon’s MP3 shop, so you can easily download songs or albums right to the phone. Since (ahem again) I don’t have an MP3 player, this would be a great way for me to add some of my favorite tunes and listen whenever I like.

*Disclosure: I received a free Palm Pre Plus phone and one month of service from Verizon Wireless so that I could test them out for this series of reviews. These opinions are my own.

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I wanna hold your haaaaaand …

The Palm Pre Plus really does fit in the palm of my hand. It’s a little smaller than an iPhone or my ancient old Palm Pilot, but the screen is large and clear enough for me to see easily. The phone can be held horizontally or vertically. I do sometimes have trouble switching from horizontal mode back to vertical, which can be frustrating; when I rotate the phone, the view doesn’t automatically follow along with me.

The Palm Pre Plus has a QWERTY keypad, which is revealed upon sliding the phone’s screen gently upward. (Flip the phone over onto its back when it’s in this open position and you get a mirror on the other side–handy for applying lipstick or, as my friend Leighann noted, attracting kids’ attention when you’re trying to take their picture.)

If you prefer a separate keyboard to an onscreen one, you’ll appreciate its availability on the Palm Pre Plus. I’m still adjusting to the thumb-typing style, but I’m improving rapidly. I find it awkward to key in the forward slash, important for typing browser addresses, because it’s on the lefthand side along with the function button that has to be keyed in simultaneously–I have to hold that button with my left thumb, then reach over to the slash button with my other hand. If the browser auto-filled the “http://” part of a web address, that would largely resolve this problem.

The phone comes with a soft, faux-suede, pillowcase-style carrying case. Although I haven’t had any problems with it, it doesn’t seem to offer much protection, so I’ll probably look for something sturdier to protect the phone from the dangers lurking inside my purse.

The phone comes with earbuds and a charging cord that also doubles as a USB cord (the USB cord basically plugs into an A/C adapter that then plugs into your outlet)–a clever way to combine two important functionalities. With heavy use, the battery lasts about 8 hours. If I switch the phone all the way off, it takes awhile to reboot when I turn it back on, so I prefer to keep it on. Then the phone can live up to its “right in the palm of my hand” reputation.

*Disclosure: I received a free Palm Pre Plus phone and one month of service from Verizon Wireless so that I could test them out for this series of reviews. These opinions are my own.

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Shortly after receiving my Palm Pre Plus, I had the opportunity to really put it through its paces by taking a weekend trip. Having never traveled with a smartphone before, I was positively giddy at the prospect. The reality turned out to be just as good as I had imagined.

I couldn’t use the phone to check in for my flight (mobile check-in is only available at certain airports, not the ones I needed this time). Nor did I experience any travel delays or snafus that I could have heroically solved by having access to email and the Web. (Darn!) But I could at last be one of those people who whips out her phone in the terminal or on the plane and quickly checks her mail/Facebook page/Twitter. So much faster and simpler than having to boot up a laptop and scavenge for WiFi, and I also love having access right in the palm of my hand instead of crouching over a laptop.

One of the coolest features of the Palm Pre Plus, something that isn’t available on any similar phone, is its Mobile Hotspot capability. As I mentioned, I bought a netbook last summer, planning to use it chiefly for travel. This works OK, except that there isn’t ever a guarantee that I’ll be able to find a wireless network to connect to, or that it’ll be free. I’ve even coughed up the ridiculous fees to pay for wireless access in an airport–and then lost my connection and been unable to get back on. Hello money, I hope you enjoy being flushed down the toilet.

Without Internet, the netbook is nothing more than an expensive and shiny pad of paper. But (cue angels singing!) the Mobile Hotspot solves that problem. I flick its switch on (via the Apps Launcher) and presto, I now have my own personal wireless connection. It is password-protected and I can share the joys of WiFi with up to four other machines, if I choose. On my trip, I used the HotSpot in three different airports and also at my hosts’ home.

Now, this little slice of heaven doesn’t come free. There is a $40 monthly fee for the Mobile HotSpot service. So I’ll have to think carefully about whether it’s worth it for me to keep it. But man, I really, really want to!

*Disclosure: I received a free Palm Pre Plus phone and one month of service from Verizon Wireless so that I could test them out for this series of reviews. These opinions are my own.

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One nice perk of ordering a phone through Verizon’s website is free overnight shipping, so I received my phone less than 24 hours after I ordered it. I unwrapped it and plugged it in to get it charged up. Later, I followed some simple onscreen prompts to activate the phone and create a Palm profile. At one point in the profile creation process (because I am a problem child, obv) my screen got stuck and I couldn’t advance. I called Palm’s helpline and quickly got instructions for how to reboot the phone, then I was on my way. If I had another Palm device (it also works with iCal, Mac’s address book, and some versions of Outlook), I would have been able to transfer all my contacts and other info to this phone. Since I don’t, I’ll need to add those manually.

I earned to navigate around the phone pretty easily. As a default, buttons for phone, contacts, email, calendar, and the apps launcher are always available at the bottom of the screen. When I press one, the screen fills with that application or menu, called a “card.” I can tap the bottom of the screen to go to a minimized view of the card; other open cards are lined up in a row which I can scroll through, forward or backward. I can get rid of an open card by “throwing” it off the top of the screen with a swipe of my finger (pathetically, I find this kind of fun. Buh-BYE!).

I wanted to have the web browser as one of my five buttons at the bottom of the screen, which I achieved with a simple drag and drop (I swapped contacts for the browser); you can switch any of the buttons except for the apps menu. I also found it easy to add a second email inbox to my profile. Now it’s easier to check two accounts on my phone than it is on my laptop – I can see at a glance how many new messages are in each account.

So far, so good.

*Disclosure: I received a free Palm Pre Plus phone and one month of service from Verizon Wireless so that I could test them out for this series of reviews. These opinions are my own.

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Verizon invited me to try out one of their smartphones, the Palm Pre Plus.* Waaaay back in the day (I mean, decade), I had a Palm Pilot that I loved. So it’s weird that I haven’t jumped on the whole smartphone thing until now. The thing is, I am always either at home or somewhere that I don’t or can’t really use a mobile phone: driving, at yoga class, whatever. If I know I’m going to be waiting somewhere (at my kid’s karate class or orthodontist appointment), I bring a magazine.

I’ve limped along for a couple of years on a totally basic pay-as-you-go phone: no keyboard, no data plan, no nothin’. (Amy, stop smirking.) The ONLY thing it can do is make calls. And it’s generally been OK, except when I’m traveling. Or forget my magazine. Or I’m at home, and just want to see if I got that one email I’ve been waiting for, but if I open my laptop suddenly my children will materialize from nowhere and demand to play Webkinz.

Truthfully, I wanted a smartphone. But I couldn’t imagine spending a few hundred bucks on the phone, plus another hundred a month on the plan. I bought a mini netbook instead, for about $300. And yes–it’s been helpful on trips. Except when I can’t get wifi. Which? Happens a lot.

On a recent trip, my outbound flight was delayed, and I missed my ride to my final destination. My hosts arranged for a shuttle to pick me up instead. They sent me an email explaining this and giving me the confirmation number. They just assumed I’d be able to read it on my phone.

Umm, no. Thank goodness I did snag some free wifi at the airport and could retrieve the message. But that incident did give me pause. I work online, I socialize online, I shop online, I maintain my child’s school’s web site … online. I need to be able to be online, quickly and easily, when I’m away from home.

I now have the Palm Pre Plus in my hot little hands*, and over the next few weeks I’ll be telling you all about how I’ve been using it and what I like, and don’t, about the phone.

For today, two quick notes about customer service, because I think that’s a huge hot button when it comes to phone/wireless companies. I ordered the phone online and it wasn’t as smooth as I would have hoped. Pages often took several minutes to load and I ran into an XML error that was impossible to get past. While I was having that problem I could not find a help button or phone number. I only got help when the Liveperson chat window popped up on its own. My friendly liveperson got me back on track in less than a minute, which was great. I went on my merry way.

The next morning, my bank called to verify some recent transactions, including the phone purchase. I was half asleep and okayed everything. A few hours later, I thought “wait a minute … ” I’d been overcharged. I checked my emailed receipt, which showed that the debit card was charged the correct amount, but my online bank statement told another story. I replied to the email asking for a reconciliation. Within an hour, I got an answer. The company already knew about the problem and was working to correct it.

I hadn’t even received the phone yet, and I was pretty impressed.

*Disclosure-y details: I received a free phone and one month of service so that I could test them out for this series of reviews. These opinions are my own.

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