.KEYWORD quickpower
.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE Life’s a beach with Galen Worldwide’s Palm accessories
.OTHER
.SUMMARY While vacationing in Mexico, Claire Pieterek had no trouble bringing her Palm V along, thanks to Galen Worldwide’s QuickPower Travel Charger and InnoPocket Metal Deluxe Case Plus. Besides her review, which she managed to write while relaxing on a beach in Mazatlan, she also shares a delicious recipe for Albondigas de Anabella Cobantes.
.AUTHOR Claire Pieterek
Imagine lounging on the beach in beautiful Mazatlan, Mexico. There’s the bright sun, the clean white sand, the roaring surf, delicious tropical drinks, and you with your Palm V, reading ebooks, playing games, or just catching up on some email. I took my Palm V on vacation so I could "torture test" Galen Worldwide’s QuickPower Travel Charger and the InnoPocket Metal Deluxe Case Plus, both for Palm V-series devices.
Both the QuickPower and InnoPocket came through with flying colors, although I do admit I also had my Otter Box handy to protect the works from taking a dive. Check the June 2000 issue of PalmPower for Steve Niles’ review of the Otter Box at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200006/ppotterbox001.html.
.H1 QuickPower Travel Charger
The QuickPower Travel Charger, at http://galenworldwide.tripod.com/products_palmpower.html, snaps onto your Palm V-series serial port. It’s pictured in Figure A
.FIGPAIR A The QuickPower Travel Charger keeps your Palm V powered up.
Powered by a nine-volt battery, the QuickPower keeps your Palm V-series’ internal battery topped off. You won’t have to bring your cradle or invest in the Palm V Travel Kit. The 10g (0.35 ounce) QuickPower, along with a couple of nine-volt batteries, is small and light enough for even the most weight-conscious traveler.
The QuickPower’s safety circuit guards your Palm V from overcharging. Just as if it were in the cradle, the light shines green when it’s charging. According to Galen Worldwide, the QuickPower will charge your Palm V-series device from 0% to 85% in 45 minutes. Although I didn’t test with a fully-drained Palm V, I can verify that the QuickPower really does recharge quickly. My Palm V went from 70% charge to 100% charge in about 25 minutes, using the same battery I used during my week in Mazatlan.
.H1 InnoPocket Metal Deluxe Case Plus
My "V8" (a Palm V upgraded to 8MB by Tony Rudenko) traveled with me in the InnoPocket Metal Deluxe Case Plus, pictured in Figure B.
.FIG B The InnoPocket Metal Deluxe Case Plus keeps your Palm V protected.
It’s a sturdy yet lightweight aluminum case at an affordable price. You can find it at http://galenworldwide.tripod.com/products_innopocket.html. In my opinion, this is what the Palm Hard Case should have been. It comes in two standard colors-black and silver-and three limited edition colors-blue, pink, and titanium. Cost for the standard colors is $49.95. The limited edition colors go for $59.95.
Like many Palm V cases, the InnoPocket holds your Palm V-series in place using the left stylus silo. You can use just about any stylus you like in the right silo, because there’s an opening at the top for easy access. Beaming is easy through the InnoPocket’s built-in window. To HotSync, just swing the case out and put your Palm V in its cradle.
I’d like to see a little more padding in the InnoPocket. It’s velvet-lined but not really padded. I’m going to visit a local specialty fabric store and get a small amount of lightweight neoprene to improve the padding. Also, the hinge that fits into the left stylus silo could use a little nubbin at the top so the Palm device could lock in place. That little click as the hinge snaps into the silo would make the InnoPocket that much more reassuring.
In addition to our trips to the beach and about town, my Palm V and I attended a cooking class where I copied the following recipe for an easy, delicious Mexican soup. This soup is good for a light meal with some crusty bread and a tossed green salad.
.H1 Albondigas de Anabella Cobantes
The ingredients for Albondigas de Anabella Cobantes are:
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET One quart water;
.BULLET Five Roma tomatoes;
.BULLET Five cloves of garlic, peeled;
.BULLET One white onion;
.BULLET Four tablespoons chicken bouillon;
.BULLET One pound ground beef;
.BULLET Three tablespoons oatmeal;
.BULLET Three tablespoons uncooked rice;
.BULLET Two eggs;
.BULLET One bunch of cilantro;
.BULLET Salt and pepper to taste;
.BULLET Optional vegetables: Carrots, zucchini, potatoes;
.BULLET One avocado;
.BULLET One serrano chile (or more if you prefer a hot salsa);
.BULLET One lime;
.BULLET Queso fresco (a lightly-aged semi hard cheese) or queso chihuahua (a pale yellow cheese that can have a cheddar-like sharpness).
.END_LIST
For the broth: Combine the water with three of the Roma tomatoes, the garlic, onion, and chicken bouillon and boil until the tomatoes start falling apart (about 15 minutes). Put the mixture in a blender and puree. Return the mixture to the pot.
.BEGIN_KEEP
For the meatballs: Mix the ground beef, oatmeal, rice, a quarter of a finely chopped white onion, one finely chopped Roma tomato, eggs, two tablespoons of chopped cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste. Form into balls.
For the soup: When the pureed mixture is boiling, add the meatballs and cook about a half hour. The meatballs will expand as they cook. Add cubed carrots, zucchini, and potatoes (or other vegetables) for a richer soup. If you add the vegetables, cook until they reach the desired firmness.
For the garnish: Cube the queso chihuahua or queso fresco. Slice the avocado. Make a fresh salsa by chopping one Roma tomato, a quarter of white onion, a handful of cilantro, and the serrano chile. Add more chiles if you like it hot. Remove the seeds from the chile if you prefer a milder salsa. Squeeze the lime, add the juice to the salsa, and mix well.
Serve each person a bowl of soup with a few meatballs. Pass the cheese cubes, avocado slices, and salsa fresco for each person to garnish as desired. Serves 6-7 people.
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on QuickPower Travel Charger, visit http://galenworldwide.tripod.com/products_palmpower.html.
For more information on the InnoPocket Metal Deluxe Case Plus, visit http://galenworldwide.tripod.com/products_innopocket.html.
For the review of the Otter Box in the June 2000 issue of PalmPower, visit, http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200006/ppotterbox001.html.
For more information on upgrading the memory on your Palm device, visit http://www.palmpilotupgrade.com.
For more information on Mazatlan, Mexico, visit http://www.mazatlan.com.mx/.
For more information about Palm computers, visit http://www.palm.com.
.H1 Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO
.DISCUSS http://powerboards.zatz.com/cgi-bin/webx?50@@.ee6ee52
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