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PHOTOSHOP CREATIVE SUITE? SWEET!
 Is it worth it to plunk down a few hundred bucks for an upgrade to Photoshop CS ($170 upgrade, Photoshop CS; $1,300, full Creative Suite)? That depends on how you use it. The big news: now you can use layers and filters on 16-bit files and your camera’s RAW images. Video editors can stop worrying about distortion because CS supports non-square pixels. The File Browser has become as powerful as many image organizers sold separately, and there’s a soon-to-be indispensable highlight/shadow adjustment tool that easily brings out (or hides) detail while leaving correctly exposed areas alone. Much more to come—and we’ll tell all in our upcoming test. (Adobe Systems; 800-833-6687; www.adobe.com)
WHAT PRICE POWER?
 The makers of the Monster Procharger 2100 battery charger understand that one set of rechargeables doesn’t cut it. That’s why it comes with eight rechargeable NiMH AA cells—keep one set in the camera, a second cooking in the charger. The charger accepts AA or AAAs, automatically shuts down if you snap in anything but a NiMH or NiCAD battery, and includes a 12V automobile charger cord. Hot: that rapid one-hour recharge time. Not: $100 street price. (Monster Cable; 415-840-2000; monsterpowercells.com)
PUNCH UP YOUR POP
 Want to add some power to the flash of your digital compact? Check out the Phoenix slave flash D91-BZS ($75 street). With a Guide Number of 91 (ISO 100; f/1.4), this nine-ounce shoe-mount or tabletop strobe increases flash output dramatically. Phoenix claims that the flash is compatible with almost any camera, thanks to variable-sync timing. Triggered by your camera’s on-board flash, the D91-BZS pops simultaneously, or can be set to ignore preflash(es). The D91-BZS’s autodetect setting attempts to gauge the main flash timing, and sync its output accordingly. Other features: four power levels, bounce, swivel, manual zoom settings, and a table mount. (Phoenix Corporation of America; 800-729-7846; www.phoenixcorp.com)
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