Spent the money on a new Kindle? Want to protect your investment, but don’t have the funds leftover to buy a fancy cover? Or worried the fancy case will break your Kindle? Why not make your own Kindle case?
Chica and Jo provides step by step instructions, on how to make your own custom case for the Kindle 1 or Kindle 2. If you have a DX, you will need to figure out the measurements yourself since they didn’t have access to a DX model. The idea is pretty cool, as it is super cheap and you can use whatever design you want (I’m not particularly fond of the generic floral print used in the guide). Plus, the case also doubles as a reading stand. This would be particularly useful if you use your Kindle for something like reading sheet music.
Busted Typewriter is selling a collection of hollowed out books as hidden compartments, including snug cases for the Kindle and Kindle DX. This is pretty nifty to way to read your Kindle while still retaining some of the look and feel of traditional books. But, according to the creator, this case goes beyond aesthetics to provide a number of benefits:
Love your Kindle but miss the feel of holding a real book?
Tired of strangers asking about it while you’re trying to read?
Paranoid that neo-luddite publishing loyalists keep giving you dirty looks?
Perhaps you’ll enjoy carrying your Kindle hidden inside an old book.
All of the books/containers can be bought off of Busted Typewriter’s Etsy page. If you find the price of $25 (plus $5 shipping) a little too steep but still like the idea, you could probably try making one yourself. It shouldn’t be too difficult to hollow out a book and glue the pages together. As for materials, I can’t imagine that a used copy of Spa Food would be super expensive.
Love your Kindle but miss the feel of holding a real book?
Tired of strangers asking about it while you’re trying to read?
Paranoid that neo-luddite publishing loyalists keep giving you dirty looks?
Perhaps you’ll enjoy carrying your Kindle hidden inside an old book.
The Kindle is an expensive gadget, so many owners take precautions to protect it. One popular Kindle accessory is Amazon’s own leather cover, which adds a layer of insulation to prevent everyday mishaps. The only problem is that the hinges on the cover have apparently cracked the cases on a number of Kindle 2’s and Kindle DX’s, with the damage sometimes even resulting in a frozen display.
After a $5 million lawsuit filed against the company, Amazon agreed to replace Kindles that have been damaged by the cover. This is a reversal of Amazon’s previous practice of charging $200 for the replacement. Even though Amazon’s now trying to address the issue, the lawsuit has yet to be withdrawn. The company, however, refuses to comment on the suit itself since it’s against their policy to discuss ongoing litigation.
So far I don’t see any traces of damage on either of my Kindles but this piece of news has got me strongly considering investing in another kind of Kindle cover. On the other hand should 3rd party cover crack my Kindle, Amazon would be reluctant to exchange it for free. I’m curious, has anyone run into these problems with the Amazon case?
Electronic gadgets are nice but until Witricity goes commercial there is this annoying need to recharge the things. And even when it does I doubt there will be many Witricity hot-spots in Yellowstone National Park or more remote “in-the-middle-of-nowhere’s”.
It’s not that big of a problem if gadget in question uses regular widely available standard batteries like AA, AAA, C, D etc. But some don’t. Such gadgets turn to useless paper weights once the power runs out if you are away from the power-outlet or just don’t have the proper charger available. This was the case for my iPhone and Kindle. After running out of power caused one too many inconveniences I decided to do something about it.
I found myself another gadget that I never leave home without: iGo Universal Battery Operated Charger along with cables that connect to accessories that I carry. This was a real life-saver for me. Anytime a battery is about to run out in the middle of phone conversation or Kindle refuses to go online because it doesn’t have enough charge left to power the EVDO modem I just plug it in and it works. Because “Kindle battery charger” doesn’t need to be charged itself but runs on regular AA batteries itself I can always get more power. It also proved very handy during trip to Yellowstone National Park – I just stocked up on batteries and had all the travel guides and maps readily available on my Kindle and even internet access in select places.
There are dozens of iGo accessories available so you can pick the ones that go with your gadgets. What iGo did was a pretty obvious yet cool thing. They’ve created a modular power platform. Consisting of power sources (AA batteries, AC for pretty much any country in the world, 12V car) and power connectors for pretty much any device including all standard connectors like mini-B and micro-B USB.
Amazon Kindle does come with a stock cover, but that is all it is a stock cover, Amazon did so much right with the Kindle, but they failed miserably with the stock case – if your bored with your Kindle continuously falling out of the stock cover you might consider having a look at the M-Edge Leather Executive Case.
This shiny, lushly padded case is a class above the base cover provided by Amazon, it firmly secures the Kindle to the case with four leather corners without being too tight, the top right corner is elasticised so allowing access to the switches on the back. For those who prefer leather the case feels and looks superb – the pictures simply don’t do any justice, it looks fantastic – it is smooth, smells divine and is available in a range of colours. On the inside left there is space for a pen and SD card holder as well as pockets for notes and business cards, it also folds back quite neatly. The craftsmanship is fantastic there are no loose threads in the stitching anywhere and fronting the elastic corner with the same material that’s on the other corners was a nice touch.
The Amazon Kindle Executive Jacket is the ultimate for sophisticated on-the-go eReader users. Whether in the office, at a business meeting, or on the treadmill, the Executive Jacket provides refined and stylish protection of your Amazon Kindle in a superior case. The Executive Jacket offers full surface protection in a lushly padded case. The soft grey interior ensures your Kindle will always be cushioned in comfort. This smart case with classic lines even includes a loop for your pen and interior pockets for storage of SD Cards, notes, business cards, and other essentials. Even while closed, you’ll find access to all ports, so you never need to remove your reader for charging. The M-edge Accessories Amazon Kindle Executive Jacket is a sleek case that will protect your eReader from scratches and dings. It is the perfect solution for the user with a fashionable, active lifestyle.
The M-Edge certainly does look a lot better than the standard cover for the Kindle which is frankly quite ugly, a lot of users have reported that the Kindle fell out of it quite easily, you wont get that problem with the M-Edge case because the 4 leather corners firmly keep the Kindle in place. The stock case weighs in at 5.8 ounces while the M-Edge comes in at 4.9 ounces, so no big difference in terms of weight.
The only sticking point is the $54.99 price tag, however this is what Amazon should have shipped with the Kindle in the first place, I wish I had ordered mine months ago.
One of the features of the Kindle is the amazing eInk display which unlike LCD displays reduces eye strain and makes you forget you are reading on an electronic device. However, because the eInk display mimics ink, it requires no backlighting – so just like traditional books when you are reading in the dark you need a light source.
Have you ever read your Kindle on an aeroplane and didn’t want to turn the overhead lights on, or ever been in bed with your partner who is fast asleep and don’t want to disturb them by turning the light on – that’s where having a lighting source becomes advantageous – it’s when the Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Light becomes advantageous.
The “Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Light” is a clip on device which is operated by 2 Super LED lights. It clips on to the back of your Kindle or Kindle case and provide you with enough light to read your e-books no matter what the lighting conditions you are in.
The Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Light is a battery operated clamp on accessory custom designed to illuminate your Kindle Wireless Reading device. Two Super LED lights in one head gives you the lighting power of 6 normal LED’s. Brilliant light output! You have the option of using one or two of the Super LED lights with just a simple tap to our proprietary sensor switch. The flexible neck allows you to position your lighting anywhere you want it. With the XtraFlex2, you can take your Kindle anywhere – in bed, on the bus or train, and have proper illumination at your fingertips!
According to Amazon it is also one of the best-selling Kindle accessories available on the market, it is easy to see why. You will find that the light is very bright even on the lowest setting, the neck is long, slim, flexible and will stay in position no matter which way you bend it. The LED’s come with a blue tinge, so it takes a little getting used to, but it isn’t as harsh as bright white light you normally get on other similar devices. Lets have a look at the technical details:
Technical Details
Two SUPER LED’s as bright as six regular LED’s and never need replacing!
LumaLenz™ Optical grade lens spreads light evenly with no hot spots
MightyGrip™ Strong wide mouth clip grips almost anything, or use free standing as a task light.
MightFlex™ Fully adjustable arm will position and hold light in place
Designed for attachment to your Kindle book cover
Product Details
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
ASIN: B000TXZIDM
Batteries: 3 AAA batteries required.
Your probably wondering how this would sit on the Kindle, a helpful user on the Amazon forums has posted up some pictures so you can see exactly how it clips onto the back of the Kindle case.
“You’ll really want the Mighty Bright light. With the cover folded back it clips neatly to the back. And unlike many LED booklights, it uses common AAA batteries, not the expensive, hard-to-find button ones.” – JOEKC “JKC”
“Another view of the attached Mighty Bright light. When properly attached, the left side of the cover provides a good place to grasp without hitting page buttons.” - JOEKC “JKC”
“Small and bright.”
Overall it is a solidly built, bright accessory for the Kindle and at $17.26 it is not expensive either and with an Amazon.com rating of 4.5, the vast majority of Kindle owners are thrilled with this Mighty Bright light. You can find out more about the Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Light by visiting the product page on Amazon.
One of the best ways to gauge whether a new product is successful or not is to examine the number third party accessory’s available. Now there hasn’t been much in the way of new accessories for Kindle for quite a while and I think thats down to the limited availability of device. However there has been a lot of buzz surrounding new accessories coming out soon, and the Kindle Travel Case by sfbags.com is the first to be covered here on blogkindle.com
Here is what the press release says on the sfbags.com website;
San Francisco, CA, February 6 – WaterField Designs announces three protective cases for the Amazon Kindle: the Kindle SleeveCase, the Kindle Travel Case and the Kindle Slip Case—all custom-fitted to the Amazon Kindle dimensions. Each stylish case offers protection and accessibility, while maintaining a light look and feel.
The Kindle SleeveCase protects the Amazon Kindle with: high-grade neoprene; impact-resistant plastic to protect the screen; a sturdy, black, ballistic nylon shell; and a lightly padded closing flap. A rear, open-top pocket stows items such as the USB cable and ear buds. A subtle grey-black checked fabric trims the bottom of the case.
The Kindle Travel Case is designed with padded, internal compartments to keep the Kindle, the power adapter, the clip light, and any additional accessories tangle-free and organized. Self-locking zippers on a front pocket and on the main compartment ensure that contents don’t spill out. Available in six vibrant colors, the water-resistant case maintains its thin, compact shape, even when fully packed.
The Kindle Slip Case sports the same vibrantly colored, water-resistant material on its exterior as the Travel Case; a lightly padded, scratch-free liner; and impact-resistant plastic to protect the screen. In the Slip Case, the Kindle remains secure while still sliding in and out easily. The open top provides quick access.
“In response to customer requests, we’ve designed three options to meet the needs of every Kindle user we heard from,” explained owner, Gary Waterfield. “For rugged protection, we offer our signature SleeveCase custom-fit to the Kindle dimensions; for those who want their accessories along, we made the Travel Case and designed it to stay nice and thin when packed; and for those wanting light protection, we’ve got the Kindle Slip Case. As is often the situation, we have our customers to thank for ideas and feedback.”
Availability & Pricing
All three products are now available for pre-order and will begin shipping from www.sfbags.com from Tuesday, February 12, 2008.
The Amazon Kindle SleeveCase with Flap: $39. Color: Black.
The Amazon Kindle Travel Case: $49. Six colors: black, silver, brown, blue, green or red.
The Amazon Kindle Slip Case: $27. Six colors: black, silver, brown, blue, green or red.
I think at $39 for the sleeve case is a slightly on the expensive side, but it sounds like a sturdy product, and compared to the standard cover that comes with the Kindle, it is a step up in the right direction.
Busted Typewriter is selling 
.
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