Booksprung » accessories

New snap-on Kindle reading light uses cover slots to power itself

Chris Walters — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:06:37 +0000

Remember how cool Amazon’s Kindle 3 cover with the built-in reading light was when it first came out last summer? Instead of requiring a battery, it draws power from the Kindle via the little prong that connected the cover to the device. Grantwood Technology has taken that idea, discarded the cover, and produced the SimpleLight, a snap-on accessory that does the same thing.

I haven’t tested it personally and the product is still too new to have built up many customer reviews yet, so buyer beware. Still, I thought it was a cool idea. I don’t like that it obstructs the left buttons, but I do love the idea that you never have to worry about batteries for your reading light.

It’s about $26 not counting sales tax, and you can get it from Amazon (see link above) or directly from the Grantwood store.

Reclaim your old-school cred with a Kindle hardcover book case

Chris Walters — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:09:14 +0000

You know the type: the person who didn’t want a Kindle, but begrudgingly accepted it as a gift or skeptically bought it with the intention of returning it soon after, and who now reads on it all the time. That person loves the convenience of a Kindle but misses the look and feel of a “real” book, with its flappy hard bits and that curved back part where words are sometimes embossed. (Those are all actual terms used in bookbinding.)

The KleverCase from Manor Bindery is for that person. It’s old-fashioned, elegant, and seemingly well-built. (I haven’t seen one in person.) Manor Bindery actually specializes in false bookshelves and book spines used to conceal doors, cabinets, and secret passages, so they have some experience with realistic looking artificial books. The exteriors come in 10 different colors and styles, all aged to look antique-ish but not worn out. The Kindle 3 slips into a leather-covered holster inside.

The cases are £25, or about $36. Manor Bindery is located in the UK, so you’ll have to pay around $12 shipping to get one to the States. (Use their eBay website if you’re shopping from the US.)

KleverCase [manorbindery.co.uk via blog kindle]

CleverWraps: $5 freezer bags for your Kindle or Nook

Chris Walters — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:28:12 +0000

Do we really need CleverWraps? They’re essentially just specialized freezer bags, with an added fold-over adhesive flap to help keep the Ziploc-style closure sealed. But halfway through making fun of them, I deleted the paragraph and changed my mind. Sort of.

Here are the two features CleverWraps have that freezer bags don’t:

They’re sized to fit your device exactly.
They tape shut to help prevent accidental openings.

Are those compelling enough to win you over, at $5 per bag? (They’re sold in $15 3-packs, with free shipping to U.S. addresses.) For me, no, at least for my Kindle. But CleverWraps also come in custom sizes for the iPad and Galaxy Tab, and for various smartphones. And, to be honest, they do look a little more upscale than a plain old freezer bag.

www.cleverwraps.com [via OhGizmo!]

Create personalized Kindle, Nook and iPad cases at MyEdge

Chris Walters — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:08:46 +0000

Although no official announcement has yet been made (that I’m aware of), M-Edge has opened its custom cover store. The service lets you create custom covers for your Kindle or Nook ($40) or iPad ($50) using your own images as well as supplied design elements.

If you’re not the creative type, M-Edge is offering a nice array of pre-designed cases with retro book covers or New Yorker magazine covers.

What I love about a well-implemented custom case service, and my initial tests of this one are promising, is that with a little creativity you can create pretty stunning, unique products for about the same cost as mass-produced versions. Or you can create ridiculous ones, as in my uniporn example above, and that’s what makes this country great.

Here’s the intro video.

Officially it looks like M-Edge still hasn’t thrown the doors open to the general public, because the home page of MyEdge is still just a “coming soon!” announcement. But hey, the link works and the interface seems to be fully functional, so have fun making your own ereader case.

Update: By default, your custom case design is private. You can choose to make it public by submitting it to M-Edge’s “Style Library,” and then others can order your design for their own devices. However, by doing so you give M-Edge permission to sell your design without paying you royalties, so make sure you understand the fine print before you check the “I agree” box and share your design with the world.

MyEdge [via ChipChick]

Want to make your own ereader cover? Here are 50 ideas to get you started

Chris Walters — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:19:45 +0000

The blog ebookcases.org has put together a fairly exhaustive list of DIY cases, covers, wraps and sleeves for your Kindle. (But really for any of the current major ereaders.) If you’re feeling up to a little hot glue and scissors action this weekend, you could probably find an idea worth exploring on the list.

My favorite ones are the incredibly cheap, “I just don’t care” solutions, like the baggie, the paper envelope, the Crown Royal whiskey pouch, and — this one makes me laugh every time I see it — the magazine-and-rubber-band case. On her Flickr page, magazine case creator Becky writes that it was “good enough for getting to and from the gym.” Ahh, good enough! That’s practically my mantra for home craft projects.

(In Becky’s defense, her duct tape case is actually pretty cool looking.)

More seriously, most of the ideas fall into either repurposing old hardcovers or day planners, or creating your own from scratch using cardboard with fabric, leather or vinyl. For sleeves and soft cases, if you already know how to sew or crochet you can knock out a nice looking number in no time.

Making your own case really is fairly easy, and once you’re done you’ll have the benefit of extra protection and privacy, and the pleasure of knowing that you made it yourself.

“50 Kindle Covers You Can Make Yourself” [Ebookcases.org via Teleread]

Here are a couple of bargains on ereader cases

Chris Walters — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:27:26 +0000

If you’re planning on buying an ereader, here’s an opportunity to get a free case at the same time. If you already own a device, here’s a so-so coupon offer.

Free case with purchase of ereader

Best Buy is giving away free cases up to a retail price of $45 if you buy select ereaders, including Nook, Nook Color, Sony Reader and Kindle. The Kindle is only available in store, and Nook Color is backordered because Barnes & Noble has pulled them temporarily (the rumor is B&N is updating them so they can’t be jailbroken). Here’s the website offer page and here’s the Best Buy Sunday insert ad (see page 9).

Coupon code: buy case get 50% off second one

M-Edge is offering a 50% discount on a second case if you use the code SHOPVDAY11 at checkout. It’s not a huge discount, but if you’re in a two-device household it might be worth it.

CrunchGear highlights a few attractive Kindle cases

Chris Walters — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:18:26 +0000

There seem to be as many Kindle cases as there are Kindles now, so I’m always interested in seeing what other sites recommend. CrunchGear is calling their post a gift guide for V-Day, but really it’s just a closer look at ~~five~~ four attractive yet low-key cases for the Kindle 3. (The fifth is the Moleskine case, which is actually made for the larger Kindle 2.)

It’s funny, I always figured I’d be the only person to like M-Edge’s old-fashioned looking Cambridge jacket — the light brown canvas one with a spine and inner flap of darker leather — but this is the second or third time I’ve seen someone else recommend it. Now if only it didn’t cost $45, which is about $15 over my self-imposed limit for a Kindle 3 case these days.

By the way, if you’re a new Kindle 3 owner, I recommend you wait a couple of weeks before buying any accessories. Take the time to use the Kindle in the real world and figure out what you actually need, rather than just buying something because you think you’re supposed to. For instance, the Kindle is quite sturdy on its own and cases tend to add a lot of bulk, so not everyone will need one. There are also only very specific use cases that require an add-on light. This sounds like common sense, but in my experience new Kindle owners go a little crazy with tricking out their Kindles before they’ve really used them enough.

“The Great Valentine’s Day Kindle Case Gift Guide” [CrunchGear]

Oak and brass stand charges your Kindle or Nook

Chris Walters — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:14:40 +0000

Charging bases are common for mobile phones and Apple devices, but you don’t see many of them for ebook readers. (Probably because they don’t normally need to be recharged daily.) But here’s a custom-made wooden stand with the USB cable embedded, so that you can display your Kindle or Nook in an upright position while also charging or syncing it.

The website OldTimeComputer.com makes a variety of steampunk-style stands, keyboards and computer accessories. This stand looks vaguely steampunk-ish too, but only when the brass supports are visible. In use, it maintains a nice low-profile appearance that could probably fit into any room. The docking area is wide enough to accommodate some cases, and you can also contact the seller to ask for a custom finish.

It’s $73 shipped ($55 + $18 shipping) to a U.S. address. At that price it’s probably never going to gain mass appeal, but I can see this being both useful and attractive in certain instances.

Also, remember that if you’re feeling crafty and have the supplies on hand, you can always make your own stand without too much effort–just remember to keep your expectations in line with your skill level, because it takes a lot of work and patience to produce something like the the finished stand above.

Kindle/Nook eReader Charger and Sync Station [OldTimeComputer via BlogKindle]

M-Edge to launch MyEdge personalized Kindle covers

Chris Walters — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:14:25 +0000

As of today it’s just a placeholder page, but in the coming weeks (months?) M-Edge plans to introduce MyEdge, a new service that will let you design a custom case for your Kindle, Nook or iPad. You start with a base of black or brown spine and stitching accents, add optional text, then select design elements from the MyEdge library or upload your own images. The cases are $40 for Kindle/Nook and $50 for iPad and arrive in 10 days.

Custom-printed device decals have been around longer than the Kindle, but although the concept isn’t new, this is the first time I’ve seen it applied to a book-style case.

If you’re interested in the service, you can submit your email on the placeholder page to receive an alert when it goes live. M-Edge announced this today because the company is showing the custom cases at CES this week, so hopefully we’ll see some real world examples online shortly.

Update: Score! The Digital Reader has posted a couple of CES booth shots of the covers.

MyEdge at M-Edge.com

Where to find elegant and quirky Kindle cases

Chris Walters — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:29:00 +0000

One of the best sources for one-of-a-kind cases for your Kindle (or Nook, Kobo, etc.) is Etsy, the handmade items retailer. Etsy’s particularly great for padded sleeves, because you can choose from a hundred different fabric patterns instead of four manufacturer colors, or even request fabrics. However, you can also find some pretty sophisticated leather and felt designs, as well as quirky cases made from old books.

Here are a few of my current favorites from the site. Just remember to check the seller ratings and shipping times before you order, especially if it’s supposed to be a gift; this isn’t Amazon and every seller operates differently.

Rogue Theory offers lightly padded fabric sleeves in a huge variety of patterns. Best of all, at $20 ($15 + $5 shipping) they’re among the most affordable Kindle accessories around.

Sakizome’s Kindle sleeves are slightly less tailored looking than Rogue Theory’s, and tend to come in more offbeat and retro fabrics. They’re also incredibly affordable at just under $20 after shipping, but because the maker lives in Singapore they may take longer to arrive to U.S. addresses.

If you prefer a hinged cover but still want the appeal of printed fabric, try CW Creations. These cases are $30-$40 with shipping (more to non-U.S. addresses), and come with simple corner flaps to hold the Kindle in place. If you want a leather look but don’t want leather, the designer has a couple of distressed brown vinyl options that might appeal to you.

Or maybe you want real leather, exotic leather, like from a giant crazy bird that can kick you in the face. If so, try GardenourLeather. The red ostrich case pictured here is one of their most expensive sleeves at $85 (shipping included, U.S. and Canada only), although there are other options in the $45-55 range.

Another option for leather lovers is the office of minor details, which for $65 ships anywhere in the world. (See photo at the top of this post for a better look.) Their leather cases with flaps are some of the most elegant Kindle sleeves I’ve ever seen.

If you’re not into leather but still want something that’s elegant, the $40 wool felt sleeves from CaseClosedUK are pretty striking, but in a sophisticated way that subtly tells people, “I like felt.”*

Update: Six minutes after I posted this, most of the felt cases disappeared from CaseClosedUK’s Etsy shop. I’d like to think that my post helped them sell out, but it was more likely just weird timing. Fortunately, there are still other vendors on Etsy selling felt sleeves in a variety of patterns.

And finally, we come to the cases that I love best of all but will probably never personally use: repurposed vintage books, like these from spoonfulofchocolate. I love them in concept because frankly they look awesome–who wouldn’t want to be seen reading a Lassie hardcover? Still, I worry that after month six, people might start talking about my apparent inability to finish a kid’s book about a dog and a mountain cat. Prices run approximately $35-45 depending on where it ships.

If you’re somewhere in Europelandia, a country I just made up that’s not the U.S. (see, we do know our geography!), you might want to also try out DaWanda, which is sort of an EU version of Etsy and may offer better prices and shipping fees.

* I should totally write catalog descriptions. (Return to post.)