Have an iPhone 4S (or iPhone 4) and want to protect that delicate back glass when you lay it on the table?  Many people usually use a variation of Zagg’s InvisibleShield or Skin for their iPhone.  But I would also like something more durable and luxury looking.  That’s where Luxe Plates come in.  Luxe Plates are stainless steel stick-on covers that protect the back of your iPhone.  These Luxe Plates are all precision etched with art from premium artists or you can design your own art for them to etch.  The great thing about Luxe Plates is that you can feel the texture and grooves of the etches.  It costs only $26.95 direct from Luxe Plates.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Cover, iPhone, protection

Give your iPhone 4S a stainless steel backing with Luxe Plates originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 1, 2011 at 9:05 am.

I’ve recently began keeping a journal after a long hiatus. Writing again has prompted me to become a little bit obsessed with notebooks, pens, drawing pencils and other accessories. I recently reviewed the Quiver Moleskine Pen holder and today I want to show you a really nice leather Moleskine cover from Saddleback Leather Company.

Available in small and medium sizes, for the 3.5 x 5.5 inch and 5.25 x 8.25 Moleskine notebooks. These covers are made of 4-5 oz. (2.0 – 2.2 mm) thick chrome tanned leather, in your choice of Black, Tobacco, Chestnut, and Dark Coffee. I was sent the small size in Tobacco.

The exterior of the cover has a soft matte finish and interior of the cover is lined in pigskin, which is extremely tough and durable. The front cover sleeve and back cover band are sewn with marine gauge thread. There’s no need to worry that this Moleskine cover will fall apart – ever. It actually has a 100 year warranty.

I keep saying that this is a Moleskine cover, but it should fit any 3.5 x 5.5 inch notebook. I tested it with a Rhodia notebook and it fit perfectly.

The Saddleback Leather logo is branded into the lower corner of the front cover. You might notice the scuffs on the cover. If those types of imperfections bother you, you won’t want a this cover or any other product from the Saddleback Leather Company. It’s just the nature of their products and as you use them, you’ll scuff them up even more, which just adds to the rugged look and feel.

Once the Moleskine has been inserted into the cover, which is very easy to do, you’ll see that the elastic band can still be used to hold the notebook closed. You can wrap it around the top cover like normal or…

You can also wrap it as shown above, to provide a convenient holder for your favorite pen. Since the cover is sized slightly larger than the notebook, it hangs over the sides, creating a “shelf” for your pen. The only down side is that this will stretch the elastic so that when you remove the notebook, it might not work as well.

The cover is flexible enough to easily allow you to open and use your notebook just like you would with no cover at all.

The cover’s back strap does block access to the notebook’s back pocket though…

Tour notebook can open completely flat as shown here.

The Saddleback Moleskine Cover does add a bit of bulk, but the protection and rugged good looks that it adds to your notebook really is worth it. I love the way this cover feels in my hand. I already liked the look and feel of the small sized Moleskine and Rhodia notebooks, but adding this cover makes them look more important – even if what I write is mostly drivel.

Note: The links to Saddleback Leather on this page are affiliate links and I will earn a small percentage of any sales that come from The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, Reviews

Tagged: Cover, Moleskine, Rhodia

Saddleback Leather Moleskine Cover Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 27, 2010 at 11:00 am.

I really enjoy my Kindle, but always grumble when I’m unable to see the display in dimly lit environments. It’s a problem that keeps me reading on my iPhone more often than the Kindle, because the iPhone has a backlight. When the folks at Periscope asked if I would like to review their Lighted Folio Kindle Cover, you can guess what my answer was.

The Lighted Folio is not a minimal cover. It’s more like wrapping a nicely bound leather hard cover book around your Kindle.

Dimensions: 8-1/4″H X 7-1/2″W X 1-1/4″D
Weight: 13 ounces

With the Kindle 2 inserted, the total weight adds up to pretty hefty 1 lb 12 oz.

Each cover of the folio is close to a quarter of an inch thick. On the Left side is a lined 5 x 8 inch notepad. Sewn into the spine is an elastic tube that can hold a pen or pencil. Next to that is the LED housing and on the Right side you will find the area for the Kindle. The cover is held closed with a magnetic snap.

The Kindle is held in place by four elastic straps. I’m not a big fan of using straps when the Kindle has special slots in the site that are made for a metal holder.

It is possible to fold the Left cover behind the Kindle.

The twin LED housing is stored in a leather holder.

The light is powered by 3 AA batteries, that are unfortunately not included. The light can also be powered by an optional AC adapter that can be purchased for $14.95.

To use the light, you just grip the head and pull it out from the housing. As you can see from the image above, the light is mounted on a telescoping arm. The LEDs will automatically turn on after you extend the arm.

The arm can then be bent at a 90 degree angle and the head can swivel in order to adjust the angle of the light on the Kindle’s display.

Here we see the Periscope Lighted Folio in action. As far as lighting the screen, it does a good job and can’t be faulted. But, I did run into some issues with it. The main problem is that it can introduce glare on the screen unless you fiddle with the angle and direction of the light. The other issue is that whenever you pull out the light from the housing, or push it back in, the bright LEDs shine into your eyes as you do so. If you aren’t paying attention to where you’re looking, you’ll have a nice flash bulb sensation for a few seconds. One more problem that I noticed is that it’s quite awkward to press the Previous Page button on the Kindle while it’s in this case. The LED housing is in the way if you typically use your Left hand to activate that button.

The construction of the Periscope Lighted Folio is very nice and I’m sure that it would do a good job of protecting your Kindle from everyday wear and tear. That said, this cover is really bulky and heavy and probably isn’t one that I’d want to carry around with me very often. If you like eBook readers but still want that real book feel, the Periscope might be perfect for you though.

Filed in categories: eBook Readers and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Cover, Kindle

Periscope Lighted Folio Kindle Cover Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 2, 2009 at 8:36 pm.

A few weeks ago, I reviewed the new Sony PRS-600 Touch ebook reader.  The reader did not come with the book-style cover that I prefer.  I found the 600 would fit into the Sony lightwedge cover I had been using, but the lightwedge itself didn’t line up properly with the screen on the 600, and it would have covered the touchscreen.  I can’t live without a book light.  Not only do I use it at night, I also use the book light even when I read during the day or in well-lighted rooms.  I find the extra light helps my older eyes read longer without eye strain.

Since Sony cases for the new readers weren’t released simultaneously with the readers, I had to find another solution to meet my needs.  I ended up with an M-Edge Executive case designed for the 505 reader and a Mighty Bright 3-LED book light.  I love the look of the M-Edge case, so I was happy with it after I made a small adjustment to one of the straps to stop it from pressing the volume button on the 600.  The Mighty Bright provided a lot of light for reading, but I found it a bit awkward.  The book light was big and heavy and made the case feel unbalanced.  It also was a fairly large item I had to fit into my bag along with my reader.  I really missed the convenience and form factor of the Sony case with integrated light.  When the new one finally arrived at the local Borders, I decided I’d try out the Sony lighted cover for the 600.

The Sony Reader Cover with Light seems to be made of black, pebbled leather, but I can’t find any documentation to confirm that it is leather, not vinyl.  At $59.99, I prefer to think that it IS leather.  The word “Sony” is embossed on the front cover and “Reader” is embossed on the back cover.  The case has some sort of stiffener between the leather outer cover and the plastic suede-textured inner lining. 

Inside, there is a stationary plastic bar with a battery compartment that holds one AAA battery (included).  The standard Sony attachment points on the bar hold the reader in place.  The book light attaches to this bar at the top of the reader.  The attachment point allows the light to pivot up for use or down to store the flexible neck and the little lighted head.  The neck is very flexible, which makes adjustment very easy.

The lighted head holds two LEDs behind a lightly frosted, textured plastic lens.  The lens helps scatter the light a bit, but there is still a great deal of glare and reflection on the 600 screen if the book light isn’t adjusted properly.  The power switch offers two brightness levels.  There is a slightly perceptible difference in the brightness between these two levels, but I couldn’t get this slight difference to show up in pictures.

Picture taken in a darkened room.

Either brightness level is sufficient to illuminate the entire reader screen for reading in a dark room.  However, battery life is about 40 hours using the lower level; you get about half that with the brighter level.  I found with the lightwedge case that the brightest level quickly dimmed, and the rest of the battery life at the brightest level was equivalent to the low level anyway.  This new case behaves similarly, and I just use the light always at the lower level.  It is sufficient to light the page, and I think it will work well for people who have a bedmate who is particularly sensitive to light.

I still haven’t found the perfect case for my Sony 600 reader.  I love the size and weight and the convenience of the Sony all-in-one lighted cover.  I miss the amount of light that I got from my Mighty Bright book light.  And I miss the beauty of the black and gray M-Edge Executive case.  Hopefully, M-Edge will soon have one of their exclusive e-Luminator lights for their Sony cases.  Until then, I’ll keep hunting for my perfect case.

Filed in categories: eBook Readers and Gear

Tagged: Cover, Sony Reader

Sony Reader Cover with Light for the PRS-600 Touch Reader Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 3, 2009 at 4:26 pm.

I know that it’s barely Halloween and a month from Thanksgiving, but if you have been wondering what to dress your iPhone in for the holidays, I have something for you… They are Christmas inspired covers from Brando. There are five different styles that feature Santa, snowmen, Christmas trees and snow flakes. If your iPhone 2G, 3G or 3GS needs some holiday spirit, you can get a cover for $9.90.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Cover, iPhone, Spotlight Gadgets

Dress your iPhone for the holidays originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 30, 2009 at 9:19 am.

M-Edge has some beautiful new leather covers for the Sony PRS-300 Pocket Reader available now on their website.  There are three styles available to ship in 7-10 days.  All three hold the 300 reader with leather straps on the bottom corners and elastic and leather straps on the top corners.  The Executive Jacket is a book-style cover with a strap closure available in eleven colors.   The Platform Jacket opens like a stenographer’s pad, and its strap closure can be used to hold the jacket open to form a stand for hands-free reading.  It also comes in eleven colors and costs $29.99.  Finally is the GO! Jacket, another book-style cover but without a strap closure.  It comes in 8 colors for $24.95.  M-Edge says both the Platform and the Executive jackets will be compatible with their exclusive e-Luminator book light, which should soon be available for the Sony reader cases. (Note from Julie – I really liked the M-Edge Kindle Covers that I reviewed)

Filed in categories: eBook Readers and Gear

Tagged: Cover, ebook, Sony Reader

M-Edge Covers for the Sony PRS-300 Pocket Reader originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 25, 2009 at 10:11 am.

Once upon a time, I constantly found myself on a quest to find the perfect PDA case. These days I don’t even use a case with my smartphone, but I still find myself on a case quest… But this time I’m on the hunt for the perfect cover for my Amazon Kindle. So far, I reviewed Kindle covers from M-Edge and Oberon Designs. Today we’re going to take a look at covers from Bobarra. Bobarra is a female owned business that offers cases for both the Kindle 1 and 2 (and soon to be DX).

They offer cases in leather and fabric. The leather cases are suitable for both men and women, but I would say that the fabric cases cater more to the female Kindle owners. Bobarra sent me two of their fabric Austen style covers in the frog and Blue/Brown Batik patterns.

These covers have a thick, rigid front and back, with padding on the outside. The cover is held closed with a cute scalloped edge flap that use a narrow magnet strip to keep it in place. In hand, the covers feel really comfortable to hold and give you a curl up on the couch with a blanket, a cup of tea and a good story feeling.

The interior of the cover is lined with a soft material that will not scratch the case or screen of your Kindle. There are pockets on the cover that can old papers or business cards.

An elastic band sewn into each corner holds the Kindle in the case. I would prefer it if the built in cover attachment slots were used instead of elastic… So far the only Kindle cover that I’ve tried that takes advantage of this feature, is the one from M-Edge. That said, the Kindle is held securely and the straps do not hinder reading.

The top left strap does slightly cover the power switch, but it’s not a big deal to shove it over with your fingernail when you turn on the reader. I also found that the top right strap completely covers the volume button. If use the text to speech reading feature with your Kindle, that might be an issue for you.

If you have a habit of folding the cover back on your books or magazines when you read them, you can do the same with these covers. The magnetic flap can even hold it in that orientation.

I like the Austen Kindle covers from Bobarra, but I think they are a bit pricey at $50 and I’d like to see more patterns offered. That said, they are made well, feel really comfortable to hold and use, protect your ebook reader from everyday abuse and give it a nice feminine touch.

Filed in categories: eBook Readers and Gear

Tagged: Cover, ebook, Kindle

Bobarra Kindle Covers Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 10, 2009 at 8:51 am.

Andrea Nadosy, Founder & CEO of Bobarra contacted me to tell me about their line of fabric and leather Kindle covers. According to Andrea, “The covers are inspired by classic 1950s aesthetics. The add vintage elegance to high-tech devices, imbuing them with a splash of mystery and intrigue. Our pieces seamlessly combine function and fashion, meeting all the needs of modern professionals while complementing their personal style.” They are currently offering 5 fabric covers and 6 leather covers for the Kindle that are each priced at $49.

Filed in categories: eBook Readers and Gear

Tagged: Cover, Kindle, Spotlight Gadgets

Something pretty for your Kindle – Bobarra covers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 30, 2009 at 12:15 pm.

If you recently purchased the Kindle 2 e-book reader, you might have been surprised to find out that Amazon failed to include any type of protective case. If you remember, the original Kindle included a cover. A lame one, but it was better than  nothing. Luckily, it didn’t take long at all for cases and covers to start appearing for this popular device. Today I want to tell you about the Kindle covers from M-edge.

M-edge offers covers for the Sony Reader and other e-book reader devices on the market. But I’m just going to talk about their bookstyle covers for the Kindle 2 and original Kindle. They were kind enough to send me the Executive Jacket for the Kindle 1 and the Prodigy Jacket for the Kindle 2. Let’s take a look at the Kindle 2 cover first…

The Prodigy Jacket is available in leather and synthetic leather. It is also available in the book style that you see above and a platform style, where the cover opens vertically. I was sent the leather bookstyle version in Pebbled Mocha with a Saddle strap.

The exterior leather is soft with a pebbled texture. A contrasting White or Cream colored stitching is used along the edges of the cover.

The interior is a light Grey suede. Although it’s hard to see in the image above, the Left side of the cover has three flat pockets. One for papers and two that are business card sized.

In the center of the open cover, you can see the unique Kindle 2 hinge holder.

Click thumbnail to see full-size image

The hinge has two attachment metal hooks that mate with the slots in the Left edge of the Kindle.

The bottom hook is stationary and slides into the slot, while the top hook is  spring loaded. Attaching and removing the Kindle from the cover is an easy task.

In addition to the hinge holder, there are also two elastic corner straps that hold the Kindle in place.

The cover is secured by the a tab and slot.

Reading with the Kindle while it is in the cover is comfortable and allows the device to feel like regular book. The cover offers rigid protection to the back and sides of your e-book reader and due to the fact that the cover is slightly larger than the Kindle on all edges, it should provide adequate protection in the event of a fall.

The Executive Jacket for the original Kindle is also available in genuine leather or synthetic leather. I was sent the Smooth Jade leather version of this cover.

From the outside, the design of this cover looks identical to the Prodigy cover.

Upon opening the cover, you do notice a few differences. There are five pockets on the inside flap. One larger note sized pocket, two business card slots and two SD card slots.

The Kindle is held in this case by a leather loop on each corner. The top Right loop has elastic so that you can slip it off to gain access to the power and wifi switch on the back side of the Kindle.

There is also an elastic loop for a pen or pencil.

The stock cover that is included with the Kindle 1 didn’t have a secure method of attaching the cover to the reader. The M-edge cover is a vast improvement.

All buttons are easily accessible while using these covers, and it is not necessary to remove the Kindle to charge or sync.

Both covers are made very well and I was unable to find any defects. Both get a thumbs up from me.

Filed in categories: eBook Readers and Gear

Tagged: Cover, Kindle, Leather

M-edge Kindle Covers Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 6, 2009 at 4:53 am.

These shiny hard covers from More Thing for the iPod Touch caught my eye while surfing for news this morning. They look pretty snazzy don’t they? I thought they were made of metal, but they are actually plastic with a metallic finish. This company carries covers for the iPhone 3G, original iPhone and nano too.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related

Tagged: Cover, Spotlight Gadgets

Spotlight Gadget – Touchlite iPod Touch Covers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 21, 2009 at 9:13 am.