Galaxy Note 10.1 Ultra Thin Folio Case [Review]

April 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Galaxy Note Folio CaseI’ve always said you can’t beat sitting down with a proper, old fashioned, paper book. There’s something about the smell of a new book, and the physical feeling of turning the pages that’s just missing from the current range of eReaders and tablet devices.

Having said that, I do find myself being slowly and irresistibly drawn to reading on my Galaxy Note tablet because the books are cheaper and quicker to buy than their physical counterparts. There are some books I just won’t buy electronically (like my collection of Terry Pratchett novels), but more and more of my reading is becoming electronic.

One of the books I bought recently was a technical manual, but every time I tried to prop my tablet up on my desk, it would fall over. That made it really difficult to have the manual open at the same time as trying to work on the computer, so I started to look around for a case that would hold my Galaxy Note upright,  and this is what I found: a Galaxy Note 10.1. Ultra Thin Folio Case.

I had a bit of a giggle when the package arrived and, written on the back was, “We are specializing in producing leather case”. It reminded me of some of the funny mistranslations I’d seen online, and sort of highlighted the fact that this case was made in China. Nothing wrong with that, I just mention it because I happened to notice.

The product description wasn’t kidding when it says this case is “ultra thin”.  It’s maybe 4 or 5mm thick, so it doesn’t add unnecessary bulk to your tablet. This matters to me – I travel quite a lot, so I don’t want something that’s going to take up too much room in my bag.

While thin, the folio case is also hard, so will offer a good degree of protection to your device. I don’t think it would fare too well if dropped – there’s not much padding – but if you’re just looking to protect against scratches and general wear & tear, this is a good bet.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 is attached to the case by means of a large sticky pad which, if I’m honest, I found quite difficult to use. If you don’t line your tablet up perfectly first time, you have to pull pretty hard to get it off again.  That’ll turn out to be important later on, but it was a real hassle at first. There are holes in the case for the microphone, camera, and headphone jack, and the best I’ve managed is to get two out of three of these lined up (the microphone lost out). You might say I just didn’t do it right, but I think the microphone slot is actually slightly out of place.

But how does this case do at what I wanted from it? Does it actually make it easier to read and type? Well, yes. Just fold half of the case up and it becomes a little stand that’s actually quite sturdy. The sticky pad that caused me some grief earlier now turns out to be well thought out and holds the Note in place while upright.

So, what’s the verdict? I think this is a good buy – the quality pretty much matches the £15 price tag. Let that guide your expectations – this isn’t a premium leather case, but represents good value protection for the money.  It certainly stands up well to other Galaxy Note 10.1 cases I’ve tried, and it fulfils my primary requirements of being able to prop my electronic books up while working.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 Ultra Thin Folio Case is available from GearZap.com for £14.95 at the time of writing.

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Apple Education Event Details Uncovered

January 18, 2012 by

Apple Education Event LogoIt seems that whenever there’s an Apple event on the cards, the rumours fly fast and furious. Even for a smaller do like Apple’s education announcement, the pundits have been weighing in with what they expect to be released.

Ars Technica first reported that the event would be a showcase for Apple to release an eBook creation suite, along similar lines as GarageBand. The tools, which are expected to support the ePub 3 standard, may be partially based on the older iWeb software, which allowed Apple users to easily design and publish websites. Apple is also likely to announce that iBooks will support the standard.

The Wall Street Journal also published about the event, stating that they expect Apple will unveil new textbooks that are designed for the iPad, as part of a partnership with large American textbook publishers like McGraw Hill and Pearson PLC.

The latest word this morning comes from the WSJ again, who report that the initiative will be under the jurisdiction of Apple vice president of productivity applications Roger Rosner.

This is a fairly sensible and not particularly shocking story, but the fact it’s worthy of being published in the Wall Street Journal really speaks volumes about the influence this deal could have on the American education system – and Apple’s power to create media coverage on demand.

Tune in tomorrow to find out what Apple announces.

This post was written by William Judd. Will is a self-facilitating media node for Mobile Fun, the UK’s largest online phone accessories retailer including BlackBerry covers and a Bluetooth speaker.

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M-Edge Executive Jacket for Amazon Kindle [Review]

August 22, 2011 by

I’m usually a bit of a butterfly when it comes to gadgets. By that, I mean that I tend to lose interest fairly quickly and move on to something else. I kind of wondered whether that would happen when I bought an Amazon Kindle back in February, but I’m still using it daily and still loving it! I like to keep my gadgets in good condition, and the Kindle is no exception, so I usually end up using covers or cases to protect them from any bumps or knocks that could damage them (not to mention protect them from the children!). With that in mind, I was pleased to be sent an M-Edge Executive case for the Kindle by Gear Zap. So, what’s it like?

I’ve said it before, but there’s not a lot of innovation to be had in gadget covers. What you’re after is something that looks good, feels comfortable, and actually offers some degree of protection to the device you are covering. Let’s see how the Executive delivers in these areas:

Looks

The M-Edge Executive’s faux leather covering gives it a stylish look that wouldn’t look out of place in an office (I guess that’s the point, isn’t it?) or on the bookshelf. The detailing around the middle is understated but makes it a little more interesting than just a plain black surface. The detailing does have a functional purpose, though, as the case is fastened shut with a sort of belt-loop system, and the central band is where the “belt” slots into. At first I thought that wouldn’t prove anywhere near as secure as a stud popper or elastic strap, but it turns out it copes very well.

Inside, the Executive is lined with a suede-like material and has two internal pockets. If I have one complaint it would be that the case is a little wider than others I have used, with the Kindle sitting nearly an inch in from the spine. The reason for this is that, as an optional extra, you can buy a reading light that fits into that gap and allows you to carry on reading when someone decides it’s time to go to sleep and turns the bedside lamp out on you.

Overall, the Executive is a stylishly understated cover and, for my money, scores well on looks.

Comfort

Have you ever tried to use a mobile phone cover, or Kindle case, and found that it just doesn’t seem to be designed to actually let you use the device inside? Pointless flaps, studs, or misplaced holes can really ruin the user experience. There is a little of this with the Executive, in that the fastening belt sits right next to the right-hand navigation buttons on the Kindle. You can simply fold the belt back to move it out of the way, but it is a little annoying.

Other than this, though, the Executive case is very comfortable to use. It is a little larger than the Kindle unit itself, as already mentioned, but not cumbersome. If you prefer to navigate your books using your left-hand, as I do, you can fold the case’s front cover underneath and get easy access to the left-hand buttons. I actually find that doing this makes the Kindle easier to hold too. The case’s spine is quick thick, so you get a good grip, and that gap I mentioned earlier that is meant for a reading light seems to put the buttons in just the right place. It’s almost like they’ve thought about this!

Right-handers – I do think the fastening belt could become annoying but perhaps that’s as much a product of the fact that I’m left-handed as anything else.

Protection

To my mind, this is the entire point of a gadget case: protection. The Kindle is held in place within the case by two slide-in straps and two elastic straps. I have tried flinging the whole assembly around and can’t get the Kindle to budge so I’m confident in saying it’s not going to fall out of the case in your bag! We have already made much of the belt-loop fastener that keeps the case closed too and, so far, it has done that job to perfection. Again, it’s highly unlikely that you will delve into your rucksack to find that the case has flopped open and your house keys have scratched the Kindle’s screen. Finally, there’s drop protection. The faux leather outer of the case is padded, so the shock of a drop should be dissipated by that and, assuming you have inserted your Kindle firmly into the slide-in straps, there is a small gap between it and the edge of the case that will protect should you drop it edge-on.

As ever, you wouldn’t want to throw your gadgets under the wheel of a moving car, or off a bridge, but for everyday drops, knocks and bag-carrying, the M-Edge Executive case will offer ample protection.

Roundup

So there we have it. There are some annoyances, such as the fastening strap getting in the way if you use the Kindle’s right-hand navigation buttons, but on the whole the Executive case is a great way to keep your Kindle safe while looking good and being comfortable to use. If the black version doesn’t take your fancy, there are also versions in red and purple. Personally, I like the black version and will be using this as my Kindle cover from now on.

M-Edge Executive Kindle Cases are available from Gear Zap, and are priced at £25.48.

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Amazon Kindle Keyboard [review]

February 15, 2011 by

Note: This page has been changed due to Amazon’s update of the Kindle range. This Kindle is now known as the Kindle Keyboard. 

Amazon recently announced that eBooks are now outselling paper books (on Amazon), to much speculation that paper is going the way of the dinosaurs. The thing is, it’s very hard to emulate the experience of paper books. You would take a trashy novel to the beach, keep a pile of books in the loo, or take one into the bath. Anything that aims to replace paper has a hard job ahead of it.

The Kindle Keyboard is Amazon’s contribution to the e-reader market, and after having a look at my dad’s I’ve been jealously coveting one for a while. Well, I finally made my move. So what’s it like?

A library in your bag

I love how compact the Kindle Keyboard is – especially since it gives you the ability to carry up to 3,500 books at once. Try that with even the slimmest of pamphlets and you’ll be a bit overwhelmed. The unit is a shade under A5 dimensions, 190 mm x 123 mm and 8.5 mm thick, so you won’t fit it in your pocket unless you happen to have fairly large ones. However, it will fit nicely in your bag and it’s no bother to carry around.

If you are going to put it in your bag, or even if you know you’re going to be using it out and about, I would recommend buying one of the many Kindle covers for it. I have heard that the screen is designed to be tough and scratch resistant, but I’m sure you would rather spend a little extra on a cover than discover it isn’t quite a scratch resistant as you thought.

Is that paper?

I used to read a lot on my iPhone, using Stanza and the YouVersion Bible app. While it wasn’t uncomfortable, the glossy screen was quite a departure from reading on paper. The Kindle Keyboard, however, uses E Ink technology that looks very similar to reading on paper at first glance. The words and letters are well defined, and there is very little glare on the 6-inch (diagonal) screen.

Amazon say there is “no glare” but, under strong light such as an airliner reading light, it’s possible to angle the Kindle so as to catch the light’s glare. Having said that, when I tested that out I had to deliberately try and get the glare. Under most circumstances, you should have no problem at all. The screen is very good at reducing glare and even works well in strong sunlight. I only mention the reading light thing to be completely honest!

When I showed my Kindle Keyboard to my mother in law she commented that it was like reading a good quality paper book – and she works in a bookshop :) (actually, since buying the new Kindle, my mother in law bought my Kindle Keyboard off me… and she loves it)

3G Connectivity

The Kindle Keyboard is only available in the UK with WiFi and 3G connectivity. This 3G connection is free and works in over a hundred countries and territories, meaning you can buy your books while out and about, and they will be downloaded straight away.

Personal documents

One of the drivers for me buying a Kindle Keyboard (if you put my jealousy about my dad having one to one side) is the ability to convert personal documents and load them onto the unit. When you register your Kindle, you will also get a kindle.com e-mail address. If you e-mail documents to that address they will be converted and then sent to your Kindle. There are a number of formats this will work with, including Word Documents and plain text. You can even e-mail PDFs and they will be viewable using the Kindle’s built-in PDF reader.

If you load your documents onto your Kindle Keyboard via 3G, you will be charged 20 pence per megabyte to download. If you don’t want to get charged on 3G, e-mail your documents to username@free.kindle.com instead and they will be held in a queue until you are able to download them over WiFi. The conversion seems to work pretty well, although formatting like columns is removed and documents laid out like a standard book.

So, is it worth it?

That’s the big question, isn’t it? Well, how many books do you read? If the answer is, “none” or “a few” I’d say no, the Kindle is not worth it for you. If you do read a lot, though, I think the Kindle is worth every penny. Kindle eBooks tend to be cheaper than their paper counterparts, so you’ll start to see savings on the cost of buying your reading material. Eventually (and I’m not saying how long this will take because the savings are different for every book!) you’ll cover the cost of the Kindle just by buying the cheaper eBook versions.

The ability to carry a veritable library of books with you, including your own documents, makes me wonder if this is going to revolutionise reading in the way the capacity of the iPod revolutionised our listening habits. Add in the Kindle’s ability to read books out to you (where allowed by rights holders), and an experimental web browser, and the Kindle starts to look even smarter.

In the end, though, you need to consider the Kindle on the question of whether it’s good for reading… not any of that other stuff. Short answer? Yes.

The Kindle is available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

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Get 25% off Problogger eBooks this November

November 10, 2010 by

eBooks are something of a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, there are some brilliant ones out there packed with genuinely useful information. On the other hand, it’s so tempting to keep buying them that, if you’re not careful, you can end up spending a fortune on items you don’t really need.

Two that I’ve found genuinely useful are Darren Rowse’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog and Copywriting Scorecard for Bloggers and the nice thing is that there’s 25% off during November.

All you have to do is visit Problogger.com* and when you’re going through the checkout process enter the discount code november25. That’ll knock 25% right off the price.

I have no hesitation in recommending these books to you; I found both of them genuinely interesting and useful. And with the november25 discount code, well, what’s stopping you?

31 Days to Build a Better Blog and the Copywriting Scorecard for Bloggers are both available from Problogger.com*.

* Affiliate links

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Are “value” and “price” related?

April 22, 2010 by

This is something of a theoretical question, although I have a few ideas germinating that might make it less academic at some point! Those of you who have published ebooks, written training courses, and those of you who have bought such things please answer me this: are value and price related?

Let me explain myself a bit. Say you see a few people offering website basics ebooks/training courses. The sort of thing that takes you from “I have no idea how to set up a site” to knowing what is required from a technical point of view, what tools are available to help actually write the site, and tips on how to make that site accessible to as many people as possible. Those people are offering their courses at different price points ranging from £1 to £50. Does the price affect your perception of the material’s value?

In my own mind I think there must be some sort of sweet spot. £1 seems to say to me, “I want to make money from this, but I don’t really think it’s that good”. £50 displays immense confidence that the material is good enough to command that price (and I’m aware that some ebooks/courses cost a LOT more). My dad once told me, “if you pay dirt cheap prices, you get dirt”. Does that apply here? I wonder if people look at an ebook and say, “if it only costs £1 it must be rubbish”, or am I way off track?

I’d love to know what you think. I’m really aware that my thoughts are sort of half formed, so please feel free to contribute in the comments and help shape the discussion!

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