And now we have another Kindle protector -- this one is an everyday, always-on, always-sealed (if you want) case that protects the Kindle from hard drops, scratches, dirt, and even water, but not for floating in 3 feet of water as The Guardian can, which I wrote about the other day.Directly competing, though, against M-Edge's The Guardian, KlearKase is for everyday, normal use. It weighs 6 ounces, which makes it three times lighter than The Guardian and half the price, though you won't want to toss this onto the water while swimming in the ocean.
The case won't be available on Amazon.com accessories until later this month, at an introductory price of $39.99. Pre-orders will be accepted beginning next week, they say.
Quite a team that put this together
The founders include Dick Brass, who ran the Tablet PC and eBook businesses while a Vice President at Microsoft; Will Poole, formerly VP of Microsoft’s Windows and Unlimited Potential groups; and Bob McKenzie, former General Manager of the mobile software division at Microsoft and manager of its automotive software division; as well as Dave Vaillancourt, who brings more than 30 years of experience manufacturing plastic and waterproof products.
IN OTHER NEWS - Irex
Irex files for bankruptcy.
Irex's DR800SG, which was to be at Best Buy in December for $449 (per a tag seen there in empty shelves) and partnering with Barnes and Noble too, did not have editing tools yet for a business-focused e-reader and, in February, they announced another delay and the editing tools still weren't ready. The pricing was too high for the current market, and they haven't had a sterling reputation for customer service, while a July 2009 review of their 1000S e-reader/tablet was less than positive. They have some enthusiastic users though.
The news site linked reports that Rex Technologies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following poor sales of its DR800 e-book reader. The Netherlands-based company has blamed its financial woes on delays during the FCC approval process.
"CEO Hans Brons suggests the DR800 launch was held up by the FCC and missed the critical window to be placed on shelves for the holiday shopping season. The delay is said to be a direct cause of the current strife.
' It's not a hopeless situation, but there is no cash and the banks are cautious at this time, ' says Brons."
Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources Top 100 free bestsellers
Check often: Latest temporarily free non-classics or late-listed ones
AFAICT, The Guardian still doesn't let you wake up / put to sleep without opening the case? What is the point, if you have to expose it to the elements in order to wake it up?
ReplyDeleteTomster,
ReplyDeleteI remember reading one article (there were a ton) which said that you need to turn it on before going to take your dip and sealing the gizmo.
I just did a search and found some caveats that Wired wrote and have included those in the update.
Looked for any on Klearkase but so far it's just a PR wire so will be watching that. Since that case is to be 'on' "always" it had better have access somehow to the power slider. While it's taking on the Guardian, it doesn't promise the same heavy level of waterproofing, but it might be a rare user who takes it to the ocean or on boat rides maybe.
Thanks for the good thought. There is also the matter of the Kindle's time-out.
Hi Andrys - KlearKase has silicone inserts for easy access to the power slider and USB port. In addition to the PR wire, you can find more details at http://www.klearkase.com. Happy to answer any additional questions.
ReplyDeleteAaron Franklin
Marketing Consultant
KlearKase LLC
Aaron,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info and your Internet ear.
Will the silicone inserts be safe to use when one is near splashing water?
Absolutely - KlearKase is designed to be fully sealed and splash-proof. When closed, the silicone seals keep water out.
ReplyDeleteSince some users may not secure the silicon seals, we can't make promises about results from submersion. The founders of KlearKase have been using their KlearKase in their tubs and in the pool without issue, but we cannot guarantee that a KlearKase falling into water will not leak.
Aaron, I'll check out the site to see any illustrations on the silicon inserts for moving the power control, etc., easily.
ReplyDeleteWhat you say here is that you're not really positioning yourselves vs Medge's Guardian (though the PR seems to say that) since their specialty is deeper water immersion and yours is for less precarious use.
Cases for different cases :-)
Thanks.
The KlearKase has silicone plugs at both the top and bottom of the case so that the user can wake up the device or recharge the Kindle batteries WITHOUT having to take the case off. This is a critical feature since the Kindle goes to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity.
ReplyDeletebob mckenzie,
ReplyDeleteI actually had been wondering about that. Good to know.
Next question to Bob or to Aaron is are the plugs attached, because if not, they're probably easily lost.
ReplyDelete