Come rain, hail or storm, now you can continue with your reading on a Kindle thanks to M-Edge who have come up with the ‘Guardian,’ a transparent molded polycarbonate case that would seal the Kindle from the elements while it would continue to function just as it would sans the covering. The waterproofing case will add another 17.1 ounce to the weight of the Kindle e-reader. That’s almost three times the weight of the Kindle itself, So rain and hail is OK but it can’t prevent the Kindle from getting blown away in a storm. This in spite of there being a lanyard ring at the bottom of the covering so that you can lock the Kindle down but its job at best is to prevent the Kindle from floating away.
These apart, the Guardian is also great for poolside reading with your Kindle where the watertight case will also allow you to indulge in an occasional splash with water. And if you are of the hardcore reader type or are addicted to your Kindle, you can even dive into the pool with it. The Guardian will keep things in order up to a depth of one meter, beyond which however, its water’s might that will begin to gain supremacy. The case incorporates internal buoyancy chambers that are designed to provide the Kindle with distributed flotation so that it floats on the water surface. So its also great to indulge in some handsfree reading off the Kindle while its floating on the surface of still water. “Now, not only can people read by the water without fear, they can read in the water, on the water, and under the water – to one meter anyhow,” was how M-Edge CEO Patrick Mish described their Guardian waterproof case.
The case incorporates a thin clear rubber window that allows you to access the buttons in the most hassle free manner. Or so to speak since this can be applicable to the side buttons that are also the ones that you are likely to use most of the times. So its easy to turn pages or access the menu button. However, problems might crop up while trying to use the keypad where hitting precisely on the target buttons might slow you down. Also, the joystick is rendered virtually unusable with the rubber covering that sits on it. Another major problem with the Guardian case is that it does not provide access to the Kindle’s power button. So if the Kindle shuts down, it’s a reverse engineering process – opening the four Pelican-case–like clasps that fixes the case, retrieve your Kindle and then turn it back on again. And of course, you have to dry off the case before you proceed with this or else, the game is lost then and there. A few ounces of water can prove too many for the Kindle. Also, the shiny plastic screen can be a dampener to the rich reading experience that the Kindle is so famously known for.
The Guardian is available in shades of black, red and blue and has been priced at $80.
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With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
