As e-Reader Choices Expand, Accessories Options Follow
By John Laposky -- TWICE, 2/22/2010
NEW YORK — Following the e-reader category’s coming-out party at International CES, accessory options for the devices have flowed into the market at a rapid pace.
A wide variety of cases and skins, lights, travel bags, chargers, tabletop stands and screenprotect ion products, among others, gives retailers broad opportunity for valuable attachment sales.
Some highlights from recently announced lines include:
A wide variety of cases and skins, lights, travel bags, chargers, tabletop stands and screenprotect ion products, among others, gives retailers broad opportunity for valuable attachment sales.
Some highlights from recently announced lines include:
M-Edge Accessories,
one of the first suppliers
to accessorize the category,
recently expanded
its line of add-ons for the
Amazon Kindle and the
Barnes & Noble Nook.
For the Kindle, M-Edge’s Guardian waterproof case, made of molded plastic, safeguards the device in all water environments up to 1 meter deep, The case allows for full functionality of Kindle’s navigation buttons and keyboard through flexible sealed button cutouts.
The Guardian keeps a watertight seal around the Kindle by utilizing a dualhinge, integrated gasket and four-latch closure system. Three internal buoyancy chambers provide distributed fltation to keep the Kindle afloat and upright for inwater reading.
An anti-reflective film protects the Guardian’s screen area for uninhibited reading in sunny environments. Made of a transparent polycarbonate, the Guardian’s hard-shell exterior provides impact protection while the custom-molded interior and mounting pads provide support for the device.
The Guardian Case comes in six colors and will be available this spring.
TrendyDigital Design’s WaterGuard case is a brand-agnostic pouch-style case that guards against wet environments. While not submersible, it accommodates a wide variety of e-readers including the Kindle, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, Sony Reader, Nook, iRex and Cybook, and it provides protection from a rainstorm, splashes and wet surfaces. A transparent surface allows for interaction with the keyboard and navigation buttons.
From SDI Technologies’ iHome brand comes an iPod/iPhone charging station designed for multiple devices including e-readers.
The iB967 features dual universal wells to charge an iPhone and all docking iPod models, two USB ports and an expandable rest area that charges most e-readers.
It includes integrated cable management, an AC adapter, 12- inch USB-to-mini- USB cable and 12- inch USB-to-Sony charging cable and jack.
Another charger manufacturer, Gomadic, announced it added e-reader tips to its TipExchange technology chargers which charge mobile devices while synchronizing data with a single twoin- one USB cable.
Zagg recently rolled out its ShieldZone InvisibleShield for the Kindle, a patented film-screen protector with scratch-proof nanomemory technology that was developed to protect helicopter blades from dust and debris.
The film is 0.2mm thick and is backed with a lifetime guarantee. If it ever does wear or scratch, Zagg will replace it free for the life of the device.
Zagg said the InvisibleShield comes off clean and leaves no sticky residue.
It retails for $17.95. Breaking new ground in the category, Carson recently announced its DR- 200 ezRead electronic reading aid for the sight-impaired. The ezRead projects e-book content (as well as any printed material) to a television screen, magnifying the words.
The size of the television monitor determines the actual magnification of the item. The larger the screen, the greater the magnification becomes. Carson said a 21-inch screen would produce a magnification of 7.5 times.
It works by connecting the ezRead to the video input of the TV using the included cable, powering up the devices and placing the ezRead directly on top of the e-reader or reading material. Internal LED illumination ensures that the image on screen is bright and easy to read, the company said.
It ships with an extra-long video cable and power cord so a user can sit at a comfortable distance away from the TV and still read.
Power is supplied using three AAA batteries or with the included A/C power adapter. It boasts a 655 by 488-pixel VGA image sensor and weighs about 6 ounces.
Finally, Case Logic unveiled new styles of e-reader cases, including three universal models as well as lines of Sony-specifi c SKUs and a Kindle line. The cases include canvas, nylon and EVA constructions and will ship in the first quarter at suggested retails from $19.99 to $24.99.
For the Kindle, M-Edge’s Guardian waterproof case, made of molded plastic, safeguards the device in all water environments up to 1 meter deep, The case allows for full functionality of Kindle’s navigation buttons and keyboard through flexible sealed button cutouts.
The Guardian keeps a watertight seal around the Kindle by utilizing a dualhinge, integrated gasket and four-latch closure system. Three internal buoyancy chambers provide distributed fltation to keep the Kindle afloat and upright for inwater reading.
An anti-reflective film protects the Guardian’s screen area for uninhibited reading in sunny environments. Made of a transparent polycarbonate, the Guardian’s hard-shell exterior provides impact protection while the custom-molded interior and mounting pads provide support for the device.
The Guardian Case comes in six colors and will be available this spring.
TrendyDigital Design’s WaterGuard case is a brand-agnostic pouch-style case that guards against wet environments. While not submersible, it accommodates a wide variety of e-readers including the Kindle, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, Sony Reader, Nook, iRex and Cybook, and it provides protection from a rainstorm, splashes and wet surfaces. A transparent surface allows for interaction with the keyboard and navigation buttons.
From SDI Technologies’ iHome brand comes an iPod/iPhone charging station designed for multiple devices including e-readers.
The iB967 features dual universal wells to charge an iPhone and all docking iPod models, two USB ports and an expandable rest area that charges most e-readers.
It includes integrated cable management, an AC adapter, 12- inch USB-to-mini- USB cable and 12- inch USB-to-Sony charging cable and jack.
Another charger manufacturer, Gomadic, announced it added e-reader tips to its TipExchange technology chargers which charge mobile devices while synchronizing data with a single twoin- one USB cable.
Zagg recently rolled out its ShieldZone InvisibleShield for the Kindle, a patented film-screen protector with scratch-proof nanomemory technology that was developed to protect helicopter blades from dust and debris.
The film is 0.2mm thick and is backed with a lifetime guarantee. If it ever does wear or scratch, Zagg will replace it free for the life of the device.
Zagg said the InvisibleShield comes off clean and leaves no sticky residue.
It retails for $17.95. Breaking new ground in the category, Carson recently announced its DR- 200 ezRead electronic reading aid for the sight-impaired. The ezRead projects e-book content (as well as any printed material) to a television screen, magnifying the words.
The size of the television monitor determines the actual magnification of the item. The larger the screen, the greater the magnification becomes. Carson said a 21-inch screen would produce a magnification of 7.5 times.
It works by connecting the ezRead to the video input of the TV using the included cable, powering up the devices and placing the ezRead directly on top of the e-reader or reading material. Internal LED illumination ensures that the image on screen is bright and easy to read, the company said.
It ships with an extra-long video cable and power cord so a user can sit at a comfortable distance away from the TV and still read.
Power is supplied using three AAA batteries or with the included A/C power adapter. It boasts a 655 by 488-pixel VGA image sensor and weighs about 6 ounces.
Finally, Case Logic unveiled new styles of e-reader cases, including three universal models as well as lines of Sony-specifi c SKUs and a Kindle line. The cases include canvas, nylon and EVA constructions and will ship in the first quarter at suggested retails from $19.99 to $24.99.
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