The KlearKase for Kindle 3 is now available.

THE KLEARKASE FOR KINDLE 3 IS HERE

The KlearKase for Kindle 3 (with the Kindle power slider at the bottom) is now available at Amazon.  Their case for the Kindle 2 was popular with those who want the extra protection of a splash-proof, transparent protective case that can be left on for normal use.

  Note that while this is splash-proof, it's not designed to be immersed in water (which requires more bulk and less flexibility), as it's not waterproof in that way.  It's good protection if you're by the pool and people are splashing water your way.

The KlearKase for Kindle 2 (with the Kindle power slider at the top) was preferred by some (see customer reviews there) to another maker's fully waterproof model which can be immersed in water but which doesn't allow you to turn the Kindle back On (after it goes into sleep mode) without opening the case.
  The KlearKase design does and also allows the Kindle to be charged in the case.

Some Technical details from the product page:

. Fits current generation Kindle 3 Only (power slider is on the bottom).
. Take your Kindle anywhere it may get wet, scratched, or dirty.
. Seamless access to the Kindle's controls (including power slider).
. Weighs only 6 ounces and includes free carrying bag.

The product page also mentions that the earlier case was featured on the Today Show, Budget Travel, Wired and more.  It's definitely added protection and different from the usual.  .
  Today, CNet's David Carnoy writes about the new case and features the company's video of the Kindle on a hydroplane :-)  He mentions that rubber seals cover the ports at the bottom of the Kindle but the seals can be lifted to access the ports, and the keyboard and buttons are usable through the case.

I don't have a KlearKase myself, as I'm not often near water, children with spillable drinks and more carefree handling of items, or pets, but I've watched the company's customer support on the various forums and they're unusually responsive.

What about a rumored Kindle 4?
While there are rumors about a smaller, touchscreen Kindle to be made available eventually, many on the Kindle forums report that they'll be staying with a non-touchscreen version on a 6" e-reader due to problems with precise highlighting on touchscreen models and somewhat error-prone virtual keyboards when making notes or editing them.  Others are looking forward to a touchscreen Kindle, as that would be much better for web browsing.  Ironically, competing e-readers using touchscreen technology don't have correctly-functioning web browsers and they're "hidden" for that reason, with workarounds discovered by some so that you can use them at all.

  The Kindle 3 became a huge seller due mainly to the high contrast e-Ink Pearl screen, which, on other vendor models, seems to lose some of that contrast with even the "IR" type of touch screens.   Earlier, I mentioned problems with the lighter shade of the font against the usual grayish background with the Nook Touch, which was also a serious issue for PC World's Melissa Perenson with the iriver Story HD e-reader.

  Yesterday, Laptop Magazine's K.T. Bradford mentioned the relative font lightness also:

' Contrast on the Story HD is on a par with the Nook but not quite as deep as the Kindle.  Still, it offers a good ePaper experience and won't wash out in sunlight. '

  And, of the Nook Simple Touch, Bradford's review in June noted that:

' With the two eReaders sitting side by side, the Kindle has slightly more contrast, but overall the two are fairly evenly matched.  Text stands out nicely against the background on the Nook, but it isn't as crisp as on the Kindle using the smallest font settings, making tiny text harder to read.  This isn't an issue once you move up to medium sizes. '

  For me, it was a matter of having to go to a large font on that e-reader, to get the good screen contrast I'm now used to on the Kindle 3.  I prefer my LCD-screen NookColor for reading text, over the Nook Touch for that reason (though not in direct sunlight of course).


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's)   K3 Special ($114)   K3-3G Special ($139)   DX Graphite

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published non-classics, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

Amazon's revised statement on problematical non-lighted Kindle covers

See yesterday's blog posting for details on a Kindle-cover problem and the Amazon Kindle team statement concerning a resolution for those affected by problem batches of the non-lighted Amazon Kindle-3 cover.

  At another forum thread, Marc pointed out that the Amazon-forum response had been edited later to change contact-info for the problem (two telephone numbers are now given) and to clarify that Amazon would be be pleased to replace a problem Amazon-manufactured Kindle cover with a different cover rather than just send a replacement cover:

'                                     Last edited by the author 14 hours ago

The Amazon Kindle team says:
(AMAZON OFFICIAL)

There have been some forum discussions regarding the non-lighted Kindle cover, and our engineering team is looking into this.  Regardless, if anyone is having any problem with an Amazon-manufactured Kindle cover, please call us at 877-453-4512 or 206-922-0844.  We will be pleased to replace it for free with a different cover or accept a return for a full refund, no matter when the cover was purchased. '

  Marc also posted the following from his forum reading:

' Other people have indicated that Amazon is offering the lighted cover in exchange, or refunding the original cost of the cover and giving an additional $25 credit to users so they can get the lighted cover, or any other cover of their choice. '

  Marc has provided sourcing on that now and adds the following:

' The two people I mentioned, posted on page 13 of the "This cover. . ." discussion.
You can see them here:

http://www.amazon.com/cover-causes-Kindle-freeze-reboot/forum/Fx12U61UWYSO3UY/Tx17O3815XVEMVM/13/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg13?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B003DZ163E&cdSort=oldest.

  Check out Robert M Dunlap's comment, fifth from the top, and Darren_C's comment, that is 11th from the bottom. '

Here is Robert M Dunlap's posting:

' Robert M Dunlap says:

I sent an e-mail to customer support as this issue was happening with my Kindle and un-Lighted case as well.  Sure enough, today they called me and they are sending a free lighted case and refunding the cost of my old case.  Talk about customer service, I upgraded and got my money back.  My orders through Amazon are only going to increase from their already high levels from now on. '

Here's Darren's posting, as one who had a service ticket on this situation for over two weeks:

' darren_c says:

Hi everyone,

I just followed up the Kindle CS team tonight and they have refunded my Kindle cover.  I had a service ticket with them for over 2 weeks with this initial problem, before I found out about the cover issue.  When I called tonight to follow up the CS Rep. reviewed the notes on my file and then asked me if I had the Kindle cover, which I said yes.  He began to ask me to try a few tests and then call him back, but I indicated that after finding this thread last week I had taken the Kindle out of the cover and the problems stopped.  But, when I put it back in the problem began shortly thereafter.  He confirmed that they are aware of a problem with the cover.  Here's what he did for me:

He offered to refund the cover and with all shipping fees as one solution.  He also offered to add a $20 credit to be used towards the lighted leather cover, so basically they would give me the more expensive one to replace the other with no extra cost.  I declined the lighted cover since I discovered that actually prefer holding the Kindle "naked" for reading.  I asked him to go ahead and process the refund the cover and I think I will purchase a sleeve or another type of case.

All of this was done in the most friendly way, so kudos to "Josh" (the Rep. I spoke to) for that!  So, in the end Amazon seems to be acknowledging the issue and offering an appropriate solution.

Hope you are all able to find a similar resolution to this, too.

Cheers! '

Scot and also Tony Reynolds were two of the lead customer-sleuths who gathered enough information for Amazon tech support to identify and confirm the cause of the problems.

In late September, I included information about the lighted, hinged cover including the word of mouth on that cover in two forum threads.  If interested in that, you can follow that link and that information is in the bottom half.

If affected by this, contact the Kindle team and see yesterday's blog for links to a less expensive cover if wanted and to a general list of Kindle covers available for those who have reported problems to Amazon and would like to choose a different cover.

As for Amazon's general Kindle customer support, I had reported on their forum "Thanks" to the Kindle community for "millions" of Kindles sold in the first 73 days of this holiday quarter.  The customer-replies to the announcement say quite a bit about the general level of support.


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   DX Graphite

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
UK-Only: recently published non-classics, bestsellers, or highest-rated ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

Waterproofing the vacation or pool Kindle. M-Edge via Forbes - Update

Waterproofing your vacation and Kindle 
Forbes's article on waterproofing today's portable electronic devices opens with a story on a couple who took their Kindles out to sea on an inflatable raft.
  During a vacation to St. John , Patrick Mish (of M-Edge Accessories) and his wife (she gets no name in this Forbes article :-) ) were able to read books and magazines on their Kindles while relaxing in the Caribbean -- even, the article says, tossing the costly e-readers into the air a few times and letting them splash into the water.

'Mish says onlookers were so flabbergasted that they swam out to the couples' raft to investigate. "We said, 'They're in waterproof cases!,'" he laughs. "After that, we were dubbed 'the Kindle people.'" '

Mish developed his waterproof Kindle case, called the Guardian, to enable Kindle owners to take their e-readers to beaches, pools, etc., making a case that is not just protective of the screen and its buttons and other controls, it also floats.  Good thinking! if it's meant to allow tossing it into the ocean.

The "Guardian," one of Patrick Mish's M-Edge offerings (and what a sweet article for his business, which is popular among users of Kindle and other e-readers) uses special hinges and latches to form a watertight seal around e-readers and includes three internal, air-filled "buoyancy chambers" that keep the device afloat and upright for in-water, even hands-free, reading, per the website, as it floats level on the water's surface.  I can imagine trying to read that way as it bobs on the water.

This case, which is scheduled to go on sale June 9 for $80, took about a year to produce, and three internal, air-filled buoyancy chambers ensure the case will float, screen up, in water.

M-Edge products for the 6" Kindle are buyable from Amazon but the Guardian is not shown there yet.  Search results that include the Kindle DX are here.

If $80 is beyond the budget for this nicely constructed protection, there are other products claiming to be waterproof (and some use protection against rain, snow, dirt, sand, etc).

I forgot to say that some, including Jeff Bezos, use Ziplock bags for reading the Kindle in the bathtub. Not sure I'd risk doing that in sea waters though. I carried a Ziplock bag when visiting Egypt in case of sandstorms but didn't run into one.
But if the M-Edge waterproof case price were lower, I'd consider it for the protection from drops too.

Maybe The Guardian will be a tad less expensive when it shows up at Amazon? Apparently not, so I struck that out.  You can find it now at Amazon at the same price.

UPDATE - June 10 -  Original post date: 6/8/10, 8:54 PM
Wired has a couple of caveats to consider:
  "You can't access the power button, so if your machine turns itself off while you're re-enacting PT-109 with rubber duckies, you have to dry the case off, exit the tub, and extricate your Kindle to turn it back on again.  Shiny plastic-screen overlay robs the reader of some of its direct-sunlight skills.  Heavy: essentially triples your reader's weight.  Gotta leave it unlatched when you board a plane.  Why? Decrease in pressure could wreck the case's flexible-plastic portion."

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 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.