Light My Kindle

Here’s another Kindle case that doubles as a hands-free reading stand. This one comes in a snazzy red leather, and is adjustable so you can set the Kindle at an angle that’s comfortable for you.

It also has a convenient cutout in back so you can get to the on/off and wireless switches without pulling the Kindle out of the case.

At $19.95, it’s definitely one of the less expensive Kindle cases I’ve seen. You can get it on Amazon, and it also comes in black.

Here’s another take on the Kindle stand and case in one (See our previous post featuring a Kindle stand and case). This one, however, includes a notebook and looks extremely professional. It looks like it might be especially useful for those that use the Kindle for work documents, as the notebook would be very handy for that purpose.

The stand is completely adjustable using a velcro tab. Reviewers have pointed out one extreme negative (for some, at least) - all the ports at the bottom of the Kindle are completely covered when the Kindle is in the case (ie: the headphones, the USB plug, and the charger plug). This wouldn’t bother me, as I don’t use the headphone jack all that frequently, and I wouldn’t mind removing the Kindle from the case to charge it or plug it into the computer.

You can get the portfolio Kindle case on Amazon.

The number of third-party cases available for the Kindle is pretty impressive. This particular one has an interesting twist. Not only is it a nice looking leather case that can hold your Kindle and some SD cards, but it doubles as a Kindle stand to make reading hands-free.

Currently there’s only one review for the case on Amazon, but it’s a four-star review and the writer points out that the case is very secure and will also store the Mighty Bright light that many Kindle owners use.

You can get the Tuff-Luv Executive Leather Kindle case on Amazon.

A company called Vizu has an interesting Kindle travel package that includes a soft-cover travel case, a silicone cover for the Kindle itself, and a screen protector. The case is sturdy-looking and comes in black, pink, or blue (You can see the black one at left).

The case has a zipper top for the Kindle storage and then a small zippered pocket on the front which looks as if it could store headphones (for listening to audiobooks) or maybe even the Kindle charger if you didn’t want it to lay flat.

You can get one on Amazon.

If you’re anything like me, you lose things sometimes. Chargers, cables, etc. Luckily if you’re an Amazon Kindle owners, most of the accessories that came with your Kindle are available for purchase online so you can easily replace them.

First up is the Amazon Kindle Replacement Book Cover, which will replace the book cover that came with your Kindle in case you lose it, spill something on it, or somehow snap that extra-sturdy elastic band. (You could also replace the standard case with a fancier one.)

Another item you might need to replace is the white USB to mini USB cable that you use to attach your Kindle to your computer. A Kindle Replacement USB cable is available, but you could also use any USB to mini USB cable.

For those that travel a lot or who have had battery trouble, a Kindle Replacement Battery is available. Unless you’re taking multiple extremely long flights without a chance to charge in between, I doubt you’ll need a spare battery.

The item I’m most likely to lose (or at least misplace for a few weeks) is the charger. I’ve already been thinking about picking up a Kindle Replacement Charger, just in case. I always seem to charge my items in different spots around the house and then forget where I put the charger.

All of the above items are sold directly from Amazon, so you can be sure they will work with your Kindle.

The Kindle comes with a perfectly good leather case that protects it from damage. If you’re looking for an alternative, however, you might want to check out M-Edge’s Genuine Leather Executive Kindle Case.

It’s similar to the case that comes packaged with the Kindle, with a few added bonuses. It has four corner holders (compared to the two on the included case) to hold the Kindle in place while reading. It also comes in four different colors (light brown, dark brown, red, and black) and has small pockets on the inside front cover to hold SD cards, business cards, notes, etc.

At $55, it’s not quite that improved over the included cover, but for some it might be worth it.

A company called SFBags has four cases designed just for the Kindle by WaterField Designs.

One is a simple slip case (pictured) similar to the leather case included with your Kindle, but it appears to be softer, and comes in several different colors.

They have one called a SleeveCase that looks like a fabric envelope version of a very small laptop bag and comes in two sizes - one for holding just the Kindle, and one for holding the Kindle inside its leather case.

They also have something they call a Travel Case that holds the Kindle, charger, headphones, a small booklight, and the USB cord. With the strap attached it looks a little like a man-purse, but we won’t hold that against them.

The cases range in price from $27 to $49 (optional strap is $5) and some models come in multiple colors. Click here to see more pictures and to order yours.

It looks like the Kindle is turning into an even more useful device than first thought. There are now two calendars available for your Kindle - both a daily and a monthly version. Even better news is that they’re both under $2 (a far cry from the $16 I just paid for my new paper-based planner).

The monthly calendar has a very simple functionality of just showing you the calendar days, whereas the daily calendar allows you to enter appointments. There’s no ability for synchronization with an outside calendar system, which is a drawback, but for less than two bucks you can have a place other than a scrap of paper to jot down appointments on the go.

Personally, I don’t see much need for the monthly version, but it has two five-star reviews at this writing. The daily calendar is more my speed, but is getting mixed reviews. The two calendars give me hope for Amazon or developers to create even more useful applications for the Kindle - perhaps a notebook of some sort.

You can get the 2008 Daily Planner for $1.59 or the 2008 Monthly Calendar for 99 cents.