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TeckNet Kindle Keyboard Cover
by Kirst09
I haven't gotten round to reviewing my Kindle yet - probably as I spend so much time reading it - but I was fortunate enough to be given one for Christmas. I knew that I would want a cover for it but there was so much choice on Amazon and I didn't want to pay £50 for a cover just because it had a light built in; I didn't see the point. ... In the end I settled for this one from Amazon and it cost me £8.98 which was an absolute bargain. The brand of the cover is TeckNet. This is engraved in the top right hand corner of the cover but doesn't affect the appearance at all.
It said online that it was good for the Amazon Kindle Keyboard or Kindle 3 and as I have the keyboard model it was compatible with my Kindle. It also stated that it was made out of a synthetic leather and as far as I am aware it is only available in the purple. There were several things that attracted me to this particular cover;
The price
The colour
Protection for my Kindle
But there were many more advantages that I began to discover. As you can see from the picture above, there is space for credit cards or bank cards and you can also fit a few folded sheets of paper behind them if you want; I actually have my little Kindle introductory guide in there. This is VERY handy for people who travel as you can put your tickets and cash card in there without much rummaging; separate safe place for passport needed, however.
The Kindle is held in place by the 2 bottom corners being fixed and the top 2 being elastic, meaning that you slip the Kindle in and secure it using the top 2 elastics. It is the perfect fit; easy to removed if you want to but also stays completely secure if you prefer to read it in the Kindle cover.
The cover closes securely with a magnetic clasp on the back. I read several reviews on Amazon before I bought this and people didn't seem to realise this prior to purchase along with the fact that synthetic leather means that it is not real. It drives me crazy when people do not read product descriptions properly. It snaps shut quickly and easily and once closed, the cover protects the Kindle well, keeping it snug but it doesn't press into the screen or put pressure on it anywhere else; the fit is very comfortable. One piece of advice; if you want this, please check that it is compatible with your Kindle regarding the dimensions, the newer models are smaller/slimmer so it would not fit them.
I really do love the colour and quality of the cover. It does look very good for synthetic leather and it is a gorgeous plum purple colour like the one pictured above (taken from Amazon). I also find it to have extra protective qualities; I have dropped it once or twice and the Kindle itself has never been damaged. My flatmate has one of the expensive ones with the light and my cover works just as well for what I want it to do. It holds the Kindle securely, it offers protection when I put it in my bag, it makes travelling that bit easier for documents and credit cards as well as looking very pretty!! Also, despite being dropped a few times, the case has never shown any scratches or wear and tear after several months of use and it is easy to wipe clean.
I think for the money this is an incredibly good buy and to be honest I did not see many Kindle covers that were purple, even in the more expensive ones. It is cheap, effective and whilst I originally purchased it as a cover "to tide me over until I found a really nice expensive one", I have no desire whatsoever to find a more expensive cover, this does everything that I want it to with the bonus of being a lovely colour as well. It makes no sense to buy another one, this one is perfect!!
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Lindy Compressed Air Cleaner
by Seven17
@ About, Power, Cleaning ability @
I bought this compressed air because I needed to clean in-between grooves and small areas where dirt builds up and I have used it mainly for my computer keyboard too. It is somewhat powerful but not great. Getting to the more stuck on dirt and debris is difficult because this wont get it off, ... its more designed for loose dirt and dust build up rather than stuck on things. Getting dust off is easy and you don't need to spray for more than a second or two to blast the dirt away. The can comes with a little screw in plastic pipe, which can make it easier to get into the harder places to reach, and this really helps when getting into the grooves of a keyboard.
The stalk is solid and quite durable when you drop it or try to squeeze it with your fingers, but will bend easily. You can just twist or push the plastic tubing up or down which is really annoying when it accidentally gets bent inside a small area. The can itself is made from very thick metal, it cant be depressed or dented unless you throw it very hard onto the floor and I have never experienced any problems with jamming or getting stuck with a dirt build up in the tube.
The air blasts out a reasonable of power and is enough to move a small post it note across a table if you want to waste the expensive air inside, id recommend conserving the air at £12 - £15 per can. The can will last for months if you just clean a standard QWERTY keyboard once every week and it takes seconds to use, just remember to shake it up well before use. This is suitable for laptops because there is not enough power to break anything underneath the keys and so long as you are careful not to jam the plastic pipe under keys it wont break the clips holding them in place.
@ Overall @
This can of air is quite expensive (£15) for what is basically a metal container of what's already around you and it seems a bit of a rip off for what you get. This stuff is everywhere though I see it in many good retailers but its not actually any good, its not that powerful so not recommended. Why not just use something else like folded paper?
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Belkin CushDesk
by zombieflesh
A few months ago I finally made the big purchase and bought myself a laptop to use at home. I don't have an office space or desk, and prefer to use my laptop either while I'm sat on the sofa in my living room, or in bed if I'm feeling lazy. My laptop is second hand and a little over the hill compared to brand new models, and the fan does ... struggle to keep up sometimes, which can cause the base of the laptop to get very hot. Rather than be uncomfortable and have overheated legs from resting the laptop on my lap, I remembered this Belkin CushDesk, which I had seen advertised previously. I thought it would be a good idea to make using the laptop more comfortable, and bought one from Amazon.co.uk for £11.44, which is a good reduction on the RRP of £17.99.
Product description: "This CushDesk is uniquely designed to keep your legs protected from a hot laptop. Set your laptop on the CushDesk and travel around the house, from the bed to the couch - anywhere you like to surf, email or shop."
The CushDesk is sort of a glorified lap tray specifically designed to hold a laptop. It has a rectangular surface that fits up to an 18.4" laptop. Mine is a modest 13" which is great for me as it weighs less and is easy for me to carry around. It fits onto the CushDesk with plenty of room to spare, and if I push it over to one side so the laptop is off-centre then this frees up enough extra space for me to also use my USB mouse on the CushDesk surface.
The design is simple but clever, and it really works! The CushDesk has a slight wedge shape to it, which elevates the laptop so the screen is well positioned for viewing, and there is a "bumper" strip at the front edge of the CushDesk that ensures your laptop cannot slide off and keeps it securely in position. On top the surface of the CushDesk is solid and smooth, but underneath it has a soft yet firm cushioned section which makes it comfortable when positioned on my lap. The CushDesk is incredibly lightweight so this also helps it to feel more comfortable and does not weigh down on my legs. This also makes it easily portable so I can set up my "desk" wherever I like.
One thing that I was pleased to see when I was shopping for my CushDesk is that it is available in a range of different colour choices. There are some more masculine or neutral colour combinations, but I opted for the girly choice of black and pink. The top desk surface is black, with the cushion section being a nice bright pink, and the details like stitching and the bumper bar are also pink.
As for how it actually works, I've had nothing but a positive experience right from the first time of using it. The hard surface handles any excess heat from the laptop and although it may retain this heat for a while, it does not penetrate through the top surface so my legs are completely untouched by the heat and this is much more comfortable to use. The cushioned pad underneath also adds to the comfort factor and spreads the weight evenly so it's not applying pressure in a concentrated area. The bumper bar keeps my laptop in place so even if I'm fidgeting my laptop isn't sliding around or at risk of falling off.
In all the time I've been using this so far the CushDesk has not suffered a single mark or scuff, which is impressive in my opinion. The surface is very sturdy and resilient which is perfect considering that it gets quite a heavy amount of use. It is easily cleaned by using a damp cloth, although I've not had cause to clean it yet, it seems to repel dust and crumbs! I'm happy that it is so hardwearing as I can see myself using this for a long time coming, and it's exceptional value for money considering how well it performs.
I am thoroughly pleased with my Belkin CushDesk as it is efficiently designed to do the job its needed for, and the colours make it look nice rather than just a generic computer accessory. I would recommend this to anyone who has the same problem with an overheating laptop, as it's a much more satisfactory solution than simply placing a magazine underneath (which is what I used to do!) and makes using my laptop much easier and more comfortable.
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