2018 – Page 341

Never worry about dropping your eBook reader in the bath with the new Kindle Oasis

Back in the day, I ruined a few books by dropping them in the tub when I’d doze off while reading in the bath. Because of that track record, I never tried reading in the tub with an eBook reader or a table. But now, because the Kindle Oasis is waterproof (IPX8), reading in the tub is safe again.

The Oasis has the biggest screen (7″) and highest resolution (300dpi) of all of Amazon’s Kindle readers. This is a reader that’s designed for comfort and ease of use. It’s easy to hold; Amazon says “the ergonomic design shifts the center of gravity to your palm, to rest in your hand like the spine of a book.” You can turn pages using the dedicated buttons or by tapping the touchscreen. The adaptive front lighting automatically adjusts the display’s brightness based on the ambient light. And since it’s an eInk screen, you can read even in sunlight.

Oasis is available in a multitude of configurations: with 8 or 32GB of storage, with built-in Audible, WiFi-only or with free cellular connection, and with or without special offers (screensaver ads to reduce price). It starts at $249.00 at Amazon.

Never worry about dropping your eBook reader in the bath with the new Kindle Oasis

Back in the day, I ruined a few books by dropping them in the tub when I’d doze off while reading in the bath. Because of that track record, I never tried reading in the tub with an eBook reader or a table. But now, because the Kindle Oasis is waterproof (IPX8), reading in the tub is safe again.

The Oasis has the biggest screen (7″) and highest resolution (300dpi) of all of Amazon’s Kindle readers. This is a reader that’s designed for comfort and ease of use. It’s easy to hold; Amazon says “the ergonomic design shifts the center of gravity to your palm, to rest in your hand like the spine of a book.” You can turn pages using the dedicated buttons or by tapping the touchscreen. The adaptive front lighting automatically adjusts the display’s brightness based on the ambient light. And since it’s an eInk screen, you can read even in sunlight.

Oasis is available in a multitude of configurations: with 8 or 32GB of storage, with built-in Audible, WiFi-only or with free cellular connection, and with or without special offers (screensaver ads to reduce price). It starts at $249.00 at Amazon.

Stash Tags give you a place to display your patches (and hide a few things!)

Velcro-backed “morale patches” were born out of changes to military uniform insignia in the past few decades and they have spilled over into many civilian circles. Sew Strong saw an opportunity to combine a portable display area for Velcro-backed patches with a keychain (their original Patch Tag) and now have taken it a step further with their Stash Tag, which includes a storage/hiding space for small items. The Stash Tag is sewn in the USA and includes a 2-inch by 3-inch loop field on either side for patches, a black mil-spec grommet for attaching a keyring or carabiner, and a hidden side pocket with hook-and-loop closure. This pocket may be tiny, but it is still large enough to hold a few small items (see image for examples). Stash Tags are available in black only and retail for $15 each. Visit SewStrong.com for more info or to order.

Trayvax Ascent rugged minimalist wallet review

I’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for. Buy a $5 wallet at Walmart and chances are that it won’t last very long. But buy a wallet made of quality materials with quality craftsmanship and you might never have to buy another. If you like rugged minimalist style wallets, the Trayvax Ascent might be the last wallet you will ever need. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The Trayvax Ascent is a minimalist wallet that has a stainless steel frame and thick leather sides that are sewn to the steel frame.

The wallet is available in four colors including the canyon red version that you see here.

Design and features

The Ascent is a dual slot wallet that can hold a maximum of 7 credit cards and 5 folded dollar bills. The front of the wallet has the Trayvax logo stamped into it and a long rectangular cutout in the front card slot. This slot is designed to hold your ID cards and it is large enough to hold 2-3 cards.

The cutout is positioned so you can easily use your thumb to slide the top card up and out of the card slot. Removing cards is pretty easy, but it helps if the card on top has raised numbers so there’s something for the pad of your thumb to press against.

The other card slot on the back of the wallet can hold 4-7 cards and to remove them, you just pull the strap to raise the stack of cards so that you can remove the one you want.

The back of the Trayvax Ascent wallet also has a cash slot for folded dollar bills.

The cash slot can hold up to 5 folded bills or paper receipts. A lot of minimalist wallets don’t have a cash slot, so the fact that the Trayvax Ascent has one is a nice selling point.

With cards in both slots and some folded cash, the Trayvax Ascent is not the world’s thinnest wallet, but it is made to stand the test of time and after some use, the leather will form around the cards and lay flat.

What I like

Well made with quality materials and craftsmanship
Cash slot
Card pull tab that makes it easy to remove cards

What needs to be improved

Stainless steel frame makes the wallet heavy

Final thoughts

I’ve been a fan of Trayvax wallets for a few years now and the Ascent is another winner. It looks great and is easy to use. People will see it and want to know where you bought it and I have little doubt that it’s a wallet that will have no problems outlasting the owner.

Price: $54.99
Where to buy: Trayvax and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Trayvax.

Life without Windows, RHA headphones, PhotoLemur software, and more – Weekly roundup

It’s Saturday evening, which means that it’s time to check out this week’s list of all the articles, news, and reviews that we posted on the Gadgeteer this week. Go grab a fizzy beverage and a sandwich, pull up your favorite chair, and check out the list.