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Pad & Quill Journal Notebook and Deluxe Leather Journal Cover review

No matter how many times I’ve tried to switch to digital task and journaling apps, I always end up missing using my favorite pen and notebook. There’s just something so personal about putting pen to paper and a notebook full of doodles, taped in ticket stubs, photos, and memories means more to me than any app on my phone ever could. For that reason, I enjoy trying new notebooks and covers that protect them. So let’s check out one of each from Pad & Quill.

What is it?

I guess that should say what are they instead of what is it because I’ll be telling you about two separate products being offered by Pad & Quill. There’s the Journal Notebook which is available in two sizes, and the Deluxe Leather Journal Cover also available two sizes and two colors. I was sent the medium size version of each one.

My package arrived wrapped in brown kraft paper with a wax seal which felt very Harry Potter-esque to me.

Inside the package was the A5 sized leather cover in Whiskey brown with an A5 sized notebook inside. Remember, that each of these items is a separate purchase and that a notebook is not included with the purchase of a leather cover.

The leather cover is made of full-grain leather sewed with a tan colored parachute grade thread. The only branding on the cover is the Pad & Quill logo which is stamped on the back cover.

The notebook cover has wide flaps inside to hold the notebook in place and the left side has two card slots sized to hold standard sized credit cards or business cards in the vertical orientation.

As you can see from the image above, the interior of the cover is not lined. The raw side of the leather is visible. The nap is smooth and does not shed or leave crumbs when you insert and remove a notebook.

The Pad & Quill Journal Notebook comes in 8.3in x 5.6in x 0.5in (A5) and 5.3in x 3.7in x 0.5in sizes. I was sent the A5 size.

The notebook has a dark grey linen cover, an expandable pocket, 192 pages of 100 GSM acid-free off-white recycled paper, and is available with either plain or dot graph pages.

The notebook has a 2-page table of contents and all the pages are numbered which is a must-have feature when I’m shopping for a new notebook.

The pages are smooth and easy to write on. I’m not a fountain pen user, but regular ink did not bleed through the pages.

Another nice touch is that the Pad & Quill Journal Notebook has two bookmarks. There’s an orange one and a white one. Even the ends of the bookmarks are sealed so they won’t unravel. Also, you’ll notice that the notebook can lay flat because it uses a Smyth-swen binding which means that you can open it to your desired page and it will stay that way.

It’s easy to insert the notebook into the Deluxe Leather Journal Cover. All you do is slide the front and back covers of the notebook into the cover’s sleeves on either side.

A nice wide black elastic band secures the cover closed.

Check out the French seams along the edges of the Pad & Quill Deluxe Leather Journal Cover. I even discovered that I can clip my pen to the elastic band and it will hold it in place between the covers which is a nice touch. Everything about this cover is first class including the 25-year guarantee on the leather.

What I like

  • Notebook cover is attractive and well made
  • Journal has numbered pages and a binding that lays flat
  • Standard sized cover can be used with other notebooks

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

If you share my love of notebooks and pens and have been shopping for a new notebook and cover to protect it. Do yourself a favor and stop by Pad & Quill’s site so you can read more about their new journals and journal covers. They are well made, attractive, and nicely priced.

Price: Journals are $18.66 for the Medium A5 size and $15.26 for the small size, Delux Leather cover is $59.46 and $42.46.
Where to buy: Pad & Quill
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Pad & Quill.

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Pad & Quill Journal Notebook and Deluxe Leather Journal Cover review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2018 at 11:10 am.

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Pandorra Willgoo Carrying Case and Power Bank for Apple Pencil

REVIEW – Tired of hauling your Apple Pencil accessories around in a zip bag so that you don’t lose them? Me too. The Pandorra Willgoo carrying case solves that problem for you and acts as an alternative charging source for your Pencil to boot. Let’s have a look!

What is it?

It’s a travel case for your Apple Pencil and all it’s accessories that also serves as a charging station.

Hardware specs

  • Length: 7.95 inches
  • Width: 1.73 inches
  • Height: 1 inches
  • Weight: 5.2 oz
  • Battery Capacity: 1700mAh
  • Input: 4.2V
  • Output: 0.3V-4.2V

What’s in the box?

The Pandorra Wilgoo Carrying Case comes with the case and a USB cable to charge the unit. You’ll need to bring your own USB Lightning cable to charge your pencil.

Design and features

The Willgoo is a sharp looking case, made from solid hard plastics with a magnetic lid. The case itself is *just* a bit smaller than the Apple Pencil box itself (see pic below for reference). At roughly 8” by 1.75” by 1” it’s not super-compact, but it does slide easily into open spaces or slightly larger pockets in your bag.

The hard plastic case does a good job of protecting your Pencil from knocks and bumps. The magnetic lid is secure enough that it won’t come loose in the jumble that is your bag. It’s also got a soft-touch padded on the underside to protect the components.

Pop off the lit and you’ll find a set of slots for your Pencil, the charging adaptor, an extra nib & the Pencil cap when charging. The included USB-to-microUSB charging cable also has its own place. Everything has a happy resting place.

You’ll also find two ports on the Willgoo: one for charging the unit (marked “input”), and one for charging your Apple Pencil (marked “output”).

To charge the unit, you’ll plug the included cable into the “input” micro-USB slot, and then into a USB port. Blue indicator lights let you know your charge level.

To charge your pencil, plug a lightning cable into the USB port on the unit. The same blue indicator lights are activated to let you know how much capacity the battery has left. Note that the cap sits nicely in its slot and hasn’t run off to get into mischief…

The case has a battery capacity of 1700 mAh, which will give you plenty of charges for the Pencil (86 mAh capacity). You could use it to give you a partial charge for other devices, but it won’t get you too far.

Performance

The Pandorra Willgoo Carrying Case and Power Bank for Apple Pencil solves a couple of storage problems. It’s a great solution to keep around the office. I like the peace of mind it brings… I was always worried about losing the cap or that little charging adaptor. Mine is parked on the desk in my family room, keeping the whole kit in one space when I need it.

As far as travel and commuting go… well, it depends on your intended use.

For the day tripper, the Apple Pencil already has great battery life and portability. For that reason, most Apple Pencil cases are simply sleeves that you can attach to your iPad or a pocket. While this case does give you a spot for all your components, it is a bigger solution that will take up space in your bag. It seems like the unit is excessively beefy for what it holds and does, so carry minimalists may not be a fan of the solution.

If you’re traveling and foresee a need to charge your iPad on the go, you’re all set here. It will happily find an open space in your backpack, carry-on or messenger bag (or larger briefcase) and give you quick access to all the parts. While the charging capability isn’t an absolute necessity, it gives you a nice option if you need it. I’d like to see a design that’s a bit more compact, but the pros outweigh the cons in my mind.

I should also note that the components do sit loosely in those little slots. If you turn the case upside down with the cover off, they will spill out. It’s something to consider if you’re on the run.

What I like

  • A well-organized solution for your Apple Pencil & accessories
  • Nice protection in your bag or briefcase
  • Magnetized lid
  • Charging feature is a bonus, but not completely necessary

What needs to be improved

  • Could be more streamlined; probably too chunky for those with minimalist bags like thin briefcases or portfolios
  • Components will spill out of the case is flipped over with the lid off

Final thoughts

The Pendorra Willgoo Carrying Case and Power Bank is a nice solution for managing the Apple Pencil and its components. There are a few things I’d change in the design, but it’s a solid overall performer that has found a place in my daily kit. I’m happy to send the zip bag I was using for those little parts to the recycling bin.

Price: $25.99
Where to buy: Pendorra web site and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Pendorra.

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Pandorra Willgoo Carrying Case and Power Bank for Apple Pencil originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 10, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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A cure for the common Apple AirPods color

NEWS – Are you interested in buying some Apple AirPods but don’t want the same white that everyone else has?  If so, ColorWare has the product you’re looking for.  They take various electronic devices and paint them to give you the unique device you want.  They add color to game controllers, microphones, computer mice, headphones, and AirPods.  If changing the color isn’t enough to pique your interest, ColorWare is offering two special, limited-time finishes for the AirPods.

The first finish is the AirPods Retro seen above.  The rainbow colored power button, faux vents, and the putty color harken back to the Apple IIe.  Changing the color doesn’t affect the functions of the AirPods – it just gives this set a cool 1980s vibe.  The AirPods Retro are $399.00.

If you want to match your AirPods to your Space Gray iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, you’ll need the AirPods Space Gray for $349.00.

And if you just want a change from white, you can choose from a variety of bright colors.  You can even choose different colors for the left and right pods and a third color for the case itself.  Custom ColorWare AirPods are $339.00.

Learn more about custom AirPods and the other products offered at the ColorWare site.

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A cure for the common Apple AirPods color originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 18, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Incipio DualPro Pixel 2 XL case review


REVIEW – I love my Pixel 2 XL. It’s a beautiful phone, but it is $850 and since I’m such a klutz, I must cover it up with a case that provides drop protection. I currently have a Caseology Vault case that provides military-grade drop protection, however, the case is a boring black color. I then spied the DualPro case from Incipio which also provides drop protection and thus, I was eager to check it out. After testing, I found that it is a well-made protective Pixel 2 XL case but adds a moderate amount of bulk to my beautiful phone and is also a fingerprint magnet.

What is it?

The Incipio DualPro case is a two-layer cellphone case with a scratch-resistant rigid polycarbonate outer shell and a shock absorbing flexible silicone inner lining that provides drop protection for the accident-prone like me.

Design and features

I received the merlot colored Incipio DualPro Pixel 2 XL case to test. The case also comes in black, gunmetal, iridescent red with black lining, and navy colors. I chose the merlot color because all the others were either too dark or too bright for my taste. I would have preferred a light blue.

The back of the case is a rigid polycarbonate shell that has a matte, velvety, “soft-touch” finish. It’s strangely fun and satisfying to feel this case.

The Also located on the back of the case is the INCIPIO logo. I find that this detracts from the design and overall appearance of the case.

The inside of the case is made of a flexible shock absorbing silicone material. There is no texture on the inside. In the photo above, you can see the inside of the separated layers of the DualPro case. On the left is the hard plastic outer portion and on the right is the inner flexible portion. The above photo shows the outside of the two separated layers. The inner layer is fairly flexible. The Pixel 2 XL slides easily into and fits perfectly in the DualPro case. There were no misalignment issues between the two layers after inserting the phone into the case. However, it is a bit more difficult to extract the phone from the case. I really had to wedge my fingers in between the case and phone just to pry it out.

The cutouts for the camera and the fingerprint sensors were large enough and properly located. In fact, the fingerprint sensor cutout seemed a tad too large, but I found that got used to it.
In the above photo, the cutout for the charging port illustrates that there is enough room for your USB-C charging cables. And the cutout for the microphone is perfectly placed. In addition, the power button and volume buttons are precisely positioned as well. There is enough of a lip (~2mm) surrounding the front of the phone to help prevent screen scratches when laying the phone face down on a surface. I do not own a screen protector for my phone, so I do not know how well the case works with one.

Performance

While using the case over this past month, I had no problems inserting any of the variety of USB-C charging cables I own into the phone’s charging port. I also did not have any problems taking pictures using the phone’s camera with the case on. The power and volume buttons were a little stiffer than those on my Caseology Vault case, but they were still clicky and responsive. The case also allows you to use the Active Edge feature of the phone without difficulty.

There were a few of things that I really didn’t like about the DualPro case. The dark merlot color is rather lifeless, the hard outer shell is a fingerprint magnet as shown in the photo above, and the case adds a moderate amount of bulk to the phone.

It also collects dust and lint around the edges of the case as shown above. Even so, I still prefer this case over the Caseology Vault, but only by the slimmest of margins.

My husband purchased the DualPro case for his HTC U11 phone. The silver color that he chose still collects fingerprints but seems to hide them much better. He also dropped his phone from about three feet onto concrete and it protected his phone; although, now there are scratches on the corners of the case where it bounced around. Incipio drop-tests the DualPro cases at 10 feet.

What I like

  • The case appears to be well-made
  • It provides military-grade drop protection (from 10 feet) using two layers
  • The cutouts are well sized and perfectly aligned (you are able to use different USB-C charging cables)
  • You can easily use the Active Edge features of the phone with the case on
  • The power and volume buttons are stiff but clicky and responsive

What needs to be improved

  • The merlot color is dull and lifeless
  • The case is a fingerprint magnet
  • It adds a moderate amount of bulk to the phone

Final thoughts

The Incipio DualPro Pixel 2 XL case is a decent case for those of you who want (or need) to protect your phone from impact. It provides military-grade drop protection and has precisely aligned cutouts for my phone. I can also easily use the Active Edge feature of my phone with the case on. In addition, the buttons are stiff but clicky and responsive.

However, it adds a moderate amount of bulk to my phone and the merlot color is rather dull and lifeless. Also, the case is a fingerprint magnet and collects dust around the edges which drives me crazy. Even so, this is the case that I am choosing to use at the moment because I trust it will protect my phone from me and my klutziness.

Price: $15.00 – $29.99
Where to buy: Amazon and Incipio
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Incipio.

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Incipio DualPro Pixel 2 XL case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 8, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Urban Armor Gear Plasma iPad Pro 12.9″ case review

The iPad Pro 12.9″ has been reviewed and discussed all over the Tech Press, and, love it or hate it, everyone agrees on one thing: it’s a big, thin, fragile slab that is a bit unnerving to handle. Adding a case to the already 1.5-pound unit is almost a given, but then it’s hard to schlep around. Enter our friends from Urban Armor Gear. They have designed a case they dubbed the Plasma, which protects this beast of an iPad while not significantly increasing the weight or the visual impact. Not an easy task.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

The UAG Plasma case combines the protection of a larger case with the features of a traditional iPad case – full back coverage, a pop-out stand, and access to the smart connector. They threw in a pencil clip for good measure. (Since I’ve taken to writing out my articles in Nebo with one of the iPads and my Apple Pencil, this ease of access is not lost on me!)

What’s in the box?

Just the case – no frills.

Design and features

The back cover of the Plasma is a hard, clear acrylic with the traditional UAG pattern of angular lines and open spaces etched in a clear v. frosted finish. I know it went against everything they consider holy, but the UAG logo was not emblazoned front and center in the large, silver type it usually comes in! It was instead writ small at the top center of the vertical orientation, under the pencil clip. (I give these guys a hard time about their logo, but their stuff is really kick@$$!) The photo below is the other side of the table from the photo just after the break above. I wanted to post it to show the difference in the stand between the Plasma (right) and other methods of holding an iPad at a good typing angle. That’s an iPad Pro 10.5″ on the left, but it takes up quite a bit more space due to the WedgeStand that’s supporting it.

As expected, the mics, camera, charging port, speaker grills, and earphone jack are all left open and accessible. Even the volume controls and the sleep/wake button are uncovered. The sleep/wake button and the earphone jacks are somewhat covered by overhanging protective eaves, however, which was a welcome touch. The power port has a large enough opening to easily allow an Apple Pencil to “assume the position” for charging.

While a nice feature, I found the Pencil clip a bit difficult to use. Putting the Pencil in is not a problem, but when I tried to remove it, I was always afraid of it breaking in the center as I pried up a loose end. I could probably just slide it up and out, but I’m still quite paranoid about hanging a $100 piece of plastic in an exposed loop in my bag. I have a case where I keep it nice and safe. For the record, I also never clipped good pens to the rings of spiral notebooks back in the day, either. You do you.

On the long edge opposite the pencil clip, there is a pop-out stand which gives the Plasma the ability to stand at a 16º slant from vertical. This position is quite nice if you’re watching a video, or writing in split-screen view with a keyboard. The frame below this pop-out prop can also be removed before installing the case, exposing the side of the iPad Pro that contains the smart connector, as well as those clever magnets that allow screen covers to be attached. Different from some covers on the market, this choice is reversible-you can leave it off on one trip where you want to add a smart keyboard or cover, then clip it back in when you want full coverage of the bumper. I like choices.

One oddity I found was the lanyard tether attachment point just under the earphone jack and the opposite side. As heavy, unwieldy, and awkward as I sometimes find the 12.9″, I have not once imagined threading a lanyard to it and having it hang around my neck. But, if that’s your thing, you can do it with the Plasma case! Might be good if you’re using it for field work and having to do something else with your hands with no good place to sit your iPad between annotations.

What I Like

  • Excellent protection around the rim and scratch-proof coverage for rear of the iPad.
  • Pop-out stand to allow the use of a keyboard.
  • Pencil clip for the daring.
  • Removable cover on Smart Connector/Magnetic Smart Cover edge.

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing, really.

Final thoughts

The iPad Pro 12.9″ continues to be a bit of a puzzle. Most users I know love theirs, but rarely take them out of their homes or offices. This case, with its open side for smart covers/keyboards and the kickstand, gives me enough protection that I have been taking mine out more. Look for it in your local Best Buy and consider how you could use your iPad Pro, rather than that heavy laptop. You may start a new trend!

Price: $89.99 for 12.9″, $79.99 for 9.7″and 10.5″ iPads.
Where to buy: This is a Best Buy exclusive.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Urban Armor Gear.

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Urban Armor Gear Plasma iPad Pro 12.9″ case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 30, 2018 at 10:30 am.

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