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Kavaj Munich Genuine Leather Wallet Video Review

It’s not necessarily “tech” but because I love Kavaj’s iPhone and iPad cases so much I had to get my hands on their latest product, a genuine leather wallet called the Munich.

kavaj munich wallet

Click To Watch Video Review

Kavaj makes the sleekest leather cases on the planet for iDevices and backs them up with an amazing customer service team. I met them when I inquired about two stitches that had come out of my iPad case. They refunded my order without me even asking. I’ve bought dozens of cases since then for my devices and for friends.

The Kavaj Munich is their wallet that holds up to 9 individual cards and has two pockets for business cards, receipts or cash.

It’s a “Buy”

This is a BUY for sure. The construction is solid, the design is smart, it looks awesome and it’s well prices for genuine leather backed by an awesome warranty.

Save $5

Bonus Tip: Go to Kavaj.com/newsletter and sign up there to get a coupon code for $5 off your first order. They do all their order fulfillment through Amazon.com so buying from them is easy.

Share Your Munich

Let me know if you get one and when you do drop me a mention and a picture on Twitter or Instagram at @AndyTraub

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NimblStand Tablet and Keyboard Stand for iPad, Microsoft Surface, Samsung Galaxy

The Nimblstand system is an interesting option for the millions of iPad owners who like myself have an Apple keyboard and an iPad.

 

I’ve tried to use many different iPad keyboards but they too often make the keyboard too small for my hands. This is a solution to your problem if you love Apple’s keyboards like I do.

 

Watch the video review

 

Pros:

  • Light weight so it’s easy to carry in your bag
  • You can keep your existing case on if it’s slim enough
  • Designed specifically for Apple keyboard and fits iPads extremely well
  • Works for all tablet models
  • Multiple viewing angles
  • Includes pads to make iPad air models fit better
  • Collapses to become just a stand, holding iPad at a good angle to interact with the screen
  • Wacom Bamboo stylus is a solid partner & storage space is built into the stand

Cons:

  • Overpriced by about $10 based on build materials.
  • Leaves residue on iPad keyboard if you remove it multiple times
  • Limited color choices (one)

BUY or PASS?

Buy

1. If you already have an Apple keyboard and want to use it more often,
2. Want great viewing angles
3. Want a stand to use but still use your existing case then it’s a great stand. I use the Kavaj iPad case that I do not like to take off so this case is perfect for me and my iPad case.

You can get the NimblStand system at NimblStand.com

 

I was given this unit by the manufacturer in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Evernote Adonit Jot Script 2 Stylus Review

Evernote and Adonit recently released version 2 of their stylus. I was very excited about getting this but as you’ll see in the video below I think they’ve failed to create a functional stylus for one simple reason.

The Evernote Adonit Jot Script 2 stylus has great style and awesome charging functionality but ultimately fails because of one major design flaw.

Adonit Jot Script 2 Stylus



Watch my video review or click here if you don’t see the video below.

Unfortunately it failed my tests with Evernote’s own note taking app Penultimate.

Pros:

Weight
Build quality
Charging speed
USB Magnetic charger
Battery life
6 months of Evernote Premium included

Cons:

Price vs. Performance
Forces you to turn off multi-touch gestures shortcut
Tip movement
Palm protection performance
App integration = Penultimate had lousy functionality or you have to buy non-Evernote $5 apps

Buy or Pass?

Pass. Too many bugs even though the hardware is solid. Most of all the loose tip makes the pen too difficult to use. Even with the six months of free premium Evernote included I’m sending mine back.

Other (better) Stylus Options
Wacom Bamboo – $17.95
New Trent Arcadia 2 in 1 Stylus – $8.99



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The Anti Amazon Echo Review

Reviewing a product without purchasing it may seem unfair but Amazon’s latest hardware invention isn’t going to find its way into my house anytime soon. Here’s why.

[player src=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/andytraub/DHT001.mp3″]

Even at 50% off I’m not buying

Amazon’s latest hardware creation is the Amazon Echo. As an Amazon Prime member I was given the opportunity to buy an Amazon Echo before the general public at $100 less than it will retail for whenever it’s released to the masses. So what does it do and why am I not buying it for $99?

echo-mics

It’s version 0.00001

The Amazon Echo plays music from the Amazon music library (if you’re an Amazon Prime member), reads you news summaries from the news outlets you choose, answers questions (like Google or Siri) and acts as a bluetooth speaker for your devices. That’s not enough to justify it’s price of $199.

It’s always listening…no thanks

It has seven microphones listening all the time for two keywords that will wake it, Alexa and Amazon. If something inside your head just started to worry about privacy you’re not alone. This device is tied to the internet all the time and it is always listening. Amazon says it’s always “ready to listen” for the keywords that wake it up but as a consumer I see that differently. If it has the capability of listening all the time then I’m going to assume it’s listening. Combine its ability to listen and the fact that it’s connected to Amazon’s data services and you have a privacy concern unlike any other I’ve run into in a consumer based product.

Negatives

  • It doesn’t create reminders.
  • It’s not able to tell me my schedule for the day.
  • It’s not able to play music from my Spotify account through voice actions which makes it an expensive bluetooth speaker if you want to stream your music to it.
  • It’s not capable of handling phone calls. This is disappointing because it has seven microphones.

The Amazon Echo is the next generation of electronics because it’s supposed to be controlled by voice but if I can’t make phone calls, send voice or text messages to my contacts or control the most popular music streaming service (Spotify) then I’m not buying it, even at 50% off retail.

Amazon Echo Reviews and Documentation

I’m not the only person unimpressed with the idea of the Echo.
Let’s Call The Amazon Echo What It Is

Echo support documentation and videos.

Click to watch video

Are you going to buy an Echo?