Delivered (Finally!)

After being all worked up and excited to try the Jot Script yesterday, I was bummed (because you know, to gear-heads like myself get excited about this sort of thing) to find out it was delayed another day. Well, I'm pleased to report that it was delivered, but alas, I'm at work...

Note to self, don't ask for the USPS to not disappoint.

Here it is! Should have a review in the coming week or so.

Custom Domain!

If you're reading this, you may have noticed that I have moved my blog to www.gototechreviews.com. Hopefully this will help in expanding my audience.

Excited...

I'm not gonna lie, I have had a lot of fun with the blog so far. It is allowing me to share some of the thoughts I have with technology and devices that I use. I never thought I would enjoy writing as much as I have with this blog, I'm more of the hardware testing type (thus my profession as an electrical engineer in SSDs) and usually avoided writing classes like the plague. Life is funny that way.

On a side note, I should be getting my Adonit Jot Script Evernote Edition today after 7 weeks (I missed the preorder window by a day). This will also be my first video review as I am also getting a stand for my camera for better recording. So, stay tuned!

Don't let me down USPS. :)

Review: Tech Armor Retina Shield Blue Light Filter for iPad Mini with Retina Display

Buy for iPad Mini at Amazon
Buy for iPad Air at Amazon

Like many of you, I use my phone or tablet on a daily basis. Getting the screen covered is crucial to keep the device in pristine shape to handle regular use. Really, you want to protect your hard earned purchase. Well, Tech Armor makes an interesting proposition to protect something else, your eyes. Here are there claims they make regarding this particular screen protector:

• Works with iPad Mini and iPad Mini with Retina Display

• Filters harmful Blue Light from phones and tablets which may damage your eyes and make it more difficult to achieve fast, peaceful sleep

• Ideal for children and adults

• Promotes healthy melatonin levels for better sleep AND protects from digital eye strain

Now, I am by no means an expert on these claims so I can only review them from experience over time, which is why this review will be done in two parts. The first portion will be everything that can be reviewed on the first day of use while the second will be to review of the effects of the blue light filter. All I can say is, I do use my iPad pretty much every night before bed.

Ease of Use and Application
One thing I have really come to like about the Tech Armor screen protectors is their ease of application. The instructions that come with it are clear and the same as seen on other Tech Armor screen protectors. I will also direct you to their helpful video for those who have not applied screen protectors, which can be found here:

http://www.techarmor.com/how-to-install.html

I highly recommend you watch it if you have not done this before, especially since this pack only comes with one screen protector. I would rather there be at least two protectors included, just in case of a slip up. Fortunately, I have done enough of these and have the best luck in applying Tech Armor screen protectors that I got it right on the first try.

Look and Feel
Before I applied the screen protector, I did notice there was a slightly darker tint to it than the HD Clear, but that's not a bad thing, it's just an observation. I can say that there is no perceptible change in the overall look once I had it on than that of the HD Clear or with no screen protector.

The feel is very much the same as the HD Clear screen protector I reviewed from Tech Armor in the sense that I do not even know it's there.

Package contents.

Blue Light Filtering
This is really at the heart of this particular screen protector. Again, I am not an optics expert so testing this out quantifiably is rather difficult, so I did the best with what I had. The first day into it, I realized very quickly that in order for this to be effective I would have to minimize my time with my other electronics: laptop, other tablets (yes, more than one), my phone, PS Vita, television, and even the LED lighting in my house. So, my challenge was to try and just use the iPad which proved to be more difficult than I care to admit.

There are other variables that come in to play with my sleep patterns: my wife, my kids, my dog, my day at work, etc. So basing how well I slept on my iPad use really is next to impossible to quantify.

With that said, I did have one of my better weeks of sleep in a while. Whether or not that was the blue light filter technology, or that my kids and wife have been sleeping better is the reason is hard to say. I guess I can say that I don't feet like it impeded my sleep any.

Bottom Line
If you are a heavy electronics user, especially before bed, it may not hurt to grab one of these. I would suggest you go all in however and get a blue light filter for each of your devices if you need to go this route.

Something to keep in mind is no-hassle Tech Armor Lifetime Warranty. I luckily haven't had the need to exercise this, but if you are having problems with your screen saver they will send you another. Really, it sounds like you can't go wrong here, especially if you're having troubles installing it.

A good measure for me is whether I can tell if the screen protector is there or not and again, Tech Armor does very well here. I would recommend these to someone who uses their iPad heavily before bed and may have trouble sleeping. Though I may not be able to perceive it doesn't mean someone else wouldn't, this is still a reasonably priced and high quality screen protector so you can't go wrong really.

REVIEW: MoKo Slim-Fit Case for iPad Mini

I was looking for a good case that wouldn’t add too much bulk to my retina iPad Mini while giving it the protection it needed. Let’s face it, regular day-to-day use will abuse a naked tablet/iPad, especially for those of us with kids (not that I let them use it anyways).

Form and Fit
I read another users review saying that it added a lot of thickness to their iPad Mini, but to be honest, I didn’t think it added unnecessary bulk at all. In fact, it felt about right for the protection this case offers. The feel of the faux leather is actually quite pleasant and doesn’t have the usual cheap feel that I have seen on other faux leather folio styles.

Clean overall look.

Protection
The number thing I look for in a tablet case is corner protection. Both my parents bought folio cases that either had soft/no corners protection for their iPads. They take care of their stuff, but were surprised to find damaged corners after removing their iPad from their cases several months down the road. This particular case covers the corners well and hold it firmly in place. The bottom and top edges are somewhat exposed and could, if dropped right, still manage to ding it up a bit. I don’t think that’s the typical scenario though since most instances I’ve see have involved the corners one way or another. It’s by no means bullet proof, but the case offers up reasonable protection while still maintaining for and fit.

Latch on the middle right. Corners well protected, but bottom and top still slightly exposed.

Positions
This particular folio case is uses a design where you pull the left corners out of place and then place the edge of the iPad in one of three notches, allowing for several viewing angles. Some people may not like this since you will fingerprint up the back side of the iPad in this process. There is actually a 4th viewing angle since you can go past all the notches and have the iPad rest in the hook, which coincidentally is the position I find myself in 95% of the time. Each notch is deep enough for the iPad to not slip between positions which is quite nice.

Sleep/Wake
I’ve read where people have had issues here with the magnet not lining up correctly and the wake/sleep function not working properly. That is not the case with mine and it works perfectly. There’s a bit of a latch/overhang on the cover portion that hooks over the iPad when you shut it. The inside part of that curved overhang has a silky fabric to aid with friction, though I found that after a week that fabric started fraying. I bet this is likely due to the chamfered edge. Though in fairness, it doesn’t change the feel of it so i just cut the frayed portion off.

Value
Like most people, I’m trying to find the best bang for the buck to get as much case for my dollar as possible while feeling confident that my iPad will be safe in day to day use. I have found the Moko Slim Fit case to do just that and would highly recommend it to anyone trying to find a good case that offers a clean look and offers good protection.