AuraH2O_lifestyle_largeSeveral decades ago Arthur C. Clarke reminded a friend and me that e-book devices might develop amnesia if dropped in the bathtub. Well, time passes. I myself own a dandy waterpoof case for my Kindle Paperwhite. And I keep up with the Kobo world through a waterproof Aura H20.

But wait! Exactly how waterproof is the H2O itself? The issue isn’t as simple as giving the H2O a quick dunk. How long will it be underwater? At what depth? I’ll leave such questions to braver souls in regard to the $180 Kobo. I was fine with dropping a $90 Paperwhite refurb into the tub and keeping it there for a few minutes with a Redpepper case surrounding my device. Passed the test. But experiment with a gadget costing twice as much? Let others be the pioneers with arrows in their backs or water in their E Ink readers.

Luckily, however, a learned thread has been unfolding on this very topic at MobileRead. And not just about H2O’s water-proofing itself but also about related matters. Time for Kobo to make a good thing better with inductive charging? Or wireless UBS, anyone? Hey, an e-book gadget fan can dream.

Related: Video from a Digital Trends writer who enjoys wine, a good book and a bubble bath at the same time.

NO COMMENTS

The TeleRead community values your civil and thoughtful comments. We use a cache, so expect a delay. Problems? E-mail newteleread@gmail.com.