The eCog Aphrodite™, is a Steampunk Case for use with the Barnes and Noble® Nook Color® 4. It is wooden frame-type case which leaves the touchscreen open for use (similar to "bumper cases"), but the back is closed and decorated with metal parts. The tablet slides into the case through a gate at the bottom of the case.
Note the case does NOT fit any other versions of the Nook, it only fits the present (2011) version of the Nook Color.
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The item is sold as a made-to-order item requiring 15 "work-days" for manufacture and one day for shipping (work-day means Monday Through Friday no holidays, read "Hamdling and Shipping" section below)
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Named after the daughter of the ancient pre-Classic Greek goddess Dione, and intended to be a nod to the Oracle cults, this is an item for the discerning Lady or Gentleman who wishes to remain anachronistically proper while enjoying the benefits of living in the 21st century. The eCog Aphrodite™ case is the direct derivative of the much smaller iCog Dione™ case for the iPhone®4; see bottom two photos for a size comparison between the iCog Dione™ (left) and eCog Aphrodite™ (right)
The eCog Aphrodite™ is meant to be a multi-platform case, meaning the case architecture has been adapted to various tablets and e-Readers (noting there is a sister iCog Dionaea™ for the iPad®2nd generation –please see store).
This post shows the version of the eCog Aphrodite™ sold as a combo package with a wooden lid that I will begin selling as a separate items for all my tablet / e-reader cases. This lid is fully removable though the use own two knurled brass knobs which can be removed by hand or with a screwdriver, to get the lid out of the way if so desired.
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Price for eCog Aphrodite™ without Lid: $210 (see other posts in Etsy shop)
Price for eCog Aphrodite™ with wooden lid (as shown in this post) :$260
Note all of my tablet cases will carry this lid as a separate option (see store for separate purchase of lid)
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This case is handcrafted from scratch and NOT by using a laser CAD/CAM system as others you may see elsewhere. The iCog™ and eCog™ cases are made primarily of wood, including Aspen, Poplar and Pine.
The reverse of the eCog Aphrodite™, V1.1B features a pair of copper-bonded steel plates with brass and copper-plated tin decorations, which are reminiscent of steam-powered machinery. You have a pressure dial (non functional) essential in measuring the pressure for the boiler and you have a thermometer as well (non functional). Connecting the two instruments, you have two "large diameter iron pipes" (actually made of solid steel), and one "Copper pipe" (actually a solid copper wire). Two steel round covers hide the holes for two "missing instruments." Note the two "iron pipes" actually double as the legs of the device when you set it down on the table.
The wood case is hand-rubbed with English Walnut finish, and the case features cranberry-apple colored felt lining to cushion the Nook Color®. A spring operated trap door locks open to let the reader in and to allow access to the USB power adapter chord, and shuts like a “mousetrap’ with a slight push, which I think gives the case a truly “antiquarian” 19th Century feel. The matching lid also features an interior panel lined with red felt, as well as beautiful polished brass hinges with two large knurled knobs allowing the removal of the lid from the case by hand or screwdriver. A brass wire loop and tab allow you to lock the front of the case with a tiny padlock (not included).
When the lid is open, the entire front of the touch sensitive screen is unobstructed (there may be an overlap of +-0.5 mm over the glass), and the wood frame covers most of the gray plastic case except the area where the home button is located. The three buttons for the On/Off and Volume controls are now fully mechanized and made of copper and brass and feature steel springs (for reference see the ads for the " iCog Dione™" in this store . I provide an opening for the headphone jack as well, however I do NOT provide an opening for the SD card slot. This will be resolved in a future generation.
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Even so, having noted the advantages of the case I must do what's right and point to the nature of the device:
1. I reserve the right to make small changes to the design to improve the performance of the case. Any significant changes will be reflected in photographs as time progresses.
2. Most notably there is some added size and weight, but this is a natural consequence of the wood and metal construction and ornaments, and any self-respecting Steampunk would never complain about the inconvenience of a few added ounces of weight in exchange for the elegance that ensues due to the possession of such a device.
3. Please note the absence of the SD card slot. This was a compromise to allow for compatibility between different tablet designs. I'll explore how to resolve this issue in future releases.
4. The wood frames of all iCogs™ and eCogs™ have a certain thickness tailored to each device they are supposed to hold inside, and these wood moldings are absolutely needed to hold the electronic device (phone or tablet) in place. The difficulty arises with alphanumeric on-screen keyboards in the "vertical position" where some of the alphanumeric keys very near to the screen edge may be hard to hit. Note this is very much less of a problem with the Nook Color®, for obvious reasons, when compared to something much smaller like the iPhone®, but an easy workaround is the use of the screen in the "horizontal mode" position, so as to make the on-screen keyboard a little larger. Since most of the front of the electronic device is exposed the extreme left and right letters in the keyboard will be completely unobstructed in the "horizontal mode."
5. Any presence of metal around a Cell phone, Wi-Fi, GPS or Bluetooth receiver will have an effect on the transmission and reception of said signals. It can't be helped. Please read paragraph below:
{{ IMPORTANT NOTES and DISCLAIMERS }}
The metal back-plate has not been tested for electromagnetic interference with Wi-Fi reception for the Nook Color®. I can’t guarantee the use of the case will not result in a weakening in the reception/transmission of the signal, but it must be noted that the metallic decorations are not blocking at all the antenna located in the front right side if the Nook Color® case. The metal decorations are obviously electrically isolated from the antenna. NOTE I HAVE A NO RETURN POLICY FOR THIS ITEM BASED ON TRANSMISSION or RECEPTION PERFORMANCE CLAIMS, NOR WILL I ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR SIGNAL RECEPTION PROBLEMS.
{ Handling Time and Available Shipping }
THIS ITEM NORMALLY REQUIRES FIFTEEN (15) WORK-DAYS FOR MANUFACTURE AND ONE or TWO EXTRA DAYS FOR SHIPPING (1 WORK-DAY =MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, NO HOLIDAYS). ITEM WILL SHIP AT END OF 16th DAY OR BEGINNING OF 17th AFTER PLACING AN ORDER.
To keep the costs down, and for more inexpensive items like this one, I will only ship via United States Postal Service, "Flat Rate Priority Mail" service. I will issue a "Delivery Confirmation Number," which is equivalent to a tracking number (you can track at www.usps.com please allow 24 hrs. after shipping to have the number entered into the computer system). Shipping is available for the United States, Canada, Mexico, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.
Note the eCog Aphrodite is too large to fit into a Small size Flat Rate Box, hence it will ship in a Medium size Flat Rate Box.
Nook ®, Nook Color®, are registered trademarks of Barnes and Noble, Inc.
Apple®, iPad® and iPhone® are trademarks of Apple, Inc.
iCog™, eCog™, iCog Tactile™, iCog Lid™, iCog Dione™, iCog Dionaea™, and eCog Aphrodite™ are trademarks of John William Dunn.
Have any questions?
Contact the shop owner.
