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Love your bezel? Hate cases?

Why buy a slim, light phone, and slap a giant case on it? For that matter why did htc make the camera bezel stick out past the back of the case, so it gets damaged when you lay it down?
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As a zero dollar remedy, I pealed a foot off my keyboard, restuck it under the camera bezel and viola! This one has been on my phone for two months now, and the last one lasted about six months. It keeps my camera off the table when I lay it down, and even prevents some glare from the overhead lighting. No damage to the case or camera, and no added bulk.
Htc inc redibly re-engineered

awesome! I personally would never do it but that's a cool idea
HTC Incredible

I kinda thought this would get more love...
sent from the radios the cia put in my teeth.

Weird move by HTC imo. Nice mod, something simple so i might try it.

baboonsRus said:
I kinda thought this would get more love...
sent from the radios the cia put in my teeth.
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Dig it... Had I not already popped for my feather, I probably would have gone this route myself. Just can't stand putting such a svelte device into a behemoth case. For that matter, I feel the same way about screen protectors. /end rant
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

Shameless self bump.

I thought this was about the actual phone bezel when I read the title, cool idea though. I've always hated cases since most of the time they're bulky and ugly. I bought the phone I have because I liked the way it looked, why would I want to wrap it in something that hides all of that? I usually just take great care of my phone until it gets its first decent size scratch then I just say the hell with it and care about protecting it less. That's why I loved my OG Droid, I could beat the hell out of it and it would still look fine!.

I agree. The OG droid was a beast. This "mod" also fixes the wobble you get if you try to use the phone flat on a table.

Amazing hack.
If anyone else was interested in doing this and was looking for something less.... drastic... these clear feet would be perfect! (10 cents)
http://www.westfloridacomponents.co...+Rubber+Feet+Small+Bumpers+9.5mm+X+3.2mm.html

My bezel still looks brand new and I "carelessly" put it bezel down wherever I go. Now if some people put it onto the street asphalt then you're just.... yea.
And with your analogy why hunk another piece onto the back of it?

My bezel still looks good too, but I would cringe every time I heard it hit the desk. It is such a cool looking part of the phone, I'd hate to scratch it up.
This is clearly not for everyone. It did help me out, and I thought I'd share it in case it might help anyone else.

I think it is actually smart for manufacturers to let the camera protrude slightly from the back of the phone. Cameras have a minimum thickness that can't be avoided, but by keep the rest of the phone slightly slimmer (or as slim as possible), users can add a case without significantly changing the overall thickness of the phone.
If the camera were flush with the back of the phone, the entire phone would need to be thicker to allow it (of course, they could squeeze in a bigger battery).
The devil's advocate argument is that that manufacturers want phones that feel as thin as possible in your hand, even if they have to make parts of the device thicker for the camera (resulting in phones shaped like the Droid X).

Amen to that. I love my 8 megapixels.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium

Interesting idea, I'll think I'll give it a try!

Stratman14 said:
Interesting idea, I'll think I'll give it a try!
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If you don't like it, take them off. It's that easy!
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium

Home Made capacitive screen stylus

I was really struggling to spend around 15 euros on HTC stylus, so I tried and made my own. All you need is a long stylus - shaped piece of plastic, I used a long lego piece. Next thing you need is a piece of antistatic film you from your eg computer equipment ( around 7 by 7 centimeters) and some scotch tape. Next thing you need is around five minutes free time and you got a stylus.
1. Wrap antistatic film around eg. lego piece and stick it with scotch tape.
2. Optional - you can cut the end of film to give it some more regular shape and to get some more accuracy. It's done
It's crucial to remember to be touching the antistatic film itself while using stylu, otherwise it won't work.
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http://img821.imageshack.us/g/img20110419143055.jpg/

Good idea, but a photo would be nice.
i've tried a stylus and was less than impressed, but if it works for you that great

I used a old bic pen, wrapped aluminum foil around it, added #0000 steel wool to the tip, put on some tape, etc until it felt "right" and then it worked. You have to be touching the foil though.

I will try to upload photos so that can be visible in my post, but dunno how yet .
Stylus works great and is very accurate, but the fact is you have to touch the film while using it. But it's not a very big drawback I guess

Done with a bit more care that would look very acceptable - ghetto is fine for me, but if I left that on my desk the wife would "tidy it up" direct to the bin lol

I'm still trying to understand how capacitive screens works, but could you possibly make a stylus out of solid metal?
In which case, I have an idea for a design
some antistatic film, 1"x1" is enough
a little bit of sponge
a copper tube about 4" long and with an internal diameter slightly bigger than the following bolt
a bolt slightly longer than the tube
a nut for the bolt
tape
place the spongy material on the head of the bolt and drape the antistatic fil over top it.
tape it down to the sides of the bolt
insert the bolt inside the tube and use the nut to hold everything together. use lock-tight if needed, as you do not wish to damage the film.
optionally you could rig some sort of clip and put that on before the nut.
you can tweak the design as desired.

Capacitive screen works basically by detecting electrostatic load that human body produces.
I think only rule in making non-battery stylus for that kind of screen is to provide a load-conductive material and adjust it to connect directly the finger and the surface of the screen.
So basing on that konwledge I don't think that a solid metal stylus would work due to the lack of connection of antistatic film and a source of a static load. You can check it by just touching the screen with any bolt, or anything metalish at all.

I made my own in the beginning
Like many of us, I too tried making my own stylus to use on my iPod, but they always looked like junk and never worked much better. So like everyone else looking for the best, I bought and tried 90% of them and spent a ton of money dong so. Then I tried the STYLUS-R-US ones and wow! They make all other ones look pathetic, seriously. I bought their Terminator and it is awesome to the bone. No pressure a all to make it work. Not foam either. I'm not sure of their url but they have like a dozen so you can just search for stylusrusDOT anything and you'll find them.

What case style do you think is the best?

Obviously, there are quite a few case styles out there. You have your silicone, your pu leather/real leather, your hard cases, your stands, your folios, your wallets and loads more. It gets a little confusing at times deciding which one is going to be best for your device, so I thought I'd create this little thread to see everyones thoughts and feelings on their favourite styles, and possibly specific cases!
I know stuff like this has been done before, but its a great place for people who haven't really looked at cases before to start. Like I said, it can be confusing!
I'm a bit impartial to some cases, not having tried them all. But, I'd say my preferred cases would have to be folio stands and flip cases, preferably in leather, or really nice pu leather. I'm quite fond of these styles because they give good, overall protection and look quite nice as well. But, obviously with things such as folio stands, they can add quite a bit of bulk, which is a major downside since we're looking at the Galaxy Note II. And, since it's a phone, we want it to be as portable as possible. Given its size, adding bulk onto it must be kept to a minimum, in my opinion.
One case I'd suggest avoiding is actually the official Samsung cover for the Note II, because it offers very little protection at all. Despite looking rather fancy.
I'd suggest something that's thin, yet protective. The flip cases are probably your best bet, especially if you can find one that's able to double as a stand.
I found this tonight, and felt that it was a good copy of Samsung's case for the Note II and really solved the design flaws from the original.
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You can find it here.
Another good one that you can see below adds a bit of bulk compared to the one above, but is really stylish in my opinion. It also doubles as a portrait stand, which to me is a huge advantage!
You can find it here.
I also found what LOOKS (not saying it is) to be a genuine Samsung cover for cheap. That, or an exceptionally brilliant knock off. One thing I did just notice, though.. In one of the pictures, they appear to have torn the NFC chip out of it. So, beware if you go for that. The NFC chip is what makes it so pricey, I think.
Item can be found here.
I know there is a thread already regarding cases and stuff. Can I just note that this is NOT a thread for advertising cases, per say. I intended this to be a discussion for your preferences, and a way to help new comers choose what would be ideal for them. If people post cases that they recommend, then brilliant!
So, let me know what you guys feel!

Neither, sorry

mr mystery said:
Neither, sorry
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I didn't mean your opinions on these specific cases. I meant what are your preferences on case's in general. Like, what style do you go for?

Im going for a cheap tpu case..its giving enough protection to all bezel side n back cover. That enough protection for me
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

naimmkassim said:
Im going for a cheap tpu case..its giving enough protection to all bezel side n back cover. That enough protection for me
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
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You can get some really nice TPU designs on Amazon. I found a lot of beautiful ones last night. Although, they were a bit too feminine for a guy to be carrying around. I'm leaning towards one of the cases I presented, but need to email in to the seller to see if it uses magnetic clips.

[REVIEW] Kickstand4u by xda member Mouseglider

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What is the Kickstand4u™?
It is a kickstand you can apply to any device period. It is a plastic piece with 4 adjustable settings (two for phones and two for tablets) for different viewing angles and different orientations. It is attached using an adhesive sticker.
What comes with the Kickstand4u™?
The kickstand with adhesive backing(duh), alcohol wipe, installation instructions, and a spare adhesive backing.
What finishes come with the Kickstand4u™?
Clear, semi-clear, glossy black, and matte black.
Does it work with tablets?
Yes. 7" tablets and 10"+ including iPads (BOO APPLE!) Mouseglider is in the process of making an extension for tablets. Not sure about the ETA on this.
Installation & Removal:
Kickstand4u comes with installation instructions that a chimp can follow. The adhesive comes with a small strip of adhesive that you can use to figure out where to apply the kickstand. The adhesive is pretty strong as it held up a few tablets I had with no issue or signs of popping off with just a few millimeters of contact. The install on my Galaxy S3 was simple and quick and I had it working in no time at all. I had to play around with the proper placement and the correct orientation for a tablet. Tablet install instructions can be found here(http://mouseglider.com/kickstand4u_tm_instructions.html).
Removal is a bit trickier as this is an adhesive. So some of you that don't want to slap on something to your naked phone might not want to use this. I have tried the removal off my Galaxy S3 and it sent smoothly without any sticky residue, scratches, or any gunk left behind.Mouseglider has removal instructions on his site http://mouseglider.com/kickstand4u_tm_faq.html .
Installation: 9 out of 10 (10 is highest)
Removal: 7 out of 10
Use, Durability, Practicality, Function
Once the install was done, I was pretty much blown away by how much I actually use a kickstand. It is a bit stiff when you first use it but it breaks in after about a week of daily use. I have used many different types of kickstands from ones built into phones (Evo 4G, Evo 4G LTE, Thunderbolt) and ones built into cases (Seidio Convert, Seidio Active) and this is by far the best kickstand I have used to date. The width of this kickstand makes it ideal on different surfaces and in car use. Those thin little stands would not hold up to a sharp turn in a car. I use these on my Nexus 7 for car rides for the kids and it stays standing through all turns and stops.
I also applied two of them to my Nexus 7. My GOD this was awesome. A 7” tablet is great for watching videos in bed but I always had to hold the damn thing. I put two of these on and left it on my nightstand and it does WONDERS.(One would work just fine too but I wanted two damn it!) I now have insomnia because of this thing. I slapped it onto the back of the Nexus 7 without any issues despite the textured back. It has held on strong and I actually use my Nexus 7 more because of kickstand4u.
While the kickstand on phones is not a new idea, the ability to slap it on whatever and where ever is what makes this stand out. I'm sure you can find other uses for this on other devices. Can't get any simpler than this.
Use: 9 out of 10
Durability: 8 out of 10
Practicality: 8 out of 10
Function: 9 out of 10
Pros:
Very sturdy
4 viewing angles
Easy Installation
Different finishes for different devices
Cons:
A little long to remove but you won’t be doing it often.
Insomnia from watching stuff on your device all night long because of this thing.
Overall:
Buy it if you do a lot of video viewing or want to prop your phone or tablet up at work but don't want to buy a dock or have a dock made for your device. Awesome for movies on tablets and for flights instead of holding your tablet up.
Where can I get one?
http://www.mouseglider.com/pro1445718.html

Review -- TrekStor Smartbag M

So this is my review on the TrekStor Smartbag M. It was designed for the iPad Air but I thought I'd give the Nexus 10 a go and see how it is.
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Comes in 4 colours: Red, Black, White and Tan Leather. Leathery finish to it which makes it feel quite premium. Not quite sure whether it is PU or Leather, but it feels very nice. Inside is lined with microfibre material that is stitched in place very well. Quality of the stitching all around the sleeve seems good like the interior of a nice car
So flat it has roughly the same profile as a magazine. There was a concern where the N10 was bigger in length than the sleeve's measurement but this hasn't been as big as I thought. It leads to the sleeve being a tiny bit open, but you can judge from the pictures as to how much of an effect it has. the opening itself has magnets embedded inside it so that it can fold and stay folded in the different shapes and not fall apart.
So it folds into two different types of stands; One at 20 degrees and another at 45 degrees. Folding the sleeve into stands is really easy and you can't really mess it up by doing it incorrectly. Just undo whatever you did and fix it correctly and you're good to go.
Putting your tablet on the 20 degree stand in landscape mode feels very stable and is not going to fall off the side very easily. If you play a game and tap the side of the screen, you might have to tap it really hard to make it fall off. In portrait mode for things like web browsing is really nice too because the case supports the full length of the tablet and then at least you don't have the light bouncing off and hitting you in the eye.
At 45 degrees, it's still easy to fold and putting your tablet up there doesn't affect the structure and support of the case. Part of the reason is the case provides the weight needed for stability and it comes across as very stable. All the buttons and ports are reachable in both portrait and landscape mode.
Overall, I'm really happy with it.

Mine arrived today (hooray Amazon Prime) and I thoroughly agree with this review.
It really is surprisingly stable with the tablet in landscape; I was expecting it to wobble even a little bit, but it's rock steady.
Outer material is fairly nice (I went for the black one) and slides into my back-pack better than the soft-touch back of the bare tablet. (I got this for the stand functionality more than protection!).
I just hope the "new car smell" goes away soon! :silly:
(incidentally, anyone else think the photos in the OP make it look a lot like a manilla envelope or Jiffy bag?)

chaosdefinesorder said:
Mine arrived today (hooray Amazon Prime) and I thoroughly agree with this review.
It really is surprisingly stable with the tablet in landscape; I was expecting it to wobble even a little bit, but it's rock steady.
Outer material is fairly nice (I went for the black one) and slides into my back-pack better than the soft-touch back of the bare tablet. (I got this for the stand functionality more than protection!).
I just hope the "new car smell" goes away soon! :silly:
(incidentally, anyone else think the photos in the OP make it look a lot like a manilla envelope or Jiffy bag?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forget anyone else....i thought it looked like a mailing envelope colour when I took those pictures but in reality it's a bit more tanned than that

Very nice...and th price?

choao said:
Very nice...and th price?
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I got mine from Amazon UK here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AFWCW40
Looks like a similar price from elsewhere (including eBay and direct from manufacturer) but delivery makes the difference