Database Develop

Magnetic Mini(malist) Mount

Do I get the award for the simplest mount?
Basically what I've done here is take the self-adhesive metal plate tomtom supply for securing their gps 'mice' to the car. It holds my Advantage just beautifully. I thought it might swing around a bit on its axis because the plate is so small but if you sit the end of the advantage that has two magnets (either side of the keyboard connector) it seems to hold in place pretty rigidly. I've tried a few twists and turns as well as emergency stops and not lost it yet. It might be the case that the screen would flop off the keyboard at a very rapid deceleration but it hasn't happened yet. I leave the cover on for convenience and to cushion its fall if that does happen.
So far it seems pretty secure but use at your own risk.
Cost approx GBP£5 (USD$10) plus tax, postage etc and ultimate convenience. No sucker bases, swing arms etc and it sits right where its needed for power etc.
I had mine left over from a previous tomtom installation but similar plates are apparently still available as spares e.g. from here.
I'm not sure mine is magnetic, by the way, it may just be metal.

The same I thought...but I sold TomTom gps years ago...

inframan said:
Do I get the award for the simplest mount?
Basically what I've done here is take the self-adhesive metal plate tomtom supply for securing their gps 'mice' to the car. It holds my Advantage just beautifully. I thought it might swing around a bit on its axis because the plate is so small but if you sit the end of the advantage that has two magnets (either side of the keyboard connector) it seems to hold in place pretty rigidly. I've tried a few twists and turns as well as emergency stops and not lost it yet. It might be the case that the screen would flop off the keyboard at a very rapid deceleration but it hasn't happened yet. I leave the cover on for convenience and to cushion its fall if that does happen.
So far it seems pretty secure but use at your own risk.
Cost approx GBP£5 (USD$10) plus tax, postage etc and ultimate convenience. No sucker bases, swing arms etc and it sits right where its needed for power etc.
I had mine left over from a previous tomtom installation but similar plates are apparently still available as spares e.g. from here.
I'm not sure mine is magnetic, by the way, it may just be metal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great idea. So in theory, any magnetic adhesive strip should serve in the car. Hmmm....
Maybe these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Magnetic-Stri...yZ123866QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Or cheaper ones!

inframan said:
Do I get the award for the simplest mount?
Basically what I've done here is take the self-adhesive metal plate tomtom supply for securing their gps 'mice' to the car. It holds my Advantage just beautifully. I thought it might swing around a bit on its axis because the plate is so small but if you sit the end of the advantage that has two magnets (either side of the keyboard connector) it seems to hold in place pretty rigidly. I've tried a few twists and turns as well as emergency stops and not lost it yet. It might be the case that the screen would flop off the keyboard at a very rapid deceleration but it hasn't happened yet. I leave the cover on for convenience and to cushion its fall if that does happen.
So far it seems pretty secure but use at your own risk.
Cost approx GBP£5 (USD$10) plus tax, postage etc and ultimate convenience. No sucker bases, swing arms etc and it sits right where its needed for power etc.
I had mine left over from a previous tomtom installation but similar plates are apparently still available as spares e.g. from here.
I'm not sure mine is magnetic, by the way, it may just be metal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is great! Can't believe I didn't think of it. DUH! Great job on reporting this.
I'm thinking of going to the hardware store and getting a small L shaped metal "plate" and put velcro on the back of it. Should hold things nicely.
Like the way you kept the case on it. I would have done exactly the same thing. Not only does it help but I would be too lazy to remove it all the time when I got into my vehicle.

magnetic adhesive strip
Actually I tried magnetic adhesive strip, but it is quite weak ... Found out a normal metal ruler is better magnetic adhesive, as the keyboard is quite a strong magnet

@topic
Its really a good idea... I might try it...

Im using this one
it's fantastic and very solid

Touch Diamond Bike Holders

Hello
Im after a bike computer and figure that to save myself from buying a new one i could use my diamond. This leads to 2 questions.
1) Are there any decent apps out there that are decent for use as a bike computer. All i really require is speed, distance and times at various points, really!
2) More importantly, does anyone know of any phone holders that are suitable to attach to the front handlebar of a bike (and by bike i mean bicycle), remembering that it gets shaken around a fair bit and needs to be pretty secure so that it doesnt come flying off!
I came across a program called Pocket GForce which appears to be roughly what im after, has anyone used it for this purpose?

Hi,
searched for the same for a minute and then got the idea to get a quick-snappable front bag for the bike with a waterproof map-bag on it. Works out fine for me ...

1) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=424423
2)I'm looking for something like that myself. I wouldn't be surprised if dealextreme have somthing useful.

1) GPSCyclecomputer v3 as per previous post is exactly what you are after and what I use myself for mountain biking and urban cycling.
2) I use a RAM U-Bolt system similar to the one shown here:
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/rambikemount.php
(Note: I've mounted mine differently to that so that it doesn't stick out so high and forward either)
It is exceptionally well built and sturdy and easy to install. The only criticism I have of mine is that I use the weatherproof case holder and it can be difficult to see the screen through the plastic cover.
I don't have the specific details of exactly which bits I opted for, where I purchased from and cost to hand but happy to dig them out if you like.
HTH

You'll find exactly what you need in Sportypal and for the holder i have this one:
http://articlebiz.org/Review/Gadgets/Iphone-Bike-Holder.html
although is for iPhone can be fixed for the diamond also.

I need a car holder that doesn't block the HD2's camera lens

Can anyone recommend a windscreen mount that would meet my following requirements?
1. Must hold the HD2 securely (goes without saying) - but doesn't have to be specifically designed for the HD2
2. Under or around £10 (can't afford those £40-£60 'official' things!)
3. Must not block camera lens as I wish to record some of my journeys
4. Can swivel portrait/landscape without removing
I have found a fair view that 'might' meet these requirements but I'd like to know for sure.
- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AIO-PREMIUM-C...ries_MobilePhoneBatteries?hash=item2304e852d0 <--- this looks decent but I can't work out whether it blocks the lens or not??
- http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1154
(some more but I've lost the urls - loads on DX to choose from)
Any help's much appreciated!

Hi, I bought this one on eBay:
WINDSCREEN SUCTION CAR HOLDER & CHARGER FOR HTC HD2 LEO, the company is "e-Cell"
It arrived yesterday and it works the way you want it to - there is a hole for the camera lens, but not for the LEDs, and it swivels all the way round.
It costs £7.85, with free P & P, and includes a cigarette lighter power supply (which I haven't used yet).
I hope this helps.
EDIT: I checked and the item is no longer listed - perhaps they're out of stock.

Thanks John, I managed to find the one you're referring to via Google but as you say it's sold out: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200433261802
It looks very similar to the ones being sold by DX for other devices (currently none on DX for HD2), e.g.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18225
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22814
It looks decent - how easy is it to put your HD2 into and remove it from the holder?
I've also found this super cheap universal one on DX: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.23565
...which allows full swiveling and most likely the top of the HD2 (camera, flash) would stick out from the holder making it accessible for filming. I may order this one as I can always give it to a friend if it doesn't work out, though I'm def still interested in more stuff like your link.
Cheers

The Capdase Car Mount will work.

Try E-CELL on E-bay. I bought mine there, it is a veryy good holder for the HD2 and cost app. 8 pounds.

Search ebay for this "Holder Mount USB Car Charger For HTC Touch HD2 Leo 100". Has opening for camera and holds phone in landscape which is good for copilot.

Hi,
This is for the e-Cell model:
If you imagine the phone in the landscape position, with the five buttons to the right, the phone slots into two grips left and right, at the bottom. These are fixed and don't move, but at the top, in the centre of the phone holder is another clip that flexes to allow the insertion and removal of the phone. This piece of plastic then clips onto a standard flexible arm windscreen mount, which in turn fixes to the windscreen with a suction cup. There is a ball joint on the back of the phone clip, which, when you've found your best position, can be tightened to lock the mount so that it will not move.
I've only used mine a couple of times and it's relatively easy to put in and remove the phone, perhaps a bit stiff at first, and I've found it easier to fit the phone into the holder first and then attach the complete assembly to the windscreen. It seems to work OK, so it may be worth waiting for e-Cell to get new stock, particularly as you also get a cigarette lighter charger, and it's only £7.85 with free postage.

This looks similar to the e-Cell model:
http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/car-pack-for-the-htc-hd2-p23420.htm but they're sold out too! The joint on this looks more sophisticated, but it's more than twice as expensive. There seems to be a hole for the lens, but the picture isn't very clear.

http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280435698894&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
mine, cheapest and camera effective, even if I'd prefer a joint-like arm instead of the one it's got

Hi Ephestione,
It's a pity we can't combine the best features of all the mounts. For instance, mine doesn't have the cushioned grips, so I'll have to be careful not to scratch the phone with the rigid clips.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Car-Charger-Mount-Kit-Holder-for-HTC-Touch-HD-2-T8585_W0QQitemZ390175231504QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_MobilePhones_MobilePhoneAccessories_MobilePhoneBatteries?hash=item5ad8418e10
this one is available, exacly the same as ecell one, but will come "out of the box", and comes with a charger too. this seller also got the 1600mah andida battery.
for recording purpose, another good point is its having a strong and quite short metal neck that won't take cars vibrations as a long neck/flexible one would. definitely would recomend it.

Hi,
Yes, this is the same as the e-Cell item, and it works well. I paid a bit more because I was impatient and e-Cell seem to be UK based, so delivery was quicker. Some comments I found when I googled the holder questioned the location of the company, but I had no problems. I'll check out the battery, thanks.

I bought this and it will suit ur needs.

[Q] GoKart golf cart holder and portable charger

I've got a GoKart golf trolley and I have a Golf GPS program for my HD2, so firstly I need to find a holder for the phone but the question I have for you chaps is,
As I'm running Android on my HD2 and this eats batteries - can any of you recommend a good portable charger that works for the HD2? I'm thinking one of those battery packs that has a usb connetion - then I just plug in my standard lead......I may look to see if I can wire up a usb socket from the carts battery via a cig lighter type setup.
The reason why I think I need one is that a round of golf can be 4 hours long and I'd need to have the screen set to full brightness and always on so I can easily see the golf program.
any help would be great
cheers

As you're using a cigarette lighter would a generic car charger do?

Sorry to flag this up after so long.
Do you really need to see the program all the time? I use GolfGPS when im playing and have the screen turned off except when im stood over the ball ready to take a shot and need to know the yardage. Turning the screen off when not needed will save you loads of battery. My HD2 easily gets round a course with 50% or so to spare on battery life. I think GPS can be set to run in the background but even if not, it doesnt take more than a few seconds usually to figure out where you are!
As for holders, i dont know if you sorted it but have a look at http://www.pdahut.com/herbert-richter-holders-and-mounts/ , id imagine the bike handlebar one would probably fit onto a golfcart resonably well!

This site also has a good collection of bike mounts that may well be compatible with Golf cart. Holders and Mounts

Bike Mount from Ebay
Esspee_London said:
This site also has a good collection of bike mounts that may well be compatible with Golf cart. Holders and Mounts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have bought this bicycle mount from ebay and wanted to share my overall positive opinion on it. It is quite cheap, 3,77$ including shipping to Taiwan, but well built, durable and functional nevertheless. It truly is designed especially for HD2.
Pros:
*really universal(up to 1 inch), it was easy to mount and dismount,. no hassle.
*Sturdy fixation on the steering bar.
*360 degree swirling ball-head joint, very easy to tilt.
* not covering any important part of the phone.
* the holder is cushioned wherever touches the plastic of Phone to reduce possible wearing. inserts.
Cons:
* Was rather hard to pull the phone off the mount,the battery cover tended to come off too. But i guess it is reasonable, otherwise the phone would snap off on every bump and jump. I just think that there might be another fixation mechanism, that could be both reliable and easy-releasing..
* no instruction or manual on how to mount/use the holder.
* it is even harder to pull the holder out from the fixed part. I imagine there would be cases when one would try to briefly release the phone out of holder (to make a call for instance) and put it back. Well, with current design it is rather hard. Me maybe I am doing something wrong. Or some parts need to work a couple of times back and forth until they get to the necessary usable condition? I will see..
* The plastic phone holder has a hole for camera, but i would rather prefer if it would have another hole for the LED light, to use it as an emergency blinking light in cases my bike light is damaged/dead.
Conclusion: I recommend - very handy accessory for frequent bikers, but more suitable for outdoor "sunny" biking, where one would not need to take the phone out and back frequently.
P.S. If there was a nice and cheap waterproof case (to drive in rain) i would have gone for it, but couldn't find any, so ended up with this

[REVIEW] LooKbad - "Airholder" and "Handy" hands free holders for Android Tablets

[REVIEW] LooKbad - "Airholder" and "Handy" hands free holders for Android Tablets
NOTE: I'm a Nexus 10 owner with no affiliation with LooKbad Limited
Airholder:
Pros
- Hands free tablet viewing is both relaxing and comfortable even after several hours reading or watching videos
- The Airholder is made of high quality materials and appears to be of much better construction than alternate products
- Allows for endless adjustments providing almost any viewing angle you could want when sitting up or fully reclined
- The MultiCase accommodates both microUSB and Pogo plug charging cables
- When not in use folds into a compact non-obtrusive form factor
Cons
- The included USB connections do not support OTG devices (e.g. USB hubs, SD card readers ... etc)
- Support arm needs to be anchored (wood, cement or dry wall)
Detailed review:
Using a Nexus 10 in bed while fully reclined can be uncomfortable in less than 40+ minutes (a single TV show). Even a dock sitting on your chest can be a pain as it is difficult to maintain optimum viewing angles.
After researching several alternative hands free holders, ranging from music stands to converted desk lamps, I discovered the best ones were mostly made for the iPad.
That is until I stumbled upon the "Airholder" by LooKbad Limited. Their web site says the Airholder supports "iPad/Android/Windows Tablet". Although the devices is fairly expensive ($118 USD after applying a $10 discount code), I had the need and enough spare cash to take a chance, so I bought both the Airholder and added a "Handy". It did not hurt that their web site had pictures which displayed the AirHolder and a Nexus 10.
Shipping from Hong Kong was on the high side at $38 USD but I ordered on a Friday and it was delivered on the following Tuesday (Canada). There was no additional duty charges but your mileage may vary.
After the unboxing my first impressions were that the arm, joints and swivels are very well made and will likely be durable over the long haul. Different than the iPad Airholder version, that snaps on like a hard shell cover, the "MultiCase" is a generic tablet holder adjustable for tablets from 5.5" to 11". The MultiCase locks into the AirHolder and has an additional lock-switch for extra safety. Of note is that 7 inch tablets can be held in both portrait and landscape positions while 10 inch tablets (e.g. Nexus 10) can only be held in the landscape position.
After adjusting the MultiCase to accommodate the Nexus 10, I realized that this holder would not prevent the Nexus 10 from sliding sideways if the holder tipped unexpectedly. That initially worried me but after using this product for a while the concern was unfounded. In fact the lack of tight fit proved to have a number of benefits.
First, a TPU case on the Nexus 10 could be left on and it looks like the MultiCase could even accommodate a flip cover. The other benifit is that you could make slight adjustments like tilt left/right/forward/back without changing the MultiCase's overall position. Unless you have the Airholder you cannot fathom how useful that can be.
LooKbad has recommendations on the position you should mount the Airholder and I highly recommend you heed their recommendations. As I did not want to make mistakes and drill unnecessary holes in my bed room wall, I initially mounted the Airholder on a 2x4 piece of wood then temporarily proped it up, to give it a test run for few nights. I'm glad I took that approach as I ended up finding that I preferred the mount 3 inches higher than LooKbad's recommendation just so I had additional elbow room.
The Airholder includes USB connectors with the wires hidden inside the main arm and includes a male to male USB cable. I envisioned attaching a powered USB hub to one end and get the benefits of both OTG Devices and changing from the one USB connection. Nice idea but I discovered that the Airholder USB connections do not support OTG USB devices, just power for charging. Still nice but OTG support would have been even better.
Adjusting to your preferred position whether sitting up or fully reclined is very easy. The arms and their adjustable joints are well thought out. After making your adjustments you can lock the position in and it is secure enough that touching the tablet surface does not cause distracting jiggling.
At night, when the lights are off, it is both cool and a little disconcerting having your tablet appear to float in the air. I particularly liked being able to position the tablet so that I could look straight out to the center of the screen no matter how I laid in bed. Something that was not as easy when resting a dock on your chest. Also no more juggling a tablet and a cup of tea while reading an ebook. There is a lot to be said for hands free reading.
After two weeks using the Airholder I feel I got my money's worth. Sure I could have taken a chance and saved money but I got what I wanted with a product that will likely be used with my next generation tablet.
Handy:
Pros
- Convenient for attaching to kitchen cabinets, desktops, music stands ... etc
- Utilizes the Airholder's "MultiCase" so two different tablet mounts did not need to be purchased
Cons
- The Handy is very short so in all but mounting to a kitchen cabinet you'll likely need an additional component (e.g. music stand) to position the tablet for easy viewing
Detailed review:
At $16 USD the "Handy" was a through-in item when the Airholder was purchased. Adding the "Handy" meant no additional shipping charges. Unfortunately I had not thought things through so did not fully realize that the very short arm would mean that I could not get the tablet close enough for my tired old eyes to read text. This is my issue not LooKbad's.
The Handy works great in the kitchen where cabinets have a natural position for viewing. So far I have not settled on how I will use the Handy day-to-day, but have jury rigged a short rod to a camera tripod while I contemplate a music boom mike stand purchase.
So far the camera tripod has been very successful as its stable and can be adjusted in multiple ways (swivel, height, tilt). In fact I suspect it is more stable than any cheap music stand. Manoeuvring the tripod with Handy/tablet attached, to a viewing position for my easy chair, works surprisingly well. Although it doesn't have a high WAF (wife acceptance factor).
Of note is that when attaching the Handy to any smooth round surface the downward torque caused by the weight of the MultiCase and tablet is significant so the grip tends to slip. I ended up positioning the Handy with the Handy's arm already pointed straight downward. I only mention this as it meant I had to adjust the height of the camera tripod a few inches higher.
I am not disappointed that I spent the additional $16 for the Handy and do use it daily with my easy chair and occasionally in the kitchen.
Independent review of the Airholder.
AirHolder on Youtube:
The basic functions of an AirHolder
A tip on using the AirHolder
AirHolder as your furniture