Flashcast Extender - Google Chromecast

All of a sudden while trying my CC from Chrome on a my PC which I never used before, my CC couldn't connect and showed "Set me up". I had problems setting it up the first time and I got the "use the extender" on the screen. Trying the second time, I was having problems as well. I decided to add the extender, plugged it in, powered up and it showed "Ready to Cast"!
The catch is that the thing sticks out like a sore thumb now on the side of my TV. I did have a USB WiFi adapter right next to it so I moved that. I was thinking of getting a 90 degree HDMI adapter, anyone try one? How many have been forced to use the extender?

I've used my CC with HDMI right-angle stuff, be mindful of the CC's "bulk" and you'll be okay. Personally I like fixed (rigid) adapters more than the flexible or hinged ones but I guess that's matter of personal preference.
I've never seen the "Use extender" message before, interesting!

I got the message today actually when I was playing with my Chromecast on a tv in a room that's farthest from my router..never seen it before myself..I was like "....huh? What's this?"
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

bhiga said:
I've used my CC with HDMI right-angle stuff, be mindful of the CC's "bulk" and you'll be okay. Personally I like fixed (rigid) adapters more than the flexible or hinged ones but I guess that's matter of personal preference.
I've never seen the "Use extender" message before, interesting!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had removed the extender but the message came back again and I had to reinstall it again.
BestBuy was supposed to have the AudioQuest 90 but only had the more expensive Monster brand flexible so I ended up ordering one from Amazon. One thing to watch is either it's a narrow or wide, meaning which way it bends. In my case, I needed a wide version.
While at BestBuy I couldn't resist buying the rootable 3915 CC that I tucked in the back of the shelf the other day!

wptski said:
I had removed the extender but the message came back again and I had to reinstall it again.
BestBuy was supposed to have the AudioQuest 90 but only had the more expensive Monster brand flexible so I ended up ordering one from Amazon. One thing to watch is either it's a narrow or wide, meaning which way it bends. In my case, I needed a wide version.
While at BestBuy I couldn't resist buying the rootable 3915 CC that I tucked in the back of the shelf the other day!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm lucky to have a nearby store that carries a lot of cables at/near Monoprice prices for that kind of stuff. There are some that bend in any direction, but my inner engineer doesn't trust how all that signal fits through that narrow clumping of wire, heh.
And yeah... I just picked up two more CCs... the local store had fewer than 15 rootable units remaining out of the 80+ on the shelf. Most were 3Axx, though I saw a handful of 3928 and 3929... Even saw a lone 3930 - I guess those do exist too! I left the rootable ones together, so if someone goes looking they might find the mother lode! :victory:

bhiga said:
I'm lucky to have a nearby store that carries a lot of cables at/near Monoprice prices for that kind of stuff. There are some that bend in any direction, but my inner engineer doesn't trust how all that signal fits through that narrow clumping of wire, heh.
And yeah... I just picked up two more CCs... the local store had fewer than 15 rootable units remaining out of the 80+ on the shelf. Most were 3Axx, though I saw a handful of 3928 and 3929... Even saw a lone 3930 - I guess those do exist too! I left the rootable ones together, so if someone goes looking they might find the mother lode! :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm very jealous, with CCs not being sold where I am I've had to ask people questions on local auction sites who have imported them and hope that 1) it's an old unit - although the serial number information is very helpful now, and 2) that they're truthful about not opening it.
I got one the other day that was sealed (although it looked iffy as it was peeling a bit) (38...) went to flash it and flashcast wouldn't work, started it up and found it trying to connect to the sellers wifi network (which was named after the street he lived on). Needless to say I was not greatly impressed.

Kyonz said:
I'm very jealous, with CCs not being sold where I am I've had to ask people questions on local auction sites who have imported them and hope that 1) it's an old unit - although the serial number information is very helpful now, and 2) that they're truthful about not opening it.
I got one the other day that was sealed (although it looked iffy as it was peeling a bit) (38...) went to flash it and flashcast wouldn't work, started it up and found it trying to connect to the sellers wifi network (which was named after the street he lived on). Needless to say I was not greatly impressed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ohhhhh man!! Kyonz....man I can't help but to laugh a lil about this..lol I'm sorry man, that's not funny at all, but given the kinda luck that I've got, I'm just laughin inside to myself a little bit because that sounds like something that would probably happen to me!! Honestly. I'd be SERIOUSLY P.O.'d to no end!! That's bs right there man...really, it is. If the seller sold it to you stating that it was brand new... for example: "Brand New In the Box, UNOPENED, Ready to Root", and you received it with the "security seal" looking slightly peeled back and the firmware had already tried to access the seller's personal home network, I'd be furious!! If you purchased it using PayPal or any other online service that provides a system for complaints, returns, refunds, etc, I'd definitely look into something like that. .....OR you could pull the "good ol' boy" method and go for a little stroll down his street

I agree with @jsdecker10 here, I'd want my money back, or at least some kind of partial refund.
Reminds me of when I bought a "new" digital photo frame. It was pretty darn close to new, even still had the stickers on the front, but it also was configured with the previous user's email info (lucky for them now way to retrieve/reply) and an SD card full of pictures (none of them naughty, heh). I was okay with the price (even as slightly used), though, so I decided to keep it.
I went so far as to ask the seller if they wanted the card back, and I tracked down the person whose pictures they appeared to be and asked them too, as they didn't appear to be the seller. Neither responded... so minus on use, plus on a free SD card. I really wish people would just be honest on both sides of the fence... Okay, sorry, OT rant over.

bhiga said:
I agree with @jsdecker10 here, I'd want my money back, or at least some kind of partial refund.
Reminds me of when I bought a "new" digital photo frame. It was pretty darn close to new, even still had the stickers on the front, but it also was configured with the previous user's email info (lucky for them now way to retrieve/reply) and an SD card full of pictures (none of them naughty, heh). I was okay with the price (even as slightly used), though, so I decided to keep it.
I went so far as to ask the seller if they wanted the card back, and I tracked down the person whose pictures they appeared to be and asked them too, as they didn't appear to be the seller. Neither responded... so minus on use, plus on a free SD card. I really wish people would just be honest on both sides of the fence... Okay, sorry, OT rant over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly right!! ..like people always say: "Honesty is the best policy." I'm a FIRM BELIEVER in this!!

Related

A nice trip to B&N (Success Story)

Yesterday, I took a trip down to B&N to get a new charger since I'm still under warranty. (This is my second NC charger btw) The end that plugs into the nook just comes loose and wobbles up and down. This has happened both times (Don't know if it's just me or what).
The first time I went in, I just had to prove that I had a NC and I got my charger for free and it was as easy as that.
The second time however, the guy at B&N was a total prick. He had to look up my serial number and this and that, and he said the only way to find it was within the software (to identify that i bought it from B&N since best buy and walmart now sell it).
So I was a bit worried (I'm running Nookie Froyo 0.6.8 haha).
So the guy just kept my nook on the charge til we could boot it up to "find the serial".
Once it was booted up, this guy was just blown away. He was so impressed by the custom rom and the fact that I was just running A2.2 that his whole attitude changed.
After that it was like "wow man, you really know your stuff" "that's so cool!" "Let me see what I can do about a charger for you!" and so on.
In the end I got 2 new chargers. 1 In the mail from B&N customer service, and one in store once they get their shipment.
Moral of the story, The whole "Warranty is void" stuff doesn't really matter if the guy at B&N thinks you have an awesome device.
Oh, and for future reference for those of you who don't know, you can locate the serial number within the Micro SD Card slot. (as long as you have that, then you have a warranty)
Glad you had a good experience, my wife had the total opposite.
Same issue, my thoughts are that the mini-USB charging port that they use is longer than a "standard" plug port, thus the leverage issues causing the connector to easily bend out of whack.
Anywho, so my wife takes in the non-recharging nook and cord, and I had put the stock image back on but didn't know that I needed to do the 9-reboot system image refresh, so there were still some rooted elements on the phone.
Worker drills down into the "extras" menu and sees the rooted apps still on the device, then proceeds to berate (with a manager standing behind her!) my wife on how rooting the nook voided the warranty and how what she was tired of "people tampering with their machine and then asking us to fix everything" for 5 minutes in a voice loud enough for half the store to hear.
Needless to say my wife (a non-techie) was extremely embarassed and upset. She at least had the presence of mind to ask the employee to try out the cord on one of the store nooks and (surprise surprise!!) it didn't work!
Since the nook wasn't the issue the store replaced the cord (wonder if this is a recall-worthy issue?) and my wife left. I have since sent a letter to the regional manager expressing my disappointment at how she was treated, but wanted to give a word of warning that if you suspect the cord just take the cord itself into the store and ask them to try it on one of their in-store devices rather than have to deal with irate and rude salespeople for an unrelated issue.
Oh man, that is EXACTLY what i was afraid of.
That really sucks that your wife had to go through that. I can only imagine how my girlfriend would have handled that. (and me when she got home :| ) haha.
The guy i talked to at B&N said that he even wanted me to show his supervisor and that she had wanted 2.2 on her NC as well.
I even left my contact info for them to reach me if they ever wanted me to do so for their nooks.
I'm just glad it went over so well because it's not likely to happen most of the time.
And I think you're totally right about the length of the charger. It IS too long and it makes it easy to bend to become lose and break!
Cstanner17 said:
Moral of the story, The whole "Warranty is void" stuff doesn't really matter if the guy at B&N thinks you have an awesome device.
Oh, and for future reference for those of you who don't know, you can locate the serial number within the Micro SD Card slot. (as long as you have that, then you have a warranty)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a great story. I'm glad it all worked out.
I had to return my nexus one and it had an unlocked boot loader. People say a lot about "warranty" without actually reading it. And a lot of haters will tell you its void cause they never took that step.
Most of the time if the problem has nothing to do with rooting or if it's a hardware problem you're good
oldweasel said:
Glad you had a good experience, my wife had the total opposite.
Same issue, my thoughts are that the mini-USB charging port that they use is longer than a "standard" plug port, thus the leverage issues causing the connector to easily bend out of whack.
Anywho, so my wife takes in the non-recharging nook and cord, and I had put the stock image back on but didn't know that I needed to do the 9-reboot system image refresh, so there were still some rooted elements on the phone.
Worker drills down into the "extras" menu and sees the rooted apps still on the device, then proceeds to berate (with a manager standing behind her!) my wife on how rooting the nook voided the warranty and how what she was tired of "people tampering with their machine and then asking us to fix everything" for 5 minutes in a voice loud enough for half the store to hear.
Needless to say my wife (a non-techie) was extremely embarassed and upset. She at least had the prexsence of mind to ask the employee to try out the cord on one of the store noos and (surprise surprise!!) it didn't work!
Wince the nook wasn't the issue the store replaced the cord (wonder if this is a recall-worthy issue?) and my wife left. I have since sent a letter to the regional manager expressing my disappointment at how she was treated, but wanted to give a word of warning that if you suspect the cord just take the cord itself into the store and ask them to try it on one of their in-store devices rather than have to deal with irate and rude salespeople for an unrelated issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This never happens to me or my wife . I have a talent for embarrassing purple in public. One I almost never get to use since I believe people shouldn't be treated that way. I would have probably taken a trip down there to chat with them. Good job on the letter and keeping your cool. This was all done In front of the manager? And what is their machine? It wasnt "ours" on the receipt....
One thing I noticed over the weekend on a car trip - it seems that the charger from my droid works just fine on my Nook (though not vice-versa due to the prong length), so if they give you warranty hassles you might have a cord lying around to use as a backup.
My charger is doing the same thing. I have had my nc since saturday, the plug was already bent slightly. I thought ok, it must be that way on purpose until sitting with it charging and my hand bent it back the right way. Recall sounds about appropriate. I think if it gives up. I will pay the 25 bucks to avoid such cases... you never know how they are going to react to the warranty/rooted thing.
I did have a similar scare with my phone. It was severly tweaked. The screen went wacky and when i called to get an insurance replacement, they sent a warranty replacement instead. Needless to say i was never so glad that they acidentally sent the replacemet to california rather than colorado. In the extra trip time, my phone died completely and i still haven't been charged for the warranty/rooting issue
Whew...
Moral is, I have had my NC for less than a week and may need a new charger soon...
Sent from my Nook Color using taptalk
A standard Micro USB charges the Nook just fine, just takes a little bit longer then the Nook cable. I keep the nook one by my bed, and just use the cable that came with my Samsung Moment for my desktop/laptop.
Nburnes said:
A standard Micro USB charges the Nook just fine, just takes a little bit longer then the Nook cable. I keep the nook one by my bed, and just use the cable that came with my Samsung Moment for my desktop/laptop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the standard cable have the neat glowy bit? Though I agree its a good substitute when you need a new one. They should fix their **** and not use our rooting as an excuse.
Nburnes said:
A standard Micro USB charges the Nook just fine, just takes a little bit longer then the Nook cable. I keep the nook one by my bed, and just use the cable that came with my Samsung Moment for my desktop/laptop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea i do the same. I bought some cheapos from Monoprice.com and they work excellent.
and for those of you that have not heard of monoprice. I ordered 4 10 foot gold plated connectors, w/ ferret magnet HDMI cables, and 4 10 foot Micro USB cables for 30bucks shipped.
Shameless plug but saving money is good.
-RioT- said:
Does the standard cable have the neat glowy bit? Though I agree its a good substitute when you need a new one. They should fix their **** and not use our rooting as an excuse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm telling you right now if i need to replace my USB cable i'm walking w/ an old one and walking out with a new one. The USB cable has nothing to do with the rooting process. nor the rooted device. It's completely a defective part regardless of the condition of the device.
Nothing like lousy customer service to upset your customer base. When you receive lousy service you're more likely to talk about it with family and friends then you are if you receive good service. That's not to mention the fact that your spending money in their store/place of service is what pays their salary.
Good for you for writing to the regional manager and calling the employee and manager out on their lousy service.
amstarshine said:
Nothing like lousy customer service to upset your customer base. When you receive lousy service you're more likely to talk about it with family and friends then you are if you receive good service. That's not to mention the fact that your spending money in their store/place of service is what pays their salary.
Good for you for writing to the regional manager and calling the employee and manager out on their lousy service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol so true. Look ad this thread for example. It was actually about a god experience but one bad employee (and a bad manager) set off a chain of ugly.
For some reason these types of employees have this mindset that they are helping the company's bottom line by pulling this kind of stuff when it comes to returns, exchanges, warranty. In reality...this kind of treatment is exactly why people start boycotting stores and taking their business elsewhere.
Like they say...don't bite the hand that feeds you.
come on guys just read all the threads on here about people returning their 'broken' nooks to b&n after they screwed them up.
obviously this person had too many bad experiences and took it out on someone they shouldn't have.
just try to think about what these people have to deal with every day before you get all judgmental.
lafester said:
come on guys just read all the threads on here about people returning their 'broken' nooks to b&n after they screwed them up.
obviously this person had too many bad experiences and took it out on someone they shouldn't have.
just try to think about what these people have to deal with every day before you get all judgmental.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you work in customer service you can't go all ape**** on someone just because you had a bad day. That's just not a valid excuse. Either you give them what they want or you deny them in a courteous and respectful manner. If they don't accept your answer that's what your manager is there for. In this particular scenario, it sounds like the manager was already there. But regardless...you should never put yourself in a position where the customer can say that you were treating them poorly. Even if you were correct in your assessment of the situation, things can still go bad for you.
If you can't keep your cool, you probably don't want to have a job where you have direct interaction with customers.
My job is nothing but customer service all day. Do I deal with people who drive me nuts and try to advantage of me? Of course! But that doesn't mean I let them know that. There are professional ways to handle those types of situations and then there are the ways that get your company talked about in a negative manner on forums such as this.
I'm not judging. I have over 20 years of customer service experience. I know what good service is and what it means. It's what keeps people coming back to the place you work. It's what pays your salary at the end of the day. That and honesty.
Let's be honest here...do you keep going back to places of business where you get lousy service time after time after time? Most people don't.

New Nook nicer screen!

I returned my Nook and got a new one and was amazed at how much better the screen is. Mine had a slight bleed at the bottom I wasn't sure if that was all of them or not.
Anyways aside from the bleed gone, the screen is much more vibrant and clear. Just an fyi if anyone has a weird screen don't settle!
Cool, mine has a dead pixel that appeared only 2 days after I purchased it - I've been debating whether or not it's worth the time to reflash back to stock, etc... etc... and exchange it. I think I will.
My first nook had white splotches on the screen. I took it back to the store and the guy wouldn't exchange it. As soon as I told him I wanted my money back he changed his mind and gave me another one. He was a ****.
Then, after a week, the nook started creaking and squeaking all around the bezel. I called to get it exchanged. They said I had to go into the store. I went into the store. They said I had to do it online or on the phone. I called on the phone and argued with some lady for 30 minutes after which she told me that if I sent my current nook back and they didn't think anything was wrong with it, they'd charge me $250. I hung up and called right back and got a woman who was ok and told me the other lady was an idiot. Thanks guys.
I received my third nook in the mail. The A/C charger jack was broken. I couldn't put the jack in. So i called to get this replaced and argued with some guys in India for an hour and finally got a replacement.
I'm on my 4th nook. Barnes and Noble sucks and I will never buy another electronic device from them again.
Yeah I was not impressed with their phone support either. All these companies not only outsourcing to India but only allowing the support person to use scripted conversation is even worse.
I called to deregister a device since I forgot to deregister before returning a NC and the lady was an idiot reading from a script she didn't even understand.
Roku is another horrible company for India scripted phone support.
Unfortunaley India gets beat up a lot by Americans for this when it might not be so bad if the scripts were taken away and they just hired smarter people.
I got mine at best buy, and getting it replaced for the phantom ghost tap issue was easy as pie. The new one works great. The girl at the counter was kinda cute too, so it was like win-win!
indagroove said:
I got mine at best buy, and getting it replaced for the phantom ghost tap issue was easy as pie. The new one works great. The girl at the counter was kinda cute too, so it was like win-win!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is the return policy at best buy 14 days too?
wpbear said:
Yeah I was not impressed with their phone support either. All these companies not only outsourcing to India but only allowing the support person to use scripted conversation is even worse.
I called to deregister a device since I forgot to deregister before returning a NC and the lady was an idiot reading from a script she didn't even understand.
Roku is another horrible company for India scripted phone support.
Unfortunaley India gets beat up a lot by Americans for this when it might not be so bad if the scripts were taken away and they just hired smarter people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I called BN phone support, they were not in India.
t3rabyte said:
tldr..
I'm on my 4th nook. Barnes and Noble sucks and I will never buy another electronic device from them again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My wife and I both got a NC, same store, about a month apart. Both of ours work perfectly.
Don't assume because you had 2 problematic NC's doesn't mean everyone has, or that overall quality is bad. (Yes, I said 2.)
The only issue with my screen is some binding/pinching where the bezel meets the LCD which causes slight bright spots at the bottom edge. I've seen this same issue with lower quality LCD monitors. Otherwise pleased with screen quality. Having worked in electronics manufacturing, I came to learn how variable quality control can be with some manufacturers.
Best Buy has one month reuturns but after that your screwed unless u buy insurance. my 1st NC ate an 8 gig microUSB and started bleeding by the vol. B&N took sent another straight away with postage paid for the return. NO PROB and they do have a vibrant screen from all angles.
a case would keep your nook safe from most screen probs, and be shure to line up your mcards.
EverythingNook said:
is the return policy at best buy 14 days too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically yes, but they will help with warrenty issues after that date to some degree as well.
n8nmad said:
Best Buy has one month reuturns but after that your screwed unless u buy insurance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did buy the insurance, but didn't have to use it even though it was something like 45 days or more after I bought it. I brought it in planning to use the insurance (which is a one time shot apparently), but she told me they could just do it as a warranty exchange since it was so new. I'm not really sure how long they extend it for, but I was happy.
khaytsus said:
tldr...
Don't assume because you had 2 problematic NC's doesn't mean everyone has, or that overall quality is bad. (Yes, I said 2.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, yeah, my post was just soooo long.
If you read it, it said I had three bad nooks (Yes, I said 3). I never said everyone has bad ones. I said I won't buy from them again because their support sucks and their products are defective.
Maybe next time you comment on a post, read it first.
My first NC was defective. It had a bad accelerometer and/or a bad power button. Essentially, if you set it down occasionally it would act as if you pressed and held the power button and then tapped OK to shut down the tablet.
Here's a vid I took of it to convince the BN store staff I wasn't going nuts:
YOUTUBE DOT COM/watch?v=Zfit4oG4WaA
I'd bought the extended warranty but this happened within the first week of ownership. I talked to the manager of the store where I bought it and she swapped it for a new one and applied the warranty to NC #2. I'd heard the phone support was horrible, so made it a point to buy it locally. I'm glad I did.
I'm loving my new one. I'm going to Hawaii in a week and, for the first time in my life, will be travelling without a laptop. All I'm taking is my NC and a BT keyboard for it.
Are you sure you had a problem? Because khaytsus bought one for himself and his wife and didn't have any issues LOL
Wow, good thing the store owner was helpful. The guy on staff at my local BN refused to do anything and said all returns or exchanges definitely needed to go through the website.
I'm still not happy with my current Nook. The panel below the "N" button is depressed on both sides. But I'm sticking with it for now.
Backlight bleeding is pretty much the norm for any LCD screen. I've seen it on desktop monitors, TVs, laptops, tablets...etc. It will exist on even on the top of the line models and "best" brands.
If you just have only some slight backlight bleeding, I would discourage you from trying to exchange it. You're likely to get something worse like dead pixels.
I spent half an hour one the support line a second ago because my USB cable fried. The lady tried to have me enter my credit card number for some reason so I could buy "NOOKBooks". I argued with her for about 5 minutes and then she told me all I need to enter is my shipping address. She said that they would mail the replacement cable free of charge in 24 to 48 hours.
I didn't spend anytime on hold even though the automated message said that they are flooded with tech support calls.
wpbear said:
it might not be so bad if the scripts were taken away and they just hired smarter people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Smarter people ask for a lot of money (if they are paying more money then whats the point of outsourcing) even in India only those who can't really find another job for themselves take up job's in call center's.
well I just returned my nook with a transformer incoming... i sure hope it has as good of a screen or ill prob end up another nook. lol

FML! Left my N7 on a plane.

So United has a horrible Lost and found system. I called them less then 30 minutes after walking off the plane. I wanted someone to walk to my seat and physically grab it. Since i was near the rear of the plane and the last one out of my row im pretty sure no other passenger would of grabbed it. All they could do is basically tell me to report it on the website and i "might" get a call. The thing is I know and have talked to a few flight attendants and it seems like a lot of the time there co-workers hide the stuff and keep it for themself. So instead of united actually doing a physical check it is pretty much as good as gone at this point. I really have no faith i will get it back. It was a flawless N7 16gb too!. Doubt I will buy a new one to replace it even though i really loved the device, I just have too much other things going on to afford it atm. So if I dont get a call/email in the next few days, it was nice being a part of these forums and loved the vibe here.
That sucks. Hope you able to get it back. Good luck!
This reminds me when I lost my old GBA case on a plane. It had so many good games in there, and the GBA itself. I still had my SP case though, that had the SP and games as well, so I didn't lose everything.
I miss you Nightmare in Dreamland.
Anyway, sorry to hear about losing your Nexus.
omg that is so sad. i almost cried reading your post.. I would hate to loose mine right now . It will come in handy starting next week. Wed i have to have a bicep tendon surgery..
boohooo
i so hope they do the honest thing and get it back to you
Get a case or sleeve that you can tether to your bag, belt, etc. Also, Case Logic LNE07 comes in red so it's hard to visually miss it.
Scythe024 said:
So United has a horrible Lost and found system. I called them less then 30 minutes after walking off the plane. I wanted someone to walk to my seat and physically grab it. Since i was near the rear of the plane and the last one out of my row im pretty sure no other passenger would of grabbed it. All they could do is basically tell me to report it on the website and i "might" get a call. The thing is I know and have talked to a few flight attendants and it seems like a lot of the time there co-workers hide the stuff and keep it for themself. So instead of united actually doing a physical check it is pretty much as good as gone at this point. I really have no faith i will get it back. It was a flawless N7 16gb too!. Doubt I will buy a new one to replace it even though i really loved the device, I just have too much other things going on to afford it atm. So if I dont get a call/email in the next few days, it was nice being a part of these forums and loved the vibe here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
United Airlines is the worst. From the most cramped planes with the worst seats in the industry, to the worst customer service there is. I used to fly Continental exclusively, but since the merger, no more. Good luck.
Any chance you had Lookout or some other tracking service installed? Sucks man. My wife is a flight attendant and she has turned in several Kindle's and what-not in, so perhaps there is a chance. Best of luck!
ExploreMN said:
Any chance you had Lookout or some other tracking service installed? Sucks man. My wife is a flight attendant and she has turned in several Kindle's and what-not in, so perhaps there is a chance. Best of luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i have lookout installed.
You never know, I found someone's kindle on a Southwest flight and took it right up to the counter. They said they had already hear from the passenger and knew whose it was. Messing with other people's gadgets is bad mojo.
Scythe024 said:
yes i have lookout installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you tell if it's still at the airport? If yes, that is a very good sign that it's probably been turned in (and someone turned it on and connected to wifi...but lets hope that was in an effort to identify you for good reasons). If it pops up online anywhere outside of the airport...it's pretty much gone. Hopefully you changed all your passwords to all your accounts too...notified any credit cards you have tied to any of those accounts, etc.
ExploreMN said:
Can you tell if it's still at the airport? If yes, that is a very good sign that it's probably been turned in (and someone turned it on and connected to wifi...but lets hope that was in an effort to identify you for good reasons). If it pops up online anywhere outside of the airport...it's pretty much gone. Hopefully you changed all your passwords to all your accounts too...notified any credit cards you have tied to any of those accounts, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it wasnt able to locate it which leads me to believe it wasnt turned on and connected to wifi. I had google wallet active on there but no credit card tied to it, just the $10 that came free.
Scythe024 said:
So United has a horrible Lost and found system. I called them less then 30 minutes after walking off the plane. I wanted someone to walk to my seat and physically grab it. Since i was near the rear of the plane and the last one out of my row im pretty sure no other passenger would of grabbed it. All they could do is basically tell me to report it on the website and i "might" get a call. The thing is I know and have talked to a few flight attendants and it seems like a lot of the time there co-workers hide the stuff and keep it for themself. So instead of united actually doing a physical check it is pretty much as good as gone at this point. I really have no faith i will get it back. It was a flawless N7 16gb too!. Doubt I will buy a new one to replace it even though i really loved the device, I just have too much other things going on to afford it atm. So if I dont get a call/email in the next few days, it was nice being a part of these forums and loved the vibe here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you bought it with a credit card you might have some buyer protection like, replacement for stolen or broken items. I buy everything with American express, I have a 90 day window in which they will replace if lost, stolen, broken, etc.... Plus they extend any warranty an additional year...
Visa has something like this on a few of the cards...
Scythe024 said:
it wasnt able to locate it which leads me to believe it wasnt turned on and connected to wifi. I had google wallet active on there but no credit card tied to it, just the $10 that came free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you need to input your passcode anyway, unless you have it stored in your tablet for someone to find out
I am really surprised that Google doesn't have an easy way to register our devices. Every Android device has numbers associated with it that can't be changed. The MAC addresses for both the WiFi and Bluetooth interfaces are unique, so every device that has either of these radios could be identified. It should be part of the OS that these tablets can't install any software if the registered owner reports it lost or stolen. If the device has cameras, a picture should be taken when it's connected to the internet. These pictures could be retrieved when a valid case number or subpoena is provided. At least a warning should appear on the tablet saying it has been reported lost or stolen. Make it a pain to use a misappropriated tablet.
Yes, I know there are programs out there that do this for you, but they are easily circumvented by doing a full factory reset of the device. Come on Google! Take a bite out of crime!
Jroyd said:
I am really surprised that Google doesn't have an easy way to register our devices. Every Android device has numbers associated with it that can't be changed. The MAC addresses for both the WiFi and Bluetooth interfaces are unique, so every device that has either of these radios could be identified. It should be part of the OS that these tablets can't install any software if the registered owner reports it lost or stolen. If the device has cameras, a picture should be taken when it's connected to the internet. These pictures could be retrieved when a valid case number or subpoena is provided. At least a warning should appear on the tablet saying it has been reported lost or stolen. Make it a pain to use a misappropriated tablet.
Yes, I know there are programs out there that do this for you, but they are easily circumvented by doing a full factory reset of the device. Come on Google! Take a bite out of crime!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone on another thread said that somebody sold them a Nexus 7 that was apparently known to Google as stolen, and I guess Play access was disabled or something, I don't know the exact details though...
An app is only easily removed if it is loaded as a user app. If it is am system app a standard reset went be enough. On the other hand maybe they will be smart enough to take it further.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
A very similar thing happened to me on a BA flight inbound to heathrow years ago. On that occasion i left a case containing some sennheiser noise cancelling headphones and an ipod nano in the seat pocket. I realized just a short distance from the gate and went back but they wouldn't let me back on. They never found for me either. I was eventually told that "I think someone has add it mate".
Jroyd said:
... If the device has cameras, a picture should be taken when it's connected to the internet. These pictures could be retrieved when a valid case number or subpoena is provided. At least a warning should appear on the tablet saying it has been reported lost or stolen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have my devices set to take front and rear photos on evey boot and on multiple incorrect passcodes which are uploaded staight to dropbox and google plus. They also text each other with gps coordinates on every boot. Again, this is only useful if the thief doesn't factory reset or flash a new rom.
I wonder if devs could implement a passcode for cwm et al to secure the flashing process?
Sent from my GT-P7500 using xda app-developers app
goto play.google.com and install plan B remotely, youll be able to track it once it's online, as long as it's still tied to your google account
---------- Post added at 06:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:14 AM ----------
drhunter said:
I have my devices set to take front and rear photos on evey boot and on multiple incorrect passcodes which are uploaded staight to dropbox and google plus. They also text each other with gps coordinates on every boot. Again, this is only useful if the thief doesn't factory reset or flash a new rom.
I wonder if devs could implement a passcode for cwm et al to secure the flashing process?
Sent from my GT-P7500 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was discussed before but i think they said they couldn't because it could lock you out of your device
Slate on a plane!!
Sorry, just had too
I read on Google's help pages that they can remotely lock a device so might be worth calling them. If someone can't use it they might put it back in lost property or something.

Gear VR Innovator Edition (Note 4) $150 in stock @ Amazon

Many of you guys know that the newer Gear VR Consumer Edition apparently doesn't fit the Note 4. So I was searching for the older Innovator Edition for my Note 4, but all of the prices were jacked up to ridiculous amounts on Amazon and Ebay and it was sold out at Best Buy. And then I happened across a seller with certified refurbished Innovator Editions for both the Note 4 and S6 on Amazon for $150 with Prime shipping.
http://amzn.com/B018UHFZXQ
It looks like the 'certified refurbished' is a program from Amazon and it does come with a 90 day warranty.
I also made a Slickdeals post http://goo.gl/XuoyEm because I think there will be plenty of people who will be using their Note 4 for a while and want to experience VR.
Impossible to get one in or to Canada. Scammers on eBay and Amazon.ca selling for upwards of $500.
Just ordered one, to be delivered Thursday. Will let you know how it looks. Hopefully works with Sac23's Note 5 Ported ROM, otherwise it'll be time to do some flashin'!
ThaiM said:
Impossible to get one in or to Canada. Scammers on eBay and Amazon.ca selling for upwards of $500.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that's why I was so happy to find a certified refub one from a reputable seller. Unfortunately, it didn't come with the microSD card, but the seller has been good about sending one out to me. As soon as I get it, I'll report back.
kennysp said:
Just ordered one, to be delivered Thursday. Will let you know how it looks. Hopefully works with Sac23's Note 5 Ported ROM, otherwise it'll be time to do some flashin'!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I will do the same.
Techngro said:
Yeah, that's why I was so happy to find a certified refub one from a reputable seller. Unfortunately, it didn't come with the microSD card, but the seller has been good about sending one out to me. As soon as I get it, I'll report back.
Thanks, I will do the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, got the Gear VR (1 day early, thanks Amazon!) in a plain white box, and looks almost new to me. The only thing that I might question is whether or not it was used, as the foam surround looks like it may have been worn before.
Overall, no scratches, came with the headgear, back strap, top strap, faceplate cover, extra foam surround, and instruction manual, all in the big black carry case. It did not include the microsd card that is found in the retail version. The headgear did have the protective plastic covering on it as if it were new, but the one that should be on the back strap didn't, and neither did the top piece nor the faceplate cover.
Overall, it's a pretty solid buy, especially since you can download the oculus software from Sandman here. Now, I can't vouch for how well it works yet, since: A. I just unboxed it, and B: I'm running Sac23 Note 5 Ported V2 .1 10/2 http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-sprint/development/rom-sac23-note-5-ported-v1-9-23-t3208932Rom right now, which doesn't seem to support Gear VR. I'm currently installing [ROM] [N910PVPS4COK1] [100% Stock, Root, Odexed&Deodexed, No KNOX/Itson] [12/15/2015]http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-sprint/development/rom-t3271966 to get that functionality back, and will update once I have done so.
It's not the deal that the new users get with the $99 Gear VR, but compared to the $299 this guy was, I'm pretty happy.
kennysp said:
Well, got the Gear VR (1 day early, thanks Amazon!) in a plain white box, and looks almost new to me. The only thing that I might question is whether or not it was used, as the foam surround looks like it may have been worn before.
Overall, no scratches, came with the headgear, back strap, top strap, faceplate cover, extra foam surround, and instruction manual, all in the big black carry case. It did not include the microsd card that is found in the retail version. The headgear did have the protective plastic covering on it as if it were new, but the one that should be on the back strap didn't, and neither did the top piece nor the faceplate cover.
Overall, it's a pretty solid buy, especially since you can download the oculus software from Sandman here. Now, I can't vouch for how well it works yet, since: A. I just unboxed it, and B: I'm running Sac23 Note 5 Ported V2 .1 10/2 http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-sprint/development/rom-sac23-note-5-ported-v1-9-23-t3208932Rom right now, which doesn't seem to support Gear VR. I'm currently installing [ROM] [N910PVPS4COK1] [100% Stock, Root, Odexed&Deodexed, No KNOX/Itson] [12/15/2015]http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-sprint/development/rom-t3271966 to get that functionality back, and will update once I have done so.
It's not the deal that the new users get with the $99 Gear VR, but compared to the $299 this guy was, I'm pretty happy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the update. When you get it set up, let us know if everything works.
Techngro said:
Thanks for the update. When you get it set up, let us know if everything works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far, everything checks out. It isn't quite as smooth as when I tried it on my phone while running kitkat...though that may be because I was impatient and did a dirty flash lol (I know, tsk tsk, shame on me, my phone will blow up, yadda yadda yadda. I was impatient! I'll do a clean install in the next few days to update the performance of Gear VR with a properly done flash).
Video player, Netflix, and photos all work well, though slightly laggy (again, dirty flash), and I noticed that the focus wheel isn't quite as smooth as it should be, though I finally got it dialed in.
For those of you that never tried the Gear VR, it does have a fair amount of pixelation, however after watching a movie for a bit you really don't notice it as much. The touchpad, back button, and volume controls all work as they should.
The phone does overheat while using this. I've had a fan directed at my phone while watching movies, and that seemed to help. There are tutorials and write ups on mods you can do, from heatsinks applied directly to the battery, to attaching mini pc-fans to the back of the phone powered by small usb battery packs hooked on the strap by the temple, to plug in fans. I even read about a guy that stuck one of those cold gel eyepatches that women wear between the phone and the faceplate cover to cool down the phone. Whatever you do, know that heat is an issue while using this for playing videos. I haven't tried any of the games yet, but I imagine that it'd get worse with that.
The lenses on the Gear VR are adequate. Things are relatively sharp in the center, but you do get chroma aberrations on the corners of your field of view (purple fringing on areas of contrast, i.e. the edge of the screen will be slightly out of focus from the corner of your eye, and you'll see a purple hue along it). Not a huge issue, as you're most likely concentrating on the center of your viewing area, and shifting your head towards anything you want to look at, but it's there. I've also noticed that you have to have the headset on just right to have everything in focus top to bottom, left to right. If it is slightly off, then you'll notice that certain areas are not in focus.
Despite all this, it's a great piece of tech. It does transport you from wherever you are to another place, be it a theater, virtual VR tour, Iron Man's lab, etc. It is good enough to allow you to suspend disbelief, and engage in an immersive experience. Occasionally, it will bring you back to reality, sometimes in a jarring fashion, but overall, it does the job pretty well. I've even found myself reaching out my hands to try and touch something, only to remember that it's virtual, and usually laugh at myself afterwards.
All I know is I hope that Samsung continues with it's Gear VR line, and that when my upgrade is due in November, I'll get a new piece of tech that'll surpass what this one can do, primarily the pixelation, overheating, and the quality of the lenses.
My buddy got the Note 5, and just received his Gear VR for his phone. I'll try to snag it soon to give it a try, and I'll let y'all know the differences.
Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll try to answer them the best I can.
kennysp said:
So far, everything checks out. It isn't quite as smooth as when I tried it on my phone while running kitkat...though that may be because I was impatient and did a dirty flash lol (I know, tsk tsk, shame on me, my phone will blow up, yadda yadda yadda. I was impatient! I'll do a clean install in the next few days to update the performance of Gear VR with a properly done flash).
Video player, Netflix, and photos all work well, though slightly laggy (again, dirty flash), and I noticed that the focus wheel isn't quite as smooth as it should be, though I finally got it dialed in.
For those of you that never tried the Gear VR, it does have a fair amount of pixelation, however after watching a movie for a bit you really don't notice it as much. The touchpad, back button, and volume controls all work as they should.
The phone does overheat while using this. I've had a fan directed at my phone while watching movies, and that seemed to help. There are tutorials and write ups on mods you can do, from heatsinks applied directly to the battery, to attaching mini pc-fans to the back of the phone powered by small usb battery packs hooked on the strap by the temple, to plug in fans. I even read about a guy that stuck one of those cold gel eyepatches that women wear between the phone and the faceplate cover to cool down the phone. Whatever you do, know that heat is an issue while using this for playing videos. I haven't tried any of the games yet, but I imagine that it'd get worse with that.
The lenses on the Gear VR are adequate. Things are relatively sharp in the center, but you do get chroma aberrations on the corners of your field of view (purple fringing on areas of contrast, i.e. the edge of the screen will be slightly out of focus from the corner of your eye, and you'll see a purple hue along it). Not a huge issue, as you're most likely concentrating on the center of your viewing area, and shifting your head towards anything you want to look at, but it's there. I've also noticed that you have to have the headset on just right to have everything in focus top to bottom, left to right. If it is slightly off, then you'll notice that certain areas are not in focus.
Despite all this, it's a great piece of tech. It does transport you from wherever you are to another place, be it a theater, virtual VR tour, Iron Man's lab, etc. It is good enough to allow you to suspend disbelief, and engage in an immersive experience. Occasionally, it will bring you back to reality, sometimes in a jarring fashion, but overall, it does the job pretty well. I've even found myself reaching out my hands to try and touch something, only to remember that it's virtual, and usually laugh at myself afterwards.
All I know is I hope that Samsung continues with it's Gear VR line, and that when my upgrade is due in November, I'll get a new piece of tech that'll surpass what this one can do, primarily the pixelation, overheating, and the quality of the lenses.
My buddy got the Note 5, and just received his Gear VR for his phone. I'll try to snag it soon to give it a try, and I'll let y'all know the differences.
Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll try to answer them the best I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the update. I got the microsd card today and popped it in my phone, but the touchpad still isn't working. What firmware are you on? I upgraded to the latest 5.1.1 (DOK2), but it's stock. I don't know if that could be the issue or if the Gear VR itself is just defective.
Techngro said:
Thanks for the update. I got the microsd card today and popped it in my phone, but the touchpad still isn't working. What firmware are you on? I upgraded to the latest 5.1.1 (DOK2), but it's stock. I don't know if that could be the issue or if the Gear VR itself is just defective.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on latest as well. If the touchpad isn't working, that's probably a hardware issue with the Gear VR itself. Do you know anybody else with a Note 4 that they can try on your Gear VR? Also, make sure that the micro-usb connection is seated correctly. Sometimes on mine it doesn't push in all the way, and i just lightly press the phone in to make sure it's a firm connection.
kennysp said:
I'm on latest as well. If the touchpad isn't working, that's probably a hardware issue with the Gear VR itself. Do you know anybody else with a Note 4 that they can try on your Gear VR? Also, make sure that the micro-usb connection is seated correctly. Sometimes on mine it doesn't push in all the way, and i just lightly press the phone in to make sure it's a firm connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I've been fiddling with it to make sure everything is seated properly. I'm pretty sure it's a hardware issue now. I contacted Samsung, but their customer service is so bad right now. I was almost finished with the RMA process, but their system was down and they couldn't find my serial number. Then while I was waiting for the system to work again, the call got disconnected on their end. They said they would call me back if that happened and took my number, but after 15 minutes of waiting, I called back and had to do the same process again with a different rep. And the system was still down, so she said she would call me back within 24 hours. That was Friday. No call yet.
I have contacted Samsung customer service before, but I don't remember it being that bad.
Anyway, I will call back tomorrow and try to get the RMA finished. If not, I'll have to send it back for a refund. It's sad because I was really excited about the Gear VR.
Bought one thru Amazon last week
After numerous tries to talk with someone in marketing at Samsung and being unwilling to even pay the $199, found the $150 refurbished on Amazon. The one I got appears to be new, all protective stickers in place and not a mark on it. The only thing "missing" was the SD card but not needed as the software install required at first use put everything that is on the card on my phone. So far so good.
Now looking to find the best solution to use Cardboard in addition to Oculus. Anyone?
rgh said:
After numerous tries to talk with someone in marketing at Samsung and being unwilling to even pay the $199, found the $150 refurbished on Amazon. The one I got appears to be new, all protective stickers in place and not a mark on it. The only thing "missing" was the SD card but not needed as the software install required at first use put everything that is on the card on my phone. So far so good.
Now looking to find the best solution to use Cardboard in addition to Oculus. Anyone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, I have had such a continued bad experience with Samsung customer service that I have decided to return the Gear VR. I was super excited about it, but at this point it's not worth the aggravation. Three calls, an email, and 6 days and still I can't get them to set up a simple RMA and send me a shipping label despite them telling me everytime that they'll get it done.
Darn Samsung.
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk
Got one for Xmas. Fun but overheats.
$99 consumer is back in stock now... just a simple mod to each corner and should work fine on N4. So back this goes to be refurbished again!
Telemachus said:
Got one for Xmas. Fun but overheats.
$99 consumer is back in stock now... just a simple mod to each corner and should work fine on N4. So back this goes to be refurbished again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I (and probably a bunch of other people as well) would really appreciate it if, when you make the mods to your Consumer Edition, you'd come back and post pics and instructions on how you did it.
Techngro said:
I (and probably a bunch of other people as well) would really appreciate it if, when you make the mods to your Consumer Edition, you'd come back and post pics and instructions on how you did it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mobile-vr/gear-vr/99-gear-vr-note-4-t3255739
Telemachus said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mobile-vr/gear-vr/99-gear-vr-note-4-t3255739
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I was in that thread earlier but didn't know someone had made a post about modding the Consumer Edition.
As posted before.. If you your comfortable Modding, it's now possible to use the New Samsung Gear VR on Note 4.. works great
Cheaper / Better and easier to get
My firmware/model info in signature
The new Gear VR can be made to work with Note 4.. FYI

Advice Needed for repair after a truck run over my Pixel 5

I had an accident a couple of days ago, where I fell from my bike and my phone dropped on the street, from the phone holder. I didn't realize that immediately and by the time I saw it, unfortunately, it was already run over a truck. I had the original fabric cover on it and visually only the display is broken, but it was switched offline after the accident so I presume there is some more serious internal damage. I have tried to switch it off/on from the power button, to connect it to a PC but there was no indication that it is alive.
I tried to contact Google to see what are my repair options, and unfortunately, on their side, I can only select the type of damage, pay it in advance and send the phone to them. The problem is that I am not sure if it is worth paying close to 150 Euro just to realize at a later stage that this phone is beyond repair and that I have not only broken my phone but poured 150 Euro down the drain. I have tried to explain this to Google's support personnel, but they did very little to understand my situation and in the end, they said they cannot help me any further.
Unfortunately in Germany, there is no other official repair center. This left me quite disappointed with Google and their inflexibility. The other problem is that this is not a common phone, so finding spare parts is difficult and normally those spare parts are quite expensive. The display only in Ali Express costs 160 Euro. I tried to contact a local repair shop and they only told me 300 Euro for the display change and if the new display doesn't work I would need to pay only 30 Euro. I have even contacted iSmash, who is the authorized repair center for this phone in the UK, but they told me that they don't deal with customers outside the UK.
So what do you think, what is my best option. I really don't want to throw away this phone, I really liked it and it would be quite a pity but I don't want to spend money on a lost cause either. For me, the best would be to diagnose somehow what's not working in the phone and then to decide if it makes sense to proceed with the repair or not.
@gstoyanov It's probably not the display since you can't even power it on. Thankfully it doesn't seem like you were seriously injured in the fall. Time to pitch it and buy something you can live with. The 4a, brand spanking new, is only like 300 Euro or the 4a 5G if you want that is maybe 100 Euro more. It's unfortunate but sh*t happens to these devices when they fall but you can live to bike another day. Just my 2 cents, I'm sure others have opinions too. And then again it will depend on your finances of which I have no idea about so take it with a grain of salt.
bobby janow said:
@gstoyanov It's probably not the display since you can't even power it on. Thankfully it doesn't seem like you were seriously injured in the fall. Time to pitch it and buy something you can live with. The 4a, brand spanking new, is only like 300 Euro or the 4a 5G if you want that is maybe 100 Euro more. It's unfortunate but sh*t happens to these devices when they fall but you can live to bike another day. Just my 2 cents, I'm sure others have opinions too. And then again it will depend on your finances of which I have no idea about so take it with a grain of salt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this is also what I suspect, I have now a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge running Pixel Experience ROM, which is exactly like my Pixel, but the battery is dying really quickly, and have some problems with the charging. Apart from that, all is working more or less fine. I think I will wait till Pixel 5A. I really wanted to save the Pixel 5 though.
Oh, and it is all good with me, just got two superficial bruises, but nothing serious, there were some road repairs in the bike lane and I needed to go almost to the middle of the streets, where there were tram rails. I got pretty scared at the beginning because I didn't know where exactly on the street I fell and went to the side of the street really quickly, afraid that I might get hit by a car. Only after about a minute, I have realized that my phone is missing and the bloody cover was blending really well with the road, so it took me really a while to spot it. Only a truck and a car passed by during this time, but considering the damage, I would say that the truck run over my phone.
gstoyanov said:
Yes, this is also what I suspect, I have now a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge running Pixel Experience ROM, which is exactly like my Pixel, but the battery is dying really quickly, and have some problems with the charging. Apart from that, all is working more or less fine. I think I will wait till Pixel 5A. I really wanted to save the Pixel 5 though.
Oh, and it is all good with me, just got two superficial bruises, but nothing serious, there were some road repairs in the bike lane and I needed to go almost to the middle of the streets, where there were tram rails. I got pretty scared at the beginning because I didn't know where exactly on the street I fell and went to the side of the street really quickly, afraid that I might get hit by a car. Only after about a minute, I have realized that my phone is missing and the bloody cover was blending really well with the road, so it took me really a while to spot it. Only a truck and a car passed by during this time, but considering the damage, I would say that the truck run over my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's really good to hear. I bike a lot and know what falls are like, they're not fun and they are scary. So that's the good news. Now for some (possibly) bad. The 5a is larger, plastic, and from what I understand not available outside the US and Japan. It is 5G but probably not in the EU. Should be coming out within a few weeks so you can wait and see. What's the status of 5G by you? I see all these threads about bypassing the 5G restrictions with root but I don't really follow it since I get it here by default.
Since you do have a phone that's working perhaps you can try to take the 5 apart and see if you can tell what's broken inside. What if it's only a connector or something simple then you can replace the screen. Just to tinker around, they have videos I'm sure of how to get the phone open. Once the 6 comes out the prices on Swappa for the 5 will drop at least 100 Euro so if you can wait... Once those batteries go on the Samsungs it's lights out. I know I had one way back and finally the darn thing damn near exploded and popped the screen up off the body and that was it. Bottom line, you're ok. The phone can be replaced.
Sure, my idea is to wait and see what the new phones would be and eventually buy a new phone. Right now is not the best time to invest in a new phone, I think the best is around autumn when all the new models are released. I was thinking of opening the phone, I have some experience, already trying to open and exchange the motherboard of a Nexus 5, with another apparently faulty motherboard. I have the tools as well, the problem is that due to the fact that this is not a very popular model, finding spare parts for it would be really difficult. As I said, only the display on Ali Express costs 160 Euro. Opening the phone and finding that the problem is trivial would void my warranty and I would end up trying to put a new display with dubious quality on my phone for a high price.
I am just a bit losing hope in Google. A friend of mine got a Pixel 4a 5G because I have recommended generally the 4a line as a good deal for the money and she is complaining that the touchscreen in the lower part is completely unresponsive. Apparently, this is a known issue, which was supposed to be fixed by Google with an SW update and there was a big thread in their product forums. Now the thread is deleted from there and Google is refusing to take a look at her phone under warranty because she had dropped it once and according to them this is enough of an excuse.
I really like the SW experience of the Pixel phones, but this behavior is hard to tolerate. So this autumn, I will think really hard whether to buy a Google phone or buy a phone from another vendor.
@gstoyanov I've only had pretty good experiences with Google replacements but that was before the pandemic when you could reach a CSR on the phone and even a supervisor. I don't think that's the case now. And then I'm in the US and we are a nation of laws or so I've been told. lol j/k. Do you have 5G there and is it quick? It's kind of sketchy here, hit or miss on speeds vs. LTE. Because if you don't then the 4a without 5G is a steal imo, at least for a temp phone until November.
But what I was thinking is that if you have experience in pulling it apart then why not try it without purchasing an expensive replacement screen and see if you can get it to boot. Well unless the screen is so cracked that it's pointless. But if you can bring it back to life then you can decide if you want to spend the money or run it as is until you get what you want. Just a thought. Actually, I'm curious what is really wrong with the phone haha.
In terms of the 4a 5G screen I'll bet it's been fixed in later builds. Same thing happened here with a gap on the Pixel 5. Early, EU adopters had this wicked gap around the frame but by the time it shipped in the US that gap was gone.
Edit. NVM looks like the 4a 5g is discontinued.
yes, we have here 5G, but I am not so much sold on the whole 5G bandwagon. It would definitely take a hit on the battery life and the 5G network is still not dense enough for this to really matter. As a matter of fact, GSM coverage in Germany is pretty bad, I am coming from an East European country where Internet access is leaps and bounds better than in Germany, not to mention that it also comes for a fraction of the price here.
The screen is totally broken, I don't think that it would fire up. So if I open it, I would need to try it on a screen, meaning that I would need to purchase a replacement and eventually hope that I can return it for free. The problem is that if I order the display from China, there is a good chance to be stopped at the customs, and I would need to go there and pay some additional money and this is a bit overkill maybe.
@gstoyanov Yeah, not worth it when you put it that way. Oh well, eye out for the 5a 5G, keep it pristine and sell it on Swappa when the 6 comes out in November. ;-) That's my plan with the 5. But full disclosure or trade in with Google. Oh as a side note I dropped my P5 on the cement face down 7 days after purchase. Smashed to smithereens. Brought it into UBreak and it was their first one and it cost me $220 just for the screen replacement which is all that shattered. Not even a nick on the body. They did a flawless job and it is as good as new. I made an insurance claim and got the full $220 back surprisingly. Suffice it to say I handle it with an iron grip or two hands now. One handed only when over carpet. haha.
Did you go over the Google Repair center from the Google Store? There you can select the type of damage to your phone and usually get a better price than directly contacting their authorized repair centers. It is really convenient, the only problem being that you need to pay upfront, and this in my case is not the greatest option.
This is the first time I am cracking the screen, but nowadays all the phones are so slippery. I kind of missing my Oneplus One for which I never bought any cover. Making the back grippy of that phone was such a good idea.
Take it apart and have a look.
A connector may have come loose... maybe the battery.
gstoyanov said:
Did you go over the Google Repair center from the Google Store? There you can select the type of damage to your phone and usually get a better price than directly contacting their authorized repair centers. It is really convenient, the only problem being that you need to pay upfront, and this in my case is not the greatest option.
This is the first time I am cracking the screen, but nowadays all the phones are so slippery. I kind of missing my Oneplus One for which I never bought any cover. Making the back grippy of that phone was such a good idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Google repair center is mail in only and 7 - 10 days turnaround. The authorized repair walk-in is UbreakIfix which is where I brought it and it was repaired within about 3 hours or so. I can't imagine it would be under $200 even if I sent it in to Google. I'd have to go thru the whole process just to get a price. Any idea what they are charging for cracked screen only?
The quotes me
bobby janow said:
The Google repair center is mail in only and 7 - 10 days turnaround. The authorized repair walk-in is UbreakIfix which is where I brought it and it was repaired within about 3 hours or so. I can't imagine it would be under $200 even if I sent it in to Google. I'd have to go thru the whole process just to get a price. Any idea what they are charging for cracked screen only?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they gave me a price in GBP, which was close to 150 Euro and that in USD is around 180. So I presume it is slightly better than what you paid, but not significantly. You can actually check it for yourself, just go to https://store.google.com/repair put the EMEI on your phone, select a cracked screen and you will see it. I presume it might be cheaper because here the taxes are pretty high.
gstoyanov said:
The quotes me
they gave me a price in GBP, which was close to 150 Euro and that in USD is around 180. So I presume it is slightly better than what you paid, but not significantly. You can actually check it for yourself, just go to https://store.google.com/repair put the EMEI on your phone, select a cracked screen and you will see it. I presume it might be cheaper because here the taxes are pretty high.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they were worth anything >they< would give you a repair estimate for little or nothing.
Denon Electronics does. That's customer service.
Google just sucks. A local repair shop can do you better.
Having enjoyed many biking excursions myself like you I know you're wishing the hardware healed as easily as the body
Carry on.
gstoyanov said:
The quotes me
they gave me a price in GBP, which was close to 150 Euro and that in USD is around 180. So I presume it is slightly better than what you paid, but not significantly. You can actually check it for yourself, just go to https://store.google.com/repair put the EMEI on your phone, select a cracked screen and you will see it. I presume it might be cheaper because here the taxes are pretty high.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$188 for cracked screen + tax in USD. So not much different than I paid. Comes to a little over $200 and I paid $30 more for same day service. Since I don't have a replacement device that wouldn't have worked for me anyway and the fact I got reimbursed, even though unbeknownst to me at the time, made it a good deal. You gonna wait for the 5a?
bobby janow said:
$188 for cracked screen + tax in USD. So not much different than I paid. Comes to a little over $200 and I paid $30 more for same day service. Since I don't have a replacement device that wouldn't have worked for me anyway and the fact I got reimbursed, even though unbeknownst to me at the time, made it a good deal. You gonna wait for the 5a?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem being any impact that breaks the display can easily cause deeper damage.
The chipsets themselves can be destroyed by high G impacts alone with no direct contact. A fall from 4 feet onto concrete can generate enough G force to do this. This why using a case is important as it decreases the G force spike to tolerable levels.
The multilayered mobo traces (with internal traces) and solder joints are vulnerable to PCB flexing. Solder joints themselves are a relatively weak, with no lead solder they are downright brittle. Most phones hopefully still use leaded solder, if not even exposure to cold can crack them... no lead solder is not your friend
Never use it on repairs!!!
When a phone is literally run over mobo damage is very probable but doesn't always happen. The other pcbs are also at risk.

Categories

Resources