Develop Bugs

Mugen vs Samsung Desktop Dock [Images]

I happened to buy both of them and feeling like sharing my experience.
Official Samsung desktop dock:
- Audio out 3.5mm jack
- Volume keys
- Both portrait and landscape mode have a comfortable viewing angle
- Automatically opens docking app when docked
- No data syncing, even when charging with USB
- Feels a bit jerky when docking the phone. It won't charge if it's not placed in exactly the right position. I might just be me having a defective unit though.
- Cannot be used with a case on
Mugen desktop dock:
- Supports charging & data sync (requires 2 cables, both included)
- Separate battery charger
- Feels more steady. "Click"- sound when docking the phone, feels like it is holding on to it better than the Samsung dock.
- Portrait mode only
- No audio out or volume keys
- Cannot be used with a case on
Mugen to the left, Samsung to the right
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Both in landscape position. If the Mugen was docked with a phone it would fall over.
Mugen dock with separate battery
Here's some lower quality pictures showing the them in docked state.. I only have one SGS2 so I had to use an older nokia for these pictures
I like both of them, but personally I'll go for the Mugen one, since it supports data syncing and separate battery charging.
And as you can see in the previous picture, the screen is off while docked since I didn't manually open the dock/clock app. The samsung dock opens this automatically. If you know any way to do this with the Mugen dock, help would be appreciated
Edit*
Found out that the Mugen dock doesn't charge the korean sgs2 battery from the seperate battery slot. The original battery that came with the phone charges though. Exportprive sells the korean batteries and they seem to be slightly ticker than the batteries from the international phone.

Thanks for the write up and pics!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

You welcome. Just a quick review
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

I really wish they'd give it more room to dock with a thin case.

Great review.
Can u check if
1. the mic from the headset works if connected to the audio output or if it just uses the phone mic
2. ANy difference in audio quality between a headphone connected to phone and one connected to the dock
thanks

The audio quality seems to be the same. Just tried
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

thanks for the post. are those a set of speakers in the background? They look quite nice. Mind if I ask what they're called?

Nice review, I have a cheap dock with spare battery charging slot, does the job, but was looking at the Mugen one - better built for sure.

mshasan said:
thanks for the post. are those a set of speakers in the background? They look quite nice. Mind if I ask what they're called?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol yeah that's the Logitech Z-5500 5.1 speaker system. Had them for a while now and they still do wonders. The samsung dock can easily be plugged into it btw

thanks for sharing!
can u tell me where to buy the mugen dock pls? thx!

chrislo0904 said:
thanks for sharing!
can u tell me where to buy the mugen dock pls? thx!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hit the Google man!

ludow said:
Hit the Google man!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny ... and so new ...
I don't know about all the different markets, but that cradle is sold also from 'KIDIGI', labeled with that name also on the front. I have it since 3 weeks and it has one big flaw, if someone cares: it does NOT initiate the fast charging AC-mode on the SGS2, so charging an empty phone takes about 4 hours. Since it doesn't 'call' the home- nor the cardock mode and can't short the USB-data lines because of the sync capability, it has to live with the slow charging mode (limited to 400mA).
Not true though: you don't need 2 cables. The cradle takes power from either side, USB or the charger and for the phone alone, never uses more than each can supply alone. Only when you charge the phone AND put in an empty spare, the current from the USB might not be enough. I have it connected to a USB3 port, which delivers much more than 500mA, I don't use the seperate power supply. Of course your phone's only charged as long as the USB is supplying power.

not sure if you can answer this but does the mugen dock work with the mhl cable?
pspilot said:
Funny ... and so new ...
I don't know about all the different markets, but that cradle is sold also from 'KIDIGI', labeled with that name also on the front. I have it since 3 weeks and it has one big flaw, if someone cares: it does NOT initiate the fast charging AC-mode on the SGS2, so charging an empty phone takes about 4 hours. Since it doesn't 'call' the home- nor the cardock mode and can't short the USB-data lines because of the sync capability, it has to live with the slow charging mode (limited to 400mA).
Not true though: you don't need 2 cables. The cradle takes power from either side, USB or the charger and for the phone alone, never uses more than each can supply alone. Only when you charge the phone AND put in an empty spare, the current from the USB might not be enough. I have it connected to a USB3 port, which delivers much more than 500mA, I don't use the seperate power supply. Of course your phone's only charged as long as the USB is supplying power.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

pspilot said:
Funny ... and so new ...
I don't know about all the different markets, but that cradle is sold also from 'KIDIGI', labeled with that name also on the front. I have it since 3 weeks and it has one big flaw, if someone cares: it does NOT initiate the fast charging AC-mode on the SGS2, so charging an empty phone takes about 4 hours. Since it doesn't 'call' the home- nor the cardock mode and can't short the USB-data lines because of the sync capability, it has to live with the slow charging mode (limited to 400mA).
Not true though: you don't need 2 cables. The cradle takes power from either side, USB or the charger and for the phone alone, never uses more than each can supply alone. Only when you charge the phone AND put in an empty spare, the current from the USB might not be enough. I have it connected to a USB3 port, which delivers much more than 500mA, I don't use the seperate power supply. Of course your phone's only charged as long as the USB is supplying power.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's some useful information right there. I always had both of the cables connected. On the website i bought it, it also said "KIDIGI" on the front. But the one I received didn't have that logo. Looks identical though.
Also, I'm using tasker to open Clock or Bedside when usb is plugged in. Works well enough for me.
MeanWoman said:
not sure if you can answer this but does the mugen dock work with the mhl cable?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope

Also to note.
The genuine Samsung cradle has an 'opening' where the rear speaker of the phone is, so the ring/notifications should be quite loud.
I have a cheaper dock, no opening, and the sound is muffled.
OK if I am in the same room, but if in the next room I cant hear the phone ring.
Will be going for genuine (even tho I have one of the Mugen's in the post.

(offtopic) What launcher/clock are you using? It looks awesome

Rem¡ said:
(offtopic) What launcher/clock are you using? It looks awesome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock samsung clock app XD

These won't work with the otterbox case?

RoRo1990 said:
These won't work with the otterbox case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They dont fit with any cases as far as I'm aware.

What happened with the picture?
sent from my 2.3.3|dxjpe DJGTabs7

Need cheap car charger that charges full current

Can anyone recommend a car charger that is cheap and charges the unit like its on AC power? Some of the cheaper ones I've purchased in the past charged my phone like it was on usb power.
TIA!

Just open up one of your cheap chargers and short the middle two pins of the USB jack. A drop of solder worked on mine. There are only four pins, so it should be easy to follow and find a place on the circuit board to do it.
Once you get it done, plug in the phone and it will show that it's charging on AC, which means it's pulling 1 amp.

Plenty different ones available, but I use this one. There are cheaper ones, but this one is a quality build that charges at 1 full amp! Motorola brand for around $6 including shipping.
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i've had android phones since year one. i've always bought my accessories from cellphoneshop.net and never had a problem

Dude, go to wallymart or somewhere and get an AC converter. I bought one with 2 AC outlets and 1 USB for fairly cheap at wallymart. You wont regret it. It charges my laptop, phone, and gf's phone just fine.

Monoprice has a 1a usb charger for $1.33. I was looking at it yesterday but don't have the link handy at the moment. They're also the best place to buy usb cables too.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

mrpickem said:
Plenty different ones available, but I use this one. There are cheaper ones, but this one is a quality build that charges at 1 full amp! Motorola brand for around $6 including shipping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 I have this Motorola charger and it's great. There was even a whole thread full of people repping it a few forum pages back

$1.40 cheaper, $5.07 right now and Prime shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Vehi..._1_2?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1323803924&sr=1-2
Thanks for the original link!

The best car chargers I've found are the Palm chargers for the Pre. For some reason they seem to work much better than any other car charger that I have used. You just need to make sure you get model number 3453WW, because there is also an older model that looks the same but doesn't provide the full 1A charge.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Palm-OEM-Ve...386850?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item2eb9e680e2
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

Damn. I was wondering WHY in the world this phone took SO STINKING LONG to charge. I mean OVER NIGHT and still not quite done sometimes (extended battery)
Gonna stalk me some good chargers

so instead of starting my own thread.. thought id bump this up...
any new chargers out there.. for car... can be either the usb one (as i have the cig lighter to usb plug... )..or cig lighter..
just feeling out there if anything has changed..
we went on a LONG drive.. 376miles.. and using gps and my phone in my infuse dock.. it was charging.. but draining more than charging... by 1/2 way it was below 50%.... so the road i needed to take was super long so just turned phone off for a while...
was using the charger from my wifes incognito so i figured maybe that car charger didnt have enough A to it.. so bought a new charger from walmart.. and it didnt do any better...
thanks guys...
p.s. on my way home from work (1hr drive) im going to plug straight into my phone instead of the infuse dock and run the gps and see if it charges any different...

Even if the car charger says it can put out 2A the phone will only draw 500mah unless the two inner pins are shorted. Samsung does their chargers this way to identify to the phone that its plugged into a wall charger instead of a computer. (computers are only rated for 500mah on the USB port, although some can go higher)
You could open up the charger and short the pins, or if the charger is the kind where you plug your own cord in you can modify the cord itself. I have a "charging only cord" for when the phone needs a fast boost.

R1ptide said:
Even if the car charger says it can put out 2A the phone will only draw 500mah unless the two inner pins are shorted. Samsung does their chargers this way to identify to the phone that its plugged into a wall charger instead of a computer. (computers are only rated for 500mah on the USB port, although some can go higher)
You could open up the charger and short the pins, or if the charger is the kind where you plug your own cord in you can modify the cord itself. I have a "charging only cord" for when the phone needs a fast boost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I short these two pins? Any thing with pics?

Still using my Palm Pre car chargers. Had them since the Pre days back in 2009 and they still work great. Buy.com has them for $6.95 with free shipping.
http://www.buy.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=210687470&ic=1
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

proxy0 said:
How do I short these two pins? Any thing with pics?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
drop of soder in between them, sorry I don't have pics because I do the cord
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2

mrpickem said:
Plenty different ones available, but I use this one. There are cheaper ones, but this one is a quality build that charges at 1 full amp! Motorola brand for around $6 including shipping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i use same charger. it is call motorolla rapid charger .

Hey, as the only verified genius here I wanted to share a great and cheap way to charge your phone. As i understand it you want the speed and current of AC out of your car's 12 volt dc system. They currently make something that works with ALL phone models. It is called an inverter. You just plug your stock phone charger into it. It will work fine for your phone but it wouldnt be wise to try use this it watch a 42" plasma tv. Here is one for 6 bucks that plugs in your lighter socket.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003C2YE8M/ref=redir_mdp_mobile
By the way, I can't endorse this product. I hope you get the general idea. As always you get what you pay for. Read the reviews and look for the inverter that you think would work best for you.
Sent from Team KC's founding member HTC Evo 4G LTE.

R1ptide said:
drop of soder in between them, sorry I don't have pics because I do the cord
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just want to make sure I'm not going to blow up when I do this.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

supdawg said:
Can anyone recommend a car charger that is cheap and charges the unit like its on AC power? Some of the cheaper ones I've purchased in the past charged my phone like it was on usb power.
TIA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would recommend getting the AC/usb adapter for an iphone or ipad, because they tend to run on a higher voltage (5v) than many cheap AC/usb adapters you can probably find off-brand one pretty cheap all over. If anything just make sure your adapter runs on about 5v. I just recommened iphone ones because there are more accessory manufacturers for i-products and you can generally find a wider selection of what you are looking for regarding this topic. I would check walmart first if money is an issue.

JimSmith94 said:
Just open up one of your cheap chargers and short the middle two pins of the USB jack. A drop of solder worked on mine. There are only four pins, so it should be easy to follow and find a place on the circuit board to do it.
Once you get it done, plug in the phone and it will show that it's charging on AC, which means it's pulling 1 amp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 1 amp charger i got from the dollar store already had this in place. I cant say I would have recommended anyone to get one from the dollar store. Ive checked out the components on this one its not too bad.
kc_exactly said:
Hey, as the only verified genius here I wanted to share a great and cheap way to charge your phone. As i understand it you want the speed and current of AC out of your car's 12 volt dc system. They currently make something that works with ALL phone models. It is called an inverter. You just plug your stock phone charger into it. It will work fine for your phone but it wouldnt be wise to try use this it watch a 42" plasma tv. Here is one for 6 bucks that plugs in your lighter socket.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003C2YE8M/ref=redir_mdp_mobile
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note that most cheap inverters use a modified sine wave to gain efficiencies over 80%. Most phone chargers will work okay you might get a little buzzing. But you will often run into chargers, power supplies etc that will only operate properly on a pure sine wave inverter.

microUSB to maglock kit?

Ever since I got the S2 I've been a bit concerned about that stupid microUSB port. Unlike the Apple 30 pin on my old iPhone or the Samsung 30 pin on my Galaxy Tab, the microUSB connection seems about as sturdy as a matchstick holding up a house. Standard USB my ass, I'd take something sturdy any day.
Anyways, I figured that with all the microUSB devices supposedly out there, someone would have had to have fixed this by now. Then I searched around and found nothing. Basically what I'm imagining is a simple USB plug that plugs into the connector and expands the USB plug to 4 magnetic connection points similar to the magsafe thing on apple's macbooks or the magnetic cable on the blackberry playbook. You'd then have an adapter on the cable that would snap to the magnetic connector on the phone and allow you to connect the two without stressing your microUSB and also make it faster to get connected.
Is there really nothing like this out there?
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id get a patent on that quickly if i were you.

Too lazy to get it produced myself so I'm just happy if somone does it at all

Wouldn't the magnet interfere with the magnetic sensor of the phone?

KBS720 said:
Wouldn't the magnet interfere with the magnetic sensor of the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Magnetic sensor? You mean the digital compass? Not any more than the Smart Cover would do that for an iPad 2, or any case with a battery lock would do it. Very small magnets we're talking about here, their magnetic effect is next to nothing unless directly paired with another magnet.
Here's the kind of magnet I'd imagine being used:
Aside from the Apple and RIM versions of this, the closest I can think of is the Replug: http://www.replug.com/home.php
Not magnetic, and only for audio. Ofc doesn't have to be magnetic if the concept still works, but pretty much have to be microUSB
If you look at the HTC Rhyme, it comes with a charging dock that uses the more common spring loaded pin connection system: http://img.gfx.no/993/993523/topp1.788x525!.JPG
There are pins on the back of the phone that matches up with the three you can see on the cradle. I would be happy with simply something like that, I just don't like how thin and fragile the microUSB connector is compared to 30 pin connectors

You'd just be replacing one cable with another, kinda pointless if you ask me. MicroUSB seems sturdy enough to me

Joey2o11 said:
You'd just be replacing one cable with another, kinda pointless if you ask me. MicroUSB seems sturdy enough to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's pretty much a safety feature. No more risk of the USB port bending or anything.
For example, my charger won't reach from the wall socket to my bedside table, so I leave it on the floor. Sometimes when walking around in the morning my foot pulls the cable and yanks my SGS2 across the room. With a magnetic connector like this it would simply disconnect and the phone would stay in pretty much the same place instead of getting dragged around with the cable.

D3_ said:
It's pretty much a safety feature. No more risk of the USB port bending or anything.
For example, my charger won't reach from the wall socket to my bedside table, so I leave it on the floor. Sometimes when walking around in the morning my foot pulls the cable and yanks my SGS2 across the room. With a magnetic connector like this it would simply disconnect and the phone would stay in pretty much the same place instead of getting dragged around with the cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, furthermore, the microUSB port would be protected from dust and debris, and not have a connector plugged in and out of the thing all the time. Since I got my SII a few weeks ago and started reading up on it I've seen multiple people have microUSB port issues, so it's obviously not that sturdy.
A third benefit would be a universal connector. MicroUSB is technically a universal connector, but take my situation - an iPad 2, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and an SII. Three different connectors for charging and USB. And two of the devices are the same brand! Say what you want about Apple, but when I had an iPhone and an iPad, at least I only needed one charger, one cable. Here I am with two 2011 generation Samsung devices and they're not even compatible. What's even more ironic, Apple has a 30 pin to microUSB adapter now. Where is the Samsung version of that to make the Galaxy Tab microUSB? A magnetic system like this would allow me to plug a magnetic plug into each of my three devices and use the same magnetic cable with them. This could be expanded with receiver adapters - imagine a Apple 30 pin female connector and a magnetic receiver connector all in one small package that would turn any iPhone dock into a whatever-dock.

Honnestly, production of this could lead to something great. But dont forget that microUSB has 5 pins, so you need 5 small magnet this device could be also made for anyother usb port variant. You would then have an universal usb magnetic port.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

chadouming said:
Honnestly, production of this could lead to something great. But dont forget that microUSB has 5 pins, so you need 5 small magnet this device could be also made for anyother usb port variant. You would then have an universal usb magnetic port.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does, but only uses 4 of them. The last one triggers USB host mode when connected to ground. Normal sized USB is only 4 pins so where you make that move from 5 to 4 doesn't matter

Cptnodegard said:
It does, but only uses 4 of them. The last one triggers USB host mode when connected to ground. Normal sized USB is only 4 pins so where you make that move from 5 to 4 doesn't matter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theorically, this pin might become usefull one day better having it already open for possibility
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

Can I revive this post?
I've been looking for something like this for awhile now and I keep coming back to this post. I'm currently in the process of building a magnetic quick attach micro USB plug, but only for charging. I have bare female and male plugs and some 2mm x 1mm neodymium magnets, and now I just need to create the housing. Probably going to use fimo clay for the prototype.
My biggest problem is creating the connection point between the plug and the receiver. Can't have anything exposed connections on either end, because of electrical shorts and mismatched polarities. Don't need any more fried devices laying around.
The main motivation for this, is charging a phone at night in the dark; it'd make life a little easier. It would also be handy for charging while in the cradle on the dash of a car.
Any ideas or creative input? I'll post photos when I have something to show.

abrahamrobert said:
Can I revive this post?
I've been looking for something like this for awhile now and I keep coming back to this post. I'm currently in the process of building a magnetic quick attach micro USB plug, but only for charging. I have bare female and male plugs and some 2mm x 1mm neodymium magnets, and now I just need to create the housing. Probably going to use fimo clay for the prototype.
My biggest problem is creating the connection point between the plug and the receiver. Can't have anything exposed connections on either end, because of electrical shorts and mismatched polarities. Don't need any more fried devices laying around.
The main motivation for this, is charging a phone at night in the dark; it'd make life a little easier. It would also be handy for charging while in the cradle on the dash of a car.
Any ideas or creative input? I'll post photos when I have something to show.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm always encouraging hardware hacking, and giving a hand if possible, but this is dangerous, and I'll tell you why.
http://www.instructables.com/id/MagSafe-for-the-Rest-of-Us-A-DIY-Magnetic-Power-A/
This is a project that landed on Instuctables a while ago, but the main flaws were these:
)Resistance added by the magnet/copper coupling to attach the two ends, thus heat/other undesirable side effects;
)Sparks, caused by the two sides turning freely.
So, in order to achieve some kind of usability, you would have to ensure that the phone does not provide power to the socket (otherwise you would expose yourself to shorts), and that you could make a rectangular/non-circular plug small enough for it to sit in the micro usb all the time; plus, it should not have a high resistance, so that it would not generate too much heat, slowing down the charge at best, cooking the phone at worst.
All this looks quite complicated to me :/

Guys I thought I would revive this post to any one following or watching, I have also been looking for this and I think our prayers have been answered:
SNAPS Kick starter
I cant post links till i have posted 10 times so search Google for SNAPS Kick Starter
I think this KickStarter is what everyone is looking for. A mag safe type of connector for Micro USB and for Lightning connection. The price is amazing and this is not a concept this is a 'we already have everything just the bigger the first order the better'.
There is also this on Amazon but it only comes with a USB end to plug into a wall wart or computer so if you have a cable inside your car etc you cant convert it you would have to replace it if you can
Again cant post links so search google for "PLESON Premium Magnetic cable Micro USB Cables" it will be on amazon.
I hope this helps everyone and if someone else can post links please do so to these products so others can benefit form them!

Caspan said:
Guys I thought I would revive this post to any one following or watching, I have also been looking for this and I think our prayers have been answered:
SNAPS Kick starter
I cant post links till i have posted 10 times so search Google for SNAPS Kick Starter
I think this KickStarter is what everyone is looking for. A mag safe type of connector for Micro USB and for Lightning connection. The price is amazing and this is not a concept this is a 'we already have everything just the bigger the first order the better'.
There is also this on Amazon but it only comes with a USB end to plug into a wall wart or computer so if you have a cable inside your car etc you cant convert it you would have to replace it if you can
Again cant post links so search google for "PLESON Premium Magnetic cable Micro USB Cables" it will be on amazon.
I hope this helps everyone and if someone else can post links please do so to these products so others can benefit form them!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah.. i found it a week ago, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1041610927/znaps-the-9-magnetic-adapter-for-your-mobile-devic
but.. they need to answer the questions of security also.. liko that post above of instructables..

this smartphone is horrible, iphone 4s is the best phone of the history , you understand it?!!!

Mod for sony liveview stock watchband to facilitate charging

Hi,
I have here a simple mod for the stock sony liveview watch band to facilitate charging without taking out the liveview at its retaining base. I would just like to share this simple mod so that anyone with a broken tabs that clips the liveview in place can use their stock watchband again (Mine broke the other day ,the engineer who design this thing must be fired) or for those anybody that would like to use their stock watchband and was tired of constantly taking out their liveview for charging. This mod will allow the liveview to be charged still attached to the stock watchband. (Caution; Pics are very huge....sorry). Liveview app has a recently updated so it improves connectivity but no auto connect yet. Otherwise I'm enjoying it more now on jellybean than previously where it stays more of its time inside my desk unused, so for now will be using it more frequently.
Materials needed are the following:
a. Long nose flier (preferred as it allow small length bending of the paper clip)
b. paper clip
c. super glue (for those with broken tabs)
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http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd501/gorgycuads/IMG_20121008_105705.jpg?t=1349708425
Steps:
1. Cut, measure and shape the paper clip according to the image shown. Remember to measure the lenght of the clips and its bending in proportion where the retaining pin is attached to the watch base. ( I would not explain further as a picture is worth a thousand words)
http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd501/gorgycuads/IMG_20121008_105715.jpg?t=1349708412
2. when done, remove the stock retaining pin from the watchband. You will have to enlarge the hole where the retaining pin is attached to the base of your live view by using the extra paper clip and heating the tip of it using a gas stove, a candle or anything at your own convenience. (Be careful with this procedure, take extra caution). While the tip of the paper clip is still red hot immediately insert it to the hole and take it out afterwards and do the opposite side.
3. Now that the hole is larger, and your modded paper clip pin is ready to be inserted to the notch. Now replace the stock retaining pin with your modded paper clip retaining pin and place it back. Put your liveview back. For those with broken tabs super glue on the back of your liveview and put it back allow the glue to dry for several minutes.
Here are some pics in action: You still retain factory look and gain some convenience charging with the port without removing anything( except for the rubber cover which you will still have to open). Enjoy (Sorry if I have made some grammatical error or did not explain properly as english is not my primary language).
http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd501/gorgycuads/IMG_20121004_184024.jpg?t=1349708444
http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd501/gorgycuads/IMG_20121004_184101.jpg?t=1349708435
http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd501/gorgycuads/IMG_20121008_110238.jpg?t=1349708665
http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd501/gorgycuads/IMG_20121008_110338.jpg?t=1349708656

nice idea... i'll try how to think how to do it on my watch strap

Good Job. I have to look for a technician to do it for me .

superb job! i am doing this right away! wish me luck
---------- Post added at 03:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:43 AM ----------
wooaahhh done! great idea... and quite easily achievable

Thank You!
Thank you so much for this tip,
without it i would have to struggle to remove the watch from its strap everyday as on my one it is way to stiff,i found i didn't have to make enlarge the hole for the paperclip and is quite sturdy :good:

just did this and I didn't had to enlarge the hole

Could use some advice.
This thing has a TINY battery and doesn't use that much power.
As a watch mode it's in the light all the time. What if we never had to plug it in to charge it again... but instead kept it plugged in the whole time to a solar watch strap?
ebay has these (which, two, in series relation might work)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PowerFilm-F...00918136469?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item2ec7a77695
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thin-Film-F...489?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a81313771
and my favorite (one of these might work... don't think their calculation can be right: e.g. 2V *420mA = .84W
So if we .84W / 5V = .168 = 168ma that's more than standard usb @ 100ma and should give enough juice over 8 hours of office and sunlight right? Plus this thing is waterproof and looks sick (they even have a black one now too).
for dirt cheap that puts out decent charge ... anyone have any ideas how to fashion one of these (or two) into a watchstrap?
Perhaps solder on a male micro usb that will couple to liveview on that side and then a regular watch pin on the other side.
Wouldn't this generate enough energy to never have to plug in and allow unlimited use?
50ma * 8hours a day??? for a 100mah ish battery?
Am I missing something here?
The only issue I see is the voltage... usb needs 5V +/- .25ish?
Would one use a voltage regulator?
Any input greatly appreciated. I'm more software than EE.
Thanks,
Frank

FYI: Liveview mn800 Sony $18 free shipping! Just wanted to pass it along.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-Ericss...er_Cell_Phone_Accessories&hash=item589938963b

Nice idea

IT WORKS! IT'S ACTUALLY CHARGING!
Just need to clean it up a bit and do some testing. But it is indeed charging.

How did you do that???
willfck4beer said:
IT WORKS! IT'S ACTUALLY CHARGING! View attachment 2015449
View attachment 2015450
Just need to clean it up a bit and do some testing. But it is indeed charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice!
Just ordered a liveview the otherday for $20 from amazon. Can't wait for it to get here! How did you get the solar strip to charge it, that's a great idea?

Just need to get a solar band to be about 5v. Ebay has cheap voltage converters with usb outputs. I'm soldering on a male micro usb and removing female full size usb port. I cut the end of the charger that came with the live view off... only two cables inside. Having some weird results though. Will report more after some more tinkering.

Goddamnit. I cant figure it out. It doesn't seem to be working. The charging indicator light comes on and the screen charging icon indicator shows charging. But even when the device is off and left on the charger... no charge seems to accumulate in the battery.
Not sure if the voltage regulator efficiency is to blame resulting in sub 100ma output??? (This seems to be the case as my phone doesn't report charging). But why would liveview report charging but never charge?
The other possibility is that I need to incorporate a diode, like an led, inline to keep current flowing back from liveview to boost converter when a cloud goes over? Oddly, if I disconnect solar cell... liveview seems to illuminate an led built into regulator. Odd!
This morning I charged for about twenty minutes and when I disconnected, the charging light stayed illuminated for several minutes and liveview would not respond.
Anyone have any ideas?
I'm hoping I don't have to incorporate a tiny rechargeable coin battery intermediate to liveview and the solar cell.

I don't know much about electrical setups but it sounds like the current is flowing into the liveview, then back to the converter and is circulating in and out. Basically, the solar strip is charging the liveview, and at the same time the liveview is powering the converter. This would explain the led staying on after it had been disconnected as the remaining charge in the battery was sent to the voltage converter. Did you try disconnecting everything (usb cable and all) after charging it?

Not yet. Been busy at work. But dying to try. I agree with your assessment. Wish I had an extra led to isolate so there was no backwards flow.

I'm hitting 59.6milliamps on an overcast day with a portion of the panel covered.
Usb provides 100ma max non-negotiated. I'm seeing the liveview pulling 74ma from a usb computer outlet. Getting close!
There seems to be some accumulation. I'm thinking of incorporating a tiny rechargeable nimh coincell to balance everything out and provide more current. I don't see any negative current flowing from live view beyond the voltage converter to the ammeter. Successfully charged my bt headset. Getting there.
I've got, what I hope, is a more efficient converter on the way.

Never run out of battery again on liveview:
Charge from your phone!!!
Otg male micro to micro usb will charge the live view from note2 usb.
3300mah note2 battery at about 100ma to live view's 100ish... while liveview provides an awesome second screen! And remote control/ game D pad plus select. Sick!!! Fxuck yeah
Phone remote.
My note 2 is so big... I need a remote.
In the hood don't even need to whip out note2. There's some serious benefits here.
Schematic attached for my idea of male to male plug to charge liveview from phone:
*Data (D+/D-) generally green and white wires not needed.
*Depending on the orientation of your phone port and whether you want second screen face up (as I do) then there's this difficult twist.
Use the shield to send GND and maybe a conductive ink pen to draw a trace from 1 to 5.
*4 and 5 on OTG side must be coupled for phone to detect OTG.
*Not sure how the phone will react to seeing pins 2/3 D+/D- as open. Hope this works. I think it will.
My phone charges the liveview using a 2 conductor cable... so they should show open anyway.
*if your phone connector is reversed or you don't care about the orientation (which might be nice in some configs)... this is a **** ton easier. Only need to couple two male micro-b to male micro-b with all connectors going straight through. (and couple 4 and 5).
Schematic up just FYI FWIW.
ONE CAVEAT to this. Without the data cables you can't negotiate for higher current above 100mA. But for bluetooth peripherals and liveview... this should be quite sufficient.

Solar charger wrist band working on smartwatch1! They are going to have to build their own for smart watch 2 as I believe it's proprietary connection.
Best news ever just hit... Sony OPENS up dev on smartwatches; home brew friendly behavior? Hell yeah sony! This is such a relief, if this is the new Sony, I'm getting ps4 *****es! The boycott is over! I'm totally getting smarter watch 2 when it comes down to a reasonable price...Cannot wait for full multitouch.
Does anyone have specs fir smart watch 2 plug? Its not microusb is it?

OR - the really easy way if you don't need structural coupling:
$5
http://hakshop.myshopify.com/products/micro-to-micro-otg
Male to male
micro-b to micro-b
with OTG (on the go) enabled.
Already all the work is done... great cable to charge liveview directly from phone!
Also works with your bluetooth headset, mouse, keyboard, and the like.
One improvement on this would be to couple in a resistor across the data lines to allow charging the phone while derivatively charging the liveview.
I'll leave that to the other threads.

Direct phone to liveview charging. 100ma @ 5v
Usb micro to usb micro
Micro-b
$5 from hackify

Ebay “Tilted” Qi Charger Review!! ***PLEASE read the OP first before questions***

**EDIT: If you're looking for a good way to power these Qi chargers without having to worry about finding a good USB cable, or a good AC adapter, see my Folding Blade Charger thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/google-nexus-5/accessories/hands-best-fastest-nexus-5-charger-t2729066
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disclaimer: Remember, these are just my results! I can't guarantee that this charger will perform the same for you.
So the tilted Qi charger finally arrived in the mail. I ordered it on Dec. 26th (a second one on the 28th). This is the link if anyone is interested in it.
$14.83 with free shipping!
(If you want any other Countries/Regions let me know. I will try to find it for you )
Canada:
Black Charger - http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Qi-Wireless-Charger-Charge-Pad-A-for-Nexus4-5-HTC-8X-Lumia920-820-Note2-3-S3-4-/271329239542?hash=item3f2c7ba1f6
White Charger - http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Qi-Wireless-Charger-Charge-Pad-B-for-Nexus4-5-HTC-8X-Lumia920-820-Note2-3-S3-4-/271329239508?pt=US_Cell_Phone_PDA_Chargers&hash=item3f2c7ba1d4
US:
Black Charger - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Qi-Wireless-Charger-Charge-Pad-A-for-Nexus4-5-HTC-8X-Lumia920-820-Note2-3-S3-4-/271329239542?pt=US_Cell_Phone_PDA_Chargers&hash=item3f2c7ba1f6
White Charger - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Qi-Wireless-Charger-Charge-Pad-B-for-Nexus4-5-HTC-8X-Lumia920-820-Note2-3-S3-4-/271329239508?pt=US_Cell_Phone_PDA_Chargers&hash=item3f2c7ba1d4
UK: (Same charger, different seller, as the one I used doesn't seem to operate in the UK)
Black Charger - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Qi-Wireless-Charger-Charge-Pad-A-for-Nexus4-5-HTC-8X-Lumia920-820-Note2-3-S3-4-/190998427380?pt=UK_MobilePhones_MobilePhoneAccesories_MobilePhoneDataCables_JN&hash=item2c7864b6f4
White Charger - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Qi-Wireless-Charger-Charge-Pad-B-for-Nexus4-5-HTC-8X-Lumia920-820-Note2-3-S3-4-/291035151232?pt=UK_MobilePhones_MobilePhoneAccesories_MobilePhoneDataCables_JN&hash=item43c30bfb80
Germany:
Black Charger - http://www.ebay.de/itm/Qi-Wireless-Charger-Charge-Pad-A-for-Nexus4-5-HTC-8X-Lumia920-820-Note2-3-S3-4-/271329239542?pt=US_Cell_Phone_PDA_Chargers&hash=item3f2c7ba1f6
White Charger - http://www.ebay.de/itm/Qi-Wireless-Charger-Charge-Pad-B-for-Nexus4-5-HTC-8X-Lumia920-820-Note2-3-S3-4-/271329239508?pt=US_Cell_Phone_PDA_Chargers&hash=item3f2c7ba1d4
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Performance
To see the improvement a GOOD USB cable can make, I made a video demonstrating the difference in charge speed here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=49509790&postcount=52
The first thing you need to do before you even use it, is replace the USB cable with one that supports faster charging speeds. The included cable does work, but it topped out at around a 600mA charge rate while connected to a 2A USB wall adapter. I'm currently waiting on a bunch of Monoprice Premium USB cables to arrive so I can replace all of my cables. Until then, I'm using my Motorola Ecomoto cable (from the Atrix days) with this charger. It is probably one of the best USB cables out there (unlike the phone....) and it let the charger go full speed which put it at close to 800mA. That number surprised me, because it means the efficiency of this charger is quite high! Above 75%! That is really good!! My 3 other Qi chargers, top out at 751mA, 722mA, and 745mA.
That may not seem like too much of a variance between them all, but Qi chargers are generally rated at ~70% - 75% efficiency, which my other 3 chargers fall within. So far, this one has outperformed them all. A 1A output Qi charger at higher than 75% efficiency.
So far so good for a $14.83 generic ebay Qi charger!
Build Quality
The charger is well built. While it is light, it has a little bit of weight to it (doesn't feel like a feather). There is a vent/grill on the bottom, as well as 4 non slip sticker pads to prevent the charger from sliding around. Each foot pad had a little plastic cover over it that you need to peel off before using. There is also a non slip ring pad on the top of the charger (white ring) that also has a plastic cover you need to peel off before use. (Edit: Some people have suggested peeling off the white ring, repositioning it, and reapplying so that the phone sticks even better). The top and bottom pads are NOT sticky. They are a very grippy rubbery material. While it is thin, it holds very well.
I used my Quicksand Cases, Semi Transparent Cases, Candy Color Cases, the Ringke Slim, and Naked/Caseless and the phone did not slide off at all. It's not sticky, but it will hold your phone in any case (that I have anyway) with no problems. I was concerned the Quicksand case may not stay in place because it is not a smooth material, but it stayed in place just fine. It had no problems charging through all of my cases as well, with no loss of speed.
There are 2 LEDs on the front, 1 red, 1 green. Red alone = unit is powered, Red + Green = phone connected/charging. There is no speaker in the unit (if you are a person who likes that) so there is no beep from the charger when the phone is placed on it. The Nexus 5 still makes the connection sound though.
The charger did not get hot throughout the whole charging cycle. It got a tiny bit warmer, but that was it. The phone as well, did not get hot while charging, a little warmer only. But playing any game on the phone for more than 10 minutes will be hotter than this was. So no issues there.
The unit itself looks very nice, and as you will see in the pictures below, is SMALLER than I had thought it to be. When the phone is connected to the charger, you can't see the charger under/behind it. When it arrived in the mail (in a simple yellow bubble pack envelope) I had originally thought it was some of my 2A adapters I had ordered.
The only down side to this charger, was the USB cable it shipped with. It will get the job done, but if you want full speed, use a better cable with some 2A adapters.
Pictures
Profile and angle:
You can see that the phone had no problem staying in place. Even using the Quicksand case which I thought wouldn't stick at all, had no problem.
Straight on:
You can see here how small the unit is, when the phone is on it, you can't even see it. It's taller and more angled than the Nexus 5 charger, but smaller than you may think. I quite like it, it's very unassuming and would blend nicely on a desk next to a pencil holder or something.
Size comparisons:
There ya go! You can see how small this thing is in comparison to a couple of my other chargers. Yes, the rectangular ones are different from each other. The one without the LED is probably the one with the lowest build quality. Comparing it to a standard credit card type card, as well, you can see it's pretty small.
Holding ability:
Just to show you how well this thing holds the phone. Here are a couple of random angles. The second one I just did for extreme demonstration purposes (it didn't charge this way because the coils were nowhere near each other) but you can see even with awkward angles and uneven weight distribution the phone wasn't going anywhere!!
Conclusion/Is it worth it??
So, is this a good buy?
I would put this strictly in the YES category. It looks nice, is VERY cheap, is built quite well, and for my unit anyway, is the FASTEST Qi charger I've got! If you're in the market for a cheap, fast, quality, angled Qi charger, this guy will serve you well.
Pros:
Cost - Great bang for the buck at $14.83 shipped
Build Quality - It's solid and doesn't feel cheap
Looks - Looks good to me that's up to you really
Performance - This guy is quick, Energizer bunny quick!
Misc - With or without a case, no problems holding the phone or charging at full speed
Cons:
Included USB Cable - Will get the job done, but not at top speed. It's the ol' Ball and Chain... Use a better one if you can!

thanks for the review man. gonna have to snag a few

I can confirm ordered one as recommendation from Op got it today and I thought it won't be able to charge with my tudia hybrid which is quite bulky case but no problem this or the flat one charge the phone have yet to see how much mAh they put but I still didn't get 2A Chargers but I'm extremely happy with the buy so far. Thanks Op for great reviews all over accessories forum
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Nice review! Just ordered one.

Thanks for the review. Will be picking one up.
There's also a white version from the same seller if anyone's interested:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Qi-Wireless...9239542&tpos=top&ttype=coupon&talgo=undefined

Thanks for the detailed review. I'd be interested to hear other people's experiences though. My one barely grips my phone at all. I bought two and they're both the same. Slides off within seconds if not instantly.

ritzxda said:
Thanks for the detailed review. I'd be interested to hear other people's experiences though. My one barely grips my phone at all. I bought two and they're both the same. Slides off within seconds if not instantly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you peel off the clear plastic over the grip ring and the 4 feet under the charger?

mmmmBACON said:
Did you peel off the clear plastic over the grip ring and the 4 feet under the charger?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol yes. Thanks.

Just ordered a pair for office and home office. Thanks for the review, looking forward to getting them!
Sent from a van down by the river using my Nexus 5 and Tapatalk 4.

jmacdonald19 said:
Just ordered a pair for office and home office. Thanks for the review, looking forward to getting them!
Sent from a van down by the river using my Nexus 5 and Tapatalk 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same. Thanks.

Always look forward to your reviews. I will be buying one of these in black soon. Thanks man
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Great review!
I might just pick one of these up.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Anyone have a link for this on eBay UK ?
Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013) KitKat 4.4.2

albert_htc said:
Anyone have a link for this on eBay UK ?
Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013) KitKat 4.4.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can order from .com as well, just log in with the same account
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Thanks. Was hoping for UK as delivery would be quicker..
Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013) KitKat 4.4.2

albert_htc said:
Thanks. Was hoping for UK as delivery would be quicker..
Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013) KitKat 4.4.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Found this two in UK. Not like this one, but the same
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Qi-Wirele...lePhonesCasesPouches&var=&hash=item3f2d7eb6fa
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Qi-Wirele...lePhonesCasesPouches&var=&hash=item27d9717bde

The Atrix USB cable is a beast,lol. The phone literally fell apart, but that USB cable is quality...

albert_htc said:
Anyone have a link for this on eBay UK ?
Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013) KitKat 4.4.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DelBoy said:
Found this two in UK. Not like this one, but the same
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Qi-Wirele...lePhonesCasesPouches&var=&hash=item3f2d7eb6fa
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Qi-Wirele...lePhonesCasesPouches&var=&hash=item27d9717bde
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've updated the OP with links to the charger for ebay Canada/US/UK. for both Black and White.

NAB4 said:
The Atrix USB cable is a beast,lol. The phone literally fell apart, but that USB cable is quality...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah no kidding. That cable is my go to if all else fails (which is often haha). Man that Atrix though... Most expensive disappointment I've ever bought outright.

Any update on how this performs with a 2A charger?