Develop Bugs

Wide/Macro Lens for the Evo

Some of you might already know about this, but I just read an article that talks about a set of macro/wide lens that's compatible with the Evo. From the picutrestaken with it, it looks pretty terrific.
Sample shots here: http://www.goodandevo.net/2010/06/review-magnetic-macro-lens-for-htc-evo-4g.html
Can be purchased here: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14953

Already bought mine, will let you guys know what quality is made of. Will post pics.

Fixter said:
Already bought mine, will let you guys know what quality is made of. Will post pics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please do. I'd like to see what kind of photos can be taken with that wide angle lens, even if I have to hold it up while taking the shot.

i'm interested to see how your dealings with dealextreme go. i've never even heard of them

They are good but shipping usually takes 3 weeks. I have a jewelers eyepiece that does the same thing as these macro lenses. The one I have is only 1.5x you can buy then at 10x and more. You can buy them for a penny on ebay:
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Isnt the one that was shown on engadget a bit different, colored and smaller?

oOflyeyesOo said:
Isnt the one that was shown on engadget a bit different, colored and smaller?
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Click to collapse
And the biggest feature (to me at least) - Magnetic.

kmartburrito said:
And the biggest feature (to me at least) - Magnetic.
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Click to collapse
Yeah. But they arent for photographic sessions. They tend to fall off with heavy use.

Fixter said:
Yeah. But they arent for photographic sessions. They tend to fall off with heavy use.
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Click to collapse
Dang, that sucks to hear. I was hoping it would be a strong enough magnet to stay at least somewhat firmly attached. I guess you can't expect too much for something that wasn't specifically designed for the Evo.
In any case, it's cool though!

Pictures look fantastic. If anyone gets this let me know how it goes I am so close to pulling the trigger its only ten bucks....

yeah, i went ahead and bought it last night too. i figured 10 bucks...no big whoop. i've thrown away that much just in old produce last week, lol

Mecha2142 said:
Some of you might already know about this, but I just read an article that talks about a set of macro/wide lens that's compatible with the Evo. From the picutrestaken with it, it looks pretty terrific.
Sample shots here: http://www.goodandevo.net/2010/06/review-magnetic-macro-lens-for-htc-evo-4g.html
Can be purchased here: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14953
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite simply is there a reason not to love their weird selection of products. I've bought so much stuff from them that I have NEVER been able to find anywhere else. I think this company is great.

Looks like fun!
I placed my order, not to worried if they dont stick on there perfectly, they are fairly cheap, do the eyeglass pieces stick to the Evo as well or were those pics taken while holding it in place?

Did anyone find the red macro lens that was in the pictures from engadget?

so, has anyone received one that they've ordered yet? mine says it is 'in packaging'....lord only knows how long that is going to take...

Timothy. I have been a client of them for more than 2 years. No one will receive theirs until 2 weeks or more.
-------------------------------------
Sent via HTC Evo

I went and got a walmart money card to get these things but paypal isnt liking it so i guess ill just have to wait til my new check card comes in the mail to order. Hoping i get as good of shots that engadget showed.

so, has anyone received one that they've ordered yet? mine says it is 'in packaging'....lord only knows how long that is going to take...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
expect to wait a bit, that's why shipping is free and it's so cheap. probably 1.5-2 weeks, as that's what happened when i bought a cheap fling monkey scream toy from them last year. that being said, at this price it's still pretty sweet.
on a side note, can anyone recommend any of the ones from that first amazon link? i'd prefer to have it shipped quicker and pay for higher quality if it's reasonable. thanks in advance!

jgutz20 said:
I placed my order, not to worried if they dont stick on there perfectly, they are fairly cheap, do the eyeglass pieces stick to the Evo as well or were those pics taken while holding it in place?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All I did was put the camera right over top of the jewelers lens. The macro shots are more of a novelty for a camera phone. I've always known about this and maybe tried it out 3 times tops on cell phones. Like I said you can buy the jewelers lenses for a penny on ebay, and they are much higher quality and you can pick the magnification.

Theres a product called jelly lens that does the same thing as this except it uses like silly putty or something around the ring to stick instead of using a magnetic ring

Armbands for vibrant?

Anybody have a recommendation? Right now I go for a run with my ipod shuffle (the one with a clip) and a stopwatch and when I'm done I check my distance on google maps. I don't want to spend the money on a fancy gps watch so I'd love to use my phone to take the place of the three things I use now.
I would like one that is going to give the phone some protection from sweat and the elements and preferably be able to use the screen while the phone is in the band.
Edit 9/24/10: Got my armband from here http://cgi.ebay.com/C6-Sports-Armba...178137?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item1c152a4d59 yesterday in the mail and ran with it today for the first time. For $7 it's not bad. I can press the power button through the material and use the screen though it's awkward to do so on my arm. I can't really get the volume buttons to work very well though. Biggest problem was the GPS, mine works fine if I'm in a car moving quickly but at running speeds it drifts around pretty bad. I ran 5.5 miles and My Tracks says I did 6.8 and gained 19k feet of elevation, lol. I'm going to try something meant for running and see if works any better.
Anyway the band itself is pretty much awesome for what I paid but if I saw one made for the vibrant that I could use the buttons through easier I'd probably get one.

maybe something like this
http://www.iarmbands.com/Arm-Band-for-Samsung-Galaxy-S-captivate-vibrant-fascinate-LAB-002.htm
Offtopic: what part of the 801 are you from?

Pretty much. You used that? I'd love to know if someone had tried one before I buy but if not I'll get one and report back.
I live near trolley square.
Edit: where is k town? Kaysville? Kearns?

no i havent used it....that was one of the better ones that i could find that you described.
Yeah I live by Jordan Landing on the Kearns side.

Yeah from what I've seen that looks pretty good. If I don't get any recommendations I'll probably pick that up tomorrow.

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Tried this..... not bad but not great.

I have a generic one and the biggest problem I have is unlocking the phone to do anything with it. My G1 was super easy since it was on the front, but since its on the hard its rather hard to push and use.

I have the belkin armband for my ipod touch. Check it out, if its something your interested in I'll run out to my truck and grab it and see how it fits and let you know.

Found thise while trolling ebay for deals.
http://cgi.ebay.com/C6-Sports-Armba...178137?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item1c152a4d59

Chief Geek said:
I have the belkin armband for my ipod touch. Check it out, if its something your interested in I'll run out to my truck and grab it and see how it fits and let you know.
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Click to collapse
That would be cool. First thing I thought was to try that but I stopped in at an apple store and the only armbands they had were for nanos so I couldn't try it. Don't see why that wouldn't work........
Chief Geek said:
Found thise while trolling ebay for deals.
http://cgi.ebay.com/C6-Sports-Armba...178137?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item1c152a4d59
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
........which is why this one is being sold as a Vibrant case. If you look at the pic it shows an iphone in the case. It's cheap though so that is a bonus.

Ok no problem, I'm going to run out and burn one and grab it and see how it fits. Will bum someone elses phone to snap some pics for you so keep an eye out.

I got one from KMART. cheap....effective. It is made for the IPOD but I have run with it a lot using the sweetest training app out there....Endomondo and I have never had any problems with it even slipping loose at all.

Well it didn't go so well. While outside I put my vibrant into the armband case and it fit, although I did have to stretch the silicon case a bit as the size difference was greater then I had thought it would be. But it did fit. So I brought it inside and removed it to take photos. Then put it back in and the case ripped. Now I think this may or may not be a belkin case, I can not remember, but I did get it at walmart. Its worth looking into but be aware that constant removing and reinstalling will shorten the life. I have had this thing for a couple years and it has seen alot of abuse at the gym, while running, and while doing yard work so I'm sure it was already near the end of its life anyways. The pic is crappy cause I was taking it with the forward facing camera on a android tablet I'm playing with.

splayer7 said:
I got one from KMART. cheap....effective. It is made for the IPOD but I have run with it a lot using the sweetest training app out there....Endomondo and I have never had any problems with it even slipping loose at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, I'll check out Endomondo. Thanks
Chief Geek said:
Well it didn't go so well. While outside I put my vibrant into the armband case and it fit, although I did have to stretch the silicon case a bit as the size difference was greater then I had thought it would be. But it did fit. So I brought it inside and removed it to take photos. Then put it back in and the case ripped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh that sucks man. Didn't want you to have to bust your stuff Thanks for checking though. I am going to order the other one off ebay and see if it works.

Meh, Im not worried about it. I've gotton my moneys worth out of it and then some. Just let us know how that one you ordered works out since it appears I am now in the market for a new arm band.

Chief Geek said:
Just let us know how that one you ordered works out since it appears I am now in the market for a new arm band.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol. It's ordered so it should be here in a few days and I'll let you know what I think.

How are you guys addressing the fact that the lock button is on the side of the phone? Meaning how are you accessing it to start, stop and pause your work outs if the screen is off?

Well on the ipod one I jacked up, the volume rocker and power could be activated through the stretched silicon sides. Too bad it didn't work out.

Update: Got my armband from here http://cgi.ebay.com/C6-Sports-Armban...item1c152a4d59 yesterday in the mail and ran with it today for the first time. For $7 it's not bad. I can press the power button through the material and use the screen though it's awkward to do so on my arm. I can't really get the volume buttons to work very well though. Biggest problem was the GPS, mine works fine if I'm in a car moving quickly but at running speeds it drifts around pretty bad. I ran 5.5 miles and My Tracks says I did 6.8 and gained 19k feet of elevation, lol. I'm going to try something meant for running and see if works any better.
Anyway the band itself is pretty much awesome for what I paid but if I saw one made for the vibrant that I could use the buttons through easier I'd probably get one.

vibrant power skin [review/pictures]

hello xda, please don't mind my lack of capitalization...my shift keys are currently not functioning lol at any rate...
i purchased an official t-mobile powerskin about a week back from a some site, and i just received it this morning. although the official price marked on the box is 54.00 dollars, i managed to buy mine new for 15.00 so i am pretty happy, so i thought it was a safe gamble. i will provide my opinion of this accessory and rating based on a few different categories, and supplement my review with pictures as well.
protection [5/10]
the case itself is covered in a gel like covering, similar to many gel cases sold by t-mobile for the vibrant. although the powerskin does seem durable and is thicker than the typical gel casing, i am not too positive that the case itself will provide amazing protection if dropped from a high place such as a table. it will certainly provide some protection, but since the phone slips into the case and the case does not wrap around the phone, it seems likely that if the phone is dropped, that it will fall out of the case upon impact.
thickness [7/10]
the added thickness to the vibrant is not outstanding, it only gains about twice the thickness that it normally would have without the powerskin. in terms of width, the phone only gains about 1/4 of an inch and about an inch to its height. with this added mass, the powerskin makes the phone feel a little more bulky, but nothing significant. all in all, it feels similiar as holding an iphone4.
baterry [10/10]
the powerskin performs as advertised, effectively doubling the life of the vibrant. the back of the case has a small button below the power level indicator lights, that enables the user to turn on the powerskins charging feature when needed, or turn it off when one wishes to run off the phones built in battery.
instructions [6/10]
the instructions are nothing more than a few pictures, so they leave much to be desired, however the case itself is easy enough to figure out, and thus does not require too much explanation.
weight [5/10]
the weight added to the phone is about what it expected, a little more than a battery itself. the added weight does about double the normal weight of the phone, and thus is quite noticeable, and does take some getting use to. but all in all, its to be expected.
overall [6/10]
all in all the powerskin performs as advertised, without added too much more bulk to the phone itself. the weight added is a little downer, but you take what you get for double the battery life. protection wise, the skin will allow for minimal protection against falls and allow one to drop a phone from a high height and receive minimal damage without totally neutralizing the blow. i wish that the skin wrapped around the phone a little better sine the fit doesn't seem to be perfect, but again, i suppose you cannot have your cake and eat it too
now for some pictures --
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Nice!
I just ordered 2 of these (one for my fiance) off of Ebay for 12.99 Buy it Now, free shipping from New York. It says refurbished, but I've never had problems using refurbished electronics before, and at that price, I'll take the risk.
I'll give my feedback once I receive and use it.

imitebewrong said:
Nice!
I just ordered 2 of these (one for my fiance) off of Ebay for 12.99 Buy it Now, free shipping from New York. It says refurbished, but I've never had problems using refurbished electronics before, and at that price, I'll take the risk.
I'll give my feedback once I receive and use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll be waiting for that feedback on that ebay purchase. I saw 12.99 used and 16.99 new, I'm wondering if its to good to be true. In the official thread it seems like there is a revised version. I guess at 13 bucks its not to much of a gamble. Let me know.

the only issue ive noticed over the week or so that ive been using the case is this...that the case likes to turn itself on when it realizes that the battery is being consumed by use...this isnt that bad, however it does not turn itself off when you standby lol which is just wasting the charge. thus i suggest getting some sort of battery monitoring widget that clearly tells you if and when the phone is plugged in, so that you can shut off the case if it happeneds to turn on. once you notice that its on, and you turn it off, it tends to stay off until the battery gets to about 70ish before deciding to recharge the phone battery.
all in all, nice if you can get it for under twenty, which isnt hard.

OK so I received the two Powerskins today. I have the same issue with it turning itself on sometimes... but all an all its definitely worth the 12.99.
It adds more bulk to the phone than I thought... but its excellent for traveling and is a huge convienience.
Sent from my T959 using XDA Premium App

You guys finally figured out about this...I posted this in June...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=15052151&postcount=33

I think most of us knew about something like this for a long time. I didn't realize they were so affordable though.
Doesn't Samsung make a much nicer one for the I9000 and sell it in Europe? I think that's what a saw months ago, and it was much more expensive...

I agree, it did add more bulk than i imagined it would...but all in all, its not that much worse. although i wish it didn't turn itself on at random times, the inconvenience is outweighed by the usefulness I believe. Im a heavy user, and am running cm7 nightly build 85 with glitch kernel v12 beta and my battery consumption is immense at times, since using the powerskin, ive noticed that I can use my phone for much longer without needing to charge.
And ive known about this for awhile, but i was waiting for a good deal lol 15>54 haha

imitebewrong said:
I think most of us knew about something like this for a long time. I didn't realize they were so affordable though.
Doesn't Samsung make a much nicer one for the I9000 and sell it in Europe? I think that's what a saw months ago, and it was much more expensive...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah they do. I think it was called a powerpack?

duboi97 said:
Yeah they do. I think it was called a powerpack?
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Click to collapse
I believe you're right. I was debating getting.that one but the price was a good deterrent lol

So I ordered mine on Friday and got it today (Wednesday). I got one of the $12.99 used ones from ebay. So my thoughts on it are mixed, before I was using.a CS 3000mAh battery and it actually lasted me the night at work, I work a 10 hour shift and have music playing on my vibrant for around 8 of them, i'm in and out of a cooler all night and the basement of the casino (I live in Vegas) so I lose my signal constantly and my phone always searching and reconnecting (also I send dozens of texts and very heavy data/Web use), so I need extended life. Now the old extended buttery added some weight and size increase too but the power skin makes the phone feel huge. It's nice to have some protection on it though. On top of the extended battery I always used a belt case (no pocket space for my phone) but with the power skin it no longer fits. One concern I have and can't test till I get back to work is that the case sticks out over the headphone jack kinda far and i'm not sure they will plug in correctly.
Overall the power skin does it's job but i'm glad I only paid $12.99, if I paid the $54.99 box price I would have been pissed...
I'm going to try and use it for a while, but I have a feeling I'll be going back to the regular extended battery.

Polycarbonate & Performance Issues

Hi guys,
Last night I was browsing the forums when I noticed someone had reported a strange issue happening to the back of their Black One X. I took mine out of its case, that it's remained in since I got it, and was angry to see a similar issue happing to my phone.
I will attach a photo, but basically the back of the phone seems to have marks on it. It looks like someone has got oil on their fingers and has then touched the back of the phone, only there is no way to get this off.
It's my third device from The Carphone Warehouse, and I'm reluctant to take it back. I've been told that due to a 'Fair Returns Policy' I will have to send my HTC off for repair rather than getting a new one from in-store. They will allow me to switch to another phone, however there is nothing really the equivalent?
Is there any such thing as a 'Fair Returns Policy' because as far as I'm concerned when you get a phone that costs this much (well this much a month) you expect it to last. Previous phones that I've had that are not flagships have never had any issues like this. Should The Carphone Warehouse return my phone despite this being my 4th device or is it within their right to tell me where to go?
Also I keep experiencing problems with the performance, sometimes when turning on the device I'll just get to the HTC screen with the green text and it will take about 15 minutes to boot and will get extremely hot during the process. When it eventually loads, the battery will be below half from what was a full charge. This has happened to me about three times, I've had the device a week.
The device is running Software number 1.29. I feel like a bit of an idiot going into The Carphone Warehouse to try and get this problem solved, and also it will be my 5th time. They have told me that they have had no returns, but I find this hard to believe considering the amount of voice on these forums stating they have returned theirs due to the same issues.
What should I do?
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You should get a return. You've payed a lot of money to get a working device. If it doens't suit the demands you need to take it back and ask for a new device or a refund.
Seems fair. It doesn't matter if it's the 5th time or the 100th time that you returned the device. You've payed, you need a good/working device.

ctfTijG said:
You should get a return. You've payed a lot of money to get a working device. If it doens't suit the demands you need to take it back and ask for a new device or a refund.
Seems fair. It doesn't matter if it's the 5th time or the 100th time that you returned the device. You've payed, you need a good/working device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this statement, however I got the phone for free as I got it on an early-upgrade on Orange in the UK.
Well, I paid for the upgrade as I had 6 months remaining contract, but nothing for the phone.

Just get your money back, then re-buy it again (If you really want to, or wait for Galaxy S3 maybe)
I'm a lucky one which haven't had any problem yet, I also bought mine at Carphone Warehouse.

MrPhilo said:
Just get your money back, then re-buy it again (If you really want to, or wait for Galaxy S3 maybe)
I'm a lucky one which haven't had any problem yet, I also bought mine at Carphone Warehouse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't pay for the device though...

Still doesn't matter though. You need a working/decent phone. It was included in the upgrade I guess? So in a way you still payed for the device.

my first white one had it as well, but not from being in a pouch. Just from lying on the table.
It is typically "polished" plastic. Happens to all kind of platic, usually at egdes where things rub against them. I guess your phone is rubbing against the pouch the whole time so it gets shiny polished there (no kidding)
It will give a shiny spot on matte surfaces and a matte spot on shiny surfaces.

fallenwout said:
my first white one had it as well, but not from being in a pouch. Just from lying on the table.
It is typically "polished" plastic. Happens to all kind of platic, usually at egdes where things rub against them. I guess your phone is rubbing against the pouch the whole time so it gets shiny polished there (no kidding)
It will give a shiny spot on matte surfaces and a matte spot on shiny surfaces.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's impossible, my device fits super tight into my case and there is no way it could move in any way at all.

If you are moving and have the phone in your pocket, the case is still rubbing on the phone, you can't prevent it. Also some kind of pressure might have been in that spot for many times.

First things first, give it a good scrub with a damp toothbrush and soap. If they wont let you swap it they -must- by law offer a refund, which in your case means they must allow you to cancel your contract without any penalties.

JamesBarnes said:
First things first, give it a good scrub with a damp toothbrush and soap. If they wont let you swap it they -must- by law offer a refund, which in your case means they must allow you to cancel your contract without any penalties.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried that, it doesn't work. Saw that in a Yahoo suggestion about a Lumia. Are you sure this is the way it works?
I did not pay a penny for my phone, and as they are not Orange and I did an early upgrade I think the terms are different... They won't let me swap for an iPhone, I ok refer my One X but just sick of DOA devices!
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

[Q] Anyone thinking about or using the Samsung Galaxy Smart Dock with an Active?

I've spent the past day or so mulling over spending a pocketful of cash for a brand new phone these days, after so many years of grabbing up used hardware passed down by other people, I'm at a point where the current generation of phones (like the GS4A) are most certainly "powerful enough" to do some of the things that I'd like to do. My idea is this, as crazy as it might sound, is to build myself a nice desktop machine (which is on the planning board right now as well) but also get a brand new high end smartphone which I intend to use in manner like so:
- attach the high end smartphone to a dock (if one is available) that allows me to plug in a keyboard, mouse, and of course a high definition monitor (in this case with the GS4A, a 1920x1080 model to match the resolution, I don't need more than that
- when I'm at home I can simply put the phone on the dock and then it will become my "terminal" powering the desktop monitor, controlled by the keyboard and mouse, and running a terminal services/remote desktop application which then allows me to "remote in" to the desktop computer (which will be in another part of the room on the same network)
Yes, it does sound a bit crazy but it's what I have in mind. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has or owns the Samsung Galaxy Smart Dock Multimedia Hub as seen here:
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Link to Samsung product page:
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones-accessories/EDD-S20JWEGSTA
I know that it's a bit expensive for what it is, but the capabilities it offers are perfect for my particular plans I have in mind. I've found it for a bit less on eBay and Amazon so, it's under strong consideration since I'd prefer to use such a dock instead of using an MHL adapter then that into a hub, etc - which would probably be an issue getting USB signals out at the same time as the HDMI for the monitor, and so on. A single dock doing all that (and offering 3 USB ports and audio output too) is far more realistic.
So, if anyone has such a dock could you comment on your experience(s) with it with the GS4A? I'm going over to the GS4 forum to look around for info - I'm just making an assumption that the dock works with the GS4A since it is a Galaxy device and that dock is supposed to be for all of them, more or less. The recessed USB port on the GS4A (because of the "rugged" casing design) might make it more difficult to attach, perhaps Samsung has one of those adapters to raise the microUSB plug on the adapter and make it flush. It's all part of my research now.
I wish I could get that "Flame Orange" version of the GS4A but I can't seem to locate a seller for it, I believe that's the International version of the GS4A and on eBay it's commanding prices in the $900 range and I simply cannot afford that much. I may even end up buying a GS4A used, who knows.
Already picked out my case, however, it's that Supcase Unicorn Beetle one in Yellow/Black, that thing is simply gorgeous.
Thanks for any input or information, it's appreciated.
Edit: I just checked and yes it appears to be compatible with the GS4A as noted on the "Supported Devices" support page, awesome.

I looked at that dock, and others as well, but have been waiting for someone else to check if it actually works with the Active or not... Maybe you
What I wonder is what happens to the rubber USB plug when the phone is in the dock. Does it just get crushed underneath, or is their a space for it? Maybe the plug will need to be removed completely, which is something I'm close to doing anyway since I didn't get this phone to use underwater anyway.
If you do decide to purchase, please post back and let us know...

If you look on the page you linked to, under compatible with, click "see all", and you'll note that the Active is listed on the second page - at least the AT&T model. In other words, it seems it would work!
I'd consider it myself if I had room for a third monitor on my desk.

Found this giant pic online. It looks like the piece in the middle can be taken out to help accommodate the rubber flap. I don't have one myself but it looks pretty solid.

i've just ordered one from ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390644518590
if it arrives (never fully trust ebay ) ill let you know if it works well

If you haven't ordered it yet, and are thinking about it, check this link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2252246
A member posted about 50% off.

PHOENIXROSE said:
i've just ordered one from ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390644518590
if it arrives (never fully trust ebay ) ill let you know if it works well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotta love it when the ad says "SHIPS WORLDWIDE" but in this somewhat rare instance it can't/doesn't/won't ship to the US, go figure. Bleh.
Got a friend over in the UK, will ask her if she can order it for me, have it shipped to her then she'll send it my way.
I ended up getting an S4 Active in somewhat "horribad" cosmetic condition: was dropped by the previous owner < 2 weeks after purchase, the Dive Blue model from AT&T, and developed a typical "spider web" crack in the glass but the digitizer is still 100% functional and the LCD suffered no ill effects, missing the original battery cover/back plate and the original battery, but I got it for $100 so whatever, I'm a somewhat happy camper at this moment.
Working on getting an unlock code so I can use it with T-Mobile, was reading up on that AWS "unlock" as well to help with the data connection, will see how it all works out over the next few days/weeks I suppose.
It's damned fast, and even in spite of the crack and no back cover (I got a battery off craigslist for $30, not brand new but it works so that's a plus).
Still would like to get one of these docks so yes, I'd like to hear your experience when yours arrives, thanks.

Arrived the other day and i must say im impressed, it worked well with my phone and my wifes (S3), It came with an euro charger and an american charger but i just used my phone charger and it works, it shows in portrait but when the phone flips into landscape mode its fits the whole screen.

I had a chance to get one from Samsung at half price using that 50% coupon code they gave me for registering the phone to my account, but of course I forgot about it completely when I ordered a single battery the other day - DOH!!! Should have just put both of them in the cart and got both products for less than the regular price of just one of the docks.
But I'll live I guess. I had originally intended to use the dock as I said in the first post above: like it was a "computer" of sorts attached to a keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc; I realized that wasn't going to be a feasible situation for me so I've decided to go the opposite direction and do everything I can to be truly wireless meaning using a wireless charger and all data transfers to and from the phone using Wi-Fi, and maybe even using the Wi-Fi Direct or DLNA capability to send some "video" out from it as well, there are lots of possibilities.
Just bought a Jawbone JAMBOX for $50 on craigslist and for it's size it's quite amazing too, now paired with my GS4A and crankin' out some Rush.
We'll see what happens...

I know this smart dock works with the Note 3
Since we are talking about the Samsung multimedia smart dock, I tested this out and it works with the note 3 as well, if anyone is interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCPCY9PSfSk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWN43pnkg0s