Related
Would that be possible and extend the battery live ?.
So what I mean is getting a back case with a little more space, like the one delivered with a extended battery, and cut and paste a solar cell in there, like the one used here (just forget the camera for a min.)
http://www.guildnav.com/images/solarproducts/EPC_EGS_204.jpg
Or is this just a silly idea ?
not a bad idea but improvements can be made
Siemens have beat you to it here
could be an nice idea.
hacking some solarpanel on the backover seems do-able, you only would need to seek a panel that would fit the dimensions of the diamond.
also the output power should be sufficient(idially 5V 500mA..)
just solder a miniusbcable onto it plug it in and see if it would charge..
if it works you would need to seek a way to directly tap into the chargin system... using a diode and solder directly to the pcb where it connects to the mini usb would work.
keep in mind the diode uses an additional 0.7 volts. so you need a panel wich outputs enough...
if all those criteria could be met into such small space. you a happy camper
first i would try to seek a smal enough panel, and try to make that charge the diamond... it it does that, you can hack up youre backcover
Use shottky diode, that takes only 0,2V
i find this an interesting modification...
IF i can find a solar panel wich would fit inside or on the backcover, i will try to build some electronics around it to charge the phone, if this will work, i will get u guys update, how to do the lectric part.
i dont promise it will work out, but it seems like a fun little project..
cheers
this does sound like an awesome idea, which i would actually buy lol
Bingo!
The Original extra batt. pack is nice however the price $70 is not worth than its performance....
I've tried to DIY a batt. via combine circuit and batt. cells...but the phone's pack is difficult to made.
as i said i want to try to build this idea, however, im having a bit trouble in finding any suitable (affordable) solar panels.
anyone have a idea where to find a good source?
after a bit of research, i have found some panels 20x20 mm wich would make it possible to fit 6 of them inside the dimensions of our diamond. (wich is a tiny bit larger then 100mm x 50mm)
the panels deliver at max 0.47V at 100mA. panels are a current source, so the tension (volts) would vary according the light it received..
6 x 0.47 makes 2,82V at 100mA.
ideally we need 5 volts...
maybe with a step up converter or a doubler we can pump it up but then the current will drop.
lets say we double it: 2,82V x 2 = 5,64V wich would cause the current to be cut in half, 50mA
still we have to power a regulator to maintain those 5 volts...
giving oure diamond less then 5 volts at the miniusb would stress out the charging electronics...
but i dont know if the diamond would charge at all with so litlle current...
so we would need lets say at least 12 of these panels to start charging... a bit...
i need me some nifty solar panel. otherwise i just cant cramp the power needed into the small enclosure wich is available...
anyone cares to look around for small solar panels wich pump out more volts/amps?
on ebay ! it's the best source for afordable solar cells
im planning on making a backpack attachment with a USB connection, limited for USB voltage and a fixed current output. Going to be using flexible solar cells and mounting them in flexible vacuum'd plastic, so its waterproof too
I have looked at this and I don't think the back of the diamond has enough space to get you the output you would need. There are already small solar chargers on ebay that have mini usb connections.
This project would be better for a bigger phone (HTC Touch HD)
what about this one may be you can take panels out of it and use for your project?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-Solar-Bat...14&_trkparms=72:1690|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318
Hi All,
Just giving you guys a heads up on interesting items for our SGS.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.46869 <--- 2800mah batt (Getting It)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.46157 <--- shady looking dock charger
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.30047 <--- Solar Charger with built in 2600mah battery, Shame I already have a 2000mah model
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.8422 <---- Turns ANY wired headphones into Bluetooth! (Getting it)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4346 <--- For Zombies and when I've had enough of my buggy SGS
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.45604 <-- (Got) Mini Bluetooth Keyboard that works with Froyo. You'll also want to look at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8590340&postcount=33 to get the extra special buttons to work
*NEW*
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.47285 <---- Cheaper $13.70 US$ battery at 3000mah (damn IT! I already ordered the 2800!)
Damn you for making me look at deal extreme! My poor bank account!
Saw some decent looking bluetooth headphones there just now too.
There's another i9000 charger that has a slot for the spare battery too.
damn!... all the good sized batteries needs a battery door change
I hate Deal Xtreme . Every time I'm on there I spend money that I don't have. BUT with the american dollar doing so bad I can afford to buy more!!! heheheh
sargorn said:
Damn you for making me look at deal extreme! My poor bank account!
Saw some decent looking bluetooth headphones there just now too.
There's another i9000 charger that has a slot for the spare battery too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the reviews on the headphones. I saw some I wanted to get but it seems they are mono only.
I ordered this http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.8422 Turns any headphone into bluetooth headset
I'm having doubts about the solar-battery. There's people saying it won't recharge the 3GS, for example, issues that I've read about on similar products too.
How's the Bluetooth keyboard? Is it good for typing? I assume you could use it with emulators.
It seems to charge my sisters 3gs fine last week when she was overseas in 3rd world country without reliable power. It also charges my system fine. But as I said I have the 2000mha version which might have higher amps. It charges on par with USB cable so I'm guessing 300mah while normal charger does 500mah. It takes about 10 hour's in sun to charge its 2000mah batt and 6 hours to charge phone. The keyboard works fine . Haven't tested it with emuls as I don't have any. For its price its not gonna be the best but it works. I modded a case to make my sgs a mini lappy. I mainly use my system in a iPhone wrist case as a watch
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
If you search for other portable battery packs like the one OP listed...
You will see that there are a lot of users you have cracked open those just to find out that a lot of them use batteries that are only like half the mah and such. It varies too much.
Rather than that, I totally recommend the following type of gadget...
http://ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/
You just pwnt my bank account, thx.
xxgg said:
If you search for other portable battery packs like the one OP listed...
You will see that there are a lot of users you have cracked open those just to find out that a lot of them use batteries that are only like half the mah and such. It varies too much.
Rather than that, I totally recommend the following type of gadget...
http://ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i Love this!
Buy the kit for $20
http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=10
Rather than that, I totally recommend the following type of gadget...
http://ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He he looks kind of quirky...love it.
Don't no how difficult it would be to build it though..never done any soldering before.
Update:
Crowd funding campaign is online:
www.startnext.de/en/andock
Hello everyone,
Today I would like to ask you about your opinion on my self-developed Nexus 4 Dock. First, I wanted to develop the station just for me, because I couldn’t find a Nexus 4 docking station that really fits my needs. Now I’m thinking about starting my own crowd funding campaign with this station. I already got some positive feedback on the German website android-hilfe.de.
The features of my docking station are:
- SlimPort included
- Active cooling by a fan to prevent the usual CPU throttling
- Display in widescreen format unlike the usual docking stations
- NFC-Tag
- cube shape design
- Docking Station is weighted to provide more stability
I also created a website for this project: andock.com
What do you think? Would you be interested in such a station? Thank you for your opinion.
So here are some pictures:
1) Frankly, the prototype looks terrible, especially when placed next to the Apple mouse and keyboard with their curves. Hopefully that's not what the final product will look like. Some round corners might help.
2) Take the LED away. It's not going to do jack if it's behind the phone. You won't be able to see it from the front.
3) Consider making the thickness of the "gap" around the micro usb adjustable so as to accomodate a larger range of phones. One way to do that is to make the gap wider, but provide plastic pieces that can be slipped into the gap to make it narrower. Think ipod dock adapters.
4) You need a better looking power button. It looks like something from the 70s, in which case you should make the dock out of wood. (In that case, disregard point 1 about rounded corners).
5) If possible, the dock should be powered by a micro usb.
snapper.fishes said:
1) Frankly, the prototype looks terrible, especially when placed next to the Apple mouse and keyboard with their curves. Hopefully that's not what the final product will look like. Some round corners might help.
2) Take the LED away. It's not going to do jack if it's behind the phone. You won't be able to see it from the front.
3) Consider making the thickness of the "gap" around the micro usb adjustable so as to accomodate a larger range of phones. One way to do that is to make the gap wider, but provide plastic pieces that can be slipped into the gap to make it narrower. Think ipod dock adapters.
4) You need a better looking power button. It looks like something from the 70s, in which case you should make the dock out of wood. (In that case, disregard point 1 about rounded corners).
5) If possible, the dock should be powered by a micro usb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for you quick and honest response.
1) Personally I am not a friend of the “apple curves “ and I especially don’t want to get sued. I wanted to create my own design. But everyone has a different opinion about design and that’s why I asked about your feedback.
2) You can also see the LEDs on the other side
3) SlimPort doesn’t work for other phones either, but depending on the feedback I will also make adjustments for different smartphones.
4) I will think about it. It’s still a prototype.
5) It’s powered by a USB cable.
Noc2 said:
Thank you for you quick and honest response.
1) Personally I am not a friend of the “apple curves “ and I especially don’t want to get sued. I wanted to create my own design. But everyone has a different opinion about design and that’s why I asked about your feedback.
2) You can also see the LEDs on the other side
3) SlimPort doesn’t work for other phones either, but depending on the feedback I will also make adjustments for different smartphones.
4) I will think about it. It’s still a prototype.
5) It’s powered by a USB cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I like it!
Does it charge the phone fast enough to gain a charge when outputting it to a TV? How about with Bluetooth on also for controllers and the like?
I agree that it would be nice to have it adjustable to fit other phones (and cases/bumpers). This might be the only phone with a Slimport, but who's to say other phones won't have them soon?
I agree the whole thing does look a little old school, but as long as its functional.
I would also prefer no LED light, but I might in the minority. I hate how everything in my home has a glow to it LOL.
Ultimately the biggest determining factor for me in buying something like this would be price.
Noc2 said:
Hello everyone,
<snip>
- Active cooling by a fan to prevent the usual CPU throttling
<snip>
So here are some pictures:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As an N4 owner I'm excited to see any development of nice quality support h/w.
One doubt I have is for the fan cooling. I don't think the case of the N4 is really designed to dissipate much heat to the surrounding air (like most phones) with no fins and a pretty poor thermal conductivity (glass and plastic). I can't imagine that an external fan would help much, and just drive up cost and annoying noise of the dock.
mark398 said:
One doubt I have is for the fan cooling. I don't think the case of the N4 is really designed to dissipate much heat to the surrounding air (like most phones) with no fins and a pretty poor thermal conductivity (glass and plastic). I can't imagine that an external fan would help much, and just drive up cost and annoying noise of the dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can switch the fan on and off. Besides I got good results in tests with the fan on. If you run a lot of benchmarks in a row (especially while the Nexus 4 is charging and connected to a TV via bluetooth), you’ll experience a decrease of the benchmark score. The fan definitely reduces this issue. I will post some results in the next days.
I want to make the price as low as possible without any quality restrictions. It will be under 100 Euro.
Great to see people developing unique accessories for the Nexus 4, but for me this dock is just awkward.
The power switch should be replaced with something more modern, and the design should maybe better match the N4. Maybe a glossy black plastic and an led mounted under a more transparent plastic like the led on the N4 is mounted under the glass. Over all, I love the idea and would probably buy it even in its current state.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium HD app
I'd love it as a kit to put together myself and keep the cost down... already as an option.
100euros would be a bit steep imo. I can already get a dock for cheap.
Your slot should come with a way to accommodate cases too... atleast the bumper
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Your dock is interesting, but, unless you're a developer that needs a cable connection (in my opinion) it makes a lot more sense just to buy an Orb and be done with it. File transfers can be done with AirDroid (for example). Wireless charging on the Orb is just as fast as trough cable (I have one) and it doesn't have the hassle of connecting/disconnecting the cable itself.
For someone that really wants the cable connection, it's useful. The design, if you want to really produce it, I'd recommend you to make it in a way that you can plug-in most android phones with the usb dock on the bottom. Make it simpler, why leds, buttons and fan (sorry, but I really don't think you need a fan in it)? Otherwise, good work.
Hi, I don't own a nexus 4 but I'm intrigued with ur project. To me, the concept is nice: something minimalistic, able to cool down the phone and provide connectivity to another device (or computer). It'd be a good idea if u can make the cube have a glossy texture, like white or black because it will still look nice even if u don't want to smooth out the edges. Also, it would be nice if it can accommodate phones that have a screen size of 5" or more (perhaps a slightly bigger cube). Also, I think led is fine but the switch for the fan should be smaller, maybe something rounded like the buttons of the iPhone 5 or a power button of any android phone and can also disguise with the cube's color. I believe something like that would look really nice on any desk.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
Thank you for your feedback. I take it seriously.
Here is the promised article about the fan of my docking station:
http://www.andock.com/2013/04/the-temperature-of-google-nexus-4-with.html
The article + picture explains the purpose behind a dock like this, you essentially want to be able to run your N4 as a console (hence the fan and necessity of slimport) seems like a niche product for a niche phone.
Seems cool but for the same price I could get an Ouya and keep my phone for phone stuff.
I'm intrigued. If this went to market I would be very tempted to buy. Could set it on my desk, hook up sixaxis controller and jam out a few games easily.
Sent from one device or another.
this is awesome man, i hope you can built more and can sell to us or me
Is that SLS? SLA? Rapid prototyping ftw.
irishrally said:
Is that SLS? SLA? Rapid prototyping ftw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It’s SLS.
I really liked it because of the structure of the material. It’s not like the usual plastic or FDM.
threeclaws said:
The article + picture explains the purpose behind a dock like this, you essentially want to be able to run your N4 as a console (hence the fan and necessity of slimport) seems like a niche product for a niche phone.
Seems cool but for the same price I could get an Ouya and keep my phone for phone stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Judging by some of the Ouya reviews out there, it's probably advisable to stick with your phone for now.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
pnnorth said:
Judging by some of the Ouya reviews out there, it's probably advisable to stick with your phone for now.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's beta/developer hardware right now, the retail stuff will have to be better (they are planning on selling at BB/Amazon.) The software on the other hand...I already went through that once with the boxee box (solid hardware + crap software.)
This is an interesting one. How a phone can be waterproof without covers, for example Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini and Sony Xperia M4 Aqua. I think there are no more waterproof phones like this (without cover). I also think that it's nicer, you don't have to open covers every time you need to charge phone or even thinking about that port would get loose/damaged over time (some xperias are saved from that because magnetic charging ability). What do you people think about all this?
I would not want a "waterproof" without a case phone, as this would be sealed with no access ports of any kind, not earphone jacks and not SD or SIM card slots, as any port covers will over time weaken/break, if humans are to be relied on to seal them, making it no longer waterproof.
Apps, who really cares, since they are not the phone.
Touch screen with the option of having a physical keyboard for those that want or need them, even if the keyboard has to be part of a case and Bluetooth.
Universal standard charging port placement, so that third party cradle makers can make adjustable charging cradles that will fit more phones.
EXTERNAL charging connectors for cradles that can fit a wide range of cases that would also have external charging connectors. This would help in reducing the number of phones that have charging ports that die.
Physical layout of the phone will always be a personal choice based on what is out there. If screen or phone size gets too big, the marketplace will let the makers know that as soon as those phone does not sell, no matter how great the phone is. No one will hold a 7 inch tablet sized phone up to there ear to make phone calls (often).
Introduction
With every Android device, accessory availability is one of my biggest concerns. Having been with the Nexus and HTC lines for a long time, this was an intimate, but expected pain. That’s why when I saw Zerolemon put out an extended battery case for the 6P, I was both excited and amused. The thought of adding 8,000+mah of battery to a 5.7” device with such a large footprint due to the front facing speakers was going to be a disaster. But Zerolemon did it, and in what I believe is the most elegant way possible. Sturdy tpu, and clever cutouts for the camera, fingerprint sensor, and ports. Enough intro, let's dive into what’s happening with Version 2.0 of Zerolemon’s Nexus 6P battery case.
This review is going to be mostly a response to the famous AndroidPolice article that infamously bashed this case, and rightly so! You can view that here.
While I didn’t get to test the first version, there’s a reason (or many) they pulled it, and while correcting the fatal camera issue, they fixed a few more. It’s baffling that they released the original case so late in the 6P’s lifetime, and Version 2 just leaves me scratching my head (but admittedly grateful).
Quick Gallery Here
The good stuff:
Capacity: With 8,500mAh of juice, this case will keep your Nexus 6P ticking for almost 2.5 times as long. I don’t know why people say almost three, but let's break it down. 8500/3450= 2.463768. We’ll round that to 2.46, and then generously bump that up to 2.5. What’s the big deal? Like 7100mah, which is larger than the battery in an iPhone 6s. Yikes. Regardless, this case is going to be great for travelling, being out and about all day and night, and or a camping trip.
Protection: The multi-layer design offers ample plastic/TPU(in fairly large quantities) to protect your device. There is a front lip (insert picture), that should have the surface area and depth to save your phone from drops.
LED charge indicators: Four LEDs on the back of the case show the current battery level. A pretty standard feature, but useful nonetheless.
The Not So Good Stuff:
Weight: A naked 6P, without a screen protector or case, weighs 179 grams. The combined weight of the ZeroLemon case and the phone itself pushes that up to about 430 grams, which is more than twice as heavy! When a phone weighs nearly a pound, it makes it cumbersome and tiring to hold or use for long periods of time, and that’s definitely at play here.
Bulk: I’m going to heavily borrow some stats here, but here we go. Putting this case on your phone makes it ridiculously large. So large you’ll not want to carry it around, and it will definitely draw looks. It adds 23mm to the length of the phone, 10mm to its width and 14mm the thickness. It triples the thickness of the phone, destroying every design and engineering feat of the phone.
You’ll be using this thing with two hands at all times, and probably be wishing you had a third to help balance this thing.
Here’s where things really start to differ though. Remember those improvements I was talking about at the beginning of this article?
Charging speed: ~~Neither the input or output of the battery pack supports any sort of quick charging. Charging the case, and charging the phone with the case, is slow. It takes several hours to charge the case from empty, so you better not forget to plug it in overnight, because you aren't going to add much juice to it during your 30 minute commute to work.~~ Both the input and output of the device support quick charging over USB C! Admittedly charging both the case and phone from empty will take 7-8 hours, but you can definitely plug it in and top up in thirty minutes.
Camera issues: We've already established that the rear of the ZeroLemon case is thick.~~ In order to accommodate the camera, a deep canal cuts through the back of the case, exposing the lens, LED flash and other sensors. However, the canal is not quite wide enough, leading to an unintentional vignette on the left side of all pictures and video. The shiny plastic on the sides of the cutaway also reflects light, which adds further artifacts to images. As a photography enthusiast, this drives me absolutely insane. How did no one notice this when the product was tested!?!~~ This was the reason the case was discontinued for a bit, and I’m happy to report there are no camera issues here! Snap away on that weekend camping trip
Unfortunately the fingerprint reader problems are still very much an issue. Unless you initially trained your phone to recognize your finger tip, you will have to go into your settings and re add your fingers, or repeatedly press them to the sensor in hopes it trains them on that part of your finger (unsuccessful for me).
NFC is no longer blocked! I can confirm it does in fact work now. Android Pay your way to the future!
Assembly: It is a tad confusing, but basically you slide your phone down onto the brick part, place the plastic ring on top of your device and the battery pack, and then slip that into the TPU part. Not super easy, but you should get the hang of it without too much trouble.
Build Quality: The plastic ring looks and feels cheap; I’d definitely handle it with care. The TPU part does very much have those injection molding nibs, but their placement makes them unnoticeable unless you're searching for them. The TPU feels sturdy, and I haven’t noticed any flexing or creaking. The cutout around the headphone jack can hinder the use of certain cables though, due to its shape.
Conclusion:
One day I was going about my business. Using my phone from 7am 6pm. Then I spontaneously agreed to go to a concert. I was tired, but I made it through! My Nexus 6P did not. That night I started looking for a battery case for my 6P, and saw the Android Police review of it. I was willing to even accept the camera issues! I followed the Amazon link, and saw it was discontinued. I then found out why, and heard they would be releasing a newer, tweaked version. So I held out.
My patience rewarded me with a gigantic, but significantly less flawed case than I had anticipated. I can slap this case on and not have to be near a charger for 3-4 days, but make no mistake- I swap to my TechArmor bumper otherwise.
No more NFC blockage, camera artifacts, and the addition of quick charging make this case a buy for anyone who might find themselves in a situation where they’re using their phone excessively, or in a remote area (me). Or people who dislike external battery packs (also me). The only showstopper: the $60 price tag. You be the judge, but I don’t think it’ll disappoint!
Thank you to Lemonzero for providing me with a review unit, and readers can use the coupon code RGSQJDX8 to get a USB C charging station with four UBS ports for just $19.99!
Please feel free to ask questions if you have any!
Does this have a built in screen protector?
Pandawg said:
Does this have a built in screen protector?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No
MyNarwhalBacon said:
No
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I hated the screen protector that came with my Note 3 Zerolemon case.
Got mine two days ago. It is very big, but that is expected. I was wondering if you could use the USB C port for data on the case. I wanted to buy a USB C flash drive and load it with songs, movies, and TV shows for an upcoming airplane trip, and was wondering if it was possible to use the USB C port on the device for the flash drive, and still have it charge the device too. I would test it myself, but I don't have a USB C flash drive, and don't want to buy one unless this works.
Pandawg said:
Got mine two days ago. It is very big, but that is expected. I was wondering if you could use the USB C port for data on the case. I wanted to buy a USB C flash drive and load it with songs, movies, and TV shows for an upcoming airplane trip, and was wondering if it was possible to use the USB C port on the device for the flash drive, and still have it charge the device too. I would test it myself, but I don't have a USB C flash drive, and don't want to buy one unless this works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using the USB to USB C adapter that came with my note 7, and using a sandisk flash drive with it, it does NOT work. I put the drive in the adapter and adapter directly to the 6p, it recognized, formated it, and transferred a file to the drive. Then I put the case on, then, inserted the drive, and nothing. Turned the case on to charge, reinsert the drive, nothing. So in my testing, no, it doesn't work. I have no reason to believe a specific usb C flash drive would be any different
mrjkwik said:
Using the USB to USB C adapter that came with my note 7, and using a sandisk flash drive with it, it does NOT work. I put the drive in the adapter and adapter directly to the 6p, it recognized, formated it, and transferred a file to the drive. Then I put the case on, then, inserted the drive, and nothing. Turned the case on to charge, reinsert the drive, nothing. So in my testing, no, it doesn't work. I have no reason to believe a specific usb C flash drive would be any different
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chances are the connector only has the power pins connected, with no data pins actually connected.
asylumxl said:
Chances are the connector only has the power pins connected, with no data pins actually connected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm as much with different drives and also using different usb settings in dev. options no luck with data transfer.
1 Now my case unicorn beetle , love big phones
2 I use my phone with two hands, no problem
Want use this case as daily case. Possible ? Worth ?
Any one in Canada or Toronto selling their zerolemon battery please let me know. Thanks
Me too, but im from europe (Lithuania) want buy it, pm me.
doombox414 said:
Any one in Canada or Toronto selling their zerolemon battery please let me know. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can order right from there web site