[General Questions and Answers] kt-Froggy:
DIY Trans Cover and other case mods...

First off, let me just say it sucks not to have a forum for our device! :( Because of that, a few threads that we have automatically become catch-all buckets, which is wrong. Otherwise, one has to open yet another thread in general Android forums, or post in other existing non-device specific threads. Bummer... :(

OK, I just wanted to share my take on a DIY TransCover for the MemoPad... I recently asked about the magnet position for the cover. Apparently, I didn't do my due diligence, and didn't search for existing posts on the subject. [MENTION=5419114]WantToJAVA[/MENTION] pointed me to this post, and [MENTION=5626133]PDox68[/MENTION] to some other useful information elsewhere. After a bit of experimentation, I guess I got bored and decided to actually do it. :) So, here goes...

I have this Cabrio case for Nexus 7 by Logiix. I used the same type of case for my previous Galaxy Tab 2, and liked it so much that I specifically looked for this case for my MemoPad. Didn't find the exact model, but the one for Nexus 7 (1st gen.) fit like a glove. I still had to do a couple of mods to it, but I'll get to that later. Anyway... The photos show the steps of the process. I decided to cut the seam at the edge of the flap, and put a magnet inside, making a cutout for it in the internal cardboard stiffener. I had several different kinds of magnets lying around, and after trying all of them, decided to use a piece that I broke off a magnet from a dead micro HDD (circled on the photo). It was the thinnest of them all, and quite strong to work most reliably with the sensor. To have a visual reference, I put a square piece of a sticky label to the inside of the flap (the red outline shows the area that seems to be the most responsive to a magnet -- that was my target), and then cut it open. Tied the loose ends of the thread, and pulled them inside, so I could easily hide them. Using Xacto knife, I made a cutout in the cardboard, and put the magnet there on a double-sided sticky tape. Tested it with the tablet to make sure it worked, and it did. Then I put some quick-set epoxy inside, to permanently seal the magnet in, and to fill all the voids to make it smooth and flat (I used a clamp to hold it for several minutes). As you can see, I made a boo-boo -- I forgot that a glue has a nasty habit to seep through fabric (duh!), and got an ugly blotch on the inside. Oops... Well, sh!t happens. I consider that a lesson learned. :) Doesn't bother me much, anyway... Then I stitched the sucker back together. I have this very handy quick-stitch awl (obviously, I used a smaller needle and a black thread), but you can also get great results with so-called saddle stitch, when you work with two regular needles in opposite directions. Just make sure you use the original needle holes. The end result is nothing but perfect on the outside (it would be perfect inside, too, if not for that stupid epoxy blotch). :)

Now, about the other mods to the case that I made previously... As you know, Nexus 7 doesn't have a rear camera, so I had to make a cutout in the back of the case to accommodate the shooter on the MemoPad. Used a sharpened metal pipe to cut the hole, then blacked out the inside of it by a Sharpie marker, and used a quick-set epoxy (boy, I love that stuff!) to prevent fraying. You be the judge of the result. If you don't know it's not factory-made, you will never guess. :) I also had to make a cutout for the USB and audio ports. That was easy, nothing to tell about it...

The next thing I want to do is to made a slight cutout on the side of the case for the power and volume buttons. They are so far back on the MemoPad that using them with this case is a royal pain in the rear (even then, I still love the case, though). Well, some other time... At least I now don't have to worry about switching the tablet on and off. :)