So you're heading into the first weekend with your new Nexus 7 (or perhaps still eagerly waiting for its arrival) and you're looking for a fun project you can do to make your new favorite device even cooler. How about making a 'Smart Case' for 'under 10 bucks'? How? What? Well let's backtrack and minute. As we discussed a few days ago
HERE it was discovered the although unspoken about or printed in any literature the Nexus 7 does in fact have a feature where holding a magnet at a certain location on the front of the device causes the screen to shut off. We then discovered that Asus does in fact plan to sell a line of 'Smart Covers' but as of today they are unavailable as of yet. But don't dispair...we've got a solution!
Russell Holly over at Geek.com from a tip by Aaron Kasten used his noggin and realized that by buying an inexpensive 7 inch case for the Kindle Fire he could fashion a very usable 'smart cover' for his Nexus 7. Here's how it works. You purchase a case like the
YouMee Case from Amazon for only $6. This case fits the Nexus 7 perfectly leaving all ports and controls uncovered except for the back speaker. It also has a hand strap and this is where you fasten either with glue or other means your magnet. When you close the case the magnet on the strap causes your device to turn off its screen...open the cover and presto...the screen lights up again (see the video above). Pretty tricky eh?
Now the one thing you do have to make sure is that the magnet is the right strength. Too weak and it won't cause the Nexus 7's screen to go off...and too strong and even with the cover is opened and the magnet is around the back it can cause it to go off unintended. Apparently a standard 'kitchen' magnet seems to be about the right strength. So there you have it. Who's gonna make their own 'Smart Case' this weekend?
Source:
Geek.com
