Youtech: touch

[Tip] Is Your HTC Sensation Having Touchscreen problem? Here's A Potential

1:26 PM

Shortly after the HTC Sensation was released, we covered a seemingly random issue with the touchscreen. Not all Sensation owners experienced this issue, and it's still relatively unknown what the exact cause of the problem is.

However, one of the theories formed on XDA is that it's a grounding issue on some devices. On others, though, the issue seems to be completely software related. If you can easily solve the problem by rebooting or a factory reset, then the fix outlined below will not work for you. If, however, this doesn't remedy the problem - even temporarily - then you should continue reading.

Android Police will not be held responsible for any damage done to your device while attempting the below fix. Proceed at your own risk.

So, what's the issue?

The problem seems to lie with the grounding pin, which resides under the back cover. There are two relatively simple solutions that can correct the issue -- but again, it may not work for everyone. Let's have a look.

The Fixe(s)

Both fixes serve basically the same purpose, just offer different methods of achieving the end result. The first one involves pulling out a tiny metal pin on the device itself that sits just below the back cover:

Once you locate the pin, simply slide something under it - a safety pin, small screwdriver, etc - andgently pull it out. Keep in mind this should be a very subtle movement, as you could easily break the pin. The goal is to have the pin come in contact with the opposing metal plate on the inside of the battery cover, thus alleviating the intermittent touchscreen issues.

Like I said, the second fix revolves around the same basic principal: to create a better connection between between the two components. This time, though, instead of working on the phone itself, you're going to be working with the battery cover.

Firstly, if you haven't already, remove the battery cover and find out the small metal plate:

Got it? Great. Now, grab some aluminum foil and fold it over a fews times and place it on top of the square, ensuring good contact between the two. Once finished, carefully put the cover back on, making sure to leave the foil in place (or else it defats the purpose).

The second solution will work as a good trial run without having to physically alter the device in any way. Once you confirm that it works, you can then perform the other action if you choose. For a more permanent solution, you could drop a bit of solder on the square plate, also allowing for a better connection. This, however, is something that I wouldn't recommend, especially if you've never worked with solder before.

HP's strategic shift away from TouchPad;Ehassan.tk

3:33 PM

If there's a notch on the technology timeline demarcating the PC and post-PC eras, we might have just crossed it.
Hewlett-Packard on Thursday effectively announced it was done with the personal computer, extending a crazy week in tech news that saw Google double down on mobile devices with its enormous bid for a Motorola division.
HP, a storied brand that was instrumental in expanding the PC industry, announced that its board had authorized exploring "strategic alternatives" for its computer division. That's corporate speak for a sale or spin-off.
The Palo Alto tech giant and the industry as a whole have seen a drop-off in laptop and desktop sales and margins, as consumers shift to tablets and smart phones.
And yet ... HP also announced plans to discontinue the phones and tablets based on the operating system it acquired through its now clearly ill-fated $1.2 billion purchase of Palm last year. That means it's pulling the plug on its highly promoted TouchPad tablet, less than two months after it hit the market.
The news underscores two critical points about the state of the technology industry:
First, we're rapidly moving into a world where consumer demand for mobile devices is outstripping that for PCs, dampening business prospects for the sector.
Think about it this way: HP, the largest PC manufacturer, a company whose Silicon Valley history predates the personal computer itself, is effectively saying there isn't enough upside to bother staying in the game.
"The increasing momentum of the media tablet market, led by the iPad, is creating a difficult environment for the PC industry," said Matthew Wilkins, principal analyst at research firm IHS iSuppli, in a recent report.
Second, even companies trying to embrace the post-PC world are struggling to get their arms around it as Apple crowds them out. A year and a half after the Cupertino company introduced its breakthrough iPad, not a single serious rival has emerged. The industry blog All Things D reported this week that Best Buy has sold only 25,000 HP TouchPads, less than 10 percent of the supply sitting in warehouses. That compares with more than 9 million iPads sold in the last quarter.
It seems even heavyweight contenders like HP can drop big dollars without making so much as a dent.

Consumer impact

For consumers, these trends are a mixed bag. They'll likely see falling prices for PCs, but it means yet another business has failed to gain strength in mobile computing. Less competition invariably means fewer options in the market and more pricing power for leaders like Apple.
On a conference call Thursday, HP Chief Financial Officer Cathie Lesjack said the company decided to exit the tablet business due to weak sales and suggested it had no plans to try again.
"With such a young ecosystem and poorly received hardware, we were unable to achieve our target," she said.
It's hard to see HP's retreat as anything less than a validation of the post-PC vision articulated by Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
"A lot of folks in this tablet market are rushing in and they're looking at this as the next PC," Jobs was quoted as saying at the unveiling of the iPad 2 in March. "The hardware and the software are done by different companies. And they're talking about speeds and feeds just like they did with PCs.
"And our experience and every bone in our body says that that is not the right approach to this. That these are post-PC devices that need to be even easier to use than a PC. That need to be even more intuitive than a PC. And where the software and the hardware and the applications need to intertwine in an even more seamless way than they do on a PC."
Jobs' words ring even more true in light of Google's announcement on Monday that it plans to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion in what would be by far its largest acquisition.