The expansion spacer is exactly what could be done for a hands on hobby electronics playground :-) (http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Wishlist/ExpansionSpacer)
What I mean with the replacement back case, is that you don't need to screw up the torx and add the spacer. The end user don't like to fiddle with that. He simply wants to change the front and back covers by ones with other color. Adding a cam inside there would be doable without the risk of less stability of the back cover to keep the howsing closed. The issue is with the bigger or second battery. Does it still keep closed or could it easyly fall out due to the wight. Modifying the battery housing to be more likely a snap in for the bettery would solve this issue. With the higher cover also a different battery could be used and with the snap in mechanics it will hopefully no problem for the stability. The contacts for the signals, whatever is used, should be similar to the battery contacts. Using any jack like the USB on the outside is fiddling. I know it by fiddling my car holder for the neo to connect the usb power cable. For sample, we could use the connector aparatus like that from the SD card. Using a one side mounted plate with a spring behind the other side the 'SD card' would propably savely 'connect' to the SD card connector used as the jack. (If the usual spring based connector pins like the battery aren't enough) I don't know how stable the hinge would be as also the moving wires that goes to the cover's electronic, but it's worth a try. The snap in mechanism of the cover will help adjusting the place where the jack must be. Lothar Am 06.04.2009 um 12:49 schrieb Robin Paulson: > 2009/4/6 Robin Paulson <robin.paul...@gmail.com>: >> there were a few tentative steps on the wiki some months back >> concerning alternate cases, and this was one suggested idea > > lots around here: > http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Category:Hardware_ideas > > expansion back looks like it covers your camera module > > _______________________________________________ > Openmoko community mailing list > community@lists.openmoko.org > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community > -- | Rapid Prototyping | XSLT Codegeneration | http://www.lollisoft.de Lothar Behrens Heinrich-Scheufelen-Platz 2 73252 Lenningen _______________________________________________ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community