[TechniSol]

Well, the USB thing is easy to explain, it's the only accepted way to charge the device and people have had their device knocked off a table, etc., while charging and had the USB port damaged. So, they're checking it out. They're also reluctant, no doubt, to replace a device that may be damaged in some non obvious way as I'm sure the vast majority of their complaints come down to damaged screens considering the relative delicacy of e-ink screens. Kobo seems to be pretty tough on screen related replacements from what one reads in the forum.

As far as I know, the firmwares have not improved with respect to accuracy concerning the battery curve.(They apparently didn't integrate the known curve for a lithium battery, or their specific one, and so just offer a linear percentage on a non linear discharge curve -plain sloppy, one equation properly approximating the curve would allow them to plug in the A/D values they're likely using now and get them awfully close to being correct percentagewise.) It's not uncommon to see the battery percentage drop much more rapidly from 35-40% downward. In fact, when I did a long term test, if the battery discharge according to the percentage indicator had remained as constant below 50% as above, I'd have gotten nearer 65-70 hours of reading overall, IIRC. The % also seems to hover around 100% far longer than one might expect. I've also noted instances where it seems pegged at a value for a long time and then drops 3-5 points or more... I wonder that there may be conditions under which the percentage does not update smoothly.