Nokia N8's USB On-The-Go support demoed, lesser phones turned into slaves
By Chris Ziegler 
posted May 30th 2010 3:31PM
posted May 30th 2010 3:31PM
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
posted May 30th 2010 3:31PM
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What?! Are you telling me my phone can become the N8's bitch?
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Awesome feature! Now it would be really nice if Nokia could stop using that painfully annoying background music on their N8 and Symbian^3 videos...
@aubreyq
Why would they. It's a catchy theme
@aubreyq
Haha I was gonna comment how I like that music. Really catchy !!
I'd rather carry around loads of micro SD cards than an adapter and several flash drives if I wanted extra space.
@aubreyq
you realize this is a user created video, not an official Nokia video, right?
That's a nice feature. I use it (on a cowon digital audio player) to transfer files and charge my phone OTG when the battery is low.
Too bad Nokia still uses that stupid Music player app that has no method to quickly fastforward or rewind and takes forever to do so. Doesn't play gapless. Basically a very crappy media player experience. After trying many devices, I found nothing can come close to the PSP when it comes to manipulating the currently playing media; easy FF/REW at various speeds, skip tracks, etc.
@Kurian
Actually, it is a different one: http://developer.symbian.org/wiki/index.php/Symbian%5E3
Check 45 seconds in to see, drag your finger to scroll through the track...
@JFH
the n97's have the ff and rw just tap or tap and hold
@maximusfilms Also the 5800, and the N85
Well isn't that nice.
@CJisohsocool
Looks really good!
@CJisohsocool
clever..
Abraham Lincoln disapproves.
It's crazy that the N8 is the first phone that can do this, this should have been a standard feature long ago.
@kopmis: I believe USB OTG is about 10 years old or sth?
@kopmis
It's not the first phone to be able to do this, the Toshiba TG01 was able to do this a while back. Other PPC's have also had this function but I guess they didn't have phone functionality.
@kopmis Think most companies add features that 80% of users want nit 1%. Think Joe from accounting will remember to safely unmount his wife's phone?
This is a nice to have but would prefer if they put more energy in the core features that make a phone easier to use.
Don't get me wrong it is a great geek feature but it won't sell many phones.
@kopmis
Any WinMo phone has been able to do this for a while apparently. (http://www.xda-developers.com/windows-mobile/zeno-host-usb-drivers-updated/) I need to get my hands on a F/M USB/Mini-USB adapter so I can make other phones my bitch...
Needing to hack around your phone to get this done is not exactly the same thing as having it work flawlessly out of the box.
@kopmis MY Archos Gmini 500 from 2005 could do this ;)
@dxdragon
You do know where Nokia is going with this right? Computing you can take anywhere without requiring you to have everything completely in the cloud (like Google wants you to). It works when your computing is partially on the cloud and partially local - something which is exactly what users today have and are comfortable with.
@max2020
My Toshiba Genio E Pocket PC could do this in 2004 - with a REAL USB 2.0 slot - no attachment or special cable needed!
@kopmis
Oh my god, agreed 100% -- it's strange that every phone does not have this functionality in 2010 -- it has been a prominent feature in many SoC's for years and years...I think one of the problems is that in order for this to work you have to use a special cable -- and of course they dont want to give you a cable for free...Nokia probably will cause theyre cool like that...I believe Toshiba does also with the TG01.
@Adam West
W-ZERO3[es] had this back in 2006. Its predecessor, Zaurus SL-C 3xxx was a Linux box and even recognized webcams and printers. Sadly [es] was a WinMo phone so there weren't much driver to use it with...
@dxdragon possibly in North America but nokia is extremely popular outside of NA. I do think that symbian has been one of the best UI's to date. Admittedly though, the OS has been getting cluttered. But it is one of the most responsive UI's on any of the phones that I've used.
@JFH
XDA flame came with this out of the box IIRC
USB host is one of those things that should have been to useful to die. Hopefully this will bring it back to modern phones.
Sheldon disapproves, the article clearly states N8, not iPhone, it must be some sort of error.
@SheldonCooper
In the iLife you don't make iPhone your slave, iPhone makes slave of you.
@SheldonCooper
sheldon uses dell/alienware not that fruit stuff
@Xstream
Sheldon is not stupid, so why would he have an Iphone? :D
@SheldonCooper
Bazinga! ...that is all
@SheldonCooper
A reasonable question. I asked myself, "What is the most mind-numbing, pedestrian job conceivable?" and three answers came to mind: tollbooth attendant, Apple Store genius, and what Penny does. Now since I don't like touching other people's coins, and I refuse to contribute to the devaluation of the word "genius", here I am?
Damn thats hot ... and C5 now give me my brownies !!!
The candybar is a C5. I take my brownies with walnuts, please.
@taylorh
OUCH, just 5 seconds off :P
Nokia brings another revolutionary feature. How is that possible Steve? How IS that possible? Bet you are going to "apple-invent" this one for the 5G? Will it one day be "magical"?
@fast the article is in no way related to the iphone. stop working yourself up, it's pathetic to watch.
@fast i was just about to say this...
if it would be apple chris would be already posting the 5th in depth review.
@Mr w00t Really for a feature that would give regular users headaches???
@safe travels ...post mentions something that is revolutionary, so it doesn't mention the iphone...yes...you got that part correct. That is the irony. Good going sparky...but don't you get worked up because I called out the apple-invent magical shenanigans of apple on my post. If that was so over you head, you really have no call in what pathetic means.
@dxdragon So you are saying that USB is a thing that regular users would have difficulty in using?!? Cos this Nokia "feature" is exactly what it is...
Maybe the "regular users" in your country dont use usb sticks, printers, mem cards, iPhones/N8s/Androids, keyboards/mouse connected to their machines. Too much headache right?
Where I come from it is common thing though.
@fast
no, it just shows you're determined to troll. why did you bring up apple? nothing to do with it. i don't want to hear about apple any more than i have to. did the editor make a comparison to the iphone? no. so quit your sarcasm, and write a bit more intelligibly next time, 'sparky'.
@safe travels ...sarcasm is not intelligible for you. OK. Point taken.
Why not dispense with cables and use Bluetooth? Someone go make nice pocket sized Bluetooth storage thingi.
@Oflife Flashdrives don't have bluetooth.
@Broderbund I said, "Someone go make nice pocket sized Bluetooth storage thingi." 'thingi' referring to a storage device of some sort.