'Seeing' Android phone from Windows PC

[Tim Watts]

One usually turns the SSH server on just when needed - but otherwise, I tend to agree.

Although the PC can be a nicer client to use than the phone...

[News]

In message , Andy Burns writes

Thanks all. I have reached the same conclusion. I don't *need* it to work without cable - just trying to prove a point to smartarse son :-)

He'll be impressed that I've managed to download an app AND get it working so I can see the Netbook from the phone wirelessly.

Talking wireless and cable works, why are all these USB cables different? WTF haven't the mini plugs been standardised yet? Half a century ago, connecting a tape recorder to a record player was a nightmare with any combination of jack plugs, DIN, banana and phono to choose. Nothing has changed in fifty years.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Obvious. They want to sell you 'their' cable at an inflated price.

[Adrian]

They have. It's just that some manufacturers ignore the standard MicroUSB.

[Robin]

Does *nobody* else just use the "remote manager" facility built into ES File Explorer which, as I've already posted, gives an ftp address to use to manage files on the device from a PC?

[Roger Mills]

Many thanks for that. I wasn't aware of that - and can now see some of the files stored on the phone in its internal storage (pseudo SD card).

But I *can't* find a way of navigating to the *real* SD card - where most of my data are stored. Am I missing something?

I sometimes wish to transfer music files and photos from my PC to my phone so that I can play them or show them to other people when I'm out and about. I want them to go onto the external SD card[1] - but I can't see how to do that without using USB. Where am I going wrong?

[1] OK, I can copy them to internal storage and then move them within the phone - but that rather defeats the object of the exercise!

[Roger Mills]

Sorry - forget all that! I hadn't taken on-board the bit about using Settings to set the root directory. Have now done this, and can see everything!

[Tim Watts]

At least they all used 1V PP - so a Samsung Galaxy S5 will happy drive the line in to a valve amplifier made in 1950 (as long as you have a

3.5mm to phono or whatever lead). Suck that Apple!

But yes, I don't like the micro USB. Mini was OK, micro is too flimsy for little gain. And the Franken-connector new version is horrid - but sadly micro was too ambitious and could not carry the high charging currents of some modern phones hence the upgrade.

I wonder if they had just stuck with the mini USB...

[Tim Watts]

I wonder if Russ Andrews does oxygen free aligned crystal USB cables to ensure you only have the finest undisturbed electrons charging your phone...

[Roger Mills]

I do *now*! But I hadn't discovered it until you pointed it out - and I guess that many others are the same.

[Andy Burns]

Micro is supposed to survive many more mating cycles than mini.

[Tim Watts]

Which is surprising given the number of times I've nearly rammed it in the wrong way round!

[Simon263]

Because the first ones are too physically big for stuff like phones and other small devices like that.

There are just two commonly seen now with another one coming that supports more current then the first two.

Half a

At least now they are physically incompatible so its easy to see which one is needed.

[Simon263]

Its main disadvantage is that it is asymmetric and easy to damage when being forced in the wrong way by technoklutzes.

[Simon263]

And is deliberately designed so that the easy to replace cable connector is what wears, not the much harder to replace connector it plugs into.

[Tim Watts]

? Micro is assymetric and easier to try to force the wrong way. Mini has wopping (relatively) big lugs on one side.

It would have been much nicer if someone just said "lets make the bloody thing reversible and put matching contacts on both sides - spread the amps too".

[Tim Watts]

Ah - that'll be why I had to replace the bottom PC in SWMBO's Galaxy S2 when the socket (regular micro) fell to bits...

Bastard job, but cheap enough...

[Andy Burns]

See the USB Type C connector ... If Nokia would get their finger out with the N1, I'd have one ...

[Simon263]

Yes, and that is why the latest version is symmetric and can't be used the wrong way.

And has the main disadvantage that it isn't symmetric so it can go in either way.

And that is what the latest has done.

And that isn't just seen with USB either, Apple has gone the same route with the lightning connector over the previous one. Main downside with the lightning connector is that the contacts are too exposed on the power end for my taste.

[Simon263]

No one ever said that no one would ever stuff up the design of the connector that is in the device rather than on the cable.

Mostly it is the one on the cable that wears out first tho.