TECH SPECIAL...... THE UNDERUTILIZED OTG

THE UNDERUTILIZED OTG

Nope, not the oven-toaster-grill. We're talking about a feature that most Android phones have now, USB On-The-Go. It's really quite versatile with the right accessories but often forgotten about in the hoopla of specs and performance

Unshackle The Data

Thanks to apps like Shareit and Xender, it's easy to transfer content wirelessly between smart devices. But what if you want to copy a larger amount of data? Using an OTG adapter, you can now connect a USB flash drive, portable hard drive and even a microSD card to your smartphone. You can also get a dedicated USB OTG drive with a USB Type-A port on one side and a microUSBType-C port on the other side -you won't need an adapter for these.

Make Your Games Better

Playing games using a touch-screen is not everyone's cup of tea -especially third-party action or racing games. With OTG, you can connect a wired USB game controller to your smartphone and enjoy proper gaming. You should know that not all games support a USB controller. Those that do support usually require a one-time configuration of the controller (to map the buttons to certain actions). You can also get controllers with a dock to hold your phone for a superior gaming, for instance, Amkette's Evo Gamepad.

But Does Your Phone Support OTG?

There are a number of ways you can check. Some phone makers mention it on their website while some may have an option on the settings page to enable disable OTG. A simpler way is to use a free app like USB OTG Checker or USB OTG Tester. You can also use CPU-X by Pacific Developers that shows you detailed Android device information (it will show you support for USB OTGUSB host under the features section).

Real Thermal Imaging

FLIR, makers of thermal imaging cameras, make a USB OTG FLIR camera for Android smartphones.Just snap this 29 gram accessory on, download the FLIR app and you've got a contactless thermal camera.It's got its own battery so it doesn't consume power from the connected device. Just like the smartphone with FLIR camera built in (CAT S60), it uses MSX technology: blending images from a Lepton thermal camera and a VGA visible light camera. This means you can see detail plus temperature. It can measure from --20 to 120 degrees Celsius and can detect temperature differences as small as 0.1 degree Celsius.

Need Faster Internet?

Ethernet is mainly used on desktops for connectivity.

But you can even use it on your smartphone if faster speeds are required or WiFi is unavailable. You will need two things: a USB OTG adapter as well as a USB to Ethernet adapter. Connect both adapters together and plug-in the Ethernet cable. Make sure to switch off WiFi and your 3G4G data to force the phone to switch to the wired connection. Not all Ethernet adapters are compatible with all phones, so your results may vary.

Battery Capacity to Spare?

There are Android smartphones that come with large 4,000 or 5,000mAh batteries and support reverse charging (check with manufacturer for your smartphone model). On such phones, you can use an OTG cable to connect a second phone via charging cable and use the first phone like a portable power bank. If your fitness band runs out of power, you can also charge it up in the same way.

Make It a Mini Desktop

Just like gaming, this will help make things easier for people who don't like using the touchscreen for input. Using a USB OTG adapter, you can easily connect a wired keyboard or mouse to your smartphone for navigation and input. Android automatically detects a connected keyboard and does not require you to install any third-party drivers -you can just connect and start typing in any app. You can also take things a step further and use a wireless keyboard-mouse combo. These come with a single USB unifying dongle that can connect to the phone.

Printing Without a Computer

Most of us take the long way when we need to print something stored on the phone. You'll mail it to a PC connected to a printer first and then get the print. Unless you plan on getting a WiFi printer, the easier way is to use your smartphone's OTG. Just use the USB cable that came with the printer to connect your smartphone and a USB OTG adapter. Most new printers will automatically show up in the phone when you select the print command from the options menu.

Take Control of Your DSLR

Its only recently that DSLRs have begun to include WiFi for remote control and wireless transfer. Since one doesn't upgrade DSLRs often, you can still use your phone to control it using a wire. Connect the camera with your smartphone using the USB OTG adapter and the same data transfer cable that came with the DSLR. Install the free DSLR Control app from Play Store and it will let you control your Nikon or Canon DSLR's shutter, adjust settings and show you a live view. Do check if your DSLR model is supported in the app description on the Store before installing.

The Exploring Camera

Once the preserve of high-end endoscopic equipment, this affordable `pipe inspection OTG camera' costs just `500, is waterproof, has it's own adjustable LED light source and sends a live, colour video feed directly to your Android phone.

With the tiny hook or magnet (included accessories), you can use it to retrieve your keys or fallen objects from the tiniest of places. Apart from this tool, there are a bunch of other quirky USB accessories that you can use with OTG: a cigarette lighter, USB foot switch (for hands free control) and a micro electric shaver for instance.

Let There Be Light (And Wind)

Remember the USB-powered LED light and fan launched by Xiaomi earlier this year? Similar accessories are now available from a number of brands and that too at cheaper prices. You can now get USB OTG ready LED light and fans -these connect directly to your smartphone with micro USB. Alternatively, you can use an USB OTG adapter to use a LED lightfan that has a standard USB type A port.

Karan Bajaj and Hitesh Raj Bhagat

ET 27OCT17