OTG Cable for Nexus 7 Makes Moving Files Easy

As mentioned in a previous post, there is a USB cable you can purchase for your Nexus 7 that will allow you to read from USB Flash Drives (and write to them if you are rooted), use game controllers, etc.  But keep in mind that this cable is not a standard USB cable.  It is called an "On-The-Go Cable" or "OTG Cable" for short.  They are fairly cheap to buy, and in my opinion are well worth the investment for any Nexus 7 owner.  Does it work?  Do you have to be rooted to use it?  Why even worry about it?  The answers (respectively): Yes, No, and It's Awesome. See below.

Does it work?

In short, yes the OTG cable works marvelously.  Seeing as how it is just a cable, there aren't many ways it wouldn't work.  It fits the small connection on the bottom of the Nexus 7 where you plug it up to charge.  The opposite end of the OTG Cable, is a female USB connector.  This allows you to hook up pretty much any USB Flash Drive or game controller to it.  This makes it possible to watch movies or play music or even just access files directly from a USB Flash drive without the need of transferring these files directly to the Nexus 7 using either a PC or services like Box.

If you are using your Nexus 7 as it is straight out of the box (i.e.: not rooted) then you will need an app from the Google Play store to be able to read the USB Flash Drives.  And without Root access, that's about all you can do.  There have been some reports of certain apps allowing play with a PS3 gamepad without root, but not every app supports it.  So if you aren't rooted and just want to be able to access other files using flash drives:

-Visit the Google Play Store and download the Nexus Media Importer by Homesoft ($2.99 USD)
-Hook up the OTG Cable and a flash drive.
-The Nexus Media Importer app should launch automatically.
-Select your files and have fun!
*Just note that without root access you can only read from USB Flash drives, you can't write back to them.

Do you have to be rooted to use it?

No you don't.  As mentioned above, you can use it without root access.  However, you're somewhat limited to what you can do with the OTG Cable unless you do have root access.  With root access you can read and write to and from USB Flash Drives.  You can also hook up a PS3, Xbox 360, or even Wiimote to your device for gaming.  Using these devices does typically require an extra app to make it easier to setup (for PS3 controllers use Sixaxis).

And for reading/writing files I use the Stickmount (FREE) app and ES File Explorer (FREE) app to access and transfer files as needed.

Why Even Worry About It?

So why even worry about it.  In short, if you have no plans to root your device or you are completely happy with your Nexus 7 as it is out of the box, you may not even care about using an OTG Cable.  But if you're like me and you like to read books/comic books digitally, or watch movies and videos offline, or even play games with a gamepad; then the OTG Cable is a great workaround.  The Nexus 7 is a slick device, no doubt about it.  But one of the complaints have been the lack of an SD Card slot (or even a full sized USB Host port).  Pretty much, whether you bought the 16 or 32GB capacity versions, that's all the space you get.  With an OTG Cable you not only get the internal storage of your device, along with as many USB Flash Drives you could possibly want.  This really opens up your devices storage options especially if you get tired of using your PC to transfer files to and from your device.

Get Your's!

I use the IVSO Nexus 7 Tablet Micro USB Host OTG Cable from Amazon which cost me after shipping: $4.97 (USD) which is pictured above.

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WoW: Mists of Pandaria

Yesterday I mentioned World of Warcraft's troubles and a little information about the latest WoW Expansion: Mists of Pandaria.  I figured it was only fair to follow up with a little more of what is known about the upcoming expansion for one of the biggest MMO titles on the market.


With the expansion Blizzard will offer up:
- New Race
- New Continent
- Level cap will be raised to 90
- And a new class.

If you've been living under a rock for the last couple of weeks, than you'll know that the Pandaren are the new race and they hail from Pandaria (lacks a little imagination for me).  The new class is Monk.  Blizzard will also be bringing a new challenge mode, PVP goodies, and more.  If you haven't seen the trailer yet, check it out (borrowed from the WorldofWarcraft YouTube Channel).

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What's Happening to WoW?

Admittedly, I have spent my fair share of time in the past running around in World of Warcraft.  Was it fun?  Sure.  Was it creative?  Sure.  Was it worth me spending $15 dollars a month to play it when compared with my time spent actually in-game during the course of the month?  I didn't like it that much.  :)

I am not one of these "WoW haters"; let me get that out there first and foremost.  As far as the game goes, it was one of the first MMO titles to get it right.  Otherwise, it would have folded a long time ago.  Blizzard has been successful at indirectly killing off or forcing other MMO titles similar to WoW's genre into a Free-to-Play business model.  For some this alternative business model has been a success for other titles it means death of the game.  Either a game has that certain charm, flare, and gameplay worthy of such fanfare.  And yes, WoW certainly has it.


It was reported just a couple of months ago that Blizzard has lost something in the neighborhood of 800,000 subscribers from July 2011 to September 2011.  I don't care who you are, that is a huge loss.  Is this a sign of the economy?  A sign that people just aren't playing?  Or are they getting spoiled to the Free-to-Play plan?

Regardless, looks like Blizzard is pulling out the one card that not many people on the face of planet Earth can shy away from: Panda's.  I don't care who you are, but you have to be on bad dude not to have a soft spot in the old ticker for a panda.  And Blizzard knows this, so coming soon to Azeroth will be a new expansion entitled: Mists of Padaria.  This expansion will bring the Pandaren race as well.

Will the adorable pull of Pandaren Shaman draw people back?  Time will tell.

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