Iphone 3G-S : Tech Question for USB gurus (you too skuzzy!)

[Tac]

I'll be purchasing an Iphone 3Gs upon my arrival in New Zealand next week and I'm running into some 'can I..' questions with the thing before I even buy it

Here's my situation:

For my trip I was planning on taking with me a good picture digital camera, a good video digital camera and a laptop. This is all quite bulky and I know that I wont get to use the video and the picture camera that much if Im forced to carry both around...and then there's the issue of the laptop itself.

But looking at the Iphone specs and capabilities... it turns out the Iphone itself replaces both the video camera and the laptop for what I need them to do (take pics/video, send email, browse the web, use google maps, etc). I will be taking my digital photo camera because it can change ISO, lighting, shutter speed, etc. settings to make the best pictures (and man do I abuse this ability ).

My picture camera has a USB camera->pc cable just like the Iphone does.

The problem is however.. without the laptop I cannot download the pictures from the photo camera (whereas the iphone allows you to use a wifi or 3G connect to download them to storage on the internet).


So I have:
1 X Iphone 3Gs with its own usb cable
1 X photo camera with its own USB cable

and I want to be able to connect the camera TO the iphone so that the iphone can download the pictures from the camera directly.

I know my camera, when connected to a PC, functions like an external hard disk (i've uploaded and downloaded pictures into the sd card this way). From what I read, the Iphone has the same capability.

So... why not connect the two and avoid taking the laptop altogether?

For that I'd need to have a cable that would have both ends as USB type A receptacle.. but I cannot seem to find any. Is this possible?

Skuzzy?

[SPKmes]

Maybe a usb hub

[Spikes]

The problem might lie in the fact of the iphone's OS.

[Tac]

my mac reads the data off the camera via usb connector too. iphone uses mac-type OS no?

my main concern is any damage that could happen physically by connecting the devices via usb in this manner. Im more than willing to 'invest' the hub/adapter/whatever to plug them together.. i just dont want them to fry if I do   (whether they will read each other's data or not is what im willing to spend to find out)

[SPKmes]

yes they use mac OS also windows.

[Spikes]

my mac reads the data off the camera via usb connector too. iphone uses mac-type OS no?

my main concern is any damage that could happen physically by connecting the devices via usb in this manner. Im more than willing to 'invest' the hub/adapter/whatever to plug them together.. i just dont want them to fry if I do   (whether they will read each other's data or not is what im willing to spend to find out)

Only reason I mentioned it was because the iphone's OS isn't like Window's Mobile stuff...but I'm not too sure...I own a ipod touch myself but haven't tried hooking anything up to it before.

[Hoarach]

I was going say you may want to try looking into the windows mobile phones before you make your decision.

The windows mobile phone has a nice little program/service called internet sharing.  You can actually connect your phone to your laptop and have the laptop connect to the internet through your phone.  It is like having the phone act as a modem for you laptop.  If you get the high speed data package which the windows mobile phones have, you can have dsl speed internet through your phone on your laptop.

I have a windows mobile phone and I have used it a lot in this case because I dont always have the wifi available around me.

[tokenjo]

Spikes, I would do a google search or check apples iPhone applications for this.
Would be nice if that works.  I have the ip2.  Love it.  Altho wish the camera
where better & no video.

Tokenjo

[Vulcan]

My picture camera has a USB camera->pc cable just like the Iphone does.

Because neither are Host USB ports.

[Tac]

I was going say you may want to try looking into the windows mobile phones before you make your decision.

The windows mobile phone has a nice little program/service called internet sharing. 

Iphone has it too. its called tethering.

Vulcan: Aye, neither are ports hence why im trying to figure out how to plug them together. USB hub or adapter..whatever. I just dont know if it will fry the iphone  or camera (since usb also carries power) in such a setup.

[SPKmes]

[

[Vulcan]

Iphone has it too. its called tethering.

Vulcan: Aye, neither are ports hence why im trying to figure out how to plug them together. USB hub or adapter..whatever. I just dont know if it will fry the iphone  or camera (since usb also carries power) in such a setup.

Nah thats not wot I mean. Either device must be have the physical hardware to be a USB host, which I believe neither do (well the iphone doesn't).

[Tac]

you got a point there.

(sigh) /hopelessness

[steely07]

If you had an actual ipod (not the iphone), there is an adaptor that does exactly that, plugs in between digital camera and the ipod.

Doesn't work with iphone however.

Steely

[OOZ662]

The iPhone also lacks the software side of it too. It works as a separate "digital camera" device to the computer if it has photos in the Camera Roll. Other wise it doesn't bother connecting it.

I'm sure you could write an app to do it, but the lack of hardware interface kinda nixes it too.