How do you get a cell phone and PC to communicate?

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Nelson - 02 Mar 2009 01:57 GMT

How can you access a cell phone from a PC to transfer pictures taken
with and stored in the cell phone?

The phone is an LG VX5500. Carrier is Verizon. PC runs Windows
XP-SP2.

This phone has no external memory card (or slot for one). So the data
can't be transferred via memory card.

I bought a USB data cable for the phone, got the driver, and installed
it ok. Upon connection, Windows recognizes the phone. The phone is
not registered in Windows as a disk drive, but it does appear in
Device Manager as a modem.

It would seem that some specialized software is needed to access the
phone from the computer. Is that right? If so, which do you
recommend?

The phone can use bluetooth, so another possibility is transfering
files via bluetooth, if that can be done and if I buy a bluetooth
adapter for the PC.

Thanks for any advice.

Reply to this Message

Richard B. Gilbert - 02 Mar 2009 03:49 GMT

> How can you access a cell phone from a PC to transfer pictures taken
> with and stored in the cell phone?
>
> The phone is an LG VX5500. Carrier is Verizon. PC runs Windows
> XP-SP2.

That explains it. Verizon Wireless likes to cripple their phones. If
you are forced to send your photographs over the air rather than through
a USB cable, VZW makes money from each photo you send!

> This phone has no external memory card (or slot for one). So the data
> can't be transferred via memory card.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> phone from the computer. Is that right? If so, which do you
> recommend?

For Motorola phones there is "Motorola Phone Tools". I haven't a clue
what an "LG" phone needs to do this. If there IS a tool to do this,
it's probably LG specific and an LG specific newsgroup, if there is one,
would be a good place to ask.

A possible solution is to use a real camera instead of a phone to take
pictures with! Real cameras have nice features for taking pictures;
e.g. flash. They also are not crippled! Many have USB capability
and/or a removable memory card/stick.

It's also sometimes possible to hack the phone to re-enable features
that VZW has disabled. Doing so will void your warranty but some people
will do it anyway.

Reply to this Message

Nelson - 02 Mar 2009 04:15 GMT

> Verizon Wireless likes to cripple their phones.

Yes, and so do most or all of the other carriers. Not only do they
disable good features, they add shortcuts to their shopping sites and
encourage time-using connections at every turn.

I just got this one, but my next phone will be one that comes from
the manufacturer unlocked.

> VZW makes money from each photo you send!

Right. Verizon was no help, simply suggesting that I use their service
to upload via cell phone and pay for each picture uploaded in addition
to airtime costs.

LG was a little better. They said there was software called
"Datapilot" (don't know which of their products was meant) that other
LG owners had used successfully for transfers. No guarantee of
course.

> ...use a real camera instead of a phone

I fully agree. The phone's feeble camera function is for times when
there is no "real" camera but a photo is needed.

Thanks for the comments.

The questions remain. Will Datapilot or other software work with the
usb cable connection. Can bluetooth be used, with or without other
siftware, to transfer files?

>> How can you access a cell phone from a PC to transfer pictures taken
>> with and stored in the cell phone?
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
>that VZW has disabled. Doing so will void your warranty but some people
> will do it anyway.

Reply to this Message

Larry - 02 Mar 2009 17:20 GMT

Nelson <noreply@vapor.edu> wrote in news:6ammq45beacdesauu497f6k8hunj68jva0
@4ax.com:

> Can bluetooth be used, with or without other
> siftware, to transfer files

The procedure to use Bluetooth is quite simple...IF ALLOWED. You don't
need any kind of expensive special software, whatsoever. The file manager
on both the phone and the computer, in my case the Linux tablet, simply
adds more directories and drives to its tree.

Pair the phone to the Bluetooth in the computer. Set the phone to VISIBLE
so the computer can find it. Pair from the computer. The phone says the
computer is trying to pair with it and asks for your permission. Give it
permission and check "Trusted" if offered to you. Set the pairing to
AUTOMATIC to stop it from asking you every time the connection is made.

Open the computer's file manager with BT paired and the phone should show
up on the file manager's drive/directory list just as if it had another USB
drive plugged into it. The file manager can now control the phone's files
just like it could any external drive plugged into it. Copy and move files
just like you would an external hard drive.

My Nokia N800 Linux Tablet is paired to my Alltel/Motorola Z6m phone. The
Linux tablet's file manager has full access and control just like the above
and we move files on and off the phone's internal memory or microSD card
directly from file manager using Bluetooth's FTP protocol.

When connected, the phone and computer share DUN (phone modem), OPP, FTP,
and OBEX protocols. The phone simultaneously provides EVDO internet data
service to the tablet, even while moving files on and off various drives
and memory cards in the phone and tablet. Works great...IF VERIZON HASN'T
DISABLED IT to sell you your own pictures in some damned file moving
through sellphone scheme.....

Good luck.

(We also pair between tablets and swap files while eating lunch in a
diner.)

Reply to this Message

Nelson - 02 Mar 2009 18:12 GMT

Thanks to those who provided advice.

I've downloaded BitPim and, even though my particular phone is not
listed as supported, I'll give it a try with the USB cable.

Failing that, I'll buy a bluetooth adapter for the computer, then I'll
follow Larry's procedure and see if Verizon got there first.

The results will appear here. News at eleven.

______________________________________

>Nelson <noreply@vapor.edu> wrote in news:6ammq45beacdesauu497f6k8hunj68jva0
>@4ax.com:
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
>(We also pair between tablets and swap files while eating lunch in a
>diner.)

Reply to this Message

Jon - 02 Mar 2009 20:50 GMT

Yeah, Verizon has disabled that on most of its dumb phones, but enabled it
on some feature phones (my Voyager and Dare come to mind)

> Nelson <noreply@vapor.edu> wrote in
> news:6ammq45beacdesauu497f6k8hunj68jva0
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
> (We also pair between tablets and swap files while eating lunch in a
> diner.)

Reply to this Message

Peter Pan - 02 Mar 2009 06:25 GMT

>> How can you access a cell phone from a PC to transfer pictures taken
>> with and stored in the cell phone?
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
> VZW has disabled. Doing so will void your warranty but some people will
> do it anyway.

or just consider using bitpim (free, works over a cable that you already
have..... did i mention it's free? :)
http://www.bitpim.org/

make sure you use ORG

While I have MPT also, i find I use bitpim most often...

Reply to this Message

Oliver Costich - 02 Mar 2009 18:19 GMT

>>> How can you access a cell phone from a PC to transfer pictures taken
>>> with and stored in the cell phone?
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>
>While I have MPT also, i find I use bitpim most often...

Data Pilot is slow to support new phones and wants to sell you an
update every time they put a new phone in their syste, bitpim is the
one to get. Likely bitpim doesn't show the LG5500 yet either but you
can experiment with setting to to a similar LG model. (I have to use
LG8560 setting with my new LG8360.) Great for manafing address books,
ringtones.

For just moving files back and forth, I use bluetooth. If you buy a
bluetooth dongle, look for one the comes with BlueSoleil which will
let you do file transfers.

Reply to this Message

Nelson - 03 Mar 2009 03:18 GMT

It worked!

The photos were transferred to PC successfully, thanks to some key
bits of guidance you provided. Details:

Used BitPim Beta 1.0.7.20081215. I specified a phone that BitPim
supports (LG VX5400) that might be functionally similar to my VX5500.
However, BitPim then detected it as a generic "Other CDMA phone."

Tried the variousl BitPim functions, but none work (which for my
present purpose doesn't matter). BitPim could not get "phone info" or
access its phonebook, ringtones, calendar, etc., since my phone is not
supported

Fortunately, BitPim can be used to navigate the phone's directory
structure. A little exploration found the photos in the phone's
directory: \brew\mod\10888. It was necessary to copy them one at a
time, but that's no problem.

Most other directories can be viewed but not otherwise accessed. For
example, I could not copy or delete any ringtones, attempts at which
got the error message, "Access to the file/directory has been blocked
on this phone by the phone provider." Cute.

ADDED: Just tried specifying a different phone (VX5300), and all of a
sudden BitPim and my phone came to life. The BitPim functions now are
accessible, although they still get the "file/directory blocked" error
thanks to Verizon.

BitPim is a nice program. So is its price. It can do lots of useful
things for phones that it supports and whose carriers have not
crippled them.

The bluetooth tips have been noted for future use.

The guidance you folks provided is appreciated. THANK YOU!

Reply to this Message

Peter Pan - 03 Mar 2009 14:45 GMT

> It worked!
>
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
>
> The guidance you folks provided is appreciated. THANK YOU!

FWIW, keep checking once in a while, Bitpim is user supported and new
phones/features are added once in a while (that ones rather new and not
added yet), and if you have the phones firmware/software updated, things may
change (my e815 functions have changed - very slowly - over the years,
specially when i had my e815 reflashed, and my sisters vx8300 - both no
longer sold by verizon - sometimes have new features/functions supported in
both bitpim and mpt)

Reply to this Message

Nelson - 03 Mar 2009 15:24 GMT

>FWIW, keep checking once in a while, Bitpim is user supported and new
>phones/features are added once in a while (that ones rather new and not
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>longer sold by verizon - sometimes have new features/functions supported in
>both bitpim and mpt)

Good advice.

If I needed a fully functional phone I'd be ticked (to put it mildly)
at the way Verizon (and other carriers) disable it. In this case,
it's a secondary cell phone for occasional and noncritical use.

Clearly most people would be better off buying a manufacturers'
unlocked phone even at greater up-front cost. Most people probably
don't know this. That's because they don't hang out in groups like
this :-)

Reply to this Message

tlvp - 30 Jun 2009 08:59 GMT

>>> How can you access a cell phone from a PC to transfer pictures taken
>>> with and stored in the cell phone?
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>
> While I have MPT also, i find I use bitpim most often...

I see from the .org site that bitpim is for CDMA handsets.
Is there anything comparable for GSM handsets?

TIA! And cheers, -- tlvp

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Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP

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RBM - 02 Mar 2009 14:17 GMT

> How can you access a cell phone from a PC to transfer pictures taken
> with and stored in the cell phone?
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> Thanks for any advice.

> I too, run Bitpim with an LG. I do it over bluetooth and it works fine

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