Thursday, April 30, 2020

OTG Checker

I get tons of people asking me about OTG.  It stands for USB On The Go.  Probably one of the most important features of an Android Tablet (besides the security and customization).    It was developed in 2001 to facilitate communication between devices via USB (both peripherals and other devices) and push power and data over the same wire (simple as I can make it).  Android developers frequently refer to it as USB Host mode:

(https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/connectivity/usb/host(

I'll post a few more links if anyone is interested.  There are different versions of OTG, not just one.  Each manufacturer handles the spec very differently.  It is absolutely necessary to understand this if you are creating a custom solution for deployment in a vertical use-case or in a heavily regulated industry.

For information on how devices handle OTG, use this app on the device.  There are others however I've used this with some success:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.faitaujapon.otg&hl=en_US

One key thing with OTG is to test, test, test.  Getting it right is an iterative process.  Can't be done overnight and it is tricky as it is where hardware and software from multiple vendors usually meet up.  But when it works, it is really cool. -Fin


IoT Sleuthing App

Full disclosure, I'm a cyber security nut.  Love the topic and I mess with cyber security like an 18 year old plays Fortnight.

I'll keep my posts short and sweet.  One of my favorite apps is this (for Android): 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.macdom.ble.blescanner&hl=en_US

It scans for IoT sensors and BLE beacons.  Fire it up on your phone or tablet and walk into a conference room in your office (or at Starbucks).  Tells you tons about who is watching, listening, scanning and checking you out. -Fin