Smartphone as a memory card reader

I was in the hospital the other day because we now have a new addition to our family (see: Picture of new baby Kim).

I had taken some photos and videos using our digital camera, but I left the memory card reader at home. I wanted to transfer the pictures from the microSD card to her Apple MacBook Pro, but she has the older model that lacks an internal SD card reader. So what did I do? Well, I had a USB to mini-USB cable (I always carry one of these since you never know when you have to tether). I pulled out my HTC Touch Pro2 and swapped out the microSD card. Then, I placed the USB connection mode to "Disk Drive" mode. The microSD card in my smartphone appeared as a removable drive on her Mac. Voila!

Here are a few of my tips/suggestions if you use a digital camera:

• Always carry a USB memory card reader in your camera bag.
• If your digital camera uses an SD card, consider using a microSD card (with an SD adapter). You'll have more flexibility with that memory card.
  
• Always carry a USB connecting cable for your smartphone (and/or camera) in your camera bag.