iPhone app that allows cable transfer of files and viewer feature

"Does anyone know of an app that allows you to transfer files to your iPhone via the USB cable "

There is not one. 3rd party apps are not allowed to do this.

There used to be an app that did this called "FileAid". The app was free, but to use it you need to purchase an app called "DiscAid" from the developer. It allowed for file transfers between iPhone and computer using a USB cable or wifi. Recently, the app was changed AT APPLE'S REQUEST to eliminate the USB functionality. Why? I have no clue, other than having this feature took away from Apple's MobileMe file transfer functionality. I did NOT accept the upgrade. Below is an email I received from the developer.

What really irks me is that I paid for the DiscAid app. By removing this functionality, Apple has ripped me off. Fortunately, the developer has more integrity than Apple has.

"As a DiskAid user, you might be using FileAid to view files on your device.
If this is your case you are maybe aware already: we had to upgrade FileAid 1.4 to 1.5 and we changed the name to FileApp, incidentally.

The USB connectivity within FileApp was removed and we did not want that: it was not our choice but the consequence of a decision taken by Apple, nor did we wanted to have to rush to release it.
Besides, all iPhone Apps supporting the USB file transfer will be affected by that.

We were very upset about Apple's decision not to let our users enjoy the simplicity and efficiency of USB file transfer, but we had no choice as you can imagine. We are very sorry about that.

DiskAid (USB transfer tool) is still perfectly functional for file storing and iPhone/iPod Touch filesystem access but FileApp won't let you view your files on the device.

It is probably pretty uncommon, but we would like you NOT to UPGRADE to FileApp in the App Store automatically, but to read the following carefully before:

Why Should you Upgrade:
If you have a jailbreak on your device
If you are a FileAid user only using WiFi connection for transferring files - WiFi connectivity issue fixed

Why You Should NOT Upgrade:
If you are using FileAid on a device without jailbreak in conjunction with DiskAid - USB no longer supported

If you have upgraded on your iPhone by mistake (or you missed the upgrade information notice prior upgrading on your iPhone) you have the ability to downgrade to FileAid if you haven't upgraded within iTunes on your desktop and you haven't performed a sync!

To do so:
1 - Check that you have FileAid in your iPhone apps within iTunes on your computer
2 - Delete the FileApp app from your iPhone (or iPod Touch)
3 - Select FileAid within the app tab in iTunes and press sync
If a message appears warning that you have a more recent version of this app on the device, accept: it will install FileAid instead of FileApp

If you have upgraded to FileApp directly in iTunes on your computer, delete it before sync (if applicable) and the FileAid app will be copied back onto iTunes at next sync.

It is a real issue for us, as the ability to browse files transferred via USB within our iPhone app FileAid was a great feature within the DiskAid program we will sure suffer from that - but we won't let our loyal customers take the blame.

We would naturally refund users that claim for, even beyond our refund policy (up to 60 days).
Also if you had a good time while the trick lasted, or if you feel any sympathy for us and you think that your purchase could subsidize the development and maintenance of the free version of the FileAid/FileApp and you do not request a refund, we would thank you in advance for your support!"

There are a number of consequences from jailbreaking (jb) your iPhone. To begin with, you void the Apple warranty. Now, having said that, many will tell you that should you need to take your phone back to Apple for some reason you can simply do a restore and voila, same old phone, standard software. Assuming you do the jb properly, this may be true. But if by some chance you "brick" it, and can't restore, you're in a very bad place. Most jb's these days have been pretty well vetted, and assuming you aren't a total idiot, it would seem the risk of this is fairly low.

The second consequence is you run the chance of lowering the security on your iPhone. In order to install non-Apple programs on your phone, which is the only reason for doing a jb, you will install a program called Open SSH. You need to change the standard password for Open SSH to eliminate this possibility. It's really quite simple, and you can YouTube it and get step by step instructions to do this. Actual reported security breaches have been fairly rare, but lots of people keep a lot of personal info on their phones, and there have been worms reported that infect iPhones and compromise your security. (Which reminds me... you do keep your iPhone password protected in the event it is lost or stolen, don't you?)

Finally and most significantly, programs for jb'd iPhones are not vetted through Apple. In the early days, this was a huge problem, as these programs could be buggy, unstable, or have performance problems. Most jb program propagators have testing processes that minimize this (Cydia for example), but it is seemingly much more likely you will get a bad jb program than a bad Apple program. This is anecdotal of course... I've gotten bad/buggy programs from the Apple store, too.

Having said all this, jb'ing your iPhone is largely a matter of personal freedom and choice. JB'ing reportedly offers iPhone users functionality that Apple for some reason restricts, such as a video camera, different backgrounds, tethering, etc. And, at least theoretically, it IS your phone... you can do with it what you want. It is important to note that some functionality may void your cell providers contract as well, such as tethering, and may cause you to lose functionality. For example, early jb's to provide tethering reportedly affected visual vmail and other iPhone features. Also, keep in mind that Apple provided iPhone OS enhancements almost invariably affect jb's, causing the user to have to not only re-jb the phone, but often reinstall all the enhancements they've previously loaded, assuming they work with the new OS, which is most likely NOT the case.

Overall, jb'ing can be a hassle. If you're semi-technically proficient, and don't mind doing the maintenance, you may enjoy the functionality and control. If this isn't your gig, I would recommend sticking with standard Apple OS.

But that's just me.... *** do I know?