Issue 1404 85
THE
EXPERTSSomethingInTheAir
I recallreading some while back – probably in
Micro Mart – that it’s possible to ‘push’ phone
notifications to a PC and use the PC as if it
was the phone. I can’tremember what the
app’s called, though. Can you help? I’ve gota
Windows 10 laptop and an Android phone.
Danny, GmailYou’re probably referring to AirDroid. There
are two parts to this: the phone or tablet
app (from Google Play) and the desktop
app (from http://www.airdroid.com)..) Install them
both and create an account using either. Log
into both, and on the mobile app, tap the
options icon (three vertical dots, top-right)
and select Settings. Enable ‘Notification
mirror service’.
That’s about it, Danny. However, you may
find that AirDroid isn’t as useful as you’d
hoped. On your desktop, you’ll see phone
notifications for everything – emails, texts,
Facebook posts, calls, system alerts. These can
be filtered down if you’re being bombarded,
but the real problem is that all you’ll be able
to do with most notifications is read them.
It’s not possible to use AirDroid to reply to
emails, for instance. Also, you’ll be able to end
calls or initiate them, but you’ll still need to
take your phone from your pocket to speak
and listen. Replying to instant messages is
well catered for – if you’re using Facebook
Messenger, WhatsApp, Kik, orTelegram. For
the first two, your phone must be running at
least Android 4.4.x; for the last two, you need
at least Android 5.x.
Of course, if you’re in front of your PC,
your messaging service will already be open
(as will your email client, Facebook, and so
on), so what purpose does AirDroid actually
serve?Well, you’ll find that you can both
receive and *send* text messages, all synced
to your phone. That’s useful, to be sure,
though texting is declining year on year
and is already significantly less popular than
instant messaging.
You’ll also find that AirDroid allows you to
transfer files – from phone to PC or from PC to
phone. I like this a lot, but unless you’re willing
to stump up $19.99 per year for AirDroid
Premium, the transfer limit is just 200MB
per month. AirDroid can also mirror the
phone’s display to the desktop, allowing fairly
comprehensive interaction, but your phone willneed to be rooted (unless you’re happy to use
a USB cable).
For Mac users, there’s a version of AirDroid
for OS X. There’s also a web client that works
on any platform. The mobile app is Android-
only, however, so any readers who wanta
similar experience on an iPhone or iPad should
try Pushbullet (www.pushbullet.com).
There’s an Android version of this too.
For me, I’ve tried both AirDroid and
Pushbullet, and I’ve found they do little but
add a ton of clutter to the desktop. Not much
can actually be *done* with them, and they’re
slow and a bit buggy – works-in-progress.
That’s just my view, of course, Danny.You
should definitely give them a whirl and make
your own mind up.jAirDroid lets you see your phone notifications on
your PC, but is there much point?What you need to do, Steve, is ‘take
ownership’ of your colleague’s data
folders. Make sure you’re logged in as an
administrator, and for each folder, follow the
steps below.- Right-click the desired folder and click
Properties - Select the Security tab and click Advanced
- Select the Owner tab and click Edit
- Under ‘Change owner to’, select your
own user account - Tick the box labelled ‘Replace owner on
subcontainers and objects’ - Click OK
- ClickYes, OK, or Continue as required
Ownership is changed on a file-by-file
basis, so the process could take hours if
there’s gigabyte after gigabyte of data.
This is normal – don’t be concerned. Once
it’s all done, you shouldn’t have any more
permission problems.Note – The above procedure is forWindows
- OnWindows 8.x and 10, it’s slightly
different. For readers looking for a guide,
cast your optic nerves over this page on the
WindowsTen Forums (not affiliated with
Microsoft):goo.gl/5wA7YY.
jBacking up data from someone else’s hard
drive – who among us hasn’t been landed with
that chore? – often requires folder ownerships to
be changed