App for journalists: Pushbullet, for transferring files between your devices

Credit: Image by Pushbullet

What is it? This free app allows you to connect your mobile devices together so you can send files between them in an instant, while ensuring you never miss a notification.

Devices: iOS, Android

Cost: Free

How is it of use to journalists? Journalists are more dependent on technology than ever before, relying on emails, tweets, texts and notifications to communicate with each other and keep up to date with the latest news around the world.

But sometimes this can be a difficult task, especially when working on many devices simultaneously. Pushbullet is designed to help users never miss a beat, by allowing them to sync their phone, tablet and desktop together so they can easily transfer links, notes, lists and files between their devices.

Once you've downloaded the app onto your phone, sign in with your Google or Facebook account. Next, visit pushbullet.com on your computer and sign in with the same login details.

You'll then be asked whether you want to add the Pushbullet extension to your web browser. Once you have selected your browser and installed Pushbullet, you will be taken through a series of steps to set up your account. Have the app open on your smartphone as you follow the instructions on your desktop.

Desktop view: send files to between your devices and chat with friends

Using the left-hand column on your smartphone, enable 'SMS sync' to send texts while you're working on your computer or tablet. Once you've done this, you'll notice the SMS option appear on the left-hand column of your desktop's Pushbullet account.

You'll then see your text conversations appear on your desktop – try sending a text and watch it sync to your phone.

Next, make sure you can view your smartphone's notifications, such as those from WhatsApp or Twitter, on your computer, by enabling 'notification mirroring' within the mobile app's left-hand column. You can send a test notification to yourself, which should then appear in your browser, mimicking what a text or other alert would look like on desktop – click 'dismiss', and watch it go away on your phone too.

If you'd like to send a file from your computer to your phone, simply click on the 'devices' icon within the Pushbullet desktop extension, choose your phone, and drag and drop the files you want to send to your phone. Next, open the app on your phone and send a file to your computer using the paperclip button.

You can even add friends who are using Pushbullet to your account by searching for them in the 'people' tab on your phone or desktop, making it easier to send files to them without having to use email or other document storage services.

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