As you know, smartphones running a mobile operating system Windows systems have been produced for over a year now. Loyal fans of the line managed to use phones on Windows 7 mobile, and more modern users found devices on Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 - last version OS.
Program for Windows sync Phone 7, 8, 10
And if we talk about universal remedy synchronization mobile device for any Windows versions Phone with a personal computer, then here you need to highlight the software.
The easy-to-use program has a friendly interface and excellent usability. Thanks to this, even not the most confident user personal computer will be able to easily understand all the intricacies of software management.
You can download the program for free from Microsoft server. The link is available most fresh version programs. After downloading the installer file, the program must be installed, which is done as follows:
- Run the distribution kit with *exe extension.
- Click the "Accept" button (terms of agreement).
- Click on the "Install" button.
- Close the installer window.
After starting the program, you must leave all parameters in the “Default” state and proceed to use it. By connecting the device to a computer, you can synchronize all media files: photos, images, songs, videos that are in its memory. In addition, Zune can also act as a player in which you can play all the files on your smartphone / computer.
Synchronization program Windows phone 10 from PC
If you are the owner of the newest, modern phone running Windows Phone 10, you can also use another program to synchronize it with your computer. She is also official app available on the Microsoft website.
This software has been designed specifically to work with the most new version operating system mobile type, and was named "Windows Phone for Desktop". You can download the installer file to your computer from the following link.
Among the main functions of the application are:
- Synchronization of music and podcasts;
- Synchronization of photo and video files;
- Installing ringtones and creating an archive of melodies for calls;
- Synchronization with iTunes.
Now you can run the program and proceed with the initial setup:
Now, through the application interface, you can see all the files available in the phone's memory, and, if necessary, by dragging and dropping, add new files to the phone from the PC's memory. To perform synchronization, you must click on the corresponding button located in the lower right part of the software interface. In the same way, files are downloaded from the smartphone’s memory to the PC.
Synchronization Windows Contacts phone
We have to deal with the last question. If you want to sync contacts on your Windows Phone with the app on your PC so that you can access them at any time both on your computer and in the People app on your smartphone, you need to use the corresponding People app on a computer running the desktop version operating system. The synchronization procedure is as follows:
Want to control your Windows 10 PC or laptop through your phone? With the appropriate software you can remotely control your computer, use your phone as a mouse, access the Start menu, launch programs, multimedia applications and much more. Let's see how to do it.
If you need to access your computer through your phone, check out the Controller app for Windows 10. This program "turns" the phone into wireless remote to the computer. Allows you to control the mouse touch screen smartphone, provides the ability to launch applications using gestures (you can create your own gestures to launch various programs on the computer), control the system volume and multimedia applications and much more.
All this works surprisingly smoothly and without any delays. The connection between your phone and a Windows 10 computer is established through wireless communication– that is, your computer and phone must be in the same WiFi networks.
How to set up Controller for Windows 10?
Installing the application on a computer
Controller for Windows 10 consists of two components - an application for Android or Windows Phone, and a utility for providing a connection between two devices, which must be installed on a computer.
To begin with, we download the file for the so-called server part, or a program for installation on a computer that will accept a connection from the phone. The file will be uploaded to ZIP format, which can be unpacked at any specified place on disk.
Then navigate to the unpacked folder and run the Win10Controller.exe file. After installation, a small window will appear in the center of the screen with information that a smartphone connection is available, as well as the IP address of your computer.
Installing the app on your phone
Now let's move on to installing the application on the phone.
Download Controller for Windows 10 for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kerimkaynakci.win10controllerfree
or Windows phone:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/win10-controller/9nblggh1nzfc
Downloading the application to mobile phone and launch it. The main window of the application will be displayed - at first it may seem somewhat inconvenient in appearance, but nevertheless it is easy to get used to it.
A red bar will appear at the bottom of the screen with a message that this moment there is no connection to the computer and you need to install it. After clicking on the window, the screen for connecting to a computer will appear.
If your devices are on the same WiFi network, and the program is enabled on your computer, then just use the Auto Connect option. The application will automatically find the device in WiFi networks and connect to it. However, if you connect to automatic mode failed, use the Manual Connect option and enter the computer's IP address (displayed in the running program on Windows).
After connecting to a computer, you can directly go to Windows management 10 from the phone.
Manage your Windows 10 PC with your phone
Let's start with the basics - moving the mouse cursor. Everything is very simple. Move your finger on the black screen of the application - notice that the mouse cursor moves according to the movement of your finger. Touching the screen with one finger performs a left mouse click, touching with two fingers performs a right mouse click.
A gray box is displayed in the center of the screen. It simulates a mouse wheel - if the field is set to "Scroll", then short movements of the finger in this area up or down do the same thing as scrolling the mouse wheel.
IN top menu there are links to additional functions. The blue circle calls assistant Cortana. In case the assistant is not available, touching this option will display search engine in Windows 10. Together with it, a keyboard appears, with which you can quickly find any item on the Start menu and launch it by pressing Enter.
The next icon causes the display of all open windows next to each other. This makes it easier to work with multiple windows in Windows 10. Next up is the square tile, which is sort of a "local" Start menu. Here are Quick links for individual applications (you can also assign your own icons).
The next element to pay attention to is the search icon. With it, you can quickly launch a search on Google or YouTube - very useful when you want to quickly find something on the Internet or open a YouTube video. You can search by voice (microphone icon), but this option is reserved for users of the paid version.
Moving on, we will find the "S" icon, i.e. gestures. You can draw your own gesture using the "New gesture" option ( New gesture) and assign an action to it, such as launching the Spotify app on your computer. To do this, create an "S" gesture, and then go to the "Manage gestures" section.
On the computer, click on the gear icon in the Controller for Windows 10 program window and go to the “Custom gestures” section in the settings. In the app on your phone, tap the newly created gesture in the list (Gesture Control tab) to edit it.
Please note that in the settings Windows programs 10 Controller will display the ID of the selected gesture in the "Selected gesture" field. Now in the "Select action" field, you can assign any action to it (closing the program, opening the program, turning off the sound, switching songs, copy / paste functions, minimizing / restoring the application, etc.). Just choose desired action for it and additionally define it. For example, if you select "Run app", then you need to specify which program you want to run.
The history of Windows Phone (WP) is full of mysteries and paradoxes. The platform that Lately receives fairly favorable reviews from observers, cannot win back any tangible market share. Despite some success in some countries, Android and iOS smartphones still rule the ball in the most important regions.
Of course, Microsoft made a lot of mistakes: it took WP too late at all, managed to make the first branch of WP 7 a dead end, for some reason came up with Silverlight, etc. But all this is already in the past, and what's stopping today? On the whole, it can be said that over the past years android platform managed to become for smartphones about the same as DOS or Windows became at one time. Devices for every taste and budget work under her control, she is constantly at the hearing, a huge number of applications have been developed for her ...
The latter is perhaps the most sensitive argument. While there are already over 300,000 apps in the WP Store, this is still significantly less than competing platforms. You can, of course, remember that out of all these many thousands, a very small part enjoys real popularity, and, for example, 65% of users in the USA do not install on smartphones at all additional applications. But the fact remains: although today it is already possible to solve almost any task on WP, it is far from always possible to find a specific application for this.
Curiously, Microsoft itself is partly contributing to this state of affairs. Let's say the native RDP client appeared only for WP 8.1 (perhaps due to the previous platform limitations), i.e. much later than for Android and iOS. There are other examples as well. Most likely, the situation will be actively corrected with Windows release 10 for all devices and further popularization of the so-called universal applications (they can be developed today, but in the future API platforms will be added). However, in reality, WP still boasts some unique applications today, which are not easy to find analogues on other platforms.
Despite all the criticisms above, the source of these unique applications is still Microsoft itself. This is understandable, since it is almost impossible for an independent developer to find arguments in favor of supporting WP exclusively. For this review, I have selected three applications that can be categorized as " remote control". The latter perfectly demonstrates the mentioned gaps in the WP Store - where, for example, there are still no "native" applications for popular Smart TV brands, but there are third-party counterparts, the quality of which often leaves much to be desired. And yet.
Screen projector
To be absolutely precise, this case should talk about the possibility of the platform itself, and not about separate application. The "Screen Projector" is indeed built into WP 8.1 and is meant to function exactly as its name suggests. Typically, in such cases, wireless broadcasting of media content to devices (TVs, projectors) with Miracast support- this possibility is available in all modern mobile platforms, including in Android, starting from version 4.2.
The "screen projector", however, can additionally work with a PC via a USB cable. Moreover, in this case, it will be possible to control the smartphone both directly and with a PC - with a mouse or even fingers, if the monitor is touch-sensitive. Such an opportunity, apparently, is primarily designed for developers. Perhaps its most obvious applications are creating videos that teach how to work with applications, or an interactive demonstration on big screen(via laptop to any projector). Application example in " peaceful purposes» - shooting with long exposures: the smartphone is fixed in the desired position, and the USB cable with the laptop acts as a convenient viewfinder and cable release.
All that is required to use the "Screen Projector" in this capacity is to install a special application on the PC:
The whole process comes down to a few clicks on the Next button. Then you need to launch the desktop application, go to the "Screen Projector" settings, connect the USB cable and allow the broadcast itself:
However, the worst thing that can happen when the order of actions is violated is the use wrong drivers. In this case, the connection will not be established and you will need to go to the Device Manager with a connected smartphone, remove the old drivers and repeat the steps with the "Screen Projector":
If the connection is successfully established, the screen of the smartphone will be displayed on the desktop application, which will be executed in full screen mode(exit by Esc):
Another setting of the "Screen Projector" allows you to visualize touches. Round yellow spot in the previous illustration - just there is a "fingerprint". Very visual for creating references, demos, etc.
What is happening on the screen of the smartphone itself and its image on the monitor are fully synchronized, depending on the specific need, you can control both there and there. A set of hotkeys is also supported:
In addition, bundled with the desktop application is installed configuration file, in which, for example, you can obviously adjust the size of the smartphone screen image and some other parameters.
Apparently, there are no complete analogues of the "Screen Projector" for Android, although available in Google Play applications allow you to solve certain individual tasks. For example, you can mention commercial or other VNC servers that usually only work on rooted devices.
Mouse without Borders
Our regular readers may be with the Mouse without Borders application, but only for regular PCs. This is one of the simplest so-called "software KVM", which allows you to quickly control multiple computers using one set of mouse and keyboard. Curious that it was created Microsoft employees, united in the informal community The Garage, for their own purposes, and then presented to the public. However, Mouse without Borders is available through the official center Microsoft downloads, although support will have to be sought.
The application develops rather slowly, but at some point it got the same name. It is a companion, because this application only turns a smartphone with a wireless touchpad and keyboard.
After installation desktop program you need to allow connection from smartphones and tablets:
Here (submenu item Information), if necessary, you can quickly peep the IP address of the computer:
You will need it to set up your WP application. The smartphone must be connected to Wi-Fi and be on the same subnet with the computer:
To establish a connection, you will also need to enter a special code:
It is automatically displayed on the computer screen for 30 seconds - enough to enter three characters:
This ensures minimal security - connect a smartphone application without access to the screen desktop computer fail.
The main interface of the Mouse without Borders smartphone application is a console stylized as a mouse:
The upper corners of the image imitate the left and right mouse buttons, there is a scroll wheel between them, the middle part plays the role of a touchpad - by moving a finger on it, the user will move the pointer on the PC screen. The buttons at the bottom allow for quick scrolling, precise cursor control, and some other popular actions.
You can also call the standard smartphone keyboard, but its use has some nuances:
Unfortunately, Mouse without Borders correctly handles only Latin input, national keyboards are not supported at all on a smartphone. Probably, the developers considered this not too big a drawback in the assumption that commands and code would be typed most often. However, you can still enter the Cyrillic alphabet if you remember well the correspondence of the layouts (well, or constantly switching back and forth): you need to leave the Latin alphabet on the smartphone, and turn on the Cyrillic alphabet on the computer - then “qwerty” will turn into “yutsuken”. Due to the slow development of Mouse without Borders, some others are not supported. modern possibilities WP, in particular, is a "separate" (shape writing) set.
In the very simple case Mouse without Borders is a simple wireless console and there are quite a few similar solutions for both WP and Android. With KVM it's more difficult. The only solution I know of for this class is , which is at a very early stage of development, but is specifically for Android.
Office Remote
This application is developed by Microsoft Research - another special team within Microsoft, but this time it is quite formal. Office Name Remote is quite eloquent - we are really talking about remote control of the desktop Microsoft Office, moreover, exclusively with the 2013 version. The idea to use a smartphone as such is quite old. Even if you don't go beyond subject area, you can remember Microsoft PowerPoint Mobile 2010 for Windows Mobile who had similar functions- and this is still 2010. But the highlight of Office Remote is that it can be used to control not only PowerPoint, but also Word with Excel.
They create separate tabs in the toolbars, but, in fact, serve only to enable / disable remote control. The latter is carried out via Bluetooth, respectively, it is also necessary to first connect the smartphone to the PC. The general sequence of actions is as follows:
- install applications on PC and smartphone;
- turn on Bluetooth and connect PC and smartphone;
- enable remote control in any of the desktop Office applications;
- launch Office Remote and select your PC.
After that, Office Remote will find open files on the PC. office documents of all types and will offer them in a general list - after selecting one of them, the corresponding tools will appear:
The greatest opportunities are provided, of course, for PowePoint. The main screen has two large buttons for sequential enumeration of slides, on top of which the text of notes to them is displayed. Scrolling with gestures also works, in the left upper corner there is a timer, in the upper right - a slide counter:
There are also a number of additional tools:
The three most important of them are placed on the standard WP application panel. The left one includes a representation of the presentation in the form of slide thumbnails for arbitrary movement between them:
The right one is another representation, combined. On it, you can simultaneously see a thumbnail of the current (larger) and next slides, as well as comments and standard (slightly reduced) paging buttons:
Right in this view, you can quickly enable " laser pointer”, simply by touching the thumbnail of the current slide (the next one will disappear so as not to interfere with the review). Pointer mode can also be enabled by middle button from the application panel. In this case, the current slide will be displayed in full screen:
Naturally, the finger will cover part of the image, so it may be more convenient to point the pointer over the presentation screen.
If a video is embedded in the current slide, a additional button, which controls playback:
In general, a fairly good and very convenient set of tools for a speaker who uses PowerPoint 2013 in his practice.
Advantages Word controls and Excel are less obvious, although it is easy to imagine a situation where, in addition to ready-made slides, it is necessary to demonstrate the contents of a document. In this case, Office Remote will at least allow you to zoom and scroll through it.
The content of the documents itself is not displayed on the smartphone, however, with the correct markup text document headings, the user will have access to the structure and quick movement between sections:
The triangular button moves to the beginning of the document, the number on the "leadout" indicates the number of notes - here they will be shown to the speaker, since Word is not displayed in some modes. That is, this function can be used, as well as slide notes:
Arbitrary movement through the document is carried out using the buttons in the application panel. The up and down arrows scroll page by page (screens), the cross-shaped arrow calls the control "remote":
Excel tables are scrolled by rows and columns, so the "remote" for it is somewhat simpler than for Word - there are no paging buttons. But in general, even more complex interaction with tables. First, you can quickly move between any named objects ( right button in the application panel):
Secondly, if there is pivot tables, slicers and filters, you can quickly adjust the presentation of data:
Unfortunately, the Excel add-in is unstable and often causes the application to crash. Otherwise, Office Remote works quite reliably and predictably. Its functioning can be slightly adjusted with a few settings:
The position of the developers is that presentations should change along with the outside world (primarily with its technological component) and with using Office Remote, they tried to achieve synergy between a PC and a smartphone, because, unlike the use of conventional remote controls, in this case two-way interaction is provided. At the same time, the smartphone can continue to perform its main functions, for example, to receive questions from the audience in the background.
Applications similar to Office features There is no Remote for Android, but there are third-party developments to control PowerPoint or LibreOffice Impress.
Summary
Such applications certainly adorn the ecosystem and can become a significant factor in its popularization. Unfortunately, as mentioned at the beginning, Microsoft has a somewhat strange policy. So, even touch Office first appeared for iOS, then for Android, and is only now being developed for Windows tablets (this will be exactly universal application compatible with all platforms). In this context, it is perhaps more understandable Google position, which fundamentally does not release clients of its services for WP. However, the situation with both WP and applications for it is gradually being corrected, and the list of unique developments, of course, is not limited to the three selected for this review.
