What's not: The Pushbullet app's design can be confusing at first. What's great: The app requires minimal setup, and it's dead simple to send items. Just a note that the iPhone app does not include this feature. You can pick and choose which apps trigger a desktop notification, or turn the feature off altogether if you need a break from the pop-ups. This feature is awesome for seeing who's calling, checking out what a text message says, or simply deciphering what's going on when my phone buzzes, all without taking my eyes off my computer screen. However, the main reason I use the app is to view my phone's notifications on my desktop. You can also send those items to your friends who also use Pushbullet. This free app works well for sharing notes, links, checklists, files, and map locations from your computer to your phone or vice versa.

What started out as a way to send links, notes, and files between your devices wirelessly has morphed into a powerful tool for both transferring information, and displaying your Android's notifications on your desktop, using the app and a browser extension for Chrome or Firefox. Pushbullet has grown a lot in the last year.

With it, you can take calls from your Mac, start an email on your phone and finish it on the iPad, and more. These apps are mostly for Android, but iPhone users can look forward to Handoff, a new feature in iOS 8 that helps connect your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. I'm rounding up three apps that bridge the gap between phone and computer in a few different ways. I'm not talking about plugging in a USB cable instead there are apps out there that help your desktop and Android talk to each other, helping you transfer files, view your notifications, and even send text messages without touching your smartphone. You phone and computer are both powerful machines, but they can get even more powerful when you connect them.

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