There are dozens and dozens of apps in the Windows Phone Store that magically transform your Nokia Lumia into something else entirely, such as a torch, a spirit level or a radio.
As well as the obvious benefit of adding great new features to your smartphone, it’s also worth reflecting on what a wonderful and flexible piece of hardware it is.
There are some days when it feels like I am using my Nokia Lumia 820 for everything except as a phone!
A lot of the credit must also go to the ingenious developers who are continually finding new ways to reinvent the Nokia Lumia and what it can do.
PC Remote
I have lately been using an app called PC Remote (free), which allows me to control my PC with my Nokia Lumia, instead of using the mouse and keyboard.
More than that, you can also mirror whatever is on your PC monitor directly on your Lumia and also explore files and documents that are saved on your computer.
This is a great little app that can be set up in a matter of minutes and with a minimum of technical know-how.
Using your Nokia Lumia you’ll be able to sit back and control what you are watching or listening to, without the need to surround yourself with keyboards or mice.
More and more people connecting their computers to their television sets and using their laptops as a multimedia hub. With PC Remote your Nokia Lumia becomes an all-purpose remote control.
Setting up PC Remote
The first step is to install the PC Remote app on your Nokia Lumia. There is another version PR Remote Pro (£2.29) without any adverts and extra features, such as support for Windows 8 gestures and the ability to copy files from your PC to your Lumia.
My PC runs on Windows 7, so I’ve found that the free version of PC Remote is more than adequate and has plenty of the most useful features already.
Next, you’ll have to download and run PC Remote Server on your PC. This connects your computer to your Nokia Lumia – make sure that your Lumia is connected via WiFi to the same Internet connection that your PC is using.
Open the PC Remote app on your Lumia and it should have ‘discovered’ your PC. Tap the icon to connect the two and you are up and running.
Using PC Remote
The most basic features of PC Remote are using your Nokia Lumia as a mouse or keyboard for your PC.
Tap on the ‘Mouse’ or ‘Keyboard’ icon to give it a go and you’ll discover that it works extremely well and is very responsive. It’s just as good as using a real mouse or keyboard.
It’s also quick to switch between the mouse, keyboard and other settings thanks to the menu shortcuts that appear along the bottom of your Lumia’s screen.
In addition to mouse and keyboard, you can also use PC Remote to adjust the volume, adjust the power controls (shut the PC down, put it in sleep mode, restart it or logout etc.) and mirror the monitor display on your Lumia.
By setting up a password for the connection between your PC and your Nokia Lumia, you can also explore the files on your computer. However, to view and copy files from your PC to your Lumia, you’ll need to pay for the Pro version.
Multimedia Master
All that functionality is pretty useful and wonderful already but I think the true value of PC Remote lies in its ability to control multimedia on your PC.
PC Remote lets you control your iTunes library, Windows Media Centre, Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and a whole host of other multimedia services on the computer using your Lumia.
I love that I can use my Lumia to skip and pause tracks on iTunes, and adjust the volume, without needing to sit in front of my computer. Likewise, I can search for YouTube videos on my Lumia and then play them automatically on my PC monitor.
There are plenty of other features that I haven’t really explored, such as using PC Remote to showcase and go through PowerPoint presentations. Already, it has become one of my favourite and most indispensable apps.