Despite valiant cunning attempts by mobile device manufacturers to lure me away, I remain wedded to my computer. en it’s time to get work done, my phone sits idle, warming up my pocket or desperately charging nearby.
Imagine my thorough disgust when a call comes in or a notification sounds, I must divert my attention away from my cherished computer display toward the meddlesome phone. It’s like having a needy child, minus the unconditional love.
Ah, but I’m starting to feel the love.
Moaxis is an app computer utility that shows great potential. It provides phone notifications, phone call access, text messaging, contact info right on your computer. It’s one of the first attempts to bring something similar to the coming iOS8 OS X Yosemite “Hoff” feature to Android devices.
The Moaxis console on your computer displays your phone’s contact info.
ile ione devotees have to wait for iOS 8 Yosemite in the fall, you can grab Moaxis right now from the ay Store. You also need to visit the Moaxis web site to download software for a or Mac.
Setup an account to coordinate the devices, Moaxis starts to work.
Behold your phone’s notifications, on your computer
The Moaxis app has a basic interface, listing connected computers.
Moaxis does a super job of plastering my computer screen with phone notifications. For example, I can clearly see that my phone just can’t make up its mind whether or not to connect to the -Fi network. That makes my day.
one notifications on the ’s screen.
You’re supposed to be able to block notifications. That facility doesn’t work for me. I can dismiss phone notifications from the computer screen, but not block them. So — oh, yeah: There it is again. The phone is connecting to the -Fi network. Bitchin’.
The app’s blocked notification screen could also use some work. It displays all your phone’s apps in one very long list that clearly violates the Good App Design admonition against long lists. I’d prefer a tabbed list, perhaps sorted by blocked/unblocked apps.
The endless app blocking screen.
See who’s calling before looking at your phone
Seeing an incoming call alert is really hy. I can tell who’s calling gauge the urgency by which I need to answer, if at all. I like this feature because every time it rings I have to st up to get my honking phablet phone out of my pants pocket. Of course, you can already see notifications no your computer screen, including incoming calls, with shbullet.
Moaxis promises that eventually you’ll be able to use your computer to answer even initiate calls. I pray that feature is available before the fall, when the Apple fanatics will point mock as they use iOS 8’s Hoff. Until then, you can talk only on the phone, but you can disconnect the call by clicking the Hang Up button on your computer.
Hanging up is possible on your computer, but you’ll have to do your talking on your phone, for now.
Text messaging: They got this one right
Text messaging works as advertised: You receive the message on your computer screen can reply by using the computer keyboard (which is so odd I feel like making typos on purpose). You can even initiate a new text messages on the computer, which is keen.
Moaxis Console sending a text message.
Hopefully someday Moaxis pulls together its parts pieces, gets everything up running. en that day comes, it will be a sweet app to have. Right now, its limited feature set doesn’t do much to set it apart from shbullet or Airdroid. The one core feature that isn’t working yet—making calls completely from your computer—is the thing that would really set Moaxis apart.
