Bump 3.3 (for Android)

You always have to be skeptical about an app that claims it can perform magic, but, well, Bump v.3.3 for Android (free), a file transferring app, can perform magic.

Bump has been around for three years, a relative lifetime, beginning as an app that lets mobile owners transfer data by tapping the devices together. It felt more like a novelty at the time, but version 3.3 truly brings the app back to life with a well-executed, killer new feature: bumping photos from mobile to PC by simply tapping the spacebar with your Android or iOS phone. All you need is an Internet connection and the Bump app installed on your device.

New! Mobile-to-PC, Mobile-to-Web Bumping
The best new feature in this version is instant photo-to-PC photo sharing. To perform this, install the app on your Android device. Open a browser on your PC (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari only) and go to http://bu.mp. Launch the app on your device, select an unlimited number of photos to send, then tap the spacebar with your phone (yes, only works with the spacebar). Hit 'OK' on both mobile and PC for permission to connect, and voila! The images will show up in your browser, and you can then download them or simply drag them onto your desktop. ?

You can also click to share photos on Facebook or to generate a link for your hosted photos to post on Twitter, your blog, email, anywhere, really. On Facebook, Bump imports appear as a URL only?it'd be better if it posted thumbnail previews the way Facebook usually displays posted photos. Maybe after an acquisition (Like!).

This new "magical" feature is very easyto use (and potentially addictive), but could use a little polish. For instance, I wish photos would automatically save to a designated folder on my computer. This is nitpicky, but I also would have liked the option to delete photos from my device after transferring them.

How Did They Do That??
A Bump spokesperson said the app works in two parts. One, the app running on your device, and two, a smart matching algorithm running in Bump's cloud-based servers. When you bump your spacebar, the app on your phone uses the phone's sensors to literally "feel" the bump, and the spacebar acts as the sensor to feel the bump on the computer. Bump then sends your data, encrypted, to its servers for processing. The matching algorithm listens to bumps from phones and computers around the world and pairs up the two that felt the same bump, sending photos from device to computer.

One downside is that this apparently requires numerous permissions, like GPS tracking and access to your contacts. Bump assures us that all data is encrypted.

Refined Mobile-to-Mobile Bumping
Bump can transfer more than photos between two mobile devices, across both iOS and Android. With the app open on both devices, simply tap them together to bump contacts, unlimited photos, and links to installed apps, though the latter data doesn't work on iOS. Unfortunately the latest release omits Bump's flagship feature?bumping music and other files?but the company said this was deleted because most people were only bumping photos and contacts. If you're looking for a way to sync different file types across phones and desktops, check out some good cloud-based syncing apps like SugarSync and Dropbox.

Do the Bump
Bump has been around for several years, and up until now, frankly, I found it a little gimmicky. How often do you really find yourself needing to transfer files to another Bump user who's standing within physical bumping distance? I remember deleting the app on the first day. Bump v.3.3 for Android brings this old dog back to life. The app combines a great interface with a useful feature?transferring mobile photos to your PC?and adds a little magic in its execution.?

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??? Bump 3.3 (for Android)
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