Emailing photos to yourself has got knobs on it.
Plug phone in to computer with USB:
Your device will appear in Windows Explorer (this is my S3, which has a separate SD card; your Nexii may look a little different):
Drag and Drop to your heart's content. At least I can with mine. Photos will be in the DCIM folder.
I too am annoyed that Google has not made access easier. No drive letters means no simple backup or sync (unless cloud), especially on devices without a separate SD card; could itunes be any worse??
For those with an SD card device and wanting a simple sync system, I can recommend
Sync Me Wireless. No software needed on PC, just filesharing set up.