Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Phones

I don't know about y'all but I don't use my iPhone like I could. Yeh, I'm on it all the time checking Facebook, Twitter & Instagram - I swear everything I need to know is on one of these - but I don't use a lot of the other features. Sage contacted me about doing a guest post on smartphones & all the things they can do. Hope you learn something to make your life easier!

13 Things You Should Know About Your Smartphone

A lot of people probably use their smartphones for nothing more than calling and texting. Sure you’ve had your phone for a while but did you know that aside from taking photos and videos, playing music and games, and web surfing, your smartphone, basically a mini-computer, can do so much more? You don't have to be a technojunkie to get the most out of your phone. Here are a few things you might not know your phone can do.

1. Monitor Your Health
With tons of health and fitness features and apps available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone, health and wellness monitoring has never been this fun and easy. You can measure your blood pressure and blood glucose levels, monitor your heart rate, even track your diet and daily workouts with your smartphone.

2. Weather Sensor
Samsung Galaxy S4 features a humidity and temperature sensor - useful for planning your workout schedule!

3. Control Your Car
Viper Smartstart is a popular app that functions as a key fob. It will let you start, lock, unlock and even locate your car right from your phone.

4. Take a Screenshot
Yes, you can grab a screenshot from your device. Press and hold home, power, and volume up buttons for iPhone and home and power for Samsung Galaxy S4.

5. Universal Remote Control
Using a wifi network or an infrared device, you can easily control several devices - your TV and entertainment system, even your lights and home appliances with your smartphone. Why use more than a dozen different remote controls when you can use one?

6. Webcam
You can turn your smartphone into a wireless webcam and use it with Skype, Yahoo!, Google+, AIM, Windows Live Messenger, ICQ and other messaging applications.

7. Scanner
Whether you want to scan your handwritten signature and place it into a document or scan a barcode for price check, with tons of scanning apps to choose from, you can transform your smartphone into a powerful scanning station. 

8. Virtual Wallet
You can quickly and easily shop and pay with your phone. With digital wallet apps for safely storing credit card and banking information on your smartphone, you can enjoy cash-free and card-free transactions anytime.

9. Mobile Hotspot
You can share your phone's data connection with other nearby devices. Called wifi tethering, this essentially turns your smartphone into a wireless router.

10. Live TV
No need to miss your favorite shows as apps like netTV or TVUPlayer will let you stream live content on the go.

11. Bubble Level and Tape Measure
Whether you're looking to straighten shelves or level crooked hangings, your smartphone can double up as a tape measure and spirit level. You can find free apps for iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone for determining a level surface and measuring height, width, distance, and area.

12. Measure Speed and Distance
Most smartphones now have apps that can calculate speed and direction in which object is moving, as well as distance between objects.

13. eReader
If you don't want to splurge on tablets or eBook readers, just read your e-books on your smartphone. There's a host of apps that can turn your smartphone into a decent reading device.


Sage Harman is a frugal living enthusiast, wife and mother. She runs http://www.no-contract-plans.com, a site dedicated to providing free information on various popular smartphone and internet plans.

5 comments:

  1. Oh Traci, I am so embarrassed to admit this on the world wide web, but neither hubby or I have a smartphone. It is by choice of coarse, and mainly because I am afraid of venturing out so far, lol. Niece nags me all of the time to go and update, but then I tell her I don't want a phone glued to my palm like her all of the time, and doing 1.5 million selfies per second, lol. Maybe after reading your post, I will reconsider??

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  2. That is a very impressive list of Smart Phone info, Traci! I don't use everything, but I do use my phone for lots of stuff. We are all Apple here with phones, iPads, & computers. We just love how they all stay connected with each other and make life so much easier for these elder retirees.....HA!

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  3. No way I had no idea. I saw a girl paying today at HL with her phone and i thought I was tire and seeing thingsd. Lol. Thanks for sharing this info.

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  4. Tired and seeing things. Oh my goodness now I'm really tired. Goodnight.

    Thanks for the kind words on our kitchen. We are loving our new home!

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  5. The first thing my son said to me after getting the IPhone 5 after an Android was, "You are holding a miniature computer in your hands." So true. I use it to the fullest. Thanks for your tips...so many need to know the full extent of their phone.

    Jane xxx

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