Wednesday, March 5, 2014

As smart as your smartphone

(This is a guest post by Sage Harman)

As a new mom, you wouldn't believe how I turn to my smartphone like a lifeline. I rely on it for myriad different things - to make calls and send text messages (duh!), to manage my schedule, to take lovely photos, to listen to music, watch videos and play games, and to surf the web. But did you know that aside from all these, there are so much more practical uses for your smartphone? Here's a few you may not know about.

Health Monitor
There are accessories that you can use with your smartphone to measure your blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Some smartphones even come built-in with apps that can track your daily workouts, diet and weight.

eBook Reader
You can download both free and paid eBook readers and eBooks to your smartphone.

Digital Cookbook
Turn your smartphone into a sensible kitchen assistant by loading it up with cooking apps and recipes.

Remote Control
There are lots of apps out there that can turn your smartphone into an efficient remote control.

GPS Unit
You can download GPS apps or maps that you can use offline.

Tracker
There are apps that will allow you to locate your loved ones by using maps and your smartphone's GPS function.

Scanner
There are tons of scanning apps that will turn your smartphone into a barcode or QR code scanner.

Webcam
Who needs a webcam when you can video chat using your phone?

Digital Wallets
Enjoy cash-free transactions by downloading apps that will allow you to store your credit card and banking information on your smartphone.

Wi-Fi Router
You can use your smartphone as a mobile hotspot to share your internet connection with other devices.

TV
Some apps will let you stream live TV on your smartphone.
 
Measuring Tool
It may not be as accurate as an actual ruler or tape measure, but if one is not handy, you can use your phone to measure distance, height, width and area.

I'm sure there are many other surprising things you can do with your smartphone. If you know of any, please do share! And if you're in the market for a new smartphone, you can compare plans and get free information at No contract plans

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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 to consumers trying to find viable no-contract phone and internet plans.

11 comments:

mNhL said...

I love smartphones a lot.

suituapui said...

I'm a dinosaur...but my cheap ancient handphone is good enough for this old man to make calls and send messages and to browse the internet, mainly to see comments in my blog or go to Facebook, that's all.

Small Kucing said...

i used mine as ereader , gpg and alarm clock

Hayley said...

That's why smartphone is so important to us these days!

Azura Chan said...

Ebook reader a must installed for me, Woman Log (to monitor the period cycle), MySolat (for Muslim, to be aware of the praying times)... some games to kill the boredorm. haha..

Reanaclaire said...

I really don't know the extra gadgets till you tell me here.. thanks!!

Somewhere in Singapore said...

I use mine to read blog and facebook, but mostly facebook...

Libby said...

How to measure blood glucos levels using smartphone, I am interested in that.

Libby said...

*glucose levels

wenn said...

yes, smartphone is so canggih but I hardly use all the apps..

Princess Ribbon said...

I think I can't live without my smartphone too.. As cheap as RM200 already can get liao now.. I almost never leave home without it..Hmm, health monitor? I wonder how it measure our glucose level.. Keke..