Stuff You Didn't Know Your Phone Could Do

5 things you didn't know you could do with your smartphone

With each new generation of smartphone capable of doing more than the one before it and the technology behind them advancing at practically lightning speed, it's difficult to imagine there was ever a time when we just used them to make phone calls. New features and apps are hitting the market on a daily basis, making our phones capable of performing tasks for us that we couldn't have imagined 10 years ago. If it's been a while since you browsed for new apps, it might be time to ask yourself this question: Am I getting the most out of my smartphone? Take a look at these five FREE apps and see if there's something new your phone can start doing for you today.

               1. Scan documents

Forget the bulky scanner/fax machine combos of the late 1990s. These days, most smartphones sport powerful cameras that let you do much more than snap a few photographs. Apps like CamScanner for iOS and Android allow you to turn almost anything you can take a picture of into a PDF. With this feature, you can keep digital copies of business cards, receipts, or other important documents. You can even share documents via email straight from your phone, or you can send documents to a landline fax machine.

               2. Monitor your heart rate

Measure your heart rate, watch every heartbeat with a real-time PPG graph, and monitor your cardio workouts with apps like Instant Heart Rate for iOS and Android, which uses your phone's camera in a way that's about as far from a document scanner as you can get. It uses your phone's camera to detect the color changes in your index finger that are linked directly to your pulse. Apps like these are fun to try even if you're just curious to see how they work, but they can also help you track your heart healthand stay on top of your fitness goals.

               3. Track your kids

Giving parents everywhere a little extra peace of mind are GPS tracking apps like Life360's Family Locator for iOS and Android. This app allows family members to stay in touch and let each other know when they've safely arrived at a destination. Users can view the locations of friends and family on a private map, chat one on one, and even track a lost or stolen phone.

               4. Surface level/Tape measure

These practical apps turn your smartphone into a convenient multi-use tool. Bubble Level or iOS and Android uses your phone's accelerometer (the same thing that rotates the view of your screen when you change the position of your phone) to detect how level a surface is. Using this app is as easy as setting your phone on or against the surface of a given object. And never guess height or distance again with Smart Measure for Android. It uses trigonometry to measure the distance, height, width, and area of a given object. When using the app, all you have to do is point your phone's camera at what you want to measure, then press the shutter as if you were taking a picture.

               5. Identify things

Have you ever looked at something and been totally baffled as to what it is or what it does? Has the name for it been on the tip of your tongue, driving you crazy because you can't remember what it's called? Kiss that frustrating struggle goodbye with Google Goggles for Android. Just snap a picture of a product, painting, barcode, famous landmark, or popular image. If Google can match your picture to something in its database, it will provide you with useful information. You can even use it to translate by taking a picture of text in a foreign language.

These are just a few of the nearly countless apps available for smartphones today, and more are being developed all the time. With so many apps available for free, trying out a few new ways to use your smartphone is both easy and fun.

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10 Everyday Uses For Your Phone's Camera

10 everyday uses for your phone's camera

Most mobile phones have built-in cameras, and their image quality is getting better and better. They're also convenient because people keep their phones with them wherever they go. Because of this, the built-in camera is actually a really useful tool—not just for snapshots, but also for scanning documents and recording almost any type of information you want to remember.

Here are 10 situations where a camera phone is useful.

1. Nutrition Facts labels

If you're keeping track of calories or other nutritional information, it may be easier to take a picture of the labels and then write everything down at the end of the day. You can find this information on boxes, restaurant menus, or online.

2. Comparing prices

When you're out shopping, you may like to compare prices at different stores. Just take a picture of the item's price, and try to include the item itself in the photo. The price isn't the only thing that matters; if one store sells a pack of 48 plastic cups and another store sells a pack of 96, you'll need to include this information in the photo so you can make an accurate comparison.

3. Product dimensions

If you're shopping for furniture, shelves, or appliances, it's best to measure the space before going to the store. But if you forget to do this, you can take a picture of the item's dimensions (on the front or back of the box), then measure the space when you get home. This is usually easier than buying it and having to return it if it isn't right, especially if it is large or heavy.

4. Parking lots

If you've parked at an airport or the mall, you might forget where your car is. Right after you park, take a picture of your car, and be sure to include an identifying feature like a sign or a building. When you're looking for your car, the photo can help jog your memory. Similarly, if you're visiting another city, you can take a picture of the street signs near your hotel so it's easier to find after a long day of sightseeing.

5. Car accidents

If you're involved in a car accident, it's a good idea to take pictures of your car and all other cars that were involved. If there is a dispute about who's at fault, the photos may help support your side of the story.

6. Scanning documents

You don't need a scanner to keep a record of documents. If your phone has a good camera, you can just take pictures of tax forms, bills, letters, and other documents. Even if the quality isn't perfect, it still may be good enough to read small text. For higher quality, keep the papers as flat as possible by putting them on a table or floor.

7. Rental cars

Most rental car companies require you to return the car with the same amount of gas in the tank (or more) to avoid extra fees. They'll give you a document that shows the current fuel level, but it's easy to misplace it. The first time you start the car, take a picture of the gas gauge. You can then check the photo before refueling the car.

8. Confirmation numbers

If you're buying tickets online for a movie, concert, or baseball game, you may need to bring your confirmation number to the ticket window. If you take a picture of the confirmation number on your computer screen, you won't have to worry about bringing it with you.

9. Making repairs

If you've ever taken something apart to repair it, you know that the hardest part is putting it back together. Before you start disassembling something, take a photo of it, and if necessary take more photos as you take it apart. Later, when you forget which part goes where, you'll be glad you have the photos to remind you.

Note: Do not take apart any electrical appliance or device unless you know how to do it safely. Electric shocks can cause injury or death.

10. Saving evidence

Remember that Twilight Zone episode where William Shatner (or John Lithgow in the movie version) sees a gremlin on the wing of the airplane and no one believes him? A camera phone would have been helpful in that situation. If you're telling your friends about something unbelievable that happened (for example, catching a really big fish), it's nice to have proof. Take several photos, just in case your friends are still skeptical.

With all of these tips, you'll have better luck if you know the basics of taking photos.

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Managing Notifications on Android

Managing Notifications on Android

Notifications alert you to many things on your Android device, including incoming messages, new emails, and calendar events. Notifications work slightly differently for each app, but they're easy to customize. In this lesson, we'll show you how to view and manage notifications and customize your notification settings.

The process for managing notifications may vary depending on which version of Android's operating system your mobile device is running.

              Viewing notifications

Android displays all of your current notifications in one place. You can see icons for your current notifications in the notification area at the top-left of your screen. This can tell you at a glance what types of notifications are awaiting your attention. These icons can show you what type of event they're for or which app they're from.

To see more detail about your notifications, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification drawer. This will show you a list of your current notifications and a little information about each.

You can manage your notifications from the notification drawer. If you tap a notification, the app that sent it will open. To dismiss a notification, touch it and swipe left or right. Tap the dismiss icon to dismiss all notifications.

On newer versions of Android, you can manage some notifications from the lock screen. Double-tap a notification to open the app or swipe left or right to dismiss the notification.

You can disable notifications on the lock screen in the sounds and notifications menus in the Settings app.

Notification settings

On Android, you can customize your notifications in several ways, including choosing which notifications you receive, when you receive them, and more. Most of these settings can be found in the sounds and notifications menus in Settings.

Interruptions

The Interruptions menu contains settings for managing when and how you receive notifications. You can find the Interruptions menu in the Sound section of the Sound & Notification menu.

The Interruptions menu lets you choose which notifications will alert you of their arrival with a sound or vibration, rather than being alerted of every notification. To enable this, tap When calls and notifications arrive, and select Allow only priority interruptions. Then select which kinds of interruptions you would like to alert you. You can also choose to only receive alerts with calls and messages from certain people.

The Downtime section allows you to set certain times when you will receive fewer or no notifications. You can select a time range for your downtime and which days of the week will have downtime.

Sounds for notifications

You can select the default sound for notifications in the Sound & notification menu by tapping Default notification ringtone.

Some apps allow you to customize the sound for notifications from that app. This option can be found in the settings menu within those apps.

App notifications

The App notifications menu allows you to customize the notifications you receive from apps. You can find the Apps notifications menu in the Notifications section of the Sound & notification menu.

The Apps notifications menu will list your installed apps. Tap on any app to change its notification settings. You can set it to block notifications from being generated by that app, or to flag this app's notifications as priority notifications.

Some apps have additional notification settings accessible from within the app. This will vary significantly for each app. Some apps don't have any additional notification settings.

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Keeping Your Device Running Smooth

Maintaining your device

Android devices are usually pretty reliable, but there are certain things that can affect your phone or tablet's performance. Poor battery life, apps that misbehave—these are just a couple of the most common complaints. With a little know-how, you can easily troubleshoot these issues to keep your device running smoothly.

Boosting your battery life

Each device is different, but most of them have a strong enough battery to get you through the day (so you only have to charge at night). If you feel like your battery is getting drained too quickly, there are a few simple things you can try.

• Many devices have big, bright screens—which is great for you, but not so great for your battery! Fortunately, reducing your screen brightness can help. To access this feature, go to your device's settings, then look for Display.
  
• Certain apps and background processes use more battery than you might think (we'll talk about this more below). To find out what's drawing the most power on your device, go to your settings, then tap Battery. If you see an app that you hardly use near the top of the list, you might want to uninstall it or attempt to adjust its settings.
  

There are other more technical things that can put a strain on your battery, including location reporting and scanning for nearby Wi-Fi networks. If you're interested in doing more to improve your battery life.

Closing, quitting, and managing apps

There are a couple of reasons you might want to close an app (or quit it as a last resort). For example:

• The app might be malfunctioning—maybe it's frozen, or it isn't displaying properly.
• The app is running in the background even though you aren't using it, which can put undue strain on your battery.

Many apps are designed to run in the background, so you should be careful about quitting anything important. (For example, email runs continuously so it can check for new messages.) This generally doesn't use much power either. If you're dealing with a true "energy hog", it's better to go into the app and adjust its settings or uninstall it all together.

To close one of your current apps (also known as swiping), tap the Recent Apps button, then swipe the app off the screen. Technically, this doesn't "close" the app—instead, it just stops any current activity that the app is trying to process. This is the first thing you should try if an app is giving you trouble.

To quit an app, go to your device's settings, then look for Apps or Application Manager. Next, open the app you're looking for and tap the Force Stop button. This will close the app and stop any and all activity (including new messages, notifications, and other activity in the future). In most cases, the app won't start again until you open it yourself, but some may restart on their own.

Be careful what you download

Finally, one of the easiest things you can do to keep your device running smoothly is to avoid suspicious software. In other words, don't download anything questionable from the Play Store . Some apps may contain malware or other power-draining features that can affect your device's performance.

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