Smartphones are smarter than you think

Gone are the days when phones could be used just to make a call. They have now replaced almost every gadget big and small in your house and office. The average smartphone functions as effectively as your notebooks, watches, maps, laptops, torches and compass. While most of us cannot network without smartphones anymore, there are several features of these wonderful gadgets that remain unknown to us.

There are typically four kinds of smartphone users. There are elderly ones, who mostly use phones the good old way. Then there are enthusiastic users, most of whom fall in between the age groups of 14 and 39. It is no secret that their primary agenda is social networking.

People between ages 20 and 29 look to their smartphones only for entertainment while the average 40 year old is still gushing about all the amazing features present in his gadget. The era of 4G has arrived. There are many apps available for smartphones that people can use to play games, shop, create documents, mail post cards, store business cards and locate places.

These phones can measure your heart rate, scan a barcode and even help you stage a karaoke party. Sumith Agarwal, a businessman, says, “I mostly use my phone to transfer money. I have also created a whatsapp group for my customers and marketers to keep them updated. I also send my quotations through whatsapp and sample opinions.”

Locating places has never been easier. Your phone is so smart it can even fetch you the co-ordinates of your location that can be used by third parties to track you down. Trekkers, bikers and hikers find this feature handy while travelling. Ofcourse, one still needs an internet connection to achieve this feat.

For journalists, the smartphone has been a god-send. For Kalyan, a journalist, it is no longer a problem to send a report to the office, edit a piece or record a video-story while on work. Infact sting operations have been easier. Your phone can also act as your compass.

Available for the iPhone, Android, Windows and the Blackberry is a new app that can simulate the functions of a compass for you. Although your phone would need what is called a compass sensor or a magnetometer. Zephen Martell, an enthusiastic trekker says, “I cannot afford to make guess works about weather.

I also use it more for posting and sharing my experiences”. The smartphone in your pocket is nothing short of a miracle. You only have to swipe and click.

By:Priya Rathnam