Yesterday, after our grand opening, we had our first Tech Talk of the Top 10 Features of Smart Phones. A cozy group of 5 of us discussed how we are using our smart phones features. So here is the list we came up with:
10) Calendar/Schedule/Alarms – Put it in the phone and the phone does the rest.
9) Camera – People are using the camera for more than just selfies… its also very helpful to take a snapshot of a poster or whiteboard full of information you don’t want to lose. The camera also serves as a nice mirror to see how your hair is or check your teeth after a meal.
8) GPS – We use the map to get directions and navigation, it also can tell you what is nearby. GPS has some options many are not aware of including the ability to estimate time for a trip if you are walking, biking, and taking a bus or train.
7) Internet Searches – The ability to look up whatever it is you want to know that very second helps make smartphones indispensable. Being able to find out who sings a certain song or played in specific movie through looking up how to get stains out of your shirt, the internet search feature of smart phones has forced people to really know what they are talking about before offering suggestions.
6) Email/Social Media – From email alerts to social media notifications, there is no reason to be disconnected from the people you care about.
5) Apps – Shopping lists, coupons, and comparisons… sleep analyzers and tracking receipts and credit reports. Apps make smartphones even smarter by combining the phone features to be more useful. You can get apps to turn off the lights in your house, adjust the heat, tell you what is and is not in your fridge and even start your car. Note: this requires smart home and smart car features to be installed.
4) Talk to text – Smart phones will type for you which makes sending texts, emails, and setting up lists and notifications much more simple.
3) Custom ringtones – You can customize ringtones for specific people so you don’t have to look at your phone to know who is calling. You can even make a silent ringtone making it even easier to ignore people.
2) Touch Screens – no more 333, 3, 22, 3, 44 to send text messages. You have a full keypad and can even install swype so you don’t even have to lift a finger to type.
1) And the number one feature of smartphones is… the flashlight.
We will continue our tech talks today at 7pm with a discussion on “Tools for Time Management.” The $5 cost covers the discussion and self serve coffee/tea/hot chocolate. Hope to see you there!