SmartPhone, Part 3

Whee, and here we are, looking at the rest of the list of apps that I have on my phone, and the utterly awesome things they can do.

Contacts. I have all of my contacts on my phone, and they sync with my computer. Not only can I put in phone numbers (which allows me to know who is calling me), but I can also add addresses and emails, as well as notes about the person, and a picture of them. I'll talk about why the addresses are so awesome later.

There's a Compass on my phone. I've not used it hardly at all yet, but I wish I had had it about five years ago, when I was active in scouts and did a bunch of orienteering stuff.

Voice memos. I can record voice memos. I think the app is meant to be used for recording messages to my self. I don't do that. If I need that, I use the notes app, which syncs with my computer, and that I use for my todo lists, and all of that awesome stuff. This one, I use for recording important things. I have a couple of class lectures on here, for example (with the teacher's permission, as required.).

Apple Store: It allows me to shop for apple stuff on my phone. That part is basically useless. But I can also set up one-to-one workshops (I made a post about those some time back...), as well as check in at the door when I arrive for my appointment.

Speed Test and Wi-Fi Finder (separate apps). An offline database of wi-fi hotspots, so I can find one if I absolutely need to. The speed test allows me to see how fast my current connection is.

Find iPhone and Find Friends. These allow me to stalk people even more. In all seriousness, I use the find iPhone on my computer to find my phone about once a month (you know it, you misplace your phone too.), and I can use the find friends to watch what people are doing, which is especially useful if, for example, I'm waiting for someone to pick me up. I can be ready and outside waiting for them, right as they drive up, without having to stand outside for an hour.

Maps. I know many people have complained about the Apple maps, and they have some valid complaints. But I have found it to be very accurate, and it has replaced our stand alone GPS, and is more accurate than the GPS was. It also can take me to people's houses. This is why the addresses in contacts are so helpful.

Reminders allows me to set, well, reminders. I usually use this for things that I need to do when I get home (location-based for the win!), or at a specific time (stop studying and get to class before you're late!). It's been a life-saver.

QR code reader. These things were designed for smart-phones. I don't have much use for most of the codes, but I can read the ones at bus-stops, and they'll tell me when the next bus arrives, as well as help me schedule my trip, figuring out what connections I need, and all that.

I'm a musician, and my phone has replaced my stand alone metronome device. And it's better. Way better. It is louder, and it is much easier to adjust the volume and beats. The app I have can do a lot more stuff than I actually need, there's a lot of drum beat features and stuff in it that I've never messed with.

I also have a miniature piano, as well as an ear-training app. When I was in sight-singing/ear training class, I was able to use this instead of having to have an actual piano, as well as someone to study with, to help me. I give it a good part of the credit for my being able to pass the class.

I also have a guitar tuner. It's not terribly good. I'm hoping it will get better when I get a new phone with a better microphone. However, if I don't have my regular tuner, it can get me pretty well tuned up in a pinch, and has saved me on a few occasions.

Ebook readers. I haven't used these very much, but I'm going to be using them more and more. I only own like 5 ebooks, but I will get more eventually. It's convenient to have at least one book on reserve on my phone, if I ever want something to read and don't have a regular book with me (The horror!). I currently have the complete Sherlock Holmes, which was free, and is only partially read.

GoodReads. This app allows me to scan all of my books in (just by pointing the camera at the bar code), and keeps a list. It makes recommendations of what I might want to read next, but I use it so that I don't buy the same book twice. For that alone, it's incredibly useful.

I have some random apps that are just for fun, like one for memorizing the digits of pi, and one that is a guide to solving a rubik's cube. (I can do it on my own, but the app teaches a faster method. I'll learn it. Some day.)

I have a lightsaber on my phone. It's just for fun.

I have pages and numbers. Those are Apple's word processor and spreadsheet software. For those who don't know what I just said, Word and Excell for Macs. They allow me to sync and edit documents from my computer, with almost the complete set of editing tools that I have on my computer. I haven't used them much, but they are really handy in a pinch.

I also have drop-box, which allows me to sync all of my files to my computer, meaning I can grab anything that I have stored there at any time. This includes the book I'm writing, as well as all of my PDF files, such as notes from classes, etc.

Finally, I have the blogger app. It allows me to write and post here from my phone. I don't use it a lot, but it's handy, especially for uploading pictures from my phone into a post. This post was NOT written using my phone, but if I get behind, you might get some in the future that are.