10 Things You Didn’t Know Your Smartphone Could Do

Source: Economic Times

That smartphone of today has more processing power than the computers on board the Apollo spacecraft that first took man to the moon.Hitesh Raj Bhagat shows you how a few amazing apps can help you exploit that power to the fullest

FOR MANY,THE SMARTPHONE IS A VERY underutilised piece of technology.Apart from simply using all the functions that the manufacturer provides out of the box,thanks to the magic of apps,you can do stuff on your smartphone you never thought possible.These are just 10 possibilities,but with the huge app compilations on the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace,the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Turn your phone into a wireless keyboard,remote & 3D mouse for your PC

Mobile Mouse Pro,exclusively available for iOS devices,is a pretty remarkable piece of software.It can use the devices built-in accelerometer to function as an in-air mouse;just tilt the device from side-to-side and the cursor movement will follow.If you prefer,you can also use the entire touchscreen as a multi-touch trackpad.The app also provides an on-screen keyboard and built in controls for media playback and web browsing.You need to install the free client application on your MAC or PC,download the app on to your iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad and pair it with a PC on the same Wi-Fi network.Get it for $1.99 from the App Store.
For more info go to
http://www.mobilemouse.com

Use your smartphone camera like a webcam

With a handy application called Mobiola (available for iOS,BlackBerry,Windows Mobile,Symbian),your smartphones camera can be used as a webcamera as long as it is within the same network as the PC.You need to install the free Mobiola WebCamera Desktop software on the PC,and the app connects to the PC instantly.You can use the video feed with Skype,Yahoo,Windows Live Messenger,AIM,ICQ or any other chat application,just like you would any regular USB webcam.Its priced at $4.99 to $19.95,depending on device.
For more info go to
http://www.mobiola.com

View & control your entire PC desktop using a smartphone

Using free VNC apps (Virtual Network Computing ) like Mocha VNC Lite and Remote Desktop Lite,you can connect to and control your PC from your iPhone,iPad or iPod Touch.After installing the standard,free VNC server on a MAC or PC,you can connect and see your computers desktop exactly as you would if you were sitting in front of it.You dont need to be on the same network to connect to your computer,which means that you can also connect from a remote location,as long as you have a stable internet connection.
For more info go to
http://www.tightvnc.com,www.mochasoft.dk

Maintain and moderate a blog

Available for Symbian,Maemo,iOS,Android and BlackBerry,the free,official WordPress app allows you to maintain your blog entirely from your smartphone.Add photos,upload videos and create new posts in minutes,connected from anywhere using the cellular data connection.You can also edit existing content and manage comments made on your blog.
For more info go to
http:// nokia.wordpress.org,
http:// ios.wordpress.org,
http:// android.wordpress.org
http:// blackberry.wordpress.org

Watch Live TV

Download the Mundu TV app on your Symbian,iOS,Windows Mobile or Android handset,and you can stream any of the 21 available TV channels using Wi-Fi or your cellular data connection.The video quality differs with connection speeds,and you get the best quality stream over a stable Wi-Fi connection.The app itself is free and you get a 7-day trial period during which you can watch as much TV as you like.Post that,you can opt for a monthly unlimited view package of 99 per month,or pay 250 per quarter.
For more info go to
http://www.mundu.tv

Listen to free,legal,unlimited music

An unlimited data plan or unlimited broadband over Wi-Fi can become your ticket to free music.Internet Radio is the key,and there are several free & paid apps that you can get across all devices,including iOS,Symbian,Android,Windows Mobile and Blackberry (apps include Mobbler,Last.FM,Resco,Mundu Radio,VirtualRadio and Yahoo ! Music).Some internet radio stations are ad-supported,but most offer free,highquality streaming of genre or location-based music.Want to listen to only Jazz How about 80s music or only Bollywood Its all possible with internet radio.Whats more,you can also connect your smartphone to a music system or external speakers to share the music.
For more info go to
http://www.vradio.org
http://www.mundu.com
http:// code.google.com/p/mobbler
http:// music.yahoo.com

Identify & find out more about anything

With Google Goggles,you can take pictures of something,have the app identify it and use that info to search the web.You dont need to type or speak;just click a picture of what you need to identify and the app does the rest.Apart from text,the app can also identify logos,liquor bottles,artwork & paintings,famous monuments & landmarks or even a piece of text.It almost feels like magic when you first use it.Google Goggles is available for free for iOS and for all devices running Android 1.6 or later.
For more info go to
http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles

Remotely start your car

Imagine this: you fire up an app on your smartphone,tap a button,and your car standing in front of you instantly comes to life.You can do this with the Viper Smart-Start app;available for iOS,Android and Blackberry.Not so fast;you also have to first get and install the Viper SmartStart security system in your car.Your phone connects to the system in your car,after authentication,using the GSM network.This means that distance from the car is not an issue.Now why would you want to start your car from a remote location,you ask Apart from the huge geek cred which comes standard,you can use the system to pre-warm or pre-cool your car in the winter or summer.Or find your car in a crowded location.Currently,the Viper is only available in the US for $350 plus installation charges.
For more info go to
http://www.viper.com/SmartStart

Turn your phone into a mobile Wi-Fi hot spot

This is particularly useful if you have an unlimited data plan and a Wi-Fi-enabled phone.A simple app called JoikuSpot (Symbian S60,Symbian^3,Maemo & Windows Mobile) can use your phones Wi-Fi to create a portable hot spot that others devices can connect to.Once configured,you can instantly use the phones GPRS/EDGE/3G connection to browse the web through your laptop or other compatible Wi-Fi device like a tablet or media device.Prices for the app range from US$ 13 to 21 depending on device.
For more info go to
http://www.joikushop.com

Help the visually impaired to read

How can Braille be implemented on a phone With the help of the Nokia Braille Reader & a touchscreen Nokia phone.The Nokia Braille Reader (Symbian S60 v5 touchscreen phones only) has been jointly developed by Nokia,Tampere University & the Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired.The app captures received SMSs & turns them into Braille using the touchscreen and haptic feedback using the built in vibrator.The user will be able to feel text,just like on a sheet of Braille.
For more info or to download,go to
http:// betalabs.nokia.com