Hi, I'm Lisa with GCFLearnFree.org.
You know, sometimes I look at my phone and think, I can’t believe there was ever a time when
this was just used to make phone calls. Each new generation of smartphone is capable of
doing more than the one before, and new features and apps are hitting the market on a daily
basis. In this video we’ll take a look at 5 free
apps that you can start using today.
Apps like CamScanner for iOS and Android allow you to turn almost anything you can take a
picture of into a PDF. 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.
Heart monitor apps measure your heart rate and help you monitor your cardio workouts.
And they’re fun to try even if you’re just curious to see how it works. Instant
Heart Rate for iOS and Android uses your phone’s camera to detect the color changes in your
index finger that are linked directly to your pulse.
GPS tracking apps like Family Locator from Life360 are help give parents a little extra
peace of mind. This app allows family members to stay in touch, and let each other know
when they’ve arrived safely at a destination. Users can view locations of family on a private
map, chat one-on-one, and even track a lost or stolen phone.
Practical apps like Bubble Level for iPhone and Android turn your smartphone into a convenient
multi-tool. They use 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. Just set your phone on or against the surface of any given object.
And apps like Smart Measure for Android take the guess work out of measuring. It uses trigonometry
to measure distance, height, width, and area of a given object. All you have to do is point
your phone’s camera at what you want to measure and press the shutter like you’re
taking a picture.
The Google Goggles app for android gives you the ability to identify things like products,
paintings, barcodes, famous landmarks, or popular images. Just take a picture, and if
Google can match it to something in its database, it will provide you with relevant or useful
information.
So, 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?