Computer Spot

Without a doubt, smartphones are such useful everyday tools. Yes of course, people know how to use a smartphone to catapult frowning birds at badly behaved pigs; but apart from that, they will help you get an astounding variety of things done everyday.

When Americans were polled about recently about how useful their smartphones were to them, about one out of two said that their phone was very useful in an emergency; and one out of four said that they’d been in situations where they didn’t have their smartphone with them and got into trouble because of that.

And yet, most smartphone users aren’t aware of a vast variety of things they can achieve with them. Yes, they use their phone to look at maps and use them sometimes to access their bank accounts, but that’s about it.

When it comes to apps for smartphones, it’s an embarrassment of riches. That’s just a bit problematic though when you need to pick something useful out for your needs.

Since many of these apps answer needs you have that you didn’t even know about, how do you find these? Well, sometimes, lists like this particular one out. If you want to learn how to use a smartphone and ever more useful ways every day, here are a few ideas.

Back when Baywatch was running about 12 years ago, you’d always get these little stories in the news all the time about how some kid somewhere managed to save a drowning brother or someone because he learned rescue techniques and CPR watching Baywatch.

Well, there lots of people today too who really fancy the idea of learning CPR and first aid. What does that have to do with your phone, you ask?

Well, you can learn how to use a smartphone for this – with the American Heart Association’s Pocket First Aid and CPR app for Android and iPhone phones.

Anytime you have someone on your hands in some kind of medical emergency, the app shows you ways easy animated instructions for what you have to do to save them.

It’s somewhat hard to learn how to use a smartphone to print documents. What do you do though when you are away on the road and you come across a document on the Internet that you would like to print out?

Well, they have a free app for both major smartphone platforms called CloudPrint that will let you do that. If you have a wireless printer at home or at the office something, you just have to set it up to receive print orders from your phone.

You can send the order from anywhere, and when you get home, you’ll find your printed copy waiting for you.

Lots of people are beginning to learn how to use their smartphone to save every time they shop. An app called RedLaser tries to let you be your own red laser-wielding checkout clerk.

You just aim your phone camera at any barcode on any product at the store, and RedLaser will quickly find out what your GPS location is and tell you what all the prices in your immediate neighborhood are.

You can save a great deal on gas with Gas Buddy as well. You just need to ask the app every time you need to fill up, and it’ll tell you what all the gas prices are in a 10 mile radius.