Your phone’s camera it is more than a simple goal for capturing memories. You probably already know that – he can deposit checks, import business cards and look for constellations in the night sky. But with smart thinking or the right tools, it can do so much more.
Use the camera for quick notes
I use my camera to remember things more often than for real photos. Not only do I store photos with my registration number, health insurance card and other information in Evernote – thanks to my camera – but I also keep a lot of short-term things in the camera roll. Capturing a photo is often a quick way to take a note without spending five minutes typing. Do you need to remember where you parked in the mall structure? Take a picture of the sign as you hit the elevator. Do you need an easily accessible map of the mall while shopping? Take a photo of the kiosk (which never seems to be around when you need it). If you follow your caloric intake throughout the day, take pictures with nutrition labels and consolidate them in the evening. When I unplug computers, I often take pictures of each step, so if I’m stuck putting it back on, I have a visual guide to refer to. Never forget that you have an endless roll of film in your pocket.
View the furniture in your home
It’s not just about taking pictures: modern phones are much more powerful than they used to be. With augmented reality, you can impose digital information over the real world, as seen through the camera lens. For example, if you have your eyes on some furniture, but want to see if it will actually connect with its surroundings, some apps – including Amazon and IKEA Place – allow you to take advantage of the phone’s augmented reality capabilities to put a digital playback of the coffee table in your living room. It doesn’t necessarily work for all the furniture available in the store, and IKEA only offers this service to iOS users, but it is quite handy for those who have access.
Search for products based on a photo
Suppose you have the opposite problem: you see a piece of cold furniture, art or something at a friend’s house and they have no idea where they bought it. Some apps, such as eBay and Wayfair, allow you to take a photo of something and search for it on their platform. You may not find an exact line, but you might find something similar – or it might give you the right words to go deeper into your search and find exactly what you’re looking for.
Try glasses, clothes and makeup before you buy
Other brands are starting to get on board with augmented reality, albeit slowly. Warby Parker, for example, allows you to practically “try” different frames, so you can narrow down your selection before ordering a few pairs for home testing. Google is now working with cosmetics companies to offer virtual trials when looking for certain types of makeup, and L’Oreal allows you to do something similar on your desktop (it also supports hair colors). Other apps, such as Zeekit, allow you to try on clothing from several popular brands, but we still expect this idea to really gain grip among major clothing retailers.
Share your Wi-Fi with a QR code
It’s not exactly a trick for your the camera, but rather for your friends’ cameras: if your home network has a long, complex, and unique password, it’s annoying to give it to friends and family members who come. Instead of reciting the long passphrase, print it as a QR code using a tool like QiFi. When you scan it with your phone, it will connect automatically – no typing required. You can even buy luxury Wi-Fi badges and QR magnets on Etsy, designed for things like short-term vacation rentals.
Scan documents in PDF format
Scanners are simply the worst. The operation of my printer / scanner is like trying to get a starfish to jump in circles. Nowadays, your phone’s camera can do a decent job – just grab Adobe Scan and turn any document into a clean PDF for anyone to send. If you want to export it as an editable document, applications like Microsoft Office Lens and ABBYY FineScanner can give you much more control.
Get a better picture of hard-to-reach places
I’m just a little embarrassed to admit how often I use my camera to find an HDMI port behind a dark cabinet. Or to find out which wires correspond to which terminals on the back of that raised outer speaker. Or to find the serial number on my printer, crammed into a closet. Instead of shooting everything to see what it is, I can take my camera, stretch my arm back and take some pictures, hoping for the best. (Similarly, I’ve seen people use it on restaurant menus when they forget to bring their reading glasses.)
Translate signs and other text in real time
Traveling to another country can be stressful if you don’t know the language, and while it helps you learn a little before you leave, apps like Google Translate can help. Not only can you type or say something to translate it into your desired language, but you can point your camera at a real-world sign, menu, or text and it will translate it on the fly.
Get help with your math homework (or Sudoku puzzle)
At some point in your math career, a computer starts to feel limited. After all, how does it help you know the answer if you don’t realize how it got there? Photomath is an augmented reality application that allows you to take a picture of a math problem and then see the steps that lead to the answer. It can handle simple problems as well as more complex functions such as logarithms, trigonometry and even differential equations. Oh, and for free time, there are even apps that can help you solve your Sudoku.
See if your TV remote control needs batteries
Finally, here’s something with very low technology. If the TV remote doesn’t work, you can quickly open the phone’s camera, straighten the remote, and press the power button – if you see the infrared light appear in the camera’s viewfinder, then you know the remote still sends signals (and your TV’s receiver may be locked). If you can’t see the infrared light, your remote probably needs new batteries. Be sure to test using the power button, as some features may not use infrared on modern TVs, and if you have problems with the rear-facing camera, try the selfie camera – it may be more sensitive to infrared light.
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