Reply to: Does anybody use all the features of a smartphone?

[doodab]

That's like saying that no computer is "smart" any longer without an internet connection.

A "smart phone" is a handheld general purpose computer that happens to have cellular mobile telephony communications hardware built in as standard. Even if it ceases to be useful as a voice and/or data communications device, it doesn't stop being useful for computation.

For example, the Pocket Universe app I mention above will show me the locations of planets and constellations in real time whether the phone has a data connection or not. I can still use the device to read books, to calculate my taxes, to edit documents, to play games, to explore the Mandelbrot set, to take and file photographs, to edit those photographs, to turn those photographs into ASCII art, or to measure the height of a tree a known distance away, all without an internet connection.

So what you are saying is that without the endless porn it's no more use than a pencil and a bit of paper?

[NickFitz]

ISTM that the main "smart" functions come from being connected to the net. If you scrub internet connection, no phone is smart any longer.

That's like saying that no computer is "smart" any longer without an internet connection.

A "smart phone" is a handheld general purpose computer that happens to have cellular mobile telephony communications hardware built in as standard. Even if it ceases to be useful as a voice and/or data communications device, it doesn't stop being useful for computation.

For example, the Pocket Universe app I mention above will show me the locations of planets and constellations in real time whether the phone has a data connection or not. I can still use the device to read books, to calculate my taxes, to edit documents, to play games, to explore the Mandelbrot set, to take and file photographs, to edit those photographs, to turn those photographs into ASCII art, or to measure the height of a tree a known distance away, all without an internet connection.

[NotAllThere]

I play Worms 2010 on my smartphone.

I finished that in a day and haven't played it since

Now's the time to upgrade to Worms 2011 - Amageddon.

[OwlHoot]

Here's a 3D scanner app (I've not used it and doubt I will)
Trimensional: 3D Scanner for iPhone

Warning: contains disturbing pictures of people's faces

The bearded guy looks like one of those Neanderthal face reconstructions. Is that you?

[Ignis Fatuus]

ISTM that the main "smart" functions come from being connected to the net. If you scrub internet connection, no phone is smart any longer.

In my case, I am roaming most of the time, so internet is too costly.

[TykeMerc]

Stick a 32gig micro sd card in it, and it can act as a decent MP3 player, thats a lot of tunes!

I doubt that I've got more than 1Gb of MP3's in total.

[amcdonald]

Same here, got an HTC Desire that I basically only use as a phone/phonebook/calendar and for the odd app or game.

Stick a 32gig micro sd card in it, and it can act as a decent MP3 player, thats a lot of tunes!

[TimberWolf]

Here's a 3D scanner app (I've not used it and doubt I will)
Trimensional: 3D Scanner for iPhone

Warning: contains disturbing pictures of people's faces

[NickFitz]

The most impressive app I've seen yet is the Android Google Sky Maps app, which allows you to point your phone at the sky and see the names of the stars, planets, constellations etc.

Similar thing for iPhone: Pocket Universe. That's the one that always makes people's jaws drop when I show it to them

FStream lets me listen to Radio 4, which is of course the only radio station worth listening to (well, there's the World Service too, I suppose).

TouchTerm SSH gives me a secure shell on servers in case I should need one when I'm out and about. Along with iAWSManager for managing EC2 instances, FTP On The Go for the (admittedly unlikely) case of urgently needing to download or upload or even edit text files, and WordPress for iOS, virtually all my remote web server and blog management needs can be handled from the phone in an emergency

Things like Theodolite Pro are cool but I don't have much of a practical application for them.

Tube Deluxe is handy when in That London. The Highways Agency app is handy when trying to get to or from That London. WhatTheFont is handy when you run cross a font you don't recognise, whether in That London or elsewhere.

Having fully indexed and searchable copies and concordances of the complete works of Shakespeare, the Bible (in multiple translations), the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita and other such works is handy for looking up the source of quotations.

I try to avoid using the telephone, although it does have an app for that. There's not much need for it when one has access to email, Twitter, Facebook and suchlike.

[TykeMerc]

Cos it came with the contract

Same here, got an HTC Desire that I basically only use as a phone/phonebook/calendar and for the odd app or game.

[stek]

I finished that in a day and haven't played it since

Been playing huff'n'puff recently (think angry birds for windows mobile)

Huff and Puff for Windows Mobile | Touch Dimensions

I got Flight of the Amazon Queen on my iPhone, before the current Mrs stek dropped on the slate floor in the loo...

Paid to - £1.79 I think, price of a BJ in Middlesbrough....

[Spacecadet]

I play Worms 2010 on my smartphone.

I finished that in a day and haven't played it since

Been playing huff'n'puff recently (think angry birds for windows mobile)

http://www.touchdimensions.com/huff-...indows-mobile/

[NotAllThere]

I play Worms 2010 on my smartphone.

[Sysman]

Cos it came with the contract

Wrong contract?

I specifically went for an El Cheapo model last time around, mainly because decent internet plans were scarce at the time, but the photo quality wasn't too hot either. It was actually quite hard finding a model that didn't come with a load of stuff I didn't want.

[stek]

I'd pay $9.99 for that. As long as I rematerialized in the right place, otherwise it would just be a gimmick.

Aye but that's the Transporter, nothing to do with the Communicator itself. I want one of them Tricorders that cure people just like that.