We use our smartphone cameras every day to take pictures and selfies. We all just love photographing anything and everything, from our food to the funny looking dog on the street. But have you ever thought about the fact that these cameras can be used for more than that?
Well, if not, read this article and you will never look at your smartphone camera the same way again.
Today I’m going to show you some clever ways to use your Android camera beyond just taking regular photos and selfies. So let’s get started.
Note: While I’ve used Android’s camera as a reference here, some of these tricks should work with any existing smartphone camera. So make sure to read this even if you don’t use Android.
Camera Grid helps in Home DIY
Have you ever had the feeling that the painting on the wall in the house is not completely straight? Here your camera can really help you. Turn on your Android camera and enable the Grid View feature. Now taking an object as a reference point (be it a ceiling or another frame that has been drilled into your wall) you can tell if the object aligns perfectly.
You may need help from family or friends, who may have to hold the camera for you while you adjust your artwork.
Read the display panel from a distance easily
Next time you’re at the airport and want to see your flight status on a remote screen, you don’t have to get up from your seat. Simply pull your smartphone out of your pocket and locate it on your screen. Now, all you need to do is invert the pinch to enlarge the display panel and then tap to focus on the area you want to read.
You can also use a dedicated app called Magnificent Magnifier HD for Android for this task. The better way is to walk, right?
Translate text in real time
If you are a frequent traveler and have difficulty understanding all the signs in different languages around you, then a camera can help. Lens translator from (UPDATE: This app is no longer available) is a great app for Android with which you can instantly translate foreign languages using your device’s camera. No need to even take pictures. The app displays the images in real time and you will be shocked when you see the results. Watch this video to see how the app works.
Import business card contacts directly into your phone
Hate having to manually enter contact details from a business card into your phone? Well, we know how painful that can be, especially when you get loads of these business cards at an event. So why not put your smartphone camera to work? We talked about two apps for Android and iPhone for this purpose.
Using these apps you can easily scan business cards and save all the details directly to your phone book.
Check if your Remote Control needs a battery change
Most of you probably know that the remote control uses infrared (IR) rays as a communication method that cannot be seen by the human eye. However, when the battery runs out, most of us are not aware of it and our normal reaction is to jerk the remote here and there just hoping it works. So now when you have a remote that doesn’t respond to you or you want to check if the remote responds to a new battery, Android’s camera can help you.
All you need to do is point the remote at the camera’s lens and launch the camera app on your smartphone. Now, whenever you press a button on the camera, you will see lights on the camera that are invisible to the naked eye.
Cool Tip: Now I can’t take it as a screenshot, but check out this article for more info on how to apply the trick.
Conclusion
So here are some ways you can use your smartphone’s camera beyond just taking pictures. Next time you can’t understand what’s written on that sign in the distance, don’t forget to pull out your phone!
Top image credits: sndrv And kelly.sikkema
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
