During this day and age, I cannot really imagine anyone I know who wouldn’t take pleasure in investing in and using a Smartphone. Even my mother and father, who are now both in their seventies, would find a smartphone is a useful device. Your modern smartphone is a true multimedia device. Like working with a desktop in your pocket, it is space age technology, even further ahead than the Tricorder in Star Trek! Let us look at the features of a good smartphone and see how useful they are.

GPS:

What some kit! GPS is what really sets the smartphone apart from lesser devices. Now, you recognize where you are, wherever you are. And much more significantly, you now know where you’re going. With applications like Heyway, you do not even will want to phone your friend to tell them whre abouts you are. Even better - you do not have to talk to them to guide them to you. Google maps will look after that. So, a crowded bar, plenty of noise, a conversation with someone you can’t hear, to guide them to a bar you do not know. This is now all a thing of the past.

Camera and Video:

A camera as well as a video camera. Awesome. Back in the old days, you’d see something in the street that was interesting, stand and watch for a while and later whenever you were in the pub, hold your mates spellbound with an interesting rendition of the story, Peter Ustinov style. And now and then you will still prefer to do this. Especially if you want to embellish the tale a bit. But, you now have the choice to take a picture, or even a video of the whole incident.

Take an incident I came across last week. I am walking along Regent Street, minding my own business, as you do. I see a crowd around a shop just past Hamley’s. Similar to a Meer cat, my neck’s up and I’m looking for the action. It’s a shoplifter. He is being held in a headlock position by 3 security guards. Prada. I haven’t seen any real life or quality action like this for days (I was in Brixton last week). There is a large amount of shouting and he’s actually doing pretty well considering he is outnumbered three to one. Quick as a flash, I whip out my iphone and start video recording. This is simply the sort of footage that can give you centre stage at my weekly meeting of geeky friends at the pub. The mêlée continues for several more minutes. The handbag (yes, a handbag!) he has stolen is retrieved and the police force are called to take his details and ensure that he receives a warning and a vacation to the Bahamas for being disadvantaged and having to steal. And I get to hold court showing the video and explaining to my mates what a remarkable, diverse and dangerous part of town I work in. Every one is a winner.

Storage:

Not only do you take the pictures and video footage, but using the large memory in a smart phone, you can store it. And that means that all the pictures I take, and even the one’s I download form another camera, will always be with me. Pictures of my family and friends and fascinating videos of shoplifters. I can access them anywhere and at anytime. Much like carrying a photo album in the pocket.

Music and Video:

With a smartphone you’ve always got your favourite tune to hand. Therefore there is never a dull moment. I make a copy of every tune I’ve ever liked on my iphone. From Steps Gold to The Saturdays. Over 2000 tracks. Rock and Roll. Or in this case, cheesy pop. And it get’s even better. If you’re a real luddite and you do not read books, it is easy to even watch feature films on them.

The Internet:

The best invention since fire and having access to it from a phone. Could you ever have imagined this in 1998? I hardly will need to wax lyrical about the virtues of the internet, but gaining access to it from anywhere, at any time, well it’s more than the human race deserves. And never again is there an outrageous statistic or fact uttered in the comfort of the local pub that can not be instantly verified. From football statistics to physics, the oracle is inside your pocket.

Calenders, alarms and organisers:

Needless to say, you can use your smartphone to organise your life. It is killed off PDAs and alarm clocks. And you never need to own a pen and notebook if you’ve got a smartphone. Which can only be the best thing.

Applications or Apps:

Third-party applications. A genius invention that has driven the success of the iphone in particular. From business applications to leisure and all in between. Ranging in cost from your free to your absurd price and in usefulness from your inane to your necessary. There are now more 300,000 of them.

Telephone calls:

Yes, even having a myriad of functions and capabilities, the smartphone can still make and receive cell phone calls. Thus the smartphone is the greatest invention of your 21st Century – so far. If you haven’t got one, go and buy one today. It is going to change your life. And if you do not have the funds for one, sell something. Your spare TV, your old phone or your desktop. You might even try shoplifting on Regent Street. Just steer clear of the handbag shop near Hamley’s...

This does not cover everything that is involved, but hopefully I have given you an insight toward what exactly is involved. You will find an abundance of ebooks and such stuff that you can find around the internet. I always go to a company called computer repair london. They do not just repair computer systems, additionally provide IT support too and they really are always helpfull if you get stuck on something technical.

Author's Bio: 

I have been heavily involved in the property business for over twenty years. My work ranges from gardening, electrics and diy. Gasically I can turn my hand to pretty much anything.