Featured article by Calvin Paige, Independent Technology Author
It seems as though the world has gone mobile. Everywhere you look someone has their smartphone out doing everything from playing Pokémon Go to shopping on the QVC online store. From texting to checking Facebook to keeping abreast of the news and weather forecasts, there is always something to do and see on that handy little gadget we wouldn’t leave home without. Not only are our cell phones a source of entertainment, but also a source of information and even function. And, function is what makes that cell phone so valuable to most users. So what is the most useful technology in today’s market? It’s all about those apps, downloadable or included with the phone, and here’s a sampling of what many consumers find to be the most useful.
Healthcare Apps
One of the most recent additions to the most useful mobile technology would be the category of healthcare apps that allow patients to take a proactive role in their own health. When paired with wearables, these apps can warn diabetics if their insulin levels fall out of a safe range, tell heart patients when their blood pressure is dangerously high and even remind patients when to take their medications. This is a true step forward in the healthcare arena.
GPS
Whether you are in a new town or simply want the directions to the nearest Chinese restaurant, that wonderful GPS app in your cell phone is a real plus. Few people get lost anymore, unless of course they’ve lost their cell phone, so what would traffic be like without a cell phone complete with the latest GPS functionality?
Technology to Bypass Carriers
There is even technology out there to explain how to unlock cell phone sim cards that have been locked by carriers. If you’ve purchased a previously owned phone from a friend, there are codes that can unlock the sim card so that you can use that phone with your own service provider and aren’t going to be locked into a carrier you really don’t want to run with. Check out sites like www.unlockbase.com to find all the unlock codes for every phone imaginable.
Games
While you might not consider games to be ‘useful’ technology, there are those who would disagree with you. Games serve a purpose beyond entertainment. Some are brain teasers, others are meant to improve mental acuity while others yet are simply a way to keep your mind occupied when something is troubling you. Games are useful. They do serve a purpose and yes, entertainment is also a very useful pastime.
Messaging & Communications Apps
It seems as though conventional telephone calls are a thing of the past because of messaging apps and texting. Most people’s thumbs can now type more than 60 words a minute, which is quite an accomplishment in itself. Where would the world be if we actually needed to carry on a face to face conversation with one another? A frightening thought, to be sure.
Calendars & Appointment Books
Every cell phone has a calendar where the date is automatically updated as the phone travels from time zone to time zone. These calendars are really useful for notating appointments and sending out reminders as often as you program them to do. If you are late for an important business meeting, you sure can’t blame your cell phone. It did remind you after all!
Use your phone as a remote to change TV channels or use it as a flashlight when trying to find your way in the dark. There is so much useful mobile technology that it would be hard to list the most useful. Even so, there is enough on the market that leaves us to wonder, what will be next?
