5 Things your SmartPhone camera can do!

Smartphone Cameras...Not Just for Pictures Anymore!

Your phone’s camera is a powerful tool, capable of far more than regular picture-taking. With the right apps, your phone can absorb visual information and use it for everyday tasks. You can conduct searches, tackle a shopping list, read a foreign language, or solve math problems, all with a lens the size of a marker tip.

1. CamFind App is a bit like a regular Internet search site, except it uses images instead of words.  The app is available for both Android and iOS phones.  Open the app, snap a photo, and watch as it runs through keywords that identify what’s in the picture.  It will then generate a list of similar images and related search results.  It’s not accurate 100% of the time, but it is close.
2. Amazon Mobile Shopping app – click on the camera icon in the Amazon app, pull up your camera view.  You can snap a photo of the item, or scan a barcode, or check and redeem gift cards.  You can also scan the shipping label on the outside of your Amazon box to find out what’s inside before opening the box.
3. eBay app can help you if you find out what an item is called. Open the eBay app and look at the end of the search box for a camera icon.  Touch the camera icon and choose “image search”, which will open the camera on your smartphone.  Point at the item you’re looking for, take a photo, and crop it.  The app will search for Auction listings that match the look of the item in your photo.  It’s a great way to search eBay when you are having trouble with the right keywords.
4. Help with MATH homework! - The Photomath app lets you point your camera at an equation and get an answer.  It can even show you the steps it took to find that answer.  You can use Photomath for simple subtraction, multiplication, addition, and division problems, but it can also tackle more complex equations.  It can even read your handwriting so you can scribble down your math problem and let the app hand you the solution.
5. TRANSLATE FOREIGN LANGUAGES - Google Translate app lets you translate 38 foreign languages.  Start the app, tap on the camera icon, and point the lens at what you are trying to translate.  It will magically change the text right on the screen.  This is good for street signs, store signs, or menus in restaurants.

Source:  USA Today