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Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

December 16th, 2008 @ 1:09 pm

9 Comments

Categories: Travel Tips, Time-Savers, Web Tools, Gizmos and Gadgets

Tags: Bottle, Cell Phone, Wine, Photograph, Room Number, Camera Phones, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Rick Broida

Smile! You’re about to learn five fantastic ways to get the most from your cameraphone. Yes, we’re talking about that crummy, low-resolution point-and-shoot that’s built into your cell. It’s a lot more useful than you think, provided you point it at the right things:

  • Where you parked  Now where’d you leave the car? G7? F4? If only you’d taken a photo of the nearest signpost, and maybe a few landmarks to boot. Take it from us: Losing your car in a crowded airport lot — especially when it’s 10 degrees out — is not fun.
  • Your passport and/or driver’s license  If one of these documents goes missing while you’re traveling, you’re potentially screwed. Before you embark, take a snapshot of your license and/or passport, making sure the numbers are legible. If nothing else, you’ll have an easier time proving your identity and getting your documents replaced.
  • Your hotel room number  Sounds nuts, I know, but remember: Hotels no longer put room numbers on room keys. If you’re the forgetful type, this beats stopping at the front desk to ask for your own room number.
  • The label on the wine bottle  A client raves about the bottle of wine you shared over dinner. Snap a photo of the label (when he/she’s not looking, of course) so you can match it later, then send along a bottle (or even a case, if it’s a big client) to help seal the deal.
  • Evernote, Qipit, ScanR  Snap a photo of business card, cocktail napkin, whiteboard, or whatever, then send it to one of these free information-management services. From there you can organize, share, publish, or even fax your “digital copy.”

What’s your favorite cameraphone trick? Hit the Comments and share your snapshot secrets. Photo by Thomas Rockstar.

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  •  
    mballard@...12/17/08 Report as spam
    1

    RE: Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

    Only issue with these tricks... personal security if you
    lose your phone the potential for the "wrong type" to
    steal your identity!

  •  
    Weaver112/17/08 Report as spam
    2

    RE: Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

    We know to pack light and carry our luggage on board
    flights, right? But what about those times you simply
    must check your baggage? I spread out the clothes I'm
    packing on top of my suit bag and take a photo or two
    with my camera phone. That way, if the airline loses
    my luggage and I need to file a claim, I have pictures
    with me to document what was packed.

    Speaking of claims, be sure to (safely) capture that
    fender bender on your camera phone before pulling off
    to the side of the road, just in case the at-fault party
    changes their tune once the police show up. That, of
    course, assumes it's not your fault!

  •  
    BizHacksRick12/17/08 Report as spam
    3

    RE: Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

    @Weaver1: Excellent suggestions! I keep finding more and more offbeat (but useful) uses for my phone's camera.

  •  
    hershco12/17/08 Report as spam
    4

    RE: Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

    I've been using my celcam for years to take a picture of the little white board on my fridge that I keep my shopping list on. Best way to copy it and it's always with me when I get a chance to stop at the store.

  •  
    kpierz12/19/08 Report as spam
    5

    RE: Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

    Here is the best of all. Every single time you take your kids to a public place - ball game, zoo, museum, amusement park etc.... snap a photo of them just as you arrive. If anything should ever go wrong you have a photo not "about 4 feet tall and I think he had on a blue shirt". That photo can be immediately sent to a police officer's phone and then sent to every law enforcement person in the vicinity to find you child. Nothing is more important.

  •  
    BizHacksRick12/26/08 Report as spam
    6

    RE: Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

    @kpierz: Wow, that is indeed an outstanding tip. Not really business-oriented, but for those of us with small kids...who cares? happy

  •  
    csikes01/07/09 Report as spam
    7

    RE: Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

    I used my phone to take a picture of my waiter at a resturant recently, then I explained to him that if my debit card number got stolen I would have a pic of the only guy besides me that had access to my card.

  •  
    hedgeofsonic@...01/21/09 Report as spam
    8

    RE: Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

    I disagree with the passport one.. what if you lose your phone instead?

    The rest are helpful.. if you're a dumbass

  •  
    ajay_6701/22/09 Report as spam
    9

    RE: Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

    It would also help to take a snap of the license plates of either cars parked besides your car. Then if you return to your car to find it dented, you know who damaged your car.

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