Smartphones have completely revolutionised the way we live our lives.
From navigating through an unknown city, online shopping, or monitoring our spending, smartphones have made our lives a whole lot easier.
But what if we told you that your smartphone had a few tricks up its sleeve? Check out these 10 mobile life hacks.
Make a Water Bottle Lamp
Yes, we know…water and smartphones aren’t generally an advised combination, but it’s the perfect combination if you need to illuminate a dark area.
Turn on your phones torch function, put your phone face down, and place a (lid on!) clear plastic water bottle over the beam – the water bottle will disperse the light further than the single torch beam.
Pump Up the Jams
Tired of the soft, tinny sound of your tiny smartphone speaker? Well then this mobile lack hack is for you! Placing your smartphone, speaker side down, into an empty glass or bowl will amplify the sound and will improve the sound quality ever so slightly.
Find Out If the Milk Is Sour
This might sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but researchers in the United States have developed sensors which can be read by a smartphone to detect gasses such as ammonia and hydrogen peroxide.
This technology could eventually be used to help detect pollutants, harmful chemicals, or explosives, but at the moment it can be used to create smart packaging which will detect if the food contained has gone off.
Play on the Go
So you’re a fan of online pokies real money NZ, but what about those hours when you’re away from personal computer and can’t play your favourite online casino games?
The good news is that most operators now offer smartphone online casino solutions which allow you to access your account no matter where you are in the world.
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall
The selfie has revolutionised the way people take photos and you would be hard-pressed to find a smartphone without a front facing camera, but have you considered that the front facing camera has another handy use?
Needing to check your hair or make-up while on the go, but you don’t have a compact? Use your front facing camera as a mirror in a bind.
Save Your Own Life
Many people have contacts saved in their phone under ICE (In Case of Emergency), but what about other pertinent information that would be useful to a rapid response team should you be incapacitated?
Good news for iPhone users which run on iOS 8 or later such as the iPhone 7: you will have the use of the Medical ID in the Health App.
Even if your phone is passcode protected, Medical ID is accessible from the lock screen.
Monitor Your Health
The Smartphone Cholesterol Application for Rapid Diagnostics, or SmartCARD, is a device which clamps over your smartphone’s camera and can be used to detect cholesterol and vitamin D levels with a single drop of blood, saliva, or sweat.
Using this device might just inspire you to make a few changes to way you live your everyday life.

Control Your Television
It might sound outlandish, but did you know that you can control your television with your smartphone?
Many of the new smartphones come with built-in infrared (IR) blasters which, coupled with a remote app, can control your TV, DVD player, games console, stereo and more. It can even be used to play sneaky tricks on your housemates – change the channel from your phone without them realising!