Jargon and FAQs
If you Google or YouTube help you’ll need to include what phone you use. The most important is the type – Android, Windows, iPhone, Blackberry. Less important is the actual manufacturer/model.
‘App’-lication or program. Something you download from the internet (Free or paid for) to your phone to make it do something new. See example list of Apps below.
| To make phone calls | Via mobile signal: pay per call / or included in a contract | pay per call / or included in a contract |
| To send texts | Via mobile signal: pay per call / or included in a contract | pay per call / or included in a contract |
| Connect to the internet (searches etc) | Either uses your broadband (or when at a friend or a cafe with internet connect to their broadband)
OR uses ‘data’ |
Broadband = Free
Data = pay / or included in a contract |
| Bluetooth | Allows you to connect to other pieces of equipment nearby (e.g. speakers, headphones) | Free |
| GPS | GPS satellites can locate your phone | Free – but Apps that use GPS will probably download other stuff which costs |
No info yet
Bluetooth is a way of connecting things without cables or wires (“wireless”) using radio technology. Similar to how your home “wireless” or WiFi works which you use to connect to the internet (without wires). However Bluetooth’s main use is to connect devices to each other: for example, connecting your mobile or laptop to keyboards, headphones, speakers, stereos, health monitors. So you could use your mobile to make calls while your phone is still in your pocket via a Bluetooth, hands-free headset, or play music from your phone through the car stereo.
Bluetooth works similarly to WiFi, but it’s designed for different purposes and optimized to perform simpler tasks at a shorter range.
What can you do with a smart phone
- Phone
- Send Texts
- Contacts list
- Calculator
- Clock – alarms, timers, countdown
- Calendar
- Camera for photos (and videos)
- FM radio (needs simple headphones)
- Internet – look stuff up
- Display maps – and get directions (via GPS)
Connecting and Sharing with others and Social Media
So apart from making phone calls and sending texts …
- Skype, FaceTime
- YouTube, Vimeo
- Snapchat
- Picasso
Click here for our social media page (explanations, what is Social Media?, different types, videos, examples etc)
Music and audio
- Download and play music
- Play music from your phone to sound system (cable to Aux port) or external speakers (using cable or BlueTooth)
- Identify Music: get your phone to ‘listen’ to a piece of music and identify it! And then optionally download it to your phone. [Shazam, SoundHound, Cortana …]
- Record audio (like the old tape recorders)
Create and manipulate documents
- Write documents (like with Word or Excel but often with a different program)
- Make notes (for ideas, to do lists etc)
- Scan documents
- Translations
- Manipulate photos
Identification and learning
- Identify bird sounds and birds
- Show and identify the stars where you are right now
- Learn a language
Entertainment and other
- Track and record your runs, bike rides, swims – even “every step you take”! for fitness reasons
- Download and read books [Kindle …]
- Collect news stories from different places
- Games
- Shopping guides and more
- Manage your todo lists … to full on project management
- Track the phone using GPS (track your kids)
- Keeping track of your finances to helping you manage your money
Simple short smart phone tutorials
Getting started with your Android phone