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We have these amazing little computers in our hands. What are some beneficial things we can do with them? Websites, apps, tinkering... anything you can think of or things you already do. I'm tired of doom scrolling.

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[-] Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works 66 points 3 weeks ago

Rejecting calls

Forgetting to reply to messages

Ignoring emails

Writing comments then deleting the text without posting

Unlocking your device only to immediately forget why you needed to check it.

[-] raynethackery@lemmy.world 21 points 3 weeks ago

Please stop spying on my phone.

[-] kurcatovium@piefed.social 5 points 3 weeks ago

Don't forget the good ol' classics:

  • Forgetting to turn off airplane mode after good night sleep 'till lunch time.
  • Letting the battery die during the day without proper means to recharge.
  • Constantly fighting with backlight intensity, because its regulating sensor is PoS.
[-] Oka@sopuli.xyz 29 points 3 weeks ago

Theyre essentially the swiss army knife of tools:

  • Flashlight
  • Camera
  • Level
  • Calculator
  • Phone
[-] SonOfAntenora@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Good ol nokia had basically all this without being internet connected. They also had a scientific calculator, unit converter, and currency converter too. And a planner for mothly budgets and expenses. If you haven't used these you might have no idea as to how great thwy were for basic productivity

[-] Scheisser@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago

Also a mirror to check high/low places

[-] ace_garp@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago

Map your local area.

Use StreetComplete or SCEE to fix parts of OpenStreetMap data in your area. Fun to do when walking around areas you know.

Or use a higher level editor to add missing paths, services and buildings.

[-] original_reader@lemmy.zip 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I agree. That app sadly eats battery like no other I have. So the walk isn't too long.

The higher level editor: https://f-droid.org/packages/de.blau.android/

[-] Photuris@lemmy.ml 20 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
  1. Find something you really want to study and learn, that requires retaining a lot of facts

  2. Download Anki

  3. Download or build a flashcard deck for what you want to learn

  4. Do your flashcards every day, and trust Anki to know what cards to show you, and when, and how often. It’s just a few minutes per day.

  5. Spaced repetition just made you much smarter!

  6. Repeat, forever, learning all the things.

[-] Nusm@piefed.zip 14 points 3 weeks ago

I’m an independent contractor, and I basically run all of my business from my phone. Aside from making calls and sending texts, I have templates in Google Docs that I can edit and then email out as quotes and invoices. I keep spreadsheets of my inventory. I scan into Notes the repair slips so I can keep a copy. I use the navigation apps to route me to my stops during the day. I have a template that I edit to create my timesheet to submit and get paid.

I run almost my whole business off of a small handheld phone, something that was unimaginable just a few years ago.

[-] quediuspayu@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I use my old phones that still work as media players, I uninstall almost everything and basically only use VLC on them to watch stuff on my NAS. They're like tiny TV's scattered around the house.

Now I just only need to learn how to broadcast locally from the PC so they can play the same thing at the same time. I know VLC can do it because I've seen dozens of tutorials but they all must be missing something because it never worked for me.

[-] dangrousperson@feddit.org 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

You can use Open Source Sunshine and Moonlight for inhome broadcasting. You install sunshine on the source PC and use the moonlight app on the phones.

https://github.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/releases https://moonlight-stream.org/

It's meant for game streaming, so it supports controller pass through and what not, but you can also use it to just stream the desktop. It also supports multiple clients, although I have never tried that personally.

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[-] PeteWheeler@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Highly recommend Jellyfin on your NAS. Sounds like that is what your looking for. Very straight forward and easy to implement compared to other self host options.

Essentially, vid files located on your nas, and then any device on your wifi can stream the vids.

If your looking for your own personal netflix, jellyfin is your answer.

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[-] jhoff90@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

I started looking into cozy games on my phone so anytime I get the urge to doomscroll I turn to that instead.

[-] raynethackery@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Any suggestions? I used to play Solitaire but the app I was using at the time had ads and no option to pay. I also played cribbage but that was a long time ago.

[-] bulwark@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Balatro, it's like solitaire but more addictive than fentanyl.

[-] thezeesystem 3 points 3 weeks ago

I play solitaire with open source free polysolfc on f-droid. No ads and no bullshit

[-] jhoff90@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Fishing Life is pretty fun, and Seabeard (although this one does have ads.) If you like card games, maybe something like Hearthstone, which is a strategic card battle but you don't have to take it too seriously.

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[-] Leather@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

Make phone calls.

[-] Underwaterbob@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 weeks ago

Reading. Books are super easy to ahem find. OLED screens make reading really comfortable at night. Black background, dark orange text, and turn off all the lights and it's like text is floating in the air in front of you. There are plenty of epub readers out there. Moonreader is my favorite. I paid $5 for it years and years ago now. Absolutely worth it.

[-] tal@lemmy.today 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

While it's usable and I've read material that way, I've found that I want a larger screen. I've read books on a Kobo e-reader, a tablet, a laptop, and a desktop, and those are fine. The phone requires movement to the next page with more frequency than I'd like.

I agree that OLED screens doing light-on-dark look great at night, though.

EDIT: YouTube clip of an OLED and LCD phone side-by-side in the dark:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I1aGY0Wq5KU

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[-] elasereray@lemmy.zip 8 points 3 weeks ago
[-] raynethackery@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

That's pretty cool. I'm still waiting for my tricorder.

[-] TheTimeKnife@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

I use it for a lot, but one I haven't seen mentioned. I use it to support my ham radio hobby. I have a satellite tracker for when I want to contact radio sats, a solar weather app for checking HF propagation and I have echolink which let's me connect to hundreds of radio repeaters around the globe.

*HF = high frequency, its a section of radio frequencies that bounce off the atmosphere. Let's you talk worldwide if you have the right frequency and conditions. Solar weather significantly impacts how radio waves interact with the upper atmosphere.

[-] brendansimms@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

How does one get into this? (I would like to do this)

[-] TheTimeKnife@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Ham radio is licensed by the country you live in. In the US, the basic technician license is very cheap and the test to get it is fairly easy with an abundance of online materials, including answer keys, to study. The reason these licenses are important is because ham operators need to operate within legally defined band plans, or radio frequency allocation guidelines. Emergency services, search and rescue, your nations military, all use specific radio bands given to them by the government. The license helps teach you how to avoid interfering with someone who can get you into serious trouble. It also helps keep you safe, and requires you to learn some basic electrical knowledge that frankly will be mildly useful the rest of your life. Amateur radio is a really fun skill that isn't that hard to learn. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask and if you want specific information about your countries licensing, Im happy to help look it up.

EDIT: Just to add, you can always listen without a license. That's why scanners exist, but you need a license once you hit the button to transmit on a ham radio frequency.

[-] WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

I have a satellite tracker for when I want to contact radio sats,

which one do you use? can it show where is it on a camera background?

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[-] ohwhatfollyisman@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

i have a drawer which would otherwise have been empty, but thankfully i have a nexus 6p, a pixel 2, an lg q6, some lenovo phablet, and a galaxy note 5 to use up that space.

they also do make mighty fine paperweights if one is needed in a pinch.

[-] dingus@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Too bad you don't also have a note 7. Having it double as a bomb is a good feature.

[-] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 3 weeks ago

Not sure if "good" is the right word, but at least cool.

Torrenting, high speed mobile data modem (especially with manual selection of frequency bands on MediaTek), local OpenSpeedTest server (available as app), WiFi analyzer (most used channels), VNC client, the slowest x86 emulation in Qemu-based Limbo PC emulator, SDR receiver software (SDR++, SDRAngel, Welle.io, dump1090, SatDump), RTL-TCP server, SSTV decoder and encoder, HTTP proxy server, Kiwix server, NGINX web server/proxy, Navidrome server, Cloudflare proxy client, SSH server, VNC server (only for Termux's desktop), satellite tracker, Mifare Magic NFC card programmer (MCT), audio spectrum analyzer, serial terminal.

I wanted to attach screenshots, but realized it's way too much stuff.

[-] Chivera@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Calling your loved ones

[-] Saltarello@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Some of my favourite mobile centric uses (I'm a FOSS leaning Android):

  • I like to try to ensure most things are available offline: maps, notes, passwords (manager also holds "emergency" documents), media, ebooks, podcasts etc
  • OsmAnd has offline Wiki articles, this is awesome when travelling
  • OsmAnd can be great for finding POI's such as food outlets, toilets etc when travelling (I since extensively mapped my own locality to help visitors by way of thanks)
  • Using stuff I self host synced to various devices: Nextcloud, Joplin, Paperless-ngx, Immich, Jellyfin & a bunch of others
  • whoBIRD is great especially when travelling
  • If WiFi/data is unavailable when travelling away from home, hook the phone up to TV with a hub, HDMI, keyboard with track pad & it becomes a full media system
[-] frenchfryenjoyer@lemmings.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Lots of people gave good uses here so i'll give one too. the other day I lost my fitbit and I didn't know wtf I lost it then I remembered smartphones have bluetooth and emf sensors so i downloaded an app to find my fitbit and I found it. Felt like I was going mad looking for it lol

[-] Teknikal@eviltoast.org 5 points 3 weeks ago

I have a lot of emulators on mine I recommend lemuroid as a gateway app it does most older systems and many of the arcade machines of my youth. Assuming you legally own the roms of course.

I find a cheap Bluetooth controller works a lot better than the touchscreen though.

[-] Nemo@slrpnk.net 5 points 3 weeks ago

It's a music player, e-reader, and mobile videogame platform that can emulate any retro system and has unique games based on physical activity and geolocation.

It can also take pictures and send IMs, I guess.

[-] taiyang@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

I love emulating old Gameboy games on my phone. It can play things all the way up to Switch, but there's sort of a nice mix of nostalgia and simplicity to just go monotone. No micro transactions, no server connecting, nothing. Just me and the bits.

I guess that's not terribly beneficial, unless you count my mental health.

[-] Typotyper@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago

Where do you get the games from. I have a switch and an old gameboy carriage but I’m too out of it to bridge that gap

[-] Denjin@lemmings.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

They're called ROMs, can't give you links because that's naughty but if you use your reputable search engine of choice for Gameboy ROMs you can find them pretty easily.

[-] taiyang@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Most people will download roms, which is technically illegal although with 30 year old games there usually isn't much concern on enforcement (heck, even Switch games aren't really enforced). The legal way is to dump the rom from the original cartridge, though, and there are tools for that. Honestly, as long as you own the original game I'm pretty sure you can just argue you have a license to play, though.

Generally you can't share links to roms on communities, although I bet some communities are cool with it (/0 maybe?). Try not to go anywhere that looks suspicious, in any case. Most people don't malware Gameboy games, though lol. They won't be .exe in any case.

As for getting it to work, Android and iPhone have different emulator apps available on their respective stores. I tried MyBoy prior but tend to prefer Retroarch (which covers multiple systems, but is a like harder to setup). On Mobile, default has controls on screen so it's pretty much plug and play though. It's so much more convenient than digging up ancient systems, though!

[-] altkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 weeks ago

A unified remote\console for displays, ACs, PCs and whatever

On-hand manuals and checklists/

Podcasts\books player

[-] pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 weeks ago

I use mine a lot for geocaching. The Seek app by iNaturalist is also pretty good

[-] bluGill@fedia.io 4 points 3 weeks ago

I have a tuner app, drum machine, and recording apps on my phone. I like to pretend I can play trumpet, mandolin, piano, hammered dulcimer... which means I practice something nearly every day.

[-] Almacca@aussie.zone 3 points 3 weeks ago

Calculator, flashlight, camera, blunt object...

[-] thatradomguy@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago
[-] AreaKode@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

I used an old phone one time as a light sensor in my grow tent. The sensor is close enough to tell me how bright the tent was.

[-] 0x30507DE@lemmy.today 3 points 3 weeks ago

Mine's pretty great at reading a 1400-page manual for an 8-bit system. Whether or not my habit of reading a 1400-page manual for an 8-bit system is actually beneficial is up for debate.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Play a compilation of song covers at exactly 135 BPM so I can do my treadmill without losing my center or my step.

Work the laundry machines, and set a separate timer because the app notifications are unreliable.

Text to check that my kids are alive and assure them that I and their dad are also not dead today.

Order grocery delivery.

Listen to birds and learn their names (Merlin)

Be part of the earthquake alert system (MyShake)

Wordle/ Quordle/ Waffle

[-] postman@literature.cafe 2 points 3 weeks ago

You're only missing Octordle!

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this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2025
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