Cell phones have become more than just communication devices. We can now watch movies, listen to music, get GPS navigation, and even play games on these little miracles of communication. There are even a few green uses for your cell phone. Here are just five of those green uses.
1. Quickly deposit checks
The latest craze in online banking is the ability to have your account with you on your phone. Banks are now catching up with the technological curve with new apps and services.
One of the newest services being offered is the ability to deposit grandma’s birthday check while you sit at home. Simple take a picture of both sides of the check. Yes, you need to sign the check. Upload those check images to your bank and your done. Once the check clears the physical paper check becomes null and void. No more standing in line to make a small deposit.
2. Get coupons for shopping
Who doesn’t enjoy saving money. In these hard economic times, coupons have grown in popularity. Yet, buying a Sunday paper and sorting through all the junk coupons is time consuming and tedious.
Enter cell phones and the digital age. Coupons are now being delivered right to your phone. There are even apps that will allow you to specify the kinds of coupons you would use. No more paper, black fingers, or lost time on the floor cutting coupons.
3. Board your flight
Airlines have done a lot the past couple of years to streamline your boarding process. It all started off with early check-in and printing your boarding passes at home.
This streamlining has finally started to take advantage of cell phones. Many airlines are now allowing you to check into your flight and store your boarding pass on your cell phone. This eliminates the need to stand in long check-in lines or wasting paper on printed boarding passes.
4. Take a tour
Vacationing used to require a whole lot of work up front. Books and friends were once the best way to find great places to vacation. Cell phones are even doing away with this need.
Many vacation spots are now creating virtual tours of their destinations. These virtual tours are then uploaded to the Internet or bundled into cell phone apps. Now all you need to do is find the app, download it, and take a virtual tour. You can eliminate horrible vacation spots from the comfort of your bed.
5. Dinning
Finding a good burger joint used to depend on your tastes matching your friends. Word of mouth might still be the best way to find a good place to get a beer and a burger.
The Internet took word of mouth and multiplied it by infinity. Websites like Yelp and Google now allow you to read reviews of restaurants in the area you are in. These websites even make apps for cell phones. Long gone are the days of trial and error.
Technology is slowly moving us away from paper products. Cell phones have done a great job in allowing us to go green. Just don’t look for a great dining experience while you are driving down the road. That is just bad form.
