cameraphone

I have a habit my boyfriend hates, but it's really hard to stop. Every time I pass a restaurant on the street, I have to stop and read the menu. I can't help it. I've learned to do a really quick glance for the most important things — type of food, prices, all while keeping pace with my impatient boyfriend.

Then it struck me the other day when a menu caught my eye, doy, I'll just take a pic of it (my cell phone's camera never stops being useful). I get to satisfy my street menu urge, and even better, when I plug my iPhone into my computer, iPhoto '09 and Picasa geotag it, so I know exactly where I saw it.

P.S. Menu type too small? Snap a pic of the restaurant's sign and look it up on Yelp later.

Ever stood in the aisles of Sephora trying to remember the name of the shade of foundation you always use? Or in the aisles of Walgreens with instructions from your boyfriend to buy him a new stick of deodorant, but can't remember what brand he uses?

These things you see every day aren't necessarily all things you commit to memory, but with your cell phone, it's a nonissue.

Before hitting the drugstore or department store to replace an empty makeup or other toiletry need, snap a picture of whatever detail you tend to forget. Then at the store, your preferred brand, variety, or shade is right at your fingertips.

As I was reading a PhoneScoop article about a bill called the Camera Phone Predator Alert Act which would require camera phones to have some sort of audible sound or click when a picture is being taken, I had mixed feelings about the entire thing. Basically the new bill, under the Consumer Product Safety Commission, would prohibit cell phone owners from silencing their phone's camera for "safety" reasons. Although not a ton of details were revealed about the law, I understand why it's being considered — so creepies can't take creepy pictures. I mean, I'm sure there's a laundry list of more reasons, but that's what tops the list in my opinion.

But I have to say, there are numerous times when I'm shopping in a store, and I want to take a pic of an item to see if a friend or family member approves of the new top, lamp, lipstick hue, etc., and I love how my phone doesn't embarrass me or "out" me to retailers with an annoying sound (the flash, that's another story). But I guess if it did make some sort of a sound, that wouldn't be the end of the world. In six months we'll be picking "camera tones" instead of "ring tones." What are your thoughts?

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Even the most forgetful can benefit from the camera on their cell phone; you can use it to remember where you parked, or, some new prospect you met last night when your memory was a little clouded.

My next tip is one that's great for traveling, especially if — like me — your suitcase rarely ends up meeting you at your final destination. When you're frazzled and filling out those lost baggage forms, sometimes you forget things you packed, especially things you packed that would be right on top and identifiable. Which, if you've been in the situation, you know you need to fill out.

Save yourself the hand-wringing and take a shot with your camera phone of your packed bag, just before zipping it up. Whether this will get your bag back to you sooner, who knows, but the less stress incurred while flying, the better.

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