The random usefulness of mobile phones...

[Night Train]

My tumble dryer has been 'playing up' and I decided to take it out to see if there was anything obviously wrong with it. (Couldn't find anything obvious but that's another thread.)

To check that all the airways and ducts were clear of debris I vacuumed but couldn't see if it was successful so out came the mobile phone and with the camera on I fed it into the ducts and had a good look around. Not perfectly clean but no blockages.

(video)

So aside from the usual things one does with a mobile, what other random things have you done with yours?

 

[ColinJ]

So aside from the usual things one does with a mobile, what other random things have you done with yours?

I use mine as a 'people that I do not want to talk to are trying to get in touch' detector!

(I disabled the answering machine on my landline and the service on my mobile, so they can't leave me messages either! The only way they will get through is to use the phone of someone 'on the list'!)

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I use mine as a 'people that I do not want to talk to are trying to get in touch' detector!

(I disabled the answering machine on my landline and the service on my mobile, so they can't leave me messages either! The only way they will get through is to use the phone of someone 'on the list'!)

I can setup my phone to reject a call with a text message maybe you could set one up that says BUGGER OFF when anyone rings you colin

 

[ColinJ]

I can setup my phone to reject a call with a text message maybe you could set one up that says BUGGER OFF when anyone rings you colin

There's an 0845 number that keeps ringing. They do it every morning at 08:30. They do it in the evenings and they do it at the weekends. It is one of those companies claiming to do surveys as a way round the stupid Telephone Preference Service rules. "We are just calling to find out many people in your area do not have double glazing and are the kind of people who would not slam the door in the face of our salesman ..." kind of thing!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

There's an 0845 number that keeps ringing. They do it every morning at 08:30. They do it in the evenings and they do it at the weekends. It is one of those companies claiming to do surveys as a way round the stupid Telephone Preference Service rules. "We are just calling to find out many people in your area do not have double glazing and are the kind of people who would not slam the door in the face of our salesman ..." kind of thing!

Yup I get loads of them it seems the TPS are about as much use as a chocolate teapot. The area I live in is signposted by both the council and the police that door to door selling is an offence and we all have stickers on the front doors saying the same, but they still come round knocking on the doors

 

[Maz]

My tumble dryer has been 'playing up' and I decided to take it out to see if there was anything obviously wrong with it. (Couldn't find anything obvious but that's another thread.)

To check that all the airways and ducts were clear of debris I vacuumed but couldn't see if it was successful so out came the mobile phone and with the camera on I fed it into the ducts and had a good look around. Not perfectly clean but no blockages.

(video)

So aside from the usual things one does with a mobile, what other random things have you done with yours?

Good job you didn't drop your phone in there!

 

[growingvegetables]

Good job Damn, you didn't drop your phone in there!

FTFY

 

[Lanzecki]

I often use my phone for getting information from the inside of servers such as the specification of the drives or RAM. I really should shut them down first.

 

[defy-one]

At work, i often use it as a torch when looking at pins and connectors on printed circuit boards

 

[Lanzecki]

At work, i often use it as a torch when looking at pins and connectors on printed circuit boards

I did similar a few years ago while soldering some resisters from a board that was still in the machine. I really should have removed the board, but laziness meant I thought that I could use the phone as a camera to see the resisters properly much like Night Train and his dryer.. It turns out that I needed 3 hands. And that plastic caused phones don't like the 600Degrees plus temp of soldering irons.

 

[EltonFrog]

I use mine to stop the table wobbling in Costa, trouble if it rings I have to put my head down to the floor to answer the call.

 

[Stephenite]

My tumble dryer has been 'playing up' and I decided to take it out to see if there was anything obviously wrong with it. (Couldn't find anything obvious but that's another thread.)

To check that all the airways and ducts were clear of debris I vacuumed but couldn't see if it was successful so out came the mobile phone and with the camera on I fed it into the ducts and had a good look around. Not perfectly clean but no blockages.

(video)

So aside from the usual things one does with a mobile, what other random things have you done with yours?

Excellent, NT.

You should upload a series of videos exploring the inner workings of machines. With commentary.

 

[defy-one]

Looking at serial numbers on our HP servers ..... With my eyesight?
Solution .... Take a picture and then enlarge ..... Like a magnifying glass

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

At work, i often use it as a torch when looking at pins and connectors on printed circuit boards

I have used mine as a torch to locate my allocated bed at certain youth hostels before. They are sometimes numbered you see and turning on the main lights just to look isn't very popular with umpteen other people trying to sleep, as you'd imagine! (You only ever do that once and its usually your first time hostelling).

Ear plugs optional by the way.


The phone also comes in handy as an alarm clock of course!

 

[subaqua]

mine has been deep inside electrical panels on a string cradle to see whats been left in there before energisation