5 things you didn't know you could do with your smartphone

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — So you just got a new smartphone as a gift, and you're wondering, what's all the fuss about? I can make phone calls, check e-mail, surf the Web, listen to music, take photographs. Gee, is that all?

OK, well, here are five other things you probably didn't realize you could do with the smartphone.

1. Let's start with great dictation for e-mail.

Hunting and pecking for letters on a touch-screen is a lot harder than using a keyboard, so I've got a way better idea — dictate them instead.

To dictate on an iPhone or any Android phone, just get to the keyboard and look for the microphone icon that's usually on the bottom-left corner. Click it, and start speaking.

My experience on the iPhone is usually around 95%, but you might have to go in afterwards and clear up some things — adding capitals to words and cleaning punctuation.

To make it easier, speak clearly, and announce your punctuation.

For instance:

"Hello USATODAY readers, COMMA, thanks for reading our reports here all year long PERIOD, NEW PARAGRAPH. Happy new year, Jeff."

2. Forget about having to stuff your wallet or purse anymore as you prepare company expense reports. Use any of the free PDF-scanning apps, like Tiny Scan or Genius Scan, and take a photo of your receipt on the spot. This works better than just using the camera to do it, because the scan apps lets you crop and record in black and white and greyscale, and basically just give you a more legible version of your receipt.

3. Those of us who are a little vain never have to drag a mirror with them anymore. Just open up the camera app on any phone, flip it to front facing, and check yourself out. You could go one more step and take a selfie, but just if you feel like it.

4. You don't have to run to the doctor's office anymore to get your pulse checked. Just download a free app. I like Instant Heart Rate by Azumio, but there are dozens of them (Heart Rate Monitor or Runtastic Heart Rate for Android, Digifit and Blue Heart Rate for IOS) and they're usually free and pretty good.

5. Finally, since it's the holidays, and we're all probably overeating, let's start tracking our movement, and walk a little more. Both Apple and Android devices have free apps that automatically track your steps, without you even having to turn them on. Pedometer ++ for IOS (iPhone 5s and iPhone 6) and Noom Walk for Android let you know how many steps you've taken each day, and how they equate into miles. For instance, as I write this, I've already gone out and done 7,500 steps this morning — equal to 3 miles. I'd like to get to 10,000 minimum, so I'm going to say goodbye now and start walking.

Happy holidays everyone!

Follow Jefferson Graham on Twitter