At this point, we just take advantage of the applications we have at our disposal. We've come such a long way over the last several years, to the point where there's basically an app for everything. From apps that are focused on your health so much so that they can actually helps doctors, to apps that can help you make fart sounds when you really, really need them, the spectrum is covered. And there are more coming. The tools to create the apps that we use every day are getting easier and easier, which means even better apps, too.
I can still remember a time where apps weren't really a thing. Sure, we had a calculator and some phones out there even had Microsoft's Word on them, but no one got excited about that stuff. We barely even talked about them. Now, though? People are excited about a touch-enabled Word heading to Android. This is just the nature of the mobile market now. We love our applications, especially the ones that help us get what we need done wherever we are. (Plus, they're a lot better than what we had before -- even our calculators.)
Finding an app that can replace a task is something that I know a lot of people look for, even if it's a small one. Something to streamline an action, maybe so that you don't have to pick up another gadget to get something done if you don't have to. There are plenty to choose from, and I had the opportunity to test an app called CallerSmart. It's designed to give you a bit more information about any strange, or otherwise unidentified numbers that may call you at any given point in time.
Essentially, it's a reverse phone look-up, but there's a bit of a twist.
The first thing I had to do when I opened the app was sign in, or make an account, which I thought was odd. But after I signed in (you can use social networking tools like Facebook or Google+ here if you want, and can opt-out of any posts published to your contacts), I realized why they were going for the sign in route. CallerSmart has actually been given a point system, and there are rewards that can be won by reaching so many points by doing simple tasks.
By updating the CallerSmart phonebook, so that other users can find out who is using that particular unidentified phone number, you can earn 25 points. If you leave feedback on the caller, you can get 32 points. They've turned it into a game, which is something that I probably never would have thought needed to happen, but here it is. For someone who might receive a lot of phone calls that don't have an ID attached to them, other than perhaps a city and state, CallerSmart could be a fun and informative way to learn about a number, or inform others.
Other features like being able to block telemarketers by joining the FTC's Do Not Call list. You can also file an official complaint right through the app, too.
CallerSmart puts an intriguing twist on something as simple as getting a phone call, so it gets some credit there. The app is simple enough and fluid enough. It never slowed down on me, and the phone number search was always quick. I can see that this app could indeed replace any reverse phone number look-up that someone might use on their computer after receiving a call. Just copy and paste the number into the app, and all the information that's available is right there, with plenty of options to take a next step and earn some points at the same time. It's available for iOS right now, and it's free.
