Today on Computer Insider, we’re going to talk about winning the battle of the smartphone. Just in case you missed Smartphones are here to stay. About 3 out of 4 of use a smartphone, and that’s a huge jump from 2011 when only about one in three of us used one. So why the big jump? Well, it’s simple. Smartphones do lots of things that consumers like, beyond making phone calls. With current technology phones, you always have a good camera close at hand, which is not only handy for taking pictures, but also for taking notes. Remember the day when you would scribble down class or lecture notes in a workbook. Now a quick shot of the blackboard, and you’ve got it forever.

Another reason for the explosive growth of Smartphones are the numbers of really cool apps that are available to consumers. Have a look at your phone and see if you have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and who knows how many others. Not only have we engaged these apps in mass, but the apps have changed to take advantage of better hardware and bandwidth. When I was first doing the TV series, our dream was to do live TV driving around in cars. Today, it’s so commonplace that we don’t even notice when someone does it.

The trick to mastering your phone is to become familiar with the apps you have. Pick on and spend a few minutes every day for a week figuring out what it does and how it works.

Reporting for Computer Insider, I’m Bob Pritchard