Tip #2378 - Pictures From Phone to Computer
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Pictures
From Phone to Computer
We all know that cell
phones are one of today's big crazes. An even bigger one is camera cell
phones. Before we know it, all cell phones will probably have camera abilities,
because the world today likes to see real images rather than just words.
So, it may be a good idea to know what you can do with the pictures you
take on your phone after the shooting is done.
Picture Messaging
A common way that
people transfer photos from their cell phones to their computers (that
doesn't really have any additional cost from your regular monthly bill)
is picture messaging. It works pretty much the same as text messaging;
you just have to have text messaging enabled on your cell phone. If you
don't, this method will not work.
Note:
Expect this method to be a little different for various phone models,
but the following directions are pretty basic and similar for all phones.
If you would like
to send a picture to another person's cell phone or if you want to e-mail
a picture to a friend or even to yourself, you just need to open your
phone and go to the Menu. Find your phone's Media
Gallery and then choose Pictures. At this point,
you can pick the photo you'd like to send. Once you have it chosen, go
to Options and choose Send in Message
(like you're sending a text message). This is where you choose to send
it to one of the Contacts listed in your phone or if
you want to e-mail it to someone or yourself. Pick the person you're sending
it to and push the OK button and then Send.
You can also send
text with the picture if you want to do that. If you end up e-mailing
the picture to someone, you will just have to type in their e-mail address
and they will get it in their Inbox. You just need to make sure the person
you're sending the picture to has picture capabilities too.
Data Cable
Another way you can
transfer photos to other people is to put them directly onto your computer,
so you can e-mail them to your friends or save them to a disk or a CD.
So, to do that, you have to have some sort of a USB data connection kit,
which comes with the cable cord that plugs your phone into your computer's
USB port and the software that will help you in transferring the pictures
from your phone. You usually have to purchase these kits separate from
your phone. The store where you buy your phone should have them available
and they will be able to tell you which one will work with your type of
phone.
Once you have your
phone and computer connected, you can start transferring the pictures.
Again, keep in mind that these kits are phone specific, so you need to
make sure that you get one that will be compatible with your phone model.
Bluetooth
Another way to handle
the pictures on your cell phone that is becoming more popular every day
is a wireless technology called Bluetooth.
Bluetooth works with short-range wireless technologies that allow you
to easily send photos from your phone to a laptop or desktop computer.
The computer you are sending them to just has to be equipped to accept
the pictures.
The most difficult
(but it can sometimes be fairly easy) part about Bluetooth is matching
the phone to the computer, so they are both compatible with each other.
But, once that it is done, sending the images couldn't be easier.
As long as your phone
has the Bluetooth software on it, you can send the images without any
extra charges billed to you. You can also send photos to other Bluetooth
users' phones without any wires or additional charges. This seems to be
the most versatile way to go if you're looking to maybe spend a little
more money up front for the Bluetooth works, but it will save you money
in the long run when you don't have to pay any extra charges when sending
your pictures back and forth.
E-mail
Another way for you
to send pictures between your friends and family is to e-mail them. Your
cell phone has to have e-mail capabilities for this to work, but a lot
of the phones these days come with that ability. You can e-mail them to
other people or, as mentioned above, to yourself. You just have to type
the e-mail address in the To: field just like you would if you were using
Outlook Express and it will be sent.
If you see something
while you're out and about that you just have to take a picture of, you
can snap the photo on your phone, send yourself a quick e-mail and when
you get home, the picture will be on your computer waiting for you. You
can then send it off to other people or do something like set it as your
desktop wallpaper.
Removable
Memory Cards
Another new technology
that is presenting itself with camera phones is an external memory card
for your phone. The phone just comes with a slot for the card and you
can transfer the shots to your computer in a snap. You will need to purchase
an external memory card reader so it will all work, but it's one of the
easiest ways to go if you takes several pictures with your cell phone.
When you have the
card reader installed, you just remove the memory card from your phone,
insert it into the reader and your computer will recognize it as another
drive. You can then drag and drop the photos wherever you want them to
go, e-mail them to others, etc. The options are pretty endless with this
choice. You can then get rid of the existing pictures on your phone (since
they're on your computer and not lost) and go out and take more. It's
that easy!
Just one more reminder:
all of these applications work differently with different phones, so make
sure you refer to your phone's manual before doing anything you're not
sure of. But, all in all, this is all really cool when you think about
it. Who would have thought we could do so much with a little phone? Technology
is just out of this world!
~ Erin
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