Video Home » 10 Surprising Things Your Tablet Can Do

If you own a tablet you're probably using it for the basics. Things like games, movies, music, books, web browsing, social networking, email, pictures, and of course, digital babysitting. But because we want you to get more out of your tablet, here are 10 other things it can do. Stuff you might not know about. First, you can make voice and video calls. Free apps like Skype allow you to stay in touch with friends and family right on your tablet, and in many cases, it won't cost you a dime. Number two, check out free library books without going to the library. Thousands of local libraries offer ebooks. A free app and a library account is all you need. There's never a late fee either because when your book is due it returns itself automatically. Number three, use it as a second monitor. Inexpensive apps like Air Display work with your computer and your Wi-Fi connection so you can increase your screen real estate and multitask like a pro. Number four, your tablet can also control your TV. Apps from TV makers and cable and satellite providers allow you to change the channel, set your DVR, and even let you watch live TV right on your tablet. Number five, control your home. There are all sorts of products and accessories you can buy so you can do cool things with your tablet, like control the music throughout the house, turn the lights on or off, make the lights change colors, or open the front door. Number six, you can also monitor your home on your tablet. Many security cam makers also have apps that let you watch and even control those cameras from anywhere. Number seven, you can monitor yourself with health and fitness apps. Both Fitbit and UP by Jawbone have apps to track your progress on your tablet. Thing number eight, run a small business. The more powerful tablets allow you to keep books, manage projects, communicate with clients, and more. Also, check out Square Stand. It turns an iPad into a cash register and credit card reader. Number nine, a tablet can also double as a document scanner. Just download a free or low cost app and snap a picture. The app can crop it, straight it up, and turn it into a PDF. And number 10, expensive cat toy. Yup, apps for cats. They exist. Or just give them the box the tablet came in. Either way. And that's 10 things. If any of them interest you, just scroll down. There's info about all of them right below this video.