Boffins at the University of Washington are working on some killer apps that’ll have you reaching for your camera-laden blower. Using the phone’s camera as an all-seeing eye, Professor Gaetano Borriello and his team are turning Nok’s into properly clever little devices.

The most interesting application is the car repair manual. Simply point your phone’s camera at your engine bay and the phone will overlay information telling you what each component is. More importantly, it’ll also give you a hint as to why you’re stuck on the hard shoulder of the M40 staring at a cold engine.

More importantly though, the team of boffins are also working on getting an application ready for third world countries, which will use camera phones to understand blood results. This’ll help relatively unskilled people to see quickly and easily if someone has malaria. Trials are due to take place next year.