How to use your old devices to repurpose

Electronic waste is an immense problem, one that is getting worse: we are actually generating 21% more e-waste worldwide than we were five years ago. Your brand new model will probably be superseded in a year when it comes to gadgets like tablets, and sometimes not even that.

That's why any time anything new arrives, it's worth thinking twice about what you do with your old gadgets. You would be shocked by how many ways an old piece of hardware can be repurposed, even though it is many years old and has become too slow to properly serve its original function anymore.

These are some of our favorite ideas, but there are more out there. You might be able to come up with something new with a little bit of creativity.

Transform an old phone or tablet into a camera for security

Don't throw it when a smartphone has outlived its usefulness. There is a lot of technology working there that can perform other functions. One of these functions is to have an always-on video feed as a surveillance camera that you can tap into from another phone from anywhere else in the world.

You'll probably need some sort of tripod or mount to get this set up, unless you want to get imaginative with books and ornaments. Some applications will also be needed: Several things and Alfred give the job for both Android and iOS apps, and there are others out there. It's simply a matter of installing and following the instructions for the specific app.

Of course, this also works with tablets, but having them set up and in place may be a little trickier because of the extra scale. Bear in mind that many phones and tablets are now waterproof, so this might also work outdoors, even though your mobile device of choice will still need to remain connected to a power supply.

Turn an old phone or tablet to remote media

We have seen a flurry of new wireless streaming protocols arrive and grow in scale in the last few years. Think about how many options you have to wirelessly access media now, including Apple AirPlay, the Chromecast device from Google, the games that Sonos offers with its speakers, and much more.

For your old phone or computer, what this means is that you can use it as a remote or portal for dedicated media. To stream Spotify or YouTube playlists to it, keep an old iPad next to your Apple TV to beam over shows and movies, or keep an old Android tablet next to your Chromecast dongle.

This frees up the work of your computer, which means less battery life pressure, and it also means that everyone in the family can pick up the unit and start watching, without thinking about logins or lock screens.

As a media center, use an Outdated Laptop

On a similar note, old computers, ready to be streamed around your house, can be repurposed as media centers, storing your videos and music. It's a lightweight work, so it suits older hardware, and it means you can still keep plenty of free hard drive space on your brand new laptop.

Software like Plex or Kodi is suitable for the role (and if needed, you can also serve media to devices outside your home), or you can use the music and TV apps that Apple offers to do the job with macOS. In terms of configuration, the wireless streaming protocols we mentioned earlier mean that you shouldn't have to do too much.

Alternatively, for any sort of file that needs to be accessed from other computers and devices in the place you work, you can just use your old laptop as a dumping ground. Windows and macOS both make it possible to set up a home network, because the hard drive of the old laptop is accessible to other computers.

Using a Webcam with an old digital camera

You're probably going to want to sell the old one to absorb some of the expense if you've just upgraded your costly DSLR to a new one. But you can transform it into a great-looking webcam if you need to keep the old one around for some reason.

Considering that most laptops come with a webcam built in, this may seem mundane, but it means your Zoom calls are going to be of a much higher quality. It also implies that your webcam can be mounted at any angle. You are freed from your laptop screen folding. Plus, you will have unparalleled video quality if you want to do something like streaming yourself on a service such as Twitch.

In recent months, camera makers have been rushing to push out software to allow this feature, and official tools from Sony, Canon, Fujifilm, and more are now available. GoPro has also launched a program to the world. And we've got a guide here, of course.

Switch in an Ereader on an old phone or tablet

You don't have to go out and purchase an ereader if you have an old phone or tablet lying around. You can just use your new laptop instead. Both the Kindle (Android, iOS) and Kobo (Android, iOS) apps can be used to buy and read ebooks, and are faster than the comparable ereaders aboard the software.

Both apps also support audiobooks, so if you need to, you can quickly jump between text and audio formats. If you purchase a physical Kindle or Kobo ereader, you can still synchronize your reading with the phone or tablet you repurposed.

The vivid phone and tablet displays are harder on the eyes than an ereader's e-ink, but there are ways to remedy this. Stock Android has a Night Light feature (under Display in Settings) and iOS has a Night Shift feature (under Display & Brightness in Settings) that can decrease the blue light on the screen of your smartphone.

Into a Digital Picture Frame, convert an old tablet

How much do you take a look at the abundance of images you have taken over the years on your phone? It's probably not that often for most of us, which is why you would want to set up an unused tablet somewhere in your home or office as a dedicated picture frame.

You will need to keep it plugged in at all times, and in terms of a mount or a stand, you will need to get creative to keep it propped up somewhere, but most popular tablet models come with a range of inexpensive, third-party accessories to choose from.

For the mission, you'll also need some dedicated tools. For Android tablets, Fotoo is one of the best choices around, though you can try out LiveFrame instead if you use an old iPad. For showing your photos and holding your tablet on at all times, there are other choices around.