5 clever uses for your old smartphones

The consequence of chasing after the latest and greatest smartphone is a growing pile of discarded electronics, hoarded because they’re unlocked or technically still function and throwing them away feels wasteful after spending hundreds of dollars buying them. Just as we’ve discussed the many ways to recycle old tablets into something useful, we’ll do the same for your smartphones. On the other hand, you could try to sell them, but we both know you probably won’t do that.

1.) Multimedia-remote
Rather than purchasing a multi-media remote, why not repurpose your old smart into one? Let’s face it, individual controlling every element of your home media center with a separate remote is as outdated in 2016. At the same time, how many people do you who’ve purchase and set-up a badass multi-media remote? Fortunately, any IR-equipped smartphone is perfectly capable of being reconfigured as a remote. Just download one of the many apps available apps and follow the instructions.

2.) Compact media center
Better yet, why not consider transforming your old smartphone into the media center? Thanks to innovations like MHL(Mobile High Definition Link) and the newer SlimPort, we now have microUSB-to-HDMI peripherals capable of linking smartphones to TVs.

Now that we’ve a way to join the two together, the next step is to add in the external hard disk drive using a microUSB-to-USB peripheral. At this point, I know what you’re thinking: the smartphone only supports a single microUSB and we need two. Not to worry, there are SlimPort devices on the market that include both microUSB and USB cables, allowing you link all three devices together. Don’t forget to install the Kodi open-source media player software on to the phone.

3.) Voice recorder or portable recording studio
Just because your smartphone is older than two-four years and lacks an IR sensor doesn’t mean it’s useless; remember, phones have built-in microphones and apps like Dragon Dictation and Evernote offer highly accurate voice transcribing, transforming your recycled smartphone into the ultimate voice-recorder. Evernote even keeps a copy of both the audio and the text file. Why do this when your current smartphone is more than capable? Why to conserve battery life for making calls, of course.

Another option is to turn the phone into a portable recording studio. These days, users can connect electric guitars to their smartphones with as little as a 20 to 40 dollar peripheral. Simply grab a JamUp Plug ($19.99), Griffin GuitarConnectCable ($19.50), or IK Multimedia iRig ($39.99). With a little more money you can invest in more premium devices such as the Apogee Jam ($99), Line 6 Sonic Port ($99), or the iRig HD (€99.99). Of course, you’ll need some software to perform the actual recording. Apple users can grab Garageband while Android users can pick-up Walk Band or FL Studio Mobile .

Music player
Perhaps the most obvious use for any Bluetooth-enabled phone is as a music player. Connect the phone to a domestic Wi-Fi signal and link-up with a pair of Bluetooth speakers to comfortably listen to music without worrying about battery-life or dedicating storage space for MP3s. That’s above you now that you’ve a device dedicated solely for music. Apps like Pocket Cast ($4) makes downloading and organizing podcasts easier than anything I’ve encountered to date, while TuneIN Radio lets you listen to WNYC or whatever is your favorite radio station.

VR Headset
Remember that monstrosity called the Google Cardboard? That single piece of perforated cardboard that assembles into a DIY virtual reality headset? Whether you opt for Google’s version, or an open source alternative, nearly all smartphones from the last two generations are capable of displaying stereoscopic images. Simply download the Cardboard app and you’ll have access to nearly the same content as users of the Samsung VR Gear headset. You may as well leave your discarded smartphone permanently in there for extra plug-and-play capability.

Source: Makeuseof.com