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Ask HN: Interesting things to do with old smartphones?

28 points by user7878 10y ago

NarcolepticFrog 10y ago
dedicated google cardboard viewer!
palakz 10y ago
Install BotBrew and use it as FTP/Web/File Server. Use it as a Chromecast controller. Maybe build a cool robo/drone/tool using Arduino and use your phone to control it. Maybe, as a paperweight too? Even a non-functional phone would work here! :D
lormayna 10y ago
You can install an app like Torque and use it with a car dongle for monitor your car
curiousgal 10y ago
Security cameras.
harperlee 10y ago
With something like this: https://www.adafruit.com/product/2264 https://www.adafruit.com/product/2264 You can easily connect a lot of things to your mobile and automate them. The phone already has a lot of sensors so I would think more along the line of "which motors can I connect my phone to?". You could build a robot for example...
soylentcola 10y ago
I usually keep my previous phone whenever I get a new one so I have a backup in case I break/lose my main one and it takes a little while to get a replacement. Other than that, I was going to use an old iPhone or Android phone as a wall-mounted touch panel for my Hue lights or to run media apps to cast to one or more Chromecasts around the house. The original plan was to put the phone in a 3-gang box in the wall with some foam or other material to hold it in place. Then I attempted to use my dremel to rout out an opening in a blank plastic wall plate so the phone was held in place but the screen was accessible. Unfortunately my dremel skills aren't good enough to the point where I could get one looking good enough that I'd want it on the wall. I guess I should just have one 3d printed but I've slept on it after the initial disappointment. Additionally, I wouldn't be able to mount the power supply in the wall if I want it to be safe/up to code so I would need to run the wire down behind the wall and have it exit out of a notch in the receptacle wall plate below it near the floor with the wall wart plugged in. Still not very attractive so there are definitely shortcomings with this concept. In the end, it's just been easier to use our existing phones since they're always close at hand and my ambition comes and goes with projects like this. It's a real shame that there don't seem to be any ready-to-buy, relatively universal wall mounts for charging and using smartphones or tablets this way. I've seen some but they're usually specific to one model of phone or tablet and they tend to be pretty expensive and ugly.
- jeeva 10y ago
  I have a stack of partially broken Nexus 5s, along with the magnetic/sticky QI chargers. That's my solution, though it doesn't look totally integrated, it allows for some mobility and doesn't look awful. I do need a better cable-management solution, though.
AnimalMuppet 10y ago
Trap shooting. (I know, it's probably bad for the environment...)
ashitlerferad 10y ago
Work on adding support to Linux mainline for them, so people can eventually run distros other than Android.
nanospeck 10y ago
Use for home improvement. Can hang in the wall to show current weather, motivational quotes, old photos etc in a beautiful UI.
nanospeck 10y ago
You can also use it to build a telepresence robot leveraging the android os. Here is the one my friends and I built for a tech event. http://akhilspassion.blogspot.co.id/2014/10/worlds-cheapest-telepresence-robot.html http://akhilspassion.blogspot.co.id/2014/10/worlds-cheapest-... Let me know if you want the code / design.
niftich 10y ago
This 'Show HN' decided to make old smartphones into an inexpensive car/fleet tracking solution: [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12240542 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12240542 [2] http://gping.io/ http://gping.io/
rajeshmr 10y ago
use it as a music player device in your car maybe ? Most smartphones work well past their intended usage time. Its better to repurpose it for specific uses like playing music or for maps.
navalsaini 10y ago
If we could flash some educational stuff on them and pass them to some poor children to learn from (and monitor their scores) - it would make a cool project. I would like to work on this next year (hopefully).

28 points by user7878 10y ago

dedicated google cardboard viewer!

Install BotBrew and use it as FTP/Web/File Server. Use it as a Chromecast controller. Maybe build a cool robo/drone/tool using Arduino and use your phone to control it. Maybe, as a paperweight too? Even a non-functional phone would work here! :D

lormayna 10y ago

You can install an app like Torque and use it with a car dongle for monitor your car

curiousgal 10y ago

Security cameras.

harperlee 10y ago

With something like this: https://www.adafruit.com/product/2264 https://www.adafruit.com/product/2264 You can easily connect a lot of things to your mobile and automate them. The phone already has a lot of sensors so I would think more along the line of "which motors can I connect my phone to?". You could build a robot for example...

soylentcola 10y ago

I usually keep my previous phone whenever I get a new one so I have a backup in case I break/lose my main one and it takes a little while to get a replacement. Other than that, I was going to use an old iPhone or Android phone as a wall-mounted touch panel for my Hue lights or to run media apps to cast to one or more Chromecasts around the house. The original plan was to put the phone in a 3-gang box in the wall with some foam or other material to hold it in place. Then I attempted to use my dremel to rout out an opening in a blank plastic wall plate so the phone was held in place but the screen was accessible. Unfortunately my dremel skills aren't good enough to the point where I could get one looking good enough that I'd want it on the wall. I guess I should just have one 3d printed but I've slept on it after the initial disappointment. Additionally, I wouldn't be able to mount the power supply in the wall if I want it to be safe/up to code so I would need to run the wire down behind the wall and have it exit out of a notch in the receptacle wall plate below it near the floor with the wall wart plugged in. Still not very attractive so there are definitely shortcomings with this concept. In the end, it's just been easier to use our existing phones since they're always close at hand and my ambition comes and goes with projects like this. It's a real shame that there don't seem to be any ready-to-buy, relatively universal wall mounts for charging and using smartphones or tablets this way. I've seen some but they're usually specific to one model of phone or tablet and they tend to be pretty expensive and ugly.

jeeva 10y ago
I have a stack of partially broken Nexus 5s, along with the magnetic/sticky QI chargers. That's my solution, though it doesn't look totally integrated, it allows for some mobility and doesn't look awful. I do need a better cable-management solution, though.

AnimalMuppet 10y ago

Trap shooting. (I know, it's probably bad for the environment...)

ashitlerferad 10y ago

Work on adding support to Linux mainline for them, so people can eventually run distros other than Android.

nanospeck 10y ago

Use for home improvement. Can hang in the wall to show current weather, motivational quotes, old photos etc in a beautiful UI.

nanospeck 10y ago

You can also use it to build a telepresence robot leveraging the android os. Here is the one my friends and I built for a tech event. http://akhilspassion.blogspot.co.id/2014/10/worlds-cheapest-telepresence-robot.html http://akhilspassion.blogspot.co.id/2014/10/worlds-cheapest-... Let me know if you want the code / design.

niftich 10y ago

This 'Show HN' decided to make old smartphones into an inexpensive car/fleet tracking solution: [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12240542 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12240542 [2] http://gping.io/ http://gping.io/

rajeshmr 10y ago

use it as a music player device in your car maybe ? Most smartphones work well past their intended usage time. Its better to repurpose it for specific uses like playing music or for maps.

navalsaini 10y ago

If we could flash some educational stuff on them and pass them to some poor children to learn from (and monitor their scores) - it would make a cool project. I would like to work on this next year (hopefully).