I've had many discussions about how to monetize old hardware; a favorite idea is to set up some sort of "distributed grid computing" service in cold climates,

I've had many discussions about how to monetize old hardware; a favorite idea is to set up some sort of "distributed grid computing" service in cold climates, where the servers are all older, but they run in buildings that would otherwise be electrically heated, making power costs zero. (I mean, there are lots of problems with the idea; it's not getting past the purest of fantasy stage, but it was fun to think about.)