I am curious to know what companies and projects are trying to repurpose old phones, laptops and other tech devices.
I feel this area is not explored as much as it should be.
Like converting your phone into a security cam or a radio controlled device, turning laptop into a streaming device etc.
I get SSDs and modems, this allows them to leverage their fabs. Maybe even CCDs. But 3D computational geometry, camera lenses and LIDAR? And drones? This seems a bit out-of-line to me.
Smartphones, syncing your facebook, twitter, foursquare, etc in an automated way. Using the latest iphone / android app. 4g phones / usb modems / portable wifi points. Going without home internet. Setting up permanent "windows" between offices or houses located in different states / countries using always on video calls. Using robots to telecommute. Building self replicating desktop 3d printers. Using their smartphones to control their home automation. Building wearable computers. Buying 3d televisions. Putting solar arrays on their roofs.
I had been reading this list; the main reason I still have a question is because this seems to indicate a scale different than I think we can achieve.
Not so much the next Flip Camera company, taking a market that major companies think is a toy. Instead, going head-to-head on their products that they've allowed to become crufty square-holes for your round peg and making great tools for real problems, not adapting commodity PCs in ludicrous ways.
Phone farms? 20 random Android phones as physical emulators. More with hubs.
Testing USB flash drives? Flash drive factories use standard Windows boxes to test new drives and pre-load with bloatwares.
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