recycle News - Page 2 of 3 - CNX Software

April 22, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

Samsung Galaxy Upcycling at Home program aims to repurpose older phones into IoT devices

Electronics waste, also as known as e-waste, has been a problem talked about for years, and in 2015 we asked the question “What do you do with your old devices and boards?” as many devices just end up collecting dust or stored in a drawer. Some better ways include giving or selling them to others, or repurpose them. For instance, a cheap Arm HDMI dongle can make a torrent downloader, an old phone can be transformed into a surveillance camera, an ATX power supply could be converted into a bench power supply, etc… But repurposing devices require some technical skills which many of the smart CNX Software readers have, but it’s unrealistic to expect the typical consumer to be able to hack their old devices into new ones using some tutorials found on the Internet. Samsung Galaxy Upcycling Program aims to make recycling upcycling easier for owners of Galaxy smartphones, […]

October 7, 2020October 7, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Teracube 2e is a user-serviceable, sustainable phone with a 4-year “premium care warranty”

Most smartphones have limited software support, but in my experience with Xiaomi smartphones part of Android One, the hardware tends to fail even earlier than the 18 to 24-month support window for such phones. It’s also close to impossible to repair those by yourself. So it would be nice to have a phone with a longer warranty, software support, and that the user can service himself. If it was made of recycled materials, it would be a bonus too. That’s exactly what Teracube 2e phone provides with recycled materials, a fully biodegradable case, and a 4-year “premium care warranty” for hardware repairs, and since it runs Android 10 stock, you’d get 3-years of Android and security updates. Teracube 2 phone is also meant to be affordable going for $99 and up on Indiegogo with the following specifications: SoC – Mediatek Helio A25 octa-core Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.8GHz with IMG PowerVR […]

January 8, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

LivingPackets THE BOX Reusable Packaging Comes with an E-ink Display, Removes the Need for Filling Materials

E-commerce and online shopping have flourished over the years whether you shop on Amazon and from sites in China. But that also means lots of carton board packages are being used and often thrown away after use, although personally I like to reuse them if I need to send packages myself. So it would be good if there was a way to reduce carton board package waste, and that’s exactly what LivingPackets is attempting to do with “THE BOX” which features an E-Ink display to display the recipient address and other information, and is meant to be re-used up to 1000 times. Here are some of the key features of THE BOX: E-Ink Display – Replaces the usual printed address label. It can be updated easily and does not consume power when not updated. Button to allow easy returns Integrated Holding Mechanism – Patented a holding system to replace bubble […]

March 19, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

eWelink Camera App Recycles Your Old Smartphone into a Remote Camera

Old devices often end up in drawers or shelves collecting dust, but as we’ve seen before there are better ways to recycle your unused gadgets, from giving it to friends or family to selling them on eBay, or re-purposing them for specific purpose. For example, we’ve previously covered Haven open source app that transforms smartphones into smart security cameras or baby monitors. eWelink, the default app used with Sonoff wireless switches, smart plugs and light-bulbs, now happens to support a similar feature. So if you’re using the stock firmware on your Sonoff device and control them with the Sonoff app, you don’t need an extra app to use your old smartphone(s) as IP camera(s). It looked easy enough to setup, so I gave it a try. First you need to download & install eWelink Camera app, only available as an apk at this time, in your old phone. Once the […]

February 4, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Spare TV Box Board Sold for MXQ-4Q / MXQPro DIY Repairs

Once somebody asked me if spare TV box boards were available for purchase since his TV box died after a few months, and he wanted to repair it himself without having to purchase another complete TV box. Usually, such boards are not sold, except maybe on Alibaba, where you may or may not have to purchase in quantities. So I basically told him it would be hard to find, and buying a new or second hand TV box would be a better option. But I was recently made aware that at least one seller was offering spare TV box boards for MXQ-4Q and MXQPro on Aliexpress for $20.61 shipped in order to let people repair their boxes themselves. If your goal is to repair a TV box, I can only think of two reasons for buying a spare TV box board: saving money and/or reducing electronics waste. MXQ-4Q and MXQPro […]

December 23, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Haven Open Source App Transforms Your Old Android Smartphone into a Smart Security Camera

About two years ago, I wrote a post asking what to do with old devices instead of throwing them away. My own proposals included giving them away, reselling them on eBay, recycling them for other purpose like servers or download clients, or scavenging some parts. Other people also comments what they did with theirs, for example setting up a Linux cluster with old TV boxes. Another way to recycling an old (Android) smartphone – albeit you could always buy an inexpensive one – is to install and run Haven, an open source app that transforms your phone into some sort of smart security camera, but instead of only using the camera from the phone, the app also logs audio events using its microphone (array), as well as data reported by sensors. One of you first reaction might be: “cool! somebody may an app that would allow hackers or government to […]

June 16, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments

Convert an old ATX Power Supply into a Bench Power Supply with (or without) 3D Printed Parts

You may own one or more old computer towers with an ATX power supply that just gather dust, but since the ATX connector provides +12V, -12V, 5V, 3.3V and GND signal it could be converted into an bench power supply. People have been doing this for a while, but elliotboney’s solution looks neater than most with a 3D printed part that’s attached on top of the power supply. Once you have printed the part, which may need to be adapted to to your power supply, you just need a few banana jacks, and a power switch before connecting with the cables: I basically kept 3 wires of each voltage, a 3 black wires for each ground. So 3 yellow for 12V, 3 Red for 5V and 3 Orange for 3V. Any extra wires I cut as close to the board as possible and put a little piece of heat shrink […]

March 31, 2015March 31, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Connect a 9.7″ Retina Display (iPAD 3/4) to Your Computer via a DisplayPort Adapter

One way to connect an extra Retina (2048×1536) display to your computer is to purchase Adafruit Qualia 9.7″ DisplayPort Monitor for $224.95. But in case your budget is limited, you could combine an old iPAD 3/4 display with AbuseMark 2048×1536 LCD to DisplayPort Adapter for 3,500 JPY ($29 US). If you don’t have an old iPAD, or would rather not dismantle your “old”-but-still-useful iPAD, you could purchase LG LP097QX1-SPC1/2, LG LP097QX1-SPA1/2/V, or Samsung LTL097QL01-W01 LCD panels instead for about $80 on Amazon US (LP097QX1 / LTL097QL01). If you live in Japan, AbuseMark also ships a complete kit for 12,000 JPY. Key features listed for the board: Video Input – DisplayPort Display Connector – 51-pin 0.3mm pitch FPC connector STM32F103CB 32-bit Cortex M3 MCU with native USB for firmware update and power/brightness/etc control Dual TI TPS61187 WLED drivers Power – USB or 5V-powered (separate connector) / 1.35A total current draw. Buck […]