Old phone or iPad? How you can revive them
Many of us have a box at home filled with old gadgets and bits of technology that don't necessarily even work anymore. But there's no need to leave them languishing, because some of these bits and pieces can be revived.
Take the old Samsung Galaxy S4, or even the original iPad, there's a chance you can make it a part of your life again, and save yourself some money at the same time.
Even if your phone and tablet is so old that nobody will even take it as a present, here are five things you can do to give it new life.
1. Travel phone
Turn your old handset into an international phone that you take on holiday with you. Unlock your phone from the network it was bought with and then you can use local sim cards when you get to your destination, saving on potentially huge overseas data roaming fees.
2. Security system
Avoid paying for an elaborate CCTV system and just buy a tripod or something that can hold your phone. This means you can set your phone to record and have a cheap and easy way of knowing what's going on in your own home.
3. Picture frame
Your old iPad may not be up to much these days and if that's the case then chances are that you've already bought yourself a new one. Why not make use of the old one as a fun alternative to a picture frame. Set it to slideshow mode and make a folder of your favourite photos: this way you can enjoy them all day long.
4. Second monitor
There are plenty of apps out there that allow you to connect your iPad to your laptop and use it as a second screen. Not only will this save you money on buying a new monitor, but it's much easier to transport too.
5. Kitchen helper
Do you have lots of pieces of paper lying around in the kitchen with scraps of recipes on? Get rid of the hassle and load them all up onto your iPad. Buy yourself a stand for your tablet and you can get to work on your cooking skills right away! Even better - you can follow YouTube tutorials with new recipes too!