What was the fate of your last smartphone? Is it in a drawer, gathering dust among loose batteries and an instruction manual for a long-forgotten waffle iron? Perhaps you donated it to a friend or forgot about it altogether. Do you even know where it is? You monster.
Accusations aside, it’s worth thinking about, because there’s likely plenty of life in it yet, and it could even save you some cash. From dash cams to baby monitors, your old Android and iPhone devices can be repurposed to provide years of faithful service until they finally break, or the universe reaches a state of entropic heat-death – whichever comes first.
With more and more people becoming increasingly conscientious with their waste and environmental impact, you’d be doing your bit to help save the planet too. With all that in mind, here are a few things you can do to help usher your old handset into a brand-new afterlife.
1. Turn it into a dash cam
(Image credit: HappyConz)
Dash cams have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years, and with good reason. They provide indisputable evidence for insurance claims from both drivers and cyclists, while occasionally recording crazy events like meteors streaking through the sky or trees being blown over.
If you’ve got an old phone with a working camera, then you’re good to go. If you’re breathing new life into an old Android handset, then AutoBoy Dash Cam is a solid choice. It automatically deletes older recordings that you don’t need, and has a crash sensor to ensure important footage is never lost. You can also set it to back up your videos to YouTube, and it’ll even work in the background, letting you double the phone up as a sat nav too.
The iPhone app equivalent – Smart Dash Cam – is similar, although it doesn’t support background recording, so you can’t use any other apps while driving.
Bear in mind that you’ll also need to buy a smartphone mount that attaches to your windshield, and have some way to charge the phone in your car to prevent the battery from conking out on long journeys. If you don’t have a USB port in your ride, or only have one, then there are plenty of affordable in-car USB adapters available on Amazon.
2. Keep an eye on your little one(s)
(Image credit: VIGI Limited)
Babies provide a plethora of new challenges, and new parents will be especially keen to do all they can to ensure their genetic copies are as safe as can be. Sure, you could buy an expensive baby monitor, but why do that when you’ve got a spare pocketable computer with a built-in camera and microphone?
Cloud Baby Monitor (available on iOS and Android) is a comprehensive app which beams your little tyke’s snoring face to any other device you fancy.
It’s rammed with features, including privacy encryption, a summary of sleeping patterns, instant sound and motion alerts, two-way communication, an adjustable light for visibility, built-in lullaby sounds, and more. Sadly, it won’t automatically feed hungry mouths, but who knows what a future update could bring.
3. Protect your home
(Image credit: Alfred Systems Inc.)
In a similar vein, you can also use old phones to build up a complete home security system, with bonus points for placing them inside stuffed animals and hollowed out books.
An app like Alfred Home Security Camera – available on iOS and Android – harnesses the camera and microphone powers of your handset, providing views of your home, complete with automatic alerts if any intrusions are detected.
The app has features similar to a baby monitor, minus the lullabies of course, allowing you to scare off potential intruders or inquisitive squirrels with two-way communication and/or a remote alarm.
You can add friends and family to your circle of trust too, though you’ll want to remember that fact next time you’re walking around sans towel.
4. Explore the deep
(Image credit: YOSH)
Sure, you could spend hundreds on a fancy action camera, but for casual pool and snorkeling snaps, there’s a much cheaper option – a waterproof phone bag.
You can pick up the YOSH IPX8 for less than a tenner on Amazon, and it will fit most devices up to 6.8 inches in size, completely protecting them from a potential watery grave. It’s worth the money for the peace of mind alone, even if your spare handset is waterproof, and especially as salt water has a nasty habit of being rather corrosive.
You won’t be able to operate the touchscreen controls when you’re completely submerged, but almost every device allows you to operate the shutter button by pressing the volume controls, which is an ideal workaround.
5. Get a desktop butler
(Image credit: Google)
If you’re after a tabletop smart assistant you could fork out for a smart assistant-powered screen like the Amazon Echo Show 5 – or you could just use your old phone. Grab a dock, leave it plugged in, and boom – you’ve got a full-time assistant on your hands.
From Siri and Alexa, to Google Assistant and even Cortana, you’ll have weather, news, radio shows, calendar entries, music and more, all just a voice command away. For best results we’d recommend connecting to a speaker so that you can clearly hear everything over the clacking of keyboards, or sizzling of bacon, depending on your location.
Older phones are likely to have the much-missed headphone jack which will make things easier, but if you’ve got Bluetooth speakers then you’re all good to go.
6. Find aliens (Android only)
(Image credit: Philippe Donn / Pexels)
BOINC, despite its name, is actually a rather serious Android-only app which can harness the number-crunching power of your spare phone to help contribute to different research initiatives.
These can include the hunt for extraterrestrial life, as well as medical and climate research, to name a few choice examples. Your phone will use up some electricity while charging (to keep the app powered) of course, but that’s a small price to pay to help ensure the survival of the human race, don’t you think?
7. Become a shortcut king (Android only)
(Image credit: Riva Farabi)
If you’re a hardcore streamer, media connoisseur, music fiend, or just love to multitask as efficiently as possible, then Deckboard is the app for you.
Designed to create macros for your Windows PC, the possibilities are near infinite, allowing you to create customizable buttons that can do anything from launching apps to opening folders, viewing chats and much, much more.
Having a permanent screen with all of your most-used apps and functions at your fingertips is a veritable godsend for keen time-savers. It’s a shame that iOS’s walled garden approach strikes again though – this is another Android-only affair.
8. Just get rid of it
(Image credit: ready made / Pexels)
No, we don’t mean chuck it in the bin – we’re talking about selling and/or recycling. If your spare phone’s only a year or two old, it’s well worth the effort of seeing what the going rate is on sites like eBay and phone recycling sites (more on that in a second).
Apple fans will be pleased to hear that iPhones hold their value more than any other handset – twice as much as Samsung phones, in fact. It’s bad news for everyone else though – outside of those two brands, resale value can be pretty grim.
Still, it never hurts to look, and you can still expect to get a decent amount of cash for last year’s flagship. Use a site like Compare My Mobileto see what your phone’s worth across a multitude of different sites, and choose whichever provides the best price.
Some of them offer a slightly higher amount in the form of vouchers, which you might prefer, and you’ll sleep better in the knowledge that – in many cases – your old handset will be recycled.
If you’d rather your phone carried on your legacy in working order, then giving it to someone in need is another option. If there’s no one that springs to mind, then charities like Oxfam will be more than grateful to receive any spare gadgets you’ve got lying around.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
