Samsung recycles smartphones to mine cryptocurrency
Wednesday, November 1, 2017 - 11:53:52
Old smartphones can be resold or recycled so that the materials they contain are able to re-enter the manufacturing ecosystem. But a new project from Samsung seeks to ‘upcycle’ unwanted handsets and use them to make money in the process.
Motherboard reports that the scheme uses outdated Galaxy S5 handsets, which were cutting edge in their time but have since been superseded by successive generations of devices.
These phones are hooked up to what Samsung refers to as a ‘Bitcoin Miner Cluster’ and put to work to uncover more of the increasingly valuable and difficult to obtain cryptocurrency which has been hitting the headlines for several years.
Each cluster contains 40 Galaxy S5 handsets which work together, not only avoiding the creation of e-waste but making a useful contribution to its creators over time.
This project was demonstrated as part of a broader initiative by the South Korean manufacturer to take on the problem of electronic waste. Other old Samsung smartphones were also adapted for different tasks, including an archaic Galaxy S3 being harnessed to keep tabs on a fish tank and control various aspects of its operation automatically.
Another device made with the help of an old phone was a home entry system which can combine facial recognition with remotely accessible wireless capabilities so that doors can be monitored and unlocked as appropriate.
Although Samsung did not provide precise details about the ability of its Galaxy S5 Bitcoin mining rig, it did say that they were more efficient when used in such as setup than an equivalent PC or laptop might be in a similar configuration.
Giving new life to old mobile phones in this way is impressive, although for most people it will be easier to sell unwanted handsets to be recycled.
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