What to do with old technology

So you've got a new cell phone, computer, or other new piece of swell new technology. What do you do with the old one? Here's some ideas. Repurpose Computer (Desktop or laptop) * Turn it into a home file server - There are several ways to do this. You can leave it running Windows and setup file sharing and use it as a place to store backup files. * Run Linux. If you've had an urge to do some tinkering around with something different, try installing the open source operating system, Linux. There are plenty of easy to install distributions that can bring new life back to old computers. Try Ubuntu which will is easy to install and use. http://www.ubuntu.com/ Donate Computer If you want to donate your computer to a charity, you should make sure that you wipe the computer of your data. Ensure that you have the system restore or operating system disks for the system. One tool that I would recommend is "Darik's Boot and Nuke" (http://www.dban.org/). Download the image and follow the instructions to burn to CD. Boot your computer off of that CD and select the method for wiping the drive. After it's cleaned, restore the OS and the computer is just like the day you got it. Donate cell phone Before donating you cell phone, be sure and wipe the data off. Goto http://www.wirelessrecycling.com/data_eraser/default.asp for information on how to wipe a cell phone. Here are a couple of places that accept cell phones for worthy causes: Women's shelters: http://www.shelteralliance.net/cell-phone-donations/ Cell phones for Soldiers: http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/donatePhone.html Your device may still be worth something. Try checking out Gazelle.com. The offer may not be great, but it will be properly recycled and won't cost you anything at least. Check it out at http://www.gazelle.com/ If it's broken and can't be fixed, you should recycle it properly to ensure that the heavy metals and toxic components don't wind up in a landfill. You can check with your local retailers like Best Buy. To find a local resource for recycling or donation check out the EPA website http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm