8 great uses for old smartphones in your home

Your current smartphone has more computing power than the computer used to put the first men on the moon. There are so many great uses for your phone even after it lost its appeal when the next generation of phones arrived.

This raises an important question, what do we do with our old phones? They can be put in a drawer so we will never see them again, sold or given away.

Proper disposal and recycling of smartphones is a big problem. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, approximately 350,000 cell phones were disposed of each day in 2010, with a total of 152 million phones disposed of that year.

According to a report published by the International Business Times, there are more than 7.2 billion phones on our planet, while there are less than 7.2 billion people around us.

The good news is that even if you have an old phone, there are a whole lot of things you can do with it before you get rid of it. Let's check out some ideas on what to do with that old phone you're putting away at home.

Your alarm clock

You can use your brand new phone as an alarm clock, but why not have a dedicated phone to use as your alarm, while keeping your newest and main phone away.

There are a bunch of apps designed to help you sleep better, track your sleep patterns, and even play music in the background. Your old phone can become your sleep app hub.

Remote control

Your home is getting smarter, so why not have one remote control to control everything from smart lights to smart oven? All you have to do is download all the apps required to control your smart device, such as Nest or Hue for lights, so you can control all your smart gadgets from one device.

home security system

Modern home security systems use smart devices, including your smartphone. However, there are apps like Presence, which take your old phone and its camera and turn it into the ultimate security camera.

With another smart device, you can simply connect to the new security system at any time to make sure all is well at home.

baby monitor

Instead of buying a pair of completely new baby monitors, which can be a bit pricey why not take your old phone and let it do the job, use one of the available apps that can turn your phone into an effective monitoring tool for your baby.

Simply connect the device to a Wi-Fi network and use the simple apps to get the job done. Try Dormi if you're interested.

The next mini e-reader

Books can now be read digitally. Why not download your favorite book collections to your old device and save them for your next trip. There are some apps that have a great collection of books readily available.

Wireless trackpad for your computer

If you have an Android phone, there is a creative way to keep your old phone alive. All you need is the app, a unified remote control, a Wi-Fi connection and a few minutes of repair.

The app gives you basic control of your Android phone's keyboard and mouse, as well as turning it into a remote control for playing media and power-related commands for your computer.

Support your scientific research

Your Android device can be used to help scientists search for extraterrestrial life, detect earthquakes, or improve cancer treatments.

Programs like HTC's Power to Give connect your phone or tablet to a UC Berkeley effort known as BOINC. This provides research in a variety of fields, including physics, biomedicine and astronomy.