What can you do with older smartphones you no longer use?
September 18, 2017 1 Comment Yes, we're doing things a bit out of order this week. It was quite a coincidence when Richard Warriner who created this week's warehouse video ended with wondering “what can you do with old smart phones you no longer use. Bingo! I have an answer, and that's why I put the PixlPhone after the warehouse video.
I bet you have one or more older smart phones around that you don't know what to do what. Here's a perfect answer. Especially if you have very young kids. It's called Pixlplay and it's under $30. Pixlplay turns your older smartphone into a fun kids’ camera. It safely protects your Apple or Android device (not included of course) while encouraging creative and active play through photography. It features rubber grips, a wrist strap, focus lens & film advance with clicking sound for pretend play and includes craft activity sheets w/stickers. Now it won't fit any of the larger, new smartphones, but I doubt if you're youngster to have that anyway. That's a list of all the smartphone that work with the Pixlplay on their website. Two old Galaxy smart phone I have are on that list. But I had trouble using the shutter button to take take a picture on both my old Galaxy S4 and S5 phones. After hooking the cable in the Pixlplay to the headphone jack as instructed each Galaxy went into 'zoom in' mode when the shutter button on the Pixlplay was pushed. The work around for that may be described on their website which says “Some Android phones require setting up the shutter button to be controlled by the volume button and the rear (selfie camera) may be covered." That may solve the problem, but I didn't have a chance to try that. But iPhones which I guess work differently should be fine. I think young kids will love this camera and it's under $30. Be sure to watch the company video and then my video talking about my experience with two Galaxy smartphones.
Company video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvpnNpziHRw
Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/22bm0YSiKF4
Will your old smartphone work? https://pixltoys.com/pages/faqs
See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1641
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Letter of the week:
Hi Dick,
I believe about a year ago you talked about a portable icemaker that you put on your countertop and it made a lot of ice very quickly but it needed to be nearest sink, which is fine. I think you said it was on Amazon but I've been on able to find it can you point me in the right direction with the correct link?
I broke my collarbone and now I have to keep icing it and that icemaker would be a big help.
Thank you! Sandy
I could only find two ice machines on The Giz Wiz Show:
The Opal $499.99 here: https://firstbuild.com/products/opal/
And the Rosewill Countertop Ice Maker here: http://amzn.to/2xgd3oI
Read the latest update here. I have send mine back for refund: http://gizwizbiz.squarespace.com/tech-guy-labs/2017/8/25/got-ice-we-do.html
Reader Comments (1)
Hi guys! Great episode... thanks for unboxing Pixlplay! Quick note on the door not closing. For phones with the headphone jack on the top like the Galaxy S5 (or iPhone 4), the wire runs over the TOP of the clamp in the cavity you'll see up there. And, you got it right that you'll need to change the settings on older Android phones for the Volume to power the camera shutter. It's the Gear Icon in the Camera app. Cheers and thanks for the great video!