Mastodawn

Your Old Devices Depend on Dying Sensors. The Silicon Labs Incident Proves It

https://www.cambridge.org/engage/coe/article-details/6a054b304770e67d92e8c7a2

#HackerNews #olddevices #dying #sensors #siliconlabs #technews #innovation

A Common Curve of Sensor Deprecation, Analysis of Silicon Labs Si7021 and Si7020 Sensors

The Silicon Labs Si7021 temperature and humidity sensor was used widely in embedded hardware for many years. In January 2025, it was discontinued. The discontinuation was not caused by weak measurement performance, aging design, or ordinary market decline. It came from material compliance issues linked to Polybenzoxazole insulation and PFAS-related regulatory pressure. There was no direct replacement from the manufacturer when this happened. That made a sudden disruption ans collapse for existing designs. Boards, firmware, and structural plans had already been built around the sensor. This report uses that event as a case study. It also describes the Differential Temporal Derivative Soft Sensing framework, abbreviated here as DTDSS, as a way to keep practical measurement capability after this kind of part loss. Under this framework, lower-cost replacement sensors such as the Aosong AHT20 can still be used for useful environmental measurement, including estimation of solar radiation and surface heat flux without a pyranometer.

Cambridge Open Engage

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Alexandre Franke Mar 2

The only drawback I can think of was that the Jukebox was pretty heavy. Not the kind of thing you’d want attached to your body when going for a run. Hence me adding a Samsung YP-U3 to my collection of #OldDevices in 2008. Only 1GB this time, but in a very convenient USB stick form factor with a removable clip to attach it to your clothes or backpack strap.
That one too must be hidden somewhere.

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Alexandre Franke Mar 2

One of these #OldDevices I had ca. 2004 was a Creative Jukebox 3. It was an awesome mp3 player that looked like a discman, with 20GB of storage (❗) and such features as changing playback speed. It was super helpful when learning songs by ear on the guitar to slow things down. Now I struggle to find an app on F-Droid to do the same, and it took me a while to find out that VLC exists on Android and can do that.
I also miss the tactile feedback of physical buttons. Awesome product.

Alexandre Franke Mar 2

Lately I’ve been reminiscing about #OldDevices I owned and liked (and that I’m not sure where they went, because at some point I stopped using them and put them away somewhere, I wonder where).

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yesfreenet Jan 3

#fdroidserver #olddevices
Что-то у бредогенератора спросил. Репа fdroid archive весит *5.1 Тб 😅

Izzy наверно тоже где-то с 1 ТБ, если не более, надо бы спросить... 😏

yesfreenet Jan 2

Нужно каким-то образом запустить старенькое зеркало для fdroid.org может кому-то когда-нибудь пригодится. А то 4 не работает и 2.3 тоже не работает.
#fdroidserver #olddevices

🐦‍🔥nemo™🐦‍⬛ 🇺🇦🍉Dec 20, 2024

🔒📱 Did you know that 75% of us are holding onto old devices? 😱 A recent study shows many fear their personal data is at risk! If you're one of the 29% unsure how to wipe your info, don't worry! Check out these tips to safely erase your data and maybe even make some cash this holiday season! 💰✨ Read more: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/millions-of-us-say-we-dont-know-how-to-remove-data-from-an-old-device-heres-what-to-know #DataSecurity #TechTips #OldDevices #Privacy #newz

Millions of us say we don't know how to remove data from an old device - here's what to know

Do you know how to wipe an old phone?

TechRadar pro

thejikz Sep 13, 2024

So I got a iphone I found, like ver 10 ish? Can I make a display out of it or something? I was thinking using it like a kiosk display somewhere for images or weather info or something. And not that notepad and paper arent handy, but sometimes I need a quick digital input in the garage. Maybe it has a kiosked down interface for unifunctional use. Anyone doing this with #olddevices?
PS. I do not advocate tech for tech sake for fuck sake. Legitimate uses. Unless its Simone Giertz style.
#reuse

James Pepper Jun 1, 2023

Do you have old PCs or Macs lying around that are too slow, outdated, or insecure to use? Has the OS become end-of-life and won’t update or patch anymore. Don’t throw them away just yet. You can give them a new lease of life by installing a different operating system that is fast, easy-to-manage, and secure. In this blog post, I will introduce you to two options: Chrome OS Flex and Ubuntu.

Chrome OS Flex

Chrome OS Flex is a new, free-to-download operating system from Google. It is based on Chrome OS, the operating system that powers Chromebooks. Chrome OS Flex brings the benefits of Chrome OS to PCs and Macs. It is a cloud-first OS that lets you access your files, apps, and settings from anywhere with an internet connection. It also has built-in security features, automatic updates, and Google’s powerful cloud-based management.

Chrome OS Flex is ideal for all, but especially businesses and schools that want to modernise their devices and save costs with the added benefits of remote management. It is compatible with most PCs and Macs made after 2007. You can install it on your device using a USB flash drive or an SD card. You can also dual boot it with your existing operating system if you want to keep both options.

To download Chrome OS Flex and learn more about it, visit https://chromeenterprise.google/os/chromeosflex/

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is another free and open-source operating system that you can install on your old devices. It is based on Linux, a powerful and versatile operating system that runs on servers, desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and IoT devices. Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux distributions, with millions of users around the world.

Ubuntu offers a user-friendly and customisable desktop environment that supports a wide range of applications and hardware. Ubuntu is a great choice for user moving away from Windows or MacOS. You can choose from different flavours of Ubuntu that suit your needs and preferences. For example, you can use Ubuntu Studio for multimedia creation, Ubuntu MATE for a classic desktop experience, Ubuntu Kylin for Chinese users, or just the standard vanilla desktop experience direct from Ubuntu.

Ubuntu also provides security updates and support for five years for each release. You can install it on your device using a DVD or a USB stick. You can also dual boot it with your existing operating system or run it in a virtual machine if you want to try it out without affecting your device.

To download Ubuntu and learn more about it, visit https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop

Conclusion

Old devices don’t have to go to waste. If you or the business you’re working at is striving for a sustainable future considering the above alternatives before throwing those old devices away. You can revive them by installing a new operating system that is fast, easy-to-manage, and secure. Chrome OS Flex and Ubuntu are two options that you can consider. They are both free and compatible with most PCs and Macs. They also offer different features and benefits that can suit your needs and preferences.

So, what are you waiting for? Give your old devices a new lease of life by installing Chrome OS Flex or Ubuntu today!

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