5 devices that bought higher after the producer stopped supporting them
Once a producer stops supporting a tool, you may assume it is headed for the e-waste bin. When on-line providers and updates disappear, many units turn out to be successfully ineffective. But due to fanatic communities, that is not at all times the case; many merchandise turn out to be much more helpful after official assist ends.
Your previous Kindle can do much more
KOReader provides deserted Kindles options they by no means had
This one is near my coronary heart. I’ve used a fourth-generation Kindle for nicely over a decade, and it is served me nicely. The {hardware} is completely high-quality, and till May 2026, there have been no issues in any respect.
Then Amazon stopped supporting Kindle models from 2012 or earlier, and my Kindle misplaced key options, together with the flexibility to buy, borrow, or obtain books from the Kindle Store and to make use of the Send to Kindle characteristic.
Jailbreaking my Kindle has made it much better than it ever was. KOReader is way extra customizable than the inventory Amazon reader software program, and supports many more file formats, too. With plugins, you possibly can add features no standard Kindle has; my Kindle is now way more helpful than itwas earlier than Amazon stopped supporting it.
Spotify killed Car Thing, however it turned one thing higher
DeskThing provides the {hardware} a brand new life
Car Thing was an odd product. It was a dashboard-mounted touchscreen device created by Spotify to let you management Spotify whereas driving. Spotify first discontinued the product, then disabled it completely in order that Car Thing homeowners may not use their units.
Step in DeskThing. This challenge turns the Car Thing {hardware} right into a customizable controller you need to use out of your desk. The display screen, buttons, and dial can all be used with community-developed apps and integrations to do every part from controlling your sensible dwelling or operating customizable pc shortcuts to taking part in video games or controlling Spotify in your pc.
Pebble watches survived longer than the corporate
Rebble changed Pebble’s providers
Pebble was an early smartwatch model recognized for its always-on e-paper displays and lengthy battery life. The firm ceased operations in 2016, and by 2018 Pebble shut down its cloud providers, leaving Pebble homeowners with out entry to key options.
The neighborhood then developed Rebble to switch the shut-down providers. Rebble Web Services changed Pebble’s cloud and restored entry to apps, watch faces, climate, and dictation. The neighborhood then went additional, including new options akin to sensible dwelling controls, RSS readers, and extra.
The story has now come full circle, with the Pebble model having been revived and new Pebble fashions launched. These units run open-source PebbleOS and share an app ecosystem with Rebble, so the neighborhood that saved the unique Pebble units is now serving to run their new fashions.
Homebrew makes the Wii greater than only a console
The Nintendo Wii was an enormous success on the time and even bought your grandma gaming. All good issues finish, and in 2014, Nintendo ended its on-line multiplayer providers, adopted by the closure of the Wii Shop Channel in 2019.
That did not cease the homebrew neighborhood, who’ve given the Wii options it by no means had earlier than. The Homebrew Channel helps you to run unofficial purposes, together with emulators for other consoles and media gamers, and you’ll even run Linux on a Wii if that is your bag.
Community services additionally changed Nintendo’s deserted multiplayer providers, so you possibly can nonetheless play on-line towards your folks. Your previous Wii is now extra succesful than ever.
Apple discontinued the iPod, however it’s higher than ever
Rockbox and {hardware} mods take away most of the iPod’s limitations
The iPod was an enormous a part of making Apple the big model it’s as we speak, however the iPhone successfully killed it off. There are loads of individuals who nonetheless need a dedicated music player that does not have all of the distractions of a smartphone.
Although Apple discontinued iPods, lovers have discovered two key methods to provide previous fashions new life. The first is Rockbox, an alternative firmware for compatible iPods. It provides options unique iPods by no means had, akin to native FLAC assist, interface customization, audio processing, and even video games.
The second approach that the neighborhood has stored the iPod alive is thru {hardware} modifications. You can change the original iPod hard drive with high-capacity flash storage, so your iPod can doubtlessly retailer tons of of gigabytes of music. You can even set up higher batteries and even modify the Bluetooth to attach wi-fi headphones with out an adapter.
A modified iPod can turn out to be a real music-playing powerhouse whereas nonetheless sustaining that iconic iPod look. The unique {hardware} could also be previous and deserted, however individuals nonetheless have not given up on it but.
Abandonment would not need to imply obsolescence
It’s extremely irritating when firms abandon {hardware} that also works completely high-quality and strip units of key options. Thankfully, the open-source neighborhood is commonly there to save lots of these units from changing into extra e-waste, and may even add options they by no means had initially.
