The Trump phone was never a serious phone. Not when it was announced last June, in dodgy renders and with an incoherent spec sheet. Nor when Trump Mobile admitted — just two weeks later — that it wouldn’t be made in the US. Not even when the company revealed the final phone, first to me over a video call in February and then to the world in April through a short commercial with the slick sheen of AI.
Technology
These are the 7 most devastating data breaches. Now what?
In recent months, we’ve witnessed a shocking wave of data breaches that have put the personal information of millions at risk. With our online lives becoming more exposed than ever, it’s essential to grasp the scale of these incidents and what they mean for us. We’ll look at the seven biggest data breaches of 2024, revealing the staggering number of records compromised and the potential dangers for both individuals and businesses.
From AT&T’s concerning double breaches to Ticketmaster’s enormous leak, the fallout from these incidents highlights just how important it is to take cybersecurity seriously. We’ll also discuss some practical steps you can take to protect your information in today’s volatile online environment.
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Illustration of data leak (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
1) The AT&T double whammy
AT&T’s cybersecurity woes in 2024 have been nothing short of catastrophic. The telecom giant faced not one but two major data breaches, leaving millions of customers vulnerable and exposed. In March 2024, AT&T confirmed a significant data breach affecting approximately 73 million customers. This breach included sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, account numbers, passcodes, full names, email addresses, dates of birth and phone numbers. The compromised data, believed to originate from 2019 or earlier, was discovered on the dark web. This incident followed a previous cyberattack in January 2023 that impacted 9 million users, highlighting a troubling pattern of security vulnerabilities.
Just as the dust was settling from the March breach, AT&T was hit with another devastating blow in July. This time, cybercriminals managed to steal call and text records of “nearly all” AT&T customers, an estimated 110 million individuals. The breach extended over a six-month period in 2022, with some cases stretching even longer. The data wasn’t stolen directly from AT&T’s systems but from an account it had with data giant Snowflake. While the stolen data didn’t include call or text content, it revealed metadata such as who called whom and when. The breach also affected noncustomers whose numbers were called by AT&T customers during the affected period.
Cybersecurity expert at work (AT&T) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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2) Ticketmaster’s ticketing tragedy
In May 2024, Ticketmaster Entertainment faced a staggering breach that dwarfed even AT&T’s woes. The hack resulted in the compromise of over 560 million customer records. This massive breach included order history, payment information, names, addresses and email data. The severity of this breach cannot be overstated. With over half a billion records exposed, it represents one of the largest data breaches in history. Ticketmaster responded by sending emails to affected customers, advising them to monitor their accounts and credit statements closely.
Ticketmaster website (Ticketmaster) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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3) The MoveIt mayhem
While not as widely publicized, the MoveIt breach was a silent killer. It impacted 77 million individuals across 2,600 companies globally. The Clop malware gang exploited a security flaw, causing an estimated $12 billion in damage worldwide. This breach shows how a single vulnerability can have far-reaching consequences across industries.
Illustration of hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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4) Dell’s digital disaster
Dell, a titan in the tech industry, wasn’t spared from 2024’s cybersecurity onslaught. In May, the company faced a major cyberattack that potentially affected 49 million customers. The breach was particularly sophisticated. Hackers created authorized partner accounts to infiltrate Dell’s systems. They launched a brute-force attack, sending over 5,000 requests per minute for nearly three weeks without detection. Sensitive customer data, including home addresses and order details, may have been compromised. While financial details were reportedly not breached, the stolen data is now being sold on hacker forums.
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Dell laptop (Dell) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
5) The National Public Data disaster
The crown jewel of 2024’s data breaches came from National Public Data. An eye-watering 2.7 billion records were leaked, including sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers, physical addresses and possible aliases. This breach underscores the massive scale at which our data is collected and the catastrophic consequences when it’s not properly protected.
A man on his smartphone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
6) CMS alerts nearly 1 million Medicare beneficiaries to data breach
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) notified 946,801 Medicare beneficiaries that their personal information may have been compromised in a data breach last year. The incident involved a security vulnerability in the MOVEit file transfer software used by Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corp., a CMS contractor. Exposed data potentially included names, addresses, Social Security numbers and Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers. This breach follows a similar incident reported in July 2023, affecting approximately 612,000 Medicare beneficiaries. These events underscore the ongoing challenges in protecting sensitive health care data and the importance of remaining vigilant about personal information security.
A doctor’s stethoscope and medical papers (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
7) MC2 Data’s major breach puts millions at risk
On Aug. 7, 2024, Cybernews researchers discovered that MC2 Data, a background check firm, had left an unprotected database containing 2.2TB of personal data accessible online without password protection. The exposed database contained 106,316,633 records with private information about U.S. citizens, affecting an estimated 100 million individuals. The leaked data included names, emails, IP addresses, encrypted passwords, partial payment information, home addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, property records, legal records, family information and employment history. Additionally, the data of 2,319,873 MC2 Data subscribers, including individuals and organizations requiring background checks, was also exposed.
This massive data leak raises serious concerns about the security practices of background check companies and the potential misuse of sensitive personal information. The exposed data could be exploited by cybercriminals for various malicious purposes, including identity theft, targeted phishing attacks and fraud. The incident highlights the need for stricter data protection measures and regulatory oversight in the background check industry to safeguard individuals’ privacy and prevent such large-scale data exposures in the future.
The ripple effect
The impact of these breaches extends far beyond the immediate theft of data. Financial losses are a significant concern, as individuals face the risk of identity theft and fraud, while companies may incur significant fines, legal costs and lost revenue.
Reputational damage is another major consequence, as trust is the currency of the digital age, and these breaches severely erode customer confidence, potentially leading to reduced sales and business opportunities.
Legal ramifications are also a concern, with companies like AT&T now facing class-action lawsuits, adding to the financial and reputational toll. Operational disruption is common, as affected businesses often experience downtime and increased costs as they work to restore systems and implement new security measures. Privacy violations are a long-term risk for individuals, including potential blackmail, stalking or other forms of exploitation.
Illustration of hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to protect yourself from data breaches?
These breaches highlight a critical need for both companies and individuals to step up their cybersecurity game. Here are some key takeaways to protect yourself:
1) Change your passwords
If a data breach has leaked your passwords, change them immediately. Hackers could use your password to access your online accounts and steal your data or money. ON ANOTHER DEVICE (i.e., your laptop or desktop), you should change your passwords for all your important accounts, such as email, banking, social media, etc.
You want to do this on another device so that the hacker isn’t recording you setting up your new password on your hacked device. And you should also use strong and unique passwords that are hard to guess or crack. You can also use a password manager to generate and store your passwords securely. Changing passwords should be a part of your general cybersecurity hygiene, even if you’re not affected by a data breach.
2) Enable two-factor authentication
Activate two-factor authentication (2FA) for an extra layer of security on all your important accounts, including email, banking and social media. 2FA requires you to provide a second piece of information, such as a code sent to your phone, in addition to your password when logging in. This makes it significantly harder for hackers to access your accounts, even if they have your password. Enabling 2FA can greatly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and protect your sensitive data.
3) Monitor your accounts and transactions
If you have been affected by a data breach, check your online accounts and transactions regularly for any suspicious or unauthorized activity. If you notice anything unusual, immediately report it to the service provider or authorities. You should also review your credit reports and scores to see if there are any signs of identity theft or fraud.
4) Contact your bank and credit card companies
If hackers have obtained your bank or credit card information, they could use it to make purchases or withdrawals without your consent. You should inform your bank and credit card companies of the situation. They can help you freeze or cancel your cards, dispute any fraudulent charges and issue new cards for you.
5) Use personal data removal services
Consider investing in personal data removal services that specialize in continuously monitoring and removing your personal information from various online databases and websites. Hackers are also stealing your IDs to validate the data. These IDs can be misused in more ways than you can imagine, including impersonation. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.
6) Sign up for identity theft protection
If you’re certain that your personal information has been leaked in a data breach, sign up for an identity theft protection service. It can monitor personal information like your home title, Social Security number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being used to open an account. These services can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.
7) Alert your contacts
If hackers have accessed your email or social media accounts, they could use them to send spam or phishing messages to your contacts. They could also impersonate you and ask for money or personal information. You should alert your contacts and warn them not to open or respond to any messages from you that seem suspicious or unusual.
8) Have strong antivirus software
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
9) Keep your software and systems updated
Regularly updating your software and operating systems is crucial for maintaining strong cybersecurity. When software companies release updates, they often include security patches that address newly discovered vulnerabilities. By installing these updates promptly, you close potential entry points for hackers.
To make this process easier, consider enabling automatic updates on most devices and software, ensuring that you are always running the latest, most secure versions. It is also important to remember to update all your devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart home devices and any other internet-connected gadgets, as they all require regular updates.
In addition to software updates, check for firmware updates on devices like routers, which may require manual intervention. Visit the manufacturer’s website periodically to ensure you have the latest firmware installed.
Be cautious with software that has reached its end-of-life status, as it will no longer receive important security updates. If you find yourself using unsupported software, consider replacing it with a supported alternative.
Restarting your devices regularly can also be beneficial, as some updates require a system reboot to take effect fully. Therefore, reboot your devices periodically to ensure all updates are properly installed. Lastly, don’t neglect your mobile apps; regularly updating the apps on your smartphone and tablet is essential for maintaining security.
By keeping all your software and systems up to date, you significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to known vulnerabilities that hackers might exploit in outdated versions.
Kurt’s key takeaways
As we sail through the turbulent cybersecurity waters of 2024, it’s clear that no organization is immune to data breaches. The incidents at AT&T, Ticketmaster, MoveIT, National Public Data, CMS, Dell and MC2 Data are stark reminders of the ever-present threats in our digital world. For you, as an individual, staying vigilant is key. Regularly monitoring your accounts, using strong and unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication can go a long way in mitigating risks. As we move forward, it’s crucial for both businesses and consumers like you to stay informed, adapt to evolving threats and prioritize data security. Remember, a proactive approach to cybersecurity helps protect not just your data but your peace of mind as well.
What steps do you think companies should take to be more accountable for protecting our personal information and how can we, as consumers, encourage them to prioritize cybersecurity? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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It’s now on sale for $499, past the days of its tenuous, ever-shifting release dates. A few buyers even have the phone, The Verge among them, though more still seem not to.
It’s clear now that the T1 is a real phone, but that doesn’t mean it’s a serious one. Still, for the next thousand words or so, I will try to take it seriously.
$499
The Good
- It actually exists
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- MicroSD card slot
- It basically runs stock Android
A serious phone wouldn’t look like this
The T1 Phone is a curved slab of cheap gold plastic, the smartphone equivalent of a pair of knockoff wraparound Oakleys. The gold finish — more yellow in certain light, though it certainly does shine and shimmer — is tacky in every sense, with a sticky friction that makes it feel distinctly unpleasant to the touch. My phone arrived with a tiny scratch in the top-right corner.
The phone is fairly thin, and light, but its excessively curved waterfall display feels immediately dated. It also loses one of the chief advantages of that design — better in-hand feel — thanks to the oddly angular frame, which juts into my palm as I hold it.
Almost every detail speaks to bad design. There’s the American flag logo, missing a stripe. The fact that “Trump Mobile” appears on the back twice, in two different orientations and two different fonts. Or the camera module, where the three lenses are spaced at irregular intervals.
There are things to like. The 3.5mm headphone jack will have its fans, as will the microSD card slot inside the phone, or the fact that the phone ships with a case, charger, and braided USB cable. These are things that a certain type of Android fan has lamented the absence of for years.
I, for one, am more excited to be reviewing a phone with a notification light again, a true treat that I thought we’d lost forever. It’s a glimpse of a better world, one I didn’t expect from Trump Mobile of all companies. But like the curved screen, even these welcome touches betray that this is a dated, old-fashioned phone, one based on an old HTC design that already felt like a throwback two years ago.
A serious phone would work outside the US
I live in the UK, meaning I may well have the only Trump phone outside of North America. It cannot maintain any signal stronger than 2G, meaning I can use it for texts and calls but not for data. As best as I can tell from digging through the T1’s FCC certification documents, the phone simply doesn’t support the network bands commonly used in Europe.
The T1 Phone isn’t sold in Europe, and that misshapen flag makes its target market clear. But even Americans get to go on vacation every once in a while. From my experience, it seems unlikely that the T1 would work anywhere in Europe and perhaps not anywhere in the world outside North America.
A serious phone would use more than the minimum hardware
At first glance, the T1’s spec sheet might seem impressive enough: a 120Hz OLED screen, a 5,000mAh battery, a triple rear camera with 50-megapixel sensors.
But the truth is you could find similar specs on almost any $200 Android phone and superior ones on phones sold at this price. Hardware like this is cheap and commodified, something that’s only beginning to change thanks to the ongoing memory crisis. Here, amusingly, the T1 is generously specced: 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM come as standard. Those, along with the inclusion of wireless charging, are the only things that really stand out on this spec sheet.
Despite all that RAM, and Qualcomm’s modestly capable Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, the T1 is often sluggish. It sometimes stutters when switching apps or triggering animations, making even basic apps like Duolingo frustrating to use. This hardware isn’t flagship, but it should certainly be more capable than this. I can only assume Trump Mobile didn’t develop the sort of software and firmware performance optimizations that other manufacturers do, handicapping the phone from the start.
1/16
I suspect the camera’s limitations are for similar reasons. The three rear lenses and single selfie camera take basic, functional photos, at least in good light — with the exception of the 8-megapixel ultrawide, which is uniformly poor.
Other phone manufacturers spend millions optimizing their image pipelines, and none of that work is evident here. Daylight photos are vivid and oversaturated, nighttime shots are noisy, and the telephoto shows no signs of electronic stabilization at all, making it feel shaky and unstable. Incredibly, by default every shot is overlaid with a strangely small T1 watermark — as if anyone should want to take credit for these photos.
1/12
A serious phone would have made more effort in its software
As the Trump phone lurched haltingly toward its launch, the going assumption from many was that it would be a bloated mess, loaded with spyware, crypto apps, and MAGA-themed experiences, putting the president’s leering face front and center.
The truth is rather more mundane. It runs Android — the nearly two-year-old Android 15, to be precise — with almost no modifications at all. This is, in fact, about as close to what the nerds call “stock” Android as you’re ever likely to get these days.
The only preinstalled apps that are out of the ordinary are Truth Social, Trump’s own social media network, and Doctegrity, a telehealth platform that’s included with Trump Mobile’s $47.45 cell service. Beyond that you get a single Trump Mobile wallpaper and those photo watermarks, and that really is that.
In a sense, that’s a good thing — I’m hardly lamenting the lack of bloatware. But there’s also no sign that Trump Mobile has the ability or the intent to optimize its phone’s software or deliver any features beyond the minimum.
More worryingly, Trump Mobile hasn’t announced how long it will support the phone with software updates. When I spoke to executives from the company in February, they seemed confused by my question about how many Android version updates the phone would receive, though they did insist that customers won’t “be locked into what’s there today.” For now, that means a 2024 version of Android with a February 2026 security patch; I wouldn’t hold my breath for either to be updated any time soon.
A serious company would put more effort in
In a strange way, the T1 Phone isn’t all that terrible, but only because it proves how hard it actually is to make a truly terrible phone these days. It’s easy enough to throw together the baseline hardware, stick Android on top, and call it a day. For better or worse, that’s more or less exactly what Trump Mobile has done. Between the simple software and the dated hardware features, the T1 is an oddly compelling phone for some old-school Android fans, but Trump Mobile got there entirely by mistake.
This isn’t a serious phone. It’s a marketing stunt that got out of hand, a way to grab attention and juice the subscriber count for an overpriced cell service with the president’s name on it.
Trump Mobile doesn’t care about this phone. And after the year of reporting on it that’s led to this review, I’m thrilled to finally say: Neither should you.
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Microsoft may once again be struggling to keep up with its own climate goals, according to its 2026 sustainability report. As reported by GeekWire, the report states that Microsoft’s carbon emissions increased 25 percent in 2025, totalling 34 million metric tons “without select interventions.” Microsoft says this was “driven primarily by the expansion of our datacenter infrastructure,” as well as the company’s decision last February to stop purchasing “non-additional, unbundled renewable energy certificates.”
Several years ago, Microsoft set itself a goal to be carbon negative by 2030, meaning it will need to remove more carbon emissions than it produces. This isn’t the first time Microsoft has faced setbacks toward accomplishing that goal, as its 2024 sustainability report showed a similar rise in climate pollution. This year’s report admits that, “While AI infrastructure is driving demand for energy, water, land, and materials, sustainability solutions are not scaling fast enough to meet demand.”
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That old phone sitting in your drawer may have more life left in it than you think. You may look at it and see a dead battery, an outdated camera or a screen that no longer feels worth using. Google and researchers at the University of California San Diego see something else: a tiny computer that may still have useful processing power.
Their idea is called phone cluster computing. Instead of treating retired smartphones as electronic waste, researchers remove the motherboard and redeploy it as part of a low-carbon computing system.
Google says UC San Diego plans to launch a data center built from 2,000 Pixel smartphones in fall 2026. The goal is to provide low-cost cloud computing for students and researchers while reducing the need for newly manufactured server hardware.
That means the next chapter for an old phone may not be a junk drawer. It may be a server rack.
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Researchers plan to launch a 2,000-phone data center at UC San Diego in fall 2026 to support students and research workloads. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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What is phone cluster computing?
Phone cluster computing takes retired smartphones and turns their core hardware into a computing platform. The process starts by stripping each phone down to the motherboard. That board holds the processor, memory and storage. The display, battery, cameras, chassis and other phone-specific parts are removed.
That step is important because a full phone does not belong in a data center. Batteries can create safety issues. Screens and cameras waste space. The motherboard is the part that still offers computing value.
Once the board is removed, researchers load a general-purpose Linux system onto it. Android already runs on Linux at its core, but Android is built for mobile apps and personal devices. A data center needs something more flexible for cloud workloads. After that, the phone boards can be grouped into clusters. Many small boards then work together like a collection of tiny servers.
Why Google wants old Pixel phones for cloud computing
The AI boom has created a huge appetite for computing power. Data centers need more chips, more electricity and more cooling. At the same time, billions of phones fall out of use around the world.
This Google-backed project takes that conversation in a different direction by asking whether some useful computing can come from hardware we already made.
The project focuses on embodied carbon. That means the emissions created before a device ever turns on. Mining, manufacturing and shipping all add to that carbon footprint.
If a phone motherboard already exists, reusing it can avoid some of the environmental cost tied to manufacturing new hardware. Google says the motherboard accounts for about half of a phone’s embodied carbon, which makes it the most valuable part to recover.
How retired smartphones become low-carbon servers
You cannot plug a pile of old phones into a rack and call it a data center. The process requires careful teardown, new software and a way to manage many boards at once. Google says the project uses containerized applications managed by Kubernetes. That helps coordinate the work across many devices.
The phones are organized into self-managing clusters of about 25 to 50 boards. Each board works as a small Linux machine. Together, they can handle tasks that would otherwise run on traditional cloud servers. That does not make one phone equal to one server. A server has many more processor cores, more memory and data center-grade hardware. A phone board has fewer resources and tighter limits. Still, some jobs do not need a giant machine. They need enough compute to run efficiently without wasting resources.
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Google and UC San Diego are testing a cloud computing system built from retired Pixel phone motherboards, giving old smartphones a possible second life. (Google)
Can old phone processors handle cloud workloads?
The technical case is stronger than you may expect. Google says the single-threaded performance of modern smartphone performance cores can match or beat the per-core performance of some modern multicore servers. In one comparison, a 2023 Pixel Fold was tested against an ASUS RS720A-E11 server using SPEC benchmarks. The Pixel Fold’s performance cores beat the baseline data center server core on many of the tests. That sounds impressive, but there is an important catch.
A smartphone board has a smaller memory limit and fewer cores. It also lacks the management tools and hardware durability that servers are built around. So the project needs the right workloads.
UC San Diego is starting with educational and research computing. That makes sense because many classroom tasks can run on small cloud instances. Google says early experiments showed that a 20-phone cluster could support peak submission rates for a class of more than 75 students. The grading latency also came in below the default AWS backend used in the comparison.
Why UC San Diego is testing a 2,000 Pixel phone data center
UC San Diego plans to use the 2,000-phone cluster to support computer science classes and research workloads. Google says the deployment could support about 100 classes at once. It also describes the system as providing about 50 server-equivalents worth of compute at a fraction of the usual cost.
For a university, that could be a major advantage. Cloud computing costs can rise quickly, especially when many students submit assignments at the same time. If a reused phone cluster can handle some of that load, schools may save money while reducing demand for newly manufactured servers.
This also gives researchers a chance to test phone-based computing at scale. A small lab demo can look promising. A 2,000-board deployment will show much more about reliability, maintenance and day-to-day performance.
Phone cluster computing still has big limits
Phone cluster computing sounds promising, but it still has a lot to prove. Your smartphone was made for daily use in your hand, not nonstop work inside a data center. Data center servers are built to run for years with steady cooling, fast repairs and constant monitoring. Phone motherboards come from devices made for pockets, backpacks and kitchen counters. That alone raises some big questions.
The boards could fail faster than expected. Cooling may also become a challenge once thousands of tiny processors run side by side. Then there is the labor problem, because someone has to safely remove batteries, screens and other parts before the boards can be reused. Cost will be the deciding factor. If teardown, maintenance and replacement work get too expensive, this idea may stay in the research lab.
Phone clusters also will not replace the massive GPU systems that power advanced AI training. They make more sense for smaller cloud jobs, classroom tools and research tasks that fit within smartphone hardware limits. That still leaves plenty of useful work. After all, not every cloud task needs the newest chip.
Why old smartphones could help cut e-waste
The world’s e-waste problem is growing fast. The Global E-waste Monitor projects that electronic waste could climb to 82 million tonnes by 2030, while formal collection and recycling rates are expected to fall to 20%. Old phones are a big part of that problem because many never make it to a proper recycling program. They sit in drawers, land in closets or get tossed out with valuable parts still inside. Even when a phone no longer feels useful to you, its processor, memory and storage may still have work left to do.
CyberGuy has covered related second-life ideas before, including old smartphones being turned into tiny data centers and repurposed EV batteries helping power AI data centers. The common theme is hard to ignore. Some of the hardware already in circulation may still have useful work left to do.
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Google says reusing smartphone motherboards could cut hardware waste and reduce the carbon cost of building new data center servers. (Yawar Nazir/Getty Images)
How to safely recycle or reuse your old phone
This research does not mean you should toss your old phone into a random donation bin tomorrow. Before you recycle, donate, trade in or sell an old phone, you need to protect your data. Back up anything you want to keep. Then sign out of your accounts and securely wipe the device.
CyberGuy has a helpful guide on how to securely get rid of your old cell phone. Privacy comes first whenever you part with a device.
You can also consider trade-in programs, certified refurbishers or reputable electronics recycling programs. If the phone still works, buying refurbished can also keep devices in use longer. CyberGuy has covered what to know before buying refurbished electronics, which is helpful if you want to save money without taking a gamble. The key is to avoid letting old devices sit forgotten forever. A phone in a drawer helps no one.
What this means to you
That old phone in your drawer may not be as useless as it looks. Even if the battery is tired or the camera feels outdated, the processor inside may still have real value.
Now, you probably will not be mailing your old phone to a Google data center anytime soon. Still, this project points to a bigger shift in how we think about retired tech. Instead of sending every old device straight to recycling or letting it collect dust, companies, schools and researchers may find smarter ways to reuse the parts that still work.
There is also a money lesson here. If your current phone still runs well, you may not need to rush into an upgrade just because a newer model comes out. A battery replacement, trade-in or refurbished option could save you money while keeping perfectly good hardware in use longer. To me, that is the real takeaway. The phone you forgot about could possibly still have a job to do.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Google and UC San Diego are testing how to turn retired Pixel phone motherboards into a low-carbon cloud computing platform. The project could give old smartphones a second life while reducing the need for newly manufactured servers. That is important as AI data centers keep demanding more computing power and more electricity. The first major test is expected in fall 2026 with a 2,000-phone data center at UC San Diego. If it works, the cluster could support students and researchers at a lower cost than traditional cloud infrastructure. However, this idea still has to prove it can handle the grind of daily use. Reliability, cooling, teardown labor and maintenance will determine whether phone cluster computing can grow beyond just research. To me, the most relatable part is sitting in your junk drawer. That old phone may seem useless, but its processor could still be powerful enough to help run cloud jobs. Maybe the future of computing starts with hardware we already forgot we owned.
Would you feel good knowing your old phone could help power cloud computing? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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