Technology doesn’t need to die. So much of our consumer habits frame old gadgets, instruments, and concepts as disposable. So The Verge wanted to talk to small businesses, creators, and fans across the world who have a different view.
The modifiers
How creatives and small businesses are building second lives for their favorite tech.
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
In this week-long series, we explore unexpected repurposing — and the remix of the old with the new. In New Delhi, technicians are saving e-waste by giving it new life in refurbished laptops. On an island in Bermuda, conservationists are hacking GoPro cameras. On the internet, dedicated forums are keeping a 22-year-old video game alive with new mods, and TikTokers are spicing up literary genres. From Kyrgyzstan to Kansas, these are the modifiers who don’t let go, but look forward.
India’s repair culture gives new life to dead tech.
Artists are combining traditional methods with AI image generation.
The community continues to evolve the game.
These scientists have taken extreme measures to get away from noise.
At Tumar, women in Kyrgyzstan are bringing together ancient nomadic felting techniques, Soviet machinery, and modern tech to build a new kind of business.
The social network offers a more ‘personable’ experience than large online thrift stores.
Touring musicians are embracing modelers as a cost-effective way to maximize their sounds.
The Bermuda petrel was thought to be extinct for over 300 years. DIY conservation tech is helping to bring it back from the brink.
India’s repair culture gives new life to dead tech.
Artists are combining traditional methods with AI image generation.
The community continues to evolve the game.
These scientists have taken extreme measures to get away from noise.
At Tumar, women in Kyrgyzstan are bringing together ancient nomadic felting techniques, Soviet machinery, and modern tech to build a new kind of business.
The social network offers a more ‘personable’ experience than large online thrift stores.
Touring musicians are embracing modelers as a cost-effective way to maximize their sounds.
The Bermuda petrel was thought to be extinct for over 300 years. DIY conservation tech is helping to bring it back from the brink.