Ask Slashdot: How To Safely Use Older Android Phones?

Posted by timothy on Sunday August 9, 2015 @07:38AM from the nest-of-vipers-jump-right-in dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Like many people reading this site, I have several older phones around as well as my newest, fanciest one; I have a minimal service plan on one of these (my next-to-most-recent), and no service plan (only WI-Fi, as available) on the others. Most of them have some reason or other that I like them, so even without service I've kept them around to act as micro-tablets. Some have a better in-built camera than my current phone, despite being older; some are nice on occasion for being small and pocketable; I like to use one as a GPS in the car without dedicating my phone to that purpose; I can let my young relatives use an older one as a camera, etc. Besides, some people have only one phone at all, and can't reasonably afford a new one -- and that probably means a phone that's not cutting edge. So: in light of the several recent Android vulnerabilities that have come to light, and no reason to think they're the last of these, what's a smart way to use older Android phones? Is CyanoGen Mod any less vulnerable? Should I be worried that old personally identifying information from online transactions is still hanging around somewhere in the phone's recesses? I don't want to toss still-useful hardware, but I know I won't be getting any OS upgrades to 3-year-old phones. How do you use older phones that are not going to get OTA updates to address every security issue?

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Jesus Christ... by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-09 07:42 · Score: -1, Troll

First world problems!
How to safely use older underwear?
Most of them have some reason or other that I like them. This pair cups my tiny balls but has rips in the bottom. This one my boyfriend can rip off savagely before he takes me like a little bitch. This one smells like that night in Bangkok and I haven't washed them since.
Fuck me!
1. Re: Jesus Christ... by O('_')O_Bush · 2015-08-09 07:59 · Score: 0, Troll
  
  Yea, the recipients being the government dock or airport workers, who will then sell said items to help fund their queen's $100k Manhattan shopping spree the next time they are in NYC to beg for foreign aid.
  
  --
  while(1) attack(People.Sandy);
Put it in the trash... by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-09 07:57 · Score: -1, Troll

Put it in the trash where it belongs and buy an iPhone.