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Repurposing old tech is always a better idea than throwing it out. Some devices you can get more out of by giving them a new function instead of tossing them out. For instance, repurposing tech for a home lab is a good example. Whatever device, unless it is completely dead and unable to power on, it can serve a different tech function in your home.
I have recently taken to old-tech devices that have been sitting around and collecting dust to see what I can do with them. For instance, I replaced a Roku with an old Android phone. My next mission was to see what I could do with old Fire TV sticks. Sure, they are inexpensive, and just tossing the old one and grabbing a new one seems simple enough. However, there are ways to revitalize those old sticks. I mean, I am going way back to 2017 with my diamond-shaped Fire TV dongle to give it new life instead of throwing it away.
Turn your Fire TV Stick into a gaming machine
Retro games and all
Since my Fire TV Stick is so old, I considered turning it into a gaming machine. I started by factory resetting my old Fire TV Stick and deleting all the junk that was on it. Then I visited the app store and downloaded all the cool games available there. I was fine, and those games are fun to play with the remote or connected Bluetooth gaming controller, but you might want to get your retro gaming fix. It takes a bit more work, but you can install RetroArch from the App Store or side-load Antstream.
Once you have either set up, grab a USB OTG cable/adapter and transfer the retro game folders to the SNES or GBA game ROMs (for games you already own, of course). Load the content and connect a Bluetooth controller for the best gaming experience. There are a few other steps I didn't cover, and I admit I had to hit some RetroArch support forums for bugs, but overall it is fun to have the retro and gaming system on the old dog that could have easily been tossed.
Create a traveling TV streaming stick
Enjoy streaming media on the go
When traveling for work, you might be stuck with what little the motel offers for entertainment. While many hotels have improved their rooms to include modern TVs, not all have. That is especially true for the budget motels you have to stay at when the boss pinches pennies. Still, most have at least one free HDMI port. If the motel has shoddy Wi-Fi, use your phone as a hotspot to connect to.
So, instead of being stuck at the mercy of clicking through random cable channels, you can plug your stick into the TV and have all of your favorite streaming services at your fingertips. Load it up before a trip with all the streaming apps you can think of. While it might still seem slow compared to your home setup, you'll be glad to have your favorite shows to watch between meetings and conference sessions. Plus, by using the other options on this list, I'll have music, podcasts, and games to bring along during a trip.
Make it your personal music and audio center
There's more than just Spotify
Something else you can do is turn the streaming stick into your personal music, radio, and podcast station using apps other than Spotify. While browsing the app store, I discovered hundreds of radio and music channels. There are apps for radio stations, guitar tuners, white noise, podcasts, and more. This increases the amount of entertainment I can consume on my dedicated old Stick.
Using the option gives you a lot more choices in the audio you want to hear than major services like Spotify or Amazon Music. Since I'm based in the U.S., I find listening to stations from abroad particularly interesting — especially the BBC, NTD, and Al Jazeera. It's an eye-opener to hear news and sports coverage from a foreign perspective. I also learned that there are more podcasts available to consume than are on Spotify. I'm also able to use other audiobook apps. Most are smaller podcasts or those removed from major platforms.
Create a Jellyfin or VLC receiver
Media your way
It's also worth noting that I am setting up the Jellyfin server to stream content from my PC. Once the server is set up, it's just a matter of installing the Jellyfin or VLC app client. It's worth noting that I am including both VLC and Jellyfin here since Jellyfin is finicky on my 2017 Fire TV dongle.
I will just use VLC for now, since I can get it to work. Still, I would rather have the improved library experience of Jellyfin; however, I don't currently have a proper NAS — but I'm confident that with more tinkering I can get Jellyfin working. Also, if a Fire TV Stick is too old, you may need to sideload Jellyfin.
There are many options to repurpose your old Fire TV Stick
The beauty of using the options above is that you can do one or all four, plus the streaming stick is portable, so you can have retro games, streaming content, music, and podcasts all on a single stick ready for you to take on the go or just leave plugged into a secondary TV.
Or leave it connected to an extra HDMI port on your main TV. It's also nice to have a dedicated secondary device I can use for things I typically don't have on my shiny new Fire TV Stick on my main system. Or, I can plug it into another TV.
