While modular phones like Google’s Project Ara or the Puzzlephone is an awesome idea that lets you upgrade your phone module by module, would it create more waste because upgrading a phone parts would be so easy? Puzzlephone recently introduced the Puzzlecluster, a scalable supercomputer that puts together old Puzzlephone modules to form a supercomputer.
The idea of Puzzlephone is to reduce wastage and to increase the lifespan of a mobile phone. It consists of three parts – the Spine (LCD, speakers and basic structure), the Heart (battery and secondary electronics), and the Brain (processor and camera modules). Should a user need to upgrade the Brain of their Puzzlephone, they will be able to slot the old part into Puzzlecluster to form a supercomputer.
With multiple out-dated smartphone CPUs combined, Puzzlephone believes that it will be able to form a computer that can not only meet the needs of home and SME users, but also be powerful enough to be used in public institutions and datacentres.
For the start, Puzzlecluster will include a power supply, internal connectivity for the Puzzlephone Brain modules and supporting peripherals and external connectivity. It will also provide slots for Puzzlephone’s Battery modules, which will be used for built-in UPS functionalities. Unfortunately, Puzzlecluster is only a concept for now, but if everything pulls through, it’s definitely a great idea that increases the lifespan of your phone, as well as your computer.
“When developing the PUZZLEPHONE, we always think about the whole cycle, from sourcing components to manufacturing, the device use itself and what to do when the time to upgrade comes. The PUZZLEPHONE Brain is a fully functional low power computer ready to be integrated in the PUZZLECLUSTER. It makes no sense to discard a perfectly working computer just because you have upgraded your smartphone. The PUZZLECLUSTER will extend the usable life of the PUZZLEPHONE Brain modules way beyond any other smartphone processor” — Alejandro Santacreu, Circular Devices CEO.
(Source: Puzzlephone via: The Verge)
