If you’re like most Americans, you probably have old cell phones, tablets and other devices around the house. Now a new startup is offering new tools to make your old equipment useful again.

The company, called Perch, was developed via a Samsung program intended to help incubate new startups, according to CNET. This week, the company released a beta version of its software that can turn old smartphones, tablets, web cams and other devices into cameras used for home monitoring.

Other companies have introduced similar tools for older equipment, but not with the features offered by Perch. For example, by tapping on a video image in their platform users could turn home lighting off or on. The Perch system also works like a video chat, giving it far less lag time than other video monitoring services. The company is also working on sensing technology so the system can detect the difference between an animal and a person, in order to minimize false alarms.

A premium service in the works would allow recording of the video monitoring, and the ability to program video recording settings.

The free beta is available at GetPerch.com. Users can view monitored video through mobile devices, but for now other functions require the use of Chrome browsers on a Mac or PC.

With drone flights becoming more common, privacy and safety concerns are becoming more troubling. Now a collaboration by three British companies has an answer for anyone who is bothered by the buzzing of drones overhead.

Development of the device, distributed in North American by Liteye Systems, also relied on support from the French, U.K. and U.S. governments, according to the CBC. The shoulder-mounted “rifle” uses a strong directional antenna to aim radio waves at unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), disabling them and keeping them away from your area.

Once hit by the radio waves, the drone will freeze, and when its power fails it will drop to the ground. The technology can be likened to a “digital fence” that can be used by airports or government to keep drones out of sensitive areas. The developers of the ray expect that UAV pilots will not be able to trace who disabled their drone.

There is a concern that more sophisticated drone users will come up with ways to evade the radio wave fences. One possibility is that by programming drones to maintain strict routes, they can avoid areas where radio attacks are known to occur. Thus, basic consumer-use drones may be more susceptible to the radio waves than professional drones.

Airline Wi-Fi is notoriously slow, inconsistent and expensive. But JetBlue is luring passengers with Wi-Fi that they say solves all three problems.

This week, the airline is rolling out a new free Wi-Fi service on many of its planes, according to PC World. JetBlue’s “Fly-Fi” service was developed in collaboration with Internet provider ViaSat, and will also rely on a partnership with Amazon to offer Prime subscribers music and free video streaming.

Passengers who are not subscribers will be able to rent or buy Amazon content. Unlike other airlines, that store a limited amount of content and let passengers stream it, the JetBlue Wi-Fi will allow access to the full Amazon catalogue of movies, songs, and other offerings.

JetBlue says the Wi-Fi will offer between 12 and 20 Mbps, and passengers will be able to use it on multiple devices as well as on the airline’s seatback entertainment. Passengers may be charged a fee for some activities that pull more bandwith.

Other airlines are also investing in improved Wi-Fi service. Virgin America is also working with ViaSat and has started offering faster service on some flights.

JetBlue plans to offer the service on all of its planes by the end of 2016.

If your car’s GPS goes down, would you be able to make it to your destination using a compass? With the potential for digital insecurities, the Navy wants to make sure that, if necessary, its sailors can bring home their ships with a sextant.

With the advent of radio and GPS technologies, the Navy ended training in navigation by the stars twenty years ago, according to the Washington Post. But with increasing fears of technology shutdowns and potential cyber attacks, the Navy is now bringing the old technology back.

Ship navigation officers began taking the revamped 3-hour start navigation training course in 2011, and Annapolis now intends to make the training mandatory for all enlisted personnel.

In a recent speech, former Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig noted that human backup systems should be used in any critical system, such as ship command and control or nuclear systems. He also noted that, if computer systems are taken down, a human backup provides a critical second barrier to attacks.

The Navy is not the first agency to bring back obsolete technology in response to potential cybersecurity issues. In Russia, security forces started using typewriters to evade potential U.S. cyber-spying, and Germany has reportedly considered a similar regression to older technologies.

With millions of Android devices in use, it was only a matter of time before the systems became malware targets. But new research shows just how rich a target the system has become.

The study from the University of Cambridge has shocking findings for Android users, according to CBS News. The research found that most developers do not include adequate security features, leaving a whopping 87 percent of Android devices at risk from malware.

The study followed phones used by 20,000 consumers who installed the Device Analyzer app from the Google Play store. The researchers traced the app and pulled data from the phones over the past four years as it ran in the background.

The data included information on whether the phones had the most updated software, whether developers had fixed vulnerabilities, and the proportion of the device that had no security risks.

Two recent revelations have raised concerns about Android device security risks. This summer, one security firm found that the “Stagefright bug” could attack devices from Android’s media playbook tool, letting hackers send a malicious text message to users. Another issue was raised when it was announced that a flaw in some Android phones could allow hackers to take control of the phones remotely.

Some devices fared better than others. Android products from the Google Nexus brand, Motorola and LG were less likely to fall prey to malicious apps than most other Android devices.

If you’ve ever missed a package delivery because you weren’t home when the UPS driver arrived, a California startup may have a solution: smart locks.

The lock maker August earlier this week announced its new products intended to give homeowners and businesses remote access to their homes or offices, according to Fortune. With the new tools, users can permit anyone to enter their homes, view people who request entry, and even record video of anyone who enters the home.

The company’s internet-connected smart door locks work together with its video doorbell, which both can integrate with a NestCam for recording. The smart locks allow anyone with a cell phone to request and gain access to the home. Access can be one-time, with the lock resetting to a new combination for each entry.

The video doorbell lets you see who is at the door, and allows you to communicate and grant entry through your smartphones. A NestCam works with the company’s Nest integration to record anyone entering, insuring that once visitors enter they only access the areas needed.

In addition to homeowners, the products may be useful for businesses, to replace key cards that are easily lost, and for landlords who manage rental properties. In addition to smartphone access, the company is offering a keypad that can be useful for young kids who don’t have phones. The products are available for pre-order and will be shipped later this year.