The Restart Project Podcast

This month, Dave talks to John Wackman and Elizabeth Knight who are prolific in the New York repair community. After years of involvement in repair cafes, they decided to share what they learned by writing a book. Repair Revolution: How Fixers Are Transforming Our Throwaway Culture, is a lesson in how to start a repair cafe and how to fix. Knight and Wackman also note that integral to the book is its collection of personal stories from repairers all over the continent. These are stories of community that Restarters will recognise well.  The repair revolution across the pond Knight tells us of how she first became involved in the repair movement. It’s a story of noticing the failures in the system around you – even in your local area – and feeling the need to fix it in whatever way you are able. This ethos is carried throughout our conversation with Knight and Wackman, and throughout the book itself.  In comparison to the items that we fix at Restart Parties, much of the fixing chronicled in Repair Revolution is of a different ilk. Household electronics like lamps are one of the most common fixes that they have seen coming to repair cafes. But there is also a focus on activities like visible mending of clothes, patching up of stuffed animals, and woodworking. It is a refreshing reminder that the repair movement looks different in every iteration across the globe.  Community is at the core Knight and Wackman emphasise that community is perhaps simultaneously the biggest facilitator and result of the repair cafe movement. Repairers come together to share their skills, not only out of care for the planet, but also care for others.  “[Repair] is more than just an opportunity to fix broken things. It’s also an opportunity to fix broken systems and relationships…It creates opportunities to nurture neighbourly networks and it calls on the invaluable wealth of community knowledge.” Repair Revolution contains many stories of how community repair has affected individuals in a deep and personal way. Knight and Wackman share a few of these stories with us. Some stories are moving, others are funny, but they all emphasise the human element of repair and how it connects us.  An intergenerational approach Part of Knight and Wackman’s vision for the future of repair is transferring skills to younger generations. Repair is an essential skill that is being lost. They would like to see it re-introduced into traditional education and, until then, they are “providing teachers” to preserve these skills. While the Right to Repair movement is working to make repair more accessible on a large scale, Knight and Wackman recognise that for the time being community efforts are crucial to create repair opportunities.  Links:  Repair Revolution: How Fixers Are Transforming Our Throwaway Culture * Follow Repair Revolution on Instagram * Repair Cafe Hudson Valley [Photo courtesy of Lauren Thomas]

Talking about the issue of smartphone repairability is one that has been unavoidable over the years. This month we decided to finally look at this problem in depth. Ugo and Janet are joined by Rico Cerva, one of the most skilled and well-known iPhone repairers we know. He tells us about how iPhone repair keeps getting more complicated and how the barriers against fixing them have changed for the worse. First, we take a look at some big electronics news in the UK. Regulator Ofcom announced that from December 2021 telecommunications companies will not be able to sell locked handsets in Britain. Next, the BBC reported that both the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party agreed that a repairability rating scheme should be introduced to products in the UK. This comes after France decided to introduce a similar scheme that will begin in 2021. Finally, we share some good news about the Right to Repair proposition that was on the ballot in Massachusetts. Despite a large-scale effort to scaremonger by the automotive industry, the law passed with 75% of the vote last Tuesday.  The seriousness of smartphone serialisation With the recent release of the iPhone 12, so came the new issues in repairing this device. YouTuber and advocate for Right to Repair Hugh Jeffreys discovered an issue that meant the camera on the newest Apple phone could not be replaced by third parties if broken. This problem, Cerva says, is down to serialisation. He says “You need the Apple machine to pair the new display to the phone. Even if you take two original screens and you swap them over, if they’re not the correct serial number, you’re going to have some weird glitches or issues.” Apple has introduced serialisation by pairing component parts to phones. The result is that independent repairers are not able to repair devices with spare parts – even genuine parts that have been removed from the same Apple product. This way, only repairers who are part of Apple’s Independent Repair Provider programme will be able to repair devices. This applies to even common fixes like screen and camera replacements. As such, repair will get more expensive and independent repairers will not be able to work.  Cerva points out that even though he has found physical workarounds for most of Apple’s pre-iPhone 12 repair barriers, the trend is towards total lockdown of these devices. These workarounds have to be performed on such a microscopic scale and with such delicate skill that most independent highstreet repair shops – and definitely at home repairers – are being pushed out of the picture. How is this affecting independent repairers? This problem is also not unique to Apple. YouTuber Riki Kim revealed that Samsung has also started to introduce serialisation to its devices via the fingerprint sensor and a recent software update. Together, Samsung and Apple devices represent two-thirds of the European market share, so these developments have huge consequences. Even Cerva, who can complete these complicated workarounds, wonders how sustainable it will be to run an independent repair business in the coming months and years. Repairers like Cerva work to provide a fair price and the best quality for their customers. But this means soon they may not be able to compete with the industry’s continuous barriers against their work.  What can be done? Cerva believes consumer awareness can help combat this worrying trend.  We point out that much policy work surrounding the Right to Repair focuses on hardware and the availability of spare parts. On software locks and serialisation, policy must catch up. Furthermore, if this trend continues, there is a worry that the issue of serialisation could spread to other electronic devices too.  What brings some light to the conversation is Cerva’s belief in the repair network and the independent repair community.

In October, the European Right to Repair campaign launched “Heroes of Repair”. The video series aims to highlight the human face of repair by profiling individuals working to strengthen the repair movement. Restart’s very own Chloé Mikolajczak talked to us about why this campaign is necessary and how Right to Repair has developed over the last year. We also get to hear from some repair heroes first hand about how and why they are involved in repair. Throughout the podcast Paul O’Donell, Sepp Eisenriegler, Janine Korduan and Cerys Jones tell us how they got involved in repair, what inspires them in their work, and why the Right to Repair matters to them.  Anyone can be a Hero of Repair In London and across the UK, we have an incredibly strong and involved Restart community. It was heartening to hear from Mikolajczak, and the heroes themselves, that this is mirrored across Europe. The aim of the campaign is to highlight those working to support repair initiatives and elevate Right to Repair. Furthermore, she hopes that the campaign empowers other repairers to upload their own videos. On International Repair Day, YouTuber Jessa Jones from iPad Rehab shared her own video. “The idea wasn’t to say someone is a hero for doing something absolutely incredible. The people we are putting forward are normal people like you and I who are contributing significantly to their community through repair. It’s not just a small group of people that can be heroes – everyone can be a repair hero.” Learning from each other We talk to Mikolajczak about why it is so important to run Heroes of Repair as a European campaign. She tells us about how the repair movement varies between countries. Many countries are in different stages of development regarding government policy on repair. Awareness and support of the movement differs too. By raising awareness of the initiatives happening in each country, Mikolajczak hopes that we can learn from each other and strengthen the movement.  Highlighting the human face of repair Mikolajczak explains that the regulations that they are fighting for will affect the lives of citizens in ways they may not realise. The key aims of Right to Repair are: to ensure that products are designed and built to be repairable, that repair is affordable and accessible, and that consumers are informed on what they are buying. All of these measures will directly impact citizens, save them money, and help protect the environment in the process. Mikolajczak also talks about the barriers she faces working on this campaign. This includes the need to push back against corporations and lobbyists who are constantly working to avoid regulation. Next year can be better for Right to Repair Finally, we hear some of the highlights and successes of the European Right to Repair campaign this year. These include the European Commission’s new Circular Economy Action Plan and movement towards regulating smartphones. All in all, the hope is that more organisations will lend their support and the movement will continue to grow.  Whether you are an individual, a business or an organisation, you can get involved with the Right to Repair campaign. Links: Right to Repair Europe Heroes of Repair campaign Paul O’Donell’s full video and An Mheitheal Rothar Sepp Eisenriegler’s full video and R.U.S.Z Janine Korduan’s full video and She*fix Tutorials

To celebrate Ada Lovelace Day, we’re republishing this 2018 interview with Suw Charman-Anderson, founder of the Ada Lovelace Day (ALD), which annually supports and increases the visibility of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers. First, we discuss how ALD started and how it came to be such a huge initiative, with international events happening each year. We then ask Suw why she chose Ada Lovelace as a symbol for this project. She tells us the story of Ada, a 19th-century mathematician who worked with polymath Charles Babbage on the design of the ‘Analytical Engine’, a vision of the first mechanical computer. Ada has been considered the first ever computer programmer, with a computing language now named after her. Then, we talk about the importance of role models for girls and women to go into science. Girls and women are still underrepresented in STEM, especially in fields such as physics or computing. Also, the historical contributions of women to science and tech have commonly been overlooked. At Restart, we are interested in engaging people with technology from early on – we chat with Suw about the need to engage girls from a very young age to actually change the gender disparity in STEM. Not only to motivate girls to go into these fields of education, but also to actually continue their careers after their training. Suw walks us through her own career in science, having graduated from Geology and struggling to find her professional path. She went into publishing and journalism, and reminds people that it is fine to have a less conventional career path. Before ALD, Suw co-founded the Open Rights Group in the UK, which campaigns for digital rights. We relate their early work on intellectual property law to the US Right to Repair initiative, discussing whether we actually own our devices when our access to repair is denied. And of course, whether Lovelace would’ve been a repairer and user of free and open-source software. If you’d like to get involved you can join us at a (future) Rosie skillshare, for/by women and non-binary people. Links: * Finding Ada: ALD * Finding Ada: Who was Ada? * Adacore: The Ada programming language * iPad Rehab * She*fix Tutorials * Repair Revolution * London Bike Kitchen * Open Rights Group * Right to Repair Campaigns: US and Europe (which didn’t exist when we did the original recording) [Featured image by Flickr user Susanna Dahlgren]

To kick off the autumn season of the podcast, we talked to French entrepreneur and founder of e Foundation, Gaël Duval. Duval has spent years developing alternative operating systems in an effort to improve user experience and efficiency. Now, with his non-profit organisation e Foundation, he is prioritising user data privacy with /e/, an operating system for smartphones. We find out why a change in our approach to data protection is such a necessity. From Mandrake to /e/ So we begin with the critical question: why did Duval become interested in user privacy and data protection? He tells us of how his previous work such as Mandrake Linux, was guided by usability and efficiency. Over time though, Duval noticed a shocking decrease in user privacy and a lack of government regulation in this area. So, he created the /e/ operating system to “give users a way to escape the mass surveillance of personal data.”  ‘De-Googling’ and data privacy At present, /e/ is the main product of e Foundation. It offers an alternative to iOS and Android that prioritises user data protection while ensuring ease of use. When informed about the dangers of data tracking, many smartphone users are concerned with these issues. So why is next to nothing being done to stop it? Duval explains why many users do not seem to be bothered in an actionable way to protect their privacy. He says that often it comes down to a – possibly unfounded – trust in well-known brands, and a misunderstanding of how our data could potentially be used.  “I really support the idea that by default our personal data should belong to us and not to others. If you want to give your personal data, you can do it, but do it explicitly. Do it on purpose but [don’t] let all your personal data be cached for some reason that we don’t always know.” Integral to /e/ is the concept of ‘de-googling’ a device, and on a larger scale, the systems that we use. Duval explains the many inconspicuous and insidious ways that the biggest technology companies are collecting our data – with Apple and Google forming a duopoly that holds the most control. Piece by piece, e Foundation has removed the integration of Google services from their operating system in order to eliminate any unnecessary data tracking performed by Android. Not only does he question the data practices that these companies use but also the market control they have. He thinks that there needs to be a shift in power to make OSes and app creation more open.  The ecosystem of an OS Duval explains the process it takes to create the complex ‘ecosystem’ of an OS and how they use open source software to develop an OS that can work for all. Every part of /e/, from cloud services to the way that users sign in, has been built with privacy in mind. What sets it apart from other alternative OSes is their effort to ensure compatibility with users’ existing digital habits. For some, it is impossible not to use major apps like Instagram and WhatsApp. While these might have questionable approaches to data gathering, Duval stresses the need for users to have the option to access them for /e/ to compete with mainstream OSes. Finally, we touch on a topic that we are all too familiar with – software obsolescence. Most smartphone manufacturers refuse to commit to long-term software and security updates. Duval reassures us that built into the ethos of /e/ is a commitment to combat software obsolescence by producing patches and long-term updates that secure the OS. While there are of course limits to this, it is clear that the approach e Foundation is taking is much more sustainable than that of the major OS creators. Links: * e Foundation * Fairphone announces partnership with /e/ OS 

On our first radio show back for the new season, Ugo is joined by James Diamond from Hackney Fixers. They talk about the laptop repair and reuse project that Hackney Fixers are undertaking to benefit the community. Over the last few months, it has become even clearer that we need to support those without the necessary access to electronics and the internet. Many community repair projects have taken it upon themselves to do something about it. We hear how.  False alarm over right to repair Before our interview, we take a look at some recent news stories involving the movement and our electronics ecosystem. In Massachusetts, The Alliance for Automotive Innovation has funded an advert against the right to repair for independent vehicle repair. Their claim is that a new proposition, aimed at expanding right to repair for independent mechanics, would make data collected by cars vulnerable to interference from stalkers and predators. This sends a very emotive warning to supposed potential victims. Ugo and James agree this is a scaremongering technique. Instead, they question the motives of those disrupting progress on the right to repair and the interests that back them.  How sustainable are our supply chains? We then look at the European Commission’s recently announced plans to create domestic supply chains for lithium and other raw materials. 93% of the magnesium currently used in EU products is sourced from China and this is not an anomaly in the way that our current – particularly electronics – supply chains operate. Ugo and James discuss what the solutions to these concerns could be. While the EU are planning to open more mines in Europe, they stress that the focus should be shifted towards sustainability and reuse in order to conserve these materials.  Staying connected James tells us how the pandemic has impacted Hackney Fixers, preventing them from running their Restart Party events, quintessential to their identity. These difficulties are something that we are sure all community repair groups have felt throughout the last few months. Recently though, Hackney Fixers have been spending time using their skills to refurbish laptops to donate to those in need. James tells us about how they started their collaboration with Mer-It, an Islington-based community project, and the effect that it has had on those who they have helped so far.  Repair and reuse to enhance inclusion During the pandemic, many of us have been pushed online – even more so than we already were. While this may not have been so problematic for some, for those who do not have their own computer or internet connection this has been a major barrier to their lives. Across all generations, the closure of communal spaces, schools, and workplaces has exposed the inequalities in access to what could be considered an essential resource. This is why the work that community repairers are doing to increase access is so vital. James emphasises that this need will continue even now that school is back in session.  We also take a chance to express again how important it is to combat barriers to repair. During this time it is ever more important that people are able to repair, and that manufacturers reduce software and hardware barriers. This will help us stay connected and access the resources we need. To round out our discussion, James tells us about some unexpected repairs and his renewed belief that further life and utility can be found in even the least promising looking devices.  Hackney Fixers are not currently looking for new donations, however they may start accepting them in later months. In the meantime, check out our database of UK projects to find out where you can donate your old devices! Links:  Our database of laptop donation projects in the UK

As a very unusual school year came to a close, we talked to Jude Daniel Smith, a youth activist and Campaign Coordinator for Teach the Future. Despite only joining the organisation in February, Jude has already been part of big progress made since. We talk about how he started in the climate movement and why the need for climate education is so urgent.  In recent years, the climate movement has seen more young people come to the forefront. Most high profile perhaps, being in the international School Strike for Climate movement – those like Greta Thunberg, Alexandria Villasenor, and Leah Namugerwa. In the UK however, a new and pointed movement is growing rapidly. Run jointly by UKSCN (UK Student Climate Network) and SOS-UK (Students Organising for Sustainability UK), Teach the Future aims to reshape the school curriculum to reflect the urgency of the climate crisis and equip younger generations for its inevitable impact on their future. Jude believes that this urgency is what is mobilising younger activists so strongly in this area.  The steps to climate education Teach the Future are very clear in their path to change. Jude explains the 3 key asks of the movement and why they are so vital to progress. First, they are calling for a government review. This will examine how the current education system is equipping students with the knowledge to manage the coming ecological crisis.  Second, Jude points out that only 75% of teachers have said that feel equipped to teach their students on the climate crisis. He does note that his Geography teacher went above and beyond to teach them on the topic. But this is an outlying case. It is not enough for teachers to care about the climate crisis if they are not empowered to teach it. So, it is down to those in government and on school boards to support educators in this vital way.  “Our biggest inspiration was in reality more of a let-down, like we’d been let down by our education system…We were sort of doing it through frustration rather than from inspiration.” The third ask, an English Climate Emergency Education Act. Teach the Future members have already drafted this bill and they say that it would be the first piece of education regulation to be written by students.  Integrating climate change across the curriculum What Jude emphasises about climate education is that it must not be optional or a side-note to a larger topic. Rather, the climate crisis is the bigger issue. He points out that in the current curriculum, most students will only be able to access more detailed learning on the climate through advanced Geography. Or sometimes optional modules in Design and Technology (a subject somewhat analogous to the US’ “shop class” of old). What Teach the Future are calling for is the integration of climate issues across the board, as Jude argues that these topics are applicable to all subjects in one way or another.  Access and agency Importantly, we also grapple with the fact that access to resources and information on sustainability is not equal in England. Growing up in Sheffield, Jude speaks from personal experience of seeing reactions to the climate movement from an area previously so based in the coal mining industry. Here we see how a lack of government support for these communities compounded with a lack of education on the climate crisis can sew disillusionment or simply apathy. Jude believes that universal climate education backed by the government is what is needed to “turn anxiety into agency.” Links: * Teach the Future *

On July’s episode, we hear from several members of the Restart Team with their reviews of books for our summer reading list. First, though, we discuss the current inquiry on electronic waste by the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee. In late June, Ugo was invited to give oral evidence at a hearing of the EAC. He shared how right to repair regulation can help prevent e-waste, and how manufacturers around the world have been systematically undermining campaigners’ efforts in this respect. EAC reflections Before we jump into our reading recommendations, Ugo and Holly discuss some key takeaways from the hearing of the EAC inquiry. We listen to quotations from Jim Puckett of Basel Action Network, Libby Peake of Green Alliance, and a short exchange between Ugo and Nadia Whittome MP. Discussing these, we discuss how the focus needs to be shifted from recycling to extending the lifecycle of electronics, especially as the disposal of electronics is harming the planet more often than we are aware. In addition, we emphasise again the need for the right to repair to prevent device obsolescence.  Our summer reading list Design Justice: Community-Led Practices to Build the Worlds We Need by Sasha Costanza-Chock First up for our reading list reviews, James tell us about Sasha Costanza-Chock’s book Design Justice: Community-Led Practices to Build the Worlds We Need. In the book, Costanza-Chock follows the design process from origin to output. The book examines how design traditions have developed, how they interact with the world around them, and their socio-historical effects. James highlights the importance of considering design as a political act and becoming aware that most devices and objects are not necessarily designed with everyone in mind. He highlights also that the fourth chapter of the book – ‘Design Sites: Hackerspaces, Fablabs, Hackathons, and DiscoTechs’ – may be of specific interest to our Restart community.  Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine by Hannah Fry Next up is Neil’s review of Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine by Hannah Fry. Fry’s book focuses on the increasing prevalence of decision-making algorithms in our daily lives and aims to inform us on how these may be influencing and shaping our society in unseen ways. While Neil stresses that this book is not anti-algorithm, he tells us of Fry’s integral examination of how bias is built into these systems, both knowingly and unknowingly – simultaneously mimicking and advancing dangerous societal power structures.  The Case for the Green New Deal by Ann Pettifor Ugo shares a glowing review of Ann Pettifor’s The Case for the Green New Deal, a book that he had been wanting to read for a while and he was not disappointed. Pettifor accentuates the fact that we desperately need true system change if we want to respond effectively to climate change. She calls for change to financial systems and the way that we are programmed in regards to consumption. This volume surely speaks to many of the issues discussed at the top of the show, and helps explain why activists should not underestimate the role of finance if we want to make a real impact. Lo-TEK, Design by Radical Indigenism by Julia Watson Finally, Janet shares her thoughts on Lo-TEK, Design by Radical Indigenism by Julia Watson. The book focuses on how we can learn from indigenous approaches to design in order to develop more sustainable infrastructure. Janet’s main criticism of the book is the lack of indigenous voices actually included in this discussion and the feeling that it operates more as an outsider’s view on how these concepts can be adapted. Still, Watson holds space for an important conversation about how TEK – or Traditional Ecological Knowledge, as coined by Eva Marie Garroute – can lead us to a positive change in ou...

We talk to author and journalist, Tansy Hoskins, whose latest book Foot Work: What Your Shoes are Doing to the World leads us to explore issues of labour rights, clothing sustainability, and the failings of global shareholder capitalism at large. We met Hoskins at Fixfest in Berlin last year. Her call for legislated reform has only become more timely, as our global system is reeling from the pandemic and its fallout.  A personal problem Throughout Foot Work, Hoskins takes us on a journey to reconnect with the processes and cost — not only in a financial sense — of shoe production. An integral barrier to change in this industry she says is the personal attachment that we have to our clothes. “It kind of skews our thinking about the fashion industry as well because it’s such a personal consumption item. Often people end up getting trapped in only thinking about it as a personal item rather than a political item or an object of global industry.” Hoskins also notes that the mystification of production and labour contributes to this detachment from the origins of our shoes. We discuss how this came to be through the exportation of labour and the strength of brand identity. Hidden by this are the hazardous — and sometimes deadly — working conditions of garment workers in the Global South. These issues then worsened by a lack of unionisation and enforced government regulation. We explore what changes to make as a society to be able to take proper responsibility as informed consumers.  How much do we really need? Moreover, we discuss how the idea of ‘need’ can lead to our acceptance of these environmental and human rights abuses. Shoes have been essential for humans for quite a while but this does not mean that 66 million pairs need to be produced every day, as was the case in 2018. (That’s equivalent to 23.5 billion pairs a year, over ten times the number of mobiles produced!) Many of the same sustainability issues that we found in our mobiles episode are echoed in the footwear industry. These include a lack of repairability; consumption of raw materials at an unsustainable rate; and an incredibly quick turnaround in buying new.  Global, radical change Recently, the media is searching for an environmental silver lining to our current pandemic-imposed lifestyles. Hoskins is adamant there is nothing positive for the fashion industry. In fact, many major brands are failing to pay workers for items that they have already produced. This wage is often the difference between barely getting by and hunger and circumstances are only worsened at present. However, it does appear that more people are beginning to see the wealth disparity that is prevalent in the Western world too. She asks if capitalism is currently working on a global scale — not only for garment workers but for consumers also — and for her, the overwhelming answer is no.  “This to me is going to involve global legislation with teeth…None of this lies with shopping differently. And definitely none of this lies with leaving this kind of change to brands to do by themselves.” Hoskins stresses the limits of only focussing on individual action. Only through legislation can larger issues like labour and environmental abuses be tackled properly. While it is important to be mindful on an individual level, we must also seek system-level change for changes to stick.  Links: * Foot Work: What Your Shoes Are Doing to the World * NYT: Why Won’t We Learn from the Survivors of the Rana Plaza Disaster? * Restart Podcast Ep. 50: Why we must win the right to repair our smartphones *

News of Henrik Huseby’s verdict hit us, at the Restart Project, hard at the beginning of June. As such, we discuss the ways that intellectual property law restricts repair and hurts repairers like Huseby. Our main topic is a more positive story as we share a speech from Josh Babarinde of Cracked It, who is making repair more accessible as a career for ex-offenders and at-risk youth. He also highlights the ever-pressing issue of a lack of diversity in the tech industry, and its dangerous, real-world consequences.  Huseby versus big tech Huseby is a repairer from Norway who makes his living by running a small repair business. In 2017, screens he says were refurbished in China were seized by Norwegian customs and he has since been fighting against a claim of ‘counterfeit’ from Apple. Last week the Supreme Court of Norway ruled in favour of Apple. Janet and Ugo discuss the verdict and its implications in terms of sustainability and the survival of independent repairers.  Finding a future in repair While disappointed that we cannot hold Fixfest UK in Glasgow as planned, we were excited to kick off the 2020 series with our first online event. For a little optimism, we look to someone who has been aiding young people in kickstarting their careers via repair. We invited Josh Babarinde, founder and CEO of Cracked It, as our keynote speaker and decided to share his speech on this episode as it has become relevant now more than ever.  Cracked It works with young ex-offenders in London to get them into work. Cracked It trains their young employees to fix iPhones to a professional standard and then linking them with clients. Ultimately, their goal is to equip at-risk youth with the skills and support that they need to leave or prevent a life of crime. He says Cracked It works with  individuals that before coming to us had many, many doors slammed in their faces. Who wouldn’t be touched with a barge pole because of their pasts… And what we’re able to do through repair which is a blind process — in the sense that it does not discriminate, it only discriminates against incompetence of repair, it doesn’t discriminate against what your past might be — we’ve been able to use it to empower, to up-skill young people, develop repair skills and employability skills more generally to assist them in their transition into employment. A dangerous lack of diversity Babarinde also brought to light the essential issue of inclusivity and diversity in the tech sector. At The Restart Project, the question of how we can ensure our repair community reflects the wider society has been key. The omission of black and ethnic minority life experiences in tech can have life-changing and life-threatening consequences. Linking the Black Lives Matter agenda to tech, Babarinde uses key examples to illustrate the inability of facial recognition technology to recognise darker skin tones – a result of the lack of diversity in the teams involved in development of this tech. The implications are frightening. Yet Babarinde challenges us to understand community electronics repair as a unique opportunity to create more opportunities in tech. Links: The Restart Podcast Ep. 48: Henrik versus Goliath Corporation * Huseby’s Crowdfunder Cracked It FixFest 2020 IFLScience: This Viral Video Of A Racist Soap Dispenser Reveals A Much, Much Bigger Problem [Photo courtesy of Positive News]

On May’s episode of the podcast, we talk to journalist Kris De Decker about how low-tech of the past can serve as inspiration to improve our future. We discuss historical ways of producing power and how they can help us better understand our energy usage. As well as this, how our current idea of sustainability and our economic model may be inherently incompatible. How much is too much? Learning from low-tech Firstly, we delve into De Decker’s philosophy and why he believes that we need to pay much more attention to low technology. He does not discount the difficulties that he has faced living low tech but holds strong that this is a process that we all may have to evolve through.  “I don’t want to go back to the 19th century…It’s more about what can you learn from the past, and putting new technologies to good use.” As a journalist, De Decker runs Low-Tech Magazine – its subheading reads “doubts on progress and technology”. He tells us about how he deals with the irony of writing about low-tech on the internet and the way that the website has been optimised to use as little energy as possible to run. Taking it one step further, we discuss his solar-powered website and how he believes the principles applied there could be adapted at large.  Powered by people De Decker may not envision a future of completely human-produced power. But he explains how his art project, Human Power Plant, can encourage people to recognise the true value of the energy they use. Through this very literal experiment of a self-regulating and energy-producing community, he hopes that we can learn to moderate energy consumption according to true need rather than accessibility.   “When you have to generate your own power, you’re gonna think twice about the amount of power you need…We don’t ask ourselves this question now because energy is so cheap and it seems like it’s infinite.” Finally, we discuss how digital devices are ingrained into our everyday lives. The conversation of how much is too much screen time is not a new one. However, we consider the way that many physical activities such as making music and drawing have been adapted digitally. How satisfying is this “progress”? What are we losing with it? And ultimately, where might we backtrack from this high tech progress so we can survive on Earth? How can we integrate the new with the tried-and-tested? Links: * Low-Tech Magazine * Solar Powered Website * Human Power Plant [Images courtesy of Kris De Decker and Diego Marmolejo]

On May’s show, we discuss limits placed on refurbishment and reuse by a notorious manufacturer through its T2 chip. We consider their responsibility if millions of devices go to waste prematurely. Janet and Ugo are joined by friend of the show John Bumstead, a Minneapolis-based laptop refurbisher and owner of RDKL, Inc. who has experienced many – if not all – of these limitations first hand in his work.  Repairing and saving lives At the top of the show, we return to the topic of ventilator repair during this pandemic. We highlight the relative silence around the work of biomedical engineers. Refreshingly, a recent op-ed by US biomed Leiticia Reynolds, co-authored with Kevin O’Reilly (US PIRG), tells the story of those facing the pandemic every day. And it calls out all of the barriers to repairing medical equipment imposed by manufacturers. The T2 chip: responsibility in reuse Next, we talk to computer refurbisher John Bumstead to hear about the growth in interest in his glitch art business since we first talked to him a couple of years ago. But our main interest is Apple’s T2 chip and laptop repair, is one that Bumstead is absolutely familiar with. We ask about his recent experience of going viral on Twitter and spreading his knowledge to skeptics and those in need. Bumstead has years of experience in refurbishing laptops at scale. But recent developments — the T2 chip and its relationship to “Activation Lock” — combined with complacency or lack of resources of companies, are forcing refurbishers to scrap machines that sold less than two years ago for $3000. Bumstead believes If the inevitable result of a design is that thousands or millions of devices get scrapped; then to me it’s self-evident that there’s a problem with that design. Then, we discuss the various arguments around this topic: who should take responsibility for enabling the reuse of devices; the supposed trade-offs between reusability and security; and the degradation of property rights for customers of secondhand products. (We did not discuss on the show, but noting here that Bumstead and others have figured out how to restore some of these machines. It’s not clear if this procedure is viable at scale. Video shared below.) At home improvement Finally, we take a look at a selection of Google Trends relating to “How to Fix” searches over the past couple of months. There are some surprising trends. Some are to be expected, like people fixing game consoles and bikes. But what becomes clear is that being in lockdown is incentivising us to repair at home to keep us both entertained and connected.  Links:  Market Watch: Repairing ventilators to save coronavirus patients shouldn’t be a business decision Bumstead’s viral Twitter thread * RDKL, Inc. The Verge: Apple confirms its T2 security chip blocks some third-party repairs of new Macs YouTube tutorial by Bumstead on how to wipe and restore a MacBook * Explore Google “How to Fix” Trends * One Zero Used Tech and Gadget Repair Businesses are Booming Right Now [Image courtesy of John Bumstead]

For our April episode, we talk to Shamil Joomun, the co-owner of London-based vintage audio restoration company and café, Armstrong Audio. Now located in Walthamstow, east London, Armstrong Audio has a long history and a unique approach to repair. We talk to Shamil about his father, Twaleb, and his start in the industry and his eventual ownership of the store, and the multiple ways that Shamil has updated their business to become more than your average repair shop.  Analog attachment and the business of repair Shamil tells us of the highs and lows of running such a focused vintage audio repair business. Business is booming, demand for audio repair holds strong, and the repair community continues to grow. It’s clear how rewarding the work that Armstrong does is, partly due to the nostalgia value of the equipment people bring. At the core of Shamil’s message is the need for repairers to understand their customers’ emotional connection to their belongings. Rather than viewing these objects as a technical challenge to be repaired, or looking at their skillset in a purely transactional way, Shamil calls on repair businesses to really understand the love that customers have for their things. And with this, to structure their business around this love. Armstrong Audio has had challenges recruiting engineers who are experienced enough in the field and also share their philosophy. They invite repairers that may just view it as a hobby, or budding fixers, to view upskilling inside of businesses like theirs as an opportunity to find viable career paths in the industry.  Looking local We couldn’t finish this episode without discussing the toll that the current pandemic and lockdown measures are having on independent businesses and the high street as a whole. In recent years Armstrong Audio have adapted their business in a variety of ways to involve the customer in the process of repair and creating a more welcoming atmosphere, and as such has become a local standout. While one might expect Shamil to have a negative outlook on having to close his store, for the time being, he actually highlights the possibility of a brighter future for the relationship between local communities and their businesses.   Links: * Armstrong Audio (the business today!) * Wikipedia on Armstrong Audio’s history * Photos of Armstrong Audio equipment and people at the UK Hifi Historical Society * Armstrong Factory Maps * Our Covid-19 London repair listing [Images courtesy of Armstrong Audio, Ken Hart, Jim Lesurf and the UK Hi-Fi History Society]

April’s show focuses on a topic that has become literally inescapable as of late, a constant fixture in our lives, the pandemic. We turned to Dr. Tarek Loubani and his colleague Reidun Garapick for a discussion on what can be done now to make a difference. Dr. Loubani’s expertise comes from his work as an emergency care doctor. But he’s also Medical Director for the Glia Project, a charity that focuses on producing low-resource and low-cost medical devices, having learned from its operation in the Gaza Strip. We talk to him and Garapick about the reusable face shield that they have developed for use in hospitals. And at the present moment, how they transferred these experiences and resources to help medical workers in Canada. Sustainable protection through reuse Face shields are just one of the necessary pieces of equipment needed by healthcare workers. We discuss the lack of personal protective equipment and how this can be solved in a rapid and sustainable way. Those doing the most critical work caring for patients with Covid-19 must feel safe in their ability to do their jobs in such a high-risk environment. While the media focus is on the “lack” of supplies, Dr. Loubani and Garapick are steadfast in the belief that this could be solved via reusable equipment and procedures for reuse. We discuss why many are so resistant to this. Will corporations change their approach? Garapick also highlights the need for open-source designs of medical equipment and access to free repair information more than ever. Now is a time where innovation could save lives. We discuss how the barriers to this could be broken down to help those who are working to repair high-demand, essential devices such as ventilators. Major companies such as Tesla, as well as open source initiatives, are working towards producing medical devices and we discuss how useful this really is. Beyond the pandemic Both medical professionals make it clear that reusable and repairable medical equipment is the way forward, not just a strategy for dealing with this pandemic. Loubani warns us of the possibility of a reversal of sustainability-led thinking once the crisis is over, which is a recurrent theme. This is also a call to arms for all repairers, makers, and activists: your skills are essential and can be utilised in ways that can save people’s lives. We must push for essential changes to the system that will live on beyond the pandemic. Links: * The Glia Project * Glia’s Face Shield design * Tarek Loubani’s on the need for reusable respirators (Medium) * Our recent webinar on Covid-19 and medical repairs

For our March episode, we dare to dive into the increasingly complex world of intellectual property law – a topic suddenly becoming ever more pertinent in the face of a global pandemic. Dave is joined by Aaron Perzanowski, a professor of law at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. We talk about how developments in the electronics consumer market are posing new complications in the relationship between manufacturers and consumers. Perzanowski’s latest book, written with co-author Jason Schultz, ‘The End of Ownership’ explores many of these questions.  The shifting nature of ownership We ask first about ownership. How does the move from physical ownership to digital ownership affect our rights as consumers? Are the goalposts of this ownership shifting in a time where our ability to continue using our devices is becoming more and more mediated by the companies that sold them to us? How is user autonomy being influenced or slowly eroded? We looked to Perzanowski for some ideas in how we can become more informed and aware of our rights as consumers.  User license agreements use complex and legalistic language, making these contracts inaccessible to the average consumer. We make an effort to unpack terms such as DRM (Digital Rights Management) or EULA (End User License Agreement). In discussing this it becomes very clear the hidden barriers that companies can impose to minimise consumer rights.  Copyright during crisis But the most immediately pressing matter we talk about in this episode is the recent use of trademark law to inhibit emergency responses to the current pandemic. Recently, those producing vaccines and repairing essential medical equipment ran into barriers, with patent holders suing (or threatening to sue) for efforts intended to save lives. We ask Perzanowski whether these laws should be upheld in such a time of global crisis. Hoping for change Looking further into the future of trademark law and the electronics industry, Perzanowski comments on how governments can make efforts to protect and support consumer rights. And finally, we explore why these actions need to be taken as soon as possible to ensure that we work towards a more sustainable relationship with our electronics. We cannot achieve this without more thought about the viability of tethered products.  Links:  Read the first chapter of Aaron Perzanowski’s book here * “The Tethered Economy” by Perzanowski, Hoofnagle, Kesari Wired: Best Buy Made These Smart Home Gadgets Dumb Again The Verge: A SoftBank-owned company used Theranos patents to sue over COVID-19 tests * US PIRG petition to manufacturers to open up service documentation [Image from Daan Stevens on Pexels.com]