The Restart Project Podcast

As summer draws to a close, we think about the role of tech in our experience of the 'Great Outdoors'. Taking a look at the useful, the useless, and the DIY, we think about how current consumer trends in camping and outdoor gear reflect the complicated nature of our desire to 'get away from it all'. Camping has always been a chance to get back to the bare essentials, but walking into a camp store today means coming across a dozen products that you never knew you needed. From electric smore-makers to 3D-HD-video-recording binoculars, we take a look at some of the most useless camping gadgets currently on sale. Sharing some of our own recent camping experiences, we also look at the things you do need, and how to build some of them yourself (See below for links to instructions for a DIY camping lantern, alcohol-burning stove, and pocket-sized oil lamp). Sellers of camping gadgets face a tough challenge marketing electronic gear to outdoorsy-people, but the reality of the way we 'escape' to nature is not so straightforward. We might long to 'get lost', but we want the option of being rescued with the help of our GPS tracker. And the thrill of biking up a mountain may only be complete for some when they know they have beat their friend's best time.  We weigh up the different degrees to which people feel that a 'digital detox' is necessary - and how less technology is perhaps more realistic than no technology. More than anything, camping forces us to think more carefully about the technologies we rely on, and the costs of that reliance. This episode also features a brief shout-out to the new iPhone X... but only to say that we'll be keeping track of the OLED screen and stories of its attempted repair. Here's a clue: we're not optimistic about it. (PS: It's National 'Talk Like A Pirate Day' - Don't miss Janet's pirate impression at 13.47).

As summer draws to a close, we think about the role of tech in our experience of the 'Great Outdoors'. Taking a look at the useful, the useless, and the DIY, we think about how current consumer trends in camping and outdoor gear reflect the complicated nature of our desire to 'get away from it all'. Camping has always been a chance to get back to the bare essentials, but walking into a camp store today means coming across a dozen products that you never knew you needed. From electric smore-makers to 3D-HD-video-recording binoculars, we take a look at some of the most useless camping gadgets currently on sale. Sharing some of our own recent camping experiences, we also look at the things you do need, and how to build some of them yourself (See below for links to instructions for a DIY camping lantern, alcohol-burning stove, and pocket-sized oil lamp). Sellers of camping gadgets face a tough challenge marketing electronic gear to outdoorsy-people, but the reality of the way we 'escape' to nature is not so straightforward. We might long to 'get lost', but we want the option of being rescued with the help of our GPS tracker. And the thrill of biking up a mountain may only be complete for some when they know they have beat their friend's best time.  We weigh up the different degrees to which people feel that a 'digital detox' is necessary - and how less technology is perhaps more realistic than no technology. More than anything, camping forces us to think more carefully about the technologies we rely on, and the costs of that reliance. This episode also features a brief shout-out to the new iPhone X... but only to say that we'll be keeping track of the OLED screen and stories of its attempted repair. Here's a clue: we're not optimistic about it. (PS: It's National 'Talk Like A Pirate Day' - Don't miss Janet's pirate impression at 13.47).

Today, we talk to Rob Kerr from Lovefone - an independent mobile repair store - about the relationship between manufacturers and repairers. The appetite for smartphone repairs is growing: recently Carphone Dixons reported a decrease in sales due to people holding on to their phones for longer (bad news for them; great news for repairers... and for the planet!). Third-party repairers have always been crucial in absorbing much of the need for screen repair, as devices become increasingly fragile. But recently, reports of third party spare parts potentially making devices vulnerable to hacking leads us to question what the future holds for accessing parts and repair services. Will this be all playing into the hands of manufacturers who want to ensure that repair business stays in-house? “Repair used to be a noble industry, and manufacturers have turned it into a grubby, dirty word”, says Rob. But businesses like Lovefone are fighting back their tactics, and earning the trust of a solid client base. A new generation of these shops is emerging, which prioritise good customer service, use quality spare parts, provide warranties and ongoing support, and employ local people. Lovefone are advocates for the revival of the commercial repair sector: they offer walk-in 30-minute repair services at affordable prices, and provide a lifetime warranty on repairs done by their technicians. They have even experimented with tiny repair shops in old London phoneboxes ("Lovefoneboxes"), hoping to draw attention towards how easy it is to get something fixed instead of throwing it away. As well as doing professional fixes on phones at affordable rates and sourcing spare parts responsibly, Lovefone uses refurbished screens, giving a new life to cracked screens, and recently started refurbishing iPhones. The refurbishing process is environmentally sound: it provides an alternative to sending old phones to landfill and produces very little waste. It also allows phones to be sold at more affordable prices, and each device comes with a two-year warranty. But the attempt of manufacturers to undermine independent repair shops is not the only challenge they are facing. Rob sees less and less people applying for repairers jobs in the first place, possibly linked to Brexit reducing the chance of skilled European repairers moving to the UK. The good news is that according to Lovefone there are actually more repair jobs than repairers applying for them. It's the right time to learn to repair and apply! Another problem is the fact that phones are increasingly less repairable. This may explain O2's recent 'free screen repair' campaign - at first glance a dream come true for clumsy iPhone users - except it's only valid for few models, notoriously hard to repair, on the most expensive plans. The campaign however reflects that more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of repairability, and designers are facing a serious challenge. Rob has a word of advice for anyone looking to buy a new phone: check its repairability! Websites like iFixit (which also provide Lovefone with their supply of spare batteries) provide useful advice on this. Our rule of thumb remains the same: the most ethical mobile is the one you already have.

Today, we talk to Rob Kerr from Lovefone - an independent mobile repair store - about the relationship between manufacturers and repairers. The appetite for smartphone repairs is growing: recently Carphone Dixons reported a decrease in sales due to people holding on to their phones for longer (bad news for them; great news for repairers... and for the planet!). Third-party repairers have always been crucial in absorbing much of the need for screen repair, as devices become increasingly fragile. But recently, reports of third party spare parts potentially making devices vulnerable to hacking leads us to question what the future holds for accessing parts and repair services. Will this be all playing into the hands of manufacturers who want to ensure that repair business stays in-house? “Repair used to be a noble industry, and manufacturers have turned it into a grubby, dirty word”, says Rob. But businesses like Lovefone are fighting back their tactics, and earning the trust of a solid client base. A new generation of these shops is emerging, which prioritise good customer service, use quality spare parts, provide warranties and ongoing support, and employ local people. Lovefone are advocates for the revival of the commercial repair sector: they offer walk-in 30-minute repair services at affordable prices, and provide a lifetime warranty on repairs done by their technicians. They have even experimented with tiny repair shops in old London phoneboxes ("Lovefoneboxes"), hoping to draw attention towards how easy it is to get something fixed instead of throwing it away. As well as doing professional fixes on phones at affordable rates and sourcing spare parts responsibly, Lovefone uses refurbished screens, giving a new life to cracked screens, and recently started refurbishing iPhones. The refurbishing process is environmentally sound: it provides an alternative to sending old phones to landfill and produces very little waste. It also allows phones to be sold at more affordable prices, and each device comes with a two-year warranty. But the attempt of manufacturers to undermine independent repair shops is not the only challenge they are facing. Rob sees less and less people applying for repairers jobs in the first place, possibly linked to Brexit reducing the chance of skilled European repairers moving to the UK. The good news is that according to Lovefone there are actually more repair jobs than repairers applying for them. It's the right time to learn to repair and apply! Another problem is the fact that phones are increasingly less repairable. This may explain O2's recent 'free screen repair' campaign - at first glance a dream come true for clumsy iPhone users - except it's only valid for few models, notoriously hard to repair, on the most expensive plans. The campaign however reflects that more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of repairability, and designers are facing a serious challenge. Rob has a word of advice for anyone looking to buy a new phone: check its repairability! Websites like iFixit (which also provide Lovefone with their supply of spare batteries) provide useful advice on this. Our rule of thumb remains the same: the most ethical mobile is the one you already have.

This month, to celebrate the Restart’s 5th birthday, we’re looking back on some of our favourite moments from past podcast episodes and Restart Parties. We’ve gotten to know a lot of interesting people over the years, and a lot of interesting machines – from old German radios, to noisy dishwashers, to DIY arcade games. This episode features conversations with repair and tinker heroes, designers, activists, and authors such as Jonathan Chapman, Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino, Jennifer Gabrys, Tim Hunkin, Adrian Smith, Steve the Spindoctor, and John Thackara, as well as the voices of our Restart volunteers and the owners of broken gadgets. Looking at the way we interact with our gadgets reveals a lot about who we are, as individuals and as communities. Putting this episode together led us to reflect on the diverse reasons that people repair, and the ways in which these reasons are connected. Whether its a love of tinkering, a passion for design, a desire to help the planet, or an economic strategy, engaging in repair brings us to the heart of a web that connects a diverse array of people and things. A big thank-you to everyone who has helped us with the podcast over the years, and to our podcast producer Dave Pickering. We’ll be back with the podcast in September after a short break over the summer. We’d love to get your feedback. Please leave us a review on iTunes - the more reviews we have, the easier it is for new listeners to find us. Drop us a line if you’ve enjoyed the show, if there’s something you’d like to see covered, or if you’re a repairperson, designer, researcher, tinkerer, or a person with a broken gadget and a story to tell about it. We’re always on the look-out for new and exciting topics.

This month, to celebrate the Restart’s 5th birthday, we’re looking back on some of our favourite moments from past podcast episodes and Restart Parties. We’ve gotten to know a lot of interesting people over the years, and a lot of interesting machines – from old German radios, to noisy dishwashers, to DIY arcade games. This episode features conversations with repair and tinker heroes, designers, activists, and authors such as Jonathan Chapman, Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino, Jennifer Gabrys, Tim Hunkin, Adrian Smith, Steve the Spindoctor, and John Thackara, as well as the voices of our Restart volunteers and the owners of broken gadgets. Looking at the way we interact with our gadgets reveals a lot about who we are, as individuals and as communities. Putting this episode together led us to reflect on the diverse reasons that people repair, and the ways in which these reasons are connected. Whether its a love of tinkering, a passion for design, a desire to help the planet, or an economic strategy, engaging in repair brings us to the heart of a web that connects a diverse array of people and things. A big thank-you to everyone who has helped us with the podcast over the years, and to our podcast producer Dave Pickering. We’ll be back with the podcast in September after a short break over the summer. We’d love to get your feedback. Please leave us a review on iTunes - the more reviews we have, the easier it is for new listeners to find us. Drop us a line if you’ve enjoyed the show, if there’s something you’d like to see covered, or if you’re a repairperson, designer, researcher, tinkerer, or a person with a broken gadget and a story to tell about it. We’re always on the look-out for new and exciting topics.

Every generation has a different attitude to gadgets; but skills don't become obsolete the same way gadgets do. To have a functioning repair economy, it's important for generations learn from each other. This week, we hear from people of different ages (including a father-son duo) about their view of repair. Restarter Alvin Hardy shares his perspectives on how repair education has changed. Janet and Ugo also share some of their own experiences with children, nieces, nephews and parents. One commonly raised concern is the fact that young people seem to be lacking in the DIY training their parents had. Too many young people appear to be calling on 'toolbox mum and dad' when things go wrong. Will we eventually be left in a world where few people know how to change a plug? Gadgets are changing, too. Shiny new smartphones and laptops do not open up as easily as old radios and hand-blenders. And while there is now much more information out there in the form of Youtube tutorials and online forums, these resources are not necessarily as easy to access for all generations. It is tempting to draw general conclusions about how older generations are more skilled with DIY repair, and do not know how to work the internet. But from our experience, this is not always true. Many of our older volunteers serve as a 'bridge' between these two worlds. And our recent work with Archer Academy has shown us that not only are students more than capable of learning hands-on repair, they are also actively interested in it. It is important that younger people are told of a world - from only years ago - in which a new gadget was an investment, and products were made to last. Similarly, we need to make sure that emerging tech landscapes are accessible for older learners.

This Week, Ugo is joined by Clare Ollerenshaw from London's Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) to talk about their goals for a circular economy and a more resource efficient capital. While air pollution has rightly received the environmental focus of the new mayor, what about waste? With London's population expected to reach 11 million by 2039, and local recycling rates in decline, we need to come up with solutions for our rapidly increasing rates of consumption. In the age climate change, cities with the size and density of London have a significant role to play in changing consumption and waste patterns. Ugo questions Clare on how London can become a leading city in terms of resource efficiency. LWARB recently launched a "Circular Economy Route Map" with some concrete steps to help increase repair, reuse and recycling of electronics and electricals. Clare mentions the potential for leasing and incentivised return schemes, which are promising, and we'd love to see this work adequately resourced. But we're concerned that the "circular economy" is turning into another policy buzzword at best, and at worst used to green-wash. We're convinced that circular economies need to involve individual consumers and community groups in rethinking the ways in which we consume and the way we live, rather than simply targeting businesses. If London is indeed to become a leader in resource efficiency, its citizens need to be part of the process.

Today, Ugo is joined by Restart's IT team lead Dave Lukes and Peter Mui from Fixit Clinic, a U.S. based 'troubleshooting and discovery workshop'. The Restart Project and Fixit Clinic are a bit like twins separated at birth. We share their belief in the value of teaching repair, rather than just providing a free repair service. Peter Mui talks to us about his vision of the 'ideal Fixit clinic', in which the role of the coach and the participant blur and become one’. Dave is a long-time volunteer at Restart parties, and talks about the importance of community to successful repair events, which provide both new and experienced fixers with the chance to motivate and learn from one another. Peter's view of the current attitudes of manufacturers in the U.S. is not so bright: too often faulty products are replaced rather than repaired under warranty. In the future, he speculates, digitization of design files may allow manufacturing to occur locally rather than being outsourced. But this needs to be paired with an attitude change, so that the demand for durable products replaces our current complacency with poor quality. Fixit clinic have been asked to pair with hazardous waste disposal schemes, but have refused: they want people to think harder about the possibility of their products surviving, and to reflect on what goes into making them. Repair is more than just a useful and enjoyable new skill to be learned: it also forces us to think about the things we own in a much richer way. We can learn to take into account their whole lifespan, rather than just the blip in time that they spend in our use.

The internet has become so central to our daily lives that it is nearly impossible to imagine what would happen if we woke up one day to find it had collapsed. But what is the internet really, and where does it come from? In a previous episode, we touched on the vocabulary of immateriality that we use to talk about the internet. When we store things in ‘the cloud’ and transfer things by ‘airdrop’, it is easy to forget that the internet is a physical structure that needs to be built and maintained, and which uses energy – lots of it. Today, Dave talks to Sophia Flucker and Dave Lukes about data centres: the forgotten places that all emails, YouTube videos of cats, online recipes and breaking news updates must pass through before they reach our screens. Sophia explains some of the challenges she faces as an engineer in devising solutions for cooling these enormous buildings, and explains why the environmental impact of our internet usage is not just related to the amount of time we spend on our devices. The new Greenpeace Clicking Clean report, which puts pressure on internet-based companies to consider their energy footprints, showed some promising progress among the internet giants; but we still have a long way to go. With the spotlight on Google, Facebook and Amazon, we risk smaller and medium sized platforms slipping under the radar. And then there is there is the difficult question of replacing older equipment with newer, more efficient models. Will newer servers be useful long enough to make the energy used to produce them worth it? The extent of our dependence on the internet means we need to think harder about its future. As demand for data grows, the number and size of data centres will grow with it. We need new ways of thinking about the internet that don't allow companies to hide behind the illusion of immateriality.

After the infamous failure of Google Glass, it seemed that people were still unconvinced about the idea of wearable technology. Videos taken with Google Glass show confused and suspicious faces peering at the wearer, trying to discern how they are being seen, by whom, and how this information was being stored. To many people, something about the project seemed fundamentally creepy. But recently, a wave of new wearables on the market are attracting attention. It seems that designers and manufacturers are finally putting some thought into the kind of things people might actually want to wear on their person, and how they might usefully fit into our daily lives. On today's episode, Janet is joined by Restart volunteer David Méry to talk about some recent examples of wearables, and the problems and opportunities they present. Snapchat recently launched its new 'Spectacles' in the UK, which look like regular sunglasses and record short videos. This is the App's first piece of hardware, and shows that the line between business models based on data and those based on hardware is increasingly blurred. The decision to sell the Spectacles out of a vending machine has been a large part of the hype surrounding the launch; but it points to a worrying potential direction for wearable technology more broadly. Are we going to see the next wave of gadgets become as disposable as an empty soda can? We talk about some other projects that show more promise: a denim jacket that allows cyclists to be connected as they move around, a new smartwatch that isn't just a mini-tablet, and potential applications for people with accessibility requirements. We also talk about some of the privacy and security issues wearable technology can raise. The move away from screen-based interfaces is exciting. But it's clear that if wearables that are going to develop in genuinely useful and interesting ways, we need to make sure that the software support is in place to ensure they can be used safely into the future. We know from our Restart Parties that repair is no longer just about broken hardware; it is also about up to date software. And with the potentially widespread use of internal wearable devices for medical purposes, this quickly becomes not just an ethical dilemma, but a matter of life or death.

Keyboards are such a part of our daily lives. We're typing this now on one: an Apple membrane keyboard that's about 12 years old. You may not think a lot about your keyboard even though you spend so much time with it. Janet talks with Jon, Community Lead at The Restart Project, and Ben Skidmore, long-time Restarter and recent engineering graduate, two big keyboard enthusiasts. They both use mechanical keyboards, which are highly customisable, repairable and durable. Cherry has been a leading manufacturer for decades. Jon and Ben take us on a tour of keyboard sounds, touch, and sights. Jon loves noise, and Ben loathes it. Not everybody will take such an interest in the keys they tap on, but if we take care of keyboards, they can last a long time. We talk about how the Universal Serial Bus (UBS) with its backward compatibility, has allowed for such easy, extended use of keyboards, longer than computers themselves. Then we talk about the future of interfaces, with much attention recently on voice control and emerging work by Google on gesture-based interfaces. These offer the promise of less-embodied interfaces, and potentially freeing us from the physical habits of sitting (or standing) over a keyboard, but they have a long way to go for most of us. To close, we offer some tips on how to shop for a keyboard.

Trust is a fundamental part of any relationship, be it with humans or electronics. We place lots of trust and expectation on devices we bring into our homes - you might trust a toaster to make high quality toast. What happens to that trust when the device not only makes toast, but changes data on the internet?Restart Podcast This week Ugo is joined by Matthew Sheret from the design studio IF. Founded in 2015, IF works with companies to design products and services that empower users in a positive way, explore new models of user consent, and help to further mainstream the digital rights of the consumer. IF's projects often bridge the divide between digital and physical, and help companies to explore what is possible through their technology to further these aims. Working with CHOICE (an Australian consumer rights group), IF designed a broadband monitor to help people understand their internet connection. As Matthew puts it, "people only care about the internet when it stops working," so the monitor uses this framing of "what's wrong with the internet" to enable people to understand and make choices about their network infrastructure and security, as well as to advocate for a better internet connection with their ISPs. Matthew also discusses some advocacy projects which are not yet physically realised. The Transparency Mark, one of three different prototypes, sought to enable people to understand more about the safety and history of devices they would potentially purchase by scanning a QR code. While the technology needed to establish this type of database exists, this type of open data capture and sharing is not currently happening. This type of data would, in Matthew's view, help to tip many of the issues on consumers' digital rights into the mainstream, however it will not be something that can be accomplished by one individual organisation. The next generation of consumer advocacy is one that will involve a larger distributed network both of organisations and consumers with the ability both to repair devices for ourselves and to fight for commercial repairers to supply us with essential repair services. Ugo and Matthew also discuss some recent news about the right to repair, including the US Supreme Court's recent ruling on the refilling and reselling of Lexmark ink cartridges and on Apple making a particularly important device for iPhone calibration available to a few authorised repair shops on the quiet.

What's the difference between a prerecorded birdsong and a real one? 3D sound aims to bring audio technology even closer to real life. But does it really work, and will it render all our regular listening devices obsolete? Today, our researcher Lauren is joined by Dougie Brown from Cassini Sound, and regular Restart volunteer Ben Skidmore. The beginnings of 3D sound technologies have been around for nearly a century; but only now are they starting to reach the popular imagination. Dougie talks about his work in creating 3-dimensional soundscapes for games, and sheds a bit of light on the reasons behind this sudden resurgence. One way of achieving three-dimensions in sound is Binaural recording, which you may have come across without realizing it. Binaural recording uses a dummy head, which is designed to capture the exact way in which sounds from a point in space reach our ears at slightly different times, and at different volumes. Previously, sounds recorded using a Dummy head only worked properly through headphones. But now, thanks to an algorithm developed by a rocket scientist from Princeton, a range of headphones and speakers are appearing on the market that can give any audio - binaural or otherwise - a three-dimensional quality. The 3D sound equipment on the market is interesting, but it’s not going to fundamentally change the way we experience audio overnight. Ben and Dougie tell us about some of the potential shortcomings of these technologies. And if everyone rushes out to buy the latest 3D headset only to realize that it was a misinformed purchase, that’s a whole lot of new discarded electronics. Luckily, recent innovations in 3D sound tend to exploit the fact that 3D effects can be achieved through software; not just hardware. Dougie explains that the 3D effect of sound in games doesn't rely on any special equipment, it simply interacts cleverly with the equipment the user already has. The fact that 3D sound is based on an algorithm means that new headphones or speakers are not really necessary at all - you can simply attach a special filter to your existing ones. It's a refreshing step towards more modular design. 3D sound is only just emerging, but it shows promise. And it doesn't just have potential for the worlds of gaming and music. There are some truly exciting developments in other fields: a 3D headset for the blind creates a soundscape of the city that can be used for personal navigation.

The universe of Tim Hunkin is one of whirring gears, flashing lights and strange characters: but underneath the fun and frivolity is an in-depth examination of the history of society’s relationship with technology. Many of our Restarters fondly remember Tim Hunkin as the host of the ‘The Secret Life of Machines’, which aired for the first time in 1988 and ran for 18 episodes. Tim and his friend Rex Garrod would take apart some of the machines that we blindly take for granted in our every day lives, demystifying their inner workings. By unveiling the long histories of these gadgets, Tim turned his audiences into more appreciative users: people who could get excited about a simple ride in an elevator or the miracle of a telephone call. Aside from television, Tim has dabbled in engineering, illustration, and museum curation. You can still visit ‘The Secret Life of the Home’: a permanent exhibition that he put together in the basement of the Science Museum. But Tim’s great passion is invention. He talks to us about how tinkering and making are creative processes and offer satisfying intellectual challenges. He also talks about the sense of pride and ownership that comes with making and fixing something oneself. At Southwold Pier, he built his own wacky arcade – The ‘Under the Pier’ show. And in London, his ‘Novelty Automation’ arcade is tucked away in Holborn. Novelty Automation tribute to the local history of popular entertainment in the city and a challenge to more corporate, large-scale entertainment industry that impinges on it. Tim’s handmade games span the length of his career and offer satirical glimpses of both the world today and the world of yesterday. In one game, users are asked to offer up an object from their pocket to an automated art-critic who decides: ‘Is it art?’ - In another, players are invited on a five-second virtual ‘mini-break’ to a tropical destination from their armchair. Tim’s love of gadgets is inspiring – for Tim, technologies are not simply final, complete, perfect entities that we must either accept or reject. They are alive, constantly evolving along with society, and made up of intricate and complex components that are both miraculous in their workings and valuable in their materials. A happier relationship with our electronics means learning to celebrate this, and engaging with gadgets beyond their seemingly impenetrable exteriors.