The Restart Project Podcast

The greatest myth surrounding electronic repair – one that desperately needs busting – is that we can’t repair at all. Most items when they break are repairable. But there are several persistent myths about DIY quick fixes that can harm rather than help an ailing electronic item. To kick off today’s episode, we briefly discuss two pieces of tech news that caught our attention this week. In the wake of the big release of the new iPhone release, there is speculation that the iPhone 7 may still be selling better than the newer model. And the recent resignation of Samsung CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon gets us thinking about why the story hasn’t been as ‘big’ in western news as we might expect. The first tech repair myth to come under the magnifying glass is one that many people still recall in times of urgency, when a phone is dropped in a river, a loo, a bath, a bowl of soup… put it in rice. Lauren’s recent incident involving a Welsh river indicated that the newer Apple iPhones are surprisingly (and secretly) quite waterproof – at the price of being incredibly difficult to repair when they do break. The old ‘rice trick’ seems to be largely useless. The best thing to do is to take a phone apart and let its insides dry out completely – which is increasingly difficult to do. Most importantly, turn your phone off, and let it dry. Give it a full three days to recover. Inconvenient, maybe, but effective. We also cover some more obscure home fixes – using ovens to reball circuit boards, or freezers to restart dead hard drives. A recurring pattern is that the technology changes, but myths persist: there was once a pretty solid logic behind the ‘Fonzarelli Fix’, or ‘percussive maintenance’ – the act of giving a gadget a good whack to get it going again. We’ve even found some audio from the Apollo 12 mission in which an Astronaut resolves his dilemma with a well-placed bang of his hammer. The trick, of course, is knowing where to hit. Links: Trusted Reviews: iPhone 7 outselling iPhone 8 Ars Technica: Head of Samsung resigns Gazelle: The truth about rice Computer repair tips: How to reflow a laptop motherboard NASA: Audio and transcript from the Apollo 12 mission  PC world: put your dead hard-drives in the freezer  Lifehacker: massage your dead pixels away [Feature image “365:2” by Flickr user Lisa Norwood is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0] The post Restart Radio: Tech repair myths appeared first on The Restart Project.

This week, Restart Radio coincided with World Mental Health Day. We talk about how repair can contribute to greater social cohesion and individual well-being. Community repair events can be a great way of involving people who might otherwise feel isolated, but this takes some thought on the part of the organisers. Restarters Panda Méry and Dave Lukes share their thoughts with us about how spaces and events can be organised to cater to neurodivergent people and those suffering mental health problems. Aside from facilitating relationships between people, we talk about ways teaching and doing repair can also be an activity with therapeutic qualities. We talk about what it means to ‘get in the zone’ or get in a ‘flow state’ in repair, which Dave likens to the experience of meditation. Rather than seeing the broken device as simply a dead piece of metal, it becomes an entity that the repairer can converse with. According to Robert Pirsig, author of the 1974 classic ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’, this constitutes a kind of friendship. But like any friendship – it can be  challenging. Drawing on ideas from Fixfest, we discuss ways in which these challenges are not the same for all people – and how we need to be sensitive to these differences. Restarters Dave and Philip repairing together at Fixfest Repair is not purely a manual activity, nor purely an intellectual activity – it is both, and also something that has a significant emotional component. What does this emotional engagement mean for how we relate to either success or failure at the end of a repair? An inspiring story from our most recent Restart Party seems to suggest that the act of repairing turns out to be more significant than the outcome. Links: Medium: Neurodiversity and Mental Health  Repair Café (Amsterdam-based Intl. repair organization) Dr. Becky Faith: ‘Human-battery interaction’  Robert Pirsig: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance  Matthew Crawford: The Case for Working with your Hands [Images courtesy of Mark A Phillips] The post Restart Radio: Community repair, neurodiversity and mental health appeared first on The Restart Project.

This week’s episode picks up where we left off last week, with part 2 of our podcast special with ‘activist academic’ Jack Qiu. In his new book ‘Goodbye iSlave: a Manifesto for Digital Abolition’, Jack argues that while slavery has certainly mutated from the horrific forms that it took in past, the systems of production and worker exploitation underpinning electronics manufacturing must be considered as forms of modern-day slavery. In Part 1, he tells the story of the coercion of student workers in China, and explains how our addiction to online content – the new ‘sugar’ – fuels this exploitation. You can catch up here if you missed it last week. In this week’s episode, we hear about some of the political and legal circumstances that make it easy for Foxconn factories to go unchallenged on mainland China – leaving workers subject to abuse, and tech giants untouchable. Image source: https://www.facebook.com/HKSACOM/ Jack aims to bridge what he sees as the large information gap that exists for most consumers of ‘AppConn’ products. We spoke to people who have recently attended our Restart Parties in London to see if the exploitation of workers in China is something people think about when they buy electronic products. But even people who are aware of the issues surrounding the production of their phones, laptops and tablets felt somewhat powerless to stop it. Who is ultimately responsible? It is impossible to point the finger at every owner of an Apple product. As one of our interviewees put it, that would be “like blaming smokers for being smokers”. At Restart, we like to say that the most ethical phone is the one you already have: the longer you hold on to your iPhone, the more ethical it becomes. And rather than thinking about our relationship with electronics in terms of individual consumers, we need to think about ways in which our collective needs bring us together as a community. Looking back through history, Jack Qiu draws attention to the fact that wherever we find slavery, we also find anti-slavery. He believes that there are lessons to be learned, and hope to be gained, from examining the work done by abolition movements, both in London and elsewhere. He also talks about some of the contemporary ways that the dominant models of exploitative production are being challenged, such as Fairphone’s effort to demonstrate that it is possible to make an ethical smartphone. Jack Qiu is a member of SACOM: Students and Scholars against Corporate Misbehaviour. Visit their website for information about their current campaigns and investigations.  Links: Goodbye iSlave: A Manifesto for Digital Abolition ZDNet: Foxconn pulls out of Brazil  Fairphone    The post Restart Podcast Ep. 25: Goodbye iSlave (Pt.2) appeared first on The Restart Project.

What do you know about the circumstances surrounding the production of your smartphone? For the majority of us, the answer is sadly ‘not much’ or ‘I’d rather not know’. In this special 2-part episode, Jack Qiu – author of the book ‘Goodbye iSlave: A Manifesto for Digital Abolition’ – talks us through a story that has been largely neglected by the tech media. Many people think of slavery as history. But for Jack Qiu, the present-day treatment of some workers in smartphone, tablet and laptop factories in China needs to be conceived of as slavery. While he says slavery has “mutated” since its most horrific historical forms, he suggests that coercion of student workers approximates modern-day definitions of slavery. He goes further, drawing parallels between the western addiction to sugar that fuelled the slave trade of the 17th century, and the addiction to online content that fuels the endless production of gadgets today, he highlights ways in which exploitative systems of production continue in ever-changing ways. In Part 1, Qiu talks about the use of student “interns” by electronic manufacturers as a source of involuntary labour, as many vocational students have their degrees held at ransom until they complete work at Apple contractors. He outlines his view of the role of academics in fighting for social justice, and explains his personal reasons for going after tech giant Apple before other equally as exploitative companies. Featuring the contribution of Restart Party guests around London, this episode begins to follow the patterns of oppression and exploitation that are etched into the phones we carry around in our pockets. Be sure to tune in next week for Part 2 of the ‘Goodbye iSlave’ podcast. We’ll continue our conversation with Jack Qiu, and start thinking about ways we can move towards a less exploitative and happier model for electronics manufacturing. Links SACOM – Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour  Goodbye iSlave: A Manifesto for Digital Abolition [photo by SACOM] The post Restart Podcast Ep. 24: Goodbye iSlave (Pt 1) appeared first on The Restart Project.

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). 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). Links: Outdoor camp stove with USB charger Ordnance Survey: 20 Useless Bits of Camping Gear  Hongkiat: High Tech Camping Gadgets UK Camping stats  Instructables: ice-cream bucket camping lantern The soda-can stove  Instructables: Pocket-sized oil lamp Outdoor tech [Feature Image “The camp” by Flickr user Kiril Rusev is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]   The post Restart Radio: Camping Gadgets appeared first on The Restart Project.

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? A Lovefone repairman. Source: https://www.lovefone.co.uk/pages/about-us “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. Lovefonebox, Greenwich. Source: https://www.lovefone.co.uk/pages/about-us 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. Links to things we discussed: Lovefone Alphr: O2’s free screen replacement isn’t as great as it seems  BBC: Dixon’s Carphone warns on profit as mobile sales hit. ArsTechnica: Secret chips in replacement parts can completely hijack your phone’s security iFixit: Phone repairablility scores  [Photos courtesy of Lovefone] The post Restart Radio: Lovefone’s vision for thriving commercial repair appeared first on The Restart Project.

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. 02.34 – Ep. 12: The natural history of our gadgets  04.34 – Ep. 9: Emotionally durable design 12.10 – Ep. 18: Gendered gadgets 17.17 – Ep. 2: Interview with a product designer 17.57 – Ep. 3: Searching for the roots of grassroots innovation 20.23 – Ep. 15/16: Steve the Spindoctor (Part 1 and Part 2) 25.05 – Ep. 1: Introducing the Restart Podcast  25.48 – Ep. 5: How repair economies can thrive again 26.53 – Ep. 21: Tim Hunkin and the Secret Life of Machines [Feature image by Flickr user Werllen Castro is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] The post Restart Podcast Ep. 23: 5th Birthday Special appeared first on The Restart Project.

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 to 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 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 made aware that only a few years ago, it was common that each 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. Links: 05.55: Alvin and Ash (HealMyTech) 09.08: Aviva – The ‘Do it for me’ generation 26.40: The Conversation – The bitcoin and blockchain: Energy hogs 27.24: Used GPUs flood the market as Ethereum’s price crashes below $150 [Image by Flickr User Open Minder is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]   The post Restart Radio: repairing across generations appeared first on The Restart Project.

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 cannot help feeling uneasy 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. Links: LWARB: Circular Economy Route Map  Felipe Fonseca: ‘Tropicalizing the Circular Economy’ (Available in English or Portuguese) [Feature image “London” by Flickr user barneyz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] The post Restart Radio: Can a circular economy be driven by cities? appeared first on The Restart Project.

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. Successful repairs at a Fixit Clinic in Albany 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, digitisation 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. [Photos courtesy of Fixit Clinic]     The post Restart Radio: Repair in the U.S. with Fixit Clinic appeared first on The Restart Project.