The Restart Project Podcast

Virtual Reality (VR) has been heralded as ‘the next big thing’ for a couple of years now. But its relatively slow start has people asking questions about how ‘big’ it will really be. This week, we investigate ways in which consumer VR might feed into our throwaway economy, or alternatively, ways in which VR might help us imagine more sustainable futures. We take a look at the three main higher-end models currently on the market, as well as the history of VR ideas, starting with a short story in 1935! VR has a long way to go before it is a staple feature of UK homes. With sets costing up to £800 and some requiring high-end computers, for most, it seems the best way to try out VR is in exhibition contexts. Janet recalls VR installations at the Björk Digital exhibition, and Lauren had a go at the ‘Energy Renaissance’ VR project at Somerset House exhibition ‘Space to Breathe’ last weekend. We spoke to Andy Franzkowiak, one of the creative minds behind ‘Energy Renaissance’. Andy explains that patience is crucial in the world of VR, and that time needs to be put into ensuring that the quality of material produced for VR matches the quality of the equipment. Could VR be the perfect antidote to our obsession with throwaway gadgets, rapid stimulation and fast-paced change? Finally, we take a brief look at 3D sound and its potential both as a supplement to VR, and as an experience in its own right. Links to things we discussed: IEEE: the future of Virtual Reality Techcrunch: The reality of VR/AR growth  Shrinking Space: Energy Renaissance Björk Digital Princeton: BACCH filter [Feature image “Science and Technology” by Flickr user GPA Photo Archive is licensed under CC BY 2.0] The post Restart Radio: Sustaining Virtual Reality appeared first on The Restart Project.

These days, everyone seems to be talking about drones: whether it’s a new model you can fly around your local park, or headlines announcing their potential for mass surveillance. Are they a toy, a weapon, or a tool? This month, Dave takes a look at drones from the perspective of three different people. For Faraz, one of our Restart volunteers, drones are an interesting piece of equipment that pose more challenges than you might expect. Faraz shows us his mini-quadcopter and explains the appeal for someone who likes to tinker with their gadgets. But we are not all as technically clued-up as Faraz. With the consumer drone market booming, there’s a risk that all those accidental crashes might fill our e-waste dumps with extinct flying machines. We talk to Coby Leuschke from Rocketship Systems Inc about how the DIY community are using open-source software as an alternative to mass-produced or “disposable” drones. Coby is the man behind online platform Boxbotix, which makes it easy for people to design, build and maintain their own drones, which last much longer than the versions that might have flown off the shelves at Christmas. Drones can have much more serious applications than just a whiz around the park. Our third guest is Ivan Gayton, who used drones with Doctors Without Borders for mapping disease in subsaharan Africa. It remains to be seen what kind of drone will triumph in the future: will it be the disposable toy that finds its way to dumps or more hackable and repairable models, both buy-and-fly and those emerging from open-source communities? [Featured image “Drones” by Flickr user Andrew Turner is licensed under CC BY 2.0] The post Restart Podcast Ep. 17: Drones aren’t just for Christmas appeared first on The Restart Project.

We all know that it’s possible to ease the guilt of throwing something away by telling ourselves it will be recycled. But who is in charge of the recycling system, who pays, and does it work? This episode, Janet is joined by James Kirkham from the East London Waste Authority. We venture beyond the skip to see what happens to our gadgets after we throw them away. As it stands, London’s boroughs each have their own collection strategies, for all kinds of waste including electronics (WEEE). Whether you find it easy to recycle your broken toaster or not depends on where you live. Some boroughs offer kerbside pick up, some have local drop off points, and some Londoners – like Janet – have to take two buses to get to their nearest recycling point. It has been suggested that London have a uniform recycling system. But London’s boroughs have very different needs. Some have much bigger population densities and rates of consumption. In a friendly way, we grill James about why rates of recycling can be so low in London, and what this might mean for the future as the population grows. Perhaps the repair revolution we need is grounded in an awareness of just how challenging that magic word – “recycling” – can really be. Links to things we discussed: Waste360: Decline in England’s recycling rates Evening Standard: London’s least recycling-friendly boroughs Green Alliance: Let’s stop blaming councils for bad recycling and reboot the whole system The post Restart Radio: Sifting through London’s recycling woes appeared first on The Restart Project.

When was the last time you backed up your data? If that question gives you a sinking feeling – don’t worry, you’re not the only one! This week we talk about how, why and where to backup. Drawing on stories from our Restart Parties, as well as your contributions to our Twitter poll, we explore what it is about storage that people find so daunting, and how to avoid losing data forever. First, we look at the  semantics of ‘the cloud’ itself. With a growing sense that data is immaterial, it is easy to lose sight of the ‘thingness’ of the internet. But as ‘natural’ as this cloud may sound, it has its own massive physical and carbon footprint. The annual Greenpeace report ‘Clicking Green’ reveals that the IT sector takes up 7% of global energy usage, and this is rapidly growing. So what’s the safest, surest, greenest way to avoid losing data? We compare Apple and Android solutions for smartphone storage, and critique apps which claim to do the job. Happily, it seems that Apple and Google are committed to greener, cleaner data services. But it remains to be seen whether the clean energy sector can keep up with the ever-growing cloud. Links to things we discussed: Greenpeace report ‘Clicking Clean’ Ars Technica: The case for using iTunes to back up your phone Huffington Post: How to prevent losing data Edelman: Why people don’t trust the cloud  [Feature Image “Clouds” by Flickr user Joe Shlabotnik is licensed under CC BY 2.0] The post Restart Radio: Backups and ‘the cloud’ appeared first on The Restart Project.

Our listening gadgets are some of our most-used and best-loved devices. But how do we pick the right pair of headphones, and what do we do when they break? Ugo is joined by Restarter Ben Skidmore to discuss Apple’s controversial ‘Airpods’: do they live up to all the hype? Ugo and Ben take a look at some of the advantages of drawbacks of these new wireless ear-buds, and wireless listening more generally. The wireless explosion could be the end of broken cables; but the cost and difficulty of fixing these new devices could also be a repairperson’s worst nightmare. You may not be willing to part with your favourite headphones, and you don’t have to: we go over some tips for reducing wear and tear and increasing the lifespan of our personal listening equipment, and some tips for DIY repair. If you want the wireless experience, there’s a dongle available that connects directly to your own headphones, and then wirelessly to your device. Ugo also shares a love-story about his own favourite noise-cancelling headphones, which were fixed in Nairobi for him five years ago with a simple toothpick. When the earpads began to deteriorate, it looked like the end: but this story has a happy ending. Check out what you can do with some new fabric and a needle and thread! Links to things we discussed: iFixit: Airpods teardown Macword: Release date controversy Ars Technica: Airpod review The Verge: Airpod review Gerrard St: “circular” rental model  Visit our Wiki page for information on diagnosing and repairing your broken headphones The post Restart Radio: The Future of Personal Listening appeared first on The Restart Project.

It’s our last radio show of the year, and the weather is getting colder. This week we take a look at Norwegian repair culture, before turning back to the UK, where the growing fuel poverty problem needs some serious attention. After writing her masters thesis on the Restart Project, Kaja Ahnfelt started running “Fiksefest” – Restart Party in Norwegian –  in Oslo. This new branch of the movement is part of a growing wave of environmental initiatives in Oslo, including clothes swapping parties and other local efforts. But it’s also part of a rapidly emerging maker culture. We talk to Kaja about how these two agendas can be merged. We are also joined in the studio by Dave Lukes, a longtime Restart volunteer and IT team leader. We take a look at the recent hype around ‘smart meters’. Dave explains that their impact on helping save energy is minimal: the main problem is home insulation. With badly insulated homes that are expensive to heat, the UK has been labelled the ‘Cold Man of Europe’. Fuel poverty in the UK is increasing, and now effects an estimated 2.38 million households. The Ken Loach film ‘I, Daniel Blake’ recently drew attention to some of these issues; but at this rate, the problem could still take eighty years or more to solve. Luckily, there are some solutions with promise. Oldham council’s Warm Homes Scheme has helped insulate many homes in the area, alleviating many of the mental and physical health problems that come from living in a fuel poor home. Dave also lets us in on some cheap ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home: find out how to make your own draught excluder, and why a full freezer is better than an empty one. Links to things we discussed: Restarters Oslo Radi-Aid: “Africa for Norway” parody video The Guardian: Smart meters The GreenAge: 100 ways to save energy in your home YouTube: Winter Life Hacks (at 1’59” learn how to make diy draught excluders) [Feature Image “Fuel Poverty Action at #big6bash” by Flickr user climatejusticecollective is licensed under CC BY 2.0] The post Restart Radio: The Challenges of Winter appeared first on The Restart Project.

The UK toy market is the largest in Europe. As we approach Christmas, last year’s toys find themselves shoved to the back of a cupboard or into a tip to make way for the new ones. Increasingly, the top-selling toys are electronic. We explore a brief history of electronic toys, from the ever popular ‘Operation’ and ‘Walkie Talkie’ to creatures that seem to be always watching like The Hasbro Furby. (Inspiration for the analog Elf on the Shelf?) The recent trend is for toys that connect to other devices via wifi and apps. Studies have shown that ‘screen time’ in early childhood needs to be restricted. We explore what this might mean for toys that claim to be physical, but need to be hooked up to iPads and television sets. Maybe last years toys don’t need to end up in the tip or the shredder after all. We’ve learned from our Restart Parties that kids are naturally good at taking stuff apart – the first step of fixing. And there’s always the possibility of creating something entirely new from broken parts. As 2016 draws to a close, we also say goodbye to a few devices. Samsung is struggling to recall all its dangerous Note 7s, and it looks like they might have to hit the ‘remote kill switch’ some time soon. Ugo’s cherished Pebble smartwatch has an uncertain future as the company is sold to Fitbit. Links to things we discussed: NPD Group: UK Toy Industry Growth Youtube: What’s Inside Furby Connect?  iFixit: Furby Repair “The Elf on the Shelf” and the normalization of surveillance CNN: new screen time rules for kids  The Better India: Dhiren Thacker’s homemade door opener Ars Technica: US Galaxy Note 7s will finally be disabled Backchannel: the inside story behind Pebble’s demise [Feature Image “Furby” by Flickr user Amanda is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0] The post Restart Radio: E-toys and connected toys appeared first on The Restart Project.

In part two of our special two-part podcast, we join Steve the Spindoctor again for a day in the life of an appliance repairer. Back in the van, Dave talks to Steve Neil about sausage rolls, Instagram, what he’s found clogging washing machines, and the challenges that small businesses face today. Steve fixes a botched dishwasher installation to the amusement of a very young Restarter. This week, we also hear from people at a Restart Party in Camden for an insight into what people really do when their white goods break. Steve names two types of people: those who throw things away, and those who get their things repaired. But here at Restart, we’d say there are also people that try to fix things themselves. With advice and inspiration from people like Steve, it becomes just that little bit easier to move into that third category. Be sure to catch up on Part 1 if you missed it last week! Looking for a repair person? You can visit Steve’s website or his Instagram account. The post Restart Podcast Ep. 16: Steve the Spindoctor (part 2/2) appeared first on The Restart Project.

In a special 2-part series, Dave talks to Steve Neil in his van about his work ethic, the trials of being self-employed, and why some machines seem to break so often. We even follow Steve on his repair trips to see how this doctor goes about diagnosing his patients. Join us for a fascinating insight into an exciting and dynamic job, for tips on home appliance maintenance, and for a few laughs along the way: Steve’s good humour is infectious! Be sure to tune in next week for part 2. Looking for a repairman? Visit Steve’s website. The post Restart Podcast Ep 15: Steve the Spindoctor (Part 1/2) appeared first on The Restart Project.

With Black Friday coming up this week, we discuss how healthy this mad consumer rush really is for our economy. We’re all familiar with the videos of people pushing each other out of the way to get to the products on the shelf. Huge savings on electrical equipment make this one of the areas of biggest spending. Do consumers really need to buy more, or is it just the next step in the ‘halloweenization of everything’? Polls and surveys of consumer confidence reveal a huge range of results. We take a look at recent studies and question whether they are representative of how financially stable people really feel. Levels of consumption may not be the best measure of our society’s economic health. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and its equivalents, such as the Chinese ‘Singles Day’, generate huge amounts of money, but where does this money really end up? Many of the jobs generated by online sales in particular are poorly paid, and the huge spikes in demand can just aggravate already bleak working conditions in the places where products are manufactured. Perhaps it’s time we paid more attention to other ways to enjoy Friday, such as ‘Buy Nothing Day’. We also talk about how new Apple laptop models have spawned the hashtag #donglelife. And let’s not forget the ‘Apple book’, which might just take the prize for the most overpriced object on the market at the moment. Links to things we discussed: YouGov “UK consumer confidence falls on ‘hard Brexit’ fears“ Deloitte “The Deloitte Consumer Tracker Q2 2016“ PwC “Consumers feeling positive ahead of Christmas following Brexit blip“ Adbusters Buy Nothing Day Stephen Colbert “The New Apple Book Delivers Something Truly Extraordinary“ [Feature Image “Sears Outlet Black Friday 2011 Ad Scan – Page 1” by Flickr user 24218656@N03 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0] The post Restart Radio: Black Friday and consumer confidence appeared first on The Restart Project.