So last week we aired our podcast about updates. While we did definitely address “bad updates” and how they cause anxiety and annoyance, the general gist of the podcast was why updates should be good and why they are so often necessary.

We got a comment from a volunteer taking us to task. Toshi wrote

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” [Only if] a security update applies to broke, you should do it.

We are not as default anti-upgrade as Toshi. But there is wisdom in his caution.

Increasingly everything in our lives is powered by software – much of it designed and owned by manufacturers. From cars to coffee machines. This week a couple of stories came to light that had us considering more deeply the age we live in, and how software can be used to “kill” hardware or enforce obsolescence at scale.

This week, with Restarter Dave Lukes we went into a “journey” into a possible age of “the remote kill switch”. If that sounds too sci-fi or too obscure, we started with the examples that came to our attention in recent weeks.

Links of stuff we discussed:

The post Restart Radio: The age of the remote kill switch appeared first on The Restart Project.

We all live with them, even sometimes in fear of them. It seems like they pop-up when we least expect them – sometimes when we least want them.

We’re talking about software and system updates. Some people are super update-phobic. Some are hugely indifferent, and some are even hugely excited by updates.

The bottom-line is, updates are a necessary part of our software-powered world. We talk to Fairphone developer Dirk Vogt and PC Pro journalist Darien Graham-Smith about why updates are needed, and what makes a good update.

At least two updates were required to complete this show, including podcast producer Dave Pickering’s much-feared Windows 10 update.

Links (for reference)

[Feature image “Windows update” by Flickr user christiaan_008 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0]

The post Restart Podcast Ep 13: Updates… the good, the bad and the meh appeared first on The Restart Project.

We hosted our friend Paul Sohi, 3D printing and digital fabrication expert, to talk us through the promise of new kinds of making. Paul explains what 3D printing actually is, how he got into it and tells us about some very exciting projects he has undertaken with his company Autodesk.

Most recently, Paul helped paralympian cyclist Denise Schindler make a special prosthetic limb. (Yesterday she won a silver medal in Rio, w00t!) He has also been involved in preservation work with museums, including the V&A. We talked about how 3D-modelling has benefits for public education too, as objects and designs can be “shared” virtually.

Our blenders may not be as precious as a museum artefact, or world-class athlete, but we talked at length with Paul about how 3D printing opens up new possibilities in the manufacture and distribution of spare parts for household appliances. Decentralised manufacture of spare parts could allow us to dramatically extend the lifespan of a whole class of appliances, which break because of failing plastic parts.

Links we mentioned or hinted at

[Feature image “Customizable Knob” by Thingiverse user charliearmorycom is licensed under CC BY 4.0]

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Together with Restarter Dave Lukes, we interviewed environmental journalist Maxine Perella about positive changes announced by the European Commission to “eco-labelling” of laptops and portable computers.

Eco-labelling has traditionally focused on energy consumption during the use phase, leaving out the impact of manufacture. The changes start to take into account a laptop’s full lifecycle.

The EU’s eco-labelling schemes are voluntary, and before this change, very few laptop manufacturers were opting in. We ask about the influence of a voluntary standard – and the role of consumers to make “eco” choices.

As an IT professional, Dave hints that companies could be interested in the standards, especially as they help define the ease of upgradability of laptops. And Maxine suggests that public sector procurement could be a way of promoting eco-labelled products.

We then go through the criteria, which include some really welcome design standards that will help us repair.

Links we mentioned

[Feature image “24th March” by Flickr user Vanchett is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]

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While commercial repairers of small electricals are increasingly hard to find on the high street, there’s one category of repair businesses on the rise: smartphone repair shops. Even though a lot of people are still giving up on their partly broken devices, often waiting for an upgrade, an increasing number of options exists for people interested in repairing mobile phones and tablets, at least from key brands.

Alex Perjescu is co-founder of Lovefone, a London-based repair company which has been innovating by offering quality service at a speed that is unmatched by manufacturers’ official repair centres. A large portion of their work focuses on iOS devices. During the show, Alex tells us about their new development: a repair shop housed inside an iconic London red phone box in Greenwich. Lovefone is testing the concept, hoping to open additional phone boxes in London and beyond in the future. Alex also shared Lovefone’s main concerns and challenges going forward, especially the miniaturisation of devices making them less easily repairable. He also comments on the recently documented flaw in the iPhone 6 touchscreen chip.

Links:

[Feature image “Telephone Box in Snow” by Flickr user CGP Grey is licensed under CC BY 2.0]

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