The Restart Project Podcast

Restart Radio: Photographing repair culture

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Phillips tells us about his work photographing the practice, people and communities involved in repair culture - from Cuba to our very own Restar...

Restart Podcast Ep. 36: Fixing the impossible with Rico Cerva

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We interview independent professional repairer Rico Cerva, to celebrate the crucial contribution that repair businesses make to extend the life of all...

Restart Radio: Celebrating community repair and announcing #RepairDay

11 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ugo and Restart volunteer Ben announce upcoming International #RepairDay and comment on recent issues related to the Right to Repair movement in the U...

Restart Podcast Ep. 35: Exploring the critical materials in our electronics

26 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We interview researcher Jessika Luth Richter from Lund University. The topic: the ‘critical’ materials that are found in our electronics &...

Restart Radio: Welcoming a new Repair Cafe in Glasgow

13 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ugo interviews Jon Dawes and Lauren Crilly from Repair Cafe Glasgow. As we are back on Restart Radio after our summer break, we start by discussing te...

Restart Radio Takeover: ‘Smart’ homes – the hype and worries about IoT

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our volunteers Dave, Panda and Andrew run the show, discussing the hype about the Internet of Things (IoT) and 'smart' homes. We talk about related is...

Restart Podcast Ep. 34: Improvisation and collective spirit in Brazilian repair culture

25 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We interview Brazilian technologist and researcher Felipe Fonseca, who has long been on our radar screen. Dave and Janet discuss with Felipe the role ...

Restart Radio: Cameras, the eternal and disposable – analog, digital, mobile and GoPros

18 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ugo interviews Philip Le Riche, Restart volunteer and retired cybersecurity professional - about his passion for camera repair. We talk about the tech...

Restart Radio: Books on our summer reading list

11 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As part of a summer tradition, Restart staff Janet, Isabel, Neil and Ellie have compiled a summer reading list. We talk about reads which have inspire...

Restart Radio: Strong links between thrift and innovation, past and present

04 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel and Ugo interview Simon Werrett, Lecturer in Science and Technology Studies at University College London. We talk about his upcoming book "Thri...

Restart Podcast Ep 33: The lives of products during our lifetime, with Tim Cooper

26 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, we interview Tim Cooper, professor of Sustainable Design and Consumption at Nottingham Trent University. We discuss the public...

Restart Radio: Right to Repair in the United States

20 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, Ugo and Janet interview Nathan Proctor, Director of US PIRG's Right to Repair campaign. We talk about the origin and activity ...

Restart Radio: Community repair events as sites of social research

13 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, Isabel and Ugo interview Lara Houston, a visiting researcher at Goldsmiths University. We talk about academic research on repa...

Restart Radio: Right to repair and product standards beyond Brexit

06 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, Ugo interviews Susanne Baker, Head of Environment & Compliance at techUK, the organisation representing the views of tech comp...

Restart Radio Takeover: “Repair on the edge”

30 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this month's radio takeover, Restart volunteers Ben Skidmore and Dave Lukes talk about "repair on the edge": how to deal with unsual repairs when o...

Restart Podcast Ep 32: Amateur (ham) radio with Alvin Hardy

22 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ellie and Dave interview Restart volunteer Alvin Hardy (call-sign G1BTF), who shares his life-long passion for amateur or so-called "ham" radio. We di...

Restart Radio: Materials we use to hack and fix

16 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, Isabel Lopez and Dave Lukes talk about the materials we use to hack and fix. We will discuss the most basic tools and material...

Restart Radio: 3D printing medical devices in Gaza

09 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, Ugo and Isabel interview Tarek Loubani, a Palestinian-Canadian doctor who has created low-cost 3D-printed medical devices to h...

Restart Radio: Protecting our personal data in an age of connected devices

02 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, Janet, Ugo and Dave Lukes discuss our personal data being collected and held elsewhere, focusing on the new EU regulation on d...

Restart Radio Takeover: “It’s MY device!”

25 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this month's Radio “takeover”, Restart volunteers Ben Skidmore, Dave Lukes and Steve Cook proclaim "It's MY Device!": they talk about our right...

Restart Podcast Ep 31: Software obsolescence with Ross Anderson

17 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Ugo interview Professor Ross Anderson, an expert on Security Engineering at Cambridge University, on the topic of software obsolescence. F...

Restart Radio: Wildlife conservation and the role of open, repairable technology

11 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ugo interviews Alasdair Davies, who has been working as a conservation technologist for over 10 years. Alasdair introduces us to his work on bringing ...

Restart Radio: Ada Lovelace Day and the stories of women in STEM

04 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Janet and Isabel interview Suw Charman-Anderson, founder of the Ada Lovelace Day (ALD), which annually supports and increases the vis...

Restart Radio Takeover: Why we replace our phones

28 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In our monthly Radio "takeover", Restart volunteers own the show. This time, we have Ben Skidmore, Panda and Steve Cook discussing our relationship wi...

Restart Podcast Ep 30: Afrotech Fest and Afrofuturism

20 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Janet and Dave interview Florence Okoye and Debs Durojaiye, two of the organisers of the Afrotech Fest, an exciting event which took place in London a...

Restart Radio: Repairing in school and Apple’s “zero waste”

14 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Janet and Ugo talk with Estefania Suquilanda, who is introducing repair into a school in New York City. We then discuss Apple's recent claims on being...

Restart Radio: Elinor Ostrom and the commons

08 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Janet and Neil interview Goldsmiths Political Economy Lecturer Derek Wall about his new book "Elinor Ostrom's Rules for Radicals", based on the fascin...

Restart Radio: Rare-earth minerals in Greenland with Lise Autogena and Josh Portway

02 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, we talk to artists Joshua Portway and Lise Autogena about their documentary ‘Kuannersuit / Kvanefjeld’, about a small town...

Restart Radio Takeover: Why we repair in the community

22 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We're trying something new. Our volunteers are a crucial part of our work at Restart, and frequently appear as guests on our show. This week, and once...

Restart Radio: World Radio Day and electronics in the wake of Brexit

14 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On International World Radio Day, Ugo is joined by Restart volunteer Ben Skidmore to discuss the future of FM radio, and the future of electronics man...

Restart Podcast Ep 29: Tracing global flows of electronic ‘discards’ with Josh Lepawsky

07 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to Josh Lepawksy - Associate Professor in Geography at the Memorial University of Newfoundland - about his work in the field of 'Dis...

Restart Radio: Medical technology in/on the body

31 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Medicine has been revolutionised by technology that goes on - and in - our body. In these cases, questions of durability and reliability can become ma...

Restart Radio: How repair informs design with Beeline

24 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today on Restart Radio, Ugo and Neil talk to Charlie Bruce and Tom Putnam from Beeline: a smart compass for cycling. A simple piece of hardware that d...

Restart Podcast Ep. 28: Disruptive design and unlocking wonderment with Leyla Acaroglu

16 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In our first monthly Restart Podcast of the year, Dave talks to Leyla Acaroglu: self-described designer, systems thinker and sustainability provocateu...

Restart Radio: Flatpack electronics plus battery and CPU failures

10 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In our first radio show of 2018, we cover a range of topics: from learning about modularity through flatpack electronics, to the recent Apple battery ...

Restart Radio: What does Bitcoin mining mean for the environment?

21 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The soaring value of Bitcoin has been all over the media recently. But what is Bitcoin, and especially what is the environmental cost of 'mining' it? ...

Restart Radio: Voice-controlled Assistants and “Smart Speakers”

13 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In the lead up to Christmas, commuters around London are being bombarded with advertisements for voice-controlled home assistants - in particular the ...

Restart Radio: Exploring personal data at the Glass Room

06 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

You can tell a lot about a person from their data: from the places they go, to the length of their work-out, to their preferred breakfast cereal. And ...

Restart Podcast Ep. 27: How to Restart the World with Lewis Dartnell

29 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Lewis Dartnell, fellow of astrobiology at the University of Leicester, asked himself a difficult question. If tomorrow we woke up and all the technolo...

Restart Radio: Breaking the world record for community repair

22 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How many gadgets do you need to fix to break a world record? The repair café held in Cambridge earlier this month has set the new magic number: 232. ...

Restart Radio: Glitch art by refurbisher RDKL Inc

15 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Lauren and Ugo talk to John Bumstead - an artist and laptop refurbisher whose company 'RKDL Inc' (pronounced "Roadkill") gives a new life to ol...

Restart Radio: Robot pets

09 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Japan has long been at the forefront of the design and manufacture of robot pets: from the Tamagotchi to the Sony Aibo. But how would these gadget-cri...

Restart Radio: Open-sourcing the Internet of Things

01 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The rapidly-growing Internet of Things (IoT) takes multiple forms: some more useful than others. Broadly defined, the Internet of Things refers to any...

Restart Podcast Ep. 26: Fixers united at the first Fixfest

24 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

On the weekend of 6-8 of October, we hosted the first International Fixfest in London. It was an incredible chance for repairers, makers, activists, t...

Restart Radio: Tech repair myths

18 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Restart Radio: Community repair, neurodiversity and mental health

11 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Restart Radio coincided with World Mental Health Day. We talk about how repair can contribute to greater social cohesion and individual wel...

Restart Podcast Ep. 25: Goodbye iSlave (Pt.2)

03 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 'Go...

Restart Podcast Ep. 24: Goodbye iSlave (Pt 1)

27 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 '...

Restart Radio: Camping Gadgets

19 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Restart Radio: Lovefone’s vision for thriving commercial repair

13 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we talk to Rob Kerr from Lovefone - an independent mobile repair store - about the relationship between manufacturers and repairers. The app...

Restart Podcast Ep. 23: 5th Birthday Special

26 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 P...

Restart Radio: repairing across generations

19 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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, ...

Restart Radio: Can a circular economy be driven by cities?

13 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Restart Radio: Repair in the U.S. with Fixit Clinic

05 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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'. T...

Restart Podcast Ep. 22: Greening the internet

27 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Restart Radio: A second wave of “wearables” for consumers?

21 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

After the infamous failure of Google Glass, it seemed that people were still unconvinced about the idea of wearable technology. Videos taken with Goo...

Restart Radio: Keyboards and the durability of interfaces

14 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Restart Radio: Designing consumer rights and trust

08 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 ou...

Restart Radio: 3D sound, hardware and software

01 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 rea...

Restart Podcast Ep. 21: Tim Hunkin and the Secret Life of Machines

24 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 exami...

Restart Radio: DIY radiation monitoring with Safecast and ransomware attacks

18 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talk about two kinds of risk: one environmental, and one technical. From Citizen Science projects to community-run operating systems, w...

Restart Radio: Digital archaeology with Jim Boulton

10 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Janet and Neil are joined by Jim Boulton, ‘digital archaeologist’ and curator of the exhibition 64 Bits, a project that chronicles the history of ...

Restart Radio: TFix and ‘better than new’ repairs

04 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk to Tad Vaas from TFix, a repair centre in South London that mixes corporate and consumer repairs with a very interesting twist. TFix ...

Restart Radio: The parallel worlds of the tinkerer and the grower

28 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Most people think of electronics and gardening as two very distinct hobbies, belonging to two very different worlds. But there are some striking simil...

Restart Podcast Ep. 20: Maker culture in Shenzhen and sustainable design

20 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Shenzhen, China is home to over 4,000 product design firms and has been labelled the ‘city of design’. But does this create opportunities for more...

Restart Radio: Sensing gadget failures and frustrations in Belgium

13 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk to Simon November from Test-Achats (Test-Aankoop) in Belgium, an association that uses crowdsourcing to identify ‘hot-spots’ of cons...

Restart Radio: The Past and Future of London’s Computer Fairs

05 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

After the demise of the repair shops on Tottenham Court Road, London’s repair businesses took a blow. But a visit to Stratford Computer Fair reveals...

The Restart Podcast Ep. 19: High school repair and the next generation of Restarters

30 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today we head to the US, where a group of high school students and teachers talk to us about an exciting project that began as just a pop-up stall in ...

Restart Radio: Behind the Apple Genius Bar

27 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Those who make it behind the Genius Bar are under legal obligation to not disclose information about Apple. Today, joined by Restarter David Méry, we...

Restart Radio: The small but powerful Raspberry Pi

15 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

On the 14th of March, International ‘Pi Day’, Ugo is joined by Restart volunteer Ben Skidmore and Raspberry Pi Creator Eben Upton. The Raspberr...

Restart Radio: Hoverboards and throw-away toys for ‘big kids’

09 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When we grow up, we buy things for sensible reasons, and don’t lose get bored or lose interest with our ‘toys’… or so the story goes. But rece...

Restart Podcast ep. 18: Gendered gadgets

01 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we explore the qualities in our gadgets that are aimed at a particular gender. Whether it’s as obvious as a pink diamante-studded t...

Restart Radio: The language of our gadgets

22 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our devices talk to us all the time. It is easy to forget that these blips, bleeps and bloops are not merely generated by the things themselves: they ...

Restart Radio: Saving whitegoods from waste

17 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Ugo is joined by Lawrence Carey, one of the founders of the Whitegoods Trade Association. Lawrence sheds some light on the complex relation...

Restart Radio: Sustaining Virtual Reality

09 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 question...

Restart Podcast Ep. 17: Drones aren’t just for Christmas

02 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 intere...

Restart Radio: Sifting through London’s recycling woes

26 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 recy...

Restart Radio: Backups and ‘the cloud’

18 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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!...

Restart Radio: The Future of Personal Listening

12 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Restart Radio: The Challenges of Winter

22 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Restart Radio: E-toys and connected toys

16 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Restart Podcast Ep. 16: Steve the Spindoctor (part 2/2)

08 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In part 2 of our special 2-part podcast, we join Steve the Spindoctor again for a day in the life of an appliance repairer. Back in the van, Dave talk...

Restart Podcast Ep 15: Steve the Spindoctor (Part 1/2)

01 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Restart Radio: Black Friday and consumer confidence

24 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 equip...

Restart Radio: Policy tips from Brussels

17 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week Ugo returns from Brussels where he’s been investigating the policy conversations that are happening around products and their durability. ...

Restart Radio: Restarting in Leicester

11 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

After running together from our Parliamentary Restart Party, we had the pleasure of chatting with Marie Lefebvre and Divya Pujara of the Leicester Fix...

Restart Radio: Connected device horrors

04 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

After our recent "Remote Kill Switch" episode, we have been collecting connected device horror stories. Only a couple of weeks ago, a bunch of CC T...

Restart Radio: Have we taken thin too far?

02 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We started this show with a discussion about one of the most iconic mini consumer devices - the iPod, which turned 15 years old this month. Older i...

Restart Podcast Ep 14: Boosting reuse

20 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Remember the three Rs? Reduce, reuse, recycle? Why is there so much focus on recycling and so little on the other Rs? Why do perfectly useable product...

Restart Radio: Revealing our repair economy

06 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Every day we see repair shops and hardware stores closing. For years in London, we've watched the vibrant repair economy along Tottenham Court Road de...

Restart Radio: The age of the remote kill switch

28 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

So last week we aired our podcast about updates. While we did definitely address “bad updates” and how they cause anxiety and annoyance, the gener...

Restart Podcast Ep 13: Updates… the good, the bad and the meh

20 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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'...

Restart Radio: 3D printing, from prosthetics to blender spare parts

15 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Restart Radio: Eco-labelling of laptops

13 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Together with Restarter Dave Lukes, we interviewed environmental journalist Maxine Perella about changes announced by the European Commission to "eco-...

Restart Radio: A phone box turns repair shop

05 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

While commercial repairers of small electricals are increasingly hard to find on the high street, there's one category of repair businesses on the ris...

Restart Radio: How long our stuff should last

28 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

There is a quite widespread perception that things do not last as long as they used to. How does this impact what we say and, more importantly, what w...

Restart Radio: Mobile and retro-gaming (Pokémon GO content warning!)

21 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We started this episode with a discussion of recent gaming sensation Pokémon GO, which is an "augmented reality" game where users track and interact ...

Restart Radio: A community repair revival in Argentina

14 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Recently we got an invitation to meet from an Instagram account that had caught our attention - the Club de Reparadores in Buenos Aires. We immedia...

Restart Podcast Ep 12: A natural history of our gadgets

06 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We've all heard that our gadgets contain valuable minerals, and that they have toxic components. But what do we really know about what is inside our g...

Restart Radio: A tour of the Youtube repair “ecosystem”

30 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We talked this week about how online information has truly revolutionised electronics repair. Ever since the early days of the internet, people have b...