The Restart Project Podcast

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Restart Radio: Greening the internet with Greenpeace Dec 13, 2018

Show notes

We interview Andrew Hatton, Head of IT at Greenpeace UK. We talk about the environmental implications of using the Internet and Greenpeace's campaign on the topic. First, we discuss a vote by members states of the European Union (EU) on new measures which can have crucial implications for the repairability of our products. Along with other organisations, we coordinated a "welcoming committee" in Brussels in front of the EU Council: the first ever protest for our right to repair, at least in Europe. Also in tech news: Amazon will start selling Apple products directly on its platform and, in return, small refurbishers not authorised by Apple will be kicked out of the online store. This level of control by such powerful companies is deeply worrying. The episode focuses on Greenpeace and their longstanding campaigning for a greener Internet. Back in 2012, the organisation was already focused on this issue - they published a report and they protested at the Apple store in Regent Street, London. Pretending to be Apple staff, the so-called 'Apple geniuses', they informed customers about Apple's excessive reliance on coal for its cloud services. Cloud services include the vast array of online platforms we use daily to work, share files or watch movies (such as iCloud, Google Drive or Netflix). Given their massive traffic, we need to put pressure on the big companies enabling these services to adopt more sustainable practices, such as shifting to renewable energies. Companies need to be critical about where their energy comes from and about their plans for a greener cloud. These practices are analysed by Greenpeace, resulting in their striking scorecards. These rank companies according to criteria such as their energy supply, transparency around energy use and sources, and advocacy. Andrew emphasises the importance of companies pushing for change, highlighting Google or Salesforce as leaders, and others like Amazon as 'laggards'. In 2019, Greenpeace will publish an updated report examining the current ranking of companies' data centres - the engines that power cloud services. They look particularly at Virginia (United States) as the 'data centre capital' of the world. It has been estimated that around 70% of Internet traffic passes through Virginia's data centres. Still, there are not many alternatives today to using these online services, and even organisations like Greenpeace need to make compromises. Andrew takes us through some of these tensions, for instance when buying IT equipment or choosing cloud providers, and how they try to select the most sustainable suppliers. We also talk about the pressure from the tech industry to weaken legislation that could push for greener tech. We too share our frustration with manufacturers as they keep lobbying against our right to repair what we own. Finally, we comment on the hardware, on the importance of upgrading the devices that power data centres. These servers components are devices with a massive embodied energy, so we should make sure that they keep running for long, and that they are easier to upgrade and repair.

Restart Podcast Ep. 37: Voices of UK fixers Nov 28, 2018

Show notes

Fixfest UK gathered 59 community repair activists from all across the country, representing 25 different repair groups. This event was all about sharing the love for fixing, as well as common visions and opportunities for collaborations. With the day’s theme of ‘Hope’, many ideas emerged to work for sustainable and impactful repair action in our communities. In this episode, we talk to some of Fixfest UK participants, who share their experiences. They talk about their group's work, their motivations and aims. This was the first Fixfest UK, after last year’s international edition, and it happened in Manchester, the home of the first atom splitting, first co-op store, and first programmable computer. The event started with a warm-up session led by our podcaster Dave Pickering. It is unusual to be surrounded by so many other people who run community repair groups in their communities, and that is what makes Fixfest so unique. Throughout the day, participants attended and ran multiple sessions, covering topics ranging from hands-on skillshares to policy discussions around our Right to Repair. We also had an unexpected repair on site! There was an 'out of order' sign on the toilet at the venue which led to some participants performing some good 'guerrilla repair'. Participants also shared some of their most memorable repair stories, some featuring a porcelain bunny, a radio or a hedge trimmer. Others commented on the best moments of Fixfest: from visualising community repair events as sites for social change to promoting more inclusive fixing spaces. Also at Fixfest, 25 community repair groups drafted the Manchester Declaration, which brings together the grassroots frustration experienced by people at our events, when they realise that their products are breaking long before they should.

Restart Radio: Photographing repair culture Nov 15, 2018

Show notes

Mark Phillips tells us about his work photographing the practice, people and communities involved in repair culture - from Cuba to our very own Restart Parties. First, we discuss some tech news. Two "yay-boo" stories from Apple: recycled aluminium in computers and its pilot programme for repair of some 'vintage' devices. Both seem like good news at the outset, but are undermined by Apple's attempts to restrict third party and DIY repairs, which can help so many more people and save so many more resources. Lastly, we discuss the latest updates on the case of Korean Samsung workers: the company has finally released a mediation plan to compensate workers who were exposed to carcinogenic substances. We reflect on the human stories hidden behind complex supply chains. Mark is at home with complexity, with a background in engineering, but he has been photographing since he was a child. His interest in repair culture started in Cuba when he travelled there for an academic conference. He came across an old car with an adjustable wrench in the door, took a photo, and then he immersed himself in a long-term project capturing 'the never-ending life of Cuban things'. We talk about how devices have been getting more complex to repair. Mark is, however, fascinated by people across the world that manage to repair what might seem impossible today. In Cuba, people will find a way around a faulty product, they will creatively find the hacks and materials to bring things back to life. As Mark said, 'Some might look weird, but they are still functional!' Nobody would wish to live under the difficult conditions that drive repair culture in certain parts of the world. However, these photographs and these stories can provoke us to rethink the system we live in - to expand the limits of creativity and the possibilities of the materials and resources around us. In fact, Mark has found these examples in Cuba and recently in Ghana, but also here in the UK when photographing the repair culture that emerges at community events such as our Restart Parties. Mark also talks about the practical difficulties of photographing at a repair event, given the busy environment and the not always best lighting. And of course, we also comment on cameras themselves, an item that tends to be hard to fix, including at our community repair events. Finally, we share our views on the future of repair culture. Mark tells us about some sustainable design projects that have inspired him and given him hope, such as Isla Bikes (bicycles for children on a leasing model) and Fairphone (easily repairable modular smartphone). We talk about the importance of people who find solutions to problems, from the repair activity at community repair groups, to the creativity of designers that come up with more repairable and long-lasting products.

Restart Podcast Ep. 36: Fixing the impossible with Rico Cerva Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

We interview independent professional repairer Rico Cerva, to celebrate the crucial contribution that repair businesses make to extend the life of all the gadgets we use. We talk about the personal stories behind people’s devices, the barriers to repair caused by manufacturers and the future of repair as a profession. On Saturday 20 October we celebrated Repair Day worldwide, with over 150 events that gathered people to fix together. Repair Day is about making repair more visible, and it includes the work of community groups but also that of independent repair professionals, like Rico. We are in Rico's family home in Basildon, where he has set up his fixing lab. A typical work day for Rico is ‘like opening Christmas presents every morning’. He gets his orders through the post from individuals and repair shops worldwide, and he fixes them all on the same day (sometimes over 10 phones). Most of the faults he repairs have to do with dead phones, no longer switching on. Some present extraordinary challenges, like his successful data recovery from an iPhone X - which had been destroyed by a baboon (or a chimpanzee)! https://www.instagram.com/p/BmONeCcFVSm/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet This year's edition of Repair Day focused on our Right to Repair what we own. In line with this movement, Rico tells us about the barriers he faces when repairing devices. One example is the lack of publicly available schematics for Apple devices: if published they would ease the diagnosis of faults. Another example is the home button in iPhone 7 and beyond, which can't be replaced by users but rather only by Apple! Although he is only 23, Rico already claims 'to fix the impossible'. Rico tells us how he became interested in repair when his dad smashed his PlayStation with the car. Rico managed to get it back to life, and from then he wouldn't stop tinkering with and fixing other people's devices. He then moved to the UK from his home in Cyprus and worked in remanufacturing, running quality control on smartphones, and from there he eventually started working as a fixer at iSmash. In his free time, he would do fixes at home, shared through Instagram, concentrating on what repair businesses normally can't do and ultimately decided to become fully independent with his own repair business. Finally, Rico takes us through a repair in action, fixing the famous touch IC disease on an iPhone 7 (where the device switches on but gets stuck on the Apple logo screen). We open up the phone, we explore its components and we manage to fix the audio chip responsible for the fault.

Restart Radio: Celebrating community repair and announcing #RepairDay Oct 11, 2018

Show notes

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

In this show, we share our excitement for upcoming International Repair Day, which takes place on Saturday 20 October. This will be a day to celebrate repair worldwide, and there are many ways to get involved whether you are an individual, business or community repair group. Share your passion for repair (and your fixes!) using #RepairDay to join the global conversation, share and learn new skills at a community repair event, or visit your local repair shop to get your products back to life!

If you are running a repair event on the day please register here, and if you want to find your closest event happening on the day check the Repair Day map.

We also reflect on the recent Fixfest UK, which happened last weekend in Manchester. Almost 60 repair activists got together representing repair groups across the UK, from Scotland to Northern Ireland to Wales and England. This event was a brilliant opportunity to strengthen the UK repair network. Throughout the day, various workshops and discussions covered many topics relevant to community repair: from increasing inclusivity at events to promoting online communities, to practical sessions on circuit boards and soldering. You will hear more about Fixfest in an upcoming Restart podcast!

One of the sessions at Fixfest was about the Right to Repair movement – making repair more accessible and cheaper in the future. We’ve been recently campaigning to put pressure on the European Commission, which was considering indefinitely postponing a vote on a package of measures affecting the repairability of our products. Thanks to multiple initiatives, including a letter to the Commission we co-signed with other 54 organisations, the vote will go ahead in December/January. This presents an opportunity for changes such as requiring manufacturers of white goods (fridges, washing machines and dishwashers) to provide spare parts for at least 7 years! However, Italy, Germany and the UK are key countries opposed to this change, so we need to keep raising awareness and putting pressure.

Then, we go over to discuss other tech news. In line with our claim for our Right to Repair, we talk about the recent ‘kill switch’ present in the newest MacBook Pros. Apple has installed what they claim to be a security chip, which could disable the laptop software if parts are replaced by a non-authorised repairer. iFixit did a test to try this out and it is apparently not yet active. However, there is a threat that once these laptops are no longer under warranty, this switch might disable your device if you take it to an independent repairer.

We also talk about Surya Raghavendran, the inspiring 17-year-old from Michigan who has been all over the news. This avid repairer realised that some of his fixes of iPhones were useless, due to a software update by Apple disabling the third party screens he was using to repair. Other tech news we commented on included the recent pay rise of Amazon workers, the hacker who leaked information from 50 million Facebook accounts or the end of Google+ also for data breaches.

Links:

Open Repair Alliance: Get involved in Repair Day 2018
The Restart Project: Inspired and energised from Fixfest UK
Petitions for the Right to Repair and longer-lasting products: UK, Germany, Italy
Motherboard: Apple’s new proprietary software locks will kill independent repair on new MacBook pros
iFixit: Apple’s secret repair kill switch hasn’t been activated – yet
Motherboard: This 17-y.o. has become Michigan’s leading Right to Repair advocate
BBC: Amazon raises wages amidst criticism
The Verge: Facebook hacker stole login information for 50 million accounts
The Guardian: Google to shut down Google+ after failing to disclose user data breach

The post Restart Radio: Celebrating community repair and announcing #RepairDay appeared first on The Restart Project.

Restart Podcast Ep. 35: Exploring the critical materials in our electronics Sep 26, 2018

Show notes

We interview researcher Jessika Luth Richter from Lund University. The topic: the ‘critical’ materials that are found in our electronics – what makes materials ‘critical’, their global supplies, their mining, and how little we recycle them. We also discuss the demand of some of these materials for renewable energy.

First, Jessika walks us through some of the critical materials that are essential for our smartphones to function: some are needed for touch screens (like indium and tin), others for batteries (like cobalt), and many more make up the electronics, from wires to micro capacitors.

Both the European Union and the United States have published lists containing the materials they consider critical: 27 and 35 respectively. So whether a material is labelled as critical will vary depending on each region’s supply chain and demand for materials.

Then, we discuss how critical raw materials can be found in many deposits around the world. However, not all countries have developed the expertise to mine them safely and affordably, and currently most import them from China. While there are reserves in Europe, there isn’t enough drive to ensure mining complies with environmental legislation at European level while still being profitable.

While you might not have heard of critical raw materials before, ‘conflict minerals’ may sound more familiar. However, not all conflict materials are considered critical. Conflict zones imply supply risks, potentially making a material critical, however there can still be other sources, as is the case with gold.

Next, we talk about issues when recycling critical materials. With a few exceptions, like cobalt or tungsten, critical materials have very low recycling rates. These materials are found in various parts of our devices, and also in very small amounts. This makes it hard to separate these materials after they are shredded in recycling facilities. Jessika talks about some innovative technologies that could make this process more efficient. However, she points out that the unpredictable demand of these materials makes it difficult for these technologies to develop.

Despite their unpredictable demand, there are technologies which will rely extensively on critical raw materials, for instance renewable technologies like wind turbines or solar panels.

Lastly, we reflect on how each of us can work towards a more responsible use of critical raw materials. At a minimum, Jessika suggests, we should be thinking more about the products we purchase and embracing repair to make things last for longer. Keeping products in the loop, Jessika adds, we can slow the demand for these materials, while giving more time for recycling technologies to thrive.

Jessika Luth Richter is currently collaborating with Restart to the ‘Refer’ project, a European network of universities working to raise awareness about critical raw materials.

Links:

Lund University: Jessika Luth Richter
European Commission: Critical Raw Materials
U.S. Department of the Interior: 35 minerals deemed critical to the U.S.
BBC Sound Effects Library for the coal mining sounds in the podcast

The post Restart Podcast Ep. 35: Exploring the critical materials in our electronics appeared first on The Restart Project.

Restart Radio: Welcoming a new Repair Cafe in Glasgow Sep 13, 2018

Show notes

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 tech news from the last few weeks. Then we talk about the community repair movement and how it is spreading across Scotland and the UK.

Consumer organisation Which? has called attention to laptop repair rip-offs happening in the UK. The study also shows that independent small scale repairers seem generally cheaper and more trustworthy compared to large chains.

We talk about the importance of trust in repair – Jon highlights how people need to feel comfortable with the service, price and general information given when you take your device to be repaired. Lauren adds that in Glasgow large stores make a lot of profit while small stores are more scarce however they seem more connected to the locals and have more regulars. We also talk about issues with data recovery, a primary goal for many customers however generally difficult for repair stores to fix – while you are here, why not back up your data?

Other news revolve around bike-sharing as a new frontier of electronic waste. As these bikes contain electronics – to help locate or unlock them – it is crucial that companies deal with waste appropriately. While there is no evidence that this is an issue in the UK right now, it already is in the United States and China. Lastly, we also talk about recent news that Apple has reached a value of a trillion dollars. Put in perspective, this is about a third of the whole value of the UK’s GDP and a fifteenth of the cost of the 2007-8 financial crisis. We reflect on the size and power of this company, and the implications for demanding changes in terms of product design and repairability.

After the news review, we delve into Repair Cafe Glasgow – its origins and future projects. Jon and Lauren started this community repair group just this April, thanks to funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Fund. They are currently running repair events on each third Sunday of the month at a local community centre in Glasgow.

Despite being a very young group, they are very set on spreading around, and have already done various pop-up events in different parts of the city. They see themselves as part of the wider repair movement, and hence they aim to get to as many people as possible. While some of the volunteers have strong repair skills, others join because they are insterested in sustainability and want to be involved while they upskill. We also discuss the value of iFixit repair guides for their volunteers (and also for ours at Restart Parties)!

In terms of age, they seem to be attracting quite young participants and volunteers. While they are delighted to inspire younger generations to tinker and repair, they want to put more emphasis on intergenerational skillshares. They also recognise the gender divide at their events, where women stick to textile and men to electronics repairs. To change this, they are planning to run workshops for women and non-binary people in the following months.

Finally, we talk about Repair Cafe Glasgow’s interest in campaigning, and we discuss upcoming International Repair Day on 20 October, when they will be hosting one of their Repair Cafes. They’re also already actively contributing repair data to our Fixometer database, which aims to raise the public’s voice and role in policy conversations around our right to repair what we own.

Links:

Which?: Laptop repairs – Why the UK’s biggest brands are failing to deliver
Repair Cafe Glasgow: About
Facebook: Repair Cafe Glasgow
iFixit: Restart guides
Resource: Bike-share companies accused of creating e-waste mountains
Information is beaution: Trillions
The Guardian: Apple becomes world’s first trillion-dollar company
Restart: The Fixometer
Open Repair Alliance: Save the date – International Repair Day

The post Restart Radio: Welcoming a new Repair Cafe in Glasgow appeared first on The Restart Project.

Restart Radio Takeover: ‘Smart’ homes – the hype and worries about IoT Aug 01, 2018

Show notes

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 issues of security when using these connected devices. First, Dave takes us through some tech news. We start citing some recent research into batteries that could be charged faster, and also Trump's support for the merger of US TV stations Sinclair and Tribune Media. We then talk about how in South Korea Samsung has finally agreed to accept arbitration over the leukemia cases affecting workers at its plans, first reported 10 years ago. This is a longstanding problem with other electronics companies as well, associated with the toxic chemicals used in manufacturing gadgets. We then turn to the recent Huawei's PR-stunt: people were promised a free Huawei smartphone in return for just literally smashing their 'old' (non-Huawei) ones at their Soho store in London. Not only is this mindless consumption but an awful contribution to the growing problem of ewaste (see our post below). Our volunteers also warn that hammering these phones could also be quite unsafe due to the risk of explosions when mishandling their lithium batteries. Next, we talk about the Internet of Things (or, as Panda called it, 'the Internet of Sh*t') and smart homes (which also work thanks to IoT technology). Andrew shares how back in the 2000s, before these products were commercialised, he set up a smart home himself. Having to spend much time abroad for work, he wanted a system to keep track of his home remotely, or to switch on the heating on his way back. We also talk about how doing things yourself makes you very invested in the technology - Andrew managed to reduce his electricity bill by 55%! Also, not relying on a company gives him more control over his data, and he doesn't have to worry about companies' system failures, which can temporarily leave costumers without control or even access to their homes. We then reflect on questions of durability and security of IoT devices: how long will connected gadgets last? How long will they be supported with security updates? While these technologies have potential benefits such as using our electricity more efficiently, we need to be aware of associated risks related to privacy and security. For example, the mere usage of these devices can leak much information, to the extent that researchers have found a link between smart meters tracking and what TV shows you watch! More worryingly, there is the threat of other people taking control of your devices. For example the InControl app available to Jaguar Land Rover car users, which could be used by former owners if not unbound, potentially tracking or unlocking the car's doors. We also discuss the issue of 'IoT gaslighting': some people are reporting having their house controlled by ex-partners: lighting, heating or even door locks! Also, disconnecting the devices can lead to further violence by the abuser. We end up discussing what is a 'smart' device. Our gadgets are becoming more technologically advanced, yet connected devices are part of a network which can be hacked. Not to mention other not-so-advanced devices, such as smart locks, which can be hacked using Bluetooth, or just... a screwdriver!

Restart Podcast Ep. 34: Improvisation and collective spirit in Brazilian repair culture Jul 25, 2018

Show notes

We interview Brazilian technologist and researcher Felipe Fonseca, who has long been on our radar screen. Dave and Janet discuss with Felipe the role of improvisation in problem-solving and repair, and we learn from Brazilian approaches to repurposing discarded technology. First, Felipe tells us about the origin of his project "MetaReciclagem", which started collecting discarded PCs and reviving them with free open software. These were then either used by various social projects, or repurposed or turned into artworks. At the time of MetaReciclagem (2002) the Brazilian government was showing a budding interest in Linux for public projects, and in increasing public access to technology. This occurred against the backdrop of the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre. Metareciclagem sprung from the hope that free and open-source technology would help address social inequalities. Noting that, currently Brazil is living a very different and darker political moment. In this edit, we did not have time to include Felipe's concerns about the ongoing crisis in his country, with an unelected government and serious questions hanging over upcoming Presidential elections. He told us that the current scenario seems "unpredictable", as Lula da Silva - ex-President and strongest candidate - is currently in jail. (In second place in the polls there is extreme-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro.) We focus on Brazilian cultural practices of mutirão and gambiarra. The mutirão is an informal and collaborative gathering to solve a problem or achieve a common goal, while the gambiarra has to do with fixing specific things through improvisation, even when one lacks the appropriate tools or resources. While these practices may be specific to Brazil, we recognise their spirit in every culture and definitely in every Restart Party. Felipe shares his concerns that these skills may be disappearing as the economy grows, with Brazilians buying into the throw-away culture. He fears people will lose this appetite for improvisation that can help them diagnose and fix their stuff - as he puts it: "you shouldn’t need to study for 8 years to replace a light switch". Then, we reflect on the meaning and purposes of the "maker" culture. Felipe talks about his shift from an initial enthusiasm about the concept to a gradual realisation of its obsession with careless innovation. He confesses that labelling his work as "making" can draw people in, however his actual aim is to promote collaborative projects driving sustainability and social inclusion. We also discuss the importance of local action as a powerful driver for national change. In the context of Ubatuba, Fonseca's region, he is focusing on sharing spaces for social and innovation projects and making the region a spot for open source technology. Interwoven with Fonseca's interview, we also hear from Restart Party goer Joseph Brant, who managed to fix his smart TV himself. With basic soldering skills gained at Restart Parties, access to information on the internet - some of it in Chinese, and a big amount of patience, Joseph tinkered with the circuit board and managed to repair the device, replacing a fuse and a capacitor. More than anything, from his achievement we learn about the power of improvisation in fixing the things that we own. Links: Metareciclagem Gambologia Makery: Repair Culture by Felipe Fonseca AFP "Nostalgic for Brazil's dictatorship, Bolsonaro looks to presidency" [Feature image by Leonardo Feltrin Foletto, from the site Baixacultura.org]

Restart Radio: Cameras, the eternal and disposable – analog, digital, mobile and GoPros Jul 18, 2018

Show notes

Ugo interviews Philip Le Riche, Restart volunteer and retired cybersecurity professional - about his passion for camera repair. We talk about the technological development of these very summertime devices, and the consequent changes in their repairability and product lifetime. First, we discuss some news. While many this week may be excited about discounts on Amazon Prime Day, we highlight the news in the background: Amazon workers in various European countries are striking for fairer wages and working conditions. Also, with the increasing success of online retail, high street shops are going through hard times. Or even, like Maplin, closing down. It has been estimated that up to 10,000 stores will be closing down in the UK in 2018, and one of the reasons why is the higher incidence of business rates on these stores compared to online retailers. We discuss how repair shops are also affected by this trend, while, at the same time, online marketplaces such as eBay have been a game changer for repairing gadgets, making it easier to get spare parts. Next, we talk about Philip’s interest in cameras. It all started back in 2011, when his cousin’s camera stopped working and Philip took the initiative to take it apart and fix it. This led to him buying and sticking to this same camera model, and to eventually building a great expertise and confidence in repairing it. He then talks about his passion for writing, and for using this medium to share his knowledge and skills with others. Philip has so far been a driving force behind the Restart wiki, including the camera page, and has also created and contributed to guides on iFixit, the most popular online platform for repair manuals. Alongside his volunteering work at Restart Parties, our community repair events, Philip helps at a local school in their Computer Club, where he motivates kids to tinker and repair. He tells us about a camera success story, when two female students managed to repair a broken battery door. We then go through some tips for camera repair, starting with safety. Cameras have a flash capacitor, which may hold a dangerous residual charge long after the camera is switched off, sufficient to give you a nasty shock. While they are normally protected by a plastic shield, it is not always the case. We then talk about some ‘quick wins’, such as what to do with stuck lenses, which normally just need some cleaning - Philip gives some tips to succeed. Now cameras have gone through a rapid technological development. Philip tells us how the shift from film to digital cameras makes them harder to diagnose and hence repair. We also discuss the changing expectations of the longevity of these gadgets - Philip talks about his dad’s cameras, which lasted up to 30 years!, while now updated camera features attract some people to upgrade their smartphones frequently. In terms of repairability, complex smartphones marketed for photography such as the recent Huawei P20 Pro often have very low repairability ratings. We also mention Nikon’s restrictions on providing spare parts to independent repair businesses, reducing chances that broken cameras would be repaired. Finally, we talk about some alternative camera options. Ugo talks about Polaroid Originals (formerly ‘The Impossible Project’), which manufactures film for the classic Polaroids, bringing back public interest for these vintage cameras - we even used them for some Restart team pictures! We learn however that each "roll" of instant film contains a single-use lithium battery, which is hard to extract for recycling. While it is great that Polaroid does share how to disassemble the film, overall these pictures are not just costly economically (2£/ picture) but also environmentally. We end the show discussing waves of interest in other devices such as GoPro, which seems to be on its way out, and how the smartphone has encompassed the function of cameras and other gadgets, like music players.

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