Spimes Not Things

Michael Stead, Paul Coulton and Joseph Lindley

Who is this Manifesto for?

•

This manifesto manifestofocuses is for anyone interested in making thesustainability world a moreinto sustainable The on strategies for incorporating the designand of environmentally placu Internet of Thingsfriendly (IoT ) devices.

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We hope it helps to galvanise product designers, interaction designers, creative technologists and makers into action - the people who have the skills and know how to use materials and technologies to design future sustainable connected products.

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The IoT is rapidly expanding and it is beginning to have both advantages and disadvantages for our society and our planet. The manifesto might therefore also be of interest to environmentalists, connected product manufacturers, tech firms, politicians and legislators - those who campaign for sustainable change and those who have the power to deliver it.

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What are Spimes?

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Spimes is a concept first introduced by the futurist and science fiction writer Bruce Sterling and outlined in his book Shaping Things in 2005.

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A spime would be a type of near future, internet-connected object, which marries physical and digital elements with sustainable characteristics.

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Internet connectivity would enable a physical spime object to be tracked and traced throughout its entire lifecycle, from its initial design and production, to having its components recycled and reused at the end of their life.

•

Making the lifecycle of connected objects more transparent could be an effective way of increasing accountability amongst users, helping them to make more sustainable decisions in regard to the types of connected products they purchase, how they then use them, and, ultimately, how they go about disposing of such devices.

•

Similarly, designers and manufacturers would be charged with ensuring all the materials and energy that go into the manufacture and consumption of a spime device would not be lost at the end of the device’s useful life.

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Given the increasing unsustainability of IoT devices, we think now is the right time to explore the idea in greater depth.

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Spimes Not (Internet of) Things Lots of loud voices are shouting that the IoT is changing many of aspects of our society for the better. Think healthcare, energy, transport, finance, entertainment - billions of everyday objects in all sorts of sectors are being connected to the Internet, But at what cost? Despite all the fanfare, IoT devices are still designed, manufactured and disposed of in the same way that most other consumer products have been for decades - unsustainably. That’s where we think spimes come in...

The lifespan of IoT devices is unsustainable: RAW MATERIALS

PRODUCTION & ASSEMBLY

DESIGN PROCESS

DISTRIBUTION

USE PHASE

DISPOSAL

LANDFILL

In today’s linear economy, IoT product lifespans are designed to brief. Made from cheap, DESIGN PROCESS

easilyPRODUCTION breakable materials, the design of most IoT devices does not incorporate means USE &

DISTRIBUTION

DISPOSAL

PHASE

LANDFILL

ASSEMBLY for repair, upgrade or recycling. The majority of these products cannot be customised or

usefully repurposed. So when new generations of such devices are released with better functionality, sof tware and aesthetics, the old products become redundant and more of ten than not, in time, they will end up as landfill with their precious materials and embodied energy forever lost.

RAW MATERIALS

RECYCLING PROCESS Sustainability would designed into the lifecycle of Spime Objects: DESIGN

In a society built on spimes, we would get out

RAW MATERIALS RECYCLING

RESPONSIBLE DISPOSAL

RESPONSIBLE DISPOSAL DESIGN PROCESS

A SPIME DEVICE WOULD BE TRACKABLE & TRACEABLE THROUGHOUT ITS LIFECYCLE

A SPIME DEVICE WOULD BE TRACKABLE & TRACEABLE THROUGHOUT ITS LIFECYCLE

what we put in. Instead of throwing devices PRODUCTION

& away at the end of their useful life, the materials ASSEMBLY

and energy that go into making and consuming a spime object would be reinvested into more

REPAIR / UPGRADE / CUSTOMISE PRODUCTION & ASSEMBLY

spime objects.

DISTRIBUTIONTheir design would be cyclical as opposed to linear in nature. Unlike IoT devices,

USE PHASE

connecting a spime to the Internet would mean that it could be tracked throughout its lifecycle.

REPAIR / UPGRADE / CUSTOMISE

DISTRIBUTION USE PHASE

We would know where the device has been, where it is, and, where it is going. This would allow us to continually repair, upgrade, customise and recycle spimes, 3

Why is a Manifesto for Spimes important?

Concerned by the lack of action by the design industry, manufacturers and technology firms, we chose to produce this manifesto to highlight the endemic unsustainability of IoT product design culture. Call it a mission statement or call to arms, with it we aim to lay the foundations for a more sustainable Internet-connected product landscape.

The IoT is stuck in the past, spimes are of the future...

TIME

THE PAST

UNSUSTAINABLE IoT DEVICES

THE PRESENT

POTENTIAL SUSTAINABLE SPIME DEVICES

THE FUTURE

The way the IoT is continuing to be designed is old hat. It is time to start designing new types of sustainable connected products and practices. Spimes fit the bill.

Whereas most design manifestos are often ‘statements of beliefs’ or a list of key principles for how to go about conducting potential design practice, in our manifesto we actually include design prototypes.

In the following pages, we share with you 3 examples of how different types of spime objects could potentially be designed in the near future.

But before get to the cool spime products and services, we need to explain a bit more about our design process and the main method we have used to produce them. It’s called ‘Design Fiction’. Read on...

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What is Design Fiction?

Most designers are actively tr ying to solve current actual problems, to make things better, or to produce something for sale or consumption. Design Fiction is different. Rather than solving existing problems, through Design Fiction we can use design practice to ask questions. We do this by designing fictional prototypes but instead of them being created to be put into production, these prototypes are used to encourage people to think critically about the issues that they embody.

Through Design Fiction prototypes we can ask how things might be in the future, why things might be that way, with a view to highlighting potential problems and opportunities. Design Fiction can help us to gain a better understanding about the meanings and values that emerging technologies and products might bring into play should they be adopted by society in the future.

In the following three case studies, we have used Design Fiction methods to envision what the world would be like if spime-like devices and services actually existed. We have not designed the spime prototypes with the intention of putting them into production. They are not finalised ‘end products’ or concrete sustainable solutions. Our three case studies aim to critique the growing unsustainability of the IoT whilst also imagining how connected objects could be designed to be more sustainable in the near future.

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Spime C ase Study 1:

Toaster for Life Our f ir st De sign F ic tion spime protot y pe is the Toaster f or Lif e. We wanted to t ake a boring household produc t that ever y bod y ’s knows well and tur n it into a spime objec t . To do this, we f ocus sed on incor por ating f eature s and technologie s that would make a near f uture toaster repair able, upgr adeable, customis able, rec ycl able, and most impor t antly f or a spime, all of it s indi v idual par t s and component s are tr ackable and tr aceable.

Always. T his would mean that the toaster ’s owner and /or it s manuf ac turer, could keep t abs on the dev ice at all time s. So when it come s to repl acing broken par t s or it is time to get r id the whole thing completely, the se pr ac tice s c an always be managed sust ainably by the user/manuf ac turer.

C ase Stud y 1 helps us to consider potential near f uture changes to...

IoT Business models C ur rent IoT busine s s model s would have to r adic ally change in order to ac commodate a dev ice like the Toaster f or Lif e. People c annot simply repair, customise or upgr ade IoT dev ice s due to their complic ated de sign, their use of dispos able mater ial s, and the f ac t that doing so would void produc t war r antie s. Our toaster is modul ar in de sign so that new par t s c an easily be repl aced and augmented using 3D pr inted rec ycl able mater ial s. A nd with all it s componentr y R F ID t agged , GP S c an pick them up at all time s.

A s a re sult , manuf ac turer s would have to reconsider built in obsole scence str ategie s, improve their af ter- c are ser v ice s and change the nature of produc t war r antie s.

User behaviour T he Toaster f or Lif e would ac ti vely involve it s owner in it s lif ec ycle. T his would make people more ac count able in regard s to how they use their connec ted dev ice s and how they go about re sponsibly disposing of them when they are no longer needed.

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I n o r d er f o r i t t o b e r ep air abl e, we d e c id ed t o make t he f i c t i o nal t o a s ter ‘mod ul ar ’ in d e si gn . T hi s me an s t hat i f a p ar t i c ul ar p ar t w a s t o br e ak o r f a t i gue i t c oul d e a sil y b e s w i t c hed ou t and r epl a c ed w i t h a new o ne.

Many ex i s t ing inter net c o nne c ted d e v i c e s ar e r end er ed u s el e s s a s t heir buil t- in f un c t i o nal i t y b e c o me s ou t of s tep w i t h ad v an c e s in c o mpu t ing , T he t o a s ter ’s mod ul ar i t y t her ef o r e al s o enabl e s c o mpu t ing c o mp o nent s t o b e c o nt inual l y up gr ad ed and r e c o n f i gur ed .

Want an ex t r a sl o t ? P r ef er i t in pink ? Shoul d u s er s’ t a s te s o r ne ed s c hange, new p ar t s and f e atur e s c an b e in c o r p o r ated int o t he d e v i c e t hr ou gh f abr i c at i o n te c hnol o gi e s l ike d o me s t i c 3 D pr int ing .

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Mo s tl y c o mp o s ed of ‘ bi o - pl a s t i c’ and ‘ne o - al uminium’, t he t o a s ter i s 9 0 % r e c y c l abl e. T he s e mater i al s c an b e inf ini tel y r e c y c l ed and u s ed in t he pr od u c t i o n of ad d i t i o nal d e v i c e s i f r e tur ned t o t he manuf a c tur er.

A l mo s t e ver y p ar t of t he d e v i c e i s f i t ted w i t h a ‘nano - R F I D’ t ag . T hi s me an s t hat e a c h p ar t c an b e c ol l e c t i vel y/ ind i v id ual l y t r a c ked and t r a c ed t hr ou ghou t t heir l i f e c y c l e u sing G P S .

T he To a s ter f o r L i f e woul d c hange t he natur e of t he r el at i o n ship b et we en manuf a c tur er s and u s er s . T hing s l ike pr od u c t s af et y, pr od u c t w ar r ant y and c u s t o mer supp o r t woul d have t o e v ol ve t o a c c o mmod ate t he d e v i c e’s f i ve su s t ainabl e at t r ibu te s .

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Spime C ase Study 2:

HealthBand

Would you want to de sign and use your own wear able medic al dev ice? Our second f ictional spime protot y pe is HealthB and , a Do -It-Your self medic al wear able. T he inter net has made digit al technologie s like open source elec tronic s and C A D sof t ware ver y acce s sible and cheap to bu y. It’s ar gued that the maker movement and other ‘democr atised ’ ac ti v itie s that use the se power f ul and f lexible technologie s to de sign connec ted dev ice s are a more env ironment ally f r iendly alter nati ve to the mas s-produc tion / mas s- consumption method s that cur rently char ac ter ise the IoT. Mimicking site s like K ick St ar ter and Indiegogo, we f r amed the HealthB and wear able within a f ic tional online crowdf unding c ampaign. T he c ampaign see s 3 developer s de sign a core module f or the HealthB and wear able f or dif f erent per sonal reasons. Once shared , their de signs could al so benef it other s in societ y.

C ase Stud y 2 helps us to consider potential near f uture changes to...

IoT Policy and regulation T he HeathB and protot y pe helps us to gener ate discus sions about how near f uture, DI Y medic al dev ice s might become widely adopted through social innov ation pr ac tice s and loc alised produc tion channel s. Impor t antly, cur rent produc t policy and associated legislation would need to adapt to accommodate and nur ture democratised IoT design culture while still maintaining adequate product safety and quality standards.

IoT User innovation practices T he l ast dec ade has seen lot s of ‘ordinar y people’ get ting involved in physic al-digit al ‘making’ pr ac tice s and producing new connec ted dev ice s and ser v ice s. Creative, rewarding and of ten altruistic, more should done to encourage people to par ticipate in these types of activities. Such a shif t could be of sizable sustainable and social benefit.

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I n spir ed b y si te s l ike K i c k St ar ter, we c r e ated a f i c t i o nal c r owd f und ing p age f o r t he He al t hB and we ar abl e t o show how p e o pl e c oul d e a sil y get inv ol ved w i t h t he d e v i c e’s d e vel o p ment and pr od u c t i o n .

T he f i c t i o nal we ar abl e’s d e si gn i s mod ul ar w hi c h me an s new mod ul e s w i t h new f un c t i o nal i t y c an e a sil y b e inte gr ated a s and w hen t he y ar e d e vel o p ed .

Per s o nal he al t h d at a c ap tur ed b y a He al t hB and d e v i c e c oul d b e v i ewed v i a an o nl ine app.

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A f i c t i o nal ‘ w hi te p ap er ’ pr od u c ed b y t he U K G o ver nment pr o p o sing l e gali sing D I Y med i c al we ar abl e d e v i c e pr od u c t i o n .

T he U K ’s Nat i o nal He al t h S er v i c e mi ght have t o pr o v id e guid el ine s t o p at i ent s t o en sur e t he y d e vel o p c l ini c al l y s af e d e v i c e s .

To r e gul ate D I Y pr od u c t i o n , p e o pl e mi ght have t o e ven appl y f o r a p er mi t .

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COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Alliance for Sustainable Blockchain Stewardship

The Council and BIG announce the formation of the Alliance for Sustainable Blockchain Stewardship and the creation of the Secure Metahistory Certification Mark For Immediate Release: 23/02/2026 The Council for Science and Technology and Better IoT Global are pleased to announce the formation of the Alliance for Sustainable Blockchain Stewardship and the creation of the Secure Metahistory Certification Mark. The announcement comes after implementation strategies for both initiatives were approved by Government following a year of research and consultation: - The Department for Science and Technology’s white paper The Future is Metahistory: Blockchain, Ecology and the Economy was published 18/01/25 and outlined potential benefits and possible issues with regard to corporate and public adoption and acceptability of Blockchain and the optimisation of consumers’ metahistories.

- Technology and consumer trials held across summer 2025 were successful and provided valuable insights for efficient and secure implementation.

- Open Traceability Protocol and knowledge exchange - the increased transparency granted by metahistory data regards physical and digital materials is deemed to hold transformative possibilities for environmental sustainability.

- Optimisation will also create new markets and generate opportunities for platform development and data mining jobs which in turn will boost the overall economy.

- Blockchain’s inherent decentralisation is a proven secure and robust alternative to traditional centralised transaction systems. There has been growing mistrust amongst the wider public for conventional banking culture since the UK was again plunged into a recession by banking malpractice in spring 2023.

The alliance will work closely with product manufacturers, data platforms and sustainable bodies on advancing open traceability for sustainable benefit.

The certification mark will be used by stores, platforms and applications to denote a secure and sustainable transfer of consumer’s personal metahistories using blockchain and smart contracting processes.

Dr Clement Benway, Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA), c.benway@gov.uk

Certified

Spime C ase Study 3:

YOU IN THE KNOW? The Future IsAREMetahistory

Use History

Tuesday 21st March 2029

Your per sonal IoT dat a is really v aluable. When you use connec ted produc t s and their

User

Duration

Data Usage

as sociated ser v ice s like apps and website s, tech companieData s consumption sneakily har ve st and mo -

Damon

23 mins

nitise your dat a. T hey mine it f or any commercial intel and of ten al so sell it on to other

Friday 24th March 2029

‘inv isible’ par tner s who do the s ame. But what if the v alue of connec ted produc t dat a

User

Duration

m t w t f s s was not money but sust ainable change? Our f inal c ase stud y look s at an at tr ibute of

Kirsten

38 mins

Energy usage spime s c alled met ahistor y. A spime objec t would gener ate met a-dat a about it self at all

time s. We de signed a ser ie s of protot y pe s and ar tef ac t s that help us to st ar t thinking Software updates

about how spime met ahistor ie s might be ‘optimised ’ f or sust ainable gain.

Use History

ARE YOU IN THE KNOW?

Embodied Energy

Tuesday 21st March 2029 User

Duration

Damon

23 mins

Data Usage

META-GLIDE 3000 Connected Steam Iron Technology

Extraction

Data consumption

Friday 24th March 2029 User

Duration

Kirsten

38 mins

m t w t f

Manufacture

s s

Energy usage Software updates

Packaging Distribution

Embodied Energy Materials

Extraction

Product composition:

Manufacture

Aluminium - 25% Bio-Plastic - 70% Miscellaneous - 5%

Disassembly

Packaging Distribution

No glues Magnet fastenings

Disassembly

Recycling

Recycling

92.3% recyclable

Secure Metahistory Certified

Now available at

C ase Stud y 3 helps us to consider potential near f uture changes to...

The ethics of IoT data practices T he way in which people s’ per sonal dat a is handled throughout the IoT today is incred Now available at ibly complex , dif f icult to tr ace, almost inv isible to user s, and , is probably unl aw f ul in many aspec t s. If societ y were adopt to spime met ahistor ie s as pre sented by our pro tot y pe s, technolog y pl at f or ms and ser v ice s would be compelled to make all their data processes and digital infrastructures much more transparent to users. In light of recent data scandals and breaches, transparency of data is something tech firms need to consider in greater depth.

The ownership of IoT data As it’s difficult to keep tr ack of what happens to our dat a, we should do more to protect it by reconsidering our current online practices. We mirror this in the spime based f uture we have de signed. Ever yone would have ac ce s s to ever yone el se’s met ahistor ie s, In this event , we are sure people would consider more c aref ully how they inter ac t online and what inf or mation they share.

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How How How How does does does does Blockchain Blockchain Blockchain Blockchain work? work? work? work?

A blockchain A blockchain A blockchain A blockchain is a is highly aishighly aishighly secure a highly secure secure yet secure yet publicly yet publicly yet publicly distributed publicly distributed distributed distributed ledger ledger ledger ofledger transactions of of transactions of transactions transactions which which which have which have been have have been verified been been verified verified verified across across across a across peer-to-peer a peer-to-peer a peer-to-peer a peer-to-peer (P2P) (P2P) network (P2P) (P2P) network network network which which which typically which typically typically typically consists consists consists consists of many of of many of computers. many many computers. computers. computers.

By using ByBy using By blockchain, using using blockchain, blockchain, blockchain, people people people can people can confirm can confirm can confirm transactions confirm transactions transactions transactions without without without the without the need the need the for need need a for central for a central for a central acertifying central certifying certifying certifying authority, authority, authority, authority, such such as such asuch as bank. as a bank. as a bank.

Today, a bank.

Today, Today, Today, blockchain blockchain blockchain blockchain is being is being is being used is being used for used used an forfor ever anfor an ever growing an ever growing ever growing growing list of listlist applications oflist of applications of applications applications including including including including crypto-transfers, crypto-transfers, crypto-transfers, crypto-transfers, the the trading the trading the trading of trading of of of physical-digital physical-digital physical-digital physical-digital goods, goods, goods, speed goods, speed speed voting speed voting voting and voting and energy and energy and energy resource energy resource resource resource betting. betting. betting. betting.

TheThe transaction The transaction The transaction transaction request request request request is broadcast is broadcast is broadcast is broadcast to the to the global to the to global the global global P2PP2P network P2P network P2P network consisting network consisting consisting consisting of thousands of thousands of thousands of thousands of of of of computers computers computers computers andand servers. and servers. and servers. servers.

Someone Someone Someone Someone requests requests requests requests Each Each of Each these Each of these of is these of these is is is a transaction a transaction a transaction a transaction called called called a node called a node a node a node

buying buying buying buying &&& selling &selling selling selling your your your your devices devices devices devices securely: securely: securely: securely:

made made made made easy easy easy easy

Supported Supported Supported Supported by bybyby

TheThe new The new block The new block new is block then block is then is then is then added added added to added the to the existing to the to existing the existing blockchain. existing blockchain. blockchain. blockchain.

In doing In doing In so, doing In doing the so,so, the data so, the data in the data the in data the block in the in block the becomes block block becomes becomes becomes permanent, permanent, permanent, permanent, unalterable unalterable unalterable unalterable andand highly and highly and highly secure highly secure secure secure

Alliance Alliance Alliance forAlliance for for for Sustainable Sustainable Sustainable Sustainable Blockchain Blockchain Blockchain Blockchain Stewardship Stewardship Stewardship Stewardship

JulyJuly 2029 July 2029 July 2029 2029

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We c r e ated a f i c t i o nal mo bil e app c al l ed L az ar u s w hi c h u t il i s e s bl o c kc hain t o f a c il i t ate gr e ater ‘a s s et t r an sp ar en c y ’ b y t r a c k ing t he o r i gin s and hi s t o r i e s of c o nne c ted pr od u c t s , and ver i f y ing t heir pr o venan c e. We env i s age app l ike L az ar u s mi ght D an P DD ower su s t ainabl e b ehav hel p t o e mp i our b yD hel ping p e o pl e t o s e c ur el y r e c y c l e, r eu s e and r epur p o s e d a t a - r i c h spi me o bje c t s w hen t he y ar e Provenance no l o ngerUse-stories w anted .

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transparency creates sustainability

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Once Once verified, Once Once verified, verified, the verified, thethethe transaction transaction transaction transaction is combined is combined is combined is combined withwith other with other with transactions other other transactions transactions transactions to create to create to create to a new create a new a data new adata new block data block data block block for the forfor the ledger for the ledger the ledger ledger A verified A verified A verified Atransaction verified transaction transaction transaction cancan involve can involve can involve cryptocurrency, involve cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency, contracts, contracts, contracts, contracts, records records records or records or or or other other information other other information information information

Blockchain Blockchain Blockchain Blockchain&& & & Smart Smart Smart SmartContracts Contracts Contracts Contracts

We c r e ated a ne ar f u tur e W hi c h? te c h hel p guid e t o int r od u c e aud i en c e s t o Blockchain Blockchain Blockchain t he te c Blockchain hnol o g y and ex pl ain i t s c o m pl ex i t i e s andDisadvantages ad v ant age s in ter m s Advantages Advantages Advantages Advantages Disadvantages Disadvantages Disadvantages t hat c an b e e a sil y und er s t o od .

Provenance

Digital product:

Materiality

Your order is confirmed and we’ll let you known when it’s on the way.

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View order details

Use-stories

Marvel MCU Box set - Assort ...

d eno te t hat t hi s t r an s a c t i o n inv ol ve s bl o c kc hain pr o c e s s e s w hi c h en sur e s t he s af e t r an s f er of t he t o a s ter ’s s el ler ’s p er s oUse-stories nal met ahi s t o r y d at a .

Provenance Childish Gambino song

Catalogue Number: CGAM18 Label: mcDJ - RCA

Released: 05/05/18

Current Owner: Stanton Mick

Original Purchaser: Donna Hawthorne

Transaction date - 14/03/29

Download Date:

This order contains personal meta-data Embodied Energy

06/05/18

Play no 1:

Secure Metahistory Certification Mark

Apple iPhone 7

Data Demand Play no 2:

Transaction Protected by

Bose Soundlink

DATA SECURITY GUARANTEE

Toaster For Life Sustainable Internet Connected 4 years old

Distribution Impacts

Play no 3:

Item ID: 2829565441019 Physical Quantity: 1 + Meta-data/Provenance data/Digital contracts Estimated delivery: Mon. 14 May. - Wed. 16 May.

Paid: £65.00 with Give your unwanted physical-digital Access your secure metachain products a new lease of life ledger and scroll You through the 26 Nectar points could have collected Start earning Nectar points on eBay now! by gifting them to others products you have gifted Seller: others ubikjoechip1969 or search for other items and received from that you need To complement your purchase:

View your received products’ metahistories and track and trace their provenance and use-stories

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Our metachain technology securely preserves the metahistories of products you have gifted allowing others to also search and discover product pasts

(and counting!) mining

(and counting!) mining

@hotmail.com @hotmail.com

­ ­

A web inter f a c e f o r a f i c t i o nal c l oud d at a - mining pl at f o r m o p er ated b y t he I nter net gi ant A mazo n . S o c al l ed ‘exc av at o r s’ c an si gn up t o mine t he v a s t sil o s of spi me pr od u c t met ahi s t o r i e s f o r c r y p t o - r ew ar d s . I n our f i c t i o n al wo r l d , A mazo n woul d a c c umul ate me mb er ship f e e s and p er c ent age s f r o m su c c e s s f ul l y mined met ahi s t o r y bl o c kc hain s .

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Stop our digital memories from being bought and sold 107,794 have signed. ­

T hi s C hange. o r g p e t i t i o n hi ghl i ght s c o n c er n s t hat s o me p e o pl e mi ght have r e gar d s f u tur e ‘o p en t r a c e abili t y ’ and w id e spr e ad ad o p t i o n of met a hi s t o r y d at a exc hange.

(optional)

Sign this petition

(strangers)

A r e t he su s t ainabl e ad v ant age s of spi me me t ahi s t o r i e s mo r e i mp o r t ant t han u s er s’ pr i v a c y ? A pho t o of pr o te s t o r s at t he Make Met ahi s t o r y HI S T O R Y mar c h t hr ou gh L o nd o n , June 2028.

Aldous Burroughs

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Our 6 Key Messages IoT Business Models

IoT businesses should star t to think about designing out built in obsole scence str ategie s, put ting long-ter m produc t af ter- c are ser v ice s in pl ace and rev ising produc t war r antie s to allow f or user customis ation and repair.

IoT User Behaviour

Users of IoT devices should think more about ac count abilit y in regard s to how they use their connec ted dev ice s and how they go about disposing of them when they are no longer needed.

IoT Design Policy

Policy and legislation should adapt to accommodate and nur ture democratised IoT design culture, allowing for localised production while maintaining adequate product safety and quality standards.

IoT User Innovation

Open source technologies and domestic fabrication tools are becoming evermore affordable and accessible. Creative and rewarding, people should be encouraged to get involved in these types of practices.

IoT Data Ethics

Platforms and ser vice providers should star t making their data processes and infrastructures less complex and more transparent to users.

IoT Data Ownership

As it’s difficult to keep tr ack of what happens to your IoT dat a, you could do more to protect it by reconsidering your current online practices including how you interact online and what information you share.

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Further Reading Bruce Sterling, 2005, Shaping Things, Cambridge: MIT Press

Michael Stead, Paul Coulton, Joseph Lindley and Claire Coulton, 2019, The Little Book of Sustainability for the Internet of Things, Lancaster: Lancaster University. Available to download for free from here: https://w w w.petrashub.org/outputs/

Paul Coulton, Joseph Lindley and Rachel Cooper, 2018, The Little Book of Design Fiction for the Internet of Things, Lancaster: Lancaster University. Available to download for free from here: https://w w w.petrashub.org/outputs/

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This work was conducted for the PE TR AS Internet of Things Research Hub. It has been suppor ted by the HighWire Doctoral Training Centre and ImaginationLancaster Design Research Lab at Lancaster University. It was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

© ImaginationLancaster 2019

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All rights reser ved.

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