Episode 185: Retro Tech, Upcycling, Fake Reviews & a Chainsaw Attack

Double Tap Canada is back to save the planet, with a look at upcycling old phones and just what Steven has bought that makes him an eco-warrior…

After a few technical issues with the intro music and a group therapy session on what’s annoying the team this week, it’s on to Steven’s retro tech purchases. He’s incredibly happy to have picked up an iPod Classic with its 80GB storage, click wheel interface and 30-pin connector. There’s no denying it’s a blast from the past but there is one problem: it’s not accessible. Of course, Steven’s solution to this is to also buy a 2012 MacBook Air. Has he gone mad, or is he really an eco-warrior hero?

Staying with old tech, it’s on to a look at Samsung’s Galaxy Upcycling project. Although still in it’s beta stage, Samsung announced they will be releasing updates to some of its older smartphones, which will allow them to be used as smart home sensors. Once you’ve updated your old device, you can either use it as a sound sensor that will notify you when it hears a certain sound – such as a baby crying or dog barking – or an ambient light sensor that can turn off or on lights if it detects certain light levels. Although it’s great to see old tech re-purposed like this, we hope Samsung will add more features, such as motion detection via the camera, etc.

In Amazon news, some sellers on the platform have been removed due to allegations of trying to solicit positive reviews from people by offering full refunds on products as long as they leave a video or text review. Have you ever experienced this, and can we really trust product reviews?

The popular audio-only app Clubhouse has finally come to Android. Well, as long as you live in the U.S., that is. It won’t be long until it’s available to Android users all over the world, but is it to late? Steven thinks so. In other audio news, Steven and Shaun have been trying out the new Twitter Spaces. Just how does this compare to Clubhouse?

Finally, the show wraps up with a chainsaw attack, news on answering calls with just your voice and how Marc uses Air Tags to cheat at hide and seek.

It’s a tech show … honest.