· A company called Stuf is utilizing abandoned properties around the United States to create storage units. Rather than build depressing warehouses outside of town, this company is rethinking self-storage by flipping buildings shuttered during the pandemic into miniature storage spaces. When they take over empty buildings, like garage space, offices, basements, and install largely automated steel storage units in as little as three weeks. Their first building in Brooklyn was a 1,500 square foot restaurant that played host to several failed concepts. The largely windowless brick storefront was painted over with a colorful mural, and within five months was at 90% capacity. They have not only added value to their business but also many other businesses, allowing apartment complexes and offices with convenient on-site storage.
· Microsoft has agreed to take a long hard look at reforming their spare parts and technical support branches to make it easier for their customers to repair Microsoft products at home. The move is being described as a “first of its kind victory,” as Microsoft becomes the only major company to bow to the whims of a shareholder resolution regarding the “right-to-repair”. The nonprofit organization, As So You, brought up the issue of electronic waste and giving customers the means to repair it as a partial solution to cut waste. Most emissions in the phone industry come from production, and low prices, short product life cycles, and tedious repair processes make phone replacements a habit among consumers. As So You claims that if more agency and support is given to the consumer to repair their devices phone replacement and phone production pollution can be drastically reduced.
· A dementia-suffering pianist whose spontaneous composition went viral last year has fulfilled a lifelong dream of conducting a symphony orchestra—which played his own songs. 81-year-old Paul Harvey became well-known last September after his son Nick had recorded him improvising a two-minute piece from four notes—F natural, A, D, and B natural—and posted the footage on Twitter. Nick posted the clip online to show how musical ability can survive memory loss, and Paul captured the hearts of the British nation when he played the piano from his home in Sussex live on the television. It was recorded by the BBC Philharmonic orchestra as a single, with proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Society and Music for Dementia, which campaigns for people with the condition to have free access to music as part of their care.
Sources:
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/paul-harvey-bbc-philharmonic-dementia/