Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
The Mandelson revelations, says Mike Indian, is a serious issue, going to the heart of the UK government. It questions the political judgement of Sir Keir Starmer and his staff. Clearly Mandelson should not have been appointed without due diligence being carried out, particularly given that he has had to resign twice in the past over personal scandals. Mike does not expect Labour to hold the Gorton and Denton seat when the by-election is held later this month, reckoning that the Greens will win. Labour is haemorrhaging votes but Mike feels that it would have been a great distraction if Andy Burnham had been the candidate. However, he is not convinced that the Prime Minister has it in him to survive beyond the May elections.
Guests: Mike Indian
Published:
Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin majors on AI, with Barnsley declaring itself the UK's first "tech town", Google's Project Genie creating a virtual world from text or even a photo and the University of Montreal testing whether humans or AI are the more creative. We eavesdrop on an internet chatroom that is only for AI agents, hearing what they think of us and whether they believe they are conscious. There's a flying umbrella, crowdfunded add-ons for the Swiss Army knife, the Russians developing cyborg pigeons that can be controlled remotely and a breakthrough in smart clothing.
Guests: Steve Caplin
Published:
Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Share Radio's tech supremo Steve Caplin wouldn't touch personal AI assistant Clawdot with a bargepole, useful though it might seem. However, Just Eat's "personal food concierge" is another matter entirely. There's an app to help identify dinosaur footprints, though Steve has clocked a problem with a drone intended for firefighters wanting to check inside burning buildings. Chinese scientists have come up with a tooth powder to keep teeth white and there's a crowdfunded holographic display which can create talking relatives or even pets from a single photo. Beekeepers may get stung less often with a portable harvester while the Chinese are clamouring for stuffed horses with the smile the wrong way up.
Guests: Steve Caplin
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson can't recall another week where the top six UK films are all holdovers, with The Housemaid returning to #1. #9 is the ironically-titled Mercy with Chris Pratt a man who has 90 minutes to convince an AI judge that he didn't kill his wife. Set in real time, it is mechanical but James was drawn in by its moral arguments. #13 is the adaptation of best-seller H is for Hawk with a brilliant Claire Foy and Brendan Gleeson. It is a beautifully-crafted film but doesn't have a strong storyline or conflict. While not bored, James did get impatient at times. On Netflix is the Taiwanese-set Left-Handed Girl, written by Anora's Sean Baker. The tale of a mother and two daughters moving to Taipei is filmed entirely on an iphone. With great performances, this guerilla style of filmmaking gives it an immediacy and the movie is a real gem.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University says that housing is one of the most important issues in the UK and that young people being unable to get on the housing ladder could have serious social and political consequences. He wondered why, when the Georgian style of homes is the most popular style of architecture with the public, the majority of contemporary houses look so unprepossessing. He is staggered by the level of often contradictory housebuilding regulations, which would not permit the construction of Georgian-style houses. Turning to London, he notes that housebuilding in London has fallen 84% in the last decade and that Sadiq Khan is falling short of his housebuilding target by a massive 90%. Given this, Tim wonders what the Mayor's legacy will be.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Liam O'Byrne of Edison Group says that leading London estate agency Foxtons are at the crossroads of an exciting new chapter. They have set a much more optimistic growth target and are expanding beyond the London area, which could be the precursor to a wider rollout. They have a very rich historical database which is being leveraged with AI to outpace the opposition. He also highlights Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust which tries to identify exceptional businesses, both private and public. They were an early backer of SpaceX which is heading for a potentially record-breaking IPO later this year, yet they're at a discount to net asset value. They focus on disruptive companies which are hard to value but have significant potential upside.
Guests: Liam O'Byrne
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian tries his best not to mention “the giant orange elephant in the room”. He discusses the Lords amendment which would impose a ban on social media for the under-16s. This would follow a similar move in Australia and has strong cross-party consensus. Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform was undermined to some extent by the response from a more assertive Kemi Badenoch which took some of the wind out of Nigel Farage’s sails. He does not have a history of playing nicely with people and Jenrick may yet find himself a bit player in the Nigel Farage Show. As for Trump’s speech in Davos, despite his trampling of the rule-based international order, he clearly yearns for acceptance from the world elite. But, as his health fails, he is becoming increasingly erratic and may yet try and find a way to get a third term.
Guests: Mike Indian
Published:
Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin is intrigued by a robot that the University of Columbia has been training to lip-sync to make it more lifelike. He discusses the history of the laser, originally called a death ray and yet which is only now apparently worthy of the name. There’s also an airbag for cyclists, a cycle helmet that protects more than just head-on crashes as current helmets do, while the Australians have come up with a semi-recumbent electric trike. Peugot have tried to reinvent the steering wheel, which they claim will be the “future of driving”, and there’s a Norwegian sewing app that may defeat any non-Norwegians trying to find it.
Guests: Steve Caplin
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that #1 28 Years Later – The Bone Temple deserves its 18 certificate as you will need a strong constitution. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, it’s hard to watch but is a gripping horror film with style, beauty and terrific dialogue. #7 Rental Family, starring Brendan Fraser, is set in Japan and directed by the Japanese Hikari. It’s an odd but enthralling story with a light touch about an actor rented out as a family member. On Netflix, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star in The Rip, a generic, often confusing but hard-hitting action thriller. It seems far-fetched but is based on a true story so outlandish, it had to be scaled back.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell asks what lessons we can draw from Donald Trump’s speech at Davos, an event Russ would normally ignore. We know Trump likes to deal and to keep the US stock market happy and running hot. We can probably expect market volatility and there are indications that it makes sense not being too over-exposed to US equities. Investors keen to protect themselves should opt for shares that aren’t so highly-priced, which applies to lots of UK stocks. American shares are now such a high proportion of the world stock market that it makes sense to diversify away. The FTSE All-World ex-US index has broken out to a new all-time high. Once you go above a previous peak, momentum can be very strong. The UK has had 3 or 4 bids already this year including one for a FTSE100 company. You can still make a valuation case for the UK.
Guests: Russ Mould
Published:
