All did not 'go well' and the episode was not published between Christmas and New Year. Thank you to editor Mark who continues to fix broken audio with patience far beyond what we deserve. This week the team cover topics they missed during 2023 and catch-up on listener's emails: Beeper Mini: Why is there a market for an iMessage on Android? (update…

This week the team discuss electric vehicles as 'mobile adjacent' technology: Ewan recounts his experience of EV-based car clubs in Denmark and Teslas in Saudi Arabia. Rafe brings the stats on growth of the EV market and paralells to the smartphone industry we've tracked for the life of 361. Ben recounts his experiences as a first-time EV owner and…

This week the team go back to their roots and talk about mobile networks: Ewan is deeply underwhelmed with the offerings of the UK's mobile network operators, having spent time living and working around Europe and the Middle East. He's especially unimpressed with network availability on major transport links, having had almost-ubiquitous access to …

This week the team talk about money, finance, 'fintech' stuff and the products we use: Rafe's been using 'helpful' tools including HM Revenue and Customs' app to manage his tax and NS&I's app to check for Premium Bond wins. He's also tried the 'green' debit card Tred. Ewan's also been big on Open Banking for money management trying Plum to setup ru…

This week the team consider that we might be at the "money ruins everything" stage of social media (eh, Reddit?). Rafe speculates that 'social' media is now driven more by advertising than friendship groups. We also talk about 'dark social', rafeblandford.com (Rafe's personal website) and remember Jaiku. Ben re-tells the 'Nazi Bar' story often cite…

This week Ewan's back on the road and tests the new 361 mobile recording setup. The team reflect the state of their smarthomes, it's not good... at all. The team discuss the various smarthome systems they use, the changes made since last season and how their attitude to setting up smart-home tech has changed over time. Reliability's certainly been …

After a short (18 month) break the team are back, well rested and ready to discuss Apple's big 'virtual reality / augmented reality' announcement at their global developer conference. The team discuss: How does Apple's Vision Pro device compare to others? Is Apple 'doing' the metaverse now? Can we say 'foveated rendering' with a straight face? What…

Happy Christmas Special! The team gather at the (definitely real) Blandford Manor for the annual drinks party and a look back over 10 years of this nonsense as they stumble upon (and through) the 361 archive. Clips played in this episode are from: Smartphone convergence, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play & a tiny bit of Dom Joly 361 Degrees, the making…

In a dramatic break with 10 years of tradition, the team share their Christmas gift suggestions actually in time for purchase before Christmas (it will never catch-on). Suggestions range from £5 to £500 including: Cases and bags Bluetooth trackers Books Voice assistants Noise cancelling headohones Computer accessories Something Rafe describes as a …

This week the team recap topics from earlier in the season including: Curve being blocked by Creation Credit cards - a listener asks if we still want to use Curve JP Morgan launches Chase-branded banking in the UK - we try it out in its earliest (and still very limited) form Amazon's Astro robot - will we add Amazon's $999 robot to our smarthome se…

This week the team break our '1 question, 3 answers' format to look at the subject of flexible screens: Why would you buy one? Are they any good? Should Apple make one? We're definitely agreed that - at last - they are worth considering, but beyond that it's more hope than science. And Rafe mentions some Nokia concept devices from years ago... you'…

This week the team consider all the new ways mobile tech has entered our lives due to Covid and consider which might be here to stay. From apps that use Bluetooth to calculate risk of exposure to a virus to QR codes for 'test and trace', not all the ideas are new but public awareness (and adoption) have hugely changed. Let us know your thoughts on …

This week the team look back over (more than) 10 years of mobile, remembering the apps they used before they cam mainstream and sharing top-tips learned along the way, including apps for connectivity, personal finance, news, productivity and a lot of recommendations. Let us know your thoughts on these subjects or anything you'd like to hear covered…

This week the team return to their '1 question, 3 answers' format to answer a combination of listener questions: How do we choose smart-home tech or brands based on security and privacy? Ben, Ewan and Rafe each give their best answer... The only rule being that they can't agree with any previous answer. Also, having tested the Getir delivery app in…

Due to the 'unique' way 361 is produced, this episode was recorded approximately 2 months before release. This week the team discuss app-based on-demand shopping services that promise to get things to you in minutes. We try Getir which promises to deliver a range of groceries within 13 minutes. Also, this week (while we wait for our delivery) the t…

Recorded 10 years to the day from our first ever episode, the team tackle a listener question from last season, should they continue to buy Sonos audio devices for their home? The question is prompted by the recent outcry when Sonos attempted to end support for their original device range with an ill-judged trade-in scheme that insisted on destroyi…

This week the team discuss the wider impact of Apple's spring product announcements: Is Apple Card family sharing a sign they will respond to criticism more directly from now on? What's the purpose of launching podcast subscriptions if not to make profit? How does Apple exploit the 'unfair advantage' of a billion iPhones around the world to make Ai…

This week as we return to our 20th season and our 10th year, the team discuss: What excited us since we recorded season 19, including Lego, government websites (no really) and robot vacuum cleaners (honestly). The rise of Clubhouse, an 'audio' social network, to prominance and its popularity. Whether audio is a product or a feature and the Clubhous…

Obviously recorded before Christmas, despite our attempts to style it out, the team discuss the highlights and lowlights of 2020 from a 'tech' perspective inspired by The Verge's article "Bad Year, Good Gadgets". We discuss homeworking, changing expectations, what worked (and didn't) as we worked from home, and some unusual sources of inspiration. …

This week the team 'gather' at the Blandford Manor Christmas party to: Exchange and recommend gifts Share suggestions for last-minute gifts that can be bought and delivered online Discuss tips, apps and hacks for managing Christmas on 'expert mode' Let us know your thoughts on these subjects or anything you'd like to hear covered in future via the …

This week we tackle another '1 question, 3 answers', combining requests from listeners who asked for advice on reading, books and the written word. Ben, Ewan and Rafe each give their best answer... The only rule being that they can't agree with any previous answer. Let us know your thoughts on these subjects or anything you'd like to hear covered i…

This week the team discuss: The state of voice assistants and the devices we use at home. How Amazon's Alexa, Google's Assistant and Apple's Siri perform and their strengths and weaknesses. The future of voice assistants - are they a passing fad or destined to be built into everything? Let us know your thoughts on these subjects or anything you'd l…

This week we tackle another question in our new '1 question, 3 answers' format. Combining requests from several listeners who asked for advice on: Wearable devices that don't look masculine? A great 'first' smart watch? Which is the 'best' smart watch? Wearables that aren't for sport? Ben, Ewan and Rafe each give their best answer... The only rule …

This week the team discuss: Subscription services from XBox to washing machines and Volvos to magazines, we look at how many firms are experimenting with providing their services as subscriptions. Long-term reviews on our most important working from home kit, including desks, chairs, screens, lights and more. What turned out to work well and what w…

This week we tackle another question in our new '1 question, 3 answers' format. Long-time listener @martineyles asks: I see lots of rollout of 5G going on, but there are still populated areas where I can't get any data coverage at all. Other listeners wrote in to ask if 5G handsets were good buys. We combined them all into a single question: Is 5G …

This week the team discuss: Apple's early-Autumn (OK, 'Fall') announcements including their new Fitness+ service and One bundle (plus some new iPads and Watches). The things we've crowdfunded and kickstarted, including Ewan's tendency to be the kiss of death to any business he backs. Also, are these campaigns about more than fundraising now and are…

This week we tackle the first question in our new '1 question, 3 answers' format. Twitter user @monkeyandweasel asks: Will Fortnite (Epic) win against Apple, and what will be the impact? Ben, Ewan and Rafe each give their best answer... The only rule being that they can't agree with any previous answer. Let us know your thoughts on these subjects o…

We're back and as we start our 19th season (and is it 8th or 9th year...?) the team discuss: How robots, clever sensors and AI are revolutionising some unexpected industries Taking health and fitness apps to the next level with machine learning An update on how our automated homes have responded to us being.. well... home more. Let us know your tho…

It's the last episode of the season and in an extended episode the team discuss: Why we're abandoning out Tik Tok trial and the ongoing concerns with the platform's approach to privacy. The apps (and 'not apps' in Rafe's case) that we're using as we spend more time at home. Our online 'identities' via websites and profiles. Let us know your thought…

This week, in addition to Rafe Blandford's pet duck (please use the official #duckfollowup hashtag for follow-up), the team discuss: Apple's annouced Macs running on its own ARM-based chips dubbed 'Apple Silicon'. Wirecard, the fintech world's 'secret' plumbing that suddenly became very visible when a UK financial regulator forced it to stop its se…

This week the team discuss: Follow-up on photo back-up, Disney+, budget syncing, news, 'good' screens and more. Ewan's success with 'photo healing' on his iPhone and iPad that enabled him to 'fix' and share photos 'in the moment. Our hopes for WWDC, incluing what Apple might announce and the effect on teh mobile industry that might have. Let us kno…

This week the team discuss: Listener follow-up on robot vacuum cleaners (including finding one under your hotel bed), mobile banking and a cool personal finance app recommendation. How we - definitely not health and fitness enthusiasts - are trying to use apps to keep fit (or at least a bit fitter) during lock-down and working from home. We talk ab…

This week the team discuss: Using the excellent Watchsmith app to customise the Apple Watch beyond Apple's built-in widgets (called complications). How can you use layouts that change during the day and what is the future of presenting our own custom-data? Lenovo's announcement of a new Smart Frame digital picture frame that will be launched (and d…

Many thanks to Mark, the Audio Wrangler, our editor for the last 5 years. Here's to the next 5 (and sorry for all you put up with). This week the team discuss: The best microphones for video conferencing whilst home working - What works best from home for both comfort and performance, what products have the team chosen and some pitfalls to avoid. S…

This week the team discuss: Amazon Echo accessories. Amazon's range looks baffling from the outside, including gaming buttons and a microwave oven. What do they make, why and is any of it any good? Covid-19 apps. As governments around the world look to technology to help manage the Covid-19 crisis how do the various solutions being developed differ…

The team celebrate 9 years of podcasting together and discuss: Ben's (ongoing) smart lighting disaster. How Philips Hue hasn't turned out to be the perfect smart lighting solution, a serious (known) product defect and how complex it all gets when deployed in large numbers. Walking and way-finding apps that are helping us enjoy the outdoors when we …

This week the team discuss: The networking and connectivity challenges of setting up a home office. What can you do if your new desk has terrible WiFi coverage or you need something faster, but don't want to run new cabling? The team talk options, including using TV cabling you may already have installed. How we're 'self improving' during lock-down…

This week the team discuss: Ewan's new job and his family's move to Oman. Turns out he could find somewhere less convenient than Denmark to live. How we've upgraded our workspaces to equip them for an extended period of working at home. We talk about ergonomics, productivity and kit that will remain useful if / when things get back to 'normal'. Opt…

This week the team discuss: A German artist's (successful) attempt to 'hack' Google Maps traffic data with a cart of 2nd hand phones, tricking the mapping service into reporting a traffic jam on an empty road. Customer 'outrage' at Sonos's announcement that some older devices will soon be unsupported and prevent newer devices from receiving upgrade…

This week the team discuss: Why everyone should have a robot vacuum cleaner, the difference between radar and camera-based navigation and how to choose. Also virtual walls, cameras that can spot pet poo and automated mops. Our two recommended models of noise cancelling over-ear headphones and the joy of reducing noise fatigue when travelling or wor…

See Rafe fully committing to a visual gag in an audio medium on Instagram. Ben, Ewan and Rafe recap some of the big themes we've covered this year and some new news including smarthome, 999 (911) emergency response, Apple's Express Transit, streaming content discovery, the (new) Motorola Razr, gear bags and home networking. Support 361 Podcast Link…

This week the team discuss: A complex suspected GPS hack in the port of Shanghai that has experts and researchers baffled. Has someone developed the ability to manipulate GPS signals and, if so, who? Apple's Express Transit mode has arrived in London allowing travellers to pay for Transport for London tubes, busses and trains without unlocking your…

This week the team discuss: eSIMs and buying data packages when overseas direct to your handset. Rafe buys one from a 'global eSIM store' when travelling to India and it works rather well... The 2019 folding Motorola Razr which attention-grabs with a clever screen and nostalgia for the original Razr design. At £1500 can this attractively designed (…

This week the team discuss: Apple's new Airpods Pro and Amazon's Echo Buds. How do they compare and what's the future for smart assistant-enabled headphones? Hackers that have discovered a way to make untraceable calls across mobile networks and the police response. Phone cameras vs 'real cameras'. Have we reached the stage now where only the pros …

This week the team discuss: Google's new Nest Aware offering, AI-based analysis of home security camera in the cloud. Ewan's tempted by the low price but he's heavily invested in Arlo devices. Monzo's withdrawal of it's 'Plus' premium account offering (for now). The start-up bank's acknoweldged the product (and subsequent changes) wasn't popular wi…

This week the team discuss: Ikea's new SYMFONISK speakers powered by Sonos. Cheaper, but similarly specced to the Sonos One are these good value for consumers and a good idea for Sonos? Ewan (and others') concern that Facebook (and Google... and Amazon...) are recording our typed and spoken conversations to target advertising to us. Requested by a …

This week the team discuss: Ewan's robot lawn mower (RIP - it didn't survive the winter) which cost about the same as a small car, but less than a Danish gardener. The iPhone 11 and tough questions like "is it good" and "should you buy it"? (spoilers: yes, but probably) Bags, rucksacks and briefcases which Ben is adamant are a valid and useful subj…

After an extended break the team are back with a new(ish) format and recording arrangements. This week the team discuss: Ben's new home networking setup as he replaces the Apple equipment he's used for years. In the spirit of always making a simple job difficult he's selected Ubiquiti's 'prosumer' products. The 'Huawei problem' that is part cyber s…

This week the team discuss the return of Palm with the, er, "Palm" companion device. Is this a new category of device and could they really replace our smartphones sometimes? Support 361 Podcast Links: Netgear Arlo Cameras Apple Watch 4 The Thick of It (BBC Show) Norsemen (Norwegian TV comedy) Withings Smart Scales Dark Sky SmartThings V3 The Palm …

This week the team talk about self-driving cars, Ewan's recent briefing by Waymo in 'the valley' and how autonomous vehicle technology will change the world (probably). Corrections In the episode Ben says that iD Mobile is 'operated by Three'. That's not correct - whilst it uses Three's network, the mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse is behin…