Share Sounds.

The 80:20 rule is a good yardstick for business, but have you ever considered that 80% of your quality of life could be improved by simple changes to the 20% that you spend on habits such what you drink and eat, being more active, or rest and recuperation? This is a short episode, and it focuses on just these basics of life that can make all the difference. So, if you're interested in improved health and well-being, this could be for you.

Steve Caplin dives into the world of tech, telling Simon Rose about plans for charging users of ChatGPT and problems with Google's launch of its rival, Bard. There's also a stunning phone camera, how driverless cars might better cope with crossroads, Twitter being sued by the Crown Estate, a portable coffee printer, why skiers with Apple watches are annoying the Colorado police and a skyscraper in Detroit being built from the top down.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University explains to Simon Rose why, if Emmanuel Macron can't raise France's retirement age, Europe's fiscal union could be doomed. He ponders what the role is now for the UK's trade unions in a new age of industrial action. And he marvels at the enormous yawn factor of Rishi Sunak's cabinet reshuffle. With Volodymyr Zelensky's UK visit showing up our own politicians, he wonders why we no longer seem to have great Parliamentarians.

James Cameron-Wilson takes Simon Rose through the UK box office numbers, up 14% on the previous week. #1 is Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the belated sequel pushing Avatar 2 into second place. James found it migraine-inducing. M Night Shyamalan's Knock At The Cabin is #3 but James found it mad and daft in equal measure. However, he thought Darren Aronofsky's The Whale at #5 one of the best films of the last 12 months. Starring Brendan Fraser, it's a claustrophobic tale of an immensely large teacher approaching the end of his life and has received many nominations.

Victoria Scholar of Interactive Investor tells Simon Rose why, despite the general air of doom and gloom in the UK, the FTSE 100 index has been hitting record highs recently. She discusses recent results from Unilever, Shell & BP and points out the research suggesting that the UK might just manage to avoid a recession this year.

The huge take-up of ChatGPT over recent weeks has brought the challenge of Artificial Intelligence into sharp relief. As the Chief Executive of its creator, OpenAI, said in one of his blogs, 'Artificial Intelligence will bring unimaginable wealth but, unless something changes, most of us will get none of it. We need a radical solution'. Conventional wisdom sees Universal Basic Income as the way through this dilemma, but this will only bring us more state intermediation and human subservience. We can put forward a better solution, by enabling all to share in the wealth that technology brings and to play their part in its future governance. Background music: 'Digital Solitude' by Silent Partner

Time is the scarce resource in human lives, and technology in its various forms swallows a lot of it for many of us. When its absorption into our lives becomes almost a habit or an addiction, it can cause us to miss opportunities and it can impact our character and even our identity. Whether it's gaming, social media or other online activity that turns you on, the emotional appeal is generally that instant gratification which pulls us away from experiencing real life and relationships. If you're concerned about being drawn into this trap of gaming and virtual experience, this episode could help you restore balance into your life.

Unemployment hit a 53-year low as Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet delivered their latest earnings reports. Ron Gross and Jason Moser discuss another interest rate hike and a surprising jobs report, Apple's first sales drop since 2019, Guidance overshadowing Amazon's holiday quarter, Starbucks struggling outside the U.S. and the latest from Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Exxon Mobil, and AMD. Then from 19 minutes in, Jason and Ron keep earnings-palooza going and discuss McDonald's ending the fiscal year on a high note, Match Group's disappointing results and layoff announcement, the latest from Qualcomm, Peloton, and Snap, and two stocks on their radar: Kinsale Capital Group and Samsara. Stocks discussed: AAPL, AMZN, GOOG, SBUX, META, XOM, INTC, AMD, MCD, QCOM, PTON, SNAP, MTCH, KNSL, IOT. Host - Chris Hill; Guests - Ron Gross, Jason Moser.

For the first time in a long time, Meta Platforms gave shareholders a reason to smile. Tim Beyers discusses 4th-quarter revenue coming in higher than expected for Meta, that $40 billion share buyback plan, and why AMD is demonstrating not all semiconductor chip companies are alike. Plus, 11 minutes in, how did Planet Fitness get the attention of the Federal Trade Commission? Ricky Mulvey and Sanmeet Deo discuss whether the low-cost gym deserves a spot on your watch list. Stocks discussed: META, INTC, AMD, PLNT. Host - Chris Hill; Guests - Tim Beyers, Sanmeet Deo.

Are we nearly there yet? The Bank of England hiked interest rates again this week, adding 0.5% to take base rate to 4%. That’s a level that it was almost unthinkable we’d reach so quickly a year ago, but rates have gone up hard and fast. The questions now are will base rate stall and when will it come back down again? But while the Bank of England has sent rates up like a rocket, its forecasts show that they will only fall like a feather. Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert look at how likely those forecasts are to be correct and what this all means for the economy, mortgages, savings and first-time buyers. Also on the show, Tanya explains another potential state pension scandal that she and Steve Webb have uncovered and Steve joins the podcast to talk through it. Sam North, of eToro, gives us a market update and explains why investors have sent stock markets soaring at the start of 2023. The clock is ticking on the tax year and Simon explains why he thinks the next couple of months are vitally important for getting money into an ISA and potentially selling some investments to do so. And finally, do you love your tumble dryer? Many do, but worry they can’t afford to run them. Fear not, help might be at hand.