361 Podcast 361 Podcast / Ben Smith, Rafe Blandford & Ewan MacLeod

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 5G coverage in the places he worked and travelled.

Rafe's got some OFCOM data (because of course) that suggests things aren't as bad as Ewan thinks. He also notes that there are some rural areas with good 5G coverage, so people's experience will be very dependent on location. He does, however, acknowledge that new legislation has been required to help network operators upgrading existing masts (where planning restrictions had previously blocked them).

Ben is surprised that the perceivable-quality of mobile network service hasn't changed in the 2 years since we last covered it on 361, except for a price reduction. He's also frustrated that network 'quality' so frequently causes problems even where signal 'strength' is reportedly good. He's also surprised by Rafe's suggestion that mobile networks might prefer their own customers to other MVNO operator's customers.



The team also discuss the growing market of app and eSIM-based providers that offer cheaper access to mobile operators when overseas.


Get in touch! Let us know your thoughts or topics you'd like to hear about in future via the website, Twitter (if you must) or Mastodon (preferred).
Support 361 Podcast
Links:
OpenSignal - Mobile network testingAiralo - Travel eSIM providerMobiMatter - Travel eSIM providerUbigi - Travel eSIM providerOpenBenches

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 rules and games to encourage saving. [Rafe says "also look at similar apps like Emma and Snoop"].

Ben still uses You Need a Budget and virtual debit cards from Monzo. He's also using Monzo's built-in 'round-up' feature to save 'passively'. He's also using Chip which offers a (sort of) savings product marketplace.



The team wonder where 'the Monzo of credit cards' is and question if 'buy now, pay later' is the same thing, talk about mortgages for a bit, and consider if 'packaged bank accounts' are popular again.


Get in touch! Let us know your thoughts or topics you'd like to hear about in future via the website, Twitter (if you must) or Mastodon (preferred).
Support 361 Podcast
Links:
HM Revenue & Customs appNational Savings & Investment appEmma - Money management appSnoop - Money management appTred - Carbon offset debit cardMonzo BankStarling BankPlum - Money managementYou Need a Budget - Money management appChip - Money management and savings appMoneySavingExpert - UK-based consumer finance adviceInteractive Investor - Savings and investment platformKlarna - Buy now, pay later providerHabito - Online mortgage brokerRevolut Ultra - Premium packaged product

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 cited as an example of how 'unmoderated' speech excludes people and isn't really 'free'.


We use:



Ewan: LinkedIn and BeReal.
Rafe: Reddit, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok (but only in read-only).
Ben: Reddit, LinkedIn (grudgingly), Instagram (even more grudingly) and Mastodon (in hope).


Ewan's still on the road. This week he's in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.


[Producer's note: This episode was recorded before Meta announced Threads. Content scheduling is hard.]


Get in touch! Let us know your thoughts or topics you'd like to hear about in future via the website, Twitter (if you must) or Mastodon (preferred).
Support 361 Podcast

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 a problem, but have new standards like Matter improved things?


Rafe also has a bird-shaped surprise or two for the team.


Listener questions this week:



What do you use for USB-C charing when traveling?
Do you have any smarthome cameras and would you recommend them?
What smarthome platform have you chosen to use and why?
Do you use any long-range smarthome devices?


Get in touch! Let us know your thoughts or topics you'd like to hear about in future via the website, Twitter or Mastodon.
Support 361 Podcast
Links:
Mu folding travel chargersAqara smarthome devicesAsus Mesh WiFi (Zen XT9)Home AssistantPhilips HueLightwave smart switches and plugsBird Buddy smart and connected bird feederArlo smart wireless camerasIkea smarthome devicesAwair air quality sensorsAmazon air quality sensorAqara FP2 presence sensor (mmWave)Matter smarthome standard

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 is 'spatial computing' for?
Will people be willing to wear these headsets?


Get in touch! Let us know your thoughts or topics you'd like to hear about in future via the website, Twitter or Mastodon.
Support 361 Podcast

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 of...
The Great App Store Debate: Fab or Fad?
Roaming ranting...
Apple is the next Nokia
361 Live "Mobile Question Time" Part 1
Can Facebook make money from mobile?
Ewan wants a better phone than you...
Ubuntu Mobile: What and why? (and again, why?)
What’s the place for Smartwatches?
It’s a very Echo Christmas
The on-demand economy & #RubRafe


As ever (but especially for these episodes) our thanks to Mark Cotton for the buttery smooth audio, Sarah for content far better than we deserve, and the rapidly expanding 'cast'. Thank you all for indulging us.
Support 361 Podcast