Podcasts presented by Simon Rose

With cinemas shuttered, James Cameron-Wilson looks at what is popular with viewers marooned at home. He reviews two new home releases, Wolf Hour, an all-too-appropriate character drama starring Naomi Watts and Spanish futuristic prison drama The Platform. He also takes a look at a new Blu-Ray of John Ford's superb 1950 Western Rio Grande.

Steve Caplin looks at the way in which people stuck at home are embracing tech skills they didn't know they had, while at the same time sales of traditional board games are booming. He looks at what the restrictions mean for companies involved in teleconferencing, video streaming and newspaper publication. Even stuck at home, he explains how you can watch theatre shows and visit museums around the world. And he can't resist laughing at the Australian astrophysicist who, trying to solve a Covid-19 problem, ended up in hospital having magnets removed from his nose.

Ian Forrest of The Share Centre looks at the markets in light of oil price moves, Chinese economic data, the furlough of UK workers and the latest soaring unemployment rate in the United States. He discusses the moves to abandon dividends, particularly by the banks, and looks at recent announcements from Smiths Group and Easyjet. He looks ahead to what we might expect to hear from Tesco and ASOS.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at the political and economic response so far to Covid-19, giving us his report on the Government's actions so far. He tells us, why we should be cautious for some time yet when it comes to trusting the data about the virus. And he examines the history and geopolitics of dangerous diseases, telling us about the infamous beak doctors of the 17th century.

With cinemas closed and the normal film business suspended, James Cameron-Wilson turns his attention to movies for home viewing, taking us through the home entertainment chart, topped by the film version of Downton Abbey. He examines new Netflix release Lost Girls, with Amy Ryan, and Blu-Ray release Le Mans' 66 (known as Ford v Ferrari in the US), which he recommends strongly.

Helal Miah of The Share Centre looks at the state of the markets and asks what private investors should do now. With ordinary company results in abeyance, he looks at recent news from Kingfisher, Stagecoach, United Utilities and Bellway Homes. Looking ahead, he considers Smiths Group, Pennon, Saga and CMC Markets.

Tech guru Steve Caplin looks at some of the latest automotive developments, including a 3D car display and Goodyear's idea for a rechargeable tyre that extrudes extra tread from a central reservoir. He drools over the new iPad Pro, awaits the first Amazon Go store in the UK and ponders an e-bike that folds down to the size of a sheet of A3 paper.

Political commentator Mike Indian examines the Government's response to the developing Coronavirus crisis, including social distancing, daily press conferences, school closures and emergency legislation. He also ponders the economic responses, including the latest interest rate cuts from the Bank of England and what might be done for those workers who get into financial difficulty. Pondering the responses in Europe and the United States, he also looks at the latest state of the Democratic Primaries.

Tech editor Steve Caplin looks at the best ways of using tech to keep in touch with those you can't visit and for home working. He admires the use of 3D printing to replace scarce oxygen mask valves, tests an app to make sure you're not touching your face and explains how theatres and film studios are reacting to the closure of live venues. And if your broadband at home seems slower than usual, he explains why we should blame the gamers.