Are they really listening to us via our mobile phones and other smart devices? Eavesdropping to find out more about our most personal tastes and habits? Ed Butler investigates whether regular firms are trying to mine our data for commercial advantage.

We ask experts what is technically possible in this field and find out whether the data gathered would actually be worth the effort.

Presenter / Producer: Ed Butler Image: Smart speaker; Credit Getty

Sam Fenwick explores why peat is such an important carbon store and whether it’s use in compost should be banned. Sam visits a peat bog in the UK and speaks to garden centres in Japan and India, where like many parts of the world gardening boomed during the pandemic. She also heads to Estonia, one of the biggest exporters of peat in the world.

Producer / Presenter: Sam Fenwick Image: Little Woolden Moss peat bog; Credit: Sam Fenwick

Apple technology has revolutionised the world. The US company says there are now more than 1.5 billion Apple devices in active use globally - a billion of those are iPhones. It was 15 years ago this week that the co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, first unveiled the iPhone.

So how do you come up with such a world-changing idea? We find out from Tony Fadell - the co-inventor of the iPod and iPhone. He tells Jo Critcher how it took years of set-backs to find success and how it's important to never give up.

Having invented the Nest smart thermostat, Tony explains why he's now focused on green technology. He's tells us how he's investing in tech start-ups with his company, Future Shape, that are helping to find solutions to the climate change crisis.

Presenter and producer: Jo Critcher

(Image; Tony Fadell: Credit; BBC)

In this Business Daily mini series we're exploring how businesses we all use regularly are being affected by the cost of living crisis.

Leanna Byrne and Olivia Wilson look at the impact of inflation on those who supply car parts and fix our cars.

Kelly Bysouth chief supply chain officer of the International Automotive Components group tell us manufacturing disruption and supply chains are key problems for this industry. We also hear from mechanics in Lagos, Nigeria, who tell us how their businesses are coping.

Presenters; Leanna Byrne and Olivia Wilson Production; Leanna Byrne and Olivia Wilson Image; Mechanics: Credit; Getty

In this Business Daily mini series we're exploring how businesses we all use regularly are being affected by the cost of living crisis.

Leanna Byrne goes from farm to fork, first speaking to farmers in Malawi and Canada about the rising costs of growing crops and rearing dairy cows, then getting the macro picture from Food Drink Europe, which represents food and drink giants like Nestle, Unilever and Danone.

We also hear from Chris Hegadorn, Secretary of the UN’s Committee on World Food Security, who says that rising food prices in a developing country could be completely destablising.

Presenter / Producer: Leanna Byrne Additional production: Olivia Wilson Image: Farming; Credit: Getty

In this Business Daily mini series we're exploring how businesses we all use regularly are being affected by the cost of living crisis. This episode looks at how bakers are coping as the price of grain, dairy and the power needed to heat their ovens, all continue to increase.

Leanna Byrne speaks to bakers in Egypt, France and Uganda – one baker tells us that the price increases she's seeing for ingredients means she should really have doubled her prices. Our French baker tells us the price of butter is a huge issue there and in Egypt we investigate the expense of wheat imports and difficulty sourcing local wheat.

Presenter / Producer: Leanna Byrne Additional production: Olivia Wilson Image: Baker; Credit: Getty

In this Business Daily mini series we're exploring how businesses we all use regularly are being affected by the cost of living crisis. This episode looks at how hairdressers are coping as the price of power and hair products continues to increase.

Leanna Byrne speaks to hairdressers in South Africa, the USA and Germany – all report difficulties with rising overheads and the need to start passing those costs on to customers. We also look at how one haircare brand, selling direct to consumers, is seeing increased sales but also increased manufacturing costs and longer turn-around times.

Presenter / Producer: Leanna Byrne Additional production: Olivia Wilson Image: Hairdressing; Credit: Getty

Tech entrepreneur Frederic Kerrest tells Sam Clack how he helped to build the multi-billion dollar tech company, Okta, from scratch.

He goes through the life and business lessons he’s learned along the way – and explains the importance of listening to great advice at every stage of your career.

In his new book ‘Zero to IPO’, Frederic shares valuable insights from top CEOs that he hopes will help to motivate the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Presenter / Producer: Sam Clack Image: Frederic Kerrest; Credit: Okta

We take a look at the companies moving the business of love to the metaverse.

Hannah Mullane meets Aurora Townsend, co-founder of the world’s first virtual reality dating app, who tells us about what customers can expect and Hannah heads into the metaverse herself to meet Marc Charlton, founder of Dates VR, a virtual reality speed dating event.

Hannah also hears from a couple who got married on a virtual reality platform called Decentraland. That company's creative producer also explains what it’s really like to plan a virtual wedding because just like in the real world, weddings are big business.

Presenter / Producer: Hannah Mullane Image: Avatars; Credit: ‘Dates VR’

Find out more about the DNA ancestry company aiming to increase its appeal across a wider range of ethnic groups. They're attempting to correct the racial bias in DNA databases, so customers get a fuller story of who they are.

Genetic studies have primarily been done nearly exclusively in European populations to date and DNA databases are four to one skewed in favour of European DNA.

But diversity drives are unearthing genetic treasure. Slavery scrubbed the family histories of generations. Genetics is helping African Americans, for one, piece together their stolen stories.

In this episode David Reid hears the story of Jamila Zheng who found her ancestral home and relatives she didn't know existed after taking a DNA test. We also hear from Dr Steven Micheletti, Population Geneticist at 23andMe and Dr Anjali Shastri, Senior Research Programme Manager at 23andMe about the diversity drive at their company.

Producer / Presenter: David Reid Image: Jamila Zheng; Credit: 23andMe

Ever heard of the term non-promotable task? Well, if you’re a woman, the chances are you’ve been doing a lot of them at work.

Leanna Byrne speaks to the authors of The No Club, a book tracking the problems that arise when women are tasked with doing mindless jobs. We are talking about the kind of jobs that make managers happy, but won’t help you get on in your career.

Linda Babcock, Brenda Peyser, Lise Vesterlund, and Laurie Weingart—the original “No Club”— join us to talk through why women are disproportionately asked and expected to take on these tasks, why that leaves women overcommitted and underutilised and how companies are therefore forfeiting revenue, productivity, and top talent.

Presenter/producer: Leanna Byrne

(Photo: Stressed woman at work. Credit: Getty Images)

Floriade is a huge horticulture exhibition taking place every 10 years. It's in the Dutch city of Almere this year. For 6 months, visitors will see displays of plants and flowers, horticultural innovation – and proposed solutions to global environmental problems, especially in the area of urban housing.

Matthew Kenyon has been to visit and hear about the challenges of putting it together during the pandemic and the costs and benefits to the local area of hosting it. Plus a look at some of the displays and questions over whether there is a future for these big, set-piece events. Presenter / Producer: Matthew Kenyon Image: Ariel view of Floriade; Credit: Matthew Kenyon