Tech Life

Help for cancer patients

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Blood tests are part of the process of receiving cancer treatment. But they can be time-consuming and require visits to hospital. A new blood test mac...

The mammoth ivory problem

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Customs officers looking for illegally traded elephant ivory face a challenge, because ivory taken from the remains of mammoths is legal. Telling the ...

TikTok world

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're taking a global look at TikTok, and some of the problems the video sharing platform has been facing. Also on Tech Life, you want to ke...

Humanoid robots

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're looking at humanoid robots - the ones that look like us. They have arms and legs. But are they really that practical and useful ? And how might ...

Fixing undersea cables

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We dive the ocean depths to find out how you fix undersea cables that keep us online. Also this week, the documentary that's programmed to have fifty ...

Space junk

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Tech Life we are looking at the problem of space junk, the man-made debris hurtling around our planet. Could it threaten some of the ever...

Predicting the future of tech

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The internet plays an important role in most of our lives today. What will it, and other tech, look like in the future ? We take a long view with a ve...

Charging electric bikes and scooters

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Electric bikes and scooters are popular. But charging them can be inconvenient, and occasionally risky. We look at various approaches to charging batt...

Tech Life meets Spot the robot

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are hundreds of former nuclear reactors around the world, which are harmful for those trying to decommission them. That's where a four legged ro...

Mobile phones

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What do you look for when buying a mobile phone? And what do you do with your old phone? Have you thought about trading it in and recycling? Your need...

Exploring space

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Zoe Kleinman visits a satellite earth station from the era of the first moon landings, and a spaceport developing horizontal rocket launches. Find out...

Tech Life in Barcelona

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

MWC in Barcelona is a big global mobile phone industry event. Shiona McCallum is there for Tech Life, looking out for new tech and innovations which c...

Detecting audio deepfakes

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Voice cloning is becoming so sophisticated that even live phone calls can be generated by machine. Is it possible to protect yourself ? Mouthguard tec...

Tracking giraffes

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What connects the Chinese government, giraffes in Namibia, and tech ? We bring you the strange tale of how one social media message went viral. Also i...

Health Tech

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're looking at health tech. Our reporter gets hands-on with a new ultrasound system in Kenya helping to keep mothers healthy during pregnancy. And t...

Rescue Tech

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sonar and AI have been brought together in a hand-held device that can find humans underwater. We speak to its inventor and an underwater search team ...

The world of VPNs

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tech Life does a deep dive into Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs. We find out the countries where they are most in demand. Also in this edition, we l...

Technology and mental health

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Technology can pose dangers to our mental health - cyberbullying, social media addiction and disinformation. But can tech help our mental wellbeing ? ...

Tech Life in Las Vegas

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Las Vegas plays host to CES - one of the biggest consumer tech trade shows in the world. Alasdair Keane is there for Tech Life, reporting on the lates...

Tech predictions for 2024

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shiona McCallum and Alasdair Keane present a special edition of Tech Life. They invite BBC reporters to predict what might happen in the world of tech...

The year that was in tech

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tech Life looks back at another rollercoaster twelve months. From warnings AI might kill us all, to the tech millionaire trying to live forever, we re...

Our surfing habits

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Internet usage is booming. We're using online services more than ever before. So which ones are popular, and why? We find out. Also, we bring you two ...

Connecting people

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tech Life looks at ways to connect people. We examine the mobile phone usage gap. What is it and can it be narrowed ? And how do you shop online if yo...

From farm to fork with tech

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alasdair Keane is on a farm with a difference exploring the tech helping farmers adapt to changing climates. We'll hear from startups tyring to improv...

Tackling e-waste around the world

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shiona McCallum reports from Kenya on ways people there are tackling e-waste and helping to recycle electronic products. It is one of the fastest grow...

Searching for the Tech Factor

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We join the search for tomorrow's innovators at a global competition in Portugal. Who will win ? Listen and find out. Also, why do some AI chatbots pe...

Tech Life goes to Nairobi

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This special edition of Tech Life comes from Nairobi, in Kenya. We visit an agri-tech hackathon, where high tech ideas for reducing the vast amount of...

Speaking out against teen sexual harassment on Instagram

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Arturo Béjar is a former director of engineering at Facebook and was responsible for its protect and care team. He shares his concerns with Tech Life...

Artificial intelligence in the classroom

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A professional body for computing in the United Kingdom says schools should teach children how to use AI from the age of 11. Do you agree ? We ask whe...

This episode could have been an email

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From summarising video calls to making presentations in minutes, Microsoft is launching an AI copilot on some of its apps and Tech Life have been for ...

Spotting fake news online

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

BBC disinformation reporter Shayan Sardarizadeh talks to Tech Life about the spread of false information online during times of conflict, and how he v...

The carbon footprint of AI

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers estimate that the AI industry could consume as much energy annually as a country the size of the Netherlands by 2027. We take a look at th...

Where are we on the road to EV?

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shiona McCallum takes Tech Life on the road to find out more about electric vehicles and the challenges of rolling them out globally. Monica Miller is...

Be My AI: When innovation and privacy clash

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An AI-powered tool helped blind people make sense of the world - then ran into privacy concerns. Be My AI user, the BBC's Sean Dilley, in Washington D...

The world focusses on facial recognition

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Simon Gordon, founder of Facewatch, a British facial recognition company and Fraser Sampson, the UK's Biometrics and Surveillance Commissioner discus...

The health tech changing lives in Africa

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's a new testing kit for life-threatening diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. We hear about the technology from the project leader and some of those ...

Battery tech goes super miniature - and tear powered

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Associate Professor Lee Seok Woo, from NTU, in Singapore, tells us how a Tom Cruise film inspired him to create a battery, powered by tears, that's so...

Charting the true cost of AI

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the academic Kate Crawford tells us how she travelled the world to find the true cost of AI. Reporter Chris Vallance updates us on a waterm...

Why do smart speakers get facts wrong?

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever turned to a smart assistant on your phone or a speaker to catch up on the progress of a big sports match? During the Women's Football Wo...

Tech taught me

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The internet is full of ways to learn, from quick life hacks to new skills. On Tech Life we meet the teacher in Nigeria trying to share IT skills on T...

Fighting forest fires with technology

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Juan Lavista Ferres, chief data scientist at Microsoft's AI For Good Lab, tells Tech Life how artificial intelligence can help predict wildfires.Drive...

The cost of data

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you thought about the cost of storing data from your phone or tablet ? We examine what cloud storage costs you financially, and its impact on the...

X marks the spot

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Zoe Kleinman and Shiona McCallum talk about X, the new name for Twitter, as Elon Musk continues making changes at the firm. What will the rebrand mean...

The new world AI is making

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

DeepMind founder Mustafa Suleyman reflects on the AI revolution - and tells us he left the UK for Silicon Valley because it remains the top place for ...

The changing social media landscape

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meta - the owner of Facebook - has launched Threads, a text-based social media app. Tech Life's correspondent in San Francisco tells us about the laun...

Elon Musk's Twitter: More changes and more competition

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bruce Daisley, a former European vice president of Twitter, talks to Tech Life. We report on scammers using artificial intelligence, bots and books to...

Can artificial intelligence be a force for good?

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scientist, best-selling author and entrepreneur, Gary Marcus talks to Tech Life about the forthcoming global summit looking at AI for good, and the ne...

Have we had enough of podcasts?

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Technology consultant Ann Charles on the future of podcasting after Spotify ditches some of its highest profile - and highest paid - broadcasters. Tom...

The EU takes action on AI

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week Zoe Kleinman travels to Strasbourg, France to meet Margrethe Vestager, the woman leading the EU's attempts to regulate AI. Reporter Tom Gerk...

Apple's big bet on virtual reality

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tech Life goes to Apple Park at Cupertino, California, for the launch of the Vision Pro Mixed Reality headset. Zoe speaks to analyst Leo Leo Gebbie, a...

The drama about AI in Hollywood

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Film-maker Justine Bateman on why she and her Hollywood colleagues fear AI will take their jobs. Drug safety campaigner Dominic Milton Trott on why he...

What's the deal with chips?

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tech Life explores the chips found in everyday tech, and why governments are competing to make them. We hear how scientists in New Zealand are turning...

Is Elon Musk's Twitter harming global political free speech?

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, tells us Elon Musk’s Twitter is making it harder for the internet to be open and free. Plus Shiona McCallum p...

A warning about AI from a founding father of the IT age

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The inventor of the first Apple computer Steve "Woz" Wozniak tells us of his fears that AI will supercharge scams. BBC education correspondent Hazel S...

Is digital life booming in Rio?

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the first Web Summit taking place in Brazil, Tech Life explores digital transformation in South America and India. We speak to some of those on t...

'I sacrificed my soul': A Facebook moderator's story

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, an update on the legal battle between Meta and former Facebook moderators in Kenya. One of them, Trevin Brownee, tells our reporter Chris V...

Is AI racing ahead too fast?

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As Google's boss, Sunder Pichai, says he doesn't fully understand its AI products, tech investor Ian Hogarth tells us it's time for a public debate on...

Kidfluencers: Do we share too much about kids online?

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tech Life looks into the world of Kidfluencers, and asks if too much of children's lives are shared online to make money. We speak to those involved i...

How to make sure the whole world benefits from AI

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Martha Lane Fox reflects on her 30 years in tech, including her front row seat in Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter, how she remains one of very few hig...

Putting Google's AI chatbot Bard to the test

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The search giant is rolling out its challenger in the artificial intelligence arms race, competing against the Microsoft-backed Chat GPT. We take it f...

ChatGPT: Where will we use AI chatbots next?

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With more announcements about AI chatbot GPT4, we hear how it will be further integrated into Microsoft and speak to Duolingo about how they hope it w...

WhatsApp: We speak to boss, Will Cathcart

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shiona McCallum is at Meta's London HQ to chat to WhatsApp boss, Will Cathcart. We explore their response to the UK's Online Safety Bill and ask about...

Why are some governments worried about TikTok?

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We look at why some governments are worried about TikTok. We hear about pregnancy discrimination in tech and an expert tells us about the future of no...

Big Tech's big legal headache

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The US Supreme Court is hearing claims that big tech firms such as Google and Twitter should be considered the publishers of the harmful content that ...

Apple workers accuse firm of 'union busting'

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One employee tells the BBC the tech giant has been attempting to 'scare' staff. The firm says it continues to 'make enhancements to our industry-leadi...

The AI search race is on

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Three big players in internet search have announced plans to integrate AI but can Google and Baidu rival Microsoft's team-up with ChatGPT? We also exp...

Sacked Twitter staff take on Elon Musk

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Several workers are launching legal action against Twitter. It follows a round of mass lay-offs at the social media firm last year. We also hear about...

Can Ticketmaster 'shake off' the bots?

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shiona McCallum explores what can be done about online bots targeting ticket sales. It’s after Ticketmaster apologised to Taylor Swift fans who miss...

MRNA: The tech that transforms cancer treatment?

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The boss of Moderna, Stephane Bancel, tells us about how MRNA technology could transform the treatment of cancer. But will the personalised treatment ...

Tech Tent goes to CES

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tech Tent is in Las Vegas, in the US, for CES, one of the world' s biggest and most important tech shows. We discuss the future of VR, and the ethics ...

Tech predictions for 2023

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Shiona McCallum and Joe Tidy invite the BBC's tech experts in Africa, Asia, America and Europe to make their predictions for how tech will shape 2023....

The Tech Tent Christmas quiz

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The technology news team review the year in the form of a quiz. Paul Carter and Liv McMahon take on Nick Kwek and Alasdair Keane to see who remembers ...

The law catches up with Sam Bankman-Fried

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Bankman-Fried is arrested and charged days after telling our reporter Joe Tidy he was confident he would avoid prosecution. We discuss the questio...

ChatGPT: The AI chatbot everyone is talking to

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you feel about talking to a computer? New AI chatbot, ChatGPT, passed one million users in just a week but what are its potential uses and limi...

China's Great Firewall fails

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week journalist and author James Griffiths explains how the Great Firewall of China works - and why it failed to stop the recent wave of protests...

Is there a future for smart speakers?

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Smart Speakers have become part of the furniture of many people's homes, but they don't seem to have proved as lucrative as the companies who created ...

FTX: A crypto crisis

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The collapse of the FTX currency exchange, and the downfall of its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried has been astonishing. Where does the industry go now? Th...

Big Tech's big job losses

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week Facebook owner Meta becomes the latest tech giant to axe thousands of jobs. We ask veteran industry watcher Michael Malone how big a crisis ...

Twitter's tumultuous first week under Elon Musk

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tech Tent analyses Elon Musk's first few days in charge of Twitter. Cyber reporter Joe Tidy meets the people pouring millions of dollars into the Meta...

'This is junk science': The UK takes aim at biometric tech

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The UK's deputy information commissioner tells Tech Tent why some new biometric technologies are "the modern phrenology", and based on "magical" think...

This number has been disconnected

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tech Tent explores why millions of SIM cards face being disconnected in Kenya and Ghana as authorities force people to register them. We'll also speak...

How TikTok syphons off money from some of those most in need

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tech Tent finds out about the BBC investigation into how much money donated through Tik Tok live actually makes it to displaced people’s pockets. Al...

Elon Musk's Twitter take over rises from the ashes

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk wanted Twitter, then he didn't - and now he does again. Why has he changed his mind and what does it mean for Twitter? Our Silicon Valley re...

Why are there still so few women in tech?

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The boss of Apple, Tim Cook, tells the BBC there are no good excuses for the persistent gender imbalance in tech. We ask women starting their careers ...

The protests sending Iran offline

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Iran suffers internet blackouts and mobile phone outages as protestors mount angry protests against the country's morality police. Will it ...

The Merge: A cryptocurrency revolution

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Tech Tent: the Merge - Ethereum, the world's second biggest cryptocurrency, attempts the Merge, a radical new operating model that cuts i...

Apple tries to build back the buzz

11 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Tech Tent this week Silicon Valley reporter James Clayton joins us from Apple's new product launch in Cupertino, California. We hear from the Briti...

India's high speed broadband revolution

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Tech Tent this week, we hear about India's ambitions to build the world's fastest 5G network - and why WhatsApp is launching a grocery shopping ser...

More trouble at Twitter

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Tech Tent this week, reporter Chris Vallance runs us through the serious allegations about lax security levelled at Twitter by its former employee ...

Can TikTok stars make it on the real stage?

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week Tech Tent speaks to TikTok stars Chloe and Tabby Tingey - aka the Sugarcoated Sisters - about transferring their act to the Edinburgh Fringe...

Esports at the Commonwealth Games

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We meet the gamers vying for unofficial medals that the Commonwealth GamesAmazon warehouse workers in the UK protestAnd we attempt a conversation with...

The future of medical virtual reality

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We take a look at virtual reality as it helps surgeons in Brazil work with colleagues in Britain on an operation to separate twins joined at the head....

The battle over encrypted messaging

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The head of WhatsApp signals the firm will resist efforts to weaken its encryption, as the UK and EU look to enact legislation that could compel firms...

Is Tesla in trouble?

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Tech Tent this week, tech journalist Charles Arthur on the troubles at Tesla. The boss of Tinder tells our reporter Shiona McCallum how she wants t...

Twitter and Elon Musk: The deal goes sour

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As Twitter launches legal action to compel Elon Musk to complete a takeover he says he now wants to stop, Silicon Valley tech reporter James Clayton a...

How Wimbledon has gone high tech

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week Tech Tent comes from the Wimbledon tennis championships, in London, and finds out about the sophisticated AI systems powering match predicti...

The profound tech consequences of Roe v Wade

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Gina Neff and Eva Blum-Dumontet investigate how individuals and tech companies should react to abortion becoming illegal in parts of the US....

The graphic content missed by Meta's moderators

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Tech Tent this week, a BBC investigation into so-called "up-skirting" on Facebook - and Thomas Hughes from Meta's Oversight Board on its first year...

Is El Salvador's bitcoin revolution failing?

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week Tech Tent is presented by Joe Tidy, who's been to El Salvador - which has bought thousands of bitcoins and become the first country in the w...

Is the work from home revolution unstoppable?

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As new data shows the work from home revolution is accelerating, we ask if technology has forced the world of work to change for ever. Claire McCartne...