Tech Life discovers and explains the ways technology is changing our lives, wherever we are in the world. We meet the people with bright ideas for rethinking the way we work, learn and play, and get hands-on with the products they dream up. We hold tech giants to account for their huge power to affect our lives, and ask who wins, and who loses, in the technology transformation. Tech Life is your guide to a future being made, and remade, at lightning speed in front of our eyes.
Rory Cellan-Jones asks whether California is still the best home for tech startups. He speaks to a video games executive, a venture capitalist, a gig-economy driver, a social entrepreneur, and the Dean of Stanford University’s Medical School to get their view. And Rachael Myrow, senior tech editor from Californian radio station KQED gives her take on whether Silicon Valley is still on top. Produced by Jat Gill.
The Chinese tech giant will be allowed a limited role in Britain's 5G telecoms network. Plus, how Estonia wants to lure British tech talent after "Brexit". And is it becoming easier to do e-commerce in Africa? Presented by Zoe Kleinman, with BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield, and special guest Raquel de Condado Marques, telecoms research analyst at IDC. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: A 5G handset showing fast download speeds at a Huawei store in China, Credit: Getty Images).
Jane Wakefield checks out the latest educational tech at the Bett 2020 show in London and talks to Apple and Google about how they think technology can prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. Plus she finds out what role robots can play in teaching. And is always-connected technology making you stressed and burnt-out? If so, we hear some tips that might help. With BBC tech reporter Chris Fox. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Jane Wakefield with the Ohbot robot head, Credit: BBC).
The tech giant behind Windows and Office promises to remove all the carbon it has emitted since it was founded in 1975. Plus, is tracking for digital ads out of control? And we hear about a new BBC podcast in which teenagers interview technology pioneers. Presented by Jane Wakefield, with BBC tech reporter Chris Fox, and special guest Catherine Stihler, chief executive of the non-profit Open Knowledge Foundation. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of a plant stem growing out of a circuit ...
Zoe Kleinman, Chris Fox, and Cody Godwin report from the giant annual CES event in Las Vegas on the latest tech that you might soon be buying. Zoe takes a ride in a Russian driverless car, and tastes a plant-based alternative to pork meat. Chris meets Samsung's new robot for the home, and Cody tries out a circular mobile phone. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Char Siu Buns made from meat-alternative Impossible Pork are sampled during a press event for CES 2020, Credit: David Becker/ Getty Images)....
Rory Cellan-Jones and special guests look ahead to the technology trends they expect to see in 2020 and discuss ideas for a better internet in the coming year. Plus they’ll preview the gigantic annual CES tech event in Las Vegas. With BBC Online tech editor Leo Kelion, and guests Catherine Miller from Doteveryone and Tom Standage from The Economist. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of a service robot helping a man check-in at an airport, Credit: iStock/ Getty Images Plus).
Rory Cellan-Jones and the BBC Online tech team give their assessment of the current state of tech in several important areas. They’ll be looking at technology ranging from smart cities to artificial intelligence, and from gaming to tech aimed specifically at women. With BBC reporters Chris Fox, Leo Kelion, Zoe Kleinman, and Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Young woman using smart bus stop display in Barcelona, Credit: iStock/ Getty Images Plus).
How well do you know your tech? We test Chris Fox, Zoe Kleinman, Dave Lee and Jane Wakefield’s knowledge of the top technology stories of 2019. And please do play along with them and test yourself against our teams. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones. (Image: Woman sitting in front of a Christmas tree, listening to headphones, Credit: iStock/ Getty Images Plus).
The video-sharing giant will block clips that "maliciously insult someone" based on race, gender identity or sexuality. Plus, what does the British general election tell us about the effectiveness of paid-for social media campaigning? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Chris Fox, and special guest Chris Stokel-Walker, author of "YouTubers". (Image: Stock photo of a young man in a lonely corridor looking worried by something on his smartphone, Credit: iStock/ Getty Images)....
Mobile phone buyers in China are made to provide facial recognition data when they get a new plan. But are Chinese citizens comfortable with the rapid rollout of such tech? Plus, how advances in machine learning could help patients with Parkinson's Disease manage their symptoms better. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Zoe Kleinman, and special guest Stephanie Hare, technology researcher. (Image: Customers buy food via facial recognition system In Hangzhou, China, Credit: Ge...
The Chinese-owned platform is forced to back down after removing a US teenager's viral video highlighting China's treatment of Uighur Muslims. Plus, we chat to Kenyan startup Kwara, which is trying to stop people without access to bank lending falling into the hands of loan sharks. And the charity Scope reveals that many websites and apps remain inaccessible to people with disabilities. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC Online tech correspondent Mark Ward, and special guest Alison Griswol...
Does an electric model of the iconic muscle-car signal the future for the motor industry? Plus, the founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales tells us why he thinks his new social network can lure people away from Facebook and Twitter. And the head of Google Cloud AI talks to us about solving the "black box" problem. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Chris Fox, and special guest Kate Bevan, the editor of Which? Computing. (Image: The unveiling of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Credit: EPA/...
New figures suggest the tech giant is removing a growing amount of banned content. Is Facebook getting better at finding it or is it losing control of the problem? Plus, we chat to Eben Upton, creator of the Raspberry Pi, who has been given a Lovie lifetime achievement award for the affordable computer's success. And Damian Bradfield, author of "The Trust Manifesto", tells us why he thinks trust between tech firms and their users has broken down. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech rep...
How Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner could change the way big tech firms operate. Plus why Dublin is a favoured place for startups. And economists and comedians gather in the city of Kilkenny for the tenth annual Kilkenomics festival where cryptocurrency is one of the topics on the agenda. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield and special guests Peter Antonioni from UCL and the journalist Jamie Bartlett, presenter of the hit podcast “The Missing Cryptoqueen”...
Why is Twitter banning political ads when Facebook insists it will keep on carrying them? Plus, some tech products aimed at women have been called "femtech". Does the label help or hinder inclusivity? DeepMind's AlphaStar artificial intelligence has reached the top league of one of the most popular esport video games Starcraft 2. We talk to a top player of the game who has competed against it. And why the co-founder of Netflix is not worried by Apple's new streaming TV service. Presented by Rory...
We follow Indian cyber police in the city of Kolkata as they raid a call centre suspected of scamming people in the US and UK. Plus, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg defends the Libra digital currency project. And how robots could help more patients in India's hospitals receive the surgery they need. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC reporter Szu Ping Chan, and special guest Izabella Kaminska from the Financial Times. (Image: Stock photo of a man entering banking details into his computer, Cred...
The latest handset from Google introduces a new way to control a phone without touching it. Is it actually useful, or an interesting gimmick? And the company's hardware chief Rick Osterloh tells us why he would warn a house-guest about the presence of smart devices. Plus, Nir Eyal, author of the new book "Indistractable" shares his strategies to help us all be less distracted by our gadgets. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield, and special guest Charlotte Gee fr...
In a week of rising tension between US and China over trade we hear how some of China's biggest tech firms are caught in the cross-fire. And Rory Cellan-Jones asks why Apple has decided to take down a Hong Kong mapping app? As Ada Lovelace Day spreads around the world to celebrate women in science and tech, the BBC's Zoe Kleinman asks its founder whether conditions have actually improved since the movement was first launched a decade ago? And Rory asks UNICEF why it is getting into the controver...
Why the Chinese video-sharing app seems to have Facebook worried. Plus, a leading AI researcher in Ghana tells us why algorithms used in Africa but trained on data from elsewhere could make biased decisions. And how a common definition of online abuse could help to tackle it more effectively. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield, and special guest Parmy Olson, tech reporter from the Wall Street Journal. (Image: Stock photo of a woman on a beach making a smartphon...
The tech giant takes its Alexa smart assistant out of the home. Plus, are neural interfaces the next big thing in how we control computers? And, the Facebook-backed Libra digital currency has met with opposition from governments. Can the project get back on track? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Chris Fox, and special guest, Caroline Carruthers, business author and data consultant. (Image: Eyeglass frames with voice-activated digital assistant Alexa at Amazon's headquarter...
California gave birth to the "gig economy" - working for app-driven services such as ride-hailing and food-delivery. But now the state has drafted a law to make “gig workers” employees and give them more rights. Is it the end for this way of working? Plus, will Apple's iPhone maintain its loyal following without 5G? And we visit Europe's largest data centre to consider our thirst for cloud storage. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Zoe Kleinman, and special guest Dominic Sun...
Two new surveys suggest cautious public attitudes in the US and UK towards the tech. Plus, the autumn mobile device launch season is upon us. We check out the news from the IFA electronics show in Berlin and look forward to the wave of new handsets set to be released in the coming weeks. And, would you report to your employer a colleague who you suspected was stealing company data? Presented by Zoe Kleinman, with BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield, and special guests Stuart Miles from Pocket-lint ...
Is the trade dispute between the US and China hurting both nations' tech industry? Artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G telecoms are key sectors in which the superpowers are vying to be the leader. Special guests Calum Chace, author of "Surviving AI", and Emily Taylor, CEO of Oxford Information Labs, join Chris Fox to examine the effects of the trade dispute between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. (Image: Composite image of Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, Credit: Reuters)....
The social giant will reveal what it knows about your internet activity off of its platform. Will its users appreciate the transparency or be horrified? Plus, Twitter and Google take down accounts indicating co-ordinated posting relating to the Hong Kong protests. How has that gone down in China? And, 3D printing was meant to democratise manufacturing. It hasn't quite worked out like that, but we see one example of a 3D printed consumer product - a new type of bike helmet. Presented by Rory Cell...
How privately-operated facial recognition in public places threatens privacy, according to campaigners. Plus, why is the shared-office firm WeWork valued at $47bn when it lost $1.6bn last year and has no idea when or whether it will ever deliver a profit. And how the kids' comic The Beano developed its digital strategy. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Zoe Kleinman, and Madhumita Murgia, European technology correspondent at the Financial Times. (Image: Stock image of a secu...
Key service providers kick the controversial message board, which has been used to celebrate mass shootings, off the mainstream internet. In what form might it resurface? Plus "warshipping" is one of the latest threats to corporate security presented at the annual Black Hat hackers' conference. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporters Chris Fox and Dave Lee, and special guests Kate Bevan, editor of Which? Computing, and Poppy Gustafsson, co-CEO of Darktrace. (Image: Stock photo of...
Should a robot be allowed to react if it is attacked by a person? A new blueprint for robot makers aims to set out how machines should behave. Plus the UK Parliament committee scrutinising Facebook demands an explanation after reports the company knew about the misuse of its data by a political consultancy earlier than it had claimed. Presented by Jane Wakefiled, with BBC Online tech editor Leo Kelion, and special guest Annabelle Timsit from the Quartz website. (Image: Stock photo of man shaking...
The social network reaches a record settlement with regulators over users' data privacy. Will it change how Facebook operates? Plus, is opposition to using facial recognition technology in public places growing? And, we get a rare glimpse into the online activities of Russia's intelligence agencies. Presented by Chris Fox, with BBC North America tech reporter Dave Lee, and special guest technology researcher Stephanie Hare. (Image: Person trying the Facebook Portal device during the F8 2019 deve...
How Dundee in Scotland gave birth to Grand Theft Auto and has remained a hub of games design ever since. We visit the V&A design museum’s exhibition on gaming, plus we get one young developer’s tips on getting into the games business. And we track down one of the original team that worked on GTA. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones.
Are privacy fears over Alexa's new ability to offer medical advice from the UK's National Health Service justified? Plus, how super-car maker Aston Martin thinks it can persuade its customers to swap the roar of a V12 engine for the near-silence of electric propulsion. And we hear about the disturbing rise of "stalkerware" apps. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Chris Fox, and special guest Charlotte Jee from the MIT Tech Review. (Image: An Amazon Echo smart speaker on a cof...
