Frances Haugen tells a British parliamentary committee that the social giant’s engagement algorithm puts users at risk of harm. Plus we get a view from India, where the platform stands accused of allowing dangerous misinformation to spread. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with senior BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield and BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman. Producer: Jat Gill (Photo: Frances Haugen, former product manager on Facebook"s civic misinformation team, leaves the Houses of Parliament, Lo...
Oct 29, 2021•24 min
How the metaverse, energy tech, and AI might influence how we live in years to come. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter David Molloy. Produced by Jat Gill.
Oct 22, 2021•24 min
William Shatner makes global headlines by becoming the oldest person to travel to space, aboard the Blue Origin craft backed by Jeff Bezos. But has Elon Musk effectively already won the billionaires’ space race? Plus the ambitious plan to carry solar and wind energy from Morocco to the UK. And we take a trip through mobile phone history with the founder of a new virtual handset museum. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill.
Oct 15, 2021•24 min
The social giant suffers one of its worst ever weeks after a tech blunder takes its platforms offline for hours, and a whistleblower gives highly critical testimony to Congress about its attitude to online harm. Plus, the CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance tells us why he’s convinced digital currencies are the future of finance. And why is China clamping down on cryptocurrencies? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter David Molloy. Produced by Jat Gill.
Oct 08, 2021•24 min
Are quantum computers ready to make the leap from the lab to the business? We visit two companies trying to make that a reality. Plus, we hear about Intel’s advances in neuromorphic computing, which mimics the workings of the brain. And will Amazon’s new home robot succeed where a long line of others have failed? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill.
Oct 01, 2021•24 min
Will US press reports about Facebook bring tighter regulation or a breakup a step closer? Plus, the British startup that wants to power the metaverse. And the plan to connect the UK’s museum and gallery collections to online visitors and researchers. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Credit: Getty Images).
Sep 24, 2021•24 min
Can the online encyclopaedia be impartial in a world of hotly-contested narratives? Plus, is Apple struggling to innovate? And the privacy implications of Facebook’s smart sunglasses. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill.
Sep 17, 2021•24 min
El Salvador becomes the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Cryptocurrency fans celebrate, but will Salvadorans benefit? Rory Cellan-Jones speaks to Alex Gladstein from the Human Rights Foundation, who says Bitcoin can help give citizens of poorer countries more economic freedom. Also on the programme, Facebook's algorithm is accused of perpetuating gender stereotypes in the way it shows job adverts to men and women. Naomi Hirst from the campaign group Global Witness explains. And wh...
Sep 10, 2021•24 min
China announces plans to restrict children to just three hours of video games a week. How will gamers cope and what does it mean for China's booming video games industry? We speak to Rui Ma, China tech watcher and host of the Tech Buzz China podcast, and to games industry analyst Lisa Cosmas Hanson from Niko Partners. Plus the battle over the video game streaming market hots up, with major streaming stars switching from Twitch to YouTube. Can YouTube ever challenge Twitch's dominance? Louise Sho...
Sep 03, 2021•24 min
Is language-based artificial intelligence as capable as it seems? We visit a theatre production that places the GPT-3 algorithm at its heart. Plus, why attempts at using AI to help diagnose and treat Covid-19 don’t yet appear to have yielded significant results. And how sensors and AI might help provide better care for vulnerable people in their own homes. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Zoe Kleinman. Produced by Jat Gill.
Aug 27, 2021•24 min
Human rights activists say that the Taliban could use databases compiled by the previous government and coalition forces to target citizens. Plus, why is there a flurry of investment in undersea internet cables. And the amazing stories behind some emoji characters. Presented by Zoe Kleinman, with BBC tech reporter Chris Vallance. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Representation of a fingerprint scan, Credit: Getty Images).
Aug 20, 2021•24 min
Can tech to capture and store carbon prevent a climate catastrophe? Plus how cyber criminals can now check whether their planned cryptocurrency transfers will raise suspicions. And is there any significant market for folding phones? Presented by Joe Tidy, with BBC Click tech reporter Jen Copestake. Produced by Jat Gill.
Aug 13, 2021•24 min
A state-run media outlet brands online games ‘electronic drugs’ and calls for more curbs on the industry. Plus, the AI that’s claimed to speed up insurance claims following extreme weather events. And could machine learning make recruitment fairer? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of a young woman with large headphones looking at her smartphone, Credit: Getty Images).
Aug 06, 2021•24 min
Pat Gelsinger, the CEO of Intel, outlines his plan to regain the lead in silicon chips. Plus, the US tech giants report bumper quarterly profits. Will regulators be taking note? And is the battle against online terrorist propaganda being won? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter David Molloy. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of a silicon chip with a road vanishing into the distance, Credit: Getty Images).
Jul 30, 2021•24 min
How the Pegasus software from Israel’s NSO Group has kept ahead of smartphone makers’ attempts to block it. Plus, can Zoom’s new app features keep people video-conferencing post-pandemic, or has everyone had enough of virtual meetings? And the AI designed to help wine producers take more risks with what they make. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Zoe Kleinman. Produced by Jat Gill.
Jul 23, 2021•24 min
England’s black players received a wave of racist abuse after the team lost to Italy in the European Championship final. What could the social platforms do to end such behaviour? Plus websites associated with the hacker group REvil go offline. And why an old Super Mario 64 video game cartridge sold for $1.5m at auction. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield, and BBC cybersecurity reporter Joe Tidy. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: England footballer Marcus Ras...
Jul 16, 2021•24 min
Did exposure and contact tracing apps live up to the hopes for them? Plus, how ransomware-as-a-service is becoming a serious cyber threat. And new laws in the US could give people access to the information and parts they need to repair, rather than replace, their devices. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporters Chris Vallance and Cody Godwin. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Hands of people at a picnic with their phones and face masks, Credit: Getty Images).
Jul 09, 2021•24 min
SoftBank pauses production of the Pepper service robot with no date for when it will resume. Does it suggest a lack of appetite for humanoid devices? Plus, Mobile World Congress is back in hybrid form. Does the online / in-person attendance model work for big tech events? Plus, why the system of internet addresses is preventing many people from getting online. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Zoe Kleinman. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of the Pepper robot...
Jul 02, 2021•24 min
The colourful and controversial entrepreneur created an entire industry with his early antivirus software. But he was now facing extradition from Spain to the US on tax charges. Plus, gamers say no to Facebook’s attempt to put ads in virtual reality titles. And has a year of meeting and hanging out virtually whetted people’s appetites for a metaverse? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter David Molloy. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of John McAfee, Credit: Getty Image...
Jun 25, 2021•24 min
Sir Tim Berners-Lee surprises observers by using the latest tech craze to raise funds for charity. Plus, we visit the Founders Forum ClimateTech Summit to hear entrepreneurs’ ideas for tackling the environmental emergency. And will wearable health devices one day be replaced by implanted sensors? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with senior BBC tech reporter Zoe Kleinman. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Sir Tim Berners-Lee with NFT graphics, Credit: Getty Images).
Jun 18, 2021•24 min
The FBI recovers Bitcoins paid in the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, and separately, tricks organised crime suspects into using a messaging app they could monitor. Plus leading researcher Prof. Kate Crawford argues that AI is neither artificial, nor intelligent. And we hear about the chat-bot based gadget for recording your audio biography. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of the FBI logo and person wear...
Jun 11, 2021•24 min
The Chinese giant launches its own smartphone and connected device operating system after the US blocked access to key Google Android tech. Will China be a big enough market for it to become established? Plus, how machine learning is helping to improve the monitoring of Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. And the debate over plans by the National Health Service in England to open patients’ local medical records to researchers and planners. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter ...
Jun 06, 2021•24 min
The cryptocurrency business tries to boost its green credentials with the formation of a 'Bitcoin Mining Council' and the help of Elon Musk. Will it make a difference? Jaime Leverton, boss of Hut 8 Mining, and finance writer Frances Coppola discuss. Plus a BBC investigation finds the Chinese trying out technology that claims to sense your mood, and airplane engine maker Rolls Royce let us into its factory to look at how data is powering its business. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with senior t...
May 28, 2021•24 min
President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid discusses how the wide availability of online government services helped citizens during the lockdown. Plus, how Google hopes a tie-up with Samsung will give its WearOS smartwatch platform a boost. And has Apple compromised too much in its dealings with China? (Image: Estonia’s President Kersti Kaljulaid, Credit: Getty Images).
May 21, 2021•24 min
Has the threat to infrastructure from hackers demanding money been underestimated? Plus, a Facebook moderator tells the Irish Parliament of the toll the work is taking on her mental health. And we chat to an engineer trying to develop affordable autonomous driving tech for Indian cities. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC cybersecurity reporter Joe Tidy. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Valve representing an oil pipeline, with cryptocurrency tokens. Credit: Getty Images).
May 14, 2021•24 min
The platform’s external Oversight Board says Facebook was right to suspend Donald Trump’s account after the January riot in Washington DC, but wrong to do it indefinitely and without enough explanation. It says Facebook itself must now rule on whether to reinstate or ban permanently Mr Trump. Plus, how personalised music playlists might help reduce anxiety and pain in medical patients. And the robots are coming … to solve your crossword puzzles. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with senior BBC te...
May 07, 2021•24 min
Apple’s long-awaited iPhone software update arrives with new features to block trackers. What effect is it having so far? Plus, how a machine learning startup aims to help doctors detect lung cancer earlier. And former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warns of a global digital divide. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Zoe Kleinman. Produced by Jat Gill.
Apr 30, 2021•23 min
Facebook and Reddit follow Clubhouse into social audio. Does the idea have lasting appeal? Plus, home-made jet suit builder Richard Browning on what’s next for his creation. And why England’s former Children’s Commissioner is taking legal action against TikTok. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC Online tech editor Leo Kelion. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of a woman listening to audio on headphones, Credit: Getty Images).
Apr 23, 2021•24 min
Tech founder Phil Libin tells us why he’s doing away with offices for good and no longer advertising jobs with a location. Plus, is China reigning in its tech giants after Alibaba is given a $2bn fine for market abuse. And the AI tech that helps people with impaired speech interact with voice-activated devices. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with senior BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of a woman working behind a laptop computer, Credit: Getty Images)....
Apr 16, 2021•23 min
How Apple and Google’s privacy clampdown will bring upheaval to online advertising. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter David Molloy. Produced by Jat Gill.
Apr 09, 2021•24 min
