Tech Life

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 two quintillion different versions. If you're planning to watch all of them you'll possibly need a coffee, so we look at the tech behind coffee bean roasters. And how do you enrich the tech lives of lemurs and parrots ? We speak to an expert.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn

(Photo: Illustration of a submarine communications cable. Credit: Christoph Burgstedt/Getty)

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 everyday tech we all rely on?

Also this week, don't you just hate it when stuff doesn't work? Are internet and social media outages becoming more frequent ? A doctor in Argentina has created a video game to help calm the nerves of children facing a hospital operation. And what weighs three tonnes and is the size of a mini-van ? It's the world's largest digital camera.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn

(Photo: A NASA illustration of space debris around Earth. Credit: Nasa/Getty)

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 veteran of the tech industry. Also on Tech Life this week, some of the biggest social media platforms have been accused of obstructing information on abortion and reproductive healthcare in developing countries. And health tech helps to combat child malnutrition in Africa.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn

(Photo: A photo of a computer taken in 1982. Credit: BBC)

Electric bikes and scooters are popular. But charging them can be inconvenient, and occasionally risky. We look at various approaches to charging batteries around the world. Also this week, our reporter Marc Cieslak meets schoolchildren involved in a project to introduce them to artificial intelligence and programming through skills acquired playing chess. And we try out the next generation of Bluetooth connectivity.

Presenter: Zoe Kleinman Producers: Alasdair Keane and Tom Quinn

(Photo: Charging an electric bike. Credit: Henglein and Steets/Getty Images)

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 robot called Spot comes in and Tech Life have been to meet it. Also in this episode; the impact of auto-correct constantly misspelling names and how scientists are using AI and tourist boats to learn more about whales.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Alasdair Keane

(Picture: Spot the robot at a decommissioned nuclear plant /BBC)

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 needs might vary, depending upon where in the world you live. We explore the options. Also this week, find out about the digital repatriation of historical artefacts.

(Photo: A pile of mobile phones. Credit: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

Zoe Kleinman visits a satellite earth station from the era of the first moon landings, and a spaceport developing horizontal rocket launches. Find out how tech is being used to communicate deep into space, and launch rockets from jet planes. Also on Tech Life, cyborg jellyfish could soon be swimming the ocean depths, providing valuable data to scientists. And an AI-generated internet radio station keeps you up to date with non-news.

PHOTO: Zoe Kleinman at Goonhilly Earth Station. Credit: BBC.

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 could impact our lives. This year, wearable tech is attracting alot of attention. Also in this edition, we want to know your top tips for fixing tech problems.

(Photo: Shiona McCallum tries the AI Pin at MWC in Barcelona. Credit: BBC)

Voice cloning is becoming so sophisticated that even live phone calls can be generated by machine. Is it possible to protect yourself ? Mouthguard technology is monitoring the hardest tackles on rugby players - our reporter gives it a try. Also in this week's Tech Life, we look at tracing your family tree with tech. And hear about winter-proof long-distance drones delivering supplies in Norway.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/demaerre

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 in this edition of Tech Life, Shiona McCallum meets a smart robotic guide dog. And bringing cyber-security to girls in Africa - meet the woman making it happen.

(Photo: A giraffe eating leaves from high branches. Credit: Michael B. Brown/Giraffe Conservation Foundation)

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 tech for the menopause. Why isn't there more of it ? Also on this edition of Tech Life, the social media platform we used to call Twitter has a new rival. And tech at the Vatican - we interview the Pope's adviser on technology.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/ER Productions Ltd

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 leader. Chris Vallance examines voice cloning and has a telephone conversation with artificial intelligence. Shiona McCallum reports on tech protecting crops from climate change in Africa. And Alasdair Keane learns about making magnets.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Editorial12

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 learn about video gaming in Iran. And we speak to the teenager in India who invented a device to help people with Alzheimer's, inspired by his grandmother.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Traitov

Technology can pose dangers to our mental health - cyberbullying, social media addiction and disinformation. But can tech help our mental wellbeing ? We explore the issues. Tech Life's Alasdair Keane reports from Las Vegas on a sound system for cars that alters music as the vehicle is driven. And tech meets beauty - find out about hair dryers delivering more than hot air.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Westend61

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 latest innovations and devices. Also, video gaming is big business in Africa. Tech Life presenter Shiona McCallum finds out how big the business is. And a new substance has been discovered which could solve a problem with rechargeable batteries.

(Photo: Sphere logo. Credit: Greg Doherty/Getty Images)

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 in 2024. From Africa to North America, from Asia to Europe, our experts give you their tips for what might be making technology news in the coming months. Hear about electric cars, cryptocurrency, video games, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and more. How will developments affect your life ?

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Ketut Agus Suardika

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 review the biggest stories and our favourite interviews from 2023.

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 very different voices from Africa, talking about the benefits - and problems - of social media content. And many of us are still dealing with the consequences of coronavirus. Now experts are using technology to help prepare for the next pandemic. PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Muchiri, or Muchiri Mike as he's known on TikTok, with Tech Life's Shiona McCallum in Nairobi, Kenya. You can hear their interview in this edition.

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 you have no official address? Our reporter in Brazil finds out.

Also, we look at the company saving billions of litres of drinking water around the world by detecting leaky pipes using clever tech. And we find out about the latest fast-paced video gaming technology for people who are blind or partially-sighted.

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 improve how crops are watered and analysing moisture data from space. We also find out how one ice cream company is warming their freezers without the ice cream melting.

(Picture: Inside IGS vertical farm)

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 growing streams of waste, with an estimated 50 million tonnes produced globally every year. Also in this episode Alasdair Keane has been finding out about a project to make the internet available in more languages and we hear about a community in India using step trackers to campaign for better sanitation.

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 perform better using the English language ? And new signings are heading to one of the world's most popular football video games.

Photo: Competition finalists, Lisbon, November 2023.

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 wasted crops in Africa are being put forward. We have a tour of the Basi-Go E-bus charging depot, and hear their vision for bringing the electric vehicle revolution to the streets of Nairobi. Market traders tell us how their lives have been transformed by the M-Pesa mobile money system - and we head to Nairobi Garage start up to meet the next generation of fin tech founders, and hear their plans for bringing new products and services to the booming population of young people across Africa.

((PIC CREDIT: Presenter Shiona McCallum meets trader Lydia in Nairobi's famous Maasai market)

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. Also, we get the view from South Korea on making artificial intelligence tools safe. And how to sniff out forest fires - with the help of an AI nose.

PHOTO CREDIT: Arturo Béjar

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 where it is happening already. Also, politicians and experts discuss AI safety at a big global summit. Health tech helps epilepsy diagnosis in the Caribbean. And we test the tech that takes the crunch out of chewing.

PHOTO CREDIT: PonyWang, Getty Images.

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 a preview. But will it change how we work or present new challenges? We also speak to the tech entrepreneur, Miron Mironiuk, who is collaborating with Pope Francis to teach children tech skills. And we meet 21 year old Luke Farritor who has won $40,000 unscrambling ancient texts that were left unreadable after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Picture: a video call taking place on line Getty/Mayur Kakade)

BBC disinformation reporter Shayan Sardarizadeh talks to Tech Life about the spread of false information online during times of conflict, and how he verifies social media posts. An expert on electric cars answers your questions about EVs. We send our reporter out to sea to find out how tech can help marine conservation. And say hello to some old friends - Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario.

(Photo: Man holds a yellow warning symbol in front of a laptop. Credit: Getty Images)

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 the details and ways of reducing electricity demand. Also, we talk to one of Africa's leading technology entrepreneurs about how he sees AI helping the continent and how workers can adapt to it. And how do you persuade an unwanted wildlife creature not to mess up your garden ? One man trained his home camera system to solve the problem.

(Photo: Electricity pylons. Credit: Igor Borisenko/Getty Images)

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 in Singapore experiencing some of the new cars on the block and Alasdair Keane joins Nissan's Formula E team in France.

(Picture: Shiona McCallum plugging in an EV)

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 DC, tells us what happened next.

A rare interview with the boss of Spotfiy, Daniel Ek, who tells us there is a place for AI in music making.

Plus, reporter Marc Cieslak tells us about second thumbs and brain hacking, as he explores the mind boggling world of neural interface technology.

(Photo: A blind man using a mobile phone. Credit: Agrobacter/Getty Images)

Simon Gordon, founder of Facewatch, a British facial recognition company and Fraser Sampson, the UK's Biometrics and Surveillance Commissioner discuss the growing use of facial recognition tech. Dr. Cosmas Zavazava, Director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, tells us about how much of the world remains offline. And Tom Singleton reports on how a digital payment scheme, set up by the UNCDF, is proving to be a lifeline for people exposed to extreme weather in the Pacific Islands.

(PHOTO CREDIT: A young man captured by a facial recognition system. Credit: Izusek. Copyright: Getty Images)

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 involved in Uganda and Kenya. Also in Tech Life, we report on lab grown diamonds in India. And posting photos of flooding on social media could help experts predict where it might happen next.

(Photo: Composite image with a globe and medical staff looking at a tablet. Credit: Getty Images)

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 small it could be fitted to a contact lens. Ben Derico reports from San Francisco on why Chatbot detectors are mistakenly accusing people for whom English is a second language of cheating in exams. Analyst Ben Wood, from CCS Insight, brings us up to speed on Apple's latest product plans. And journalist Jack Thompson guides us through the farming revolution in Senegal, being powered by WhatsApp voicenotes.

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 watermark system - developed by Deepmind, Google's AI arm - which aims to show whether an image was generated by a machine or designed by a human. Mansoor Hamayun, Co-Founder and CEO of Bboxx tells us about the company's smart cooking valve, designed to protect lives - and trees - in Rwanda. We speak to Fu’ad Lawal, the founder of Archivi.ng,and archivist Grace Abraham, about why the key to Nigeria's tech future may lie in digitsing newspapers from its past.

(Picture credit: an imagined digital landscape, by Andriy Onufriyenko, for Getty images)

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 World Cup one popular device failed to recognise the women's semi-final as a football match. We explore why, and other biases that exist in AI. We also answer another listener question to explore AI in drug and vaccine discovery, and meet the people in Malaysia and Japan who are among Wikipedia’s top editors.

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images: Goal picture from the World Cup semi-final match between Australia and England at Stadium Australia on August 16, 2023)

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 TikTok to help people get jobs in tech and we hear from people all over the world on what they've learned online. Also in this episode, we speak to the boss of the online moderation company, Sama, who've faced claims from employees that they were traumatised by work reviewing graphic online content. And what next for digital health care in Rwanda after uncertainty at the company Babylon.

Photo: Gerald Anderson/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. Young people learn future technologies at a robotics and coding workshop in Nairobi, Kenya

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

Driverless cars are popping up on streets around the world. But not everyone welcomes them, and some protestors in San Francisco have turned to 'coning'. What's that ? We have a special report.

China is considering a limit on the amount of time children can spend on smartphones. You've been telling us what you think about the benefits and problems of children spending time on the devices.

Manu Chopra speaks to Tech Life about using technology to reduce poverty in India.

And what's the difference between a sentence written by a human and a machine ? We've been looking at some of the answers for you.

(Picture credit: Getty Images)

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 environment. In Kenya, a huge cyber-attack targets the government's online services. We hear from some of those affected. Facebook has reached three billion users around the world. We ask what people like about it ? And we have a report on delivering rental cars in Germany, but without any drivers. (Picture credit: Getty Images)

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 and where does the platform go next? We also try the eye scanning ‘orb’ that's been created to verify crypto payments. And we’re behind the scenes at CERN in Switzerland and talk to the creator of the AI League game that is accompanying the FIFA Women’s World Cup

(Image: A worker begins removing the sign at Twitter HQ (Justin Sullivan / Getty)

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 tech talent. But Canada is trying to lure some of those highly skilled migrants away - immigration lawyer Pavan Dhillon explains how. Dr Grace Livingstone joins us from Uruguay to tell us why plans for a Google data centre there are so controversial. And - as AI version of Johnny Cash goes viral - Matt Griffiths from the charity Youth Music tells us why AI is being embraced by young creatives.

(PHOTO: Futuristic digital render with surreal cyber space and big sun, by Getty Images)

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 launch. And we look at the development of social media with Brooke Erin Duffy, an associate professor in the Department of Communications at Cornell University in the United States. Also in Tech Life, we hear from the chief executive of Nextdoor, who has global ambitions. Where does technology and the law meet ? A question being discussed in Nairobi, Kenya. And artificial intelligence reaches lawn tennis at Wimbledon. PHOTO CREDIT: Dado Ruvić, Reuters.

Bruce Daisley, a former European vice president of Twitter, talks to Tech Life. We report on scammers using artificial intelligence, bots and books to cash-in. An international firm is measuring clicks and keyboard strokes to make work more productive. And the boss of the global software giant Adobe makes the positive case for artificial intelligence.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gonzalo Fuentes, Reuters.

Scientist, best-selling author and entrepreneur, Gary Marcus talks to Tech Life about the forthcoming global summit looking at AI for good, and the need for regulation. We examine the Wagner Group's use of social media in Africa. How do you encourage teenage girls to take up tech and engineering jobs ? And prize-winning school pupils on making driving cars safer.

(PHOTO CREDIT: BBC. Shiona McCallum meets Gary Marcus on the banks of the Thames, in London,)

Technology consultant Ann Charles on the future of podcasting after Spotify ditches some of its highest profile - and highest paid - broadcasters. Tom Nunlist, senior analyst at Trivium China, on how the authorities in Beijing are trying to regulate AI. And Alasdair Keane reports from Berlin's Green Tech Festival.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Getty images. A teenager listens to a podcast)

This week Zoe Kleinman travels to Strasbourg, France to meet Margrethe Vestager, the woman leading the EU's attempts to regulate AI. Reporter Tom Gerken has been following the protest has caused Reddit to effectively fall silent. Chris Vallance meets the team trying out 3D printing as a way to rebuild schools destroyed in the war in the Ukraine. And Amazon tell us what they're doing to combat fake online reviews - and we ask a consumer group to review their initiative.

(PHOTO: Margrethe Vestager and Zoe Kleinman at the European parliament, Strasbourg, France, copyright BBC).

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, app developer Emma Partlow, and north America technology reporter James Clayton, and asks is this a breakthrough moment for virtual reality? Will the headset's price put people off? Has Apple finally had another Iphone moment or, under boss Tim Cook, has it lost the ability to make products that change the world?

(PHOTO CREDIT: By Loren Elliott Credit: Reuters Location: Cupertino, Ca, United States)

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's taken his message to the darknet. And Shiona McCallum talks to the Romanian-American computer scientist Ion Stoica about AI, gender equality and what it's like being a billionaire

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 underground broadband cables into a source of earthquake detection. Also in this programme how simulation tech is helping a South African HIV organisation reach more people and how AI could transform your next work out.

(Photo: Jim Wilson/Getty An employee holds a silicon wafer with chips etched into it)

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 profiles Linda Yaccarino, the platform’s new CEO, with insight from Claire Atkinson, of Insider, whose known her for 20 years. Also: Sam Murunga, from BBC Monitoring, in Nairobi, on why TikTok is in trouble in Senegal. And Ben Derico reports on why voice actors are worried about the threat to their profession from AI.

(Photo: Supporters of Turkish President check their phone to look at early presidential election results in front of the Justice and development Party (AKP's) headquarters, 14 May, 2023. Credit: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images)

The inventor of the first Apple computer Steve "Woz" Wozniak tells us of his fears that AI will supercharge scams. BBC education correspondent Hazel Shearing reports on whether chatbots could help you pass your exams. Bhaskar Chakravorti Dean of Global Business at The Fletcher School, Tufts University, says chatGPT "mania" is distracting from all the other useful things AI could do. And tech reporter Alasdair Keane is in Liverpool, for Eurovision, for a tour of the tech powering an international song contest.

(Photo Credit: Co-founder of Apple Steve Wozniak attends the Digital X 2022 event by Deutsche Telekom on September 13, 2022 in Cologne, Germany. Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images).

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 the cusp of digital change and to the CEO of Salesforce India, Arundhati Bhattacharya. Also in this episode, would you confess your biggest secrets to the internet? We find out why lots of people are through the social account Fesshole and Alasdair Keane explores some of the tech being trialled at the coronation of King Charles.

(Photo: A marching band during the opening night of Web Summit Rio 2023. Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Getty Images)

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 Vallance that reviewing the most extreme content on the internet cost him his "human side." We ask what's the human cost of keeping the internet safe, and what do we owe those who do that work for us? Also this week, the weird and wonderful sounds of quantum computers in action. Professor Winfried Hensinger, who heads the Sussex Ion Quantum Technology Group and is the director of the Sussex Centre for Quantum Technologies, explains how they could change the world. And Professor Stephen Brewster, of the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science, and his colleague Ammar Al-Taie, on the difficulties of getting driverless cars to understand the complex and subtle interactions between cyclists and drivers.

(Photo: Kenyan lawyer, Mercy Mutemi (seated 4th R) along with fellow counsel follow proceedings during a virtual pre-trial consultation with a judge and Meta's legal counsel. She appeared on behalf of 43 former content moderators for Facebook who filed a complaint in Kenya against Meta, Facebook's parent company. Credit: Tony Karumba/AFP/Getty Images)

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 the technology's future. Reporter Michael Kaloki joins us from Nairobi to explain how the legal battle between Facebook and its Kenyan moderators is intensifying. Alasdair Keane meets the amateur composer crafting the sound of all human knowledge for Wikipedia. And our Click colleague Lara Lewington tells us about the tech entrepreneur devoting his time - and money - to finding ways to extend healthy human life.

(Picture credit: Getty Images)

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 in the industry in India. We also hear how cyber is playing a role in the war in Ukraine and we speak to Bolor Erdene Battsengel about digital life in Mongolia.

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 high profile women in the industry, and why we need to make sure the whole world shapes the debate on AI.

Chenai Chair, from the Mozilla Foundation, joins us from Zimbabwe to explain the work they are doing to make sure minority languages are included in digital services.

India business correspondent Nikhil Inamdar tells us about his experience seeing an app which is helping people in poor areas claim vital welfare payments. And Spencer Kelly, from our sister programme, Click, tells us what he found out about the future of food in his trip to the markets and laboratories of Singapore.

(Photo: Martha Lane Fox (L) and Shiona McCallum (R), in London)

The search giant is rolling out its challenger in the artificial intelligence arms race, competing against the Microsoft-backed Chat GPT. We take it for a spin, while also looking into the issue of internet shutdowns following a government-backed communications blackout in the state of Punjab in India.

Image credit: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters

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 will help users learn languages. We also explore the fallout in India and South Africa from the US failure of Silicon Valley Bank and our Tech Reporter, Alasdair Keane, speaks to Alpine F1’s Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon on how tech and data is keeping pace with Formula 1 innovation.

(Image: Getty/NurPhoto)

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 the future of payments through the app. Also in this episode the latest with TikTok as the platform tries to reassure governments it is taking data security seriously and could the sky be full of drones? We speak to one company who think they'll be doing more deliveries soon.

Image: Getty/NurPhoto

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 noise.

(Image: The TikTok logo. Credit: Getty Images)

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 appears on their platforms. Dr. Mary Anne Franks, president of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, tells us how it could change the way the internet works everywhere in the world.

A year on from the Russian invasion of Ukraine we speak to one of the country's thousands of tech workers about how she has adapted to living and working in a time of war - and the government tells us the tech sector has kept growing, despite the destruction and loss of life.

We find out about how some internet users in South Africa have had to become night owls because of the soaring cost of mobile data. And how users can ride a virtual reality jet-ski - just by thinking about it.

(Photo: Attorney Eric Schnapper speaks to the press outside the US Supreme Court following oral arguments in Gonzalez v Google, a landmark case about whether technology companies should be liable for harmful content their algorithms promote, 21 February, 2023. Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

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-leading benefits as a part of the overall support we provide to our valued team members.' We'll also hear from the African Tech Summit taking place in Kenya. And we learn how a small team of visual effects artists created the look of the stunning Oscar contender - Everything, Everywhere All at Once - using laptops in their bedrooms.

Image credit: Reuters/ Joshua Roberts

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 explore how old pictures and video are being shared online as from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. And why officials in the UK and US have named seven Russian men as being behind some of the most infamous cyber crime groups of recent years.

(Photo: Microsoft Bing search demonstration at its launch event. Credit: Jason Redmond/AFP)

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 a BBC investigation which has uncovered Egyptian police using dating apps to hunt LGBTQ people. And how a social video trend is reigniting interest in early 2000s digital cameras.

(Photo: A mobile phone showing Elon Musk's face on the screen. Credit: Dado Ruvić/Reuters)

Shiona McCallum explores what can be done about online bots targeting ticket sales. It’s after Ticketmaster apologised to Taylor Swift fans who missed out on attending her Eras tour, they say they were the target of a cyber-attack by bots. We also delve into VR and AR experiences and learn about the company in India using discarded fishing nets to produce plugs and sockets.

(IMAGE:Taylor Swift meets fans in Toronto. Wesley Lapointe / Getty)

The boss of Moderna, Stephane Bancel, tells us about how MRNA technology could transform the treatment of cancer. But will the personalised treatment plans it could create only be available in richer nations? Our global health correspondent, Naomi Grimley, provides analysis.

Also this week we hear more from the exhibitors at the CES tech show. Analyst Paolo Pescatore tells us what he thinks the event says about the state of global tech. And the founder of Cameo, which took off in the pandemic, on how businesses that thrived in lockdown can survive in the very different world we find ourselves in in 2023.

(Image: Messenger RNA techobnology, two Strands of mRNA on abstract background illustration. Credit: Getty Images)

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 of AI - and meet the exhibitors hoping they've invented the next big thing. And Silicon Valley reporter James Clayton joins Zoe to take the temperature of the industry after a bumpy year in 2022.

(PHOTO: Attendees at CES Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP, via Getty Images)

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. From gaming to chip wars, and VR to AI they tell you what to look out for in the year ahead, wherever in the world you are.

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 most about the best - and worst - tech news moments of 2022. And all four face the ultimate test: can they tell which is the genuine Christmas story, loved for decades - and which has been conjured up in an instant by AI?

Sam Bankman-Fried is arrested and charged days after telling our reporter Joe Tidy he was confident he would avoid prosecution. We discuss the question Joe asked Sam - has he killed crypto?

Also this week: the dismayed reaction of the global charities that sat on Twitter's now disbanded Trust and Safety Council. As China goes to the World Trade Organisation over the USA's restrictions on its semi-conductor industry, we ask if there is any end in sight to the so-called chip wars. And, the actor Andonis Anthony on what is it like bringing a video game character to life.

(Photo: FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (C) is led away handcuffed by officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force in Nassau, Bahamas, 13 December 2022. Credit: Mario Duncanson/AFP/Getty Images)

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 limitations. We also hear from tennis icon, Billie Jean King on why she thinks tech will change the way tennis is played. Plus, with Apple extending its self-service repair to a number of European Countries, how do you feel about repairing your iPhone at home? We hear from someone who gave it a go.

(Photo: A man using a laptop talks to a chat bot. Credit: Blue Planet Studio/Getty Images)

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 there. Reporter Alasdair Keane meets the robots that could provide a helping hand to the most vulnerable. And game developer Colin Macdonald reflects on the unlikely origins of Grand Theft Auto, as the game franchise turns 25.

(Photo: protestors on the streets of China. Credit: Getty images)

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 them had hoped. We explore what's next for them. We also hear from three people who say using Twitter changed their lives. Plus, has China really resolved the issue of video game addiction among young people and did you know dogs can be trained to find faults in underground electricity cables?

Producers: Alasdair Keane and Ashleigh Swan

(Photo: A smart speaker. Credit: Capuski/Getty Images)

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? The biggest ever satellite, BlueWalker 3, has successfully been deployed - what will it mean for global communications and the night sky? Plus, why Chinese army veterans are being drafted into the world's biggest iPhone factory. And why has a video of a meteor got a woman thrown off Twitter? Astronomer Mary McIntyre explains how her account was banned after a video of a meteor streaking across the night sky she shared, was flagged as porn.

Producer: Tom Singleton

(Photo: Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and CEO of FTX, testifies at the House Financial Services Committee hearing Digital Assets and the Future of Finance: Understanding the Challenges and Benefits of Financial Innovation. Credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images)

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 this is for Silicon Valley - and we hear from our west Africa correspondent, Nkechi Ogbonna, about how big tech's problems are being felt there. Cyber reporter Joe Tidy takes us through the rise and fall of the crypto exchange, FTX. New research highlights the rise and rise of the borderless IT worker. And gaming guru Sir Ian Livingstone tells us about a life in video games - and discovering Lara Croft.

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 Metaverse, before it even exists. Is it finally time to say farewell to the fax? And the social media mix up involving Premier League Star Erling Haaland and a Swedish tourist board.

The UK's deputy information commissioner tells Tech Tent why some new biometric technologies are "the modern phrenology", and based on "magical" thinking. We discuss whether the world is too dependent on WhatsApp - and why Big Tech financial results are going down the drain. Our reporter visits a factory making a female crash test dummy, and we ask what next for the self-styled "Chief Twit" Elon Musk as he completes his purchase of Twitter.

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 to writer Becky Holmes on why she responds to romance fraudsters and BBC Tech Reporter, Alasdair Keane, visits a cyber security competition where laptops aren't allowed in the room.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

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. Also this week, what should the future of the office be, and why do robots often look like humans?

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 reporter James Clayton guides us through the latest twists and turns in tech's most dysfunctional courtship. Also this week can anyone challenge Google's search engine supremacy?

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 in the sector what needs to change. How the EU is making it easier to sue when AI goes wrong. And our Silicon Valley reporter James Clayton takes a ride around the streets of San Francisco in a self-driving taxi.

This week: Iran suffers internet blackouts and mobile phone outages as protestors mount angry protests against the country's morality police. Will it help stifle dissent? Wikipedia on their competition to find the sound of all human knowledge. And how one man is still going strong in the floppy disk business.

This week on Tech Tent: the Merge - Ethereum, the world's second biggest cryptocurrency, attempts the Merge, a radical new operating model that cuts its energy usage by 99%. Will it work - and how will it reshape crypto? Also - how a carrot emoji became a cover for covid disinformation. And the biggest, brightest satellite ever launched - will it change our relationship with the night sky?

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 British firm which is ahead of the pack when it comes to making satellite phones mainstream. We interview a senior figure at Cloudflare about the Kiwi Farms controversy. The co founder of an anti crypto conference tells us why he thinks the event was necessary. And art, made in the studio - with the help of some AI.

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 service there. British regulators take a dim view of Microsoft's plan to buy Activision Blizzard. We ask young people what the appeal of BeReal is. And we meet the talking, humanoid robot helping children open up about how they really feel.

On Tech Tent this week, reporter Chris Vallance runs us through the serious allegations about lax security levelled at Twitter by its former employee Peiter "Mudge" Zatko. Dr Jon Roozenbeek, of Cambridge University, explains how educating people about how misinformation works appears to be an effective way of informing their online experience. And the makers of a voice changing technology respond to accusations it is increasing prejudice rather than addressing it.

This week Tech Tent speaks to TikTok stars Chloe and Tabby Tingey - aka the Sugarcoated Sisters - about transferring their act to the Edinburgh Fringe and a real life audience. Reporter Alaisdair Keane finds out how organising festivals is increasingly reliant on tech too. We also digest China's decision to force its biggest tech firms to share their algorithims with regulators in the name of data safety. And we talk death tech and digital zombies with Dr Debra Bassett.

We meet the gamers vying for unofficial medals that the Commonwealth Games

Amazon warehouse workers in the UK protest

And we attempt a conversation with Meta's new chatbot

Plus as WhatsApp ditches an irksome feature we look at the new do's and don'ts in instant messaging

(Picture: Clive Rose/Getty Images)

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.

As global temperatures rise how do we keep data centres cool in a power efficient end environmentally friendly way.

Teaching technology in Africa - the founder of a school in Lesotho tells us how it got started. And should records ditch vinyl to go green?

(Picture credit: Getty Images)

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 to scan messages.

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 to make the dating platform safer. The creator of an app to help children with type diabetes on his troubles with the Google playstore. And Robert Metcalfe, associate professor of Economics at the University of Southern California, on the powerful way fake reviews warp our online shopping habits.

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 and New York business correspondent, Michelle Fleury join us to take stock of how what was meant to be the biggest deal in tech has turned into the industry's biggest row instead. Tech Tent also speaks to Carl Pei as he launches the Nothing One and attempts to shake up the smartphone market. China analyst Kerry Allen tells us about screen time for Chinese children being strictly limited over the summer holidays - and why Heardle fans are unhappy about it being bought by Spotify.

This week Tech Tent comes from the Wimbledon tennis championships, in London, and finds out about the sophisticated AI systems powering match predictions, with Kevin Farrar, from IBM. Alexandra Willis, Communications and Marketing Director at Wimbledon, discusses how this most traditional of tournaments is venturing ever furter into online and virtual worlds. And away from the tennis, cyber reporter Joe Tidy explains the latest steps Apple is taking against Spyware like Pegasus- and brings us an intriguing update on a cyber attack on an Iranian steel mill.

Professor Gina Neff and Eva Blum-Dumontet investigate how individuals and tech companies should react to abortion becoming illegal in parts of the US. David Martin Ruiz from the Eurpoean consumer group BEUC explains what it calls Google's "fast track to surveillance" for its users, and making virtual reality sound immersive, with professor Mark Plumbley.

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 as an arbiter on disputes on Facebook and Meta.  Dr Andrew Hundt on why AI mimicks the prejudice of human beings. Shiona McCallum has been to the Teen Tech awards. And Glastonbury Festival is back - with festival goers set to gobble up more mobile data than ever before. Analyst Ben Wood is there.

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 world to make it legal tender. Now prices are crashing so will its experiment end in failure? Bitcoin podcast host Natalie Brunell and finacnail commentator Frances Coppola give their thoughts. Also: entrepreneurs at London tech week on their hopes and fears for the future. A Facebook moderator tells Chris Vallance of the strain of screening graphic content from the Ukraine war. And Liv McMahon pays the tech team's respects to Internet Explorer, put out to pasture after 27 years in which it transformed home computing.

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 McCartney, from the CIPD, shares her expertise and the BBC's New York business correspondent Michelle Fleury gives the picture from the US. Zoe interviews the boss of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, about the company's future. Kyle Glen, co-host of the Osint Bunker podcast, and the BBC's Gordon Corera discuss open source intelligence. And the latest twists and turns in the Elon Musk Twitter takeover saga.

This week, Dianne Olivan, Gender Engagement and Policy Officer, World Wide Web Foundation, and coordinator of the Women’s Rights Online Network, and Kerry Allen, the BBC's China media analyst discuss women and the internet. Dr Terence Leung, Dr Judith Meek and Dr Christabel Enweronu-Laryea on an app for diagnosing jaundice. Finn Myrstad from the Norwegian Consumer Council sets out his concerns about video game loot boxes. And Dr James Sumner, a historian of technology at Manchester University, on seventy years of technological change during Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

This week Dr Stephanie Hare, author of Technology is Not Neutral, and Dr Rick Muir, of the Police Foundation, discuss whether facial recognition technology can ever be used in a way that satisfies regulators. Shiona McCallum speaks to Olympian Jess Ennis Hill about period tracking apps, and whether they help with fitness. And as Dyson says it's working on home robots, we ask the people of London what chore they'd most like to automate.

This week Tech Tent takes the temperature of the crypto market with the BBC's cyber reporter Joe Tidy and the Financial Times' Markets Editor, Katie Martin. Dr Johnny Ryan from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties on how our personal data is sold hundreds of times a day; and Rebecca Romo Teague, a radio host from Cape Cod, on how social media is helping with the US baby formula milk crisis.