Tech Life

What is a good age to give a child a smartphone? A community in Ireland might have the answer. In Greystones there's a voluntary agreement to wait until secondary school age. We hear from the school principal who leads the "It Takes A Village" initiative, and a local parent. Also this week: a woman tells Shiona McCallum how surviving a late-night attack inspired her to develop a wearable safety de...

We look at an issue known as shadow banning. What is it? How does it work? And could it be affecting health education messages for women and young girls? Also this week: we're feeling nostalgic about the discs that hold our favourite video games. And Shiona McCallum speaks to the founder of the Global Gaming League. Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: A young sports woman relaxe...

Shiona McCallum visits a huge technology show in Paris. There, she finds some of the latest kit that could be in your home or workplace before too long. And we're talking about data centres. They are central to our modern online lives. But not everyone thinks they are great. Shiona speaks to the head of a big global data centre company about some of the challenges facing the industry. Presenter: S...

A group of cybersecurity researchers found a prompt which gets past ChatGPT’s guardrails and causes it to generate some disturbing images. We unpack what this tells us about the way AI is trained, and how it could be exploited. Also on the show, after a recent episode about potholes, we were contacted by the UK’s ministry of transport. We speak to their chief scientific adviser about potholes and...

When we fly we love to take our gadgets with us. But the lithium batteries that power them can catch fire. We find out about a new campaign urging us to pack with safety in mind. Also this week: the BBC's Lily Jamali visits an international competition for new AI applications in San Francisco. And protecting Africa's endangered wildlife is an increasingly high-tech business - a new scheme aims to...

Microsoft unveils a new quantum chip. It's a big moment for the company, as its quantum programme has faced criticism. Is the tech giant's strategy finally paying off? And when will this chip deliver practical quantum computing? The BBC's Technology Editor, Zoe Kleinman, interviews Microsoft's executive vice president for quantum. Also this week: what new tech can soccer fans expect at the World C...

We speak to Google about the introduction of artificial intelligence into classroom learning, and what they think this will mean for teachers and pupils. Also this week: Shiona McCallum reports on a new artificial limb which is making a big difference to the life of one man who has a very personal story to tell. And find out about the engineering technology that's being used to check the heart hea...

From fears that a powerful new AI could supercharge hacking, to the ransomware gangs holding our data hostage, we talk to a former FBI expert about the latest cyber threats. Also in Tech Life this week: we hear from a listener who is using dermatology tech to educate schoolchildren on the importance of staying safe in the sun. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: Numerous computer...

Drivers and cyclists know the dangers of potholes and broken road signs. A Swedish company is fitting vehicles with cameras, and using AI to spot potential problems and defects. We speak to the CEO to find out how it works. Also in Tech Life this week: some think the internet's business model is obsolete. We talk to a big tech leader on what might replace it. And a young entrepreneur, who learned...

An anti-snoring device is being trialled as a potential solution to sleep apnoea, a condition which affects millions and can have wide-ranging consequences on daily life. We speak to the team behind the trial. Also on the programme, two health tech entrepreneurs whose personal experiences informed their products: A man who had a heart attack at 44 and now works to help reduce hospital recovery tim...

We look at revelations about outsourced tech workers in Kenya, and try to find out why more than a thousand of them have been made redundant. Also this week: are you getting the best out of artificial intelligence? Could changing "how" you communicate with AI make a difference? We speak to an author and put his recommendations to an AI test. And we hear from a company turning lamp-posts into data...

Pam Cronrath tells her deeply personal story of creating a lifelike speaking hologram of her husband, Bill, after he passed away. Pam wanted to honour a promise she'd made to Bill, for a "super wake". And so Bill's hologram appeared in front of two hundred guests at the event, and surprised them with a verbal greeting. Also this week: if you've had a knee operation and have a smart device monitori...

Chris Vallance finds out about research to help self-driving cars communicate with other road users. Hear what happened when he came into contact with a virtual vehicle! Also this week: you've probably seen the app on TV news recently, but how does MarineTraffic know which ships are doing what in the Strait of Hormuz? And Shiona McCallum checks out changes to Roblox age checks for children. Presen...

Can we trust AI? Its answers are not always correct. And it only knows what it's been trained on, so some of its responses can contain bias. Tech experts offer us some solutions. Also this week: digital twinning is helping the restoration of a three hundred year old palace. And the joy of mundane video gaming! Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn (Image: A person is typing on a laptop co...

Climate change is making devastating extreme weather more common. Tech Life's Yasmin Morgan-Griffiths explores the science that could help communities take polluters to court. Also this week: we look at whether the boom in AI is causing a boom in electronic waste. And as astronauts head back to the Moon, we meet a veteran NASA space robot that's on a mission to return home. Presenter: Chris Vallan...

We discuss how AI could help health professionals work better, detect diseases earlier and even change the way people around the world look after themselves. Also this week: Shiona McCallum interviews a businesswoman who is trying to make female health tech more accessible and affordable. And we have a good news story that originated on the darker side of the internet. Presenter: Shiona McCallum P...

We dig through the evidence on the effect of screen time on babies and young children, with the help of some parents and experts. And after hearing our story of a woman who got her voice back with the help of AI, a listener got in touch to tell us his own moving story of hearing his father’s voice for the first time in 50 years. Producers: Imran Rahman-Jones and Vuyelo Ndlovu Presenter: Shiona McC...

Behind some OnlyFans models making money from chatting to paying subscribers is the unseen human labour people who pretend to be the models and chat on their behalf. We speak to a woman in the Philippines about her jobs as a “chatter’. Also on the programme, scientists using AI to help advance their research. And the White House has been cutting real footage from the war with Iran with clips from...

Quantum computing promises revolutionary new discoveries. But tech revolutions can be messy. Is now the time to start thinking about how we ethically use quantum machines? Also, we find out how glass can be turned into useful data storage that will last for thousands of years. And what can science fiction tell us about our spacefaring future? Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: A...

AI tech is giving people their lost voices back. We chat to Yvonne Johnson, who has motor neurone disease. She's lost much of her ability to speak. But artificial intelligence is helping Yvonne to be heard again, with her own voice. Also this week: we discuss AI and the price of memory chips with a big computer manufacturer. And video gaming is booming in Africa. Presenter: Shiona McCallum Produce...

We chat to NVIDIA about AI chat and how to make it sound more human. Explore making and breaking an emotional connection with AI. And new tech is helping stroke survivors. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: A digital screen shows an icon of a chatbot with text inviting users to ask it anything and a finger pressing on the screen. Credit: Getty Images)

Is this the year when smart glasses become mainstream? Whether you need spectacles for your vision, or wear sunglasses, tech firms are hoping you'll buy their latest devices. Tech Life's Alasdair Keane has road tested some of the latest wearables on the market. From smart glasses to smart bricks! It's been a childhood favourite for decades, and now Lego is packing its colourful plastic with lights...

Autonomous taxis are already part of everyday life in some cities. What will it be like when self-driving car tech gets up to full speed ? And we find out how scientists are using quantum sensing technology to peer inside soldiers' brains on the firing range. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn (Image: A Zoox robotaxi containing passengers is stationary on a road. The skyscrapers of San...

The launch of China's DeepSeek AI tool a year ago sent shockwaves through US markets and Silicon Valley. But now Chinese AI tech is being used by more and more US companies. Our North America Technology Correspondent, Lily Jamali, tells us about it. Also this week: shoppers in Denmark are using mobile phone apps to boycott some goods from overseas. And we road-test an exoskeleton taking the physic...

We all want to stay fit and healthy. But how can technology help ? Shiona McCallum discusses new health tech on display at the world's biggest consumer electronics trade show. And if you own cryptocurrency - beware. Thieves could be targeting you. The BBC's Cyber Correspondent, Joe Tidy, joins us to explain more. Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn (Image: A photo of Shiona McCallum wea...