BBC World Service

Tech Life

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.

Author

BBC World Service

Category

Technology

Podcast website

www.bbc.co.uk

Latest episode

Jul 7, 2026

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Episodes

The return of Trump? 18.02.2022

Donald Trump is banned on Twitter and Facebook. Can he make a social media comeback? James Clayton and Jasmin Dyer discuss Trump's plans for his own social media platform 'Truth Social', and hear from Jason Miller, a former Trump adviser and founder of the GETTR platform. Plus we hear how US authorities tracked down billions of stolen Bitcoin, and the growing trend of celebrities advertising crypt...

A major chip deal collapses 11.02.2022

Chip maker Arm won't be bought by Nvidia after all. Jane Wakefield speaks to the new Arm CEO Rene Haas about the future for the UK firm. Plus the BBC's James Clayton in Silicon Valley tells us about the sexual content evading the moderators on children's gaming platform Roblox, and the challenges of policing the nascent metaverse. And Pete Snyder from the privacy-focused web browser Brave discusse...

Facebook's metaverse gamble 04.02.2022

Facebook is losing users, will it's pivot to the metaverse pay off? Chris Fox speaks to Parmy Olson, technology columnist at Bloomberg about Facebook's parent company Meta, and the challenge of developing its own technology for the virtual world. Plus the co-chair of the Facebook Oversight Board Helle Thorning-Schmidt tells us why organisations like hers are helping Meta become more transparent in...

Making microchips in the US 28.01.2022

Chris Fox and Jane Wakefield discuss Intel and US efforts to make more microchips at home amid the continuing global chip shortage. Plus we hear from the inventor of a car that turns into an airplane at the push of a button, and find out why video gamers are leading the backlash against NFTs. (Photo: US President Joe Biden holds a microchip at a press conference in February 2021, Credit: Getty Ima...

The largest gaming deal in history 21.01.2022

Microsoft said it plans to buy mega games company Activision Blizzard in deal worth almost $70bn. How will this deal transform the gaming industry? We hear from Louise Shorthouse, senior games analyst at Ampere Analysis. Plus, are we all eventually going to live in a virtual world? Philosopher David Chalmers explains why he believes that virtual reality will overtake the material world. And, what...

Theranos and Silicon Valley 14.01.2022

What does the conviction of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes tell us about tech startup culture? The BBC's James Clayton is joined by NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn to ask if any lessons are being learned by Silicon Valley, where startups are encouraged to promise world-changing technology, and investors demand sky-high valuations. We discuss the impact of the Theranos scandal with one of the whis...

The return of CES 07.01.2022

The major tech show returns to Las Vegas after going virtual during the pandemic. But as the impact of the coronavirus continues to be felt, is there still a place for major industry events like these? Chris Fox speaks to CES organiser Karen Chupka, and to some of the hundreds of startups exhibiting at the show. The BBC's Lara Lewington discusses some of her favourite gadgets at the event, and Spe...

Tech predictions for 2022 31.12.2021

The BBC tech team on what we'll all be talking about over the next 12 months. Featuring Silicon Valley correspondent James Clayton on why Web 3.0 will be the buzzword of 2022, technology editor Zoe Kleinman on tech to fight climate change, plus what the new year will hold for AR and VR hardware, cryptocurrency and regulation, the new space race, and the future for Mark Zuckerberg. Presented by Joe...

Tech Tent quiz of the year 2021 24.12.2021

What better way to review the big tech stories of 2021 than with a battle of wits? Chris Fox tests the finest minds in tech journalism on the biggest events in tech over the last 12 months. Featuring Rhiannon Williams, technology correspondent from the i Newspaper, Shona Ghosh, technology editor at Business Insider, and BBC tech reporters David Molloy and James Clayton.

The UK's plan to rein in big tech 17.12.2021

Politicians in the UK push forward plans for new laws to regulate social media and the tech giants. It’s designed to protect children from harmful content and stop disinformation, but will it work? Plus the company launching a satellite that can track the amount of heat being lost from factories and houses around the world. Could it help us become more energy efficient and fight climate change? An...

When crypto met football 10.12.2021

Joe Tidy and Sarah Mulkerrins investigate the growing presence of cryptocurrency technology in the world of football. Some of the biggest clubs in the world are selling NFTs and their own cryptocurrencies, making hundreds of millions of dollars. But what's in it for fans? We speak to the millionaire collector who's buying up official Manchester City NFTs, and to the football fans investing in digi...

@jack exits Twitter 03.12.2021

What next for the social media platform after Jack Dorsey quits? the BBC's tech reporter in Silicon Valley James Clayton tells us why Jack Dorsey has left as CEO, and the challenges facing Twitter under new boss Parag Agrawal. Plus Jane Wakefield speaks to an Afghan student turning to the Internet to continue her education under Taliban rule, and we hear from the company forging ahead with plans t...

A volcano-powered Bitcoin city? 26.11.2021

El Salvador's president made Bitcoin legal tender, now he wants to build a city. Joe Tidy speaks to Salvodoran-American cryptocurrency enthusiast and investor Gerson Martinez about the Central American country's experience with Bitcoin since its introduction earlier this year. Plus 193 member states of the UN agency Unesco say they want a more ethical approach to the development of artificial inte...

The global rise of ransomware 19.11.2021

How hackers stole millions from companies around the world, and why they're so difficult to stop. Chris Fox speaks to Jen Ellis from cybersecurity firm Rapid7 and to Tom Pace from NetRise about the growth in ransomware attacks in recent years, and why companies often feel they have no choice but to pay large ransoms. And Joe Tidy travels to Russia in an attempt to track down alleged ransomware gan...

Ransomware gangs face a crackdown 12.11.2021

Alleged hackers are arrested and millions of dollars recovered in a global police operation. Is the tide finally turning in the battle against ransomware attacks? Jane Wakefield speaks to James Chappell from cybersecurity firm Digital Shadows. Plus companies like Facebook have virtual reality at the heart of their plans for the metaverse, but is augmented reality a better bet? We speak to Magic Le...

The Squid Game coin scam 05.11.2021

How cryptocurrency scams have become an everyday event. Joe Tidy speaks to crypto watcher Dan Arreola about the ease with which scammers can create new coins designed to tempt investors. And is your website killing the planet? Web developer Vineeta Greenwood tells us why modern websites are wasting too much energy. Plus the company behind Second Life discusses Facebook and the metaverse, and Shion...

Whistleblower piles pressure on Facebook 29.10.2021

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,...

Tech for future living 22.10.2021

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.

Bezos' rocket blasts Star Trek actor into space 15.10.2021

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 b...

Facebook’s punishing week 08.10.2021

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...

A ‘practical’ quantum computer 01.10.2021

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. Produce...

A turning point for Facebook? 24.09.2021

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: Get...

Wikipedia’s editing war 17.09.2021

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.

El Salvador's Bitcoin experiment 10.09.2021

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 sho...

China's video games ban 03.09.2021

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 streami...

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