Tech Life

Rory Cellan-Jones visits the German capital Berlin to see how the tech sector is faring post-lockdown. Plus how TikTok has been struggling to remove a disturbing suicide video. And we discover the games tech being used to create virtual art galleries. With BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: An employee wearing a face mask sets up smartphones at the IFA tech fair in Ber...

Rory Cellan-Jones explores how tech firms are influencing the way people work and what changes might lie ahead in the months and years to come. Plus, why has the internet evolved as it has and is it too late to reclaim it from big tech firms for the common good? And, has the Covid-19 pandemic boosted the gig-economy? With BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: An employee...

Should publishers welcome or fear the tech giant’s plan to expand its news feature. Plus how some women have received unwelcome advances in a game of Scrabble. And why Britain’s Second World War codebreaking centre Bletchley Park, one of the most important sites in computing history and now a museum, faces a funding crisis. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Zoe Kleinman. Produ...

How students in England took to the streets to challenge their exam grades. Plus, the battle between Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, and Apple moves up a level. And we ask a commercial pilot how the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator compares to real flying. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporters Jane Wakefield and David Molloy. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: A-Level studen...

The use of facial recognition in public by a UK police force was unlawful, says the Court of Appeal. Plus how a new global policy network aims to help reign in the power of big technology firms. And China’s Xinhua dictionary gains a raft of tech terms. Presented by Zoe Kleinman, with BBC reporter David Molloy. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of a British police officer standing in front...

Why the popular video app faces being bought out or banned in the US. Chris Fox is joined by the BBC's North America technology reporter James Clayton to discuss the history of the app and why Donald Trump appears determined to ban it. Alex Stamos, former chief security officer at Facebook, discusses whether TikTok is really a security concern. Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electr...

The leaders of Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon are grilled by US lawmakers over abuse of market power. Is more regulation or a break-up of their firms on the cards? Plus, Garmin is the latest high-profile victim of a cyberattack. And we meet the woman responsible for Google’s undersea cables. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC North America tech reporter James Clayton. Produced by Jat Gi...

GPT-3 is a tool whose predecessor was dubbed “too dangerous to release”. We find out why the new version is creating a hot debate in the tech world. Plus, why a popular mobile game in China has been pulled because of some morse code in a song. And many people have had to get used to videoconferencing during the past few months. Are meetings in virtual reality the next step? Please note that since...

Hackers take over accounts belonging to famous names including Joe Biden and Barack Obama after breaching Twitter’s security. Plus, the UK bans telecoms firms from buying new equipment from the Chinese giant Huawei. And we find out about robots with a sensitive touch. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporters Jane Wakefield and Joe Tidy. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: A night shot of...

The hit video sharing platform quits operating in Hong Kong as the US considers a ban. Plus, is the threat from “deep fakes” overblown? And has the lockdown made video calling seem less awkward than it used to be? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter James Clayton. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Close-up of the TikTok icon on a smartphone screen. Credit: Reuters/ Dado Ruvic).

Marketers express unease about Facebook’s handling of hate speech. Plus, how Singapore is introducing wearable dongles to help log and trace people who might have Covid-19. And the simulation company aiming to help redesign cities fit for a post-pandemic world. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: A smartphone showing the website of t...

The tech giant tells developers future Macs will use Apple-designed chips as found in the iPad and iPhone. Plus, as shops reopen after lockdowns, how can tech make physical shopping safer and more pleasant? And CEO of Slack, Stewart Butterfield, talks to us about communication between businesses, and how President Trump’s ban on work visas will hurt Silicon Valley. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones,...

As Apple prepares for its annual developers conference (WWDC 2020), it comes under fire for what many see as anti-competitive practices. Developer David Heinemeier Hansson of Basecamp tells us why he’s angry about Apple's rates. We get the latest in contact tracing apps from Professor Stephen Farrell of Trinity College, Dublin, who has been researching the effectiveness of Bluetooth and German jou...

IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft stop providing controversial facial recognition tools for law enforcement. Do they need to go further and bin the technology for other customers? Plus, how young activists are using the latest online techniques to amplify the Black Lives Matter message. And, what’s the oldest gadget you have lying around your house, and do you still use it? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones...

Facebook staff strike out at a decision by their boss not to moderate Donald Trump’s postings, despite Twitter having done so. How are long-running tensions between India and China affecting the way Indians see Chinese technology? And why philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates has become a target for outlandish conspiracy theories about Coronavirus. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BB...

US President Donald Trump signs an order that could strip social media firms of legal protections after Twitter adds warnings to his tweets. Plus, despite predictions, artificial intelligence has not replaced radiologists. We find out why humans plus AI are seen as more effective in cancer screening than software alone. And will the Covid-19 pandemic give online learning a boost as schools and uni...

What happens in Silicon Valley often sets a trend for the wider world. So will the tech giant’s new policy change how people at other firms work? Plus, millions of people have found extra time on their hands during lockdown. What have they been doing online during that period? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Chris Fox. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of a woman wea...

Is South Korea’s success so far in fighting the coronavirus down to data and tracing technology? Or is tech only part of the picture, and should other countries seek to replicated their approach? Plus, the artificial intelligence tool that aims to make synthesized voices sound emotional. And do people still believe in the promise of technology to make life better? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, w...

How tech will help to get people back to work safely. Plus, the UK’s Covid-19 contact tracking app begins trials. And how to get started making hardware projects at home including an automated cocktail mixer. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Man in a suit looking at his smartphone in front of a modern building. Credit: Getty Image...

In contrast to many businesses, will the tech giants emerge stronger from the crisis? Plus, the Eurovision song contest is off this year but we find out about a music competition to create a Eurovision-style hit using artificial intelligence. And in another of our series on using tech during the lockdown for new skills and hobbies, we look at podcasting. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC te...

How social media influencers are earning less in lockdown and rethinking what they do. Plus, is it realistic to expect technology to provide an answer to ending social distancing measures? And we get some tips on producing music at home. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Stock photo of a young woman with pink dyed hair applying mak...

Are you using the lockdown to pick up new tech skills? We meet a family learning coding. Plus, billions of people around the world remain unconnected to the internet. How will this make it harder to deal with the pandemic? And, Facebook says it will alert its users when they like or share a post that contains falsehoods about Covid-19. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Chris F...

The social media giants take steps to remove falsehoods linking Covid-19 to 5G tech. Plus, how will China’s tech sector fare now that its cities are emerging from lockdown. And, are drones useful in maintaining “social distancing”? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporters Cristina Criddle and David Molloy. Produced by Jat Gill.

Should we trade some privacy to end a lock-down earlier with the help of technology? Plus, how volunteers with 3D printers are coming to the aid of coronavirus medics needing face shields. And are computer scientists designing artificially intelligent machines in the wrong way? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill.

How much data are we all prepared to share in the battle to beat the coronavirus? Rory Cellan-Jones speaks to Milo Ho-Hsuan Hsieh, a Taiwanese journalist who saw his phone tracked by the government after he was asked to self-isolate following a trip abroad. Jeni Tennison of the Open Data Institute says there are ways of sharing personal data more transparently and fairly, even in the midst of a pa...