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Tech Life

BBC

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.

Location:

United Kingdom

Networks:

BBC

Description:

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.

Language:

English


Episodes
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The fall of a global chip maker

10/29/2024
Intel was once unrivalled as the world's chip maker. Now it's fallen behind its rivals. We hear why the company is struggling ahead of its latest earnings call this week. Also - the many uses of drones around the world. And the surprising tech behind indoor golf. We love hearing from you - and if you're a regular listener you'll know by now that you can contact us via email on techlife@bbc.co.uk. Or, send us a message or voice note on WhatsApp. Our number is +44 330 123 0320. Presenter: Zoe Kleinman Producers: Tom Quinn, Imran Rahman-Jones, Alasdair Keane Editor: Monica Soriano (Image: A close up of a computer chip. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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Do you use artificial intelligence at work ?

10/22/2024
This week we're looking at artificial intelligence in the workplace - how are employers and employees using it ? An international survey provides some answers. Also on Tech Life: We bring you a technological solution to the problem of litter being left behind by climbers on Mount Everest. Electric car manufacturers are rated on their human rights policies. And find out how you can heat your home - with electric wallpaper. Presenter: Graham Fraser Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: An abstract futuristic representation of the letters "AI". Credit: Getty Images) Contact us: Tech Life would love to hear your stories, ideas and views about the programme. You can email us at techlife@bbc.co.uk or contact us via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 0320.

Duration:00:26:29

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The minerals tech can't do without

10/15/2024
Does the tech you use depend too much on a few critical minerals ? When a hurricane temporarily disrupted mining in the small town of Spruce Pine, the tech world was concerned. We find out why the location, in North Carolina, USA, is so important, and discover where a range of rare manufacturing materials can be found across the globe. Are they critical links in a supply chain that can be broken by natural disasters or political decisions ? Also on Tech Life this week: An AI tool designed to protect athletes from online abuse during the Olympics - how well did it perform ? And what tech does an explorer take into the jungle ? Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: An image of a human hand holding pure quartz crystals. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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Big data and femtech

10/8/2024
Tech Life is looking at big data - and how important it is to healthcare. Specifically, how it can help women's health. A femtech company in the United States is using monthly menstrual and hormone data gathered from thousands of women to gain new insights into the symptoms which lead-up to the menopause - the time in their lives when women's periods stop. We speak to the company's co-founder and CEO. Also on Tech Life this week: A global survey weighs up the influence of social media and AI on accurate news and information. And, are chatbots changing the way we search for information online ? Presenter: Zoe Kleinman Producers: Imran Rahman-Jones and Tom Quinn (Photo: A woman checks a health app on her smartphone. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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The big business of online charity donations

10/1/2024
How does a company make profit in the charity fundraising space? We speak to Tim Cadogan, CEO of online fundraising platform GoFundMe. We hear about the solar-powered boats being used by indigenous communities in the Amazon. And it’s 30 years of the infamous Comic Sans font. We love hearing from you. Get in touch by emailing techlife@bbc.co.uk or send us a Whatsapp on +44330 123 0320. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Imran Rahman-Jones Researcher: Laura Cress Editor: Monica Soriano (Image: A computer keyboard with a "donate" button and a love heart on it. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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Will AI replace call centre workers?

9/24/2024
It’s the ongoing question about AI – will it replace jobs or create new ones? We look at the argument from the point of view of call centre workers in the Philippines. Also on the programme, how Google Maps is tracking the changes in the built environment around the world. Plus – the small European city home to some of the most important music tech in the world. Get in touch with Tech Life by emailing techlife@bbc.co.uk or sending us a Whatsapp on +44 330 1230 320. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producers: Tom Quinn and Imran Rahman-Jones Editor: Monica Soriano (Image: An animation of a robot wearing a headset and microphone. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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Online maps

9/17/2024
Online mapping - we find out how it can help humanitarian work around the world. Alasdair Keane tries on virtual reality goggles that are teaching students how to solve real-world problems. Meet the teams racing on water with battery-powered boats. And a professor wins a prize for an energy-saving invention he dreamed up in 1977. Presenter: Alasdair Keane Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: An online map is displayed on a laptop screen. Credit: AndreyPopov/Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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X in Brazil

9/10/2024
Tech Life speaks to some keen users of X in Brazil. What do they think of the ban imposed on the platform that was previously known as Twitter ? Have they moved to other social media, or have they found a way around the restrictions ? Also on Tech Life this week: We find out three things you should know about quantum mechanics. Why is it more difficult for big trucks to make the move from fossil fuels to cleaner electric power ? And AI in construction tech - we speak to the founder of a company harnessing artificial intelligence to help make sense of huge amounts of building industry paperwork. Presenter: Alasdair Keane Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: The Brazilian flag is seen behind a phone screen displaying the X logo in this illustration photo. Credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:28

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When civil war breaks out

9/3/2024
We get a first-hand insight into how the war in Sudan has affected tech workers and companies there. Also on Tech Life: Old unwanted fishing nets are a real issue, for marine life and us here on dry land. One man has come up with a way of turning an environmental problem into useful 3D printed products. And, we can see the sea. We can see the sky. But wouldn't it be great if we could see the wind as well? Well now we can! Presenter: Graham Fraser Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: Smoke plumes billow from a fire at a lumber warehouse in southern Khartoum, Sudan, amidst ongoing fighting on June 7, 2023. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:28

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The voice cloning lawsuit

8/27/2024
We hear from two voice over artists, based in New York City, who have filed a lawsuit against an AI company they claim stole their voices. Also on Tech Life this week: A device invented by Canadian university students is shaking up the milk business for small-scale dairy farmers in Africa. And an engineer tells us his robust plan to make tech easier to fix. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: An actress records her voice into a microphone. Credit: Andrey Popov/Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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Artificial intelligence helps doctors detect lung cancer

8/20/2024
An artificial intelligence tool is helping to detect chest issues, which could indicate lung cancer, in a matter of seconds. It's now in use in forty countries around the world. It's called Annalise AI, and we speak to the co-founder of the company behind it. Also on Tech Life: In Kenya, Direct Air Capture technology is being designed, manufactured and deployed in the vast Rift valley. And the commute of the future is being mapped out and planned today - find out about digital twinning. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: A doctor examines an X-ray image on a tablet. Credit: Athima Tongloom/Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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The Olympic esports games and Saudi Arabia

8/13/2024
We take a look at a recent announcement from the International Olympic Committee that the inaugural Olympic esports games will be hosted in Saudi Arabia next year. While many have welcomed the competitive video gaming event, others have questioned the choice of host, because of the Kingdom's human rights record. The summer Olympics have come to a close in Paris, so we speak to the man behind the huge television operation there, using new tech to deliver the action to you - from almost every possible angle. From China to Mexico - how online shopping is changing the economics of restaurant food deliveries in a mega city. And what does it take to keep Wikipedia up-to-date ? We find out. Presenter: Alasdair Keane Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: A competitor takes part in a motorsport event during Olympic esports week in Singapore, 2023. Credit: Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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Turning the tables on online romance scammers

8/6/2024
It's called Pig Butchering - a cruel romance scam which has victims around the world. The BBC's Cyber correspondent, Joe Tidy, was targeted online. He played along to learn about the con and then turned the tables on the scammer, known as Jessica. Joe tells us what happened. Also on Tech Life, we find out about a digital detox. And we hear about the role played by artificial intelligence in discovering an important new antibiotic. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producers: Imran Rahman-Jones and Tom Quinn Editor: Monica Soriano (Photo: A red paper cut-out of a heart shape, torn in the middle, resting on a computer keyboard. Credit: Pla2na/Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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When the power goes

7/30/2024
How do we cope when the tech we rely on stops working? This week we look at different types of blackouts . We explore the Bangladesh internet shutdown, which affected up to 170 million people for 10 days. We turn to South Africa, which experienced 15 years of daily power outages until very recently. Then to a country which still experiences blackouts now - Cuba. We meet the game developers who work even when the electricity cuts off. Presenter: Zoe Kleinman Producer: Imran Rahman-Jones Editor: Monica Soriano (Photo: A red road sign saying "404". Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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Turning the racetrack electric

7/23/2024
Alasdair Keane is at the season finale of the Formula E, taking a look at how the tech has advanced over 10 years. We hear from the co-founder of the fully electric car racing event and ask where it goes next. What do the drivers think? And how does the event meet its sustainability goals? Plus, we go behind the scenes of a world-record-breaking AI event. Presented and produced by Alasdair Keane. Produced by Imran Rahman-Jones. Edited by Monica Soriano. Image: An orange Formula E car on the racetrack in London. Credit: Getty Images.

Duration:00:26:29

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Tech at the Olympics

7/16/2024
Ahead of the Olympics in Paris, we look at tech in sport. How is it used by athletes to improve their performance? And how is it used to deliver the spectacle to viewers at home? We also follow the quest to bring mountain biking to the Paralympics and how technology advancements are helping this become a reality. Plus, the potential for AI growth in Africa and how it might change the continent. Presented by Zoe Kleinman Produced by Tom Quinn and Imran Rahman-Jones Edited by Monica Soriano (Image: A male swimmer wearing goggles and a black swimming cap emerges out of the water. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:28

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Tech that refuses to die

7/9/2024
As Japan axes the use of floppy discs for official government business, presenter Chris Vallance looks at other old tech that's still in use. From magnetic tape to a clockwork interplanetary rover, he discovers some vintage tech with a future. Also in this edition of Tech Life, we test an app that uses artificial intelligence to identify objects and tells us how to recycle them. And we speak to an expert conserving rhinos in South Africa with the help of nuclear technology. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: A hand loads a floppy disc into a disc drive. Credit: Stockbyte/Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:28

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If we could talk to the animals

7/2/2024
We hear from Peter Gabriel, who is endorsing a competition to find a way of decoding animal communications using AI and then talk back to them. We get more details of the challenge from the chair of the prize, Prof Yossi Yovel. Microplastics in our seas and drinking water is a real problem. Two teenage students from Texas have found an innovative way to get rid of the stuff using ultrasound. If you have not heard about the Global Digital Compact, we speak to someone who says you need to know about it. And a traditional Indian instrument gets an electronic makeover. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn (Photo: Musician Peter Gabriel performing in New York. Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:28

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Detecting cancer using artificial intelligence

6/25/2024
Experts develop a new blood test that could change the way suspected cases of bowel cancer are managed. At the heart of it is A.I. analysis to calculate a patient's cancer risk. We speak to the team behind the PinPoint Test. Also on Tech Life this week, period trackers and your personal data - find out how one app is promising to keep your information safe. Drones are being used to make childbirth safer in Rwanda. And listen to the aerospace students who have developed a new way to move satellites around in space. Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn (Image: A photo of a lab technician holding a blood sample. Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images)

Duration:00:26:29

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Bionic arms and robotic thumbs

6/18/2024
Presenter Shiona McCallum is joined by technology reporter Paul Carter to look at some of the latest developments in artificial limb tech. Paul talks about his own personal experiences of trying out different prosthetics. Shiona interviews the youngest boy in the world to be fitted with a bionic arm, and his mum. Sierra Leone benefits from a prosthetics project. And would you want an extra robotic thumb ? Presenters: Shiona McCallum with Paul Carter Producer: Tom Quinn (Image: A photo of presenter Shiona McCallum in the Tech Life studio with technology reporter Paul Carter. Credit: BBC)

Duration:00:26:28