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PODCAST

Tech Life

BBC World Service

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.

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All Episodes

26:28

Bionic arms and robotic thumbs

Tech Life ·

2024/06/18

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

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26:29

Helping our animal friends

Tech Life ·

2024/06/11

Lab testing of animals is often used to study diseases, or assess the safety of new drugs or substances before they are trialled on humans. Could A.I. provide a solution ? Also in this edition of Tech Life, woof woof! Can artificial intelligence help us interpret the meaning of dog barks ? And Michael Kaloki reports from Kenya on tech being used by dairy farmers to help them look after their herds.Presenter: Shiona McCallumProducer: Tom Quinn(Image: Portrait photo of a beagle dog. Credit: Getty

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26:28

Dating a chatbot

Tech Life ·

2024/06/04

What is it like to have an AI boyfriend? We hear about women in China who prefer to date a chatbot over a real person. How can tech be used to unlock the potential of crops - and help with food shortages? And we meet the fashion designer who hopes to fool facial recognition technology with her clothes.Presenter: Shiona McCallumProducers: Tom Quinn and Imran Rahman-Jones(Image: A woman looking at her phone which has hearts coming out of it. Credit: Getty Images)

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26:28

Being watched

Tech Life ·

2024/05/28

There are words of warning about facial recognition, biometrics and artificial intelligence - technologies increasingly being adopted by law enforcement worldwide. Also on Tech Life this week, we learn about an African company offering a local alternative to the big electric vehicle manufacturers. Basketball gets into tech. And why we need tech to identify and map where our rubbish goes.Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn(Photo: An illustration of facial recognition on the face of a

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26:28

Tackling online abuse of athletes

Tech Life ·

2024/05/21

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Alasdair Keane hears how the organisation behind the event is enlisting an AI platform to tackle online abuse aimed at athletes competing in the event. Also in this episode Shiona McCallum meets the next generation of game designers and we find out about a project in Rwanda to improve the fit of prosthetic limbs.Image: Paris 2024 Olympic Games logo is displayed near the Eiffel Tower (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

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26:29

Help for cancer patients

Tech Life ·

2024/05/14

Blood tests are part of the process of receiving cancer treatment. But they can be time-consuming and require visits to hospital. A new blood test machine is changing this. The Liberty is a small device that allows patients to take blood tests and upload the results from home without supervision. Lynn Thompson took part in the trial, and she tells Tech Life it's made a huge difference to her life. Also this week, we answer a listener's question about smart glasses. We learn about a project,

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26:29

The mammoth ivory problem

Tech Life ·

2024/05/07

Customs officers looking for illegally traded elephant ivory face a challenge, because ivory taken from the remains of mammoths is legal. Telling the two apart isn't easy. Now researchers have come up with a new technique using lasers that promises to make ivory identification easier. We speak to two experts involved in the project. Also on Tech Life this week, "The chatbot will see you now". People are more willing to discuss personal health matters with artificial intelligence than real medics

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26:29

TikTok world

Tech Life ·

2024/04/30

This week we're taking a global look at TikTok, and some of the problems the video sharing platform has been facing. Also on Tech Life, you want to keep in touch with your child, but is there an alternative to giving them a smartphone ? We hear from video gamers in South Africa. And a female tech boss from Brazil shares advice on how others can follow her success.Presenter: Shiona McCallumProducer: Tom Quinn(Photo: The TikTok logo on a mobile phone screen. Credit: Chesnot/Getty Images)

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26:29

Humanoid robots

Tech Life ·

2024/04/23

We're looking at humanoid robots - the ones that look like us. They have arms and legs. But are they really that practical and useful ? And how might they develop in the future ? Also in this edition of Tech Life, you've heard of charging points for electric cars and bikes ? Well, next it's plug-in points for cruise ships ! We learn about Bitcoin halving. And tech is helping farmers in Ghana to grow more crops.Presenter: Zoe Kleinman Producer: Tom Quinn(Photo: An image of Atlas, the Boston Dynamics

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26:29

Fixing undersea cables

Tech Life ·

2024/04/16

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 VallanceProducer: Tom Quinn(Photo: Illustration of a submarine communications cable. Credit:

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26:29

Space junk

Tech Life ·

2024/04/09

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

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26:29

Predicting the future of tech

Tech Life ·

2024/04/02

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 McCallumProducer: Tom Quinn(Photo: A photo of a computer taken

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27:26

Charging electric bikes and scooters

Tech Life ·

2024/03/26

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 KleinmanProducers: Alasdair Keane and Tom Quinn(Photo: Charging an

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26:29

Tech Life meets Spot the robot

Tech Life ·

2024/03/19

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)

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27:09

Mobile phones

Tech Life ·

2024/03/12

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)

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27:20

Exploring space

Tech Life ·

2024/03/05

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.

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96 results

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