Tech Life

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The Olympic esports games and Saudi Arabia Aug 13, 2024

Show notes

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)

Turning the tables on online romance scammers Aug 06, 2024

Show notes

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)

When the power goes Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

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)

Turning the racetrack electric Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

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.

Tech at the Olympics Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

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)

Tech that refuses to die Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

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)

If we could talk to the animals Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

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)

Detecting cancer using artificial intelligence Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

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)

Bionic arms and robotic thumbs Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

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)

Helping our animal friends Jun 11, 2024

Show notes

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 McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn

(Image: Portrait photo of a beagle dog. Credit: Getty Images)

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