Tech Life

Latest Episodes:

Surviving digital banking outages Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

This week on Tech Life, we ask why online banking and payment outages happen, and find out what you can do to protect your data and money.

The first Saudi Arabian woman to run an international body speaks to us about her life in tech, and her role in charge of the Digital Co-operation Organisation. And if you had to spend a long time on the Moon or Mars, what kind of base would you want to live in ?

We are always keen to hear from you. You can email us: techlife@bbc.co.uk, or send us a text message or voice note on Whatsapp: +44 330 1230 320.

Presenter: Graham Fraser Producer: Tom Quinn Editor: Monica Soriano

(Image: A woman's hand holds a mobile phone. A login window for online banking is on the screen. Credit: Torsten Asmus/Getty Images)

The doctor will see you now Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

Live trials are under way in Ghana of holoportation 3D telemedicine tech. It allows a patient in a remote location to connect to a doctor many miles away, and be examined. We speak to the lead engineer involved in the project, as well as a patient and a doctor benefiting from the portable kit.

Also on Tech Life, what happens when a country's leader decides the names of some places (or stretches of water) are about to change ? Do online maps update ? How is it decided ? Our reporter has been searching for the answers.

And what is it like working as a technology correspondent, reporting on the busy and ever-changing North America tech scene ? We chat to Lily Jamali who does exactly that for the BBC.

We are always keen to hear from you. You can email us: techlife@bbc.co.uk, or send us a text message or voice note on Whatsapp: +44 330 1230 320.

Presenter: Graham Fraser Producer: Tom Quinn Editor: Monica Soriano

(Image: Image of a female doctor communicating with a patient on a portable video link. Credit: Hiraman/Getty Images)

Could AI pick the next James Bond? Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

With Amazon now in charge of James Bond, how will they use data to shape the franchise. We speak to a company which analyses scripts using AI and suggests actors or story changes. Plus, the computer scientist who got her native language on to Google Translate, and the Indian village which became a YouTube sensation.

We love hearing from you. Send us an email on techlife@bbc.co.uk or send a Whatsapp to +44330 1230 320.

Presented and produced by Imran Rahman-Jones. Our editor is Monica Soriano.

(Image: Daniel Craig in a black tuxedo and bow tie, looking down the barrel of the camera. Credit: Getty Images.)

Human life under the oceans Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

Planet Earth's oceans remain relatively unexplored. Now one company has a bold plan to build habitats for humans to live and work underwater for long spells of time. We hear about the tech challenges of life on the seabed.

Also on Tech Life, we speak to a Californian TikTok content creator, and a company benefiting from being on TikTok, as the future of the video-sharing platform in the United States remains uncertain. And who needs big crowds and long queues ? Is the future of gaming expos virtual ?

We are always keen to hear from you. You can email us: techlife@bbc.co.uk, or send us a text message or voice note on Whatsapp: +44 330 1230 320.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn Editor: Monica Soriano

(Image: An illustration of an underwater human habitat known as a Sentinel. Credit: Deep.)

Decoding the brain Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

Artificial intelligence can pick out the words we're typing from analysis of our brainwaves. Could it give a voice to those who can't speak because of brain injury or illness ? We interview an expert leading the research.

Also on this week's edition of Tech Life, will AI and 3D printing revolutionise the shoe business ? And the hot and cold solution to keep fish fresh in Kenya.

We are always keen to hear from you. You can email us: techlife@bbc.co.uk, or send us a text message or voice note on Whatsapp: +44 330 1230 320.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn Editor: Monica Soriano

(Image: A photo of a female volunteer typing words onto a keyboard while her brain is being scanned. Credit: Meta)

China's AI world Feb 04, 2025

Show notes

As DeepSeek shocked the world, we speak to an AI expert who worked at a Chinese AI firm. We hear about a new battery exchange system for EVs in Addis Ababa. And imagine a world without potholes - we've got a scientist on who is working on self-healing roads.

Get in touch by emailing techlife@bbc.co.uk or sending a Whatsapp to +44330 1230 320.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Imran Rahman-Jones Editor: Monica Soriano

(Photo: The logo of the Alibaba AI model Qwen, a blue triangle with Chinese characters beneath. Credit: Getty Images.)

Not as dead as a dodo? Jan 28, 2025

Show notes

It sounds like a Hollywood movie - bringing extinct animals like the dodo back to life - but a company has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars of investment to do just that. We hear the arguments for and against de-extinction technology.

Also, losing the alcohol but keeping the taste, our reporter takes a sober dive into the tech behind alcohol-free beer.

We are always keen to hear from you. You can email us: techlife@bbc.co.uk, or send us a text message or voice note on Whatsapp: +44 330 1230 320.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn Editor: Monica Soriano

(Image: An illustration of a dodo bird. Credit: DeAgostini Picture Library/Getty Images)

VPNs and India Jan 21, 2025

Show notes

In this edition we're trying to find out why some popular security and privacy services - known as VPNs - are disappearing from app stores in India.

Also on this week's Tech Life, we speak to the team behind a super-lightweight plane, powered by the sun's rays, that could be used like a steerable satellite.

And does talk of artificial intelligence make you worried about your job, or make you wonder what the future might hold ? Don't worry, it's not all gloom ! We hear from a historian who is taking a very long view of AI.

We’re always keen to hear from you. You can email us: techlife@bbc.co.uk, or send us a text message or voice note on Whatsapp: +44 330 1230 320.

Presenter: Zoe Kleinman Producer: Tom Quinn Editor: Monica Soriano

(Image: An illustration of Internet access via a VPN. A shield with the inscription VPN and a globe. Credit: Getty Images)

Trust and verify Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

In this edition we discuss ways of checking facts on social media. This is after Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook and Instagram will change the way facts are checked.

Also in Tech Life, data is being saved for the future, deep underground in the Arctic Circle. Our reporter Adrienne Murray visits the Arctic World Archive in Svalbard. LinkedIn tell us how they are verifying their users are real. And find out why online mapping has become more than getting from A to B.

We’re always keen to hear from you. You can email us: techlife@bbc.co.uk, or send us a text message or voice note on Whatsapp at +44 330 1230 320.

Presenter: Imran Rahman-Jones Producer: Tom Quinn Editor: Monica Soriano

(Image: A photo image of Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Credit: Getty Images)

A glimpse into the future of tech Jan 07, 2025

Show notes

Tech Life is at CES in Las Vegas, one of the world’s biggest consumer tech shows. We hunt for some of the event’s weirdest tech, and speak to the people behind the showcase. Plus, why is the tech world now obsessed with cars?

We love hearing from you. Get in touch by emailing us on techlife@bbc.co.uk or send us a Whatsapp on +443301230320.

Presented and produced by Imran Rahman-Jones, Alasdair Keane and Lily Jamali Edited by Monica Soriano

(Image: The neon "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign lit up against a blue sky. Credit: Getty Images.)