Click 2020

The biggest tech stories and trends of 2019, including space travel, electric cars, 5G and the increased use by the police of facial recognition.

Click comes from CES in Las Vegas, the world’s largest tech show. With the latest announcements from the show and a look at trends for the year ahead.

Click looks at the battle for self-driving car supremacy between the USA and China.

Click is in LA to meet the company with the biggest 3D printer in the world being used to print space rockets!

This week Click is in Bangladesh to see how global advances in automation technology could impact the lives of millions of garment factory workers in the next few years. Plus new ways data will help teams at the Superbowl.

Click is in Los Angeles for the Oscars weekend, looking at the latest tech involved in the movie industry.

On Click we meet former footballer Rio Ferdinand, who is on a mission to educate parents about the gaming habits of their children. Also, we look at the trend in online recipes - they're designed to be entertaining, but some turn out to be downright dangerous!

Click travels to the most cyber-attacked country in the world - Saudi Arabia - to find out what the Saudis are doing to defend themselves. Also, the technology that makes valuable resources out of thin air!

Click travels to the most cyber-attacked country in the world, Saudi Arabia, to find out what they are doing to defend themselves. Also, the technology which makes valuable resources out of thin air!

Click checks out a new foldable phone, but is the technology worth the hype? Also, we meet a man having a microcomputer implanted into his heart.

Click investigates coronavirus misinformation and discovers the AI tools that could help track its spread and find new treatments.

The most anticipated video game of the last decade finally releases in March 2020, but it won't be playable on any of the games consoles. Half Life: Alyx is only playable using virtual reality kit, its developers Valve have created a unique experience, a full length blockbuster video game in VR. The Half Life franchise is one of the biggest and most influential in videogame history, releasing this latest edition as a VR only title will likely reinvigorate the virtual reality industry and for many act as a reason to buy a VR headset. We gained access to Valve's secretive studio in Seattle interviewing key development personnel as well as spending a considerable amount of time playing the game and experiencing the new technology that has been created to bring the title to life.

We look at a company which is developing portable labs to test for Coronavirus, and a tech based community initiative to support vulnerable people during the COVID-19 crisis.

This week as the world tries to deal with the coronavirus pandemic Click is looking at the tech that could help to alleviate the shortage of ventilators. We also look at how robots are being enlisted to help fight the virus and how governments are using drones to try to disinfect the streets. And with about 3 billion people in some form of lockdown we look at how people can stay connected from home.

Click celebrates its 20th birthday, with a blast through the past looking at the technologies that have shaped the last two decades.

Click explores how religion has gone online during the coronavirus pandemic. Plus Norway's national telecom provider to shows how the government is monitoring if their social distancing rules are being obeyed. And Imogen Heap has teamed up with a UK AI researcher to make an entry for the first Eurovision AI generated music contest.

Click looks at how care homes around Europe are using technology to provide some contact for isolated and elderly people. We look at a new suite of volunteering apps for those wanting to contribute during the coronavirus pandemic. And in Australia we look at newly introduced smart traffic cams to combat the worst driver behaviour during lockdown.

This week Click looks at how people are dating and even getting married while self-isolating. Plus the latest on contact tracing for coronavirus.

Click looks at how cubesats are monitoring the rapid change in the world around us.

This week we look at the latest temperature tracking gadgets and explore whether they can help in the fight against coronavirus.

Click talks to Jamie Cullum, Pussy Riot and Hozier to get their thoughts on how the global pandemic may have changed live music forever.

This week Click sees how the coronavirus pandemic has revolutionised the use of remote medicine by doctors and hospitals in the UK.

Click looks at the future of working from home and how video games could help to ease the isolation of lockdown. We also find out how tech is being used to try to save koalas in Australia.

When Formula E racing was cancelled because of Covid-19 it decided to stage its races virtually. Little did it know that one of its drivers was literally going to game the system leading to a huge cheating scandal. Click investigates and asks whether this bodes ill for the future of other esports.

With many retailers beginning to emerge from lockdown and open their doors to customers, Click looks at the technology that will allow us to stay safe as we shop.

Click looks at The Last of Us Part II, one of the biggest games of the year. Plus actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt chats about how Hollywood has been affected by the pandemic.

As UK restaurants reopen Click looks at the tech revolutionising food. A world-first - a sewage powered greenhouse. Plus a pizza-making robot. And a chat with chef Heston Blumenthal in the kitchen.

Click looks at whether VR could replace video calls for meetings and communication. Plus the role that TikTok may play in the upcoming US Presidential election.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a huge increase in bike sales with e-bikes also starting to gain popularity. Click looks at the latest e-bikes and shows how you can turn your own regular bike into one. We also look at how data captured by a special bike light is being used to transform our cities for the benefit of those travelling on two wheels.

Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito talks about his work in the videogame Far Cry 6. Facebook is facing battles on several fronts - a raft of big companies and now the labour party boycotting advertising on the platform because of the way FB is said to amplify division and hate speech; regular missteps over decisions over which content to ban and allow and indeed its handling of Trump's messaging. It has always fought hard not to be treated as a media company but something had to give and its latest effort is to launch an 'Oversight Board' made up of luminaries from around the world. How will it work? Will it have any teeth? Or is it just a smokescreen - a sop to its critics? We speak in depth to Alan Rusbridger who is one of the founder members. Also, we have a project offering to print 3D printed masks, perfectly shaped to your face and the latest in the blockbuster games releases.

Click gets exclusive access to Heathrow Airport as they show us the tech they are using to help keep the airport safe from Covid-19. We take a look at the new Halo title for the Xbox Series X and we investigate how extremist material is being sold on platforms like Amazon and Google.

Like many businesses, the pandemic has impacted social media influencers. With their incomes dwindling, many have taken to promoting knock-off goods to hundreds of millions of followers. In a special investigation, Click looks at how influencers are getting away with it and lifts the curtain on the shadowy figures making millions through them.

Will fashion shows ever happen again? Top producers are looking to virtual fashion shows - more akin to pop videos than cat walks - to showcase their wares. As they wake up to the creative possibilities this approach offers, will fashion ever go back? Also we talk to the activists in Hong Kong hoping to stand firm against a new security law passed by China. We look at the trend for high tech hydroponics allowing you to grow your own food at home and take a virtual tour of Virgin Galactic’s spacecraft.

Click looks at the tech rivalry between China and the West, finding out what has caused the ban on Huawei’s 5G equipment and discovering the latest developments in social media in China and the USA. We look at alternatives to TikTok and investigate the ramifications of any potential ban on Chinese technology by the United States.

From sucking carbon out of the air to a 'dogless' hotdog, this week Click looks at some of our favourite sustainable tech from the recent past.

As we approach the anniversary of 9/11, this week's Click reveals the discovery of one of the largest collections of material belonging to the so-called Islamic State group ever found on the internet. Worst of all, it's being regularly updated, with the potential to inspire harm continuing to this day.

As schools and universities go back, we look at efforts made to set up virtual laboratories allowing science students to conduct experiments remotely, to continue their studies. Meanwhile, the emergency services are struggling to train new recruits or update the training of current staff. Click is given access to the police and fire services to see the virtual worlds which have been created to allow first responders to sharpen their skills.

Click looks at how tech can help us get back to work. A digital twin of St Pancras International station has been built to help protect commuters and offices are using computer vision alert systems to help employees keep their distance. Plus the latest developments from Silicon Valley. When all the world's an internet call, Marc Cieslak discovers whether technology can help bring theatre back to life.

This week Click looks at the technology that can create virtual avatars. And in the midst of the pandemic and ahead of the US election we examine at the spread of misinformation online.

Known as one of the toughest races in the world, the America’s Cup presents a unique challenge as the rules and specifications change each time it takes place. We talk to Team Principal and the world’s most successful Olympic sailor, Sir Ben Ainslie, and see how technology is helping to design not only the boat but also to prepare the crew for this arduous voyage We also look at the latest hardware from Google and go underwater to explore the tech that is helping to protect coral reef in Australia.

Click talks to Zoom about the future of home working and visits an AI insect farm that's producing animal feed in a smart and sustainable way.

In this edition, we look at the role of technology in domestic abuse. Increasingly survivors report being stalked through tracking apps on their phones, key loggers on their computers and their lives being controlled through smart devices in their homes. We are also in South Africa, where domestic abuse is a taboo subject, never talked about but faced by millions. Now a charity is using a chatbot to reach as many women as possible to offer a helping hand. And there's a look at the latest iPhone from Apple and a preview of the new Xbox Series X console.

Click talks to grime star Stormzy about his role in the forthcoming video game Watch Dogs: Legion. The Glastonbury headliner appears as a fictional version of himself in the game, which is set in a dystopian near-future London that has been taken over by a rogue government. He speaks about using the game to speak out against injustice.

Ahead of the US presidential election, we report from states that are trialling technology in order to help more people vote. And we take a view around the world to see if greater use of tech in the voting process could lead to increased turnout. In just over a week, sailor Pip Hare is to set off attempting to beat Dame Ellen MacArthur's record for circumnavigating the globe alone. To try to achieve this, she of course has a high-tech boat. It is decked out in kit designed to track her mental health throughout the voyage. We went to meet Pip before she sets sail.

Click scrubs up to meet the many-armed robot on wheels that's making keyhole surgery more available. We learn how a therapy app and electricity emitting headset could provide better at-home treatment for those living with depression. And we see one of the world’s first trials of an artificial intelligence algorithm to help doctors quickly distinguish between Covid-19 and cancer treatment toxicity on scans. These decisions could be a matter of life and death and are challenging for the human eye to detect.

This week on Click, how can we keep teenagers safe online? We look at a new AI system that monitors video content on the fly and blurs anything unsuitable before kids see it. But can tech really help solve the problems that tech creates? We speak to a mum whose daughter took her own life. She now campaigns for fundamental change, for tighter control of tech companies and online education for both parents and kids. Plus a review of the new Xbox and Playstation.

Click is taking to the road and looking at the future of electric vehicles. Spencer Kelly heads down to Cornwall to find out if it might hold the key to Europe's demand for lithium and Lara Lewington discovers a car which might be able to charge your house. Plus Chris Fox looks at the latest in phone technology.

A special episode celebrating women in technology. We assemble three senior female tech leaders in front of an audience of 100 young women just starting out on their tech careers. We also hear from Joanna Shields of UK-based BenevolentAI, whose artificial intelligence has developed a treatment for some categories of Covid-19 patient. And, a new AI which is helping improve the success for those trying to conceive using IVF.

To coincide with the International Day of Persons With Disabilities, Click explores the latest developments around accessibility and inclusion in tech. Blind reporter Lucy Edwards investigates how AI helps visually-impaired people identify people and objects with their phones, while Niamh Hughes looks at the strides made in gaming accessibility, through the prism of her own experiences.

As the trial of rental e-scooters begins in the UK, they are starting to flood the streets of cities around the country. But are some of these riders still breaking the law? Omar Mehtab takes another look at the rules surrounding the light electric vehicles, and what is being done to help make these safer for everyone.

Click looks at the tech hoping to end the dreaded phrase of every British commuter: ‘delay due to leaves on the line’. We explore how different countries have responded to the coronavirus pandemic and look at the apps charging to connect you with celebrities.

It's the Clickmas 2020 Special – virtual style! With bags of seasonal tech fun, including flying jetpacks, tabla tapping and a special mixed reality festive song.