For our first episode of 2026, Tech Life looks forward to the rest of the year, and beyond. What are the latest consumer gadgets on display at a huge electronics trade show in Las Vegas ? How will assistive technology, designed to help people with disabilities, change this year ? What should we be looking out for in the world of gaming ? And we ask a futurologist to predict how tech will help us buy things from retailers over the next decade.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Image: A computer-generated image of a circuit board, with “2026” shown in neon numbers in the centre. Credit: Getty Images)

A selection of our favourite stories in 2025. From bringing back extinct species to AI at a royal palace. And you tell us about the tech that's made a difference to your life.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Image: A young woman sits at a desk. A laptop computer is open on the desk. The number 2025 is projected in front of her, and she points to it with her index finger. Credit: Getty Images)

A company called Vast hopes to put Haven-1 into orbit in 2026. If successful, it'll be the world's first commercial space station. We speak to the company's CEO, Max Haot.

Also on Tech Life this week: find out about robots in Japan that will help people cope with dementia. And the local language avatar providing growing tips to farmers in Africa.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Image: A future illustration of the commercial space station Haven-1 in orbit above Planet Earth. It is docked with a Dragon spacecraft. Credit: Vast.)

A study found AI chatbots can persuade us with fake facts. We explore what this means for politics. Then we speak to author of The Web Beneath the Waves, Samanth Subramanian, about the importance of undersea cables. Plus: The scientists working together with nuns to save salamanders in a lake in Mexico.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Image: A colourful composite of a woman with her chin resting on her hands, looking confused. Behind her is an illustration of a laptop. Credit: Getty Images)

Twitch streamer QTCinderella talks about the unwelcome attention she receives in real life. Shiona McCallum reports on robotics for offshore wind farms. And polar rover tech.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Image: A photo of Twitch streamer QTCinderella attending TwitchCon 2024 in San Diego, USA. She is standing in front of a TwitchCon backdrop and logo. She is smiling at the camera. Credit: Getty Images.)

We’re all about AI today. As AI-generated music tops US charts, a musician explains how he uses AI in the songwriting process. A fashion house explains how they use it to help sizing issues. And with the festive season approaching, there is a warning over its use in children’s toys.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Image: Manon Dave wearing a baseball cap, a white T-shirt and jeans, sitting on a stage wearing a head mic. He is gesturing with his hands mid-sentence. Credit: Getty Images.)

Does AI have a role in education? Some private schools in the United States are swapping traditional teacher-led classroom lessons for laptops and personalised apps. We speak to pupils and the co-founder of the school network embracing AI-assisted learning.

Also in this edition: We're lifting the lid on online scams around the world. Hear how one woman was conned out of a large sum of money, and an expert tells us what we should be wary of online.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Image: Rear view of a large group of high school students in a computer lab. They have laptops on their desks. Credit: Getty Images)

We look at how tech and visas have freed some employees from their desktops, allowing them to continue their work from other parts of the world. They're called digital nomads.

Also in this edition: Shiona McCallum speaks to a victim of online bullying in Kenya, and finds out about a charity trying to help. And tech startups in Finland are turning to Slush.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Image: A photo of a laptop near a swimming pool on a sunny day. Credit: Getty Images)

Seven pioneers of artificial intelligence gathered at St James's Palace to receive the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, presented by King Charles. Zoe Kleinman was there. In this week's edition you can hear Zoe talk to the 'godmother' of AI, Professor Fei-Fei Li, and Jensen Huang, the head of the world's most valuable company, Nvidia.

Also on Tech Life this week: how useful can robots be in space ? And the racing cars revving up in Abu Dhabi without any drivers onboard.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Photo: A photo of King Charles at the prize ceremony in London. Credit: Reuters)

We look at a particular use of tech in family life - using trackers to know where your children are, or your partner, or other relatives. What are the safety and privacy issues ?

Also on Tech Life: Shiona McCallum speaks to the BBC's cyber correspondent, Joe Tidy, about a gang of Russian hackers known as Evil Corps. Who are they, and what have they done ? Joe is co-hosting a new podcast about them.

And a young engineer from Kenya has developed an app for deaf people, so they can read sign language on a screen while people speak to them in real-time. It's just earned him a prestigious award.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Image: A photo of a mother and teenage daughter at home, using a laptop and smartphone. Credit: Getty Images)