Hrkn to .. Gadgets & Gizmos

Steve Caplin reports that Australian researchers have found that coffee sharply reduces heart problems. Nottingham scientists have produced a gel that can strengthen and rebuild tooth enamel. There's a voice-controlled electric blanket that kills dust mites – only on sale in China. Many UK buses made in China have a kill switch which can be operated remotely. There's advice on how to avoid scams on Black Friday, a new AI e-ink paper reader, an outdoor electric trolley, an expensive "sock" to carry your iphone and an explanation of how Anguilla is getting even richer from having the right domain name. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin is surprised that, despite AWS's massive internet failure, OpenAI will pay it $38bn for computing power. Robot dogs are to be used to deal with Sellafield's nuclear waste. A humanoid housekeeper apparently has to have a human operator. An Australian company has devised a way of skiing indoors in something resembling a giant hamster wheel. Tesla's Cybertrucks are losing their headlights, because mechanics used the wrong glue. China has built the world's first wind-powered underwater data centre. And a solar powered backpack has been devised for homeless people in California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin says that the massive Amazon outage was caused by nothing more than an empty data record. Google has been providing misleading information on pensions and driving licences. There's a clever AI military helmet. Customers of Starling Bank have a new way of avoiding scams. A device attached to your lavatory can monitor your gut health. A German company is offering to 3D-print personalised bike saddles, if you can translate its website. Scientists have found that the most expensive TV screens are pointless. And battery-grade lithium is now being mined in Cornwall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin explains about the Amazon AWS outage, the biggest in the history of the internet. He also points out how many Amazon book titles, even best-sellers, are fake and written by AI. He warns against OpenAI's internet browser. He wonders how wise it is using dead animals' DNA to help endangered species. Police in Islington soon intend sending drones to incidents. There's a concept "robot phone" which seems a bit weird. Japanese scientists think they can brew sake in space, for a steep price. And there's a crowdfunded guitar pedal that may please rock musicians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin says that Figure AI's mass-produced Figure 03 is the Model-T of humanoid robots. He reveals the truth about the greenness of plug-in hybrid cars. Ferrari have brought out their first electric car – but what noise does it make? Honda are making an "adventure scooter", but so far only in China. Anker are crowdfunding an outdoor projector with inflatable screen. Temu has made £90m profit in the EU, with only 8 employees. And Skyeports believe they can make giant glass spheres on the Moon, but their test is only the size of a cricket ball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin marvels at Google's weird Japanese keyboard. Australian engineers think giant spiders could 3D-print buildings. The Chinese are training robot dogs for lunar missions. The sawfly's precise way of cutting plants to lay eggs could be adapted for human surgery. The boss of Instagram denies his app is listening to us. There's a projector for the bedroom ceiling, an expandable cargo bike and a way of converting old loudspeakers to use bluetooth. And Seattle scientists have invented a high-tech white stick to guide the blind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin says that northern train passengers can soon trial a ticketless system which will automatically find the cheapest fare. A new hypersonic plane has an engine with no moving parts. New weapons have been developed to shoot down drones. There's a wireless microphone which Steve has already ordered. An electric jet ski can take 3 people and tow a water skier. Mining trucks could soon have money-saving steel tyres. There's a clever, crowd-funded guitar amp. Meta is launching an ad-free version. And a British company has produced an AI actress – and real actors are not happy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin celebrates some of the bonkers research that has won scientists this year's Ignobel Prizes. A Denver designer thinks he can reinvent the wheel. Austin have a very neat-looking open-top EV roadster. There's a cyberpunk digital candle. Amazon Fresh are closing all their UK stores. Waymo are to launch driverless taxis in London next year. Northumbrian Water have found a way to catch sewer-clogging wet wipes. And Kent scientists believe that tea can be grown on the Moon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin tells an incredulous Simon Rose that Albania has appointed an AI cabinet minister which is 100% corruption free. AI is also apparently writing speeches for many MPs. BA's Avios points can now be used for buying iPhones. Tesla's electric doors have a recurring problem. Amazon's Zoox driverless taxis are free to use on the Las Vegas strip. Mega have launched their new smart glasses. Sleep earbuds have cleverly done away with the need for batteries. And scientists claim they could regenerate the dodo – though Steve is understandably sceptical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin explains the features of the new iPhones and their clever cameras. Elon Musk has been offered a $1trillion salary – with tough conditions. Mark Zuckerberg (not that one) is suing his namesake. Amazon's drone delivery service has been partly stymied by a model airplane club. Porche has introduced inductive charging. MIT scientists have invented a wearable device to turn thoughts into words. And there's an ingenious phone for young children without a screen or other temptations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin says Tesco are trialling tech that knows if avocados are ripe while Waitrose is testing ways of paying for shopping without needing to check out. Chinese scientists have developed houseplants that light up while, in Taiwan, they think lives could be saved if couriers carried defibrillators. Steve's kettle has told him it's time he cleaned it out. A new Kickstarter project will locate objects with RFID tags. And a venture capitalist rues using AI, which maliciously deleted his database and months of work in seconds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin says a robot dog can now play badminton – as well as a 7-year-old. Mobile phone conversations can be picked up by radar, with limitations. After a trial, 3,500 solar-powered postboxes which accept parcels are being rolled out. The Guinness Book of Records is 70 years old; Steve tells us his favourites. The African Union is complaining that Mercator maps skew the size of land masses. There's a website that will show you proper country comparisons. And scientists have found a way to transplant behaviour – in fruit flies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin tells Simon Rose that scientists have worked out how to use nanoparticles to end the misery of sensitive teeth while others believe they can regenerate lost tooth enamel. Californian boffins say they can improve eyesight without laser surgery while, bizarrely, Chinese technologists think their artificial womb can give birth to a live baby. A British robot submarine is being controlled from Australia. Evri are trialling a deliveery dog while farmers are boosting milk production by playing jazz to their cows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin tells Simon Rose about the new iteration of ChatGPT which is less sycophantic or likely to make mistakes. Singapore scientists can transform cockroaches into cyborgs in 68 seconds. There's a multitool with a pivoting wrench head. Chinese scientists have made a robot antelope while, in Portugal, a robot crab was attacked by males jealous of its large claw. Steve loves a gadget that will let you power almost anything. And soon, he says, eyedrops could replace glasses for those who need help reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin is puzzled by Jack Dorsey's new messaging app – with a range of just 300 metres. A clip on your ear can improve your fitness. Tiny, edible micro lasers can help with food safety. With bricklayers in short supply, robots could be pressed into service. A 3D-printed house made from soil, lime and fibres could be returned to the earth when no longer needed. Cigarette butts can be used to strength road surfaces. And AI can help interpret incomplete Roman inscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin laments Google's new AI search which means far fewer people will ever click on links. ChatGPT apparently causes psychosis but could also be far more useful for admin tasks such as planning holidays. Meta is to build a data centre the size of Manhattan and has developed a wristband that can control a computer. The first UK air taxi flight has just taken place. The Sirius AI robotic dog can do tricks and is trainable, but cuddly it is not. An atomic clock is now accurate to 1 sec in 57.6bn years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin discusses an electric MPV, an e-scooter with a treadmill, a bike charging pad, a 100 mph e-scooter with faster acceleration than a Tesla and a humanoid robot that can change its own batteries. An Instagram influencer at Wimbledon turns out to be AI-generated while AI is gradually taking over from traditional film and TV effects. Peter Jackson is spending £11m on trying to recreate the extinct 12-foot, flightless moa bird of New Zealand. And scientists claim they can use nuclear fusion to turn mercury into gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin discusses an app that uses AI to create illustrated books for children, as well as AI being used to mark exams. Uber is making it easier for oldies to use their service, as well as trialling robotaxis in London next year. The Chinese have come up with a self-driving motorbike. The band Velvet Sundown, fantastically popular on Spotify, turn out to be an AI creation. There's an internal music player seeking crowdfunding. Chinese scientists have found a way to create cyborg bees. And John Hopkins University has invented an autonomous robot surgeon to remove gallbladders, though it has so far only operated on dead pigs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin feels sorry for the Norwegian lottery players told they'd won big, only to find it was a basic maths error. Monzo has been fined over "weak financial controls" while the gov.uk app still isn't ready. Amoral AI models gave alarming responses to being told they would be replaced, including blackmail and even contemplation of murder. Project Vend suggests AI isn't the best at operating a cafe. Humanoid robots won't be replacing professional footballers any time soon. There's a credit card-sized pen. NHS drones are going to be more prolific overhead in London. And mould from a tomb has been found to contain cancer-killing molecules. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin expresses surprise that Elon Musk (or his lawyers) claims not to use a computer, despite previous contrary evidence. Tesla has launched its RoboTaxis while Amazon's Zoox intends making 10,000 robotaxis in a year. Perplexity AI is being sued by the BBC. A Chinese student was arrested in the UK for using an SMS blaster to scam people. A new bike helmet has a way of charging bike lights. An internet blackout in Iran caused 80 social media accounts supporting Scottish independence to go down. UK adults are using their phones more than their TVs for the first time. And Liverpool scientists reckon that dinosaurs were 5 times slower than previously thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin discusses more to do with AI: researchers have discovered that relying on it makes you stupid; an engineer found it can't play chess; AI-generated music is mostly listened to by bots; Meta's AI is making people's searches for advice public; and Meta itself is apparently offering $100m sign-up fees. Google's new videoconferencing system is now available. Donald Trump is selling gold mobile phones. There's a new source of gold – but it's impossible to get at it. And scientists have found solutions to underarm odour and male pattern baldness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin is unsure about DeepMind's forthcoming "next generation email tool" which will answer emails in your voice. The rooftop garden of Google's new London HQ is plagued by foxes and rats. BIC celebrated 75 years by having a pen write Romeo & Juliet in the Bard's handwriting. Shimano have come up with automatic bike gears. There's a coffeemaker that does not need water – it sucks it from the air. AI now appears to be able to restore artworks without risking the original. However, AI also claims that the word "Welsh" is offensive. And Amazon says it will now punish companies that use fake reviews. But how do you punish bots? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin is excited by Jony Ive's new venture, even though nobody yet knows what it is. He wonders how much Albert Einstein's business card will fetch. There's a face sticker that can monitor employees' tiredness, but there's a catch. Living tattoos have been developed for buildings. The UK's first flying taxi has had a real world flight over the Cotswolds. Who might want to buy a concrete coffeemaker? Loughborough University has created the world's smallest violin. Knee pain might be reduced with in-ear treatment. And you will soon be able to buy your own spaceplane – for a mere $30m. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin says that the Vienna Tourist Board will be celebrating Strauss's bicentenary by beaming The Blue Danube to Voyager 1. Google's 3D meeting platform is almost here. Claude AI has taken to blackmailing engineers who try to turn it off by scouring their emails for indiscretions. Could our phones soon tell us if we are dehydrated? Dyson have a new vacuum with all the gubbins in the stick. The Chinese are developing contact lenses that enable you to see in the dark. Scientists have worked out how to steer cockroaches. And in Japan you can pay for a shoplifting experience, without breaking the law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin is bowled over by Google's new AI which can produce videos with incredibly realistic speech in 24 languages with any accent, though perhaps not Geordie. The much-awaited unifying parking app may be about to happen. 3D beard trimming-guides are here. A gene-edited spider can make red fluorescent silk. A new jet is far more efficient by removing the passenger windows. There's a tennis-serving AI robot. Northern Rail's environmentally-friendly cleaning agent turns out to be water. Cambridge has found a solution to cows falling into the Cam. And US solar farms could be turned off by the Chinese. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Utrecht, says Steve Caplin, they've installed a fish video doorbell so the lockkeeper can open the lock for spawning fish. Scientists have managed to turn lead into gold but, even with the Large Hadron Collider, they only produced 29 picograms. There's a way of adding three extra screens to your laptop. Audible are to use AI to narrate audiobooks. Fusion scientists think they can cut the time taken to get to Mars by two-thirds. A dead man testified at the trial of his murderer in Arizona. And a duck has been caught speeding by a radar trap in Switzerland, for the second time in seven years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin wonders why scientists have developed a cake with pneumatic robotic dancing bears on top, rechargeable but also edible. Amazon have a new budget service – Haul. DVD anti-piracy warnings were piratical themselves. Spielberg's film Duel is about to become a reality in Texas. Delivery robots will soon be able to climb stairs. EEGs are to be considerably less intrusive. Agatha Christie is now helping budding detective writers – from beyond the grave. And Chinese scientists have worked out how to tattoo tardigrades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin explains the research showing how junk food inhibits the brain. There's a tailor-made Bugatti watch costing a mere $340,000. British scientists plan to weigh the world's trees with a newly-launched satellite. A Newcastle company hopes to grow dinosaur hides in their lab. Urinals could soon be made a little less splashy. Google are trying to talk to dolphins. And Chocolate Digestives are 100 and we've apparently been eating them wrongly for a century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin says there's a new colour, "Olo", but you need a laser blasted into your eye to see it. Instead of flu jabs, you may soon be able to chew a gum made with Egyptian kidney beans. There's a new high-tech stethoscope monitor you can wear at home, a folding colour ebook reader, AI-powered gloves to help the near half million deaf-blind people in the UK, augmented carpentry, a motorised tape measure and a weapon to take down drones. Singapore scientists have found a way to get energy from rain. And in Beijing, robots competed in a half marathon, with varying results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin is desperate to buy the Kawasaki robot horse which can do everything a horse can but is powered by hydrogen. Sadly it's still only a beautifully-realised CGI concept. But there's a renewable energy motorbike with a roof covered with solar panels and a wind turbine. Or a WalkCar the size of a laptop. Or even an electric skateboard that goes at 45mph. Ford have patented a gear stick for electric cars, for drivers that miss them. There's an aircraft that can land itself, a weird-looking robot chess player, a trial postbox with a barcode reader to scan parcels, a Sardinian beach you'll need an app to visit and a tip on how to hear better in noisy rooms without spending a penny – though it ought to mean domino players can hear brilliantly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin is impressed by a Chinese car with predictive suspension that remains level going over bumps and can even travel on three wheels. China also launches pilotless air taxis. There's a personal VTOL and a zero-emission hydrogen-electric jet. The AI Therabot can lower depression by 51%. A top accounting firm is having to train its GenZ workers how to use telephones. AI can improve your prospects for internet dating. And the University of San Diego has developed a pneumatic 3D-printed six-legged soft-body robot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin discusses a hybrid STOL plane which is as quiet as a vacuum cleaner and only needs a 100m-long runway. Amazon's plan for UK drone deliveries might be kiboshed by the CAA insisting on one pilot for each drone. There's an example of just how realistic GPT is when you chat to it. Placebos are the most effective way of treating PMS. Running a marathon shrinks your brain. There's a bizarre crowdfunded watch. Farmers with unhappy crops are being offered a (possible) solution. And heavily-polluting concrete may be a thing of the past with the future use of seawater instead of sand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin delves into the world of tech. Virgin expects to have an eVTOL air taxi service in the UK relatively soon. In San Francisco, driverless cars got 600 parking tickets last year. AI apparently can't tell analogue time or interpret calendars. Gravity batteries could be used in the lift shafts of abandoned mines. The Chinese company BYD has developed batteries that can add 250 miles range in 5 minutes. Longbow is the first British electric sports car manufacturer, while Volkswagen has an entry-level eCar for just €20,000. And there are two intriguing ways of getting hydration while on the move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin marvels at the video of a flying car – because it is so poorly made, as if from Thunderbirds. There's a seaglider that appears to float rather than skim. The world's largest tyre maker – Lego – are to use recycled ropes, nets and oil. A new silicon chip apparently uses fused human brain cells to make it faster. AI therapists are showing signs of anxiety from hearing of traumatic events. Blind patients may be able to see but the process is rather squirm-inducing. There's a crowd-funded rugged phone. Spent nuclear fuel could actually power new reactors for decades. And the US navy has a new unmanned prototype warship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin points out that Apple Intelligence isn't always particularly bright. Indian call centre voices could soon be disguised "to build a more understanding world". Citibank's $81 trillion mistake. Paper batteries might replace lithium. Limitless thermal energy comes a step closer. HarmBlock could stop children seeing what they shouldn't on phones. Scientists trying to produce a woolly mammoth have created a woolly mouse. Humanoid robots working in pairs can now put away items they've never seen before. There's an impressive affordable new e-bike. And scientists have worked out how to grow teeth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin celebrates Photoshop coming to the iPhone, as well as Microsoft producing its first quantum computing chip, apparently powered by topological qubits. Amazon is launching Alexa+, creating your own trusted assistant. It costs but, bizarrely, more than Amazon Prime, which offers it free. If you're looking for a coffee stand or ice cream van, there's a new app to guide you. Huawai has a trifold phone. Tech trekking poles contain a folding tent. Over 1,000 artists have produced an album of silence to protest the Government's plans on AI & copyright. And walnuts could boost your brain, if you eat enough of them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin says that in 2 days, AI solved a problem that took Imperial College scientists 10 years. But it also caused a massive gaffe in a staggeringly expensive Super Bowl ad. He discusses new e-ink developments including outdoor posters, a tablet, a minimal phone and a gaming console. The BBC's Radiophonic Workshop output has been digitised. There's a high-tech bookmark. Italy is getting tough with fake TripAdvisor reviews which are damaging tourism. You should take your tablets with milk not water in future. And Gen Z is having problems hearing, but it's neurological and caused by noise-cancelling headphones say audiologists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the world of tech, Steve Caplin talks about the perfect way to cook a boiled egg and a giant barbecue that is controlled by your mobile. There's a touchscreen display for a bicycle, a camper van for an eBike and a one-bedroom flat that fits into a trailer and can be set up by one person in an hour with all – or at least most – mod cons. Glasses are to have hearing aids built into them to reduce discomfort, an ePaper frame will display your photos on the wall and you will soon be able to touch up your old videos and Super-8 movies and massively improve them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the 500th show, Steve Caplin takes a look back at some of the highlights of 10 years of Gadgets & Gizmos. He covers sprayable sleep, cows imitating zebras to ward off mosquitoes, crows collecting cigarette butts, NFTs, self-parking slippers, KFC chicken-tasting nail polish, the first human head transplant, the Skunklock noxious bike lock, Refrigerdating, the robot dog flamethrower, ant populated gin and how to make pain relief pills 10 times more effective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Share Radio's tech guru Steve Caplin discusses the Chinese AI DeepSeek, which he finds as good, if not better, than previous AI programs. Although it is heavily censored when it comes to China, Steve explains how you can get around it, even to read about "Tank Man". There's also an omnidirectional bike, a motorbike-cum-dirt-bike-cum-snowmobile, a watch with a mechanical snake, an expensive watch-winding gizmo and a fantastic-looking Dutch super sub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin on the latest tech. Digital driving licences are coming to the UK. BT's 60,000 car charger plan produced just one – and it's out of order. There are bird-watching binoculars with stabilisation. The YouTube video on the founding of Porsche looks amazingly expensive – but it was all done with AI. There's a crowdfunded long-throw projector for giant screens and a smaller projector which folds to fit in your pocket. Paul Schrader, writer of Taxi Driver, thinks AI's plotlines are better than humans can come up with. And Steve discusses a robot turtle for tracking marine animals and an underwater drone for treasure hunting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin tells the salutory tale of a woman conned out of a fortune by a fake Brad Pitt online before turning to a second batch of wacky gadgets on display at the Consumer Electronics Show. There's a solar beach umbrella and a (giant) solar hat with charging ports. A new AI robot is essentially just a lamp on a walking coffee table. A flying motorcycle might not work but a helicopter carried in a van appears to. The head of an AI app confesses he has no idea how his product works. The Power Mole will transmit wireless power through windows. And the Chinese Yangwang U9 hypercar will jump potholes or metal spikes - providing it is going fast enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In our tech show, Steve Caplin discusses some of the mistakes made by Apple's new AI and how Meta is getting rid of fact checkers. He reports on some of the devices on show at Las Vegas's annual CES. There's a TV to keep an eye on children and pets, a robot with an arm for picking up shoes and socks – slowly, a lamp that is also a projector, a toaster-like phone battery swapper, a giant monitor with a shoulder strap, a way to keep all your rechargeable batteries in order, an air purifier that doubles as a cat perch, and a tiny, cat-shaped robot for cooling your coffee. Only one of these tickles his fancy as a possible purchase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin kicks off the year by reminding us it is 40 years since the first mobile phone call: but do you remember the celebrity who made it? Motorised skis will get you up a mountain. Apple's AirTags could help you locate missing luggage. A Chinese spherical security robot put Steve in mind of The Prisoner. Chat robots add video but don't impress. You can play Xbox games on an Amazon Fire Stick. There's an electronic belt. And there's a roundup of some of the weirdest patent applications in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin looks back over the good, bad, ugly and bonkers of the tech world in 2024. He admired the AI scam-baiting granny, the rocket that eats itself, the underwater kite, butter made from air and the benefits of red wine and dark chocolate. He wasn't keen on Chinese spying air fryers, the flamethrowing robot dog, the airline computer that couldn't cope with a 101-year-old and AI cheating at Diplomacy. And he is still scratching his head at the bike lane sweeper that sits behind the bike and the billionaire who wants to launch a replica Titanic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin updates Simon Rose on the latest tech. Sadly, OpenAI video generator Sora won't be available in the UK. However, Google's GenCast could soon be predicting weather more accurately while its quantum chip can do in 5 minutes what the fastest computers would take 10 septillion years, threatening the safety of encryption. The VR DropTower will give gamers an enhanced experience, including turning them upside down. A podcast lists the top 100 tech achievements: can you guess the top 5? A bed rocker imitates the motion of a train. A new security robot resembles a football. There's a thermal imaging camera that will plug into a phone. The Tank Pad adds ruggedness for tablet users in difficult environments. And Mercedes have developed solar paint to add range to your EV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin gives Simon Rose a plethora of tech ideas for Christmas gifts, for others and for yourself. He finds some bizarre advent calendars. The top toy for kids appears to be a Fart Blaster. From the Chinese version of Amazon, Alibaba, he recommends heated gloves, a vacuum phone holder, a portable ceiling fan, sewing needles that thread themselves and a car charger with retractable cables. There's also a camera drone, an impressive iPhone case, rechargeable LED work lights, colour changing LED bulbs, magnetic tool holders and an avocado slicer. He was delighted with his game-playing SteamDeck and also recommends Bridge Command, where you can immerse yourself in a Star Trek-style experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the world of tech, Steve Caplin looks at powered legs like "the electric bike but for walking". There's a 37mph electric surfboard while scientists have discovered patterns that make sharks less interested in surfers. The mosquito parasite that causes malaia has been genetically modified into a vaccine. The principle of octopus suckers is to be used to help retain dentures. The world's thinnest spaghetti, thinner than hair, can make bandages. High speed internet apparently makes us fat. Pigeon droppings trapped German drivers in an underground car park until 3am. And Korean scientists think ships could dock with suckers instead of rope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin discusses the latest tech with Simon Rose. LG improve their bendable LED screens so they can now stretch too. Scientists improve the chances of sterilising mosquitoes. Glasses for the deaf will project text onto the lenses. AI headphones can make it easier to hear in restaurants. Virgin & O2 have invented an AI granny to waste scam callers' time. Dyson have filed a patent for a robo-dog to vacuum, mow, water plants & mop. There's an eScooter which is solar powered and a hand pump to desalinate water. There's also a spurious tech limerick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Warners are making driveable Batmobiles, says Steve Caplin, though they aren't street legal. In California, there's a beautifully-designed solar-powered car. A picture painted by a robot has just sold at auction for over $1m. A Mattel doll from the Wicked movie had an unfortunate mistake on the packaging. A student has invented a repairable kettle. There's a crowdfunded thermal-imaging dashcam available now. A new retro eBike comes with a sidecar. And in Kenya, they're using drones to keep track of zebras, using their stripes as barcodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Caplin dives into the world of gadgets. Rolls-Royce have produced a one-off car to celebrate 60 years of Goldfinger. An Australian app can detect if milk is off, while mathematicians there have proved that monkeys couldn't write the works of Shakespeare. The biggest Dutch publisher is using AI to translate books into English. The UK now has the 49th worst mobile internet speed, behind Azerbaijan and Kosovo. If you're caught short, there's now an inflatable toilet. And Steve explains why your air fryer might be spying for China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices