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Stocks may rise and fall, businesses may boom and bust, but gadgets keep appearing at an ever-increasing rate. Share Radio’s Gadgets & Gizmos show explores the latest technological innovations, from the indispensable to the downright ridiculous. Show host Simon Rose and technology editor Steve Caplin take a weekly humorous look at what’s on offer, featuring both existing products and those whose inventors utilise crowdfunding platforms to make them a reality. Through its 300-plus shows, Gadgets & Gizmos has delved into the world of wifi, Bluetooth and exploding lithium batteries, reviewing gadgets of interest and ridiculing those that should never have got off the drawing board. Where some financial journalists tell you how to make your money grow, Gadgets & Gizmos tells you how to spend it – and when not to.
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222 Episodes
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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