Notes

Tech Tent: Future Farmers, Minecraft And Doom

Tech Tent Future farmers, Minecraft and Doom Rory Cellan-Jones Technology correspondent @BBCRoryCJon Twitter



22 January 2016



Every Friday we go through the latest technology news on Tech Tent on the BBC World Service. Here's what this week looks like.



Big Data on the Farm



It is the oldest industry in the world, but it is also one that you might not consider to be the most forward-looking. However, farming is experiencing a revolutionary shift in data-driven technology. From drones giving aerial surveys of crops to combine harvesters that precisely measure the amount of output per square metre, to sensors that provide minute-by minute updates on the health of animals, farmers are handling an ever growing flood of data. A farmer of chickens will discuss his experiences with this new way of working. Rob Carter, co-founder of Field Margin, will be our special guest. Field Margin is a smartphone app that assists farmers manage their data. In addition our colleagues from BBC Radio 4's Farming Today have been covering farming and technology throughout the week and have special reports on Saturday's On Your Farm.



Minecraft in the classroom



We've not heard much about Microsoft's plans for Minecraft since it was acquired by Microsoft. However, this week, the software giant has announced a major expansion into education, launching an educational version of the game. Our Jane Wakefield went along to BETT the UK's biggest educational technology event to speak to Microsoft about the plans that allows children to learn through Minecraft in school and continue playing at home. To log in to the education edition, schools will need an Office 365 account. We'll be asking if this is part Microsoft's strategy to compete with Google as the most popular software provider in the classroom.



Lessons learned from the experience of Kickstarter



When the Zano mini-drone project crashed to earth last November, Kickstarter came in for lots of criticism from the backers who lost. So the crowdfunding platform commissioned an investigative reporter to discover what went wrong. Mark Harris' 13,000-word report was released this week. It's an excruciating account on how to run a technology business and a cautionary tale for anyone who isn't aware that crowdfunding isn't the same as purchasing products from Amazon. We talk to Mark Harris on the program about the place he believes crowdfunding is a way of getting tech ideas off the ground.



Doom moves up a level



Twenty-three years after the legendary game Doom was released, it still has an active group of players and they have something to celebrate this week. The first new level since the mid-1990s was released by one of the original developers John Romero. He spoke to Zoe Kleinman, our reporter. He admitted that he was anxious about the reaction of the community but the majority of players have been positive.



Tune in to the BBC World Service at 15:00 GMT for all that and more . You can also catch the show later.
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