Erstellt am: 7. 1. 2015 - 15:19 Uhr

Time to get off your KITT... and meet Jack!

Reality Check: The self-driving car at the CES, suicide attack in Istanbul, Lebanon restricts Syrian refugees, 20 years of Austria in the EU

What was the hot news 20 years ago? Well, FM4 came into existence for a start, and Austria joined the European Union (more on that later). It's up to you which event you consider to be more significant and/or exciting.

20 years ago, mobile phones were heavy, unreliable, and usually incomprehensible for both the caller and the called. A small, touch sensitive voice communication device was still the stuff of Star Trek. Putting the clunky systems used by Captain Kirk aside, today, even much of the 90s conceived technology used by Star Trek: The Next Generation's Captain Picard looks mundane, or even downright primitive.

That gives you a sort of Reality Check in itself; a moment when you see that the line between fact and fiction is often a matter of time rather than truth. Sometimes, fiction is just fact that hasn't happened yet, and sometimes fact overtakes fiction.

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KITT was the fiction version...

However, before we contemplate the deplorable lack of smart phones and Google Glass on the USS Enterprise, let's take a little road trip. If you ever indulge in daytime television, you almost certainly know the now classic American TV show "Knight Rider", featuring the amazing KITT self-driving car.

Once again, fact has superseded fiction, and a self-driving car called "Jack" has been wending its way from San Francisco to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show. Admittedly, it isn't quite as flashy on the outside as KITT (but decidedly classier), nor does it carry torpedoes or other weapons, but it does drive itself - and for the human reserve pilot, it's apparently a rather boring experience.

EPA/BRITTA PEDERSEN

... and "Jack" - a self-driving Audi 7 is the fact

Of course, self-driving cars won't take over the world overnight. There are plenty of problems to overcome, according to our CES correspondent, Daniel Sokolov, not least being pesky, interfering humans and a lack of speeding ticket revenue for local authorities, so it will be a slow process.

However, sat-nav, parking assistance programmes, and alarms to tell you when you are too close to the car in front are already becoming commonplace - so I'm pretty sure that's KITT I can feel breathing down my neck.

Also on the programme:

Lebanon restricts Syrian refugees

Lebanon is imposing restrictions on refugees from Syria, causing concern among humanitarian agencies and the UNHCR. Ariane Rummery of the UNHCR explains the new regulations and the effects they will have.

Turkey suicide attack

A woman suicide bomber has attacked a police station in a popular tourist area of Istanbul. Our correspondent, Dorian Jones, discusses the incident and suspicions that it was connected with a banned Marxist group.

20 years of Austria in the EU

Austria has now been in the EU for two decades. Chris Cummins reports on how the political and social landscape has changed.

FM4 Reality Check

Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.00, and after the show via Podcast or fm4.orf.at/realitycheck.