The Big Tech Show

Women in Tech is a four-part series presented by Samantha McCaughren, Business Editor of the Sunday Independent.Samantha speaks to Irish women involved in tech who are dispelling myths and breaking down barriers.On this week's episode, she meets Iseult Ward, co-founder of Foodcloud, the food waste distribution platform, that in just seven years has already distributed 22,000 tonnes of food, moving meals every 28 minutes and helping over 9,100 charitable groups in Ireland and UK.Samantha spoke to Iseult about the original idea, getting it off the ground, scaling in Ireland and internationally, as well as the growing issue of food poverty and waste.For more from the series go to:www.independent.ie/podcasts/women-in-tech/The Women in Tech podcast series is in association with 100% Electric Nissan Leaf.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hailo was a roaring success. Then, two years ago, it became MyTaxi. Since that happened, the company has had its struggles. Now, it’s rebranding yet again in a €3m move – to ‘Free Now’.Adrian Weckler has a candid chat with the company’s general manager, Alan Fox, about why the name change was necessary and whether technology can improve some of the issues the firm has faced.They also talk about future ideas, such as ‘surge pricing’ at busy times, as well as current features, such as a new €5 cancellation charge.And Adrian asks whether it’s a good or bad thing that regulations prevent companies like Uber and Lyft from operating similar services to many other European and US cities.‘Free Now’ is the largest taxi company operating in Ireland with 12,000 drivers, 540,000 “regular” customers and 4.5m passengers carried in the first three months of this year.It is also part of a wider taxi transportation group across Europe, ultimately owned by the German automotive giant Daimler.And it is starting to introduce new services such as shared taxi trips between multiple passengers via its new MyTaxi Match app feature. In future, it hopes to add a fleet of electric scooters around Dublin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women in Tech is a four-part series presented by Samantha McCaughren, Business Editor of the Sunday Independent.Samantha speaks to Irish women involved in tech who are dispelling myths and breaking down barriers.On this week's episode, she meets Ingrid Devin, Director of Dell's Women's Entrepreneur Network which creates a forum for global women founders and CEOs to share best practices, build business opportunities, explore international expansion and access new resources.Samantha spoke to Ingrid about the network and the lack of women investors in general as well as her own career in the tech world.For more from the series go to:https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/women-in-tech/The Women in Tech podcast series is in association with 100% Electric Nissan Leaf.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women in Tech is a four-part series presented by Samantha McCaughren, Business Editor of the Sunday Independent.Samantha speaks to Irish women involved in tech who are dispelling myths and breaking down barriers.On this week's episode, she meets Vanessa Tierney, founder and CEO of Abodoo, the remote working platform that is seeking to empower and enable more remote working for people in Ireland and abroad.Samantha finds out how an illness forced Vanessa into thinking about remote working, how she runs her digital platform from County Wexford, and why more Irish companies need to consider remote working as an option for their employees.For more from the series go to:https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/women-in-tech/The Women in Tech podcast series is in association with 100% Electric Nissan Leaf.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is AIB considering facial recognition for when you walk into a branch?Adrian sits down for a wide-ranging chat with the CIO of Ireland’s biggest bank about its imminent plans.Tim Hynes also assesses the risk from ‘challenger’ banks such as Revolut, while asserting that AIB’s 200 physical branches still “wash their face”, even in an era where so many payments are going cashless.And the two talk in depth about security challenges that banks – and many major companies—face.Tim was also in studio to discuss AIB’s sponsorship of ‘Techies for Temple Street’ the annual event that raises thousands for Temple Street Childrens’ Hospital.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian’s guest is Fianna Fail’s spokesman for science, technology and research, Kildare North TD James Lawless.In a wide-ranging discussion, Adrian challenges James over Irish politicians’ apparent disconnection from tech issues which, at times, veers into illiteracy.From demanding passports for Facebook access to dithering over broadband rollouts, Adrian goes over some of the reasons why Irish politicians are often held in low esteem by the public on tech issues.Adrian and James also discuss ways of improving some issues, such as scientific research and cyber security.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women in Tech is a new four-part series presented by Samantha McCaughren, Business Editor of the Sunday Independent.In the series, Samantha speaks to Irish women involved in tech who are dispelling myths and breaking down barriers.On this first episode, Samantha is joined by Regina Moran, Enterprise Director with Vodafone Ireland, who, as an engineer by background, has always been involved in the STEM areas and is well-versed in breaking the mould from her early days.Regina talks about her own career and degree in engineering despite not having honours maths, plus the importance and need to introduce girls to STEM subjects before the age of 12.Regina is a chartered fellow of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland, served on the council and executive and as president from 2014 to 2015, during which time she promoted STEM and the role of women in engineering. She has received a fellowship of Irish Academy of Engineering, is also a member of the Government-industry led Smart Futures Advisory Board and is a former non-executive director of EirGrid.For more from the series go to:https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/women-in-tech/The Women in Tech podcast series is in association with 100% Electric Nissan Leaf.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adrian spent a week in China getting a look under the hood of Huawei, the world’s most controversial tech company.He discusses his experience here with two INM acolytes, Sunday Independent deputy business editor Fearghal O’Connor and Sunday Independent business correspondent Michael Cogley. He recounts how:- He ended up singing with a band in a Chinese bar only to discover the guitarist was a senior Huawei executive (who then unexpectedly agreed to a revealing interview)- He coped with being behind the great firewall of China, with no access to Google, Facebook, Twitter or any or their associated services (and how the virtual private network he paid for simply didn’t work)- He navigated the astonishing scale of Shenzhen, a giant Chinese city that was designed after local politicians visited Shannon in Co Clare in 1980, and which now has 20m people (unlike Shannon in Co Clare)Adrian, Fearghal and Michael also discuss the wider implications of the Huawei controversy for global security, multilateralism and our choice of mobile phone in the future.The Big Tech podcast in proud association with Magnet Networks, connecting businesses virtually, anywhere in Ireland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Adrian is joined by Independent News & Media (INM) head of product (and business columnist) Steve Dempsey and INM chief commercial development officer Mark Coan. The subject matter is the current and future prospects of the Irish media. 2019 has so far seen multiple Irish media companies announce layoffs. What does the future hold? Can paywall subscriptions turn traditional titles’ fortunes around? What other models are working at present? Or are there simply too many titles and publishers for the market to sustain at present?The Big Tech podcast in proud association with Magnet Networks, connecting businesses virtually, anywhere in Ireland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian is joined by data privacy expert Daragh O’Brien and child protection campaigner Alex Cooney of CyberSafeIreland.The three discuss the reappointment of Helen Dixon as Ireland’s data protection commissioner to a second five-year term.They also look at why, a year after the digital age of consent was raised from 13 to 16, it is no harder for children to access social media services and whether the UK’s upcoming age-verified online pornography system can teach us any lessons here.Finally, the three touch on the issue of e-voting and whether it may be time for Ireland to think again about what was a disastrous introduction of the technology here 15 years ago.The Big Tech podcast in proud association with Magnet Networks, connecting businesses virtually, anywhere in IrelandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zander Lurie is the boss of the world’s biggest online survey company.The Nasdaq-listed firm has over 17m users and is expanding all over the world.Lurie reflects on the process by which he became SurveyMonkey CEO after the tragic passing in 2015 of his friend Dave Goldberg, husband of Sheryl Sandberg and former chief executive of SurveyMonkey. “The hairs still stand on the back of my neck, thinking about Dave,” he says.He also talks about the expectations on a modern tech CEO to take positions on controversial issues in the news, including immigration or President Trump.And he chats in detail about a number of other things, from the perception that Big Tech now has it all wrapped up to Dublin’s appeal for Silicon Valley.The Big Tech podcast in proud association with Magnet Networks, connecting businesses virtually, anywhere in IrelandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian sits down with Richard Bruton, the government Communications minister at the centre of the state’s €5bn plan to run subsidised fibre broadband to every one of 540,000 rural homes and businesses in the country.He establishes for the first time that the value of the finished rural broadband network will only be a fraction of the €3bn the state is subsidising.Diving deep into some of the issues around the controversial rollout, Adrian asks Minister Bruton some other key questions about the current state of the broadband tender, including:1. SUBSIDIES – did the government’s subsidy rise when Eir pulled out of the National Broadband Plan tender competition, leaving only one bidder?2. WHAT THE NETWORK IS WORTH TO THE BIDDER – how much does the government value the completed broadband network and is it giving this asset away too cheaply to a private company, Granahan McCourt?3. PROFITABILITY – how much is the bidder ‘allowed’ to make under the agreed broadband operation?4. FAILSAFES – what does the bidder have to fail at for the state to legally claim the network back?5. FINANCE – how much responsibility does the state take in checking up on how the bidding company is financed, including the source of that finance?6. SECRECY – why can’t more detail on non-sensitive issues, such as the rate of return the bidder is allowed to make, be disclosed?7. TAXPAYER VALUE – what was the difference, if any, between the bids of Eir and Granahan McCourt?And much more. For anyone with an interest in Ireland’s biggest ever communications contract, this is required listening.The Big Tech podcast in proud association with Magnet Networks, connecting businesses virtually, anywhere in IrelandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While attention rests on the National Broadband Plan, eir still holds the keys to many of Ireland’s biggest telecoms problems.This week, Adrian sits down with company chief executive Carolan Lennon to ask some of the key questions.On the National Broadband Plan, Adrian asks whether Lennon whether knowing that eir would collect close to €1bn from rental of its poles to the National Broadband Plan was a factor in the company withdrawing from the tender to oversee responsibility for the whole project. Lennon responds in detail about why eir pulled out.Adrian also asks whether, with €400m of new debt being taken on by eir, the company is again being sucked into a pattern of getting overstretched and over-leveraged.Other topics are discussed at length. For instance, eir has also promised 99pc geographic mobile 4G coverage of the country. Is this really possible without tens of thousands of new masts?Does Lennon believe that there’s room in the Irish market for three fully-fledged mobile operators?Are the days of the landline and home phones numbered? In an era of WhatsApp and Skype, is there a long term future for traditional mobile phone numbers?The two also discuss potential uses for 5G and the long term future for telecoms companies. And Lennon says that she believes the copper network that eir owns is on the way out.Lennon even reacts to a suggestion from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last week that the government recently considered renationalising eir.The Big Tech podcast in proud association with Magnet Networks, connecting businesses virtually, anywhere in IrelandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the National Broadband Plan a visionary thing for Ireland? Or is it a grand folly?This week, Adrian talks exclusively to Peter Hendrick, the chief executive of the sole remaining bidder for the €3bn state-subsidised contract.The two talk about rollout timetables, cost and technology.Adrian asks why the last 20pc is being done with fibre and not wireless which, in the short term, might provide a cheaper solution.He also asks whether National Broadband Ireland, the new entity which will build and maintain the network, has resolved its differences with Eir and why it will cost €1bn to rent Eir’s infrastructure over the coming years.For anyone interested in the detail of the National Broadband Plan debate, this is worth listening to.The Big Tech podcast in proud association with Magnet Networks, connecting businesses virtually, anywhere in Ireland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we look at war stories from one of the fastest-growing online scams around – email fraud.Whether it’s invoice redirection fraud or CEO fraud, the phenomenon of faking corporate emails to siphon off thousands from a business is rampant in Ireland.Adrian Weckler looks through some of the reported incidences of this happening, including to Dublin Zoo, Trinity College and the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board.He is joined in studio by one of Ireland’s most senior experts on fraud, Conor Flynn of ISAS. Together, they dig down into the mechanics of how the scam takes root, from the first breach to the ultimate withdrawal.They also look at the role of ‘money mules’, often in the guise of third level students who ‘rent’ their bank accounts to the fraudsters, and what might happen to them.Finally, the two discuss ways that companies can protect against it.The Big Tech show is in association with Magnet Networks, connecting businesses virtually, anywhere in Ireland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a lot of nonsense spoken about how rural broadband can be delivered.This week, Adrian Weckler and Irish Independent business editor Donal O’Donovan go through some of the myths and tropes around the process.They ask whether wireless or 5G might be an alternative. They also look at the cost of the rollout and whether the government can be trusted or not. And then they discuss the basic questions underpinning the whole process: is rural broadband to every home important? If so, is a state subsidy justifiable? And if that’s agreed, should it be high speed infrastructure or a patch-up job?Also: Adrian gives a very brief, spoiler-free review of ‘Avengers Endgame’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do people really care if Facebook does unwarranted things with our personal data? Are we, in the press, simply overestimating how much it bothers people? The latest privacy breach involves the company saying it 'mistakenly' uploaded the private email contacts of 1.5m people. It has also admitted that millions, not thousands, of Instagram passwords were stored in plain language. But it's all being greeted by a big 'meh' from the public. Other than a few campaigning media outlets and privacy activists, thi+e latest revelations appear to barely bother anyone.Have we just become numb to a neverending stream of Facebook privacy screwups? Or does the company's unmoved account membership figures suggest that people see the breaches but conclude that it's a price worth paying for the utility they get out of it? In this week's podcast, Adrian and Castlebridge privacy expert Daragh O'Brien debate whether Facebook's privacy issues are regarded with disquiet anymore. They also look at the Irish data protection commissioner's recent guidance to schools, where the watchdog said bishops and principals who tell parents that they can't take photos at school events simply "because of GDPR" are wrong. And they consider the wider legal and ethical implications of when taking photos is and isn't okay.Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZXvz7II5SHeDjDpGvTugjSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So now we know: Amazon is listening to our conversations. Some of its staff are told to listen in to what we tell the Amazon Echo to do.The company has been very secretive about this. But after a Bloomberg story delved into it, the company admitted that it listens to a small percentage of voice recordings to help its artificial intelligence figure out things like accents better.But that’s not all the workers hear. Some say that they have picked up disturbing things, like assaults. But they’re told not to do anything about it.There are a whole host of issues that crop up around this.Is it okay for Amazon staff to physically listen to our voice commands, even if it’s just for quality control?Do we believe them that it’s just for quality control?And a longer term, thornier issue arises -- what responsibility, if any, does a platform have if it detects something like a sexual assault?Joining Adrian to discuss this in depth is Patricia Scanlon, the founder and chief executive of Soapbox Labs, which specialises in childrens’ speech technology and artificial intelligence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we split the podcast into two segments: an interview with GoFundMe chief executive Rob Solomon and an audience with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on his visit to Dublin.While the 34-year-old billionaire was careful in his engagement with Irish journalists during the week, he did agree to talk for a few minutes. Adrian heard what Mark Zuckerberg is thinking on the issues of using Facebook as a tool for election interference, privacy in Europe, harmful content and why Facebook wants to start pushing for the transfer of data from one app to another as a right.GoFundMe’s Rob Solomon explained to Adrian why Ireland is the highest per-capital user base of his fundraising platform’s services. He also talked Adrian through the ways that GoFundMe guards against scam fundraising attempts and gave examples of how the platform disallows misinformation drives, such as recent attempts to raise money for anti-vaccination programmes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple’s big screen adventure (on a little screen)Why is Apple launching a TV and movie service? And will it be any good?This week, Adrian and Daragh O’Brien of Castlebridge wonder whether Apple can make it in Hollywood against the likes of Netflix, Disney and HBO.They also ask what the future is for old-fashioned linear TV broadcasters like RTE and BBC — will they essentially become the channels of sport, news and talent shows?And the two look at another prominent issue in Ireland this week: broadband. Specifically, will the government’s National Broadband Plan be rolled out? Should it be? How important is broadband, anyway?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s €1.5bn EU fine against Google for shutting rivals out of its online ad system begs the question: is Google too big? Should it be broken up? And if so, what about Facebook and Amazon?In the US, this is exactly what Democratic US presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is proposing. But is it feasible? And what would it mean in terms of services?To discuss the practical and legal considerations around this, Adrian is joined by Philip Andrews, the head of the EU & Competition Law Group at McCann FitzGerald and by Donal O’Donovan, business editor of the Irish Independent.The panel looks at how much of our lives are spent using Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon and whether there’s any hope for new entrants to the market. They also wonder whether Europe’s muscular regulatory approach toward the big tech firms is sufficient or whether more radical anti-trust remedies are needed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the roles for 5G is to connect self-driving cars. But before that happens, this generation of cars is currently being linked up to 4G networks for safety, upgrade and entertainment purposes.This week, Adrian talks to Barry Napier whose Cubic Telecom is one of Europe’s main providers of mobile connectivity to cars and other everyday things we use.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So Mark Zuckerberg wants Facebook to be a ‘privacy first’ company. Totally expected, right?This week, Adrian and Castlebridge founder Daragh O’Brien dig down into Mark Zuckerberg‘s new corporate mission to see whether it holds water.They discuss the chances — or not — of Facebook being allowed by Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner to make messages from Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger ‘interoperable’, as Zuckerberg sets out.And they look at what Ireland’s new Online Safety Commissioner will be expected to do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's it like being Facebook's policeman?This week, Adrian sits down for an in-depth chat with Helen Dixon, Europe's most powerful data protection commissioner.They talk about Facebook, her approach and what exactly it takes for her office to kick off a probe.Helen has some surprising revelations, such as her office's recent look at whether Facebook is secretly recording us through our phones (and what they found).Adrian also asks Helen whether GDPR is causing endless pop-ups on websites that get ignored and if it has helped the big tech firms while hurting small players and startups.And theres lots more, from CCTV to what the office is planning in the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adrian sits down with a German artificial intelligence expert to talk about why Europe isn’t doing AI right.In particular, Dr Stefan Heumann argues that member states and the European Union need to start taking AI seriously as a concerted effort if Europe is to compete with China and the US.Dr Heumann is a member of the management board of Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (SNV), a non-profit think tank working at the intersection of technology and public policy in Germany.Adrian spoke to him at the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a very big week of broadband announcements in Ireland, Adrian sits down with the person promising the most radical plan.Imagine boss Sean Bolger says that his wireless broadband company will build a new national network to connect over 1m homes, including 400,000 of the 540,000 rural homes currently earmarked under the National Broadband Plan.This, he says, will be done by building hundreds of sites (such as masts) around the country, which will deliver the service to antennae on rural homes.But is this just another promise from a telecoms company? When will the rural homes he’s planning on connecting see the service?And does this mean he intends to scupper or challenge the state-subsidised scheme, which would use taxpayers’ money to do an enhanced fibre-based version of the same thing?Bolger has decades of experience in the Irish telecoms market. His was the company behind the WiMax wireless service that rose and fell some years ago.But rural Ireland may be his biggest challenge yet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You started a company. You sold it for over €60m. Now you’re going back to start something new from scratch.The question is: why? Why get back into the trenches and try to prove yourself all over again?“It's the struggle, the fight. It's pulling together the most talented people to do their respective jobs and having that team become greater than the sum of their parts.”That’s Alan Coleman, the Dubliner who sold homegrown telecoms billing company Britebill for a fortune in 2016. He’s back with a new startup, Sweepr, and he’s aiming higher.He’s this week’s podcast guest on ‘The Big Tech Show’.One of the questions Adrian asks is what gets a startup entrepreneur really motivated.“Once I have an idea in my mind that this is inevitably going to be the way in which the world works, I then think, ‘why couldn't I do that? Why shouldn't it be me that starts the path to that inevitable outcome?’ I'm an extreme optimist.”Adrian and Alan also talk about privacy, the Ring doorbell and what’s coming next in tech.“There’s an enjoyment out of taking something that is literally a fleeting thought and building it up into a working company,” says Coleman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, a double-header: one of Ireland’s best known venture capitalists talks money, while a tutor for beginners discusses what we need to know.Adrian catches up with entrepreneur and Draper Esprit financier Brian Caulfield to talk about the state of things for funding and company-building in Ireland today.Then he meets Aisling Mackey, Ireland’s ‘computer tutor’ to talk about some of the skills that we should brush up on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How relevant are colleges? This week, Adrian sits down with the president of Dublin City University, Prof Brian MacCraith, to talk what universities do well and what they struggling with.Adrian asks Prof MacCraith why Irish universities keep slipping down the international ratings. He also asks about the possible introduction of a student loan system or higher fees for richer students, two things long recommended to keep Irish universities afloat but which no political party here will accept.The two also discuss whether online learning services such as Galway-based Alison.com or US-based Udacity and Coursera are chipping away at the basic rationale for having physical universities in the first place.Prof MacCraith also denies that there is a ‘snob factor’ with regard to Irish kids choosing a ‘northside university’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Podcast host Adrian Weckler has been writing columns saying that web shopping — and Amazon in particular — is seriously altering the fortunes of offline retailers and the future of the ‘high street’.But the head of one of Ireland’s biggest retail chains, Harvey Norman’s Blaine Callard, thinks this is baloney.This week, Adrian invites Blaine on to tell him why.Blaine tells him that empty spaces in high streets and run down shopping centres are a misreading of the data and have more to do with parking charges, bad zoning and plain bad retailing than Amazon.He also reserves delivers harsh verdicts on retailers such as Clerys and Sears.Adrian remains unconvinced, but gives Blaine a good run at why he thinks the media are running with a false narrative.The two recorded the podcast in Harvey Norman’s newest flagship outlet, the 58,000 square foot store in Tallaght.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the wake of a Huawei executive arrested for spying in the EU, do western countries face a threat to their national security from Chinese telecom and tech companies? Or is the current controversy over who builds 5G networks being infused with scaremongering and paranoia by US politicians and commentators?Adrian sits down with Declan Ganley, the long-time Irish telecoms executive who claims that China has a military-industrial ethos which threatens western security. Adrian puts it to Declan that there is little evidence so far linking telecoms rollout that involve Chinese infrastructure firms with spying or other nation state activities. But Declan isn’t convinced, arguing that there is a greater national ‘mission’ in China that cannot be ignored.The two also debate how 5G licences should be rolled in future, with Declan arguing that the current system is broken.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s arguably the most talked-about tech question of our time – is Facebook listening to your physical conversations to serve you ads? An increasing number of people are convinced that this is the case. To take a technical and ethical dive into the issue, Adrian is joined by three people who are deeply knowledgeable about the science, marketing and cultural tech behind what it would all entail. Facebook ad expert Damien Mulley doesn’t believe it’s happening and explains why. Dr Patricia Scanlon, founder of voice AI specialist firm Soapbox Labs, is sceptical but thinks it might be possible under certain circumstances. And culture journalist Roisin Kiberd takes a step back to consider its place in our wider relationship with tech.If you like informed, in-depth commentary on a big tech issue of the day, this is worth your time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the demise of Facebook among younger people to the death of DSLR cameras and Amazon’s destruction of high street retail, Adrian looks at what to expect in the year ahead.He’s joined by Patrick Walsh, founder of the coworking space, Dogpatch Labs in Dublin. Along the way, they also discuss why people are turning off traditional offices and whether alternatives, such as Ludgate and Republic Of Work in Cork, Portershed in Galway and HQ in Tralee will mop up the business of hosting growing tech firms.This is the 52nd Big Tech Show podcast of 2018 – a big thank you to all our listeners for tuning in over the year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is audio a missed opportunity for newspapers? A bold young Irish startup, NOA, has struck deals with publishers such as Bloomberg, the New York Times and the FT to create a new audio news service from those publications’ daily news stories.The idea, according to NOA’s Gareth Hickey and Shane Ennis, is to create a ‘Spotify for News’. Adrian chats about the idea and wonders about what kind of audio delivery might work best. Inevitably, he slips into a few impressions of well-known radio and advertising people he thinks might do it well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phones, smartwatches, hifi, tablets, laptops – Adrian goes through some of the best tech to get over Christmas and recaps on what has impressed during the year.He’s joined by up-and-coming creative Jake McCabe, a hifi and video expert who dabbles in all things tech.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All the statistics show that when it comes to VC cash, men get almost all of it. In fact, they snag way more than the percentage of startups they solely found.In conversation with two Irish VC investors and a startup COO, Adrian wonders if it’s partly down to male founders simply being less shy about making grandiose, bold statements about their firms. And what should investors actually do about it? Is positive discrimination desireable? Or should it be a slow evolution?Giving expert analysis on the funding climate, as well as life around Irish startups, are this week’s guests: Edel Coen (investment executive with Draper Esprit, a pan-European venture capital firm), Isabelle O’Keeffe (principal at Suir Valley Ventures) and Austin Spivey (chief operating officer of Wia Technologies).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the original dot com boom, all you needed was an idea and you were showered with millions in funding. But is the same now happening with cryptocurrency and blockchain?This week, Adrian meets David Wachsman, the founder of the world’s largest Blockchain focused PR agency. It has chosen Dublin as its headquarters to serve Europe.Adrian asks whether crypto is a bandwagon that people are jumping on. The two talk about possible use cases versus actual examples of blockchain in action now.David also deals with the question of why so many fringe industry players have been catapulted into a starring role just because they are now involved in the crypto industry.And Adrian talks about examples of ethical breaches in journalism within crypto-oriented media organisations, specifically the issue of articles for cash.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian throws off the shackles in a free-ranging conversation with the Irish Independent’s environment editor, Paul Melia. The two discuss the current state of big tech companies, why electric cars are a tough sell at present and the credibility gap that cryptocurrency evangelists sometimes suffer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the tech company you build becomes wildly successful? Do you change?At the Web Summit, Adrian sat down with the Des Treanor, co-founder of Intercom, the €1bn software firm. They talked about dealing with success, company culture, artificial intelligence and where Intercom goes from here.The Big Tech Show is brought to you this week by PwC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adrian returns to Dublin following Apple’s MacBook Air and iPad Pro launch. Joined by Sunday Independent business correspondent Michael Cogley and INM head of product Steve Dempsey, he goes through the most important features of what was announced and asks whether pro tablets can be a long term replacement for current laptops.Irish Independent business editor Donal O’Donovan joins the discussion to figure out whether the Web Summit, which kicks off in Lisbon on Tuesday, matters to Irish business. Is the event too closely tied with founder Paddy Cosgrave? And does Cosgrave’s foray into political topics help or hinder the conference?There’s also a look at the politics and ethics around the mass walkout at Google during the week, followed by a dissection of what may be holding up the National Broadband Plan.This week’s episode is brought to you in conjunction with PwC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Little is one of Ireland’s most recognisable media technology figures. From being an anchorman on RTE television to founding Storyful to becoming boss of Twitter in Ireland, he has seen the business from all angles.Now he’s back with a new venture that aims to reinvent app-based news. Together with former journalist and Facebook executive Aine Kerr and ex-Storyful collaborator Paul Watson, Little has launched ‘Kinzen’.Adrian sits down to talk to Little, Kerr and Watson about the problem they’re trying to solve and what lies ahead for the news business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When do comedy and technology mix? Why is social media so much to the fore in critical analysis of current events? This week, Adrian chats to a contemporary master, David Schneider, about the role of comedy and social media in our daily lives. Schneider is one of the writers and actors on seminal British comedy series such as 'The Day Today' and 'I’m Alan Partridge’.Adrian also catches up with Lory Kehoe, the Irish boss of the blockchain specialist company, Consensys. They discuss some of the applications for blockchain in business today and whether it cold have a role in creating new economic models for the media industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a week that saw the resignation of the Minister responsible for the National Broadband Plan, Adrian asks some blunt questions about whether the whole rural rollout plan is going to be delayed and, if so, for what reasons. Adrian is joined in analysing the whole sorry saga by the Irish Independent’s political correspondent, Laura Larkin and the Sunday Independent’s business correspondent, Michael Cogley.Adrian also catches up with Oisin Hanrahan, the Dublin tech entrepreneur who raised almost €100m for the US online service firm Handy Technologies, after the company was sold to Nasdaq-listed Angi Homeservices.And Adrian gets a hands-on look at the latest range of updated Amazon gadgets, from the Echo speakers to the new Echo Input, as they prepare to launch into the Irish market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you ask for money for your startup?That’s the question that Adrian put to Peter O’Malley, the co-founder of a new startup that has raised €1m from a variety of ‘business angels’ that include Paddy Cosgrave, CPL boss Anne Heraty and former Paddy Power chief Breon Corcoran.Is there a difference between approaching ‘friends and family’ and business contacts? What sort of plan do you need to have in place?Peter talks about his own experience and how he and co-founder Galen Lowney realised that there was space in the market for their startup, Advisable.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you ask for money for your startup?That’s the question that Adrian put to Peter O’Malley, the co-founder of a new startup that has raised €1m from a variety of ‘business angels’ that include Paddy Cosgrave, CPL boss Anne Heraty and former Paddy Power chief Breon Corcoran.Is there a difference between approaching ‘friends and family’ and business contacts? What sort of plan do you need to have in place?Peter talks about his own experience and how he and co-founder Galen Lowney realised that there was space in the market for their startup, Advisable.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian talks tech and politics with Tommy Collison, an Irish transplant to Seattle. Tommy brings us up to date on where tech and politics intersect in Silicon Valley.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With almost two weeks of rigorous testing under his belt, Adrian Weckler assesses the iPhone Xs and Xs Max . Is the screen on the Xs Max too big? Has battery life improved? Is the Xs now the best cameraphone, or is Huawei’s P20 Pro still in top spot? And can that big, big price be justified, or is it worth waiting for next month’s iPhone Xr?Adrian also meets Jamie White, the young Dublin entrepreneur who set up Start Summit and Leading Social, a marketing agency specialising in social media strategies for big companies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian reports from Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California where he was on hand to test out the newly-launched iPhone Xs Max, Xs and Xr phones.The big talking points are around that new 6.5-inch screen, a whopper by Apple’s standards.But the other surprise feature came in the shape of the new Apple Watch Series 4’s ECG sensor and ‘fall detection’ feature.Separately, Adrian talks to the futurist Lucie Greene about how the big tech companies are likely to affect our lives in coming years.Greene is the author of 'Silicon States: The Power and Politics of Big Tech and What It Means for Our Future'.Greene gives a glimpse of a dystopian near-future while avoiding much of the over-egged hysteria that sometimes compromises work in this genre.Voting via block-chain or emergency services on demand (with 'surge pricing' models built in) may be on the way, she says, as Silicon Valley ramps up its designs on cities and towns.Greene also takes a look at the political manoeuvres of big tech companies and their founders, from how Uber and AirBnB riles up local communities to the once-likely presidential ambitions of Mark Zuckerberg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian Weckler talks to the global IT security celebrity and virus hunter Mikko Hypponen.Hypponen, chief research officer at F-Secure, says that we should be taking threats from North Korea a lot more seriously than we do.He also explains why, in the hierarchy of worst malware outbreaks in recent years, Petya was probably worse than Wannacry.And he hears how Adrian is guilty of perpetuating one of the stupidest security practices in Ireland today.(Hypponen is one of the keynote speakers at this year’s Dublin Information Sec 2018, taking place in the RDS on October 15th.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian talks to Daniel Gross, who grew up in Israel and went to Silicon Valley as a teenager to seek fame and fortune through the famous accelerator, Y Combinator.He set up a company called Cue and sold it to Apple for a reported $35m in 2013 before going to work for the tech giant. Last year, he left Apple to become a partner in Y Combinator and now he’s a founder of Pioneer, which says that it is looking for ‘lost Einsteins’ or talented young people who aren’t getting a chance in life.His thesis is that there’s massive potential in young people who are missing out because they don’t come from the ‘right’ background.Pioneer is being backed by Patrick Collison and the famous investor and former Netscape founder Marc Andreesen, who are both helping to fund it.Adrian and Daniel talk about his life, what inspired him and why he wants to help people get ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.