The Big Tech Show

Ireland’s list of global sporting champions is relatively short, which means that when a new one is minted then we like to celebrate their achievements with them. And while Excel spreadsheets is about as niche as e-sports get - there’s no doubt that the competition is heating up when it’s broadcast live from Las Vegas via ESPN. And this year, it looks like it's not just Excel’s logo that proudly wears green - as the title of Global Excel Champion 2025 was won by Ireland’s Diarmuid Early.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where is AI going and who is at the helm? What jobs might be in trouble and should Europe back down on its regulations? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by one of Ireland's most famous tech entrepreneurs Sean Blanchfield to hear about Jentic - his latest venture - and to hear how the age of AI is already up and running.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will we see a folding iPhone in 2026? Or what about better AI on Apple devices? Has the iPhone Air been a flop and will it be replaced? Joining technology editor Adrian Weckler on the Big Tech Show is friend of the podcast Stuart Miles, tech expert and the founder of Squirrel. ­See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What devices should you gift for Christmas? From buds to coffee machines, what tech treats would you like to receive? And should you go high-end or budget? JJ Clarke, producer, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. The Kodak compact digital camera costs €160 from Conn’s Cameras and is for the Gen Z-er in your life. Standalone compact digital cameras are all the rage among teens and early 20-somethings, with their vintage look, anti-AI vibe and one-shot focus. For this cohort, Kodak’s Pixpro FZ55 makes a great gift. It’s easy to use, has a 1x to 5x mini-zoom and fits snugly into almost any normal jeans or jacket pocket. For the self-loathing phone addict in your life. The Brick costs €60 from getbrick.app. Brick’s appeal is simple: stop using your phone so much. The way it works is simple. Just touch it off your iPhone or Android phone and it will deny access (or "brick”) a set of pre-chosen (by you) apps. It will also hide any notifications associated with them. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s going on in Bitcoin? Is this a crypto winter? And how is AI luring funds away from digital currencies? Katie Byrne, Money editor with the Irish Independent, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. The conversation began by Adrian discussing why mainstream cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin is down around 25% over the last two months, and around 15% for the year, wiping close to a hundred billion dollars from people's wallets or Revolut accounts. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What streaming platform is most popular? Which streamer is focussing on quality? And does subscription cost make a difference? ­ Dave Hanratty of the Irish Independent and the No Encore podcast, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kurt Wagner, Senior Reporter at Bloomberg leading and author of Battle for the Bird: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, and the $44 Billion Fight for Twitter's Soul, joins Adrian for this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you use a stablecoin? If so, how might you go about that? And what are the pros and cons? ­ Stani Kulechov, Finnish entrepreneur and founder of Aave, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a smart city? Is Dublin one? And what’s different about them? Ruth Freeman, director of Research for Society at Research Ireland, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. A smart city is an urban area that uses technology and data to improve the quality of life for its citizens, increase the efficiency of city services, and promote sustainable development. It integrates digital systems like the internet of things to collect and analyse real-time data, which helps optimize everything from transportation and energy use to public safety and waste management. You can listen to the full episode here, on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who is Jensen Huang? Why does he always wear a leather jacket? And what's he like to work for? Stephen Witt, Los Angeles based journalist and author of The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia And The World’s Most Coveted Microchip, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. Last week, Nvidia became the first company to surpass a $5 trillion (€4.4 trillion) valuation. That’s worth more than every country’s GDP, except for the US and China. It’s worth more than the entire crypto market, the entire gold market and, according to one colourful estimate, every pizza ever sold in history. Nvidia is making vast amounts of real, hard cash from the AI boom. It’s not potential or future revenue, like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft or Anthropic. It’s billions in sales of its AI chips, which almost every tech company now craves. Sitting atop this new empire is Jensen Huang, the 62-year-old leather-jacket wearing Singaporean-American, who has gone from being a nerdy graphics card boss to the most powerful tech CEO in the world. For the moment, at least, he tops peers such as Elon Musk, Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg in influence and relevance. In the award-shortlisted biography The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia And The World’s Most Coveted Microchip, which is the best account of Huang published so far, author Stephen Witt documents Huang’s life from a newly-arrived immigrant in the US to being a frequent visitor at Donald Trump’s Mar A Lago compound in Florida. You can listen to the full episode here, on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does Amazon’s new sub-sea cable mean for Ireland? Is Apple planning a new budget laptop? And why is Trump reserving Nvidia’s most advanced chips? Saoirse Hanley, money journalist with the Irish Independent joins JJ Clarke on this episode of The Big Tech Show. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a new high-speed transatlantic cable from Cork to Maryland in the US to power global internet traffic and its data centres. The new ‘Fastnet’ cable can deliver over 320 terabits per second, enough to stream over 12 million HD movies simultaneously. It will be one of the highest capacity data cables yet built across the Atlantic. The cable, which won’t be operational until 2028, will make landfall in Castlefreke, near Rosscarbery in west Cork. Cork was chosen, the company said, because most other major transatlantic cables land in either Mayo or Dublin, giving the tech giant an “alternative pathway” for critical internet traffic compared to existing infrastructure in the event of any problems or outages. You can listen to the full episode here, on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is ChatGPT the main player in the AI game? What does the research tell us about AI chat bot results? And are people increasingly using chatbots as therapists? Maeve McTaggart, news and political reporter with the Irish Independent, joins JJ Clarke on The Big Tech Show this week. ChatGPT has become a near-monopoly for everyday AI use in Ireland, new figures collated by the Irish Independent suggest. Almost five out of six online AI queries from Ireland happen using OpenAI’s service, with rivals nowhere close, according to a study by the Irish Independent and the Dublin-based online web statistics firm, Statcounter. The figures show that more than 84pc of Irish generative AI requests are from ChatGPT, followed distantly by Microsoft’s Copilot and Perplexity, both on 6pc. You can listen to the full episode here, on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could the dodgy box users finally face fines? Why is Ireland looking to copy Italy? And will it curb illegal streaming in Ireland? Darragh Nolan, Multi-Media reporter, with the Irish Independent joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. Irish dodgy-box users would face direct fines for the first time under new plans being considered by broadcasters and copyright authorities. It is understood the move is being planned by large TV rights holders such as Sky, after a similar crackdown was introduced in Italy. That move led to thousands of dodgy-box users getting fined earlier this year. According to a recent Sunday Independent poll, up to one in five Irish households use dodgy boxes. That represents up to 400,000 people illegally streaming content like sport and movies. You can listen to the full episode here, on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you spot a deepfake? What are telltale signs of AI-videos? And who is responsible for synthetic fake videos posted on social media? JJ Clarke, producer, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. Adrian began the conversation by discussing the recent deepfake videos on Catherine Connolly on Facebook. A series of Al deepfake videos of RTÉ news bulletins criticising presidential candidate Catherine Connolly amassed over 160,000 views and hundreds of genuine comments on Facebook over several days before being removed. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What have we learned from the huge tech outage this week? How did it happen? And are the warnings of an AI bubble accurate? JJ Clarke, producer, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the best tips for beginners using AI chat bots? Have AI videos featuring dead celebrities gone too far? And is the EU losing the tech race because of stringent regulations? Darragh Nolan, Multimedia reporter with the Irish Independent, joins JJ Clarke for this episode of The Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are AI videos threatening content creators? Have we entered an AI bubble? And what are the best broadband options? Saoirse Hanley, journalist at the Irish Independent, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. Adrian began by asking Saoirse whether she would be less likely to watch a AI generated video than a human generated one. The journalist responded that she would immediately lose interest in videos that are seen to be made by a machine. This topic was on the back of YouTube content creator Mr Beast announcing recently that AI video is so good now that it is legitimately threatening the livelihood of content creators. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How will Microsoft navigate pressure from the Trump administration? Will its decision impact the growing trend in Europe towards “digital sovereignty”? Indeed believes AI will transform rather than replace human jobs. And what’s Nigel Farage’s issue with “Britcoin”? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by producer Dee Reddy to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s episode, we delve into 'Scratchgate' amid accusations that iPhone 17 Pro models are too easily marked compared to previous iPhones. We also explain how to switch to an eSim account and which Irish operators are offering one. And we look at Apple's explanation, as revealed in person to the Irish Independent by one of the company's top executives, around why the tech giant feels it can't launch key new features such as iPhone Mirroring and Live Translation in Ireland and the EU. This week's show is presented by Adrian Weckler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which new Apple product delights? How good are the AirPods Pro at noise cancellation? And what are Adrian’s top picks? JJ Clarke, producer, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How advanced are today’s robots? What can they do now? And what’s likely in the coming years?  ­ Conor McGinn, CEO at Akara Robotics and professor of Robotics at Trinity College Dublin, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of the Big Tech Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the new iPhone Air like? Why is ‘thin in’ with the new phone design? And how good is the new AirPods Pro language translation?  CCS Insight analysts, Ben Wood, joins Adrian to discuss the new suite of Apple updates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the pros and cons of large, foldout phones? What are the advantages of smaller, flip-fold phones? And do they still cost way more than ordinary phones?  Maeve McTaggart, Multimedia Reporter with the Irish Independent, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the allegations facing Roblox? Why are a group of law firms looking to file lawsuits against the company? And how is the gaming platform making the online space safer for its users? This episode contains sensitive content including descriptions of graphic violence and sexual assault and may be disturbing to some listeners. If you are affected by any of the content of this podcast, please go to https://oneinfour.ie/ If you are in crisis, call the OneinFour helpline at 01 662 4070 or call DRCC’s 24-hour National Helpline on 1800 77 88 88. Reporter for WIRED magazine, David Gilbert, joins Adrian on The Big Tech Show today. The reporter began the conversation by stressing the point that most parents whose children use the platform Roblox aren’t aware of its features. The platform is in fact a massive open platform where people can interact and chat with each other. You can listen to the full episode here, on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is drone delivery noise a potential obstacle to the technologies’ progress? Will the convenience become commonplace? And what has former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg been saying about the tech industry? Darragh Nolan, Multi-Media reporter, with the Irish Independent joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. The Multi-Media reporter was reporting on the drone noise issue in Dublin 15 recently. Adrian asked what he found out when writing on the topic and the journalist says that it's reception is mixed, some neighbours are highly against the noise of the technology whereas other neighbours are in favour of the convenience and are currently using it. You can listen to the full episode here, on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is AI’s current capabilities? Does it live up to the hype? And how can it be used in everyday scenarios? Alan Smeaton, professor Emeritus at DCU and founding director of the Insight Centre for Data Analytics attached to DCU, joins Adrian Weckler on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. The conversation began by Adrian asking the question, “what does agentic AI do?” Professor Smeaton responded by saying, what happens is that you ask it a question and then the agentic AI goes off and then searches the information, aggregates it and then synthesizes it into a cogent answer. You can listen to the full episode here, on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why has Elon Musk threatened Apple with legal action? Is it safe to let Judges use AI? And how did the Intel CEO convince Trump to do a U-turn? ­ Katie Byrne, Money editor with the Irish Independent joins JJ Clarke on this episode of The Big Tech Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are computer games created? Where do developers get funding? And is Ireland a good place for game development? Ronan Price, games critic and assistant publishing editor at the Irish Independent presented this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. The games reviewer is joined by Colm Larkin, founder of Dublin-based indie game studio, Gambrinous. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s it like to work for Tesla? How were sensitive company files leaked? And why is camaraderie amongst employees discouraged by Musk? Sönke Iwersen, co-author of The Tesla Files, the inside story of Musk’s empire, and an award-winning journalist who has led the investigative team at Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the EU lose out to Trump in US trade talks? What does this mean for the Irish economy? And why are legitimate texts still being labelled as ‘scam texts’? ­ JJ Clarke, producer, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are the ESB hiking prices on EV charging? What is in Trump’s new AI action plan? And how is the Irish media regulator going after X for age verification? JJ Clarke, producer, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. The cost of publicly charging an electric car is being increased by up to 15pc by Ireland’s biggest provider. ESB cars, which has the most public charging points in the country, is adding 7 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) across all of its tariffs, raising the cost of charging an electric car by up to €7. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the pros and cons of the new EU digital wallet? When will it be operational? And how to stop doomscrolling? JJ Clarke, producer, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do we spot the truth from a lie online? Are AI photos and videos getting too convincing? And what can be done to stop the spread of misinformation? Ciarán Cannon, VP of Global Affairs with Alison and former Fine Gael TD for Galway East and Damien Mulley, digital communications expert and founder of Mulley Communications, join Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the nationwide scam text filter start mislabelling texts? Why are kids turning to chatbots for friendship? And what will Linda Yaccarino’s legacy at X be? ­ JJ Clarke, producer, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do we think about AI replacing jobs in Ireland? What jobs will go first? And why are people talking about Nothing’s Phone (3)? ­ JJ Clarke, producer, joins host Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why has Elon Musk formed the America party? How will this affect EV subsidies? And does the Tesla boss have more cards up his sleeve? ­ JJ Clarke, producer, joins host Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are AI-generated tracks? Can humans tell the difference between bot and human creation? And how are the music streaming platforms responding? Eamonn Forde, music business writer and author, joins Adrian on the Big Tech Show for this week’s episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Sky’s new crackdown on dodgy boxes work? Can they really start looking at WhatsApp groups to identify offenders? And what is the future for dodgy boxes in Ireland? JJ Clarke, producer, joins host Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. The conversation began with producer JJ asking Adrian should the average dodgy boxers user be worried about criminal prosecution. The tech editor answered that Sky is already using private investigators to identify sellers and users of dodgy boxes online but that the problem will not be solved by a spate of prosecutions. Adrian suggested that Sky and other media companies need to learn from the likes of iTunes who pivoted once people started illegally downloading music. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is regulation crushing Europe’s AI hopes? Will this drive Irish startups away? And will we see a softening of the EU stance? Dr Richard Blythman, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Naptha.ai, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. Adrian began by asking the AI expert if Europe is driving away tech entrepreneurs with it high regulation. Dr Blythman stated that he believes it has and that is why the company he co-founded is registered in Singapore because they are more foreward looking in terms of regulation according to the Irishman. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can your social media posts stop you from entering the US? Should you scrub your online history? And is it easier for those with a tech background to get visas? Caro Kinsella, US Immigration Attorney joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. The immigration attorney started by stating categorically that a person’s social media posts can stop them from gaining entry into the US. Immigration officials at ports of entry to the US have the right to request access to a person’s electronic devices. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the No Kings protest happen? How did demonstrators organise online? And what was Adrian’s experience of the LA riots? Reporter for WIRED magazine, David Gilbert, joined Adrian on The Big Tech Show today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should you respond to work texts after hours? Why is underage phone use more prevalent in less advantaged areas? And what policies could help parents with this issue? JJ Clarke, producer, joins host Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the latest from Apple’s WWD conference? Is the tech giant behind on AI? And are there any exciting new features? Adrian is currently in Cupertino at Apple Park, California, where Apple just showcased their latest product upgrades. There were three main areas of focus; iOS 26, Liquid Glass and AI features. CCS Insight analysts, Ben Wood and Leo Gebbie, joined Adrian to discuss the new suite of Apple updates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did Niall Mac an tSionnaigh go from selling Christmas trees to CEO of SumUp? What’s his leadership style? And why is cash a thing of the past? ­ Niall Mac an tSionnaigh, CEO of SumUp joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. ­See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could AI potentially blackmail humans in the future? Would it be a help or hindrance to schools? And will it lead to mass unemployment? Conor Kelly, head of growth at Human Loop, joins Adrian in this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did Lisa Brankin go from home economics to managing director? What lessons did she learn from her parents? And why are we a long way off autonomous vehicles? Lisa Brankin, chair and managing director of Ford in Britain and Ireland, joins Adrian Weckler on this episode of the Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What were Google’s top AI announcements? How does ‘pick and pay’ work? And will virtually trying on clothes become the norm? JJ Clarke, producer, joins host Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. The tech editor began by discussing Google’s new AI mode and how it will aid users when shopping. The new feature empowers the AI agent to shop on the users behalf, including doing the back-end checkout for the shopper. The AI agent then pays for the item once the shopper has given the artificial intelligence the all clear to do so. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the steps to navigating tech at US border control? How can we learn from Lithuania’s cyber defence? And what is the new sport of sperm racing? JJ Clarke, producer, joins host, Katie Byrne, standing in for Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. Katie began by discussing an article that featured in the Irish Independent about navigating US border control phone checks at the airport. The article written by tech editor, Adrian Weckler, explained that you can delete your WhatsApp, Gmail and other social media with no loss of data as long as you back it up before you delete the apps. This will stop US border control agents checking these apps but may look suspicious as the phone won’t have any social media apps. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does Amazon new Vulcan robot do? Why is the new Nothing phone the best affordable option? And how should the DPC respond to TikTok storing data on Chinese servers? JJ Clarke, producer, joins host Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.