The Big Tech Show

Disney is going to hike the price of its online streaming service by around €2 following others like Netflix, which have done the same in recent months. Will consumers still pay when the prices go up? Are there any decent alternatives? Adrian speaks to Deirdre Molumby, Audience Editor at Independent.ie and arts journalist Dave Hanratty.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What will next month's iPhone 15 bring? Are there any interesting new features we should be getting excited about at this point? And what else of interest is there out there in the smartphone world? Adrian looks ahead to the next iPhone launch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ireland’s electric car charging network has come in for significant criticism over the years. As demand for EVs has risen, the number of public charging points has not increased fast enough to keep up. What's going on with Ireland's electric car charging network? Are we stuck with one of the worst networks in Europe or might things actually start to look up very soon. Adrian Weckler is joined by the CEO of EasyGo, Chris Kelly, to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Elon Musk challenged Mark Zuckerberg to a cage fight back in June, there have been questions over whether the fight would ever actually go ahead. Now though, it looks like the battle of the tech bros is off, after Zuckerberg posting online that he was moving on, saying Musk “isn’t serious” about the bout. Is this whole thing the cringiest thing to happen in the tech world this year? Does it have any signals for what's happening with the companies involved? Adrian Weckler discusses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With artificial intelligence now a part of most people’s daily lives in some capacity, there are some that are using developments in the technology to have relationships with AI. Is love possible with an AI creation? Could you date one for example? Is there anything wrong with the idea of dating one? Adrian is joined by clinical psychologist Dr Malie Coyne to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls to Ireland’s emergency calls system rose by as much as 50pc this year because of a Samsung smartphone glitch that causes mistaken calls from pockets. Meanwhile, Zoom has asked its staff to return to the office at least two days a week, if they live within an 80km radius of the office. And Irish people spend €108m per month on video streaming services, with the average person spending €28.26 per month. Adrian takes a look at the latest tech news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From starting a TikTok house in Ireland to creating a payments company for influencers and then selling that company to an Irish unicorn, Jake Browne is on a very interesting trajectory through the marketing and tech world. Now he's building the next big ad startup. Jake Browne, founder and CEO of Veblen Giffen joins Adrian on the Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk says he wants X, formerly known as Twitter, to be a super app. But is Revolut getting there first? This week the payments app added car insurance to its list of offerings, which now includes things like credit cards, stock trading, crypto and loans. But things haven't been all positive in tech this week. Accenture has announced 890 jobs at its Irish operation, which is in addition to the 400 cuts announced earlier this year. Can we expect more layoffs in the tech industry or is the tide beginning to turn? Adrian takes a look at the story making headlines in tech this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Big Tech Show, Adrian is joined by one of the best-known tech entrepreneurs in Ireland, Bobby Healy, to discuss his vision for the future and how the next drone delivery trial in Blanchardstown will make Manna the biggest drone delivery operation in the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk has unveiled Twitter's new logo. X will now replace the famous blue bird. There are also plans for the name Twitter to retire and X to replace it as the new brand name for the platform. Meanwhile, TikTok is to introduce new text-only posts on its platform as a rival service to Twitter. And Spotify has announced it will increase the price of some of its most popular subscriptions. On the Big Tech Show, Adrian takes a look at the tech stories making the news this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the best most important gadgets that you may have overlooked in daily life? From home security to lost and found tags we go through the tech you might have missed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter has seen a 50pc drop in ad revenue since Elon Musk took over at the social media platform. Now, Twitter has begun paying part of its ad revenue to some profiles with large followings. Is this a way to generate income lost to dwindling advertisers? Meanwhile, Microsoft is set to face its first antitrust probe by the European Union in over a decade for how it has 'bundled' its teams app with the overall Office suite. What could this mean for Microsoft if it is found to have breached anti competition rules? Now that we are the other side of the ChatGPT hype, Google has launched its answer to the AI chatbot, called Google Bard. Is it any good and are the same concerns around misinformation as much a problem for Bard as it is ChatGPT? Adrian takes a look at the big tech stories making the news this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sale of electric cars in Ireland has been on the rise in recent years, but for those who haven’t turned to EVs, it can be tricky figuring out what you need to know. Adrian is joined by Derek Reilly, founded of Nevo and the EV Ireland YouTube Channel to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been six days since Meta launched its new platform Threads. A rival to Twitter, it has already gained over 100 million users. What is Threads like and can Irish users sign up? Adrian Weckler takes a look at the much hyped new social media platform.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Online safety is a topic that we’re yet to find the answer to. Self-regulation by the online platforms doesn’t seem to be cutting it. Now, Ireland has its own online safety commissioner who is tasked with bringing these tech companies in line. Adrian is joined by Ireland’s first online safety commissioner, Niamh Hodnett. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the transition from sports superstar to tech actually like? Bernard Brogan knows more than most. He has won four all-star awards, seven all-Irelands and had a glittering career in the GAA. Now he has just got funding for his startup PepTalk and is looking to grow the business in the US. Adrian is joined by Bernard Brogan for this week’s Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When people talk about quantum computing, they often move quickly to the science fiction area. Stuff like time travel or multiverses. But what is it actually really all about? Adrian is joined by Dr. John Goold, Associate Professor in Physics at Trinity College Dublin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are we so prone to panicking over new technology? Where once we freaked out about video games, the Internet and 5G, now it's artificial intelligence which we worry will cause the end of civilisation. Has our fear of AI gone too far or is it merely healthy scepticism? Adrian is joined by Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at TCD and Barry Lunn, Founder & CEO of Provizio AI. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wexford based Niall Kehoe started coding at the age of eight and developed his own apps when he was 10. Now the Enniscorthy teenager has made it into the world's top tech college, Stanford University, on a full scholarship. Adrian caught up with Niall on a visit to San Jose, California, where Stanford's main campus is. They discuss his journey getting into Stanford, what life there is really like, and what plans he might have next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple's vision of the future is finally here, and they called it the Vision Pro. Is the headset just another failed VR project in the making or can Apple truly succeed where everyone else has failed? From Apple HQ in Cupertino, California Adrian is joined by Stuart Miles and Leo Gebbie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A monorail, solar panels for all and a universal basic income are some of the things that Ireland could do with up to €60bn in extra tech cash from fines, budget surpluses and potential back tax rulings from Europe. But what should we sensibly do with all that money?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything is changing in the crypto world. There's new regulations which have been broadly welcomed. So what's happened? Well, after years of trash talking crypto as a Ponzi scheme, regulators have now started to embrace it and give it rules to adhere to. Will this make crypto mainstream and what will it mean for those who trade in crypto? Host: Adrian Weckler. Guests: Lory Kehoe and Jon Ihle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a strange week in the world of multinationals, big tech companies and the Irish Exchequer. Ireland seems to be doing its best to turn away an awful lot of money. First, we have the news of Meta's €1.2 billion fine imposed by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner, which didn't want to impose that fine. Now we have the case of Apple and Ireland versus the European Commission, where Ireland doesn't want the €14 billion in back tax that the European Commission says we're owed. Adrian discusses the latest, including the Meta layoffs announced this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is lots of information out there about electric cars; from the grants available to the distance you can go before having to charge up again. Something that has gained in popularity though, are electric bikes. Are they worth the expense and what do you need to know before investing? Adrian is joined by Olivier Vander Elst, co-founder of Greenaer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've heard of the curse of Hello, but what about the curse of the Forbes 30 under 30? From Elizabeth Holmes to Sam Bankman-fried, getting name checked as the next big thing in tech could ironically turn out to be a shortcut to notoriety, prosecution, and maybe even jail. Adrian is joined by Jon Ihle to discuss why some high-profile young entrepreneurs get caught up in the law. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the VAT on solar panels was scrapped, making them cheaper for those looking to invest. Is now the time to go solar and what do you need to know before you do? This week on the Big Tech Show, Adrian is joined by Brian McIntyre from the SEAI. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the next big thing in tech? A lot of people think Apple's new headset, set to be announced in June could be it. But can Apple make augmented reality a success where so many others have flopped? Adrian Weckler is joined by Stuart Miles, journalist and the founder of the price comparison widget, Squirrel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this month, the 43 year old founder of the Cash app, Bob Lee, was killed in San Francisco. It took police a few days to arrest another tech worker, Nima Momeni, who police say was known to the deceased. But by then, a narrative had spread across the media about Lee being a victim of San Francisco's decline into lawlessness, homelessness and chaos. This week Adrian is joined by the editor of San Francisco’s Mission Local news website, Joe Eskenazi to discuss the case and the coverage that it received. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does the next generation of tech founders look like in Ireland? What are they making? How do they think? This week Adrian is joined by one such founder, Jack O’Regan Kenny. At the age of 20, Jack has already founded and exited one company and is now managing director of the Dublin based accelerator, Patch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the launch of GPT4 last month, the world over has been talking about ChatGPT and how it will change our lives as we know it. Aside from the potential negative sides that have been widely covered, are there everyday tasks that this AI tech can help us with? Adrian Weckler takes a look at some of the best examples of ChatGPT making life easier.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Elon Musk joined AI experts in signing an open letter, calling for a pause on the development of artificial intelligence technology more powerful than Open AI's GPT-4. Could future progress in AI pose a threat to society and are those developing the tech considering the implications of their work? Adrian Weckler discusses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do Kwon, the founder of Terraform Labs was charged in the US with fraud, after his arrested in Montenegro last week. Now legal action is being taken against Binance, with US regulators accusing the company of operating illegally in the country. What is happening in crypto and we going to see more scandals coming from the industry? Host: Adrian Weckler. Guest: FT’s Scott ChipolinaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last month, Chinese billionaire tech banker Bao Fan was reported missing after his company Chinese Renaissance, said they were unable to contact him. His disappearance is not the first time this has happened. Back in November 2020, Jack Ma, founder of the online retail giant Alibaba vanished for months. Why are these powerful figures in China’s tech industry disappearing? Adrian Weckler is joined by journalist Clifford Coonan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, OpenAI released the newest version of its artificial intelligence technology, ChatGPT. Will it live up to the hype, or will the main focus still be around writing college essays for students? Adrian Weckler is joined by co-founder of Caliber AI, Neil Brady to discuss this and the new era of AI we are now in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the last 72 hours, the world has been consumed with the threat of a possible banking crisis.It all started with a hitherto little-known U.S. lender called Silicon Valley Bank. What happened for the bank to collapse and will Ireland be impacted? Adrian Weckler is joined by Irish Independent's business editor, Donal O'Donovan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A crackdown on illegal TV streaming networks, also known as ‘dodgy boxes’ is taking place in 12 counties across Ireland. The main targets are a number of online portals and services that provide illegal access to premium TV content. Is this the beginning of the end for the dodgy box? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a busy news week in tech. After the European Commission banned TikTok on staff phones, Irish data watchdogs met this week to assess if the social media giant poses a cyber risk here. Could TikTok be facing some kind of ban in Ireland? Adrian looks at this, along with other stories hitting the news, including drones causing chaos in Dublin airport and more tech layoffs on the horizon. The Big Tech Show is in association with Square. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlotte Morgan's story went viral when thieves used her phone to get at her bank card’s pin number, leaving her thousands of pounds out of pocket. Charlotte tells us how to stop the same thing happening to you. This episode was first published on 23rd Sept 2022See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Has Elon Musk’s personal brand affected the sales of Tesla? Since Musk’s Twitter takeover, more people are questioning the values of his other companies, like Tesla – including Adrian Weckler. Steve Dempsey of the Irish Independent joins to discuss the shifting brand perception.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Big Tech Show, Adrian is joined by Barry Lunn, founder and CEO at Provizio, a company trying to save lives with radar technology that can help prevent car crashes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The tech industry has been hit with a spate of mass layoffs. One trend emerging from this, is the approach some of these companies take, using email to deliver the news to employees. This week on the Big Tech Show, Adrian speaks to one of the 12,000 Google employees in the US who woke up to an email telling him he was being let go. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They’re the secretive tech that social media companies use to keep us engaging with the platforms. How much do we know about algorithms and what exactly are they used for? This week Adrian is joined by Damien Mulley to discuss the good, the bad and the potentially harmful way the algorithms could influence users. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He is one of Ireland’s most recognisable rugby stars. Now Jamie Heaslip has become a successful startup investor. This week on the Big Tech Show, Jamie joins Adrian to discuss his move from sport to tech and now working for Stripe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is it about a downturn that makes it attractive to build a Start-Up? This week Adrian is joined by Eamon Leonard from Broadstone VC to discuss how a crisis can spur on innovation, Eamon’s interesting career so far and what a good start-up investment looks like.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When ChatGPT launched last year, the hype around the new AI chatbot has grown and grown. It can write poems, screenplays, articles and even do children’s homework. Not only does it have teachers worried, but companies like Google have increased investment in generative AI, so they can keep up. Adrian Weckler takes a look at the chatbot and what all the hype is about. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you thinking of getting an electric car in 2023? This week on the Big Tech Show we have a beginner's guide on all you need to know about going electric. From the best models, to charging them and a million other questions in between. Host: Adrian Weckler. Guest: Derek Reilly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year was a turbulent one for the tech industry. Could 2023 be as dramatic? This week on the Big Tech Show, Adrian looks at what we can expect from tech this year, including the possibility of more layoffs, what we can expect from cryptocurrency and if this year is the year the Metaverse will catch on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Formerly RTÉ's political correspondent, Martina Fitzgerald made the move into the tech industry when she took the job of CEO in Scale Ireland in 2020. A not-for-profit organisation, she now represents start-ups and growing businesses. This week Martina joins Adrian to discuss her time as a journalist, her decision to move into tech and how the industry is treated both by politicians and the media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a busy week for Elon Musk, with his Twitter poll calling for him to step down as CEO of the social network. But this month the tech billionaire revealed what his other company Neuralink has been working on. Adrian Weckler is joined by journalist Antonio Regalado to discuss the possibility of brain chip implants being made available by the company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week marks the 5th Anniversary of the Big Tech Show. Joining us for this extended episode is our first-ever guest, broadcaster and founder of Storyful and Kinzen, Mark Little. Mark joins Adrian to chat about Twitter and Elon Musk, the future of journalism and his new role in Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.