The Big Tech Show

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.

Now that we're in the final weeks of 2022, Adrian takes a look back at the best tech of the year, including smartwatches, home appliances and headphones. Is Bitcoin doomed? Or are we in the midst of a crypto winter, the trough of another cycle, with canny investors waiting it out? Adrian is also joined by the Managing Director of Bitpanda Alex Batlin to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Big Tech Show, as part of our new Ask Adrian segment, we ask if our phones are really listening to us, how we can stop scam calls and discuss some of the tech news stories of the week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How concerned are you about your messages to friends or family staying private? On this week’s Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler is joined by CEO of messaging app Signal, Meredith Whittaker to talk about absolute privacy – is it always a good thing, would people abandon WhatsApp or iMessage in favour of it and can it sometimes help criminals? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Big Tech Show With Adrian Weckler, we talk to the global CEO of the taxi company Free Now about cities banning cars and the likelihood of autonomous vehicles soon. Thomas Zimmerman also answers questions about taxi shortages and whether the name ‘Free Now’ is often used in frustration by customers left waiting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adrian sits down with the billionaire tech CEO of Dropbox, Drew Houston, to talk about his new revamped office in Dublin, the future of work, what’s going with the tech industry’s wave of job layoffs and whether Ireland is vulnerable. The two also talk about Dublin’s cost of living, where Dropbox now sits compared to Microsoft, the pros and cons of airing political views as a tech CEO, and what he said to Steve Jobs when the late Apple CEO tried to buy Dropbox. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Big Tech Show is at the Web Summit in Lisbon. Adrian chats to Revolut CEO Nikolay Storonsky about the future of the banking app in Ireland, and if Irish customers will be able to get mortgages from the digital bank. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler speaks to Paul Daugherty, Group Chief Executive of Technology and Chief Technology Officer at Accenture to talk about why he thinks we need to reframe how we think about the Metaverse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ethereum, one of the largest cryptocurrencies completed the highly anticipated “Merge”, a software update that cut the currency's energy usage by 99%. How successful was The Merge and will it influence other cryptocurrencies to become more energy efficient? Adrian Weckler is joined by James Nagle, co-founder of Bitcove to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when you have to battle social media companies for access to a loved one’s online information when they pass away? That’s what Irishwoman Donna Ahern has been facing for the last year, since her twin sister suddenly died. In this week’s podcast, Donna talks about the hoops she has had to jump through to comply with the processes put in her way by Facebook and Google. Adrian also looks at some of the best Amazon Prime Day bargains and reviews Google’s new Pixel phones and Pixel Watch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the Elon Musk and Twitter saga raging on, we ask if Musk is finally about to buy Twitter and what that could mean for the platform? With new EU rules saying most gadgets must use the same charging cable from 2024, we discuss if this is officially the end of the drawer full of cables. Host: Adrian Weckler. Guest: Damien Mulley. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irish Shoppers who head to Britain will be able to save hundreds of euro on luxury goods under a new regime that offers overseas visitors tax-free perks. Adrian Weckler is joined by Jon Ihle, Deputy Business Editor of the Irish Independent to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Big Tech Show with Adrian Weckler, we talk to Charlotte Morgan, whose story went viral around the world 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. Adrian also looks at Apple’s new Watch Series 8 and gives his verdict on whether it’s worth getting or notSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Big Tech Show with Adrian Weckler, we are discussing whether TikTok should be banned. Reports found that TikTok can log keystrokes on iPhones and that Bytedance staff in China have ultimate access to any and all TikTok user data they want. Adrian is joined by finance correspondent of the Currency, Sean Keyes to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Apple launched the iPhone 14 at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. Adrian tells us how the launch went and whether it’s worth upgrading to the latest iPhone. Host: Adrian Weckler. Guests: Stuart Miles, Britta O’Boyle and Robert Leedham.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the cost of living and energy crisis dominating the news right now, data centres are coming under greater scrutiny. This week on the Big Tech Show we ask are data centres to blame for Ireland's energy woes? If blackouts do happen, we explore what kind of tech can help get your through an energy outage. And we talk to the two young tech entrepreneurs who have quit Dublin for Spain because the rent is too high here. Guests: Cian McNally, Evan McgloughlinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the best laptop, monitor, power-bank or noise-cancelling headphones for a college student? Or rather, what’s the best you can get at a reasonable price in a cost-of-living crisis? Adrian Weckler is joined by technology journalist and recent college graduate Andy O’Donoghue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jack Williams is co-founder and CEO of the Belfast-based ecommerce fulfilment firm Selazar. While the company made headlines recently for getting £20m in funding, the highest amount of venture capital in Northern Irish history, this week it was also in the news for less flattering reasons, having lost an employment tribunal case in London over claims of ageism. Adrian Weckler sat down with Jack this week to talk about ecommerce, retailing, being a young CEO, and also about what happened in the tribunal case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the tech party over for Ireland? Google has announced a temporary recruitment freeze, Microsoft is eliminating open jobs, while both Meta and Apple are reportedly planning to hire fewer people. In other words, some of Ireland’s biggest tech employers are scaling back their plans. The tech sector here has been on the biggest bull run in Irish industrial history. But is it finally facing a slowdown? And is our indigenous tech sector any more resilient? Joining Adrian Weckler to discuss the issue are Sarah-Jane Larkin, director general of the Irish Venture Capital Association, and Gareth Fleming, director of tech recruitment at Brightwater Recruitment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Technology editor Adrian Weckler reports on the results and concerns he had after taking a DNA test with online service 23&Me. He is joined by Stacy Detweiler, a genetics counsellor working for the company's medical team.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you were a billionaire, would you give most of it away? That’s what Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says he’s doing. He’s the world's fourth richest man, worth €115bn. But he says he has an "obligation" to return his resources to society. He says he wants to drop out of the world’s rich lists. And he’s not alone in the tech elite. Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook, among others, also say they’ll give away almost all of their wealth. Does this make them decent stewards of capitalism? Or is sort of another type of ego-trip? Joining Adrian to discuss it is the Irish Independent’s deputy business editor, Jon Ihle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the new M2 too expensive? Is the older M1 MacBook Air a better deal? Or might you be better off getting the new MacBook Pro M2, which is almost the same price? Adrian Weckler is joined by fellow reviewer, PocketLint.com’s deputy editor Britta O’Boyle, to discuss the pros and cons of Apple’s latest MacBook Air M2.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it possible for a brand new phone from a brand new company to capture your Apple or Samsung-bound cash? The Nothing Phone (1) is the brainchild of OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei. This week, tech editor Adrian Weckler flew to the London launch to see what all the hype is about. He gives his verdict on the phone, as well as the views of some other experts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can you watch your Netflix series in a foreign Airbnb? Is it possible to avoid getting gouged when using your smartphone abroad? Adrian is joined by Colin Baker, gadget expert and managing director of Back From The Future to discuss 10 useful devices and services to enhance a summer holiday, either abroad or in Ireland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2007, Steve Jobs took to the stage to introduce what he called a “revolutionary new product”. This week 15 years ago, the first iPhone went on sale. Is it still an all-conquering device? What might September's iPhone 14 bring? And can the iconic smartphone stay at the heart of Apple’s world, or will smart glasses and cars become the company's new focus? Joining technology editor Adrian Weckler to discuss all of this is someone who was at the original launch – Stuart Miles, the founder and CEO of Pocket-lint.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 years ago, John Touhy set up the logistics and delivery company Nightline, which also spawned Parcel Motel. Having sold it to UPS for €30m in 2017, he's back with another offering in the field -- OOHPod. This is a smart locker service that is supposed to make it easy to pick up and return parcels in your own time. The company aims to place “out of home” lockers in 1,000 locations across the island of Ireland by 2025. John Touhy talked to Adrian about his past, present and why some entities in Ireland seem intent on blocking progress in the parcel delivery field.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s it like being the CIO of one of the most iconic pandemic-era tech companies in the world? No-one knows better than Harry Moseley, Zoom’s chief information officer . The man from Rathfarhnam has been close to the helm of a company whose very name has become a verb in the English language. But what’s coming next? Is the drive for remote working stalling? And can Zoom pull back from a steep decline in its own share price recently? Harry spoke to tech editor Adrian Weckler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple, Google and Microsoft are joining forces to kill off passwords. They say that they will try to replace passwords by using smartphones as two-factor authentication via things like a PIN number or a fingerprint, and using that for verification on an operating system or website. But will this work? And what should you be doing to protect yourself with the passwords you already use? Joining technology editor Adrian Weckler to discuss this is Conor Flynn, managing director at Waystone Compliance Solutions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent weeks, Google and Apple have begun pulling all their Irish workers back into the office. Other big companies are starting to do the same, and it’s not just the tech giants here, such as Amazon, Intel and Salesforce. A glance at Indeed.com, the biggest recruitment site, shows that of 58,000 jobs currently advertised, just 4,000 — or around 7% — allow you to be remote. So here’s a question — what happened to all of the talk about our work lives changing forever? About having more choice in working outside the office? Was it all just BS? Or maybe just a beautiful dream? To discuss the issue, technology editor Adrian Weckler is joined by Tracy Keogh, co-founder of Grow Remote.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Holland had a steady, comfortable life as a lecturer in artificial intelligence in University College Cork. But in 2012, he left it all to try and build a startup specialising in procurement automation. 10 years on, that company, Keelvar, has just picked up its latest funding round of $24m, with plans to increase headcount at the firm to over 100. Alan joins technology editor Adrian Weckler to discuss what it was like to leave the security of a college academic life for a startup. He also explains what's going to happen next in the supply chain crisis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does Elon Musk, conqueror of low orbit space, pioneer of the electric car, the nearest thing we have to a real life Iron Man, actually intend to buy Twitter or not? Is he really being put off about spam bots, the defeat of which was one of the reasons he said he wanted to buy the platform? Is he trying to back out because of the tech stock crash? Having already signed a contract, legally, *can* he back out? Or does he still want the company, but is just trying to lower the price? Tech editor Adrian Weckler has a basic explainer about what’s going on and what to expect next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.