The Big Tech Show

When is the last time you paid for something in cash? Have you, like us, had the same €20 in your pocket for four months?The pandemic has made Ireland -- and every other country -- into largely cashless societies. From Apple Pay on your watch to Revolut on your phone, cash has faded away in daily life.So why aren’t we talking about the obvious next step: ditching bits of paper and scraggly coins altogether?This is what Adrian discusses with this week’s guest, Stephen Kinsella, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Limerick's Kemmy Business School and a columnist with The Currency.Which are the better arguments? That it could mean less violent crime, less tax evasion and quicker queues? Or that it could lead to a further erosion of privacy and may unfairly disadvantage vulnerable groups in society?The two go into the topic in depth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Year, new tech world? Adrian makes a few predictions about what we’ll see in 2021, alongside guests Jon Ihle (deputy business editor, Irish Independent) and Dr Katherine O’Keeffe (director of training, Castlebridge).The predictions include trends for Brexit-related online shopping on services like Amazon, more pricing hikes for streaming giants Netflix and Disney Plus, a bedding in for remote working, the demise of cinemas, the first $100bn ‘Irish made’ tech company and a lot more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian is joined by a couple of small Irish tech business owners, News Over Audio’s Gareth Hickey and Thinscale’s Brendan Kiely.The three talk about a variety of issues, including whether big tech companies are getting too much love and support compared to small ones, the case for more flexibility in hiring (and moving) abroad, how remote working will pan out and the future for subscription media.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What were the best gadgets of 2020? What were the best laptops, phones, smartwatches, headphones and speakers? Adrian tested over 100 tech products during the year. Joined by digital editor of Buzz.ie, Mark Kavanagh, he gives his picks and discusses why they topped their categories.Adrian also discusses his early impressions of a gadget that landed on his desk this week: Apple’s AirPods Max.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Slack and Salesforce announced an acquisition agreement worth $27.7bn (€22.9bn). It’s the biggest tech deal of the year and one of the biggest of all time. This week, Slack co-founder Cal Henderson spoke exclusively to technology editor Adrian Weckler about keeping a separate identity, the tech industry, remote working, Ireland’s place in the world and other things.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe is bringing in a raft of new laws to try to tighten things like advertising and runaway algorithms.This week, Adrian invites Politico’s chief technology correspondent, Mark Scott, on the podcast to talk through the issues.He also asks Mark about Ireland’s reputation at the moment in the EU on a myriad of issues, from data protection to tax.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With weeks to go before the first rural homes are connected under the NBP, here’s an in-depth discussion with Peter Hendrick (CEO of National Broadband Ireland).It covers the basics, the finer details, the controversies and the future.What exactly is the criteria for inclusion in the NBP? Does it cover all rural future-builds?Why was so much of the contract redacted? What happens if the project is flipped by its owners?Is Elon Musk’s Starlink any kind of credible alternative?And lots, lots more. It’s a frank, expansive discussion with a lot of detail and some blunt questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it now unpatriotic or selfish to buy from Amazon? Are you aiding a billionaire cartoon villain rather than helping a struggling Irish trader during the pandemic?In recent weeks, this has gained traction as a popular theme in Ireland. Zeal for supporting Irish is transmogrifying into judgementalism for not spending your money with local traders.If you buy online from abroad, you’re selfish and feckless. You’re not doing your bit.But this side-steps a problem that many of its comfortably-off advocates don’t acknowledge: lots of people can’t afford to ignore cheaper goods or delivery and more convenient services, from megacorp entities.€5 on a small item -- or the 90 minutes it takes to go and get it -- can make a big difference. €50 on a large item can be a deal-breaker.Joining Adrian to talk about this is Duncan Graham, head of Retail Excellence Ireland and Samantha McCaughren, business editor of the Sunday Independent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian talks to Senator Marie Sherlock, whose Labour Party is introducing a bill that would give people the legal right to disconnect from work mails, DMs, Slack, Teams, Zoom and other platforms at certain times.But is this actually possible in a 2020 workplace?What is ‘work’ these days, anyway? Haven’t our lockdown lives become a blur of screens, one way or another?Joining Adrian and Marie to tease out the issues is Fearghal O’Connor, the Sunday Independent’s deputy business editor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Zoom podcast, Adrian welcomes Amarach Research’s Gerard O’Neill and the Irish Independent’s deputy business editor, Jon Ihle, on to talk about two topics — whether 5G is needed and not returning to offices.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian talks to David Cawley, an acoustic designers who has created the audio brand OneSonic.The company’s first products are a pair of noise-cancelling headphones (€75) and wireless Bluetooth earbuds (€60).Adrian asks him about the aspiration to take on the giants of hifi audio and how he thinks he might succeed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian delves into the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models, comparing the two phones against each other and against other leading smartphones. One big question emerges: has Apple made the iPhone 12 too powerful? Is there enough in the iPhone 12 Pro to justify the extra stretch?If you’re thinking about upgrading your phone soon, you won’t want to miss this episode.Adrian is joined by Mark Kavanagh, digital editor of Buzz.ie and assistant editor of the Star.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian tackles the potential deaths of cinemas. He’s joined by the RTÉ arts broadcaster Rick O’Shea and Andrew Lowe, the part-owner of the Lighthouse and Palas (Galway) cinemas and a co-founder of the film production company Element Pictures.Adrian puts it to them that Disney’s decision to prioritise streaming from now on could be a signal of what’s to come, with more and more movie budgets going into platforms like Disney+, Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV+. This, in turn, could lead to long term cinema closures as people start cutting back on the number of times they want to go into multiplexes compared to the 65-inch 4K telly in their own front room.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CTO of the world’s most fought-over company is this week’s guest.Paul Scanlan talks to Adrian about geopolitics, telecoms and the possibility of a split in the internet as the US and China engage in low-level industrial warfare.Adrian asks whether Huawei is facing retreat in Europe and what Scanlan expects to see in five to ten years’ time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Three switched on its 5G network in Ireland. Adrian has been out testing the network, finding some great speeds but also some gaps in the map.Here, he interviews Three’s chief technology officer, David Hennessy. He asks about what 5G might be useful for, what (if any) danger still exists from anti-5G conspiracy theorists and about Three’s general future plans.For an accompanying explainer on the general rollout of 5G mobile services in Ireland, as well as a snapshot of Adrian’s testing of Three’s network, see Independent.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s finally coming to a head. After years of hedging and fudging and hiding behind controversial ‘standard contractual clauses’, reality is staring us in the face. Facebook, Google and the rest may soon be run out of Europe as the internet splits into three core silos: the US, Europe and China.There are now a few big questions.First, is there a way for big tech companies to carry on with existing services without breaking EU privacy law? Facebook says it can’t see how. But one of today’s guests, Castlebridge founder Daragh O’Brien, says there is a way.But even if they can do it, is all of this really the opening salvo in a wider trend to see big US tech companies, as they currently operate, watered down in Europe? Moreover, would we miss them if they left? INM’s Steve Dempsey looks at that issue, alongside Adrian.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After launching two new iPads, two new Watches and a Fitness+ subscription service this week, Apple is the main subject of today’s podcast.Adrian and Buzz.ie digital editor Mark Kavanagh talk about why Apple has stayed on top, why iPads blow away Android rivals and what might come next with the iPhone 12.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The bad news is that the iPhone 12 is delayed. The good news is that we have a good idea of its strong and weak points. So if you were considering an upgrade, or are just curious about Apple’s next model (there will actually be four of them), Adrian and his guests (Sunday Independent deputy business editor Fearghal O’Connor and Daily Telegraph Technology Correspondent Michael Cogley) offer a rundown of the likely new features. It shouldn’t be missed that Apple makes around €1bn in profit per week on the back of this machine, so even if you’ve no interest in the gadget itself, your pension fund manager probably does.The three also take a look at what to expect from the new iPad and Apple Watch to be unveiled next Tuesday, and then discuss whether Google’s lease pullback in Dublin means that office life as we know it has peaked.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra the best Android smartphone right now? What about earphones? And tablets? And laptops?And what doesn’t quite make the grade?Surrounded by dozens of the latest gadget releases, Adrian is joined by Buzz.ie’s Mark Kavanagh to talk through what shines and what fizzles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wonder what Gerry McGovern did next?Those who’ve been around the Irish technology scene for a couple of decades will remember a time when Nua was one of the beacons of the industry. With a mission to create a ‘Local Ireland’ platform, it culminated in a multi-million euro stake from (what was then known as) Telecom Eireann. And then the dot bomb crash happened.So where has Gerry McGovern been? What does he now think of that time?This week, Adrian catches up with the Longford man on the publication of his eighth book, ‘World Wide Waste’.McGovern has lost none of his passion, which is now directed at cutting out physical and digital waste. He gets heated about a few things during the podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian talks to one of the thorns in the side of big tech companies. Dr Johnny Ryan recently joined the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, having spent much of the last two years taking action against Google and the Interactive Advertising Bureau in his role with the privacy browser, Brave.His main point is that the system still tolerates big tech and online ad companies brushing over our data privacy rights on issues like consent and what happens to the sharing of our personal profiles once we click on a website.Adrian asks him what his idea of an internet with stricter enforcement of European rules might look like and whether he thinks this is likely.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Bank Of Ireland’s volte-face on refunding customers who were conned in an SMS phishing campaign, this week’s podcast looks at the ‘smishing’ issue in some detail. How does smishing actually work? Is it the fault of SMS gateways that lots of companies use?Joining Adrian is Dr Jessica Barker, co-founder if Cygenta and a cyber security expert who’s particularly good at explaining cyber issues. She points out that sometimes the dodgy grammar used by phishing fraudsters is deliberate, to make easier marques more clearly identifiable to them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian talks to Alan Holland, founder and CEO of Cork-based Keelvar, a procurement AI technology firm that recently raised €16m in a funding round.Adrian asks Alan about the growing trend among Irish tech founders to go abroad for venture funding instead of relying on investment sources here.The two also discuss the transition from being an academic in a university to a startup entrepreneur and the change of pace required.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian and Sunday Independent business editor, Samantha McCaughren, discuss the rise of paywalls across major newspaper brands. Adrian argues that while they sometimes attract narky comments from online readers, paywalls have simplified the news consumption process and set a more solid path for future business models.They discuss whether it’s ethical to put critical news, such as Covid-19 updates, behind a subscription paywall. They also look at how related business models, such as reader contributions and online advertising, are faring for those who depend on them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“March 12, 2020 was the day that the Dow Jones Industrial Average had its largest drop since 1987, the year I was born. That was the day I decided to take the next step and start fundraising for our Series A.”But how on earth did Corkman Robert Fenton, founder of life science data management firm Qualio, do it?This week, he gives Adrian the story of how he went from zero to $11m, from multiple VC firms, in 90 days. He also talks about the temptation that some companies now have to leave San Francisco, where he now lives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian tackles the two giant breaking news stories of the week: Apple’s €13bn tax win against the European Commission and what the Schrems data privacy ruling means for ordinary Facebook and web users here.On the first topic, he’s joined by tax expert Brian Keegan, who attended the court case last year.On the privacy ruling, Adrian grills data protection expert Katherine O’Keeffe (from Castlebridge) about where the ECJ decision leaves ordinary people who are now wondering whether their use of cloud services might soon fall foul of European law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian talks to John Goulding and Joe Lennon, co-founders of the workplace communications software firm Workvivo. The two just raised almost €15m in venture funding, having decided not to shilly-shally around with Irish VCs. Instead, they followed the bigger money trail stateside and landed it.The chat involves raising money, growing a company from Cork and a host of other things.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian has a lively chat with one of Ireland’s most interesting serial entrepreneurs, Norman Crowley.Crowley built and sold three companies for $750m by the age of 40.But he came tantalisingly close to selling one of them for $1bn. He explains how that episode hit him hard for a year. But he also now says that it was “the best thing that ever happened” to him.Crowley has gone on to mix his love for the environment with new successful companies, including Crowley Carbon (which raised $31m earlier this year) and Electrifi, which reconditions classic sports cars into all-electric vehicles.He also challenged Adrian to walk on hot coals, a dare that the host is currently considering.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian is joined by the CEO of the country’s biggest online-only media publisher, Journal Media, and the CEO and co-founder of Silicon Republic, one of Ireland’s longest-running and most successful online publishers.Adrian Acosta and Ann O’Dea dive deep into commercial and business challenges that media companies now face in Ireland.Is online advertising for media firms doomed? That’s a big question that the panel discusses in some depth.Alternate funding methods are also discussed, such as reader appeals and membership clubs. Acosta reveals that The Journal has attracted over 5,000 financial contributions since launching its reader contribution scheme two months ago.O’Dea describes the factors around creating other businesses adjacent to media, such as conferencing.And the panel looks at the prospects for different Irish media organisations from any new or re-organised ‘media fund’ that might be put together by the Irish government.On the health of media, the panel also analyses some of the issues around trust, or lack of it, in press and media.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian dives into the amazing story of Ireland’s most fantastically controversial startup of the last 20 years: Steorn. The company raised €20m on the premise of having invented a perpetual motion machine using magnets. The startup claimed to have uncovered an “anomaly” in the laws of physics that would allow for never-ending power.From a full page ad in the Economist boasting of their breakthrough to a dramatic demonstration fiasco in London, the story of Steorn is a mixture of ambition, delusion and hubris.To explain the ins and outs of the story to Adrian is Barry Whyte, chief feature writer for the Business Post. Barry’s newly-published book, ‘The Impossible Dream’, recounts in great detail the entire Steorn story, painting a brilliant picture of the characters involved, the key moments and the ultimate outcomes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian is joined by a vastly experienced Irish media panel in the area of digital media and technology: co-founder of Kinzen and Storyful Mark Little, founder of Maximum Media Niall McGarry and co-founder and editor of The Currency, Ian Kehoe.The panel dives deep into the problems and opportunities for media in a technology-dominated landscape.In his first extensive public commentary since his company’s examinership, Niall McGarry also addresses the issue of the ‘click farm’ incident in 2017 that saw the publisher of Joe.ie and Her.ie lose a substantial amount of revenue from advertisers after an employee was found to have manipulated listenership figures on an AIB-sponsored podcast.“It was so isolated, such a one-off and so unique to a publisher like us that I think a lot of people jumped on it and made it a much bigger story than it was,” he says.“It gave a huge amount of traditional media organisations an opportunity to have a pop at us because we came out of nowhere. We didn't come from the Dublin media set. We had created something new.”Mr McGarry says that he wants to “put the incident behind us and move on”, instead focusing on “some of the amazing work we've done”.“I think our organisation has been incredibly impactful on things like the Eighth Amendment referendum and on marriage equality. We were the first brand to get out there and get behind a yes campaign.”Niall believes that the company is “too big to fail” and has “too important a role” in Ireland not to emerge from its current High Court examinership process.The Big Tech Show is in association with Fidelity Investments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian dives into the murky, colourful world of online fraud, scams and cyber security.He and security expert Brian Honan look at the latest threats, occasionally getting side-tracked by the pros and cons of encryption, password managers and just how famous an Irish celebrity you have to be for your face to be illegally attached to diet pills or cryptocurrency scams.They also look at resources in place in Ireland to fight cybercrime and whether more is required.The Big Tech Show is in association with Fidelity Investments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zoom is the single biggest breakthrough service of the 2020 global lockdown, in or out of tech. Before February, it was a niche business tech tool. 90 days on, it’s a global household name. Grannies, schoolteachers and friends now use it daily. It has replaced ‘Skype’ and ‘FaceTime’ as our default verb for video-conferencing. And the chief information officer, responsible for making large chunks of it work, is a man from Rathfarnham. Harry Moseley is unlike a typical CIO. He’s relaxed and easygoing with the emeritus demeanor of a board member rather than the guy logging 14-hour days to make sure everything is ticking.Adrian hears from Harry about the “upsetting” moments over security reports in recent weeks. He also touches on his childhood here, including growing up as a Jewish kid in Dublin.Adrian also talks to Vanessa Tierney, CEO and co-founder of Abodoo, an Irish firm set up with a specialty in matching remote workers to employers.In a wide-ranging chat, Adrian and Vanessa go beyond the clichés of remote working to discuss the future of cities and whether there’ll be a generational split in who wants to live in built-up areas.The Big Tech Show is in association with Fidelity Investments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian talks to Jonathan Ruane, lecturer in global economics and management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), adjunct professor at TCD and a previous co-founder of Eventovate, which he sold in 2016.Do Irish startups deserve a handout from the state? Or should it be considered a handup? After all, aren’t startups supposed to define a bootstrapping and disruptive culture?The two also tackle some much broader contextual issues around the culture behind startups and funding -- from anti-intellectualism to why inheritance tax should be increased to spur more innovation.It’s a fascinating diversion into some of the deeper issues behind the daily debates that normally make up the bulk of discussions on the topic.The Big Tech Show is in association with Fidelity Investments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a packed episode this week, Adrian asks whether the gold rush for back-to-work thermal cameras in Ireland is warranted and looks at how startups are coping with live under pandemic conditions.Thermal cameras are being painted as a key tech enabler to get Ireland moving again, from airports and hospitals to ordinary businesses. But TCD’s Dr Seamus O’Shaughnessy explains their limitations to Adrian in plain English.Then the founder and chief executive of one of Ireland’s most successful indigenous software firms, Phorest, tells Adrian about startup struggles during the current lockdown. He also explains how his company’s technology is helping hundreds of hairdressers in Germany to re-open safely.The Big Tech Show is in association with Fidelity Investments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian talks to Alison.com founder Mike Feerick, who runs one of Europe’s biggest online learning platforms with 15m registered users. Telling Adrian that April brought 600,000 new registrants to his site, Mike explains why the writing is on the wall for universities which are “too expensive” and “out of date”.“Most employers just want to know that you can do a particular job,” he says from his Galway base. “I loved being at Harvard but it was for the people I met there, not the actual learning material.”The Big Tech Show is in association with Fidelity Investments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the world watches governments’ introduction of contact-tracing apps, new research from Trinity College Dublin suggests that the involvement of Google could cause privacy problems in at least one contact-tracing model.Adrian Weckler talks to Professor Dough Leith, chair of Computer Systems at the School of Computer Science and Statistics at TCD, who has taken a close look at Google’s involvement in Singapore’s OpenTrace platform, used for its TraceTogether app.His paper, jointly compiled by TCD research fellow Stephen Farrell, concludes that Google’s Firebase Analytics could mean that supposedly anonymous users might be identified. It also warns about potential ad-targeting associated with the same technology.All of this comes after reports that the Irish contact-tracing app has undergone a recent design change, potentially involving Google in its makeup.And it comes as Google and Apple intensify their joint approach to contact-tracing, offering more data about how their API might work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian brings on veteran tech reporter John Kennedy and former TD Noel Rock to run through some of the stories of the week. Noel gives an insight into the pressures that politicians can face from constituents on issues such as the erection of mobile masts, even when the science behind the arguments seems shaky. (He describes himself as an opponent of vigilante anti-5G groups.)John talks about how he sees tech companies coping with the lockdown and what we might expect to see next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been described as ‘the safety net’ of the pandemic. But how much do we, or should we, rely on GoFundMe?This week, Adrian hosts a Zoom call with Tim Cadogan, GoFundMe’s recently-appointed chief executive.They talk about how much people are committing to GoFundMe campaigns here, including almost €1m to a ‘Feed The Heroes’ campaign in recent weeks.Irish people remain some of the biggest givers per capital on GoFundMe, Tim says.But Adrian asks Tim what it says about society that so many campaigns relate to things like medical bills or domestic emergencies. Are we letting authorities off the hook?And they look more widely at whether tech companies have been a good or a bad influence during the Covid-19 lockdown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're become used to hearing giant web companies described as leeches, health risks and agents of discord.But has the tone changed, now that we're all eagerly using their services to survive while locked in our homes?Are we quietly shelving our pearl-clutching hysteria about the dangers of 'screen time' and notional long-term health fears over using smartphones?Do we care as much if their free, or cheap, platforms slurp data?This week, Adrian Weckler is joined by senior Irish tech investor (and Draper Esprit partner) Brian Caulfield and data protection expert (and Castlebridge research director) Katherine O'Keefe to weave a path through the pros and cons of the scenario we now find ourselves in.The panel also discuss the finer points of working from home, as well as the challenge that brings.And they look at the benefits and pitfalls of Ireland's upcoming contact tracing app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we dive into the topic of Twitter bots. Specifically, we ask the question: are pro-government bot accounts being operated in Ireland?We also explain what a Twitter bot is, how they typically operator and how to check whether a suspected account is a bot or not.Adrian Weckler is joined by digital marketing consultant Damien Mulley to explore the figures.Then Adrian is joined by Paul Campbell, founder of the Irish ticketing reservation platform Tito, who has just launched an online video conferencing platform called Vito. Along the way, Adrian and Paul talk about their insecurities, phone voices and the Irish tech ecosystem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian talks to Docusign CEO Dan Springer about what it’s like to announce 100 new jobs in Dublin and then have to hire them all over video links.But that’s exactly what Docusign is doing. The e-signature company is flying at present with over €1bn in revenue likely in 2020, even with the current pandemic.And like plenty of other multinational tech firms, it has chosen Dublin as its biggest base outside the US west coast.Dan also tells Adrian why he took a few years out of his career to raise his two teenage sons as a single father, and why attitudes towards working men who do that remain a little antiquated.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Week 2 of Ireland’s Covid-19 virtual lockdown continues with many trying to get used to working from home.Videoconferencing is an especially steep learning curve.“Tom? Hello, Tom? Tom we can see you, but we can’t hear you. Try hitting unmute. Actually, hold on - it might be star six. Try star six. Tom? Tom! TRY STAR SIX.”Aside from our diet going to hell and our backs and shoulders wrecked from slouching in inappropriate chairs, Adrian looks at some of the tools to use and talks to tech and privacy expert Fintan Swanton about some of the associated issues that may arise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone is being told to work from home — including Irish and Sunday Independent journalists.So Adrian rang some of them up to see how they are getting on.He found them coping in a brave new world of Microsoft Teams, virtual private networks and remote working amongst kids, dogs and builders.Adrian spoke to Sunday Independent business editor Samantha McCaughren, Irish Independent business editor Donal O’Donovan and Sunday Independent deputy business editor, Fearghal O’Connor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a row over whether authorities should or should not have revealed the name of an Irish school where a student tested positive for Covid-19, this week’s panel digs deeper in other potential privacy conflicts that may arise.Should health authorities be asking infected people for their Google tracked location? If things got really desperate, would they even look for dystopian tools, such as Clearview’s facial identification database?The panel, which sees Sunday Independent deputy business editor Fearghal O’Connor and Castlebridge chief executive Daragh O’Brien join host Adrian Weckler, also debates whether remote working is actually a viable option for people in the longer term. Given that remote working tools have been around for a decade, why would people suddenly start to become interested in the practice now?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian is joined by Pocket-lint.com editor Chris Hall and Buzz.ie digital editor Mark Kavanagh to go through the wave of top smartphones just launched.Is Samsung’s folding Flip Z a good deal? What are the flaws, if any, in the S20 Ultra’s incredible camera zoom? And how are soon-to-be announced OnePlus 8 Pro and Google Pixel 4a models shaping up?The panel goes in depth on the pros and cons of each model to give you a better idea of what’s worth getting.The Big Tech Show is in association with Vodafone Business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian Weckler is discussing 5G and taking a critical look at its strengths and weaknesses.To help him make sense of whether it is all it’s hyped up to be, Adrian is joined by Bobby Healy, founder of Manna Aero, Con Kennedy, Chief Technical Officer with Ericsson Ireland and Niall Campion, co-founder of VRAI.The panel discusses everything from drone usage to 4K movies to the pros and cons of ‘millimetre wave’ 5G.The Big Tech Show is in association with Vodafone Business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian Weckler’s panel looks at what’s coming next with TV. Is traditional ‘linear’ television mortally wounded, as Eir CEO Carolan Lennon recent told Adrian? Or can Sky, Virgin Media and broadcasters like RTÉ and the BBC hold their own against the tens of billions being invested by Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and all the rest?Adrian is joined by Sunday Independent business editor Samantha McCaughren and the cofounder of Dublin-based startup LogoGrab, Alessandro Prest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former Ireland international rugby player, Jamie Heaslip, is becoming a textbook example of how to transition from sport into modern business.Eschewing the role of a corporate mascot, Heaslip has chosen the role of tech investor and promoter, meeting young startups to see whether they’re worth a punt.Some are. One of his earliest bets has just paid off spectacularly. Pointy, the retail listing startup cofounder by Charles Bibby and Mark Cummins, recently announced its acquisition by Google in a nine figure deal. Heaslip is understood to have made a six-figure sum from his initial investment.Other bets, such as the analytics firm Kitman Labs, look promising for a significantly augmented return in the near future, too.And if tech hits another bubble, he has a few Dublin pubs to fall back on, such as The Bridge 1859 and Lemon & Duke, as well as a job in Google he could probably return to.But Heaslip doesn’t think that startup tech is going south anytime soon. He has just taken a deeper role in a fintech firm, Flender, that has created a new online platform to match lenders with small businesses who want to borrow sums up to €300,000.Adrian Weckler sat down with Heaslip to ask him about tech, trends, culture and the transition from sport to investing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Adrian sits down with Eir CEO Carolan Lennon, who says:- the Huawei controversy isn't about security but is a "US-China trade issue"- Minister Michael Ring’s claims about Eir are "factually untrue"- Traditional ‘linear’ TV is toast: we will all move to apps-based television in time- Eir hasn’t decided yet on a new price for GoMo after the current €12.99 “for life” offer runs outLennon also says that Eir’s 5G launch wasn’t kept private because of the presence at the event of Huawei chairman Guo Ping. And she rejects criticism that using Huawei telecoms equipment in Eir’s 5G network makes it any less secure than other networks.“It's very hard to take the smoke away from everything that's going on around this,” she says. “But obviously security is really important to us. We've just recently won the Garda mobile business tender. So it's not stopping us winning business. Do American multinationals mention it? Yes. But has it stopped us winning business? No It hasn't. So we're going to push on, we’re committed to them, they've been a good supplier and we're very happy with the kit and the quality of the network.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.