The Big Tech Show

This week’s guest is Helen Dixon, Europe’s most powerful tech regulator. She and Adrian talk about Facebook, Whatsapp, fines, Brexit, data rights and a whole host of other things. Among the revelations are that Whatsapp will not be sharing more data with Facebook in the EU anytime soon. Helen Dixon says that there has “been no progress” between Facebook and the Irish regulator on seeking allowance...

This week, Adrian sits down with Carolan Lennon to talk through some of the major issues failing Eir. It’s been a tricky few months for the company, which has attracted white hot criticism over its customer service levels during the pandemic. It’s also been a successful period in other ways, with its GoMo budget service hoovering up an unusual number of customers (250,000) in just a year, forcing...

Escooter rental firms are lining up to launch here: at least five firms have declared their intention to do so. This week, Adrian sits down with Lawrence Leuschner, the founder and CEO of Europe’s biggest firm — Tier. It operates in 90 European cities and wants to launch here. Adrian asks the questions that many will have: where will they be parked? How much will they cost to hire? And will we see...

This week, Adrian chats with LetsGetChecked founder and CEO, Peter Foley. The €100m Dun Laoghaire startup tests for dozens of different conditions and illnesses, from cancer to sexual health issues. Adrian and Peter discuss testing airline passengers, a new lab in Dublin and being snubbed by the Irish government. But they also talk about Peter's plan to test DNA profiles as its next service. The c...

Bitcoin’s price has been rallying in recent weeks, but can it stay at this level? Or will it crash as it has so many times before? Adrian talks to cryptocurrency veteran Lory Kehoe, now in a new position as director of digital assets and blockchain with BNY Mellon, the huge international bank. Kehoe explains what’s behind Bitcoin’s current rise and makes an argument that it is institutional moveme...

This month, a small group of employees in Google's US headquarters joined a union. Even though it was a relatively tiny number - just 400 out of 125,000 employed worldwide - it caused a stir. A union in a high-tech company? Weren't unions supposed to be on the decline? Aren't tech firms supposed to be enlightened, high-paying workplaces where there isn't any need for unions? In Ireland, unions are...

holds Adrian’s guest this week is Conor Pierce, Samsung’s Irish-born corporate vice president for the UK and Ireland. The two discuss the launch of the Galaxy S21 as well as what we might see in the coming years. Samsung has its own ideas about this, having just released a new 110-inch television and a home help robot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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...

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...

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 subscri...

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...

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/l...

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 informat...

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 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...

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 an...

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 Kava...

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 bu...

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 expla...

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 existi...

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 rundo...