The Big Tech Show

Caroline O’Doherty, Environment correspondent for the Irish Independent, discusses the explosive growth of data centers in Ireland and their significant energy consumption, projected to make up over 31% of the country's electricity use. She reveals why companies flock to Ireland, including the stable political and favorable geographical climate. The conversation also uncovers the mix of valuable and 'junk' data stored, highlighting the environmental impact and challenges of integrating sustainable solutions like waste heat from these centers.

How did US military leaders accidentally add a journalist to their group chat? What should users of DNA test 23andme do now that the company is going bankrupt? And why has Netflix show Adolescence created such a panic about teenage phone use? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show to discuss the latest tech news. The tech editor started by discussing the recent security leak at the highest level of the US government. Editor in chief of the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was added to a Signal group chat 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 happening with the weaponisation of technology? From Musk threatening to shut off Starlink in Ukraine to the Israeli’s arming hundreds of pagers. And where does Ireland’s neutrality stand in all of this? Declan Power, security and defence analyst, joins the Big Tech Show for this week’s episode. The tech editor began by asking the defence expert about Ireland’s neutral stance. Declan Power made the argument that Ireland has taken a side in the Ukraine conflict. However, Ireland is only providing non-lethal support for Ukraine such as aid and fuel rather than bombs and bullets. 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 should you know about the new Amazon.ie website? Is it worth switching over from the UK domain? Is it cheaper? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show to discuss the latest tech news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the new MacBook Air like? Should you upgrade to it? And can a new CEO rescue Intel’s woes? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show to discuss the latest tech news. Adrian began the conversation by talking about the new MacBook Air with an M4 chip. He advised the listener to consider older versions of the MacBook Air with either M2 or M3 chips as they are perfect for the average office worker. However, the tech editor made the point that if someone has an intel chip based laptop or an M1 chip laptop, they should consider the new MacBook Air. 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 buying a Tesla now a political statement? Are people now shying away from the EV brand? And has Elon’s support of Trump spelled disaster for Tesla sales? Derek Reilly, partnership director with Nevo, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s going on with crypto? What’s the state of play with meme coins? And is the market about to crash? Katie Byrne, Money editor with the Irish Independent, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. Adrian began by discussing Trump coin, Donald Trump’s meme coin which has reportedly made 350 million dollars since its launch. The money editor told Adrian that after announcing his crypto project, there was a pattern showing that people had got the news at least 24 hours before the meme coin news was announced. The money expert explained that by the time the news of the meme coin was shared on truth social, the insiders had gone in made their money and exited. 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 are the benefits of 6G? Are the Chinese phone brands flooding the market any good? And what’s different about the new iPad Air? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show to discuss the latest tech news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are Chinese online shopping apps taking off in Ireland? Will Apple’s age assurance system work? And what can be done to stop children encountering harmful content online? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show to discuss the latest tech news. Apple is introducing a new declared age range function which will enable developers to see age information volunteered by parents during the account setup for a child on the Apple app store. Under the new system, parents will be able to change the age associated with a child’s account, while a new set-up process is also being introduced to make it easier for parents to control their child’s access levels to apps on iPhones and iPads. Apple is also setting additional abilities for app developers to restrict kids from downloading apps from Apple’s App Store based on their age. 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 Apple investment in Europe a thing of the past? How do the AirPods Pro 2 work as clinical grade hearing aids? And is the affordable new iPhone 16e worth getting? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show to discuss the latest tech news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.