The Big Tech Show

Are the tech companies, with their high salaries and expanding campuses, making it unaffordable for everyone else?And does this make Dublin a blander, less interesting city?Joining technology editor Adrian Weckler to discuss the issue is Leonard Hobbs, director of Trinity College Dublin’s Research and Innovation; artist Claire McCluskey, whose inner city Richmond Road Studios workplace recently recover an eviction notice; and Mark Cullen, director and curator at Pallas Projects studios in Dublin 8.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What everyday tech quirks really get on your nerves?Banking? Online players? Services not letting you cancel online? Adrian Weckler discusses some of the worst offenders with journalist Jonathan Keane and broadcaster Andy O’Donoghue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered about raising cash for a startup? Unsure where to start or how to go about it? About grants? Or venture capital firms? Or investment ‘angels’? Or even asking family and friends?This week, Adrian Weckler gets answers to these beginners’ questions from Jack Cantillon, CEO and co-founder of the new Dublin-based startup Herd, which has just raised €600,000 with commitments for another €400,000.Donal ‘DC’ Cahalane, the experienced startup consultant now working with Dogpatch, also joins the podcast to offer his advice on what to do when you’re starting off.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electric cars are hot. But it’s really hard to get one. And there are still lots of basic questions that many people have, which often aren’t answered by dealers or pundits. Does the promised range fall drastically on a motorway? What’s the actual availability of public chargers? And what’s the likely resale value compared to petrol or diesel cars in a few years?For some plain-speaking questions and answers on the topic, Adrian is joined by motoring journalist Geraldine Herbert.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should Apple and Facebook be forced to allow you to send texts from Whatsapp to iMessage?That’s one of the possible ramifications from a new EU law that big tech firms are up in arms about.Will it break encryption? Could it cause spam? Or is it consumer progress?And what’s going on with the new data transatlantic treaty?To discuss these issues, Adrian is joined by Mark Scott,Chief Technology Correspondent at Politico.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fuel and electricity prices are going through the roof. There is one thing you can do, and help the planet while you’re at it — put in solar panels.But how easy or hard is that to do? How expensive is it? And how much of a dent might it really make in a country known for cloudy, rainy days and dark winters?Joining Adrian on this week’s episode is someone’s who done it – Castlebridge founder (and Wexford householder) Daragh O’Brien. A longstanding expert in domestic solar installation, Tim Cooper, also gives Adrian an A-Z of practical questions that someone considering solar might have.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electricity bills. Fuel costs. Diesel hikes. Streaming prices rises. Most of us are currently drowning under inflationary pressure that is ramping up our cost of living. Can tech help? Sort of. Adrian Weckler and consumer journalist Siobhan Maguire discuss ways that tech can help to cut your bills.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some mock them, others worship them. But non fungible tokens – NFTs – look here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. If you’ve a passing interest, how might you get started? How might you separate the real thing from the scams? And why are so many damn celebrities trying to sell you one?To explain all of this, Adrian is joined by Lory Kehoe, the newly-appointed director of NFT Success at Coinbase, and who is also the founder of Blockchain Ireland as well as being an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ireland has had relatively thin layers of protection against cyber attacks and IT threats. But after a catastrophic attack on the HSE, the state beefed up Ireland’s National Cyber Security Centre, doubling its staff and increasing its remit. Will it be enough? Or does Ireland remain dangerously exposed? What are the threats now from a Ukraine-centred cyber war?Joining Adrian Weckler to discuss this is the newly-appointed director of the National Cyber Security Centre, Richard Browne.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who watches over the biggest tech firms in the world? Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner. This week, we talk to Helen Dixon about the challenges her office faces, criticism she has received and some of the biggest issues on how big tech intersects with our lives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.