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 ads urging us to ‘ride’? Tier joins others in looking at a launch in Ireland after Communications M...
Feb 12, 2021•30 min
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 company is considering a saliva swab test that would contribute to a ‘Book Of You’ concept. The aim w...
Feb 05, 2021•35 min
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 movement on cryptocurrency — rather than a mob on Reddit — that is driving crypto’s long term rise in valu...
Jan 29, 2021•21 min
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 rare in tech companies. But they're not unknown.Apple, for example, has a number of Siptu members i...
Jan 22, 2021•34 min
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.
Jan 15, 2021•32 min
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 Profe...
Jan 08, 2021•23 min
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 omny...
Jan 01, 2021•51 min
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....
Dec 23, 2020•32 min
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....
Dec 18, 2020•44 min
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.
Dec 11, 2020•32 min
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.
Dec 04, 2020•23 min
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 ...
Nov 27, 2020•57 min
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...
Nov 20, 2020•29 min
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 edito...
Nov 13, 2020•40 min
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.
Nov 06, 2020•38 min
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.
Oct 30, 2020•34 min
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 pr...
Oct 23, 2020•47 min
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...
Oct 16, 2020•34 min
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.
Oct 09, 2020•41 min
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 testi...
Oct 02, 2020•32 min
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 gues...
Sep 25, 2020•42 min
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.
Sep 18, 2020•45 min
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 wee...
Sep 11, 2020•33 min
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.
Sep 04, 2020•41 min
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 p...
Aug 28, 2020•46 min
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 profi...
Aug 21, 2020•51 min
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 ...
Aug 14, 2020•19 min
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....
Aug 07, 2020•23 min
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 r...
Jul 31, 2020•28 min
“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 Fr...
Jul 24, 2020•30 min
