The Big Tech Show - podcast cover

The Big Tech Show

Irish Independentwww.independent.ie
Irish Independent Tech Editor Adrian Weckler hosts this award-winning business podcast which dives deep into the biggest industry advances and tracks the key movers and shakers behind the innovation. From interviewing Big Tech CEOs to investigations into how tech affects our working lives, the show has become Ireland’s most listened-to technology podcast.
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Episodes

10 tech signs you’re part of the older generation

Do you have a thick phone wallet? Do you use a novelty ringtone or set notifications to ping constantly? Is the crying laughing emoji one of your go-to texting characters? Well, you may not think of yourself this way, but you're middle aged. On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by assistant producer, JJ Clarke. Adrian kicked off the conversation by talking about the older generations' annoying habit of leaving their ringtone on in public places. There was some daylight here between A...

Jul 04, 202424 min

Brain hacking and tracking: the future of wearable neurotechnology

Is brain hacking and tracking just science-fiction? Or has emotion-sensing neurotech already arrived? And what are the applications, good and bad? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by Duke University Professor and Author of ‘The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology,’ Nita Farahany. The Law professor first came to neurotech as a result of being a self-described chronic migrainer. She began using neurostimulation devices and neurot...

Jul 02, 202423 min

GameStop, AMC and 'Roaring Kitty' -- a beginner's guide to meme stocks

Have you ever been tempted to get into meme stocks? Have you heard of friends making or losing money on Gamestop stocks? Or is the whole thing just a giant ponzi scheme? Adrian is joined on The Big Tech Show this week by chief investment officer and senior portfolio manager at Gresham House Ireland, Derek Heffernan. A meme stock is a stock that gains popularity among retail investors through social media. The popularity of meme stocks is generally based on internet memes shared among traders, on...

Jun 27, 202419 min

Why the death of late-night cafés in Ireland hurts our culture and our startups

Where have all the late-night cafes gone? What's the alternative for a non-drinker? And what impact is it having on newly minted tech startups? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by assistant producer, JJ Clarke. In Adrian’s most recent article, he laments the disappearing cafe culture in Dublin and how they were a useful place to go or meet people, early or late if you didn’t want to go to a pub. There are very few cafes today, that open later than 11pm or do business before 6am. ...

Jun 25, 202425 min

Why Eoghan McCabe isn’t the only tech founder endorsing Donald Trump

The Irish tech industry grabbed its popcorn when Intercom co-founder and CEO, Eoghan McCabe, posted a thumbs-up photo with Donald Trump, endorsing the recently-convicted ex-president. McCabe isn’t alone. Across Silicon Valley, there’s a clear drift of senior figures toward Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 20, 202423 min

Hands on with Apple AI – the good, the bad and the ChatGPT

What’s the latest from Apple’s WWDC conference? Is user data still a priority? And why did they go big on AI? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian joins the show from Cupertino, California at Apple's WWDC conference. Joining him on the episode are tech industry analysts from CCS Insight, Leo Gebbie and Ben Wood. The big news from the conference is that the tech giant has done a deal with Open AI. It’s essentially acknowledged that its own research and training models are limited. Contingent on...

Jun 12, 202424 min

The most common Revolut scams and how to avoid them

What are the telltale signs of a Revolut scam? How can we avoid them? And is the app a safe place for your money? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by security expert and chief information security officer at Waystone, Conor Flynn. The problem of financial scams has become an issue for Irish banking customers recently, with an upsurge in fraud cases for Revolut users. The Banking and Payments Federation says that fraudsters stole about 100 million euro through frauds and scams las...

Jun 11, 202421 min

Telecoms mogul David McCourt on AI, philanthropy and why he was right about the National Broadband Plan

Are there global rules for AI? How is Ireland contributing? And why is telecoms mogul David McCourt getting involved? On The Big Tech Show this week Adrian speaks to chairman and founder of Granahan McCourt and chairman and founder of the National Broadband Ireland, David McCourt. The businessman is attempting to set up global rules governing AI use by bringing together experts in the field to make the technology safer and more equitable. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Jun 06, 202426 min

Tight margins and spinning plates: The CEO of Nory on how restaurants can utilise AI

The restaurant business is notoriously fickle in Ireland with high rents, tight margins and staffing issues. How is one entrepreneur using AI to turn a profit? How does it work? And where do most restaurateurs go wrong? CEO of Nory and founder of chicken fast food chain, Mad Egg, Conor Sheridan joined Adrian on The Big Tech Show this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 30, 202419 min

Jaguar Land Rover’s plans to disrupt with Range Rover EV despite infrastructure concerns

When will the new Range Rover EV land? Is it a good time for the brand to go full EV? And what is being worked on in their centre for excellence in Shannon? Jaguar Land Rover has achieved its highest ever yearly sales and its biggest profit in almost a decade. This is driven by record sales, particularly of Range Rovers with around 133,000 vehicles ordered at the end of the financial year (2023), and three quarters of those were Range Rovers, range Rover Sport and Defender models. Adrian was joi...

May 28, 202420 min

From answering phones to running global operations: the meteoric rise of eBay’s Siobhan Curtin

Why do some companies still see remote working as a positive force for their workforce? How can leadership teams adapt? And how is Ireland informing the culture as a global powerhouse? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by eBay Ireland Site Leader and Senior Director of Customer Experience, Siobhan Curtin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 23, 202424 min

Overeating and mental health problems: the hidden costs of remote working

Is remote working creating a mental health crisis? Are those working from home overeating? And what can be done to improve mental health in the digital workforce? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by the CEO of mental health and wellbeing platform Kara Connect, Tobba Vigfusdottir. Kara Connect has done research this year showing that in 2024 mental health issues cost an employer €1,500 per employee per annum. Vigfusdottir says that since the pandemic we have seen a surge in mental...

May 21, 202425 min

The travel tech that will save you money and time

What tech do you bring abroad when you travel? How do you avoid getting completely ripped off on roaming charges? And what are some of the hacks you should know about? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by the travel editor of the Irish Independent, Pól Ó Conghaile. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 16, 202427 min

Amazon.ie finally arrives, trouble at Tesla and the demise of phone calls

What can Irish consumers expect from Amazon.ie? Why is Elon Musk under investigation by the US Justice Department? And do we really miss phone calls? This week on The Big Tech Show, Adrian discusses the tech stories hitting the news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 14, 202427 min

Love-bombing, pet names and excuses: the signs of romance fraud

How common is romance fraud? Are the victims likely to report? And how can you spot the scammers? On The Big Tech Show podcast this week, Adrian spoke to cyber security expert, Dr Jessica Barker MBE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 09, 202421 min

Hands on with Apple's new iPads: the good, the bad and the pricing

Apple’s latest launch event took place in London yesterday, with four new iPads and a new Apple Pencil Pro among the latest innovations unveiled to journalists. It was once largely accepted that iPads were for leisure use and that most users (and indeed companies) would always favour laptops for business tasks but could this new generation of tablets from the tech behemoth mark a sea change in how tablets are used? On The Big Tech Show this week Adrian speaks to producer Dee Reddy on the latest ...

May 08, 202419 min

The future of self-driving cars with the CEO of Provizio Barry Lunn

What's going on with self-driving cars? What is the current status of the technology behind it? And can it be used in other ways? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by Barry Lunn, the founder and CEO of Provizio, which is a Limerick based company best known for its technology around autonomous driving. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 02, 202422 min

From redundancy to CEO with the co-founder of Glitch Aisling Browne

What does it take to build a startup? What kind of personality does it require? What kind of mentality do you have to have? And what do you do when you get there? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by CEO and co-founder of Glitch, Aisling Browne. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 25, 202426 min

The manosphere: the growing trend of algorithms recommending toxicity to young men

Are social media platforms unduly skewing the minds of young males? What is the harmful content they see? And is it unprompted? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by postdoctoral researcher with the Observatory on Cyberbullying, Cyberhate & Online Harassment at DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, Dr Catherine Baker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 23, 202424 min

Chat GPT-4, the EU AI act and the race to be the number one chatbot

What's going on with artificial intelligence? Has EU legislation helped or hindered the AI space? and why has OpenAI updated GPT-4? Adrian is joined on The Big Tech Show this week by head of growth at Human Loop, Conor Kelly. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 18, 202421 min

Eir complaints staff told “under no circumstances” to provide customers with complaints number

How were Eir complaints staff instructed to treat a complaint? Why are Eir saying this instruction is being used ‘out of context?’ And how does this effect Eir customers? Telecoms company Eir was fined €7,500 in court today after pleading guilty to 12 counts of breaching regulations governing how complaints should be handled by providers. However, it says the paragraph relating to staff instructions around customer complaint telephone numbers and websites was “taken out of context”. It added tha...

Apr 16, 202420 min

The TikTok Taoiseach and personalised social media attacks on Irish politicians

Are politicians being harassed out of office on social media? As a wave of Irish TDs leave office, partially citing invective and coarseness online, how is our new TikTok Taoiseach doing? Joining Adrian to discuss this is the Fine Gael TD for Galway East, Ciaran Cannon, who recently announced that he would not run again for the Dail, partially because of how ugly things were getting online Adrian is also joined by Damien Mulley, director of Mulley Communications, who has conducted extensive rese...

Apr 11, 202426 min

How to beat the mobile, broadband and TV price hikes due to hit this month

Are you overpaying for mobile, broadband or TV? Is it a bother to switch? And will your service suffer in quality if you change provider? On The Big Tech Show, Adrian discusses how you can save on mobile, broadband and TV amid price hikes this month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 05, 202423 min

The pros and cons of folding phones with the best ones ranked, in order

What is the best foldable phone on the market? How much do they cost? And why is the Honor Magic V2 first in class? On this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian discusses the best flip and foldable smartphones available this year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 02, 202425 min
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