The Big Tech Show

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 would be to get a better idea about what kind of illnesses you might be more susceptible to.

The company could then set up a schedule of screening tests that you’d receive automatically, almost like service notifications.

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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 value.

For these reasons, he believes that it will continue to rise in value.
The two also discuss the mentality of ‘hodlers’, who hold on to their cryptocurrency no matter what.

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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 in Cork, linked to its original industrial activity of manufacturing computers there. HP, Ericsson and IBM have historically had some union membership.

This week, Adrian talks to the assistant secretary general of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Owen Reidy, about whether unions are a realistic prospect for big tech firms in Ireland.

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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.

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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 Professor of Economics at the University of Limerick's Kemmy Business School and a columnist with The Currency.

Which are the better arguments? That it could mean less violent crime, less tax evasion and quicker queues? Or that it could lead to a further erosion of privacy and may unfairly disadvantage vulnerable groups in society?

The two go into the topic in depth.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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