The Big Tech Show

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.

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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 week on the back of this machine, so even if you’ve no interest in the gadget itself, your pension fund manager probably does.

The three also take a look at what to expect from the new iPad and Apple Watch to be unveiled next Tuesday, and then discuss whether Google’s lease pullback in Dublin means that office life as we know it has peaked.

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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.

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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 publication of his eighth book, ‘World Wide Waste’.

McGovern has lost none of his passion, which is now directed at cutting out physical and digital waste. He gets heated about a few things during the podcast.

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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 profiles once we click on a website.

Adrian asks him what his idea of an internet with stricter enforcement of European rules might look like and whether he thinks this is likely.

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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 easier marques more clearly identifiable to them.

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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.

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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 reader contributions and online advertising, are faring for those who depend on them.

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“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 Francisco, where he now lives.

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This week, Adrian tackles the two giant breaking news stories of the week: Apple’s €13bn tax win against the European Commission and what the Schrems data privacy ruling means for ordinary Facebook and web users here.

On the first topic, he’s joined by tax expert Brian Keegan, who attended the court case last year.

On the privacy ruling, Adrian grills data protection expert Katherine O’Keeffe (from Castlebridge) about where the ECJ decision leaves ordinary people who are now wondering whether their use of cloud services might soon fall foul of European law.

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