The Big Tech Show
Episodes
Are Anthropic's really AI's good guys? Measuring ethics in a time of chaos
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is Anthropic emerging as the “good guy” of artificial intelligence? And do ethics in AI actually matter to users? Veteran tech journalist Rupert G...
Hands on with Apple's new MacBook Neo, a competitor-destroying bargain at €699
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is Apple’s MacBook Neo the best value laptop ever? Can it match a MacBook Air? And is €699 all you need for the Mac experience? Darragh Nolan, mul...
Who is Sam Altman? Inside his life and his ChatGPT empire
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Who is Sam Altman and why does he matter so much to artificial intelligence? What do we really know about his views on risk, control and power in the ...
Monty Munford: How I lost £25,000 in crypto with one bad security decision
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How safe is your crypto really? And what happens when your private keys fall into the wrong hands? Journalist and crypto commentator Monty Munford joi...
Dings, pings and WhatsApp voice notes - other people’s tech habits that drive us mad
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What tech habits drive us absolutely bonkers? Is it a generation gap? And how do we combat it? Saoirse Hanley, journalist at the Irish Independent, jo...
Stranded in the wild: when your EV breaks down
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when your electric car breaks down away from home? Do they have technicians to deal with them? And if you're in a very rural area, can yo...
Power, platforms, and policy: Minister James Lawless on the challenges of big tech
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What is the future of AI in Ireland? Do we have digital sovereignty? And should social media be banned for under sixteens? James Lawless, Minist...
Inside the system designed to keep you hooked
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What is a recommender algorithm? Should they be switched off? And how do they create toxic narrative bubbles? Johnny Ryan, digital rights campaigner a...
Spies, lies and Irish cybersecurity with Professor Richard Aldrich
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is the world of espionage now online? Are the Irish the cyber weak link in Europe? And how is digital sabotage being used today? Richard Aldrich, prof...
The world according to Mark Little
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Online polarisation, Trump, Elon Musk, AI, media, Ireland and startups — Mark Little is thinking about a lot of things right now. In this extended e...
Billionaire tears over California’s new tax. Also: guessing the winners and losers of 2026
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Who is rising and falling in the US tech world? What events will shape 2026? And will Elon weather the Grok scandal? Blake Montgomery, the Guardian’...
The Jeff Bezos story: from billionaire Amazon founder to midlife crisis to space missionary
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What makes Jeff Bezos tick? Is he a generational talent who will take us to the stars? Or billionaire tech bro living the high life? Christian Davenpo...
The Grok AI scandal — what happens now? Plus: why Ireland’s plan to link national ID to social media access is dystopian
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With Grok AI now being used to undress people online, what do we do? Should government ministers stay off X? And is Ireland about to require digital I...
My life as a CEO: Stephen Cluskey on raising €4m and being paralysed
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Cluskey was about to enter his leaving cert year in Belvedere College when something happened that changed his life forever. On a camping trip...
How tech will change your life in 2026: our 10 predictions
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How will tech affect your life in 2026? Will AI win you over with convenience? Could dodgy-box users be fined? And what about a mid-Atlantic rift when...
'You can turn disadvantage into a real opportunity’ ~ Stephen Cluskey CEO of Mobility Mojo
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Clukey was about to enter his leaving search year in Belvedere College when something happened to change his life forever. On a camping trip wi...
Early Rising - Ireland’s newly minted Excel world champion Diarmuid Early
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ireland’s list of global sporting champions is relatively short, which means that when a new one is minted then we like to celebrate their achieveme...
How I Made It: Sean Blanchfield’s journey to the top of tech and his new AI startup, Jentic
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where is AI going and who is at the helm? What jobs might be in trouble and should Europe back down on its regulations? On The Big Tech Show this week...
A folding iPhone in 2026? Apple’s hits and misses in 2025 and what it will do in 2026
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will we see a folding iPhone in 2026? Or what about better AI on Apple devices? Has the iPhone Air been a flop and will it be replaced? Joining techno...
Christmas gift guide – from digital cameras to coffee machines to social media blockers and more
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What devices should you gift for Christmas? From buds to coffee machines, what tech treats would you like to receive? And should you go high-end or bu...
Is crypto crashing or is there something else going on?
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s going on in Bitcoin? Is this a crypto winter? And how is AI luring funds away from digital currencies? Katie Byrne, Money editor with the Iri...
How Severance, Slow Horses and Pluribus have put Apple TV on top
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What streaming platform is most popular? Which streamer is focussing on quality? And does subscription cost make a difference? Dave Hanratty of the...
From bullied kid to world’s richest man — how Elon Musk made it
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kurt Wagner, Senior Reporter at Bloomberg leading and author of Battle for the Bird: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, and the $44 Billion Fight for Twitter's S...
It’s time to go nuclear in Ireland
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener fo...
Stablecoins will be bigger than crypto, says Aave founder Stani Kulechov
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Would you use a stablecoin? If so, how might you go about that? And what are the pros and cons? Stani Kulechov, Finnish entrepreneur and founder of...
Is Dublin’s ‘smart city’ promise just waffle?
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is a smart city? Is Dublin one? And what’s different about them? Ruth Freeman, director of Research for Society at Research Ireland, joins A...
Who is Jensen Huang and why has Nvidia become so powerful?
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Who is Jensen Huang? Why does he always wear a leather jacket? And what's he like to work for? Stephen Witt, Los Angeles based journalist and author o...
Apple plan budget laptop and Trump says China won’t get Nvidia top chips
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does Amazon’s new sub-sea cable mean for Ireland? Is Apple planning a new budget laptop? And why is Trump reserving Nvidia’s most advanced ch...
ChatGPT most popular in Ireland and how AI became a therapist
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is ChatGPT the main player in the AI game? What does the research tell us about AI chat bot results? And are people increasingly using chatbots as the...
Dodgy boxes, fines and a new plan to come after Irish users
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Could the dodgy box users finally face fines? Why is Ireland looking to copy Italy? And will it curb illegal streaming in Ireland? Darragh Nolan, M...
AI deepfake videos hit the Irish presidential election
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you spot a deepfake? What are telltale signs of AI-videos? And who is responsible for synthetic fake videos posted on social media? JJ Clarke, ...
AWS outage fallout: a taste of things to come?
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What have we learned from the huge tech outage this week? How did it happen? And are the warnings of an AI bubble accurate? JJ Clarke, producer, joins...
How to use Chat GPT for total beginners
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are the best tips for beginners using AI chat bots? Have AI videos featuring dead celebrities gone too far? And is the EU losing the tech race be...
The AI bubble is real, but is it all that bad?
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are AI videos threatening content creators? Have we entered an AI bubble? And what are the best broadband options? Saoirse Hanley, journalist at the I...
Will Microsoft bend to Trump’s pressure and tell Monaco “you’re fired”?
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How will Microsoft navigate pressure from the Trump administration? Will its decision impact the growing trend in Europe towards “digital sovereignt...
Scratchgate -- does the iPhone 17 Pro mark too easily?
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s episode, we delve into 'Scratchgate' amid accusations that iPhone 17 Pro models are too easily marked compared to previous iPhones. W...
Which iPhone 17 and Apple Watch to pick, and why
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Which new Apple product delights? How good are the AirPods Pro at noise cancellation? And what are Adrian’s top picks? JJ Clarke, producer, joins Ad...
Dull machines or paranoid androids? Robots today and the near future
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How advanced are today’s robots? What can they do now? And what’s likely in the coming years? Conor McGinn, CEO at Akara Robotics and pro...
Thin is in: hands on with the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the new iPhone Air like? Why is ‘thin in’ with the new phone design? And how good is the new AirPods Pro language translation? CCS ...
Samsung Fold7 vs Honor Magic V5 — there’s one clear winner in the folding phones war
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are the pros and cons of large, foldout phones? What are the advantages of smaller, flip-fold phones? And do they still cost way more than ordina...
Paedophiles, fascists and nihilists: How unsafe is Roblox for kids?
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are the allegations facing Roblox? Why are a group of law firms looking to file lawsuits against the company? And how is the gaming platform maki...
Should noise really be a veto on drone deliveries?
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is drone delivery noise a potential obstacle to the technologies’ progress? Will the convenience become commonplace? And what has former UK Deputy P...
How to use AI properly
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is AI’s current capabilities? Does it live up to the hype? And how can it be used in everyday scenarios? Alan Smeaton, professor Emeritus at DC...
Judges using AI, Trump's Intel U-turn and Musk takes aim at Apple
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why has Elon Musk threatened Apple with legal action? Is it safe to let Judges use AI? And how did the Intel CEO convince Trump to do a U-turn? Kat...
How a Dublin game creator secured funding from one of Hollywood's biggest developers
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How are computer games created? Where do developers get funding? And is Ireland a good place for game development? Ronan Price, games critic and assis...
The Tesla Files: what it’s really like to work for Elon Musk
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s it like to work for Tesla? How were sensitive company files leaked? And why is camaraderie amongst employees discouraged by Musk? Sönke Iwer...
EU capitulates on trade talks with Big Tech watching
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did the EU lose out to Trump in US trade talks? What does this mean for the Irish economy? And why are legitimate texts still being labelled as ‘...
Price hikes for public EV charging, exploding tumble dryers and Trump’s new ‘do what you want’ AI reforms
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are the ESB hiking prices on EV charging? What is in Trump’s new AI action plan? And how is the Irish media regulator going after X for age veri...
How to stop doomscrolling and the benefits of a new EU digital wallet
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are the pros and cons of the new EU digital wallet? When will it be operational? And how to stop doomscrolling? JJ Clarke, producer, joins Adrian...
How to spot disinformation in the age of mistrust
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do we spot the truth from a lie online? Are AI photos and videos getting too convincing? And what can be done to stop the spread of misinformation...
Why you’re still getting ‘likely scam” on real texts; also, kids, AI bots and a loneliness epidemic
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did the nationwide scam text filter start mislabelling texts? Why are kids turning to chatbots for friendship? And what will Linda Yaccarino’s l...
With AI now replacing graduates in Irish white collar jobs, who’s next?
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do we think about AI replacing jobs in Ireland? What jobs will go first? And why are people talking about Nothing’s Phone (3)? JJ Clarke, pro...
Trump v Musk, round II — and is it okay to track your partner’s phone?
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why has Elon Musk formed the America party? How will this affect EV subsidies? And does the Tesla boss have more cards up his sleeve? JJ Clarke, pr...
Is AI music any good? Also: the fraud behind it
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are AI-generated tracks? Can humans tell the difference between bot and human creation? And how are the music streaming platforms responding? Eam...
Dodgy boxes: Sky, private investigators, WhatsApp groups and whether owners should be worried
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will Sky’s new crackdown on dodgy boxes work? Can they really start looking at WhatsApp groups to identify offenders? And what is the future for ...
AI regulation and why Irish startups are being driven abroad
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is regulation crushing Europe’s AI hopes? Will this drive Irish startups away? And will we see a softening of the EU stance? Dr Richard Blythman, co...
Scrub your social media and texts: a lawyer advises how to get through US border control
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can your social media posts stop you from entering the US? Should you scrub your online history? And is it easier for those with a tech background to ...
On the frontline in the LA riots: running from flash grenades and the tech used by protesters
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did the No Kings protest happen? How did demonstrators organise online? And what was Adrian’s experience of the LA riots? Reporter for WIRED mag...
When is it okay to ignore a text from your boss?
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Should you respond to work texts after hours? Why is underage phone use more prevalent in less advantaged areas? And what policies could help parents ...
What Apple announced for iPhones, Macs, iPads and Watches at WWDC, and its minimalist position on AI
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the latest from Apple’s WWD conference? Is the tech giant behind on AI? And are there any exciting new features? Adrian is currently in Cupe...
How Kilmacud Crokes’ corner forward became CEO of payments giant Sumup
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did Niall Mac an tSionnaigh go from selling Christmas trees to CEO of SumUp? What’s his leadership style? And why is cash a thing of the past? ...
Cheat, blackmail, threaten: how AI models could turn bad
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Could AI potentially blackmail humans in the future? Would it be a help or hindrance to schools? And will it lead to mass unemployment? Conor Kelly, h...
From cookery demos to Ford's first female UK-Ireland boss, Lisa Brankin has a plan to revive Ford's sales with EVs
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did Lisa Brankin go from home economics to managing director? What lessons did she learn from her parents? And why are we a long way off autonomou...
Google’s new AI features: fitter, faster, stronger, hungrier
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What were Google’s top AI announcements? How does ‘pick and pay’ work? And will virtually trying on clothes become the norm? JJ Clarke, producer...
Worried about US border control checking your phone? Steps to get you through
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are the steps to navigating tech at US border control? How can we learn from Lithuania’s cyber defence? And what is the new sport of sperm raci...
Amazon’s new warehouse robots to replace workers; the single best ultra budget phone revealed
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does Amazon new Vulcan robot do? Why is the new Nothing phone the best affordable option? And how should the DPC respond to TikTok storing data o...
Bestselling Irish author Shane Hegarty on AI ripping off writers’ books
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will AI replace authors? How will we spot real from the fake? And have some LLMs already been trained on authors’ books? Shane Hegarty, bestselling ...
How hackers bypass fingerprint readers on phones
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is YouTube the most powerful media of all? How are hackers bypassing biometrics using artificial fingertips? And are Irish jobs on the line as Intel s...
Phallic rockets and fake astronauts: the case for space with Leo Enright
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the case for space? Does humanity benefit from it? And are the environmental impacts too great? Leo Enright, space commentator, former RTE and...
Wunderkid Adam Dalton — the 8-figure sale of the company he built in school and his new heavily-backed venture
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What made Adam Dalton realise he loved selling? Which teacher influenced him in secondary school? And what are the downsides of a multi-million euro e...
TikTok, Tariffs and Trump: An uncertain future for Ireland's tech sector?
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will Irish jobs be impacted if the EU go after US tech services? Is Ireland the likely battle ground for a digital trade war? And why did the Chinese ...
How Ireland became the world’s biggest dump for useless data
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How much energy do data centres consume? What kind of data do they store? And is Ireland now a landfill for junk data? Caroline O’Doherty, Environme...
Dumb and dumber (the US Signal fiasco), why your 23andMe DNA data might be up for sale and social media lessons from Adolescence
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did US military leaders accidentally add a journalist to their group chat? What should users of DNA test 23andme do now that the company is going ...
Neutrality and the question of an arms industry in Ireland
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is happening with the weaponisation of technology? From Musk threatening to shut off Starlink in Ukraine to the Israeli’s arming hundreds of pa...
Amazon.ie is finally here - everything you need to know
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What should you know about the new Amazon.ie website? Is it worth switching over from the UK domain? Is it cheaper? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian...
Why you should not buy the new MacBook Air M4. Also: the cost to Apple’s credibility from the delay of Apple Intelligence and Intel’s plight in Ireland
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the new MacBook Air like? Should you upgrade to it? And can a new CEO rescue Intel’s woes? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this week’...
Tesla becomes MAGA’s official car brand as sales crater worldwide
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is buying a Tesla now a political statement? Are people now shying away from the EV brand? And has Elon’s support of Trump spelled disaster for Tesl...
Trump, meme coins and what to expect from crypto in 2025
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s going on with crypto? What’s the state of play with meme coins? And is the market about to crash? Katie Byrne, Money editor with the Irish ...
Chinese phone brands in Ireland — junk or underrated? Plus why 6G may not be built after 5G’s flop
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s are the benefits of 6G? Are the Chinese phone brands flooding the market any good? And what’s different about the new iPad Air? Producer, J...
Goodbye Skype, hello Chinese shopping apps: and why Apple’s new age assurance rules won’t work
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are Chinese online shopping apps taking off in Ireland? Will Apple’s age assurance system work? And what can be done to stop children encounteri...
Apple's $500bn US investment: a threat to Ireland? Also: AirPods as hearing aids and the 'affordable' iPhone 16e reviewed
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is Apple investment in Europe a thing of the past? How do the AirPods Pro 2 work as clinical grade hearing aids? And is the affordable new iPhone 16e ...
From bartending in Meath to a billion-dollar cyber security company
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian talks to Danny Jenkins, CEO and co-founder of ThreatLocker IT security firm. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...
Trump, Tax and the EU: Richard Curran on Ireland's uncertain tech future
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is Ireland’s tech juggernaut grinding to a halt? Are we alienating ourselves from Europe with corporate tax? And how do we approach the Trump admini...
Apple’s new iPhone SE and hands on with Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What can we expect from the new iPhone SE? Is it worth getting the Samsung S25 Ultra? And why are the new AI features on phones so underwhelming? JJ C...
Shein and Temu no more; plus scam texts set to be blocked in Ireland
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are ultra-cheap online buys from Temu and Shein about to be a thing of the past? Who will benefit? And what is Comreg doing about scam texts? JJ Clark...
Active shooter drills no more: why one Irish tech founder came home from America
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is life like for an Irish tech co-founder in the US? Is America a more dynamic space for technology? And what are the downsides to living in a Tr...
The watchdog tsar who stops Zuckerberg from going full MAGA in Europe with Facebook
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Could Mark Zuckerberg’s makeover of Meta cost Irish jobs? Will Trump go to war against Dublin based EU privacy fines? Will users see an uptick in ha...
What is DeepSeek AI? The Chinese company shaking up the tech world
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is DeepSeek AI? How did it wipe over a trillion dollars off the US NASDAQ Index? And why are experts urging users to be cautious? Founder and CEO...
Storm tech survival guide: home generators, solar batteries and supersers
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is it worth getting a generator for stormy weather? What kind of generator should you get? And do you need an electrician to install one? ?Peter Finn,...
Tech CEOs bow to Trump as Musk shocks with controversial ‘salute’
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does a Trump presidency mean for technology? Will there be a regulatory war between the EU and US? And what was behind Elon Musk’s bizarre hand...
What to expect from artificial intelligence in 2025
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is Ireland a natural place for artificial intelligence? Are we overregulating when it comes to data centres? And what can we expect from AI in 2025? ?...
Everything you need to know about the TikTok ban
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does a TikTok ban mean for us? Who will or won’t be able access it? And what are the implications for the Irish workforce? See omnystudio.com/l...
How romance scams work and why they’re surging
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
January means dark days, cold weather and isolation. A new opportunity, a change of life, and that means it’s one of the most vulnerable times for t...
Don’t buy an electric car without listening to this
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you thinking of buying an electric car in 2025? Why did EV sales drop by almost 24% last year? And from cold weather to charging points, what shou...
2025 predictions: a TikTok ban, crypto fortunes and a rift between Musk and Trump
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What are the big tech trends for 2025? What will happen with crypto, Amazon.ie and the Trump-Musk relationship? Maybe we will see the world’s first ...
From laptops to headphones: the best tech gadgets of 2024
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As 2024 comes to a close, what were the best phones, laptops, tablets and headphones? Of the many to cross Adrian’s desk, here are the ones that sto...
Why accused killer Luigi Mangione has become a hero online
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is Luigi Mangione being lauded as a hero online? What does this response say about online culture? And what does this say about the status of heal...
What to do about social media: kids, encryption and anonymity
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is social media now ungovernable? Have we created an online world of manipulation, misinformation, controlled by a handful of billionaires? And if so,...
Bitcoin breaks $100k, the Hawk Tuah scam, Apple’s Vision Pro flop and Ireland’s NDRC debacle
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Will Bitcoin continue to soar? Is Apple’s Vision Pro a flop? And should we take meme coins seriously? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this wee...
Christmas gift guide – from handwarming powerbanks to the best noise-cancelling headphones
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a rush to get presents? What tech should you gift this Christmas? And what are Adrian’s top affordable picks? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian ...