Tech stories for the weekend
Ten nuggets of knowledge to take away for the weekend, including: predictions about Apple’s big reveal, Ireland’s Mr Moneyball and a taxing situation for start-ups.
1. Croke Park is the world’s first internet of things stadium
Batten down the hatches, Dublin, the machines are coming! Croke Park is about to be festooned with all kinds of internet of things sensors.
2. 5 tech predictions ahead of Apple’s special event on 9 September
Next week, on 9 September, Apple will reveal new technologies at a special event in San Francisco and Siliconrepublic.com will be there. Ahead of the big reveal, here are our predictions based on the never-ceasing rumour mill about what Apple’s doing next.
3. Meet the Irish Mr Moneyball on a mission to transform sports forever
Brian Moore’s Orreco, a Sligo start-up, is on a mission to transform sports performance around the world through data analytics, and has secured vital deals with Premier League football clubs in the UK and Major League Baseball teams in the US. Analytics can reduce the US$500m lost annually to sports teams through injuries.
4. Enterprise is one of the hottest areas in tech, says Intercom engineering chief
Enterprise software has become one of the hottest areas in tech, according to Intercom’s VP of engineering Darragh Curran, who says he is confident the company will fill all 70 of the new engineering roles it announced recently for Dublin.
5. €1bn opportunity to make Ireland a global creative hub for streaming
Current spending on independent film and TV production could be leveraged from the current €200m a year to over €1bn to capture new online entertainment trends driven by Netflix and Amazon Prime.
6. Ireland’s penal tax regime for start-ups ‘unusual’ by global standards
Ireland’s outdated tax system for share options is hurting the country’s entrepreneurial potential, a leading authority on tax told the Irish Tax Institute’s AGM.
7. Batman: Arkham Knight PC patch finally released on Steam
Over two months after Warner Bros Interactive took the nuclear option and suspended sales of the new Batman: Arkham game due to complaints from early users, a patch has been rolled.
8. WhatsApp now has 900 million users a month
WhatsApp has cemented its position among the leading smartphone messaging services on numerous occasions. News that it has reached 900 million active monthly users shows how much its popularity has soared this year.
9. When puppies meet Star Wars droid BB-8 it’s chaos (video)
The new Star Wars movie, soon to be followed by several more, brings with it a swathe of new official merchandise. But amid the pencil cases and mouse mats sits one adorable robot.
10. Chrome 45 makes Google’s popular browser faster and more power efficient
Google’s Chrome browser has been given an update that promises to be faster and more efficient in terms of RAM usage and power management.
Weekend takeaway image via Shutterstock
