Tag: #ireland

Tech-Loving Kids Will Love These Educational Kits from Kinia

This Christmas, Kinia, Ireland’s leading education-focused non-profit and social enterprise, is proud to unveil its specially curated collection of creative tech and educational kits from the Kinia Shop designed to delight kids (and anyone aged 8+) who love to make and empower the next generation of changemakers.

Purposeful shopping, powerful impact!

By choosing Kinia, you’re not just buying a gift, every purchase made directly fuels programmes that empower young people, giving them opportunities to grow, learn and transform their futures. Kinia’s 2030 target is to engage 800,000 young people in Creative Technology, Digital Skills, Literacy, and Numeracy programmes, equipping them with the skills they need to thrive in the digital age. Every single purchase can spark a brighter future for schools and youth services that need support and resources.

Top Christmas Tech Gifts That Inspire and Educate:

 Build a DIY Slide Projector, €18.00
A creative twist on old-school tech, this kit helps young learners understand how light and optics work, all while having fun building a functioning slide projector.

 Build a Night Lantern Kit, €18.00
Create your own starlit night sky! Create your own glowing sky full of stars, planets, and cosmic magic and learn science and design skills.

 Build a Coin Eating Robot, €18.00
This quirky maker kit is a mechanical piggy bank that doesn’t just “swallow” coins; it’s an introduction  to the world of mechanics and electrical circuits.

 Build a Remote Control Car, €18.00
Hands-on learning meets high-speed fun! Kids can build their remote-controlled car while exploring mechanics, electronics, and wireless technology.

 Mini Podcasting Starter Kit, €163.75
Kick off a holiday podcast together with this all-in-one kit, then keep creating as they master the art of audio storytelling building communication skills, creativity, and confidence that last long after the Christmas Tree comes down.

 Mobile Filmmaking Kit, €300.00
Perfect for budding vloggers and future filmmakers, this all-in-one kit transforms any smartphone into a mini pro-studio. From lighting to sound, it’s everything they need to shoot, edit, and share their stories in style while building real-world creative skills that last a lifetime.

Why Choose a Kinia Gift This Christmas?

  • Buy Irish, Give Back: With every purchase, you support an Irish non-profit and help bridge the digital divide, funding creative education for young people nationwide.

  • Gifts That Teach: All products help develop skills like creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, digital literacy, and lifelong learning. Every product is used by Kinia’s team in real educational settings, so you know it’s good, and it’s been tried and tested!

  • Learn and Build Together: These kits aren’t just for kids, they’re for the whole family. Each activity becomes a chance to connect, create, and learn together. Create lasting memories while developing skills such as communication and collaboration, that will last a lifetime.

  • Confidence Building: Kids build confidence through hands-on learning while building our STEM kits. They come with an affirmations checklist, and a Kinia skills tracker with stickers included to help celebrate their progress.

  • Sustainable and eco conscious: Kinia’s Creative and Educational STEM kits are made from mostly wooden, sustainable materials and even the packaging is recyclable and reusable. The instructions include fun activity ideas to repurpose what you’ve built so you can keep learning and having fun.

This Christmas, make your gift count. Shop local and with purpose, inspire curiosity, and empower change only at the Kinia Shop.

Shop now at https://shop.kinia.ie/

4 Things Irish Fleets Must Know Before Installing Dashcams

The issue of road safety is more relevant than ever in Ireland. In 2024, there were 174 road fatalities, and the transportation sector was one of those with the highest number of work-related deaths, with RSA research showing HGVs were involved in 11% of all fatal collisions between 2019 and 2023.
In fact, according to a study conducted by Geotab, 95% of professional drivers in Ireland believe that the likelihood of having an accident has increased in the last five years. On top of this, we must add the impact of fraudulent claims – more than half of which are linked to automobiles.
In this context, more and more fleets are turning to onboard cameras, known as dashcams, as a tool to reinforce road safety, streamline claims management, and protect both drivers and fleets. While in other countries dashcams are already commonplace – 30% of U.S. drivers use them – in Ireland their adoption is starting to gain momentum. That is why Geotab, a global leader in connected vehicle and asset management solutions, has compiled the key aspects of their use in Ireland.
Legality in Ireland: requirements
To ensure that vehicle sensors capture different risk situations on the road – from sudden manoeuvres to collisions – cameras must operate with systems that store only images relevant for legitimate purposes. Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) establishes that accident footage may justifiably be retained longer (e.g., for insurance or legal reasons), but routine footage should be deleted regularly.
The solution lies in an event-based recording model, storing short-duration segments that are automatically overwritten. For example, when the system or built-in G-force sensor detects an incident – such as an impact, sudden braking, or a risky manoeuvre – the corresponding file is protected and not deleted.
This way, only the critical information of an accident or hazardous situation is retained, while the rest of the trip is not stored, helping ensure  both the usefulness of the images and compliance with privacy and data protection regulations.
To promote transparency, best practices is for fleet operators to inform their employees about the existence of the recording system through visible signage, identifying the data controller and the rights of those affected, and maintaining up to date compilation of evidence, use cases, retention periods, privacy statements, privacy & security assessments and other documentation. In addition, the camera must be securely installed and must not block the driver’s view or obstruct the vehicle’s windows.
Privacy and third parties
Fleet managers, in their role as data controllers (i.e., those who decide why and how the data is processed), have full control over the management of recorded videos: they can delete them at any time, schedule automatic deletion, or retain them for a period if there is a legal justification. Data should not be shared with any third parties unless required in accordance with the law.
Uses of dashcams
New-generation dashcams have evolved beyond their initial function of only recording incidents to enable faster and less costly accident management. Thanks to the integration of artificial intelligence and advanced driver assistance systems, they can now detect distractions, signs of fatigue, or misuse of mobile phones, issuing immediate alerts to drivers to correct risky behaviours. They can also provide forward collision and lane departure warnings, helping prevent accidents before they occur. Additionally, the analysis of this data can enable more effective training programs, as it helps identify unsafe driving patterns and strengthen road safety proactively.
Data cybersecurity
Managing the data generated by onboard cameras requires applying cybersecurity protocols that guarantee confidentiality and prevent unauthorized access. Common measures include encrypting information both in transit and at rest, using digitally verified software updates, and implementing role-based access controls to limit who can review the records. This can be complemented by regular security audits and compliance with recognised international certifications such as ISO 27001 or SOC
2. All of this helps ensure that the information collected by dashcams is used securely, protecting both drivers and fleets.
“Dashcams are already a key tool in Europe and are beginning to gain traction in Ireland. They can be an important tool for road safety, as they can help prevent incidents by detecting distractions, fatigue, or risky driving behaviours. Should an accident occur, they can also help exonerate the driver or provide more context to the situation,” says Phil Barnes, Business Development Manager for Geotab Ireland. “Their adoption must always go hand in hand with privacy compliance and data protection regulations, ensuring that drivers’ privacy is fully safeguarded”.

Game Changing Potential of GenAI and Innovative Data Storage

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not long just a buzzword, but a pivotal force driving unprecedented business transformation and growth. The technology is fundamentally reshaping how businesses in Ireland operate, innovate, and compete. According to the Dell Innovation Catalyst Study, 76% of organisations based in Ireland are already considering AI and GenAI a key part of their business strategy, with 84% reporting substantial ROI and productivity gains from adopting these technologies. Moreover, 66% of Irish organisations are at early to mid-stage in their AI and GenAI adoption journey, while 90% see strong opportunities to leverage Agentic AI within their business operations. Ivor Buckley, Field CTO at Dell Technologies Ireland and Northern Ireland tells us more.

However, there are complexities involved with fully harnessing the power of GenAI. To build and train GenAI models, organisations need vast amounts of information. In turn, these same models also generate vast quantities of data to go back into the business. So, the question each business leader must ask before embracing AI and GenAI is: are our storage solutions up to the task?

The solution is scalable, secure, and economically sound data architecture that will set apart the organisations simply running in the AI race, and those leading it.

Storage solutions for the GenAI age

For GenAI to be successfully deployed, organisations must rethink, rearchitect and optimise their storage to effectively manage GenAI’s hefty data management requirements. By doing so, organisations will avoid a potential slowdown in processes due to inadequate or improperly designed storage.

The reality is that traditional storage systems are already struggling to keep pace with the explosion of data, and as GenAI systems advance and tackle new, more complex tasks the requirements will only increase. In other words, storage platforms must be aligned with the more complex realities of unstructured data, also known as qualitative data, and the emerging needs of GenAI.

In fact, unstructured data accounts for over 90% of the data created each year – largely due to a rise in human generated data, meaning the sphere is made up of cluttered and muddled columns of analysis. Enterprises need new ways to cost-effectively store data of this scale and complexity, while still providing easy and quick access to it and protecting it against cyber criminals. Unstructured data specifically is of interest to hackers, due to its value and sheer volume.

Organizations are seeking to enhance how they manage data—whether it’s moving, accessing, scaling, or safeguarding it. In the pursuit of rapid improvement, many have adopted solutions that store data across several public cloud platforms. While these public cloud environments can deliver immediate benefits, such as increased flexibility and availability, they often introduce longer-term complications.

Over time, organizations may face rising costs associated with moving data into and out of different clouds, heightened security risks, and challenges when attempting to optimize their data across these disparate environments. For generative AI to reach its full potential, it requires straightforward, reliable access to quality data; unfortunately, strategies that prioritize public cloud only adoption above all else frequently struggle to meet these requirements.

Organisations should instead look to adopt a multicloud by design approach. This will help them unlock the full potential of multicloud in the short and long-term, without being constrained by siloed ecosystems of proprietary tools and services. Multicloud by design brings management consistency to storing, protecting and securing data in multicloud environments.

Investing in new storage technologies

Businesses need new, novel approaches that cater to GenAI’s specific requirements and vast, diverse data sets. Some of these cutting-edge technologies include distributed storage, data compression and data indexing.

Distributed storage enhances the scalability and reliability of GenAI systems by housing data across multiple locations. For example, organisations can rapidly scale their storage needs across several nodes, should demand increase, as well as replicate their most critical data, allowing it to be vaulted in a separate location and easily retrieved in the event of a cyber-attack.

Another key concern facing many organisations is cost. However, this can be addressed in part through data compression.  By removing unwanted data through data compression methods, organisations can reduce their storage needs. This is achieved by more effectively analysing data and removing unnecessary information to achieve a more summarised version. This in turn reduces the amount of storage required by the organisation and consequently, saves on costs.

Data Indexing on the other hand improves retrieval capabilities, and search capabilities, speeding up training and operational efficiency. Together, these technologies enhance performance, efficiency, and cost-savings.

To fully capitalise on GenAI’s potential, Irish organisations must prioritise a solid storage foundation and effective data management strategy. This will be a key focus at the upcoming Dell Technologies Forum 2025 in Dublin, where business leaders will explore the infrastructure needed to seamlessly integrate AI and GenAI into their operations. Attendees will gain practical insights from Dell experts and hear first-hand about the latest developments in AI, multi-cloud, and other innovative technologies.

It’s clear that there are vast opportunities ahead for organisations to enhance productivity and drive transformation in the AI era. To ensure your business is ready to lead, register today for the Dell Technologies Forum 2025 and discover how to turn GenAI and data into a true competitive advantage.

The Dell Technologies Forum 2025 is run in collaboration with Intel, Microsoft and NVIDIA. For more information and to register for this event, click here.

Red Bull Joins as Partner of the Ireland Esports Collegiate Series

The Ireland Esports Collegiate Series is proud to announce Red Bull as an Official Partner and Official Energy Drink for the 2025/26 season. This exciting collaboration marks a huge step forward for collegiate esports in Ireland, bringing one of the world’s most iconic brands into the island’s leading student esports competition.

First launched in 1987, Red Bull is the world’s best-selling energy drink, with over 12 billion cans sold in 2023.

Their influence in sport and esports is unmatched, and in Ireland they have already proven themselves as strong supporters of collegiate gaming. With initiatives like the Red Bull Gaming Hub at South East Technological University (SETU) Waterford and their growing support for a new gaming hub at Queens University Belfast, Red Bull has firmly established itself as a driving force behind student esports development.

Now, as a partner of the Ireland Esports Collegiate Series, Red Bull will play a pivotal role in amplifying the competition experience for both players and fans.

The Series has experienced record-breaking growth over the past three years. More than 800 students from 16 universities and colleges competed across eight different titles in the 2024/25 season, making it the largest and most diverse esports competition on the island to date. Participation has nearly doubled since 2021, reflecting the growing appetite for esports at third-level institutions and cementing the Series as a key part of the student experience in Ireland.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Red Bull as a partner of the Ireland Esports Collegiate Series,” said Kurt Pittman, Founder of Nativz Gaming. “This is a massively exciting moment for Irish esports. Red Bull’s commitment to collegiate gaming is second to none, and their involvement in our Series will take the experience for students and fans to an entirely new level. With their backing, the 2025/26 season is set to be the biggest and best yet.”

The Ireland Esports Leagues encompass schools, universities and companies, with the Collegiate Series as its flagship student competition. Together, these leagues provide a pathway for young people to connect through esports, develop valuable skills and progress toward careers in gaming, technology and beyond.

For more information on the Ireland Esports Collegiate Series visit www.irelandcollegiate.com and read more about Ireland Esports Leagues at www.irelandesportsleagues.com.

Supercar Weekend Dublin Ireland including the Ferrari F40

Supercar weekend has hit Dublin at the Dundrum Town Centre again and of course we had to pay a visit to see the all the motors on offer new and old and we of course as every year went along to check out the old a new on show, some new cars and old cars on show and you are talking big money motors here like McLarens Aston Martin BMW Porsche and Mercedes to name a few.

The star of the show for most is probably the Ferrari F40 but many more and as a car enthusiast and owner of a sports car it was again a great show with old and new, no so much on the EV front which kind of tells you the tone they have set in recent months and it will be a long time before I ever get one.

We have taken photos of each car in case you missed the show and again it was an excellent lineup of cars old and new if you missed previous events you can see the cars here

Video of all the cars on show.

 

 

ESET Ireland Warns of First AI-Powered Ransomware Threat

Cybersecurity company ESET has uncovered the world’s first known case of artificial intelligence-powered ransomware, marking what experts describe as a new era in cybercrime.

The malware, dubbed PromptLock, utilises AI to adapt and disguise itself, making it more difficult to detect and defend against. ESET Ireland has warned that Irish businesses and public bodies must take this as a serious wake-up call, given the country’s record as a target for major cyberattacks.

George Foley of ESET Ireland commented, “AI has now joined the cybercriminal’s toolkit. Ireland cannot afford to be complacent; we’ve seen the impact ransomware can have on health services and businesses. This development makes attacks faster, smarter, and more damaging.”

Ransomware attacks are estimated to have cost Irish businesses tens of millions of euros in recent years, with the 2021 HSE attack still fresh in public memory. ESET is urging organisations to strengthen defences, train staff, and maintain offline backups as core protections.

For more information, visit www.eset.ie

CCPC and ASA sign data-sharing agreement to strengthen social media influencer regulation

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has signed a new data-sharing agreement with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which will enhance regulatory oversight of social media platforms.

The agreement will enable the ASA to share information it receives through its online reporting portal while remaining in line with data protection laws. This will give the CCPC greater access to reports from the public of potential breaches of the law.

Under consumer protection law, social media influencers must not mislead consumers through unfair practices such as hidden or mislabelled advertising, or they could breach consumer protection law. This means they must clearly label posts that are commercial in nature.

A social media post may still breach consumer protection law even if it is properly labelled if the content is false or misleading.

The new data-sharing agreement means ASA will have the ability to share information regarding suspected breaches, which the CCPC may investigate further.

The CCPC, as a statutory body, has a range of enforcement tools to ensure that consumer protection law is adhered to, including compliance notices, fixed payment notices, undertakings, prohibition orders and prosecution.

Patrick Kenny, commission member at the CCPC, said:

“Consumer law protects consumers when engaging with the commercial content posted by online influencers. Commercial content from influencers must be clearly labelled as such and must also not be misleading. With the ASA, we have produced guidance for influencers to help them follow the law. This year we issued our first compliance notices against two prominent influencers.  We continue to monitor this sector closely and will act where we see breaches here.

“The new data-sharing agreement allows the ASA to share reports from the public and will support us in protecting consumers when it comes to social media advertising.”

Orla Twomey, chief executive of the ASA, said:

“We are delighted to formalise this data-sharing agreement, which marks a significant step towards enhancing regulatory outcomes for consumers in Ireland, ensuring a strong, responsive and resilient framework for the future. Social media advertising has been a key area of our focus, and this agreement is a further strengthening of cooperation between ASA and CCPC.”

Anyone concerned about suspected false or misleading advertising can contact the CCPC directly.

The agreement follows the publishing of new guidelines for influencers and social media advertisers by ASA and CCPC in October 2023.

Deloitte opens the 2025 Fast 50 awards

Deloitte Ireland is inviting the country’s fastest-growing and most innovative technology companies to apply to be part of the prestigious Deloitte Fast 50 awards. The programme, which celebrates home-grown entrepreneurship, ranks the 50 fastest growing indigenous technology companies based on revenue growth over the last four years.

The list features both private and public listed technology companies that have demonstrated creative strategies, sound management practices and marketplace vision, driving them to achieve the status of high-growth leaders.

“The dynamic shifts in the macroeconomic landscape since the 2024 awards have intensified businesses focus on resilience and upholding the highest standards of quality across their organisations,” explains Jams Toomey, partner and Fast 50 programme lead at Deloitte.

“The changes in our current trading environment have shifted our focus here at home in Ireland. More than ever, we realise we need to invest and support indigenous businesses to insulate Ireland and keep us an innovative and exciting place to work and live. It’s why I’m passionate about the Deloitte Fast 50 awards, because every year, for 26 years, we celebrate the 50 fastest growing tech companies on the island of Ireland. Each business is a real-life example of the incredible indigenous companies that are being talked about so much.

“For any company considering applying, previous ranking companies have included unicorns Wayflyer and Tines,” continues Toomey. “That shows the calibre of our winners. The rankings are trusted, respected and purely quantitative based, solely looking at growth, so it’s an objective ranking. We hear from previous participants how this has helped them when looking for external investment. In this environment, when investors are being sharper and smarter with their money, this is invaluable. I look forward to seeing which companies apply and seeing many of them at our awards ceremony in November.”

This year’s awards programme will include several award categories that companies can enter in addition to the overall ranking. 2024 winners of these awards include Catagen for the Impact Award in association with Meta.

  • Growing New Technology Award in association with Google: This award recognises a company that has created or introduced a new or innovative product or service to international markets, which helped grow their business over the last four years.
  • Impact Award in association with Meta: This award recognises a company that has made a significant impact within the current year.
  • Women in Technology Advocate Award in association with NetSuite: This award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated through their actions that they are an advocate for increasing participation by, and promotion of, women in the technology sector.
  • Scale Up Award in association with Scale Ireland: This award recognises a company that has demonstrated an impressive ability to scale up/expand overseas over the last four years.
  • Financial Services Innovation Award in association with Financial Services Ireland: This award recognises a company with an innovative product or service that is having a disruptive impact within the financial services industry.
  • The Rising Star award in association with Enterprise Ireland: This award will recognise a company that has demonstrated a promising growth trajectory and the potential for inclusion in the Fast 50 rankings in years to come. Companies being considered for this award must have operating revenues accounting for a minimum of 2 years and less than 4 years.

Application details and further information about the programme can be found here: https://www.deloitte.com/ie/en/Industries/tmt/technology-fast-50-awards.html

The closing date for entries is 19 September 2025 and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in Dublin on 27 November 2025.

CCPC clears Equinix’s acquisition of BT Datacentres Ireland

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has cleared the proposed acquisition of BT Datacentres Ireland by Equinix (Ireland).

Equinix operates six data centres in Dublin, which provide digital infrastructure for cloud, IT, finance, content and media service providers. BT Datacentres Ireland also operates data centres in Dublin, one in Citywest and one in Ballycoolin.

The proposed acquisition was originally notified to the CCPC on January 10, 2025. Following an extended preliminary investigation, the CCPC determined in May 2025 that a full investigation was required to establish if the proposed acquisition would lead to a substantial lessening of competition in the State. This type of detailed further review is commonly referred to as a Phase 2 investigation.

Significant additional information was provided by both parties during the course of the investigation, such that the CCPC is satisfied that the deal can proceed.

The CCPC will publish the full decision on its website within 60 working days, following redaction of confidential information

Information about the merger notification can be found at M/25/003.