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E-Clean System Installed at the Guinness Storehouse

Euro Refrigeration Limited, part of the ERG Group, has unveiled its pioneering E-Clean chemical-free glass washing system with a high-profile installation at the Guinness Storehouse and the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in St. James’s Gate, Dublin.

The project began with a full trial of the system at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, where it was extensively tested in a live brewing and hospitality environment. Following the success of this trial, the system was rolled out across all glasswashers in the Guinness Storehouse, Ireland’s number one visitor attraction with more than 1.7 million visitors annually. This ensures every guest experiences a perfect pint served in perfectly prepared glassware.

The E-Clean system, distributed exclusively in Ireland by Euro Refrigeration, allows glassware to be cleaned without detergent or rinse aid. The result is a brilliant shine, enhanced presentation, and superior lacing – all essential to delivering the “perfect pint.”

Developed with the hospitality industry front of mind, the system delivers both sustainability and performance, helping pubs, hotels, restaurants, and clubs to improve customer experience while reducing environmental impact. It also extends the life of glassware, prevents common issues such as streaks, lines, or chemical residues, and keeps machines scale-free.

“E-Clean is not simply an innovation – it is a redefinition of how we approach glass care in hospitality. We are proud to deliver a smarter, greener, and more efficient solution that aligns with the industry’s growing focus on sustainability,” said Peter Wynne, Director, Euro Refrigeration Limited. “We are delighted that, following its successful trial at the Open Gate Brewery, the Guinness Storehouse has adopted E-Clean as its glass-cleaning system of choice.”

At the heart of the system is advanced filtration and reverse osmosis technology, produced in partnership with Aquaphor, a global leader in water treatment innovation. Through ERG’s exclusive distribution in Ireland, this world-leading technology is now available to hospitality venues as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional glass washing methods.

The official launch took place at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Dublin and was attended by leading members of the licensed trade, representatives from Diageo, and the ERG Group.

40 new jobs: Aiven chooses Cork as location of EMEA Hub

Cloud Infrastructure leader Aiven has selected Cork City as the location of its EMEA hub for Go to Market expansion. This expansion is expected to create 40 jobs over the next three years.

Aiven’s GTM Expansion hub will see the creation of a new Inside Sales organisation with supporting engineering and operational supporting functions which will be focused on driving growth of Aiven’s open-source core services.

Aiven’s decision to expand its Cork operations with a focus on hiring sales professionals will create new, high-quality career opportunities in the region. These roles provide local talent with a pathway to grow in the global technology sector, while strengthening Cork’s position as a thriving hub for commercial and technological excellence.

Established in Helsinki in 2016, Aiven operates in the managed open-source data infrastructure sector, delivering fully managed services for widely used open-source technologies and employs more than 400 people across 11 office locations and multiple remote locations globally.

This project is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

Minister for Enterprise Tourism & Employment Peter Burke said: “Aiven’s decision to establish its EMEA Go to Market hub in Cork is a strong endorsement of Ireland’s reputation as a leading destination for global technology investment. The creation of 40 high-quality jobs over the next three years will provide exciting opportunities for skilled professionals in the region and further strengthen Cork’s position as a centre of innovation and commercial excellence. I welcome Aiven’s continued commitment to Ireland and look forward to seeing the positive impact of this expansion.”

Aiven is currently hiring across several business areas. To explore opportunities, visit Careers at Aiven | Join our amazing team today!

Conor Forde, Senior Vice President, Aiven, said “2025 has already been a milestone year for Aiven as we’ve crossed the $100M ARR (annual recurring revenue) mark. To support our next phase of growth, we’ve rethought how we scale our go to market efforts, and this expansion is the next step forward. Cork stood out as the clear choice for Aiven’s expansion due to its exceptional availability of high-skilled talent and its vibrant, open, and diverse labour market, which are essential to fuelling our next phase of growth and innovation.”

IDA CEO Michael Lohan said: “Aiven’s decision to establish its EMEA Go to Market hub in Cork is a strong endorsement of the South West region’s reputation as a centre of innovation and excellence. This investment not only brings new employment opportunities; it also affirms the South West’s position as a leading destination for global technology companies seeking to scale and thrive. IDA Ireland looks forward to supporting Aiven as they continue to grow and contribute to Ireland’s dynamic tech ecosystem.”

Digital Transformation in Banking and Financial Markets

The banking industry is experiencing one of the most significant shifts in its history. In 2025, more than 3.6 billion people worldwide are using digital banking services. Together with this 77% of consumers now prefer to manage their accounts through mobile apps or computers.

This trend highlights how digital channels have become the default choice for banking, with liquidity aggregation opportunities, advanced risk management, and enhanced user experience playing a key role in ensuring efficiency and resilience behind the scenes.

Where banks once differentiated themselves through physical presence and reputation, they are now judged by the efficiency of their platforms, the quality of their digital services, and their ability to integrate into an increasingly interconnected financial ecosystem.

From Closed Systems to Open Infrastructure

For decades, many banks operated on legacy technology. Systems were closed, data was siloed, and client access was limited to what a single institution could offer. The rapid rise of fintechs and alternative service providers has upended that model, showing clients that seamless digital experiences and global reach are not just possible, but expected.

As a result, banks are under pressure to modernize their core infrastructure. This includes migrating to cloud-based solutions, adopting real-time analytics, and rethinking how they connect with counterparties and clients.

For example, several leading European banks have partnered with fintech providers to implement cloud-native payment hubs. By doing so, they can process cross-border payments in real time, aggregate liquidity from multiple sources, and provide clients with transparent pricing — something that would have been impossible under their former legacy systems.

Technology as the New Competitive Edge

What sets leading banks apart today is their ability to use technology strategically. Artificial intelligence, advanced risk management tools, and automated compliance systems are now part of everyday operations. Beyond efficiency, these innovations create new opportunities to improve client experience, streamline back-office processes, and strengthen resilience during periods of market stress.

Among the many solutions reshaping the industry is liquidity aggregation, which allows institutions to consolidate liquidity from multiple sources into a unified framework. While it may sound highly specialized, its impact is broad: by reducing fragmentation and enabling more transparent pricing, it contributes to a more stable and efficient market environment.

For example, JPMorgan Chase has invested heavily in digital trading infrastructure, combining liquidity aggregation with advanced analytics to offer clients deeper market access and more competitive pricing. Similarly, Deutsche Bank has deployed AI-driven risk management and consolidated liquidity flows across multiple venues, enabling it to deliver greater resilience during volatile market conditions.

Expanding Beyond Traditional Boundaries

Another key element of transformation is the expansion into multi-asset services. Clients increasingly expect banks to support a wide range of financial instruments through a single interface. Delivering on this expectation requires more than technology — it demands strategic partnerships, agile operating models, and the willingness to rethink traditional boundaries.

This convergence of banking and financial technology highlights a larger trend: the emergence of connected ecosystems. Banks are no longer isolated institutions; they are nodes in a global digital network. Success depends on how well they integrate, adapt, and innovate within that network.

A good example is UBS, which has expanded its platform to provide clients with access to equities, fixed income, and digital assets within a unified environment. By partnering with fintech providers and leveraging open APIs, UBS has been able to integrate multiple asset classes into one client-facing interface. Similarly, Standard Chartered has embraced a multi-asset approach through collaborations with technology firms, enabling institutional clients to manage foreign exchange, commodities, and securities from a single digital platform.

The Road Ahead

The journey of digital transformation is far from complete. Many institutions are still in the process of modernizing legacy systems, while others are experimenting with new service models to stay ahead of client needs.

What is clear is that technology will remain at the center of banking’s evolution. Whether through artificial intelligence, open banking frameworks, or specialized solutions such as liquidity aggregation, the institutions that embrace innovation will shape the next era of financial services. Those that hesitate risk being left behind in an increasingly connected and competitive economy.

VSCO Capture Available in Ireland

VSCO Capture enables photographers to shoot with more creative control in the moment. The free app provides precise editing controls and a wide range of popular presets within an intuitive interface. It’s designed to help creators capture their creative point of view, refine it, and edit in real-time, as they’re shooting VSCO Capture, is an experiential photo app from VSCO that’s now available in the Irish app store as a part of an early/open beta release.

The presets and effects are non-destructive, meaning the original image is retained (JPEG/HEIC/RAW/ProRAW formats) and can be further modified in VSCO Studio or with other advanced editing software. VSCO Capture is a free app and includes 50 VSCO presets (including the latest We The Creator presets), as well as Bloom and Halation effects.

The app is only available in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand for now and will likely be more broadly available in the U.S. and around the world later this summer

Applications now open for Deloitte’s 2024 Fast 50 Awards

Indigenous technology companies can now apply to be part of the 25^th annual Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards.

The Technology Fast 50 is one of Ireland’s foremost technology awards and a celebration of both innovation and entrepreneurship.

The programme 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.

Speaking at the launch of this year’s programme, James Toomey, partner and Fast 50 programme lead at Deloitte, said:

“As we celebrate 25 years of Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 awards, it is an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary growth of Ireland’s indigenous technology sector and the ongoing presence and contribution of large tech companies that call Ireland home.”

“Even though there are challenges, Ireland’s indigenous technology sector continues to exhibit robust growth in 2024. Cloud computing, cybersecurity and data analytics are all areas that are rapidly expanding amid increased investment in artificial intelligence and greater reliance on cloud infrastructure.”

“The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards is a performance benchmark for indigenous tech companies and the industry as a whole. I strongly encourage any interested tech company in Ireland to apply.”

This year’s awards programme will include several award categories that companies can enter in addition to the overall ranking.

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.

2023 rankings

15 of the 50 companies ranked last year were first time winners. Fintech company Swoop, led by Andrea Reynolds, ranked first as the fastest growing technology company, after ranking fourth in 2022. Swoop is a global platform supporting SMEs by bringing their business data into one place to garner insights and instantly match them to eligible finance, as well as assess their spend on cost categories such as energy, banking and FX. Buymedia, led and founded by Fergal O’Connor, ranked fifth in 2023 and eighth in 2022. Buymedia is a data-driven platform that helps companies and agencies plan, manage and buy advertising.

Andrea Reynolds, CEO, Swoop, said: “Ranking in the Fast 50 awards has brought us valuable brand recognition, in particular in the US, as Fast 50 is a globally recognised award. As we continue to grow Swoop, this recognition abroad is incredibly valuable. For the team in Swoop, it’s an opportunity to pause and reflect on how far we’ve come, and this award gives them another boost to keep going.”

Fergal O’Connor, CEO, Buymedia, said: “Fast 50 sticks out to me due to its objectivity, as the rankings are based solely on the growth of the business. Ranking in the Fast 50 has been really helpful when we have been speaking to potential investors.”

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

The closing date for entries is 27 September 2024 and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in Dublin on 28 November 2024.

National Strategy for Open Education Practices Strategy would widen access to education in Ireland – OER24

A national strategy for Open Education Practices is needed to address current and future access and equity issues in the Irish higher education sector. That’s according to the N-TUTORR programme, a collaboration across the Technological Higher Education sector focused on transforming the student experience and fostering more inclusive and sustainable learning environments for all. The call for a national strategy came at OER24, the 15^th annual Association of Learning Technology conference for Open Education Research, Practice and Policy. The event is taking place in Munster Technological University’s Bishopstown Campus in Cork today and tomorrow.

Open education seeks to widen access to and participation in education by removing barriers and making learning accessible through the likes of digital technologies and modern education practices.

At the event’s opening reception, N-TUTORR published a sectoral white paper on Open Educational Practices outlining a number of recommendations and actions which will diminish barriers to accessing education, and foster equity and inclusion across the technological higher education sector.

Speaking today, Dr Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin, Head of the Department of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL), MTU and Co-Chair of OER24, said: “While there is no official national policy document on open education in Ireland, numerous reports and initiatives have highlighted the importance of developing open education principles and institutional repositories for research outputs and teaching resources.

“We are urging the Government to prioritise developing a National OEP Strategy aligned with UNESCO’s Recommendation on Open Educational Resources. OEP can have a transformative impact on the technological higher education sector, enhancing accessibility and data privacy, promoting participatory learning and student engagement, and supporting pedagogical flexibility and innovation.”

Topics discussed at OER24 will include:

Ethical considerations surrounding the use of generative AI for open education resources, and its potential in making educational content more accessible;
The connection between Open Education, Open Data, the Open-Source movement, and digital scholarship/librarianship
The role of Open Educational Resources (OER) in serving marginalised groups and in promoting inclusivity, diversity and equity in open education.

Keynote speakers include:

Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning at Brock University in Ontario, Canada. The architect of Canada’s first zero textbook cost degree programs, his work focuses on open educational practices, student-centred pedagogies, and ethical approaches to educational technology.
Dr. Catherine Cronin, an independent scholar focusing on critical and social justice approaches in open, digital and higher education. Catherine actively interweaves work in the higher education and community education sectors.
Laura Czerniewicz, Professor Emerita at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, previously the founding director of its Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching. Her professional life has engaged in education from many perspectives including researcher, teacher, publisher and open education advocate, with a consistent focus on equity, digital inequality and justice.

Further information on OER24 is available here: https://www.oer2024.co.uk/; and information on the N-TUTORR project is available here: https://www.transforminglearning.ie/.

Tech Review – SIVGA SO1 Open-ear True Wireless Sports Earphones

The SIVGA SO1 Open-ear True Wireless Sports Earphones are a simple to use pair of earphones that have a rather large case but the colour is nice here in my opinion, the case is on the large side and might be an issue for some but overall the package looks well and is well presented and the case has got wireless charging.

The fit is very secure and will not fall out of your ears and with an IPX4 rating ideal for those on the go like cycling jogging and even the gym after my testing they did no budge, I have took up mountain biking recently and they worked a treat and I can also hear what is going on around me which is important.

The sound is surprisingly good coming from these with directional audio and better than I expected which is good to see, there was no distortion or tinny sound when maxed out and highs lows and mids sounded fine with a nice balanced level all round with some bass in there and all genres came across well so I was happy with how they sounded and they don’t sound cheap. No lag latency was noted during my testing either.

S01 is equipped with military technology chips and scientific software algorithms to achieve directional audio transmission. It is paired with a special 16.2mm biological composite diaphragm speaker and a special sound direction design, bringing a music experience that surpasses most current TWS earphones

There is one button each side and act as an MFB ( multi function button) and these work well they have all the control required for your needs and all the controls are there which is calls skip and reverse tracks voice assistant and of course volume control and they work all the time every time with no issues at all.

Battery life is decent enough and the case gives you wireless charging which is handy but on the larger size and not an issue for me but overall the sound quality call quality and so on was quite good for the asking price and something you should look at if you are in the market for a new pair of sports earphones.

Features

1. Comfortable and safe with not in-ear design.

2. No falling off for sports with earhook

3. Directional audio transmission for high clarity sound and privacy protection.

4. Bluetooth 5.3: faster and more stable connection

5. Clear communication with smart noise cancelling

6. Long battery life: continuous listening for over 9 hours.

7. Support wireless charging for convenience

8. No worry for sweat with IPX5 waterproof design

BUY

Video Review

Tech Review – OpenRock Pro Open-Ear Air Conduction Sport Earbuds

Open-Ear bone and Air conduction earbuds/ headphones are now a thing these days and we are going through some amount of pairs to test which is a good thing so we can show you how these things work with hands on time with the products and not lazy stock image reviews so you get context. The OpenRock Open-Ear Air conduction earbuds have been on my ears some time now and as mentioned before there is a difference between bone and air conduction headphones and we are now seeing more of the air conduction earbuds hit the shelves.

Also mentioned before in some reviews you will not get to near your earbud or headphone quality here but this is certainly changing for the better and with these sport earbuds again I see a difference in the tech and enhanced over other models tested in the past, there is no app with the OpenRock but hopefully in time we will see one soon but the news is good more or less from here they couldn’t be simpler to operate either.

You get a pretty large case as seen in the video and some might call that a caveat it is still pocketable and you will know you have it at all times unlike some small earbud cases for example, the case is also super robust so the goods inside will be safe.

The Earbuds are also robust and solid and can be moved to get the perfect fit, these will not fall off once you adjust them to your requirement. As mentioned no app so some limitations.

You have no auto play or pause no multipoint connection, EQ and no wireless charging and after that the rest is there, you can use these individually so effectively doubling battery life for those who use one side only which people do and is a good feature to see here.

The controls are simple to use with one button each side to execute the commands which are fixed and you have access to your voice assistant too the button on each side is the perfect size and works right each time and that is all there is to it really. you can skip and reverse tracks, play and pause and higher and lower the volume and control calls.

Overall the sound is pretty good here and a decent audio experience to be had and you can also hear your surroundings too which is not a bad thing there is some leakage on maxed out volume but no lag latency no tinny sound or distorted either when maxed out. Check out the video review for more.

OpenRock Pro Air conduction sports earbuds – techbuzzireland

Superior Sound with TubeBass Technology

OpenRock Pro each headphone with dual 16.2mm dynamic drivers (3 times bigger than other earbuds), has redefined the sound of air-conduction headphones with a distortion rate of less than 1% and sound quality performance that is transparent and mellow, outperforming all previous air-conduction headphones.

OpenRockTubeBassTM” Technology

The TubeBass bass enhancement technology can increase the low-frequency resonance of the sound to enhance bass and the rhythm of music, thus invigorating your movement pace. It makes low frequencies more solid, deeper, and enveloped, allowing pianissimo details and vocals to be bright and clear.

Specs

•Audible unit: 16.2 mm dynamic
•Audio decoding: aptX, AAC, SBC
•Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
•Waterproof rating: IPX5
•Battery life: 19 Hrs (earphones only) 46 Hrs (with charging case)
•5-minute charging for 1-hour of play
•Full charge duration: 1.5 h
•Charging port: Type C
•Rated input: 5 V 400 mA
•Support: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
•Weight: 13g (single earphone) 90 g (complete set)

Features

True Wireless Open-Ear Headphones
Superior Sound with TubeBass Technology
Up to 46 Hours Extended Playtime
Comfortable and Secure Fit, Perfect for Sports
Maximize Comfort with Additional Features

BUY

Video Review

Tech Review – Soundpeats RunFree Lite Open Ear Headphones

The Soundpeats RunFree Lite are akin to the many bone conduction headsets we have seen a rise of over the last year or so and now getting popular. These are more aimed at the fitness folk but can be used by anyone being honest and I am now starting to grow on these, I remember years back I was anti in ear earbuds without the stems and now love them but it is simply a new take or tech cycle on the latest ideas which is good.

When it comes to looks and style it is a familiar pattern here as is with all these types of headphones it is kept simple and rests on your neck and is comfortable there is no tips or in ear buds to contend with as they rest on your outer ear so it makes them easy to use straight out of the box and get going, you will need to update the app on using the first time like with many earbud or headphone manufacturers today. You will need to do a test and you should do it to get the best performance it only takes a few mins to complete.

The App itself as seen below had a familiar UI as there is some differences between their products but the Soundpeats app overall is fantastic and one of the best ones out there today, see the screenshots below and the full video review of what can be done in the app it is simple to use and has a superb EQ and works really well on these headphones considering they are not in ears and done a better job than I had anticipated.

So the sound then.. It is a thing with these and how it does sound to the user, there is some noise leakage as expected being what these are but nothing on the same level earbuds and headphones can be again which is surprising. You will never get the same level of sound as you would from traditional earbuds or headphones but these do a damn good job of getting close to it and calls are great too, not only that there is a gaming mode and this also works well. You also have your awareness about you which is important if out jogging in the dark or cycling and so on which many folk do these days which is rather silly however you need your tunes but you need your awareness more and these give you both.

The controls here are all on one side which again makes them simple to use and all the functions are there you would expect and you can see how all that works in the video below and how simple and effective this headset is from Soundpeats and their latest entry into their portfolio of value for money products.

The App