Weekend takeaway: 10 tech stories you need to read right now

12 Feb 2016

Movidius is key to Google's new VR headset; plans to make Ireland a global medtech hub; and 20 ways to romance a geek on Valentine's Day

Ten nuggets of knowledge to take away for the weekend, including: Irish chip firm Movidius could be key to Google’s revolutionary new VR headset; plans to make Ireland a global medtech hub; and 20 ways to romance a geek on Valentine’s Day.

1. Irish chip could be at heart of Google’s plan to create a revolutionary standalone VR headset

Google is believed to be working on a revolutionary new VR headset that requires neither smartphones or PCs to track motion, and chips from Irish tech player Movidius are reportedly powering the new concept in VR. This could be just one dimension of Google and Movidius’ machine-vision partnership.

2. Interview with one of the founding fathers of Irish mobile, Stephen Brewer

In the 1990s as CEO of Eircell (now Vodafone) Stephen Brewer masterminded the country’s love affair with mobile phones. Ireland was one of the first countries in the world to launch prepay and Brewer competed aggressively with Denis O’Brien’s Esat Digifone. Today, he is back in Ireland to help the next wave of entrepreneurs take on the world.

3. Cisco reveals critical flaw that leaves ASA firewalls open to attack

Networking giant Cisco has revealed a critical vulnerability that affects Cisco ASA firewalls that could allow remote attackers to breach a firewall via a virtual private network.

4. You can’t STEM the tide: LinkedIn reveals skills that got people hired in 2015

Cloud, data analytics and digital marketing were the top skills that got Irish professionals hired during 2015, according to LinkedIn. And it appears science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills will dominate hiring trends through 2016 and beyond.

5. Fastest-ever data transfer clocked at incredible 1.125Tbps

Imagine being able to download all of Game of Thrones in one second? Well, researchers have achieved a data transfer speed that could do just that.

6. France to lay 1,000km of solar roadways over next 5 years

As part of a major investment in renewable energy, the French government is to begin a project to lay 1,000km of solar roadways over the next five years.

7. What dog do I look like?

Microsoft is back with another image identifier tool, this time trying to pick out dog breeds from a swarm of options. But, you may ask, what dog breed does Microsoft think I am?

8. IT firm Aspira to create 50 jobs in Dublin and Cork

IT support firm Aspira is to create 50 jobs at its Cork and Dublin operations over the next 18 months following a year of major growth.

9. 20 ways to tell a geek how you feel this Valentine’s Day

Valentines Day shouldn’t be stressful, it should be fun, especially if your significant other is a total geek. So, why not add a bit of humour to your day of love.

10. IMDA lays out plans to make Ireland a ‘global medtech hub’

The Irish Medical Devices Association (IMDA) has presented its four-year strategy, with the aim of establishing Ireland as a ‘global medtech hub’ by the end of the decade.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com