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

11 Mar 2016

Get the full Irish at SXSW; Eir brings free roaming to EU; Apple gets ready for 21 March reveal.

Ten nuggets of knowledge to take away for the weekend, including: the full Irish at SXSW; Eir brings free roaming to EU, and Apple gets ready for 21 March reveal.

1. The ultimate guide to getting your full Irish at SXSW

Whether you’re an Irish delegate at SXSW, or an Eirephile looking to soak up all that Ireland has to offer at the US mega festival, fill your plate with this fine helping of tech, music and film from these shores.

2. 9 ways to make the most of SXSW 2016

South by Southwest (SXSW) – the annual, international gathering of innovators, creative thinkers, film makers and musicians – will this week descend upon Austin, Texas, for the ultimate in conference festivals.

3. Eir is the first Irish telco out of the blocks to offer free EU roaming

Eir has begun offering free EU-wide roaming ahead of the mandatory June 2017 EU deadline.

4. Irish artist’s drawing of Scott Kelly made it aboard the ISS

Irish artist Jack Conway-Kenny, who painstakingly drew a pencil sketch of NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, has gotten quite a lot of attention, and the honour of having his work shown off in space.

5. Dr Sarah Bourke a winner at 2016 EU Prize for Women Innovators

For her efforts as one of the leading women entrepreneurs in Europe, Skytek’s co-founder Dr Sarah Bourke has been named as one of the three winners of the 2016 EU Prize for Women Innovators.

6. Irishman’s new low-cost dialysis machine an international hit

An Irish engineer has received international recognition for designing a new low-cost kidney dialysis machine that could be a “brilliant game-changer”.

7. Could superstar graphene solve the world’s water crisis?

A lot of research into how graphene can be used as a water filter has emerged recently, meaning the wonder material is now firmly in position to cure most of humanity’s ailments.

8. Apple Watch and iPhone on agenda as Apple invites media to 21 March event

Apple has invited media to a special event on 21 March at its Cupertino headquarters, which appears to big up the likelihood of an Apple Watch 2 or new strap options. Apple is also expected to unveil a new special edition 4-inch iPhone and a 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

9. Would you pay good money for cinema releases at home?

Napster co-founder and former Facebook president Sean Parker is working on a new project that could see movies delivered to your small screen the day they hit cinemas.

10. US Govt accuses Apple of creating tech barriers to impede San Bernardino investigation

In its latest legal filing, the US Government attorneys acting on behalf of the FBI have accused Apple of raising technological barriers to prevent it executing its warrant to unlock the encryption of the iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino killers.

SXSW image via Shutterstock 

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

editorial@siliconrepublic.com