Ten nuggets of knowledge to take away for the weekend, including a new definition of broadband, Ireland’s Magna Carta for the data revolution, and a lesson in data protection from Trinity College Dublin.
1. Anything less than 25Mbps can no longer be called broadband
US telecoms watchdog FCC has redefined broadband by raising the minimum download speed from 4Mbps to 25Mbps and the minimum upload speed from 1Mbps to 3Mbps – a wake-up call to telcos worldwide.
2. Ireland calls for a ‘Magna Carta’ for data ethics in Europe
As the war over trust and privacy online intensifies Irish data scientists will next week call on EU chiefs to create a ‘Magna Carta’ on data ethics for Europe.
3. €1.6m SFI funding to put STEM at the forefront of education
A new €1.6m fund provided by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Irish Government will provide crucial funding for 39 initiatives that are aiming to put STEM at the forefront of Ireland’s future generations.
4. Hackathon aims to break the Open Bank Project this weekend
Ireland’s first dedicated banking hackathon will take place this weekend at the NDRC in Dublin. Organised by Ulster Bank, it aims to bring together more than 120 coders, designers, mentors and investors.
5. 60pc increase in ICT graduates planned as part of National Talent Drive
A new SURE tax incentive to help people start their own businesses and a 60pc increase in ICT graduates are key measures of the latest step in Ireland’s plan to achieve full employment by 2018.
6. No more drone strikes on White House as DJI changes rules
A new software update for DJI-made drones will see all flights disabled around not just the White House in Washington, DC, but also the thousands of airports in the US.
7. Trinity College QR code catches worldwide attention for data protection
A mysterious QR code projected onto the front of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and dotted around campus has taught a significant number of people a valuable lesson in securing your own data.
8. Life sciences company ICON bringing 200 jobs to Dublin and Limerick
ICON, a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical-device industries, is creating a new global innovation hub in Ireland, bringing 200 jobs for the country.
9. Google denies claims of cosying up to governments over WikiLeaks saga
oogle is fighting back against accusations of cosying up to governments by denying it did nothing to prevent the US government from gaining access to the data of three of its employees.
10. Reddit, more often than not, complied with government data requests
Reddit has released its first transparency report – in line with many other major tech companies – with their figures showing that they complied with 64pc of US government requests.
Computer in the kitchen image via Shutterstock
