Weekend takeaway: Fortune favours the brave

10 Nov 2017

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Sci-tech stories for a brave new world, ranging from enabling women entrepreneurs, to the future of medical testing.

Facebook’s data gathering is not as simple as microphone spying

Facebook knows a lot about us.

Image: javy_indy/Shutterstock

There have been persistent rumours that Facebook uses our microphones to listen in on conversations.

Internet tax: Extra levy on Irish TV licence will be a bitter pill

Internet tax: A levy on Irish TV licence will be a bitter pill

Image: KJB/Shutterstock

Should people who can’t even get broadband be expected to pay extra on their TV licence?

The economic gender gap won’t be closed for another 217 years

Image: Billion Photos/Shutterstock

The World Economic Forum has released the 2017 edition of its Global Gender Gap Report, which indicates that the gender gap has widened for the first time since the organisation started measuring it.

‘Women entrepreneurs do not need to be fixed; we are not broken’

‘Women entrepreneurs do not need to be fixed; we are not broken’

Image: Conor McCabe Photography

Astia entrepreneurs and investors explore the art of the pitch and levelling the playing field.

Want to know what it’s like working at Twitter?

Laoise Scully, Twitter. Image: Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography

With more than 300m active monthly users, Twitter is one of the most used social media platforms. But what is it like to work there?

‘Gone are the days of waiting for test results’

robert-grundy

Robert Grundy, CEO of Ciga Healthcare. Image: TechWatch

TechWatch’s Emily McDaid explores how medicine is evolving and what role Ciga Healthcare will play in the future of rapid diagnostic testing.

How humming a tune in your head could help the speechless to talk again

Music notes

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By seeing how our brains react to the sound of music, researchers believe they could find a way to enable the speechless to talk again.

Apple sells fewer iPhone 8 devices at launch compared with iPhone 7

Apple sells fewer iPhone 8 devices at launch compared with iPhone 7

The Apple iPhone 8. Image: quangmooo/Shutterstock

Was the iPhone 8 launch dented by people holding out for the iPhone X?

How to make the best of new opportunities that come your way

How to make the best of new opportunities

Image: Irina Kozorog/Shutterstock

Seizing new opportunities was a central theme this week in the Careers section. There were jobs announcements abound, and a number of perspectives on starting afresh in Irish tech.

Uber plans to test its first flying taxis by 2020 using NASA software

Uber signs

Uber signs. Image: Ink Drop/Shutterstock

Uber is turning to a safe pair of hands to develop its flying car software, with plans to test flying taxis by 2020.

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

editorial@siliconrepublic.com