Ireland | Techknow Ireland

Can't Get Solar, or Already Have It? Meet the EcoFlow Stream AC 5000

A home battery that doesn't care whether you have solar panels or not? EcoFlow's Stream AC 5000 sounds made for renters and apartments, but can you actually use one in Ireland yet? Can't get solar panels, but still fancy the benefits of a home battery? Maybe you're renting, or you live in an apartment where panels on the roof just aren't happening. Or maybe you've got panels already, and on a good day some of what they make heads out to the grid because the house isn't using

Paul Fingleton

4 hours ago6 min read

Anker's Big New Solar Battery: What Are the Reviewers Saying?

Five kilowatt-hours of storage, room for twelve solar panels and a socket that can keep a heater going in a power cut. Anker's latest Solarbank has reviewers talking, but is it one for Irish homes? Solar panels and a battery sound like a natural pairing. Catch the power when the sun does show up, then use it later instead of buying it in. One kind of home battery tries to make that simpler. The battery and the electronics to connect your panels and your home all live in one b

Paul Fingleton

10 hours ago6 min read

Are Plug-in Batteries Legal in Ireland?

Fill it up on cheap night-rate electricity, use it in the evening when power is dear, and all you need is a socket. That's the pitch for plug-in home batteries. But can you actually use one that way in Ireland? Short answer: not the plug-in way. Not yet. As of the time of writing, we couldn't find an approved way in Ireland to plug a battery into an ordinary socket and have it power your house. A battery hardwired by a Registered Electrical Contractor is a different story, an

Paul Fingleton

2 days ago4 min read

Is Plug-in Solar Legal in Ireland?

A couple of solar panels on the balcony railing, a lead into an ordinary socket, and the house takes a little less from the grid while the sun's out. Germany allows it under set conditions, and the UK joined in at the end of August. So can you do it in Ireland? The answer comes in two halves. When going to press with this article, Irish officials still say plugging a solar kit into a socket yourself isn't compliant. The route they describe as compliant today is having it hard

Paul Fingleton

2 days ago4 min read

Jackery SolarVault 3 Pro: Clever Kit, but Is It Too Expensive?

Another big name has joined the home battery race. Jackery, which also makes portable power stations, now has the SolarVault 3 range. It's well reviewed in Germany, but whether it's good value depends on where, and when, you look, and there's no Irish price yet. A home battery does a simple job. It stores electricity, from solar panels or from the grid on a cheap rate, and hands it back when you need it. Many of the newer ones are all-in-one boxes: battery, inverter (the bit

Paul Fingleton

3 days ago5 min read

Women's World Cup comes to FIFA 23 this month

Just in time for the Girls in Green making their debut on the largest stage in international soccer, the World Cup, FIFA 23, is adding the Women's World Cup mode for the first time in its history. The mode will be available as a free update in late June 2023. The Women's World Cup mode will include all 32 qualified nations, authentic stadium dressings, match presentations, dedicated commentary, and the official trophy. Players will be able to choose from three different ways

Paul Fingleton

Jun 20, 20232 min read

WhatsApp introduces Channels: a new way to follow what matters to you

WhatsApp, the popular messaging app owned by Meta, has announced a new feature called Channels: a simple and private way to receive updates from people and organizations important to you, right within WhatsApp. With Channels, admins can send text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls to their followers in a one-way broadcast mode. Similar to Stories in Instagram, or Spotlight on Snapchat, followers will be able to subscribe and view the latest from their Channels in a new tab

Paul Fingleton

Jun 19, 20232 min read

How eir’s mobile customers are using more data than ever

eir has seen a huge surge in data usage on its mobile network in the first quarter of 2023. According to its mobile data report, eir’s mobile customers used 41% more data in Q1 2023 compared to the same time last year, with each county experiencing substantial growth. The report, which was shared with Techknow Ireland, reveals some interesting insights into how and where Irish consumers are using their data connection on eir’s mobile network. County Leitrim saw the highest gr

Paul Fingleton

Jun 16, 20232 min read

Google’s Bard chatbot faces EU launch delay over possible privacy issues

Google's new AI chatbot, Bard, which can generate natural and engaging conversations on any topic, has been postponed in its European launch due to privacy concerns raised by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). The DPC, which oversees Google's data practices in the EU, asked Google to provide a data protection impact assessment for Bard, as required by the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, Google failed to do so, and the DPC requested more infor

Paul Fingleton

Jun 15, 20232 min read

ServiceNow to double its Irish workforce with 400 new jobs

ServiceNow, a digital workflow company, has announced plans to create 400 new jobs in Ireland over the next three years. The new roles will be across digital sales, engineering, research and development, and will double the company's current staff numbers in Dublin to more than 800. The company offers a cloud-based platform for automating workflows, using technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic process automation. It recently partnered with

Paul Fingleton

Jun 14, 20232 min read