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ConorFi

@conorfi.bsky.social
554 followers 462 following 297 posts

Engineering Manager(Quality) | Speaker | Co-organiser Ministry of Testing Cork 🇮🇪. Tech Economics Politics Views my own. Politically liberal.

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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
👏 'A chance to stand up for something bigger': Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu will not play against Israel
irishexaminer.com
'A chance to stand up for something bigger': Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu will not play against Israel
“There are a few times where you get a chance in life to stand up for something bigger, and I strongly believe that this is one of them.”
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
From 1 July 2026, new EU customs rules will apply. Under these rules, a minimum Import duty of €3 will be charged on each line item in your delivery. Plus an post admin fee of €6.95 🤯
Receipt for import duty
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
“Hosting a man who has never shown a shred of remorse for his actions or empathy for his victim, minimises and trivialises the impact of sexual violence.”
irishexaminer.com
Nikita Hand welcomes high-profile criticism of Jimmy Fallon after McGregor appearance
'Hosting a man who has never shown a shred of remorse for his actions or empathy for his victim, minimises and trivialises the impact of sexual violence.'
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Proposals for a short-term lettings register to be brought before cabinet. There are 28,903 short-term lets currently available in Ireland, with the cities containing approximately 40% of the national total, and Dublin accounting for 9,186 short-term lets, or 32% of the total alone.
rte.ie
Short-term lettings register to be discussed at Cabinet
The Minister for Housing is to bring controversial and delayed proposals for a short-term lettings register before Cabinet later today.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
siliconrepublic.com
Salesforce buys Fin, formerly Intercom, for $3.6bn
Salesforce is purchasing Irish customer agent unicorn Fin for approximately $3.6bn, marking the latest in a series of acquisitions.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
It’s about time that something was done 😡 #Derelictlreland “The Government is "angry and frustrated" at local councils for "badly failing" on dereliction, prompting a new tax to be introduced to tackle the scourge that will be administered instead by the Revenue Commissioners.”
irishexaminer.com
'Frustrated' Simon Harris announces new derelict sites tax to be administered by Revenue
The latest estimates indicate there were about 19,438 residential derelict properties across the State at the end of 2025
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
How Brexit has made Britain poorer – in charts.
theguardian.com
How Brexit has made Britain poorer – in charts
Forecasters were wrong about an immediate recession but right that we would be worse off outside the EU
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
A botched tumbler promotion on the anniversary of a pro-democracy massacre unleashed a boycott, police investigation and political firestorm
theguardian.com
How a Starbucks marketing stunt spiralled into mass boycotts in South Korea
A botched tumbler promotion on the anniversary of a pro-democracy massacre unleashed a boycott, police investigation and political firestorm
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
"We believe it would be good for the world to have the option to slow or temporarily pause frontier AI development to enable societal structures and alignment research to keep up with the advance of the technology,"
rte.ie
Anthropic calls for pause of global AI development
Anthropic has suggested a global pause on building the most powerful AI systems as the latest models are beginning to show signs they could escape human control.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Anthropic has kicked things off on a historic initial public offering (IPO) that could take the company’s valuation soaring above $1trn.
siliconrepublic.com
Claude maker Anthropic files for much-awaited IPO
Anthropic has kicked things off on a historic initial public offering (IPO) that could take the company’s valuation soaring above $1trn.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Datacentres used 22% of country’s electricity last year, pushing up household bills, study suggests.
theguardian.com
‘Hidden datacentre tax’ costing Irish households millions, report says
Datacentres used 22% of country’s electricity last year, pushing up household bills, study suggests
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The Journal @thejournal.ie · 26/05/2026
Jude Sherry and Dr Frank O’Connor, founders of Derelict Ireland, explore Finland’s housing model – where affordable, secure housing is treated as both an ethical and economic priority – and what Ireland can learn from it. jrnl.ie/7050706
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Vacation and why Americans take so little. This episode of Planet Money argues that Americans take dramatically less vacation time than Europeans, not just because of personal choice, but because of structural and cultural differences around work.
npr.org
Vacation and why Americans take so little : Planet Money
Do you work more for more money? Or work less for more time? For some, this is the ultimate economic choice. Every single worker in the European Union is guaranteed four weeks of paid vacation. No mat...
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
“This week, the former garda at the centre of one of the State’s first and most shocking cases of coercive control was returned to jail for the abuse of a second woman.”
irishexaminer.com
Domestic violence: 'It takes courage. We want victims to know they will be listened to'
Repeat offending is common in domestic abuse. It can often escalate, sometimes culminating in murder, writes Liz Dunphy
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California Dreamin’… 😎 @jerasikehorn.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Any Questions?! 👇
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Pre-order of A River Red With Blood: Charlie Parker Thriller Book 22.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
We love our Americans’: the German town rocked by Trump’s plan to withdraw US troops.
theguardian.com
‘We love our Americans’: the German town rocked by Trump’s plan to withdraw US troops
American soldiers have been part of life in Landstuhl since 1945, giving the area a unique US-German identity
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Everyone is worried about Mythos. Meanwhile ChatGTP (5.4) can’t remember which players play for which EPL clubs while assisting me with my fantasy football team 🤣.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
$30m an hour: big oil reaping huge war windfall from consumers, analysis finds.
theguardian.com
$30m an hour: big oil reaping huge war windfall from consumers, analysis finds
Exclusive: Climate action blockers including Saudi Arabia, Russia and major fossil fuel firms set to make extra $234bn by end of 2026
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
In a historic reversal, the number of Americans moving to Ireland last year was higher than the number of Irish people migrating to the US.
bbc.com
Migration reversal: Why more Americans are now moving to Ireland
The number of Americans moving to Ireland last year was higher than the number of Irish people migrating to the US. Was this just a blip or the start of a more profound trend?
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Orbán Ousted: Is The Tide Turning Against Far-Right Populism? 🤞
podcasts.apple.com
Orbán Ousted: Is The Tide Turning Against Far-Right Populism?
Podcast Episode · The Rest Is Politics · 13 April · 13min
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
The wait is over: Eta’s arrival as head coach breaks barriers for women in football.
theguardian.com
The wait is over: Eta’s arrival as head coach breaks barriers for women in football
Hailed as a “trailblazer” by Sarina Wiegman, Marie-Louise Eta has been tasked with saving Union Berlin from Bundesliga relegation in a groundbreaking appointment
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
The system behind the strike was built years before modern AI was involved. Tools like Claude were added late — and played a minor role. The real issue: • A system optimised for speed over scrutiny • Bad data left unchallenged • Human decisions making removed
theguardian.com
AI got the blame for the Iran school bombing. The truth is far more worrying – podcast
LLMs-gone-rogue dominated coverage, but had nothing to do with the targeting. Instead, it was choices made by human beings, over many years, that gave us this atrocityBy Kevin T Baker. Read by Adam Si...
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
“A new study from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the Department of Finance has found that there will be both "winners and losers" when it comes to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).”
rte.ie
The 'winners and losers' in the adoption of AI
A new study from the ESRI and the Department of Finance has found that there will be both "winners and losers" when it comes to the adoption of AI. Brian O'Donovan looks at the good news and the bad news contained within the report.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
The AI users whose lives were wrecked by delusion
theguardian.com
Marriage over, €100,000 down the drain: the AI users whose lives were wrecked by delusion
One minute, Dennis Biesma was playing with a chatbot; the next, he was convinced his sentient friend would make him a fortune. He’s just one of many people who lost control after an AI encounter
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
“Elon Musk was misleading in his public statements during a crucial period of his 2022 Twitter takeover, a jury has found. “
bbc.com
Elon Musk misled Twitter investors, jury finds
A San Francisco jury concludes Musk’s claims in 2022 were damaging to a group of Twitter investors.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
“An investigation by journalists working with Republik magazine may have struck a nerve by suggesting the company has failed in Switzerland”
theguardian.com
‘It does feel like an intimidation campaign’: why is US tech giant Palantir suing a small Swiss magazine?
An investigation by journalists working with Republik magazine may have struck a nerve by suggesting the company has failed in Switzerland
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
“Ukrainian and Russian killer robots are even said to have clashed without humans being present at the site of the battle.”
bbc.com
Armed robots take to the battlefield in Ukraine war
Ukraine has embarked on a programme to deploy armed robots on the battlefield against Russian forces.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
“Left to survey the wreckage are the hundreds of staff summarily culled in a brutal 11-minute Teams call from HQ and the 200,000 plus investors, or Equity Punks, who will likely see no return for the more than £100m they ploughed into the company.”
bbc.com
From a £1bn dream to a brutal collapse: How Brewdog hit the rocks
The rise and fall of the garage start-up which set out to revolutionise the brewing industry.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
“The hiring downturn sent shares on Wall Street lower and raised new pressure on US President Donald Trump, who campaigned on promises of improving the economy.”
bbc.com
US economy unexpectedly sheds 92,000 jobs in February
The contraction came as a surprise with payrolls down in nearly every sector.
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Frank O'Connor @frankoconnor.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
We have the houses We don't have the political will to tirn them into homes Too much money to be made in speculation & hoarding @judesherry.bsky.social & I collated this data for our 2024 report "This is #DerelictIreland. The Solutions."
We have the houses
We don't have the political will to tirn them into homes
Too much money to be made in speculation & hoarding

@judesherry.bsky.social & I collated this data for our 2024 report "This is #DerelictIreland. The Solutions."
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Democrats thrown into disarray as US offensive on Iran creates cracks.
theguardian.com
Democrats thrown into disarray as US offensive on Iran creates cracks
Lawmakers from Sanders to Mark Kelly offer mixed feelings on Trump’s action and killing of Iranian supreme leader
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Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
You know, Ukraine has never blown up a school full of little girls. Sometimes an accident is not an accident, especially with countries like the US, Russia and Israel that repeatedly commit the same crimes against children.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
When oligarchs talk of “personal liberties and free markets” they mean their own liberties to become even richer and more powerful. When oligarchs speak of “freedom,” what they actually seek is freedom from accountability. Know the truth.
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Frank O'Connor @frankoconnor.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
This is not A.I. This is what legacy looks like North Main Street Cork citys historic core Heritage buildings date from mid 18thC Vandalised for years while successive Governments & local authorities look other way This street violence of neglect, hoarding & speculation is city wide #speirgorm
This is not A.I.

This is what legacy looks like
North Main St
Cork citys historic core
Heritage buildings date from mid 18thC
Vandalised for years while successive Governments & local authorities look other way
This street violence of neglect, hoarding & speculation is city wide
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Aidan Moher @aidanmoher.com · 21/02/2026
Why isn’t the right excited about technology?
bbc.co.uk
Single vaccine could protect against all coughs, colds and flus, researchers say
A Stanford University team have tested their nasal spray vaccine in animals but still need to do human clinical trials.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
theguardian.com
OpenAI considered alerting Canadian police about school shooting suspect months ago
Company behind ChatGPT last year flagged Jesse Van Rootselaar’s account for ‘furtherance of violent activities’
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
rte.ie
Hacker who booked luxury hotels for one cent arrested
Spanish police said they had arrested a 20-year-old man who allegedly hacked a hotel booking website to reserve luxury rooms for as little as one cent, in the first known cybercrime of its kind.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
irishexaminer.com
Government to introduce social media ban for under-16s in online safety push
Cabinet to prioritise legislation and pilot age verification tool as Ireland weighs EU-wide or unilateral social media restrictions
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
👏 Data Protection Commission to investigate X over its AI app
irishexaminer.com
Grok 'nudify' scandal: Data Protection Commission to investigate X over its AI app
Ireland's data protection watchdog, the lead supervisory authority across the EU/EEA, has announced 'a large-scale inquiry' into X / Twitter's compliance with obligations under the GDPR
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Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 13/02/2026
Bluesky is the new science Twitter, new study by @whysharksmatter.bsky.social and Julia Wester concludes! "Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
academic.oup.com
Scientists no Longer Find Twitter Professionally Useful, and have Switched to Bluesky
Synopsis. Social media has become widely used by the scientific community for a variety of professional uses, including networking and public outreach. For
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
“The Epstein files reveal a patriarchy in action. This is a world where the men are rich and powerful, and the women are not. The emails showcase the private behaviour of a male ruling class, as they network, joke and trade information.”
theguardian.com
Sex and snacks, but no seat at the table: the role of women in Epstein’s sordid men’s club
Files reveal a world of flattery and fratboy tones, where rich men are cultivated and women provide services
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
bbc.com
China bans hidden car door handles over safety concerns
It makes China the first country to stop the use of designs first made popular by Elon Musk's Tesla.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
theguardian.com
International law meant to limit effects of war at breaking point, study finds
Report covering 23 conflicts over last 18 months concludes more than 100,000 civilians have been killed as war crimes rage out of control
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
🤭
bbc.com
Elon Musk's X down for tens of thousands of users - live updates
Users across the globe are reporting they are unable to access the social media platform.
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
How much money President Trump and his family have made.
npr.org
How much money President Trump and his family have made : Planet Money
Before President Donald Trump’s first term, he was in a “tight spot” financially, according to New Yorker writer David Kirkpatrick. At the start of his second term, David says, Trump was in an “even t...
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
“Senior gardaí will tell the Oireachtas Committee on Media that the recent use of an AI app to present children and adults in an undressed state is "an abhorrent disregard of personal dignity and an abuse of societal trust" that cannot be tolerated.”
rte.ie
Gardaí to tell committee of 'abhorrent' AI abuse imagery
Senior gardaí will tell the Oireachtas Committee on Media that the recent use of an AI app to present children and adults in an undressed state is "an abhorrent disregard of personal dignity and an ab...
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." -Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953
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schlgr @schlgr.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
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ConorFi @conorfi.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Rewatching the “democracy” speech from The Dictator. What was meant as satire now lands uncomfortably close to documentary.
youtu.be
The Dictator - Democracy Speech
YouTube video by flaviogago
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