The tech world isn’t taking any breaks after CES! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Senior Writer Sam Rutherford to discuss Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked event, where it debuted the Galaxy S24 smartphone line. They don’t look very different from last year, but they’re packing a load of AI smarts. Also, Cherlynn finally got to try out the Apple Vision Pro and tells us all about her spatial computing journey. While it was a mostly eye-opening experience, the headset also hurt Cherl...
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 205
Just as we expected, AI was the running theme throughout CES 2024. In this episode, Devindra and Producer Ben Ellman chat with co-host Cherlynn Low, who’s on the ground in Las Vegas with the Engadget team. We dive into AI popping into almost every product category, new standalone AI hardware, and a surprising amount of “shush” tech. In geekier news, we dive into Micron’s new RAM format for laptops, which has the potential to reshape the notebook industry, and discuss why we all may want a rollin...
Jan 12, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 204
It’s the week before CES officially kicks off in Las Vegas, but our fingers are already tired from typing up a ton of early news. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss the big topics they expect to see at CES 2024 (AI PCs will be huge, we swear!), as well as some of the stories that have already landed, like Dell’s revamped XPS line. Also, we explore some of 2023’s biggest winners and losers (just take a guess where Twitter ends up), and we chat about Apple Fitness+ highlighting Super B...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 203
Right as we’re heading into Christmas, Apple has been forced to stop sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US, due to an ongoing patent dispute with Masimo over pulse oximeters. To break down what’s going on, Devindra and Ben chat with Christina Farr, a health tech investor at OMERS Ventures and author of the newsletter Second Opinion . It turns out Apple has made a habit of tempting people away from competing companies, and that includes Masimo’s former chief medical officer. Did...
Dec 22, 2023•45 min•Ep. 202
So long E3, we knew you weren’t long for this world. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Engadget Senior Editor Jessica Conditt to talk about the death of E3 and what it means for the gaming industry. We also explore some of the highlights (and low points) of last week’s Game Awards, which couldn’t quite balance celebrating video games and functioning as a marketing tool. We’re particularly excited for Light No Fire , the next ambitious game from the folks behind No Man’s Sky , as wel...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 201
We made it to 200 episodes, folks! This week, Cherlynn, Devindra, Producer Ben Ellman and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford dive into some of the biggest tech developments since we rebooted the podcast in 2019. Remember, that was a pre-pandemic, pre-generative AI world! We also highlight a few guest interviews worth revisiting, like our chats with Bill Nye and Ann Druyan . As for recent news, we quickly recap the OpenAI drama around Sam Altman’s ouster, discuss Google’s new Gemini AI platform, and ch...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 200
Sony’s next “PSP,” the PlayStation Portal, is one odd little device. It can only stream games from your PlayStation 5 – beyond that, it’s a $200 doorstop. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with CNET’s Scott Stein about the Portal and the many ways it baffles us. While it does manage to stream games from the PS5 just fine, it’s also expensive, clunky and lacks basic features like Bluetooth audio support. It’s really only meant for the most diehard PS5 owners (and even they should probab...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 199
Apple's new M3 MacBook Pros and iMac are here! In this episode, we dive into our full thoughts about all of Apple's new hardware alongside Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham. The big takeaway: Don't buy the base model of either computer with just 8GB of RAM. Otherwise, the M3 chips are solid upgrades across the board. Also, Senior Editor Jessica Conditt joins to tell us all about the new Steam Deck OLED. It has a slightly larger OLED screen than the original model, as well as some extra battery life....
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 198
Joe Hunting, the director of "We Met in Virtual Reality," is embarking on a new adventure: He's launching Painted Clouds, a studio devoted to VR filmmaking. In this episode, we chat with Hunting about the state of the VR community, the convergence of real-world and virtual filmmaking tools, and why he's so interested in telling stories set in VR. Be sure to check out We Met in Virtual Reality, which is streaming now on Max.
Nov 07, 2023•29 min
Apple’s M3 chip is here, and the company is wasting no time shoving it into new computers. This week, we dive into the new M3-equipped MacBook Pros and iMac, which offer some notable upgrades over the M2 and M1 models. Also, we find time to celebrate the death of the old 13-inch MacBook Pro, and try to determine if the cheaper 14-inch MacBook Pro is actually meant for pros with 8GB of RAM. We also chat about Apple’s healthcare plans, as well as Lenovo’s ridiculous tablet fashion campaign. Apple ...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 197
It seems like just about every streaming service has raised their price this year – most recently, Apple TV+, Netflix and Disney+. In this episode, we chat with Janko Roettgers, author of the newsletter Lowpass , about the state of streaming media. Why are these companies pushing their prices up now, and what does that mean for you, the viewer? Does this mean the dream of cord cutting is over? (Spoiler: No, not really.) Also, we chat about Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chips, adult film star Rile...
Oct 26, 2023•56 min•Ep. 196
It seems like Marc Andreessen had a lot of free time this week, as the VC wrapped up his entire pro-tech worldview in a massive tome, the Techno-Optimist Manifesto . Andreessen claims “technology is the glory of human ambition and achievement, the spearhead of progress, and the realization of our potential,” and he goes on to vilify anyone who dares to step in the way of “progress.” To break down this document, we’re joined by tech critic Paris Marx , host of the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast , and...
Oct 19, 2023•56 min•Ep. 195
We still have months to wait before Dune: Part Two hits theaters, so what better time to reminisce about David Lynch's intriguing adaptation of Frank Herbert's masterpiece? Reviled at the time, Lynch's Dune has now firmly established itself as a cult sci-fi epic, a film with boundless creative energy hampered by studio interference. In this bonus episode, Devindra chats with film journalist Max Evry, author of A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune . We explore why he devoted two years of...
Oct 17, 2023•38 min
The Meta Quest 3 is here, and it’s the best standalone VR headset we’ve ever seen. But is that enough to make people care about virtual reality? In this episode, Devindra and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford chat with Tested’s Norm Chan about the Quest 3 and Meta’s mixed reality future. While the company’s vision of the metaverse is pretty sterile, it’s still nice to see Meta learning from the mistakes of the Quest Pro. Sam also dives into his Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro reviews, as well as his thoughts...
Oct 12, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 194
Yes, Techtober is in full swing! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Engadget’s Sam Rutherford about everything from the Made by Google event. That includes the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2. We give Google credit for leaning on AI long before it was trendy, but we wonder if the Pixel 8 Pro’s temperature sensor will actually be useful. Also, we dive into Samsung’s latest FE devices, Apple’s fix for overheating iPhone 15s, and Google’s Chromebook Plus initiative. Google announces ...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 193
This week, it’s Meta’s turn to highlight AI during its device event. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn dive into all of the news from Meta’s Connect 2023 event, where it unveiled Meta AI and accompanying celebrity-powered chatbots. Oh yah, and it introduced the Meta Quest 3 and new Ray-Ban smart glasses, too. More so than the metaverse and VR, it’s really AI that Zuckerberg wants to push across all of Meta’s apps and devices. And in other news, we discuss why the end of the WGA strike is a ...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 192
Gadget season is in full swing! This week, Cherlynn chats about her experience reviewing the iPhone 15 Pro and Apple Watch Series 9. Does a 5x camera zoom make much of a difference? Also, Devindra and Cherlynn dive into Microsoft’s big Surface event in NYC, which actually ended up being more of an AI event. The company announced Copilot, its new AI assistant for Windows and other platforms. Microsoft is basically consolidating all of the Copilot products it’s already announced for Edge, MS 365 a...
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 191
This week, Cherlynn gives us her on-the-ground thoughts from Apple’s iPhone 15 launch event. It turns out the iPhone 15 Pro’s titanium case is actually noticeably lighter! We’re all also intrigued by Apple’s new double-tap gesture in the Watch Series 9. (Don’t be surprised if it ends up training us how to use the Vision Pro’s gesture commands!) Also, Engadget reporter Malak Saleh joins to discuss her review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, as well as Dyson’s ridiculous Zone air filter mask/headpho...
Sep 14, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 190
Fresh off of Apple’s “Wonderlust” event, Devindra and Engadget Editor-in-Chief Dana Wollman dive into the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro and the Apple Watch Series 9. We explain why Apple’s move towards USB-C on the iPhones has been a long time coming, and why we’re excited about even more emergency satellite calling capabilities. And while the Apple Watch Series 9 looks like a worthwhile upgrade, we’re more intrigued by the new double tap finger gesture.
Sep 12, 2023•39 min•Ep. 189
Starfield is here! It’s just too bad we only like some of it. This week, Devindra chats with Senior Editor Jessica Conditt about Bethesda’s latest massive open world title, and why it just feels like Fallout 4 in space. Also, we dive into reports around Nintendo demoing the Switch 2 at Gamescom, and we dream up what our ideal sequel console could be. (Just call it the Super Switch!) Engadget’s Starfield review: You will like some of it – 1:25 Baldur’s Gate 3 is a big win for games in Early Acces...
Sep 07, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 189
It wouldn’t be the end of summer if we weren’t gearing up for another iPhone launch! This week, Devindra and Cherlynn are joined by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the purveyor of many Apple rumors, to discuss what we expect from the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Based on Gurman’s reporting so far, the iPhone 15 will likely get Apple’s Dynamic Island and improved tech from last year’s Pro phone. The iPhone 15 Pro, meanwhile, will see thinner bezels, a titanium frame and a periscope camera for the Pro Ma...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 188
The PSP is back! Sort of. This week, Sony announced the PlayStation Portal, a $200 handheld that can only stream games from your PS5. In this episode, Devindra and Producer Ben Ellman try to figure out what the heck Sony is doing. Is the Portal something gamers actually want? Or did Sony completely miss an opportunity to build a better portable? Also, we discuss why we’re excited for Armored Core VI and some serious big mecha action. Sony announces $200 Playstation Portal handheld – 1:10 Armored...
Aug 25, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 187
This week, Cherlynn and Sam are joined by noted foldables lover Michael Fisher (aka Mr Mobile) to talk all about their respective reviews of Samsung’s latest products. Why are our hosts more excited for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 than the Z Fold 5? Is Samsung coasting? Then, we discuss the latest happenings in X vs Threads, as well as a bunch of lighthearted news in tech this week. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 reviews with MrMobile – 1:22 Will Elon actually pay for lawsuits related to posts on X?...
Aug 10, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 186
While our reviewers spend time testing the numerous Samsung devices that were just announced, this episode Cherlynn and Sam dive into the relatively slow week in tech. Of course, we can’t escape the onslaught of news coming from X-Twitter-Musk land, just like how residents from a building across from the company’s San Francisco headquarters were unable to escape from blinding lights this weekend. We also go over some updates from Meta and Google and discover why Cherlynn loves clowns. This week ...
Aug 04, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 185
Samsung made a huge flex this week by hosting its first Unpacked event in Seoul, South Korea (sorry NYC!). In this episode, Cherlynn, Devindra and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford dive into all of Samsung’s news: The Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, Watch 6 and Tab S9. Is Samsung playing it safe this year, or is it actually bringing something new to the world of foldables? Also, we discuss Twitter’s rebrand to “X” ( sigh ), as well as why astrophysicist Avi Loeb is likely wrong about his extraterrestrial ...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 184
AI can now place us inside South Park episodes – should we be worried? This week, Devindra and Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham chat with Edward Saatchi, the CEO of The Simulation, about his company’s new AI technology that can generate TV episodes, movies and more. We preview a test South Park episode featuring Devindra, and discuss if this technology is actually a good thing for creatives. Also, Editor at Large James Trew joins to discuss his piece on AI-powered immortality. And to keep the sci-f...
Jul 20, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 183
It looks like Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is trucking along, following a court rejection of the FTC’s injunction attempt. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Jordan Minor, a Senior Analyst at PCMag covering games, about this massive deal and what it means for the gaming industry. Will further consolidation end up being harmful for consumers (as we’ve been saying for a while), or will Microsoft actually help the beleaguered Activision? Also, we dive into our experiences ...
Jul 13, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 182
It’s been a wild week for social media! While Twitter encountered many self-inflicted wounds, users jumped to Blue Sky and Mastodon. Then Meta decided it was a fine time to drop its Twitter copycat, Threads. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Engadget’s Karissa Bell about where all of these services are headed. Will Threads be the clear winner, thanks to Instagram’s social graph? Or will the future lie with fully decentralized platforms like Mastodon? Twitter continues to crumble, Meta i...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 181
This episode, Cherlynn is joined by senior writer Sam Rutherford and senior commerce editor at Wired Julian Chokkattu to talk about our reviews of the Pixel Fold. Will the recent spate of foldables by companies like Motorola and Google give Samsung some real competition and motivation to step up its game? We can only wait to find out. Samsung is holding its next Galaxy Unpacked in late July, and we’ll see what it has to unveil then. This episode, we also take a look at the latest addition to the...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 180
This episode, Cherlynn is joined by senior reporter Jess Conditt and special guest Michael Fisher to talk about the week of reviews. From the Moto Razr+ to the Pixel Tablet, we look at how these devices fit into our lives and make them better (or worse). Than, we go over the highlights from Summer Games Fest and dig into that Titanic situation. Moto Razr+ review: a foldable with an external display you’ll actually want to use – 1:56 Pixel Tablet review: Google made a great smart display and a pa...
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 179
