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The Vergecast

The Vergewww.theverge.com
The Vergecast is the flagship daily podcast from The Verge about small gadgets, Big Tech, and everything in between. Every Friday, Nilay Patel and David Pierce hang out and make sense of the week’s most important technology news. And Monday through Thursday, David leads a selection of The Verge’s expert staffers in an exploration of how gadgets and software affect our lives – and which ones you should bring into yours.
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Episodes

CES is back! Sony announces a car, everything has Matter, and Lenovo puts screens on top of screens

CES 2023 is in full swing! The Verge's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and Richard Lawler parse the vapor ware from the cool new tech we hope to see ship this year. Further reading: Sony and Honda just announced their new electric car brand, Afeela The BMW i Vision Dee is a future EV sports sedan that can talk back to you Check out BMW’s color-changing concept car in action Mercedes-Benz and ChargePoint are going to install thousands of EV fast chargers in the US The Ring Car Cam is now available to or...

Jan 06, 20231 hr 23 min

The Bluetooth Holiday Spec-tacular

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, Chris Welch, and Sean Hollister celebrate the holiday season with a full show dedicated to Bluetooth. 03:57 - We play Bluetooth Jeopardy! Play along here 30:38 - The crew discuss the many codecs layered onto the Bluetooth spec, and where the standard is headed. 46:56 - Former Bluetooth SIG executive director Dr. Mike Foley joins the show to discuss his time in charge of Bluetooth. Happy Holidays! Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, ...

Dec 21, 20221 hr 20 min

Apple could open up iOS, Elon gets booed, and the golden age of streaming is coming to an end

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and Richard Lawler break down all the news from this week. Further reading: FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in the Bahamas Apple is reportedly preparing to allow third-party app stores on the iPhone Twitter Blue is back, letting you buy a blue checkmark again Elon Musk sells yet another $3.58 billion of Tesla shares - The Verge Twitter suspends @ElonJet after Musk promises not to ban it - The Verge Elon Musk booed at Dave Chappelle show, claims it ...

Dec 16, 20221 hr 29 min

Streaming winners & losers of 2022: Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and more

The Verge 's Alex Cranz, Nilay Patel, and Charles Pulliam-Moore focus on the big streaming services — Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Paramount Plus — and discuss which are the winners and losers are for this year. Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call the hotline at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Dec 14, 20221 hr 23 min

Livestreaming is back!

In the final episode on our series about creator economies, David Pierce is joined by producer Hadley Robinson to explore the world of livestreaming and its recent popularity across every social platform. Livestreaming is certainly not a new thing though, so why does it seem to be having a moment? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 12, 202238 min

ChatGPT explained, the FTC suing Microsoft, and Apple adding encryption to iCloud backups

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, Richard Lawler, and James Vincent discuss the popularity of ChatGPT . Also: the FTC sues Microsoft to block its Activision Blizzard purchase , Apple is adding end-to-end encryption to iCloud backups , and some gadget news. Further reading: ChatGPT proves AI is finally mainstream — and things are only going to get weirder The FTC is suing Microsoft to block its Activision Blizzard purchase Microsoft reaches 10-year deal with Nintendo for Call of Duty EU sets ...

Dec 09, 20221 hr 32 min

Kindle 15th anniversary and the problem with US broadband

This week on the flagship podcast of mounting TVs way too high in the hospital room: The Verge 's David Pierce chats with Russell Brandom about the state of US broadband, and what we learned from 22,000 people’s internet bills . David also talks with Verge managing editor Alex Cranz about the Amazon Kindle's 15th anniversary, why the Kindle has been so successful, and maybe also why it hasn’t done more. Keep listening for Alex's review of the Kindle Scribe . Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or...

Dec 07, 20221 hr 9 min

The dark, uncertain world of creator funds

Producer Hadley Robinson reports on the often uncertain world digital creators find themselves in trying to make a living on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Should platforms pay creators directly? Are creator funds even good? Creators and experts tell us what they have found behind the curtain and what it's like to chase the dream of making a living as a digital creator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Dec 05, 202224 min

Elon Musk meets with Tim Cook, Neuralink's show and tell, and FTX's collapse

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and Alex Heath discuss this week in Elon Musk, everything that went wrong with FTX, and the latest gadget news. Further reading: Why some tech CEOs are rooting for Elon Musk A Twitter executive got a court injunction to prevent Elon Musk from firing her Another major ad agency recommends pausing Twitter ad campaigns Elon Musk is delaying Twitter’s paid verification to avoid Apple’s 30 percent cut Elon Musk says Apple has ‘threatened to withhold Twitter’ from...

Dec 02, 20221 hr 26 min

The creator of the future is smart, attractive... and animated

As we spend more time in digital spaces, our avatars are becoming part of our personality. And digital creators and influencers are becoming part of our culture. Producer Gina Pollack join's The Verge's David Pierce with stories about why advertisers love digital creators, why a dancing hot dog will never leave your brain, and what the creator industry is learning from mascots. Next time you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed, keep your eyes peeled — not everyone’s as human as they look. L...

Nov 28, 202233 min

A very smart Vergecast Thanksgiving

Today on the flagship podcast of connected meat thermometers: It’s Thanksgiving week, so we’re going to do something a little different. We’re going to make Thanksgiving dinner! Jen Pattison Tuohy, The Verge ’s smart home reviewer and reporter, is also an excellent cook. So she’s at home in South Carolina, and she’s going to make us a meal and tell us all about the state and future of the smart home and kitchen gadgets. This episode, fair warning, will make you very hungry. I’m sorry in advance....

Nov 23, 20221 hr 14 min

Meta Quest Pro review, Taylor Swift crashed Ticketmaster, and more

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, David Piece, Alex Cranz, and Adi Robertson discuss the Meta Quest Pro review. Later, the crew discuss Ticketmaster crashing after Taylor Swift fans try to buy concert tickets. Also: Elon Musk's Twitter saga continues and some weekly gadget news. Further reading: Meta Quest Pro review: get me out of here Taylor Swift crashed Ticketmaster following 'historically unprecedented demand' for tickets Elon Musk ignored Twitter’s internal warnings about paid verification Elon Mu...

Nov 18, 20221 hr 42 min

The AI-generated, oddly colored future of art

Today on the flagship podcast of the difference between CMYK and RGB colors: 02:19 - David talks about the future of Photoshop with Adobe's Chief Product Officer Scott Belsky. 13:37 - Verge senior reporter James Vincent joins the show to discuss generative AI art and all its possibilities and complications. 43:05 - The Verge 's Kristen Radtke and Jess Weatherbed chat with David about Pantone's new subscription service and what it means for artists and designers. Email us at vergecast@theverge.co...

Nov 16, 20221 hr 1 min

Meta announces job cuts and Twitter prepares for difficult times

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, David Pierce, Alex Cranz, and Alex Heath discuss week two of Elon Musk as CEO of Twitter and Meta announcing job cuts. Later in the show: What's next for Binance and FTX, a stretchable screen by LG Display, and the Surface Pro 9 review. Further reading: Elon Musk tells Twitter staff to prepare for ‘difficult times ahead’ and ends remote work Read Elon Musk’s first email to Twitter employees Elon Musk offloads another $3.9 billion in Tesla shares Elon is putting Twitter ...

Nov 11, 20221 hr 19 min

The politics and laws changing tech in the US

This week on 02:10 - The Verge 's David Pierce tries out Neeva's Bias Buster, an attempt to get people out of their echo chambers and show them new information in its search engine. 20:25 - Senior reporter Adi Robertson talks about her story How America turned against the First Amendment 42:27 - Policy reporter Makena Kelly explains the CHIPS and Science Act, and how it could reshape the tech industry in America. Further reading: Biden signs $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act Micron launches $15...

Nov 09, 20221 hr 8 min

Elon Musk's first week at Twitter / Matter's newest smart home devices

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, David Pierce, Alex Cranz, and Alex Heath discuss what has happened with Twitter since Elon Musk has taken over the company. Then, Nilay, David and Alex discuss the first Matter-compatible devices since the launch of the smart home standard. Further reading: Elon Musk wastes no time changing Twitter Why Elon Musk is so desperate for Twitter to make money Elon Musk could enable Twitter's edit button for everyone Elon Musk could cut half of Twitter’s workforce Over 190 sma...

Nov 04, 20221 hr 28 min

Why Signal won’t compromise on encryption, with president Meredith Whittaker

Today we're sharing an episode of Decoder with Nilay Patel featuring an interview with Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal. Signal is the popular messaging app that offers encrypted communication. You might recognize Meredith’s name from 2018 when she was an AI researcher at Google and one of the organizers of the Google walkout. Now she’s at Signal, which is a little different than the usual tech company: it’s operated by a nonprofit foundation and prides itself on collecting as little data...

Nov 02, 20221 hr 13 min

Twitter is now an Elon Musk company

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, Liz Lopatto, David Pierce, and Alex Cranz discuss Elon Musk officially becoming the owner of Twitter, and what that means for the future of the company. Further reading: Twitter is now an Elon Musk company How weak leadership cratered Twitter’s morale The Twitter deal is all downside risk for Elon Musk Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. We are conducting a short audience survey to help plan for our future and hear f...

Oct 28, 202247 min

Apple's new App Store tax, Microsoft Surface reviews, and Meta's earnings

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, David Pierce, Alex Cranz, and Tom Warren discuss Microsoft Surface reviews, Apple's new App Store tax, and Meta earnings. Further reading: Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (SQ3) review: Windows on Arm is not ready Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (13.5-inch) review Surface defined 10 years of Windows PCs — can Microsoft nail the next 10, too? Microsoft says more than 20 million people have used Xbox Cloud Gaming Zuckerberg is all in on the metaverse whether you like it or not Xbox’s P...

Oct 28, 20221 hr 26 min

The two cryptos and the future of the iPad

Today on the flagship podcast of all-screen designs: 02:38 - Verge senior audio director Andru Marino dives into the world of a different type of crypto community. 17:51 - David Pierce examines iPadOS 16, Stage Manager, and Apple's attempt at task managers. iPadOS 16's Stage Manager is not the future of multitasking you were hoping for 34:05 - Dan Seifert and Monica Chin join David to discuss and explain Apple's confusing iPad lineup. Apple iPad (10th gen) review: stuck in the middle The new iPa...

Oct 26, 20221 hr 6 min

Cybersecurity Hotline Special

We asked listeners to send in all their questions related to cybersecurity for this special Vergecast Hotline episode. David Pierce talks to Nilay Patel and Russell Brandom to get you the best advice for staying safe online. Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. We are conducting a short audience survey to help plan for our future and hear from you. To participate, head to vox.com/podsurvey , and thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

Oct 24, 202251 min

Confusing new Apple products, Netflix password sharing, and NFT cults

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and Richard Lawler discuss the announcements from Apple this week, HDR video standards, and all the news out of Netflix and Tesla. Apple launches redesigned iPad with a bigger screen and USB-C Logitech updates Crayon stylus with the USB-C port missing from the Apple The new Apple TV 4K has a remote with USB-C and a lower starting price Apple’s new iPad only supports the old Apple Pencil–and need an adapter to do so Apple’s Magic Keyboard Folio for the new iP...

Oct 21, 20221 hr 26 min

Kanye wants Parler, smartwatch showdown, and the Vergecast Hotline returns

Today on the flagship podcast of slightly inaccurate fitness trackers: 02:15 - David Pierce and Makena Kelly chat about Ye buying Parler, as well as the other new set of apps and app owners entering the space. Kanye West is buying ‘free speech platform’ Parler The ugly business logic behind Kanye West’s Parler acquisition 24:44 - Victoria Song and Dan Seifert return to the show for a smartwatch showdown between the Pixel Watch, the Apple Watch Series 8, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch. Google Pixel...

Oct 19, 20221 hr 21 min

Microsoft's Surface event, Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch reviews, and Meta Connect 2022

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and David Pierce discuss the announcements at Meta Connect, the new products from Microsoft's Surface event, and reviews for Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch. Meta Connect 2022: all the news on the Quest Pro The Meta Quest Pro is a cutting-edge headset looking for an audience Meta figured out legs for its Horizon avatars What does Mark Zuckerberg think ‘open’ means? Mark Zuckerberg takes a shot at Apple’s closed ecosystem FTC files to block Meta from buying ...

Oct 14, 20221 hr 21 min

Zuckerberg on the Quest Pro, our impressions, and the state of VR games

Today on the flagship podcast of low-latency head tracking: 02:35 - Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg chats with deputy editor Alex Heath about Meta's new headset, the Quest Pro . 22:00 - Alex Heath and senior reporter Adi Robertson chat with David Pierce about their first impressions using the Quest Pro. 47:45 - Group Publisher for The Verge Chris Grant chats with David about what's happening in VR for video games. You can listen to the rest of the chat with Mark Zuckerberg on Decoder with Nilay Patel ,...

Oct 11, 20221 hr 12 min

Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch event / Elon Musk vs. Twitter trial update

The Verge 's Nilay Patel, David Pierce, and Alex Cranz discuss all the announcements from Google's Pixel 7 event. Senior correspondant Liz Lopatto joins the show to explain the latest in the Elon Musk/Twitter trial saga. The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer is here (and so is Chris Pratt) Hands-on with the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro: something familiar The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro double down on Tensor-fueled features Google’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will fix your old blurry photos Google once again calls out Apple fo...

Oct 07, 20221 hr 19 min

Amazon’s Kindle Scribe, printer problems, and earbuds on a bike

Today on the flagship podcast of hardcopy peripherals: 02:27 - David Pierce and Alex Cranz chat with Dave Limp, SVP of devices and services at Amazon. Amazon’s Kindle Scribe is an E Ink tablet for reading and writing 24:04 - David also tries to answer a listener question about why it feels like printers haven't improved in years. Best Printer Buying Guide (Consumer Reports) 39:55 - Lastly, Becca Farsace tests out which earbuds sound the best when calling from a bike ride. Bose QuietComfort Earbu...

Oct 05, 202256 min

What does music feel like in the metaverse?

The Verge 's David Pierce dives into the world of virtual concerts in digital spaces like Roblox and Fortnite. Is this the future of live music? Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. We are conducting a short audience survey to help plan for our future and hear from you. To participate, head to vox.com/podsurvey , and thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Oct 03, 202222 min

Google is shutting down Stadia / Amazon's hardware launch event

The Verge 's David Pierce, Alex Cranz, and Jay Peters discuss Google deciding to shut down its game streaming service Stadia. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to chat about all the products Amazon announced at its hardware launch event this week, including the new E Ink tablet for reading and writing. Google is shutting down Stadia Google is trying to reinvent search — by being more than a search engine Google’s trying to become a one-stop shopping destination Google will help you find bet...

Sep 30, 20221 hr 29 min

Handheld gaming, scooter subscriptions, and a Techtober preview

Today on the flagship podcast of low-latency controller input: 02:12 - David Pierce talks with Tom Warren about the trend of handheld gaming devices like Valve's Steam Deck and the Logitech's G Cloud Gaming Handheld . 21:20 - David tries subscribing to a scooter rental service and starts to rethink the concept of ownership. 33:40 - David chats with Nilay Patel and Alex Cranz about the ten big tech events happening this October. Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we'd l...

Sep 28, 202257 min
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