Nilay, Dieter, Chaim, and Chris dive deep into all the gadget news that dominated this week, including all the announcements at IFA 2020's virtual event showcase. Stories discussed this week: Apple and Google announce new automatic app system to track COVID exposures Apple releases iOS 13.7 with support for new automatic COVID-19 notification system The CDC’s testing guidance will make the pandemic worse Emergency COVID-19 vaccines will have to convince a skeptical public Robert Pattinson report...
Sep 04, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep 420•Transcript available on Metacast Nilay Patel talks with Verge reporter Bijan Stephen and video producer Mariya Abdulkaf about The Verge's new multimedia project Capturing the Police. Capturing the Police is a project from The Verge about how people use technology to bring awareness of police brutality and racism — and what it costs them when they agitate for justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 01, 2020•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Wired's Lauren Goode returns to the show to discuss Microsoft's soon-to-be released Surface Duo, Amazon's new fitness tracker, and an update on Apple's battle with Epic over the App Store. Stories this week: FDA authorizes Abbott’s fast $5 COVID-19 test FDA authorizes convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 Tracking COVID-19 through symptom monitoring will be harder when flu season starts Facebook chose not to act on militia complaints before Kenosha shooting Facebook takes down ‘call to arms’ eve...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Ep 419•Transcript available on Metacast Antitrust criticism of big tech companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon have been louder than ever — from the consumers to the tech companies who compete with them. Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman has been vocal for years about the problem with Google’s dominant market share in maps, local search, and reviews. “I’ve been working on it for over a decade and it’s great to see that more people have jumped on board.” Stoppelman says. “When we started out criticizing Google and highlighting some of their...
Aug 25, 2020•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dieter, Dan, and Becca discuss reviews of Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy Buds Live, and Galaxy Watch 3. They also discuss a potential BlackBerry phone coming to the market...in 2021. Stories from this week: Attack of the gaiters Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review How Samsung’s beans broke the mold of wireless earbuds iFixit’s Galaxy Buds Live teardown shows that even Samsung calls them beans Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review: good sound, unique … Google’s Pixel Buds are now available in more colo...
Aug 21, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep 418•Transcript available on Metacast Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to Lana Swartz, assistant professor of media studies at the University of Virginia about her new book New Money: How Payment Became Social Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 18, 2020•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nilay, Dieter, Tom, and Dan discuss the timeline of events that lead to Epic Games suing Apple and Google after being kicked out of mobile app stores. They also discuss Microsoft's announcement of the Surface Duo's release date and technical specs. Stories discussed this episode: Big Tech pledged a billion to racial justice, but it was pocket change US passes 5 million coronavirus cases Big airlines are hoarding cash to survive the pandemic Vaping linked to higher risk of COVID-19 in teens and y...
Aug 14, 2020•2 hr 32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks with New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz about what actually happens to TikTok users, creators, and the influencer economy if a ban on the app was implemented in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 11, 2020•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nilay, Dieter, Becca, Chris, and Dan discuss the products announced at Samsung's virtual event this week, as well as the Google Pixel 4a review, a new 27-inch iMac, and Greg Joswiak replacing Phil Schiller as head of Apple marketing. Stories discussed this week: Apple and Google’s COVID-19 tracking system will make its full US debut in new Virginia app We can’t skip steps on the road to a COVID-19 vaccine Twitter blocked Trump campaign account from tweeting over COVID-19 misinformation Facebook ...
Aug 07, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Ep 416•Transcript available on Metacast The Verge's Nilay Patel and Adi Robertson talk to Senator Ron Wyden, who co-authored Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Wyden discusses the forced sale of TikTok to a US-based company, the bills out to reform Section 230, his new privacy bill preventing law enforcement from buying data on the open market, and how Trump's handling of recent FCC nominations is a "disaster." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 04, 2020•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nilay, Makena, Adi, and Casey discuss the important moments from Congress' antitrust hearing with Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Google’s Sundar Pichai. Stories discussed this week: Antivirus: A weekly digest of the latest COVID-19 research Kodak is branching out into pharmaceuticals with US investment Twitter forced Donald Trump Jr. to delete tweet spreading COVID-19 misinformation Moms in Tech Facebook group splintering over allegations of racism Google ...
Jul 31, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep 415•Transcript available on Metacast Verge editor-in-chief talks with Wired senior editor Andy Greenberg, author of Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers. Greenberg's book is all about a group of hackers inside the Russian government called Sandworm, who were responsible for damaging cyber warfare attacks in various countries over the past few years. Andy and Nilay discuss the origins of Sandworm, the intricacies of their attacks, and how they escalated what we think of as "cyber war....
Jul 28, 2020•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn talk with Casey Newton and Makena Kelly about what to expect at the upcoming big tech antitrust hearings featuring Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai. Megan Farokhmanesh and Andrew Webster return to discuss the games announced at the Xbox Games Showcase this week. Stories from this week: New COVID testing strategy could speed up backlogged labs ‘COVID parties’ are a pandemic urban legend that won’t go away The tech antitrust hearing is shaping up...
Jul 24, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Cybersecurity journalist Kim Zetter talks with The Verge's Nilay Patel and Russell Brandom about the state of election security in the US — what methods are being proposed to stop potential interference in the voting process, the problems with mail-in voting during a pandemic, and how voting machines are not always the best solution for a presidential election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 21, 2020•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Verge's Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, Russell Brandom, and Julia Alexander discuss an unprecedented Twitter hack this week, the release of NBCUniversal's new streaming service Peacock, and the potential restrictions on TikTok in the US. Stories discussed this week: White House reportedly orders hospitals to bypass CDC during COVID-19 data collection CDC employees say the agency has a culture of ‘racial aggression’ Etsy sellers are offering sheer mesh face masks that provide ‘very little protecti...
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Verge's Why’d You Push That Button? is back for a special episode all about virtual dating in 2020. The pandemic has forced us all to stay at home when we can, which means if you want to go on a date, it may have to be done online. Ashley Carman and Kaitlyn Tiffany return to talk to online daters and app makers about how they are adapting to virtual-only dating, and what features and behaviors will stick around after social distancing and the pandemic end. Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Jul 15, 2020•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nilay Patel talks to Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change. Color of Change, an online racial justice organization, is one of the groups leading the ad boycott against Facebook and other social media companies in response to hate speech appearing on the platforms. In the interview, Robinson talks about how the boycott campaign came together; his history pushing Facebook on issues of hate speech and civil rights; and meeting with Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, and fellow leaders of the...
Jul 14, 2020•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, and Dan Seifert discuss Apple's iOS14 public beta, the future of Google's phones, and what to expect at Samsung's next hardware event. Stories discussed this week: This isn’t a COVID-19 wave — it’s a tsunami Tracing the link between your phone and the next pandemic Doctors are better at treating COVID-19 patients now than they were in March After the pandemic, doctors want their new robot helpers to stay Facebook and Instagram will remind people to wear face masks White...
Jul 10, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to founder and CEO of Luta Security Katie Moussouris. Moussouris has a long history in computer security, working at Microsoft and the Department of Defense creating their first bug bounty programs to incentivize catching and reporting security bugs and vulnerabilities in software systems. Nilay and Katie discuss the good and bad of bug bounties, encryption dilemmas with consumer devices, voting security in elections, and overall how we keep our software a...
Jul 07, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re sharing an episode of Land of the Giants, a podcast from our friends at Recode and the Vox Media Podcast Network that examines the most powerful tech companies of our time. The second season is called The Netflix Effect, and it’s hosted by Recode editors Rani Molla and Peter Kafka. The Netflix Effect explores how a company that began as a small DVD-by-mail service ultimately upended Hollywood and completely changed the way we watch TV. It’s a fascinating look at what really goes ...
Jun 30, 2020•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn welcome back Verge alum and Wall Street Journal columnist Joanna Stern to discuss the big announcements from Apple's developer conference this week. Verge news editor Chaim Gartenberg joins in the second half to discuss the Apple updates you may have missed. Stories discussed this week: Fire and plague prepared these teens for the world New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will quarantine travelers from states with surging COVID-19 cases The EU plans to ban US travel...
Jun 26, 2020•2 hr 36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and policy editor Russell Brandom talk to founder of CryptoHarlem and cybersecurity expert Matt Mitchell, who works with activists to develop strategies to leave less data behind and help mitigate threats to their cause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 23, 2020•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn run through the most interesting rumors and predictions of announcements at Apple's WWDC next week. Adi Robertson joins to discuss the latest threat to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Stories discussed in this episode: Cheap steroid reportedly improves survival for severe COVID-19 cases FDA ends emergency authorization for hydroxychloroquine Why there’s so much confusion around asymptomatic COVID-19 cases The gadgets Late Night with Seth Meyers uses to ...
Jun 19, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Apple is acting like a monopolist and a bully, according to the chairman of the House Antitrust Committee. Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) joined The Vergecast along with Basecamp CTO David Heinemeier Hansson to discuss the plight of Hey, Basecamp’s new $99-a-year premium email service. Earlier this week, Heinemeier Hansson revealed that Apple had rejected the Hey iPhone app from the App Store because it didn’t offer any way to sign up and pay in the app itself — which would require giving Apple a 3...
Jun 18, 2020•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and Verge reporter Makena Kelly talk to Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts about bringing broadband access into rural areas, the technology plights caused by the pandemic, privacy concerns over contract tracing, and the race to 5G. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 16, 2020•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Stories discussed this week: Tinder CEO Elie Seidman on finding love during the pandemic It’s hard to figure out how often people without symptoms spread COVID-19 Inside Nextdoor’s ‘Karen problem’ Nextdoor tells community leads to allow Black Lives Matter discussions after exposé Contact tracing programs have to work with local communities to be successful Apple launches $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative Android 11 beta: all the announcements Android 11: conversations, bubbles, a...
Jun 12, 2020•2 hr 37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tinder and its parent company Match Group have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic relatively well, all things considered. User engagement is up, as is interest around new product features, like video calls. More than six years after its launch, Tinder is finally introducing a one-on-one video calling feature that it says will be heavily moderated for content and safety. At the same time, Tinder CEO Elie Seidman says he and his team are focusing on how to keep young people coming to the app and how ...
Jun 09, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Stories from this episode: Blaming protesters for COVID-19 spread ignores the bigger threats to health 5G coronavirus conspiracy theorists are endangering the workers who keep networks running Telehealth wasn’t designed for non-English speakers The pandemic has made it harder to buy a new laptop Byte flight The United States will cut ties with the World Health Organization, says President Trump FCC extends deadline for ISPs to quit charging customers who use their own equipment K-pop stans overw...
Jun 05, 2020•2 hr 52 min•Ep 408•Transcript available on Metacast Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and Verge reporter Julia Alexander talk to Otter Media CEO Tony Goncalves on his new project overseeing HBO Max. Goncalves discusses AT&T's strategy for the WarnerMedia streaming service, the dispute with getting the app on Roku and Amazon, HBO Max's place in the streaming wars, and how their data usage works on mobile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 02, 2020•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn welcome back Adi Robertson and Casey Newton to the show to discuss Trump's executive order targeting social media companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Google. Julia Alexander also stops by to discuss the launch of WarnerMedia's new streaming service HBO Max. Stories discussed this week: Google search results will take ‘page experience’ into account next year T-Mobile now supports cross-carrier RCS messaging Google Messages may finally be adding end-to-end encryption ...
May 29, 2020•2 hr 33 min•Ep 407•Transcript available on Metacast 
