The Vergecast

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This is your laptop... on AI Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

It's developer conference season, and one of the themes so far has been big swings at AI apps. We've seen Gemini Spark, Microsoft Scout, and so many other attempts to figure out what people, and companies, actually want their AI to do. Nilay and David discuss their experiences with the apps, before turning to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's vision for the AI-filled laptop of the future. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for the Hype Desk, Brendan Carr is a Dummy, a deeply dumb Meta hack, and the future of a favorite VR game.

Further reading:

⁠Testing Google’s Gemini Spark AI agent: it’s incredible, and creepy ⁠

⁠Gemini’s new AI agent is about as good as Google’s demo ⁠

⁠Microsoft Scout is a new AI personal assistant built on OpenClaw ⁠

⁠Microsoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgets ⁠

⁠As AI gets better, it reveals an empty promise ⁠

⁠Let us filter AI slop, you cowards⁠

⁠Microsoft and OpenAI broke up — now they’re ready to fight ⁠

⁠These are the first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops ⁠

⁠This is the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia RTX Spark ⁠

⁠A first look at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface Dev Box⁠⁠ ⁠

⁠Nvidia is already planning N2X and N3X chips — the goal is the Star Trek computer ⁠

⁠This could be Windows’ M1 moment — but expect it to cost a ton ⁠

⁠Computex 2026: All the news and announcements ⁠

⁠Meta’s own AI was exploited to hijack Instagram accounts⁠

⁠Apple’s strategy for smart glasses is the same as for smart watches ⁠

⁠It sure seems like the Vision Pro isn’t getting upgraded for a while — if ever.⁠

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:01:00 Intro

00:03:00 New Verge Merch Drop

00:09:00 Gemini Spark Test Drive

00:13:00 Privacy Tradeoffs Debate

00:21:00 Software Brain Pushback

00:36:00 Jensen Huang Computer Future

00:39:00 Microsoft Build Reality Check

00:41:00 Nvidia Spark Recall

00:42:00 Microsoft Badge Agents

00:54:00 Escaping Apple Tax

00:57:00 Wearables Walled Gardens

01:05:00 Hype Desk

01:06:00 Bond Game Streaming

01:09:00 Summer Games Fest

01:11:00 State of Play Highlights

01:11:00 God of War

01:14:00 Wolverine Gore Talk

01:15:00 Widows Bay

01:17:00 Lightning Round

01:17:00 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:26:00 Apple Glasses Rumors

01:36:00 Privacy Backlash Risk

01:38:00 Meta AI Hack Fiasco

01:43:00 Supernatural Returns

01:47:00 Wrap and Next Week

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Microsoft's plan to catch up in AI Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Microsoft's commitment to AI is not news. Copilot has been everywhere for... a while now. But at this week's Build developer conference, the company made clear that it wants — and needs — to be a bigger player in the space. The Verge's Tom Warren joins David to talk about the new Scout AI assistant, the Solara operating system concept, and whether Microsoft can hang with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. Also: How's the new era of Xbox going?

We’re also on video! Check us out on YouTube.

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our ad-free podcast feed.

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

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The grift and glory of the Enhanced Games Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

How far can we push the limits of the human body? At the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, a few dozen athletes tried to find out, and The Verge's Victoria Song was there to watch. She tells us the story of the swimmers, weightlifters, and other athletes who competed, the intense training and drug regimens they underwent, and the complicated mix of pseudo-science and actual science behind the event. Then, she tells us where this project goes from here — because the Enhanced Games experiment is just beginning.

Further reading:

⁠Roids were all the rage at the Enhanced Games⁠

⁠What would you be willing to put in your body?⁠

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 90 Seconds Headlines

00:04:00 What Are Enhanced Games

00:06:00 Sport Science or Grift

00:07:00 Wellness Grifter Playbook

00:10:00 Rules for Doping

00:11:00 Allowed Drugs Explained

00:14:00 Clean Athletes Surprise

00:18:00 Harm Reduction Argument

00:21:00 Heat and Event Chaos

00:28:00 Peptides for Sale

00:29:00 Telehealth Friction Debate

00:32:00 Influencers vs Media Narrative

00:33:00 Athlete Payout Reality

00:35:00 Future Plans and Stock

00:37:00 Vegas Vibes and Sexy Water

00:37:00 Hotline

00:41:00 Ferrari Luce Listener Takes

00:44:00 Final Thoughts and WWDC Plug

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Nvidia just started a new chip war Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

Nvidia is betting that AI is going to change the way you use your computer — and with a new chip, the RTX Spark, it's hoping to ensure it powers that new-fangled AI machine. During a big week for the PC industry, with the Computex trade show and Microsoft's Build developer conference happening simultaneously, The Verge's Sean Hollister explains what's inside the Spark, why Nvidia is taking on Apple, Intel, AMD, and the rest of the chip industry, and whether the world's most valuable company has a shot at reinventing the personal computer. Without costing a fortune.

Nvidia announces RTX Spark as ‘the most efficient PC chip ever built’

This is the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia RTX Spark

These are the first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops

AMD’s new pitch: our old tech is so good you should just keep using it

We’re also on video! Check us out on YouTube.

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our ad-free podcast feed.

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

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Casey Neistat's guide to posting every day Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

The Vergecast is officially a daily show! We kick things off with the return of 90 Seconds on The Verge, a peek at the top stories on theverge.com. Then, we turn to our old pal Casey Neistat for some advice. Casey vlogged every day for 800 days straight, and has some thoughts on the pros and cons of daily posting, the state of YouTube in 2026, and how to make things every day without losing your mind in the process.

We’re also on video! Check us out on YouTube.
Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our ad-free podcast feed.
We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

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Jony Ive's funky Ferrari May 29, 2026

Show notes

The Ferrari Luce is here, and suffice to say it is not the electric Ferrari anyone expected. Nilay and David dig into the Jony Ive-designed car, from its marvelously appointed interior to its decidedly non-Ferrari-like exterior. (You might even call it... Nissan Leaf-like.) After that, the hosts discuss some of the latest backlash against AI, Google's ongoing AI-based changes to Search, and AI content labels. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, some deeply nerdy display tech, and the incredible rising price of everything.

Further reading:

⁠Ferrari reveals its first EV, with design help from Jony Ive ⁠

⁠Jony Ive’s Ferrari looks nothing like a Ferrari ⁠

⁠This Ferrari should have been a Volkswagen ⁠

⁠Ferrari’s stock plummets after disappointing Luce unveil. ⁠

⁠‘If I were to say what I think, I would be hurting Ferrari.’ ⁠

⁠All the news about Ferrari’s polarizing Luce EV⁠

⁠YouTube is putting AI labels where you’ll actually see them⁠

⁠People sure do hate Google’s AI Search updates.⁠

⁠Pope Leo warns of the risks of AI in major papal document ⁠

⁠The Pope isn’t AGI-pilled ⁠

⁠Did the Pope use AI to write about the dangers of AI? ⁠

⁠Sony’s first RGB TV is a statement piece⁠

⁠Facebook launches a ‘Plus’ subscription that gives you extra features ⁠

⁠Valve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200 ⁠

⁠It’s not stopping any time soon. ⁠

⁠The golden age of handheld gaming is already over⁠

((Timestamps are approximate.)

00:01:00 Intro

00:02:00 Daily Vergecast Era

00:03:00 Ferrari First EV

00:06:00 Why Luce Looks Wrong

00:07:00 Media Junket Ethics

00:08:00 Apple Car Vibes Inside

00:10:00 Comparisons to Leaf

00:13:00 Ferrari Legend Backlash

00:16:00 EVs Should Feel Normal

00:19:00 Cadillac EV Counterpoint

00:23:00 Jony Ive Constraints Debate

00:30:00 Anti AI Search Shift

00:32:00 Google Search Randomness

00:37:00 Beta Testing Users

00:42:00 Personalized Buying Future

00:45:00 Bad AI Products Everywhere

00:46:00 YouTube AI Labels

00:49:00 Auto Detection Doubts

00:51:00 Ads Versus AI Opt Out

00:52:00 Pope On Humanity

00:55:00 Uber Questions Productivity

01:03:00 Brendan Carr’s Hard Hat

01:07:00 Meta Subscription Squeeze

01:14:00 Sony RGB Backlight TVs

01:19:00 Roku Home Screen Ads

01:21:00 Gaming Prices Spike

01:26:00 Wrap Up

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How clips ate the internet May 26, 2026

Show notes

It's now surprisingly easy to watch most of a movie without ever trying to, or to spend hours with a podcast without ever playing an episode. In the burgeoning clip economy, everything is being cut into bite-sized pieces and being blasted around the internet hoping to land in your feeds. The Verge's Mia Sato explains the machinery of how all this works, and wonders what it means for our social media experience. After that, The Verge's Victoria Song joins to discuss the Fitbit Air, the new $99 Google fitness tracker she and David have both been testing. It's a fascinating, thoroughly AI-ified device, and it actually has some pretty good ideas. (And some bad ones!) Finally, Vee sticks around to help David answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about smart glasses, and whether helping you find your other gear might just be a killer app.

Further reading:

Inside the cutthroat community of ‘clippers’

Google’s taking a big swing at AI health with the Fitbit Air

What’s the role of a simple fitness band in the AI health era?

All these smart glasses and nothing to do

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 Brick Your Phone

00:03:00 Clips Go Industrial

00:06:00 How Clipping Platforms Work

00:08:00 Why It Looks Organic

00:11:00 Clavicular Case Study

00:13:00 Shady or Just Marketing

00:20:00 Platform Rules and Reality

00:26:00 Slop and the Future of Clips

00:36:00 Watch Band Color Debate

00:38:00 Why Fitbit Air Matters

00:40:00 Whoop Dupe Or Fitbit Roots

00:45:00 Google Health AI Coach

00:50:00 Limits And Lab Upload Friction

00:53:00 Privacy And Data Tradeoffs

00:56:00 AI Health Personalities Compared

01:04:00 Hotline Smart Glasses Tracking

01:09:00 Future Of All Day Glasses

01:13:00 Wrap Up

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The post-search Google era begins May 22, 2026

Show notes

Before we get into this week's tech news, we have some corporate news to discuss, and some very exciting Vergecast news to share. (If you have questions about either one, hit us up: vergecast@theverge.com or 866-VERGE11!) Then, Nilay and David get back into the weeds on all things Google I/O, and in particular the ways AI is changing the Google Search experience. When Gemini can find things for you, make things for you, even buy things for you, are you even searching anymore? Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for the Hype Desk, Brendan Carr is a Dummy, SpaceX, the Trump Phone, and some very confusing social networks.

Further reading:

The future of Google is a search box that does everything

Google is building a ‘universal’ AI shopping cart that tracks prices, offers suggestions, and finds discounts

Demis Hassabis said this might be the ‘foothills of the singularity.’ What?

Google is trying to make deepfake detection more accessible

Google Search’s AI evolution includes more ads

Google’s AI future demands trust — and your personal data

Why does the Googlebook exist?

The FCC voted to ‘streamline’ tracking US broadband quality.

In SpaceX’s IPO, Elon Musk is the risk factor

Spotify is verifying podcasts made by real people too.

NBC just got the Trump phone.

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:00 Vox Media Sale

00:08:00 What Changes for The Verge

00:12:00 Vergecast Goes Daily

00:18:00 Feedback and Launch Details

00:23:00 Google I O Vibe Check

00:24:00 Agents Everywhere at Google

00:25:00 Search Becomes the Platform

00:26:00 Singularity Talk Whiplash

00:31:00 Monetizing AI and Google Zero

00:37:00 Shopping Web Takes Over

00:39:00 Agents Replace Browsing

00:43:00 Canvas Makes Apps

00:49:00 Google Book Devices Pitch

00:51:00 Agents Break App Economics

00:53:00 Traffic Deal Is Over

01:01:00 Hype Desk Forza Horizon 6

01:07:00 Subnautica 2 Surprise Hit

01:11:00 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:14:00 Broadband Map Complaints

01:21:00 Spotify AI Whiplash

01:25:00 Deepfake Detection Reality

01:30:00 SpaceX IPO Breakdown

01:34:00 Trump Phone In Wild

01:37:00 Wrap Up And Plugs

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We react to Google I/O 2026: The Vergecast Livestream May 19, 2026

Show notes

Google I/O was, predictably, all about AI this year. And if it actually works, a lot of this stuff could be pretty useful! Immediately after the two hour long keynote (that contained approximately 190 total mentions of the terms "AI" and "Gemini") The Verge’s senior AI reporter Hayden Field and executive editor Jake Kastrenakes went live on YouTube with their reactions.

Further reading:

The 13 biggest announcements at Google I/O 2026

The 5 biggest changes coming to Gemini

Google Search is getting its biggest changes ever

Inside Google’s Beam Lab, an AI face appears

We’re also on video! Check us out on YouTube.

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everybody wants to rule the AI world May 08, 2026

Show notes

The Musk v. OpenAI trial continues, which means so do the allegations and leaks surrounding some of the most influential people in tech. Nilay and David recount the most interesting and entertaining moments from the courtroom this week, before digging into what we've learned about when Sam Altman was fired. After that, the hosts discuss OpenAI's apparent plans to build a phone, which seem utterly necessary and utterly doomed, along with the new Fitbit Air and a truly strange new home robot. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for the Hype Desk, Brendan Carr is a Dummy, the Chinese company that wants to make everything, and the next big rebrand for xAI.

Further reading:

⁠Internal Tech Emails on X: "Sam Altman texts Mira Murat⁠

⁠We are going through the removal of Sam Altman from OpenAI in detail. ⁠

⁠Toner is relating how Sam Altman’s firing happened. ⁠

⁠Toner says she found out about ChatGPT by seeing screenshots on Twitter. ⁠

⁠Zilis sent Altman a text message of support after his 2023 ouster. ⁠

⁠Google’s taking a big swing at AI health with the Fitbit Air⁠

⁠OpenAI is reportedly launching a phone for ChatGPT ⁠

⁠The creator of Roomba is back with a furry robot companion ⁠

⁠Inside Dreame’s wild launch event — packed with products no one can buy⁠

⁠Dreame — the vacuum company — just ‘launched’ its own phones | The Verge⁠

⁠Dreame’s rocket-powered car can do 0–60 in 0.9 seconds because you can just say things now⁠

⁠A foldable iPhone dummy — on video. ⁠

⁠Apple agrees to pay iPhone owners $250 million for not delivering AI Siri ⁠

⁠DOJ assault on the NFL could end the Packers as we know them.⁠

⁠Apple could let you pick a favorite AI model in iOS 27 ⁠

⁠xAI is becoming SpaceXAI.⁠

⁠Microsoft gives up on Xbox Copilot AI ⁠

⁠Microsoft’s new Xbox shake-up is all about platform changes ⁠

⁠Subscribe to The Verge⁠ for unlimited access to ⁠theverge.com⁠, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ⁠ad-free podcast feed⁠.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠ or call us at 866-VERGE11.

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:00 Trial Discovery Era

00:06:00 Early OpenAI Origins

00:11:00 Elon Power Struggle

00:17:00 Altman Firing Texts

00:27:00 Why The Board Panicked

00:36:00 ChatGPT Phone Rumor

00:39:00 OpenAI Phone vs App Store

00:41:00 Why Apps Still Matter

00:44:00 Apple Siri Power Play

00:49:00 Apple Intelligence Lawsuit

00:53:00 Google Fitbit Air

00:57:00 Google Health Rebrand Backlash

01:01:00 Familiar Robot Pet Debate

01:10:00 Nintendo Star Fox Returns

01:12:00 Nintendo Weirdness Wins

01:15:00 Furry Overlap Discourse

01:16:00 Zach Gardening Surprise

01:21:00 Brendan Carr Broadband Fight

01:23:00 NFL Antitrust And Packers

01:29:00 Dreame Vaporware Parade

01:32:00 Rocket Car Reality Check

01:34:00 Elon Corporate Matryoshka

01:36:00 Xbox Ditches Copilot

01:37:00 Wrap Up And Schedule

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