The Vergecast

Latest Episodes:

The toxic work environment at Away Dec 17, 2019

Show notes

Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks Verge news reporter Zoe Schiffer about the concerning work conditions at luggage startup Away and the details from the Verge investigation.

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How to fight lies, tricks, and chaos online Dec 03, 2019

Show notes

Verge reporter Adi Robertson talks to Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel about how to spot lies, false information, and trolling online and how to handle it as a user on the internet. Adi just published a guide on The Verge that details a system for slowing down and thinking about information — whether that information is true, false, or something in between.

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Pirate Radio » The PIRATE Act Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

Congress is in the process of passing a non-partisan bill to increase support for enforcement against illegal pirate radio operations: Fines can now go as high as $2 million, and the FCC will fund “enforcement sweeps” in major radio markets. Does this target well-intentioned community radio, designed to speak to immigrant communities?

Episode three of The Verge's Pirate Radio mini-series featuring Bijan Stephen.

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Pirate Radio » Dial up! Nov 22, 2019

Show notes

How the Hmong diaspora uses the world's most boring technology to make something weird and wonderful.

Episode two of The Verge's Pirate Radio mini-series featuring Mia Sato.

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Pirate Radio » Outside the wire Nov 19, 2019

Show notes

When the US entered Afghanistan, local DJs were hired to help with the war effort. And when the American military pulled out, they abandoned those voices, leaving many of them for dead.

Episode 1 of The Verge's Pirate Radio mini-series featuring Chris Harland-Dunaway.

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Apple releases 16-inch Macbook Pro, Motorola announces a new Razr, and Disney+ launches Nov 15, 2019

Show notes

This week on The Vergecast, Nilay, Dieter, and Paul go through the products announced this week including Apple's 16-inch Macbook Pro and Motorola's new Razr foldable phone. Julia Alexander then joins the show to cover the initial launch of Disney+ and the ongoing streaming wars.

Stories this week:

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How America gave up on free markets with Thomas Philippon Nov 12, 2019

Show notes

On this week’s Vergecast interview, Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to finance professor and an economist at the NYU stern school of business Thomas Philippon. Thomas just wrote a book called The Great Reversal: How America Gave Up on Free Markets all about competition and consolidation in different markets.

When Thomas moved to the United States from France in the 90s, he noticed everything from laptops to internet access was cheaper in America, but over time has gotten more and more expensive. In the interview Nilay and Thomas discuss why that is — unsurprisingly the answer is consolidation in a lot of our markets.

Thomas makes a point that in some places, concentrations are actually good and creates value for the consumers, but in some markets like healthcare, technology, and airtravel, that consolidation has resulted in way higher prices for Americans. Since the prices go up slowly, we don’t actually notice.

If you have been listening to The Vergecast and been paying attention to our big conversations about whether or not we should be breaking up big tech companies, whether we should regulate them, or whether tech companies with network effects like Google and Facebook are different than companies like AT&T and GE, this conversation is up your alley. Below is lightly edited except of the conversation.

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