The Vergecast

Latest Episodes:

Magic Leap, Galaxy Note 9, and Android Pie Aug 10, 2018

Show notes

If you’ve been reading The Verge this week, then you know Samsung announced a few products. We got our hands on the Galaxy Note 9, the Galaxy Watch, and we even got to look at that Home speaker as well. That news is covered in a big chunk of The Vergecast this week, but there was also so much other stuff that happened. Adi Robertson was able to travel down to Plantation, Florida, to check out Magic Leap’s creator edition headset. She sits down with Nilay, Paul, and Dieter to discuss her experience with the device and how it compares to the years of hype surrounding it. And, of course, since another week went by on this planet, there is another week of Elon Musk news. Science editor Liz Lopatto graciously fills us in on the show. Like I said, there’s a whole lot more — like Paul’s weekly segment SHAASUIVG — so if you listen to it all, you’ll get it all really. 03:32 - Samsung announces Galaxy Note 9 with bigger screen, huge battery, and more powerful S Pen 16:20 - Fortnite for Android is launching today exclusively on recent Samsung Galaxy devices 23:47 - Samsung unveils its latest smartwatch — the Galaxy Watch 24:27 - Samsung announces Galaxy Home speaker 25:49 - Samsung is partnering with Spotify across its devices 29:20 - The 5 most important Android Pie updates 32:57 - I tried Magic Leap and saw a flawed glimpse of mixed reality’s amazing potential 54:25 - This week in Elon Musk with Liz Lopatto 58:33 - Microsoft Surface Go review: a little goes a long way 1:03:03 - The new Anki Vector robot is smart enough to just hang out 1:08:35 - The FCC lied to Congress about an alleged cyberattack and didn’t come clean until now 1:12:00 - Justice Department appeal says AT&T-Time Warner merger decision is ‘contrary to fundamental economic logic’ 1:14:48 - Paul’s weekly segment “SHAASUIVG” 1:17:24 - Google Pixel 3 XL leak appears to show production hardware and wired USB-C Pixel Buds 1:18:09 - The Palm smartphone reboot is shaping up to be disappointing

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Surface Go, Apple earnings, and HipChat memories Aug 03, 2018

Show notes

In the thrilling conclusion to our three part epic miniseries, "Apple doesn't make the laptops we want," Nilay, Paul, and Dieter discuss how nothing really even matters because Apple is a phone company worth $1 trillion. Samsung, Amazon, and Tesla earnings are also discussed, along with Farhad Manjoo's "Frightful Five" thesis. Then, in "The Bezel Wars," our hosts discuss the Surface Go, iPad rumors, and the Windows 10 S life Dieter has been living. Paul's weekly segment about "Wireless Vapes" is as poignant as ever. Ultimately, the final question is something like, "How many notches can you fit on the blockchain?" 02:19 - The race to $1 trillion 05:25 - Phones, not Macs 14:18 - Amazon's cloud power 24:53 - Dieter's Surface Go impressions 26:41 - Can you name ten Windows 10 S apps? 34:20 - #donglelife 38:44 - Paul's weekly segment, "Wireless Vapes" 44:35 - Two notches, max 46:31 - Pixel 3 leak 47:54 - Mergers and acquisitions

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Macbook Pro review, Lenovo smart display review, and the Data Transfer Project Jul 27, 2018

Show notes

After a week of speculation on whether the new MacBook Pro was throttling performance under heat, Apple released a software fix to address the problem. Dieter’s review for the laptop (post software fix) published on Wednesday so Nilay, Paul, and Dieter discuss what happened with the product and how it performs. Dieter also reviewed the new Lenovo Smart Display, so there's a chunk of the show dedicated to that device, which exceeded expectations. And we’ve got another week of Elon Musk. Transportation reporter Andrew Hawkins gives us an update in what has been happening in the world of Tesla, SpaceX, and the various endeavors of the unpredictable billionaire. We’re going strong with our weekly interviews, and this week we have Brian Willard from Google to discuss the Data Transfer Project — Google’s initiative designed to transfer data from one service to another without downloading and re-uploading. We also can’t forget the segment Paul does every week called “What is it like to be a dolphin?” so keep listening for that. But you know, we’ve got a whole lot more in between that — so listen to it all and you’ll get it all. 02:30 - Apple MacBook Pro review (2018, 15-inch): the heat is on 22:01 - This week in Elon Musk with Andrew Hawkins 26:53 - Lenovo Smart Display review 35:44 - Data Transfer Project with Brian Willard of Google 59:46 - Paul’s weekly segment “What is it like to be a dolphin?” 1:02:30 - Amazon’s Alexa Cast makes it simpler to play music from your phone on Echo speakers 1:10:00 - Facebook growth slows in aftermath of privacy scandals

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Google gets fined, Macbook Pro benchmarks, and Roku CEO Anthony Wood Jul 20, 2018

Show notes

We’ve got a super stuffed episode of The Vergecast this week. First, the biggest news in tech right now is the European Commission’s ruling that Google has been unfairly using Android to push Google search on users, giving it an unfair advantage. Nilay, Dieter, and Paul sit down and discuss the implications. In the second half of the show, Dieter discusses some of the new MacBook Pro benchmarks that claim the processors may throttle performance due to cooling issues. Nilay got an exclusive interview with Roku CEO Anthony Wood, so we’ve included that in this episode as well. Also, our culture coverage continues this week with another roundup by Megan Farokhmanesh and Bijan Stephen. There’s even a whole lot more in between that — like Paul’s newly sponsored segment “Fold the phone” — so listen to it all, and you’ll get it all. 01:46 - Verizon is shutting down its original video app Go90 06:26 - Six questions you were afraid to ask about Google’s EU antitrust case 25:09 - Google may put its Fuchsia OS on smart home devices within three years 34:25 - This week in culture with Megan and Bijan 39:42 - Test suggests 2018 MacBook Pro can’t keep up with Intel Core i9 chip’s thermal demands 53:15 - Roku CEO Anthony Wood interview 1:17:33 - Paul’s weekly segment “Fold the phone” 1:20:39 - Galaxy Note 9 leak suggests it looks a lot like the Note 8 1:22:12 - Walmart reportedly plans to launch Netflix competitor under its Vudu brand later this year

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Updated Macbook Pros, Microsoft Surface Go, and this week in Elon Jul 13, 2018

Show notes

This week on The Vergecast, Nilay and Dieter discuss an Apple event they were invited to this week for Apple’s updated MacBook Pros. Along with Paul, they dive into how creatives are using these machines, and what these new specs are. Another laptop announcement from this week is Microsoft’s Surface Go. The crew runs through their demo with the computer and discuss how it compares to the other Surface devices. And continuing with our trend, we also have a new edition of “This week in Elon Musk,” hosted by science editor Liz Lopatto. There’s a lot more in between that — like Paul’s newly sponsored segment “Hearrings” — so listen to it all, and you’ll get it all. 01:36 - 10 years of app store 05:12- Apple’s new MacBook Pros have the latest Intel processors and quieter keyboards 21:58 - Apple worked with Blackmagic on a new external GPU 33:09 - This week in Elon Musk with Liz Lopatto 38:20 - Microsoft’s $399 Surface Go aims to stand out from iPads or Chromebooks 45:49 - Magic Leap is shipping its first headset this summer 51:56 - Justice Department appeals ruling in attempt to block massive AT&T–Time Warner merger 57:24 - Paul’s weekly segment “Hearrings” 1:00:23 - YouTube TV goes down (again) during World Cup 1:02:43 - Xbox One is getting Dolby Vision support 1:03:32 - Apple will end its photo printing operation in September 1:06:55 - This amazing new web tool lets you create microsites that exist solely as URLs 1:08:09 - This app reads Wikipedia to teach you about the cities you’re driving through

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macOS Mojave beta, Microsoft Surface USB-C dongle, and this week in Elon Musk Jun 29, 2018

Show notes

The Vergecast starts off this week in a traditional fashion with a talk about dongles — Microsoft’s $80 USB-C dongle to be exact. But there’s a whole bunch of little things that also happened this week that Nilay, Dieter, and Paul discuss. We’ve got Apple acknowledging the problem with its MacBook keyboards, Google demoing Duplex, and Apple releasing the Mojave public beta. Also this week, we bring you two new rotating segments on the show. First we have transportation reporter Sean O’Kane with “This Week in Elon Musk” — a rundown of the news that happened this week in the Elon Musk canon. Second, culture reporters Megan Farokhmanesh and Bijan Stephen run though their favorite “Culture Headlines” on The Verge this week. And of course we’ve got Paul’s weekly segment that he does every week, “Rhymes With What’s Poppin’,” so if you listen to the whole show, you’ve got a stew going. 02:20 - Microsoft’s Surface USB-C dongle launches on June 29th for $79.99 09:15 - Apple acknowledges faulty MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards with new repair program 15:00 - macOS Mojave is now available in public beta 20:59 - Intel now faces a fight for its future 29:06 - This week in Elon Musk with Sean O’Kane 33:41 - Google Duplex really works and testing begins this summer 42:03 - BlackBerry Key2 review: a keyboard with a phone 42:59 - LG says screw everything, we’re doing five cameras for the V40 43:57 - The Galaxy Note 9 hits the FCC, with launch of Samsung’s next flagship presumably on the horizon 45:51 - AT&T more than doubles ‘admin fee’ for every wireless customer 48:31 - Culture headlines with Megan and Bijan 52:58 - Honda retires its famed Asimo robot 53:41 - Paul’s weekly segment “Rhymes with whats poppin” 55:58 - Amazon adds voice control to its Alexa iOS app 59:19 - Sonos Beam review: living room upgrade

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Recode's Kara Swisher, AT&T - Time Warner, and IGTV Jun 22, 2018

Show notes

Instagram announced on Wednesday a standalone app called IGTV, a place for watching long-form vertical video. Casey and Ashely — who went to Instagram’s event that announced the app — talk with Nilay, Dieter, and Paul about their initial feelings about the platform and predict how it will fit into the social mediasphere. Also, Nilay Patel sits down with Kara Swisher to talk about the recent AT&T and Time Warner merger. Kara published a book in 2003 about the AOL and Time Warner merger There Must Be a Pony in Here Somewhere (the merger split off in 2009) so the two discuss the similarities and differences between the two mergers and what they can potentially mean when distribution companies own content. There’s a whole lot more in between that — like Paul’s weekly segment (now up for sale) “Shaavoop” — so listen to it all and you’ll get it all. 01:54 - Instagram announces IGTV, a standalone app for longer videos 19:33 - AT&T launches new WatchTV streaming service at aggressive $15-per-month price 27:26 - Tinder parent company buys anti-Tinder dating app Hinge 35:51 - Kara Swisher talks AT&T - Time Warner merger 1:07:12 - Paul’s weekly segment “Shaavoop” 1:11:51 - What happens if Apple loses its Supreme Court App Store antitrust appeal? 1:19:27 - Apple’s AirPower charging mat rumored to ship in September following ‘technical hurdles’ 1:19:48 - Apple and Oprah are teaming up to make videos

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Sonos CEO Patrick Spence, E3, and net neutrality ends Jun 15, 2018

Show notes

In addition to our classic Nilay, Dieter, and Paul trio, we’ve added a few things this week. To give you the best coverage of E3, culture editor Laura Hudson gives us a quick rundown of the news from the expo to start off the show In the second half of the show, Nilay sits down with Sonos CEO Patrick Spence. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of other classic Vergecast — some gadget talk, Paul’s weekly segment (you know, “How big is the Moon?”), and some deep dives into net neutrality, antitrust law, and Comcast’s $65 million bid on 21st Century Fox. 02:06 - Laura Hudson’s E3 roundup 07:13 - Sony issues weak response to Fortnite cross-play controversy on PS4 and Switch 11:26 - Microsoft is getting ready for the next Xbox vs. PlayStation console war 16:33 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt is defending a controversial plan to crowdsource Beyond Good and Evil 2 art 25:01 - Interview with CEO of Sonos Patrick Spence 1:02:49 - Paul’s weekly segment “How big is the moon?” 1:06:28 - I picked up a Boring Company Not-A-Flamethrower and it’s mine now 1:07:04 - The Boring Company’s Chicago project seems awfully cheap for something so big 1:11:18 - HTC U12 Plus review: fixing what didn’t need to be broken 1:12:54 - Samsung upgrades the Chromebook Plus with a second camera and new processor 1:13:44 - Eero promises not to brick routers if you don’t pay a subscription 1:17:47 - Net neutrality is dead — what now? 1:19:48 - Comcast makes $65 billion offer to steal 21st Century Fox away from Disney

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WWDC, Sonos Beam, and Microsoft buys Github Jun 08, 2018

Show notes

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference happened this week, and Nilay, Dieter, Jake, and Ashley are on top of it. Second half of the show, we’ve got Dieter’s exclusive look at the Sonos Beam, Microsoft buying GitHub, a new Fire TV thingy, and breaking news for Essential. There’s a whole lot more in between that — like Paul’s weekly segment (hosted by Jake Kastrenakes) “Hey look at this thing I just found on theverge.com“ — so if you listen to it all, you’ll get it all. 02:48 - Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 04:35 - Siri will soon be able to pull off multistep routines through Shortcuts 15:40 - Walkie-Talkie on the Apple Watch is a clever riff on FaceTime Audio 19:01 - Apple’s Memoji lets you create an Animoji of yourself 23:35 - Apple CarPlay will soon let you use Google Maps, Waze, and other third-party maps 25:21 - Apple will let developers port iOS apps to macOS in 2019 33:51 - The Apple TV is finally getting Dolby Atmos support 38:56 - The Essential Phone’s first new module since launch is a magnetic headphone jack 41:02 - The Beam is Sonos’ ambitious attempt to win the living room 50:40 - Amazon’s Fire TV Cube is an Echo, streaming box, and universal remote in one 55:05 - Paul’s weekly segment “Hey look at this thing I just found on theverge.com” by Jake 57:30 - Microsoft confirms it’s acquiring GitHub for $7.5 billion 1:00:07 - Facebook accused of giving over 60 device makers inappropriate access to user data 1:06:06 - Instagram might soon let you post videos up to an hour long 1:09:48 - California’s net neutrality bill could set a national standard

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Code Conference, Pixel 3 rumors, and WWDC preview Jun 01, 2018

Show notes

The Vergecast is here once again to fulfill the weekly prophecy of illuminating tech news. This week, Dieter is at Recode’s Code Conference, but he still calls in to talk to Nilay, Natt, and Paul about what he saw and heard. Also, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is next week, so the crew runs through what to expect. There’s a whole lot in between that — like Paul’s weekly segment “Embarrassingly parallel,” rumors about the next Pixel phone, and some deep philosophy about whether a phone is a tool or an instrument — so listen to it all, and you’ll get it all. 00:41 - Code Conference 2018 5:32 - Evan Spiegel on Facebook: ‘We would really appreciate it if they copied our data protection practices’ 11:56 - AT&T and Verizon both want to run massive ad-tracking networks to rival Facebook 21:03 - Apple’s WWDC 2018: iOS 12, macOS, and what else to expect 27:31 - Apple’s AirPlay 2 with multiroom audio streaming and stereo 37:41 - Paul’s weekly segment “Embarrassingly parallel” 40:24 - Cryptocurrency mining rigs are just PCs — so why won’t Stripe let you sell them? 44:04 - Google reportedly planning Pixel 3 for October, and the XL model will have a notch 48:26 - 2018 O’Reilly AI Keynote, Thomas Reardon, CEO, CTRL-labs 53:02 - Your phone is an instrument, not a tool

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