The Vergecast

Pixel 11 and Pixel Watch 5: Our first impressions | The Vergecast Livestream

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:55:00 -0500

Google just showed off its next generation of hardware, including the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel11 Pro Fold. (Whew, those names.) There's also the new Pixel Watch 5, the Pixel Tag, and a bunch of really interesting new ideas about smartphone cameras, GPS, and wellness. David Pierce, Nilay Patel, and Victoria Song went live to talk about the state of Google's hardware, and whether there's anything worth upgrading for this year.

Further reading:

The 7 biggest announcements of Google’s Pixel 11 launch

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Should you let a robot mow your lawn?

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:04:00 -0500

Is it time to fire the neighbor kid and hire a robot lawnmower instead? Last year I wrote that “in all but a few scenarios, robot lawnmowers still aren’t worth your money,” but there’s a new class of Roombas with razor blades ready to tackle bumpy terrain and dodge crazy chickens. Realtor and smart home reviewer Brandon Doyle joins me to talk about our experiences with 2026’s newest robotic mowers and to let you know if they're finally worth all that money.

Further reading:

It looks like Apple’s iPhone 18 really will skip the fall launch this year

Flock CEO: ‘We got this one wrong’

Cats and dogs are missing meals after a popular smart feeder went down

I finally found a robot lawnmower I’d trust with my yard

I put four robot lawnmowers through a brutal backyard battle — and only one person got injured

A hacker ran me over with a robot lawn mower

The US government just banned Roombas

5 Robot Mowers, 90 Days, 1 Winner — My 2026 Picks (and One to Avoid)

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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Mark Zuckerberg has an Instagzam

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:15:00 -0500

Have you seen Instagram's new logo? Meta debuted it right before we started recording, so of course David and Nilay needed to talk about it. Then, the hosts turn to Mark Zuckerberg's 6,500-word missive on the future of AI, and the problem with his idea that giving AI to everyone will fix everything. After that, it's time for Claude watermarks, Spotify AI personas, Brendan Carr, Flock, and much more.

Further reading:

⁠This is Instagram’s new logo | The Verge⁠

⁠The Pepsi Universe PDF

⁠The Future is for Everyone⁠

⁠Four takeaways from Mark Zuckerberg’s massive AI manifesto ⁠

⁠Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t understand how to live ⁠

⁠https://www.meta.com/design-at-meta/blog/⁠

⁠Claude will apply invisible watermarks to AI text and images ⁠

⁠‘If it was opt-in, nobody would opt in.’ ⁠

⁠Spotify says it won’t recommend music from ‘AI Personas’ ⁠

⁠Apple could help you prove your iPhone photos aren’t deepfakes | The Verge⁠

⁠Guitar company D’Addario admits that AI music was used in a promotional video | The Verge⁠

⁠Fender’s CEO seems to think your bandmates are just analog AI | The Verge⁠

⁠Suno Unveils Download Song Caps for Free, Paid Tiers⁠

⁠Brendan Carr is one firing away from an unchecked FCC⁠

⁠YouTube is making it harder to earn money on YouTube ⁠

⁠Flock CEO: ‘We got this one wrong’ ⁠

⁠The first rival Android app store just arrived in the US Play Store ⁠

⁠ChatGPT and Gemini both just passed 1 billion users ⁠

⁠The sub-$100 phone market is disappearing. ⁠

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.

0:00 Welcome and Parental Leave Announcement

00:43 Instagram Redesigns Their Logo

01:04 Why Companies Change Logos

03:37 Meta Design Blog Quotes

07:22 The 2008 Pepsi Universe Presentation

09:41 Blanding

10:37 Zuck’s AI Manifesto

13:29 Collective Action Problems

18:49 Superintelligence for All

20:57 Cybersecurity and AI Risks

22:22 China Chips and Distillation

27:48 Write the Law Challenge

32:30 Claude Text Watermarking

35:33 How The Watermark Works

39:34 Limits And Evasion Risks

41:54 Apple Marks Real Photos

46:03 Provenance Standards Fail

46:58 AI Music Backlash

49:39 Fender CEO AI Scandal

53:08 Where AI Fits In Music

59:13 Twitch Opt Out Training

01:01:35 The Lightning Round

01:02:55 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:04:55 Bans Don’t Work

01:05:56 Made in America Assembly

01:10:19 Gemini Claims a Billion Users

01:15:40 YouTube Partner Paywall

01:20:56 RAMageddon Cheap Phones

01:23:52 Flock Camera Backlash

01:27:19 Goodbyes and Plugs

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Pixel 11 gets in on the digicam trend

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:48:00 -0500

Smart phone cameras have been getting better and better at capturing flawless, true-to-life images. But is that what the people really want?
David Imel joins Nilay Patel and Jake Kastrenakes to talk through the Pixel 11's Camera Looks. They're Google's nod to the trend of retro digital and analogue cameras, and alter how a photo is processed on the sensor level. At the same time, its super zoom is still hallucinating text and making stuff up.

Then it's a supersized Brendan Carr is a Dummy, with increasingly infuriating tales of how Brendan Carr is being a Dummy, culminating in the FCC's quest to make sure your internet connection remains slow.

Plus, we talk through the confounding AirPods camera leak, the Fairphone, and YouTube's new method for counting views.

Further reading:

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 iPhone Fold could make concerts even worse

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 15:10:00 -0500

This week Apple announced a Mac Mini made for AI and a Mac Studio made for AI, both with faster M6 and M5 Pro chips made for AI. But that's all an amuse-bouche to Sept. 9's (expected) main course: the long-awaited folding iPhone. Nilay Patel, Jake Kastrenakes, and David Imel run through all of this week's Apple news, including the most important story: a surprise discount on the legendary polishing cloth.
Then, they react to Meta's settlement in its latest kids safety trial, geek out about Grand Theft Auto VI with the Hype Desk's Ashley Esqueda, check out the Pokémon Fitbit, and decide if Nvidia just saved the global economy.

Further reading:

⁠File a comment with the FCC⁠

⁠Apple announces September iPhone launch event⁠

⁠Apple’s new M6 chip gets more cores and more AI compute⁠

⁠Apple launches new Mac Studios with its ‘most powerful chip ever’ — the M5 Ultra⁠

⁠Apple’s new Mac Mini has fresh M6 and M5 Pro chip offerings — and higher prices⁠

⁠Apple’s ‘new’ polishing cloth is the same except $10 cheaper⁠

⁠Meta agrees to heavy restrictions on teen users in major lawsuit settlement⁠

⁠Meta is planning an ad blitz urging TikTok and YouTube to follow its lead.⁠

⁠All the ways Instagram and Facebook are changing for teens⁠

⁠Rockstar finally responds to ‘heartbreaking’ GTA 6 leaks⁠

⁠Fierce Network: FCC opens comments on E-Rate as the program gets attacked in court⁠

⁠Nvidia is about to be a hundred-billion-dollar-a-quarter company⁠

⁠Panic is passing Playdate tariff refunds on to customers.⁠

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.

0:00 Welcome to the Vergecast
01:26 Apple Mac AI Hype
02:26 Mac Mini Agent Craze
06:32 Mac Studio vs Nvidia
11:43 Price Hikes and Cloth
17:01 iPhone Event Invite
17:38 iPhone Fold Debate
21:30 Camera Crash Out
26:57 Meta Settlement Breakdown
28:59 First Amendment Fallout
36:59 Age Verification Push
39:30 Filter Rules and Loopholes
44:11 Will Teens Just Switch Apps
45:20 Reels Versus Shorts
46:35 Government Next Steps
47:39 Break And Reset
47:50 GTA VI Showcase
54:29 Leaks And Spoilers
57:12 Can GTA Save Games
01:00:51 GTA Online Money
01:02:04 Brendan Carr is a Dummy
01:03:45 E Rate Fight
01:08:46 Nvidia Earnings Hype
01:17:50 Pokemon Sleep Fitbit
01:22:41 Waymo Versus Tesla
01:28:34 Decoder And Goodbye

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AGI is whatever you want it to be

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 16:16:00 -0500

OpenAI announced its next big model, GPT-6 Astra, and also, by the way, that AGI is here now.
Today on The Vergecast, we've got an all-star panel to break down the news of the week.
First, senior AI reporter Hayden Field joins us to talk about our supposed AGI era and Nvidia's acquisition of Hugging Face. Then, our friend Joanna Stern pops in to talk about new Apple CEO John Ternus, old Apple CEO Tim Cook, and to, most importantly, speculate on the format of next week's Apple keynote.
We wrap things up with a super-special lightning round from the IFA electronics show in Berlin. Senior reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy and editor Dominic Preston each pick out the five most interesting gadgets they saw at the show.
And two more things: Vergecast producer Travis Larchuk pops in to tell his tale of identity theft woe and warn you that he isn't the one DMing you on Twitter to ask you to be on The Vergecast. Plus, Brendan Carr is a dummy.

Further reading:

OpenAI’s next big AI model has ‘entered the AGI era’

Researchers fear safety disaster ahead of OpenAI’s Astra release

OpenAI delayed its new model’s development after the Hugging Face hack

Nvidia is buying Hugging Face for almost $13 billion

John Ternus sends first memo as Apple CEO teasing a ‘huge launch next week’

Phil Schiller is leaving his biggest jobs at Apple

Siri AI is already changing how I use my iPhone

IFA 2026: the biggest tech and gadget announcements

This might be the fanciest toothbrush launch ever.

Anker’s new MindBase is an AI-powered brain for your smart home

This NAS company wants to run your local smart home

I want to wrap myself in Hue’s new Liane rope lights

Homey just made the smart home controller I hoped Apple would

The robot butler dream doesn’t have legs

Here’s Xiaomi’s wide 18 Fold

I held the first truly bezel-free phone

Acer’s new concept hardware is a gaming handheld with a keyboard

Lenovo’s new MacBook Neo competitor comes in two sizes and seven colors

Packard Bell is back, and more colorful than 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.

0:00 Welcome
00:46 Fake Travis warning
03:01 OpenAI's Astra model
05:45 Safeguards and delays
08:55 Opaque recurrence fears
13:08 What Astra does well
18:08 Access tiers and rollout
19:53 Nvidia buys Hugging Face
23:04 Is this really AGI
26:28 AGI vibes and Microsoft clause
32:17 Apple event preview
33:41 Ternus keynote politics
39:43 Keynote Vibes Shift
40:23 Tim Cook Era Review
44:56 Services And Fees Machine
47:15 Phil Schiller Steps Back
49:52 Event Predictions Fold And AI
55:43 Siri AI Real Use Cases
58:32 Smart Home Display Rumors
59:47 Bets And Keynote Structure
01:05:19 Brendan Carr Is A Dummy
01:09:23 IFA Lightning Round
01:10:49 Philips Hue Smart Lighting
01:11:03 Hue Rope Light Rave
01:11:44 Sticker Shock Pricing
01:13:03 Xiaomi Wide Foldable
01:15:43 Dyson Camera Toothbrush
01:20:31 Tecno Bezelless Concept
01:22:42 Local AI Smart Home Hub
01:27:09 MacBook Neo Clones
01:29:35 Homey Dial Controller
01:33:39 Acer DualPlay Handheld
01:36:19 Dreame Humanoid Robot
01:39:44 Packard Bell Revival
01:42:17 Wrap Up And Credits

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We unfolded the iPhone Duo

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:51:00 -0500

Apple did the one more thing: This week it announced its much-anticipated folding phone. It also announced some surprising and controversial new AI features for Apple Watch, including "Live Rewind," which gives the user a text transcript of the last 15 seconds of real life.

On today's Vergecast, Allison Johnson and Vee Song report back from California after having more hands-on time with Apple's new devices. Plus, Nilay Patel and David Imel take another swing at discussing Mac Minis and local LLMs with AI researcher CJ Trowbridge. Finally, Allison and Jake tackle some non-Apple stories in the truly rapid-fire thunder round.

Further reading:

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Our first hands-on impressions

The variable aperture isn’t the cool part of the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera

Hands-on with the foldable iPhone Duo

Hands-on with the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4

Apple Watch Series 12 has an always-on Siri that makes AI recaps of your day

Read the Apple document explaining how new listening features still protect your privacy

Mathematicians want proof OpenAI didn’t use their work

OpenAI’s sly mathematical breakthrough sends a chill through academia

Drama swirls around OpenAI’s legendary mathematical milestone

The Trump phone just got a $250 price hike

Six years later, Sony revisits its legendary XM4 headphones

Hori’s electronic Ocarina of Time requires no musical talent.

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

The real story of the iPhone 18 Pro's camera

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 16:13:00 -0500

This week's iPhone 18 Pro discourse made aperture a priority, but today on Vergecast we zoom out to talk about the state of smart phone photography at large. Executive editor Jake Kastrenakes, guest host David Imel and senior reviewer Allison Johnson get into manual controls, "buckets of photons," and Apple and Google's strategies on how to prove a picture you took is real. Then, senior AI reporter Hayden Field returns to The Vergecast, just a few new revelations of misaligned behavior since her last appearance. She breaks down who's calling for a slowdown, who's full steam ahead, and the prisoner's dilemma facing the industry. And in the lightning round, we cover robotaxis calling the cops, the Boox Palma 3 e-reader, and the latest crop of intentionally low-quality digital cameras.

Further reading:

Version History: Oregon trail

iPhone 18 Pro review: it's all about the manual controls

The variable aperture isn’t the cool part of the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera

Apple’s new iPhone camera mode promises to prove your photo isn’t AI

Inside the suddenly explosive world of AI safety

Your robotaxi might be a narc

Waymo pulls over, calls cops on riders with a ghost gun

The Boox Palma 3 gets stylus support and a sleek redesign

Camp Snap’s 110D gives slim retro film cameras a digital upgrade

Fujifilm’s Instax Pal 2 is a tiny digital camera that may not disappoint

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.

0:00 Welcome and lineup
00:30 Version History returns
02:08 Oregon Trail livestream plug
02:36 Apple camera geekout
02:59 Apple's new CEO Emmy moment
05:23 iPhone 18 Pro upgrades
08:33 Pro controls usability
11:46 RAW vs ProRAW explained
14:35 Signal to noise deep dive
21:35 Photographic styles debate
25:25 Reference Image authenticity
32:40 What we want next
41:40 AI safety drama begins
42:36 AI Safety Freakout
46:10 Liability And Regulation
51:34 China Race Narrative
54:43 Pace The Frontier Plan
55:54 Auditors Inside Labs
01:00:22 Prisoners Dilemma Problem
01:04:38 Accountability Dead End
01:08:45 Waymo Calls The Cops
01:14:56 The E Reader Race
01:19:56 Tiny Retro Cameras
01:26:32 Wrap Up And Goodbye

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Phones don't have lights

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:24:00 -0500

Meta's Muse AI agent is cute (sometimes caked-up) and it performs well as a productivity tool. And, if you give it access to your social media and e-mail, it can know basically everything about you. This week on The Vergecast, Nilay Patel, Jake Kastrenakes and David Imel give their reactions to Mark Zuckerberg's demos at Wednesday's Meta Connect keynote. They also talk about the new glasses hardware, including the new VR glasses and audio-only, camera-free Ray-Bans.
Then, we take a look at the newly-announced, chimeric Chrome/Android hybrid Googlebooks, find out why Brendan Carr is a dummy this week, analyze the Paramount merger, discuss what YouTube's A/B video testing means for the increasingly tenuous concept of a shared reality, and end on a surprisingly heartwarming story about RODECaster 4K support.

Further reading:

Meta Connect 2026: The 7 biggest announcements

Meta Connect 2026 live blog: On the ground at Mark Zuckerberg’s next big product launch

Meta’s Muse AI works and creeps me out

Amazon blocks Meta’s Muse AI agent

Meta ditches the camera on its newest smart glasses

Meta’s next VR device isn’t a headset — it’s glasses

These are the first five Googlebook laptops

Googlebooks feel like the first laptops built for Android owners

I got to see Google’s wild ideas about the future of laptops

The long dream of the Googlebook

Mahershala Ali On ‘Blade’ Being A Big Failure For Kevin Feige: “100%. He Should Feel That Way”

Paramount will need to release way more movies to make this merger work

Xbox is barely Xbox anymore

YouTube is cooking up new Live features.

Free Rodecaster Video firmware update adds 4K support.

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.

0:00 Welcome Back Banter

00:31 Meta Connect Setup

01:27 Muse First Impressions

05:28 Privacy Trust Gap

07:58 Pervert Glasses Debate

12:55 Passive Surveillance Reality

15:42 Is Muse Actually Winning

18:44 Muse Charm Post Phone

21:38 Do We Need Agents

26:12 Break And Return

26:29 New Meta Hardware

27:00 Audio Only Ray Bans

28:30 Muse Powered Glasses

31:15 Meta Bets on Muse

32:28 Hearing Aid Glasses Pitch

34:40 VR Glasses Return

39:04 Holograms and Splats

42:44 Google Books Arrive

44:57 Android Laptop Lock In

47:49 Windows Fatigue Debate

54:54 Hype Desk Blade Drama

57:14 Remembering Blade Chaos

01:00:37 Blade Reboot Frustrations

01:01:26 Sonos Sponsor Break

01:03:07 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:07:38 Lightning Round Kickoff

01:08:02 Meta Muse Mascot Chaos

01:09:26 Paramount Warner Deal Fallout

01:12:37 YouTube AI Channel Agents

01:14:05 A B Video Testing Ethics

01:21:25 Xbox Layoffs And Halo Shift

01:24:45 Rodecaster Free 4K Update

01:26:36 Muse Marketplace Haggling

01:27:35 Wrap Up And Next Episodes

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Dots get up in Muse's business

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:44:00 -0500

Is the key to turning around public opinion on AI Super Intelligence just to make it cuter? Nilay Patel, Jake Kastrenakes and David Imel talk about the latest adorable agents that want access to all your data, then discuss whether this week's White House AI Super Intelligence accord is worth the paper it's written on.

Plus: Gadgets, gadgets, gadgets! We speculate on Apple's rumored October 13 announcement, drool over Huawei's camera for your cameraphone, and herald the return of physical buttons in the new Kindle cases.

We wrap things up with the usual Brendan Carr is a Dummy and a lightning round full of Cybercabs, data centers, 'Old Reddit' and government chatbots.

Vote for us in the Signal Awards!

Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast

Vote Version History: Best History Podcast

Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast

Further reading:

OpenAI launches Dots, its Muse competitor

OpenAI plans to bring Dots to consumers, too.

Meta’s Muse AI sent a YouTuber’s address to a stranger

Maybe don’t let Muse run your Facebook Marketplace account.

Sam Altman says OpenAI won’t go public until its models are safe

Google announces Gemini 4 and says it’s so capable that only ‘trusted cyber defenders’ can have it right now

AI researchers put out videos saying superintelligence is ‘exactly as dangerous as it sounds’

Here’s how tech leaders will self-police AI safety under Trump’s deal

Here’s what AI leaders are saying about Trump’s new safety plan

Trump: “You’re going to see — data centers are going to be very popular.”

Trump orders US government to call AI ‘Super Intelligence’

Apple’s ‘HomePad’ will reportedly launch on October 13th

NBC News: FCC head says government-funded Trump ads are ‘normal’ and ‘don’t raise any red flags’

The People of Utah vs. Kevin O’Leary

Tesla’s Cybercab robotaxi rollout: the biggest news and announcements

The White House launched an AI chatbot for government-related questions.

Reddit says it has to cut back access to ‘Old Reddit’ because of AI bots

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.

0:00 Welcome

00:52 Awards and Listener Voting

01:36 Week Ahead Preview

01:52 OpenAI Dots vs Meta Muse

06:09 Living as Tasks

19:47 Business Models and Privacy

23:41 Bot Traffic and Web Friction

27:48 Trump Superintelligence Accord

37:46 Gadget Segment Kickoff

38:26 Huawei Screw On Lens Camera

41:33 Why Phone Camera Hybrids Fail

44:09 Pricey Phone Lens Debate

45:31 Kindle Lineup Upgrades

48:49 Apple Smart Home Display Rumors

01:02:58 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:08:27 America Gov Chatbot

01:14:54 Old Reddit Bot Crackdown

01:19:30 Utah Data Center Blowup

01:25:17 Cybercab Ride Report

01:27:31 Wrap Up And Plugs

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The AI is in the computer

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:38:00 -0500

It's gadget season. More specifically, it's apparently "new computer for your new AI" season. David and Nilay talk through a slew of announcements — Amazon's Alexa Tablets, Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra, the new Googlebooks, and Apple's upcoming smart home launch — to figure out if anyone has the right idea about the future of computing, and where the AI is supposed to live. After that, it's time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, our thoughts on the Paramount / Warner / Skydance merger, and much more.

Please vote for The Verge's podcasts in the Signal listener's choice awards!

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.

Read more about the topics discussed in today's 1 hour, 41 minute podcast:

0:00 Cold Open 00:37 David’s back! 01:10 Parenting Chaos Update 02:49 Gadget News Rundown 03:47 New Amazon Alexa Tablets 05:15 Panos Strategy Shift 06:31 Play Store Bet 11:17 Default Android Tablet 13:18 Ads and Pricing Fears 15:30 Amazon Great Products 21:20 Matte Display Debate 25:01 Apple Smart Home Tease 26:12 Siri AI Reality Check 29:08 Smart Home Too Complex 33:37 Candy Crush Question 34:56 iPad Multiuser Problem 39:04 Microsoft AI Surface Push 40:35 Local AI Computing Shift 47:22 Magnetic USB C Charging 48:37 Google Book Laptop Confusion 54:20 AI Agents Need A Surface 58:50 Skepticism About Agents 01:07:46 Brendan Carr is a Dummy 01:09:23 ABC License Chilling Effect 01:11:24 Brendan Carr Ownership Cap 01:12:30 Cable Companies Sue Back 01:14:44 SXSW Corruption Game 01:15:50 Skydance Mega Merger 01:18:04 Debt Layoffs Streamer Cuts 01:22:58 Go90 Scale Returns 01:24:02 Netflix Loses Its Edge 01:30:44 ChatGPT Interactive UI 01:37:47 Sam Altman Tradeoffs 01:44:49 Wrap Up And Plugs

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Is X back?

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 15:23:00 -0500

Well, it's been a couple of days, and David and Nilay have some more information — and a bunch of new questions — about the Apple HomeView. They also talk about the latest Gemini model, and whether building the best model matters if you can't build the best products around them. They then debate the merits of returning to X, why none of the supposed Twitter replacements worked, the latest in Brendan Carr nonsense, and more.

Further reading:

HomeView doesn’t natively support any video apps yet — not even Apple’s

Apple’s new Find My-compatible remote will also work with your old Apple TV

The AI race is back on

Google finally releases Gemini 4 Argon

Google brings its AI coding platform to its Gemini app on Mac.

Google makes it easier to launch your vibe-coded apps

OpenAI employee arrested for allegedly planting a bug in a conference room

OpenAI claims an ex-employee took its product plans and presented them to Apple

Now that Character.AI is going bankrupt, what happens to all of its users’ data?

Daring Fireball: X Once Again Marks the Spot

Platformer: Does intelligence need a hard cap?

SpaceX announces plan to become a ‘major mobile carrier’

JPMorgan Chase is keeping AI agents out.

Xbox is officially embracing the chaos of AI-powered game ports

Global smartphone sales just hit a 14-year low.

Silicon Valley is falling in line with Trump’s attempt to rename AI

The US government launched a “Super Intelligence” website.

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.

0:00 CarPlay Banter
01:36 HomeView App Confusion
03:40 CarPlay as Home OS
08:31 Apple Hardware Software Bet
13:28 Should It Just Be an iPad?
14:31 Gemini 4 Returns
16:18 Meta Muse Strategy
19:54 Google Product Dilemma
26:28 OpenAI Bugging Scandal
29:49 Character AI Bankruptcy
32:31 Bankrupt Data Goldmine
33:00 Privacy After Shutdown
36:55 Why People Return to X
39:35 Threads Fumbled It
40:49 X Owns AI Talk
49:17 Who Should Use X
49:57 Reporters And Sources
53:00 Video Platforms Win
54:44 Gruber Gets It Wrong
01:01:29 Brendan Carr is a Dummy
01:02:40 Execution Livestream Fallout
01:07:21 Sprint Merger Fallout
01:08:48 Dish Spectrum to SpaceX
01:09:44 Can Starlink Compete
01:11:30 SpaceX Phone Rumors
01:13:55 Smartphone Sales Slump
01:18:37 Agents vs Websites
01:24:21 Why UI Still Matters
01:26:43 Super Intelligence Rebrand
01:30:37 AI Game Decompiling
01:36:35 Wrap Up and Plugs

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The iPhone Duo should have been an iPad

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:55:00 -0500

We gave the iPhone Duo a 7 /10. But that wasn’t always the score we planned, and it might not be the right score forever. Such are the challenges of reviewing — and assessing — a big, new idea about the most popular smartphone in history.

On this episode of The Vergecast, David and Nilay debate whether the Duo deserved the score it got, and try to work through how this device might change over time.

After that, the hosts talk about the huge PHP cybersecurity flaw that rocked the web this week, the ongoing increase in AI shopping, an impending reboot inside of Netflix, and some very confusing Gemini news. Also, Brendan Carr is a Dummy.

Further reading:

The iPhone Duo is a messy, expensive, good time

All the news about the iPhone Duo

Daring Fireball: The iPhone Duo

PHP: The three little letters wreaking havoc across the web

AI agents are ready to shop. Some retailers are wary

Walmart is inviting AI agents to shop for you

10 million people have already set up Muse agents.

Netflix is telling investors not to worry, even though you’re watching less and less

Google’s more personalized Gemini AI is heading to your car

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0:00 No Sevens Pact

01:03 Show Agenda Setup

01:46 Duo Score Debate

03:08 App Optimization Phases

07:47 Two Thousand Dollar Problem

10:44 iPad Not iPhone

14:41 Outer Screen Compromises

18:04 Developer Badges Future

20:34 Early Adopter Reality

30:19 Handoff eSIM Limitations

34:49 PHP Shell Chaos

36:17 PHP Under the Hood

37:46 AI Finds the Exploit

40:46 Disclosure Panic Fallout

42:44 Patch Now or Go Dark

45:58 Autonomous Defense Arms Race

48:42 Agents Break the Web

53:04 Muse Adoption Shopping Stats

54:11 Bots Buying Movie Tickets

01:01:05 Instagram Deepfake Crisis

01:07:30 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:10:06 FCC Threatens Poll Coverage

01:17:44 FCC Free Speech Alarm

01:20:20 The Lightning Round

01:20:49 Arc Browser Shutdown

01:23:12 AI Browsers Future

01:27:14 Meta Terms Backlash

01:34:04 Netflix Identity Crisis

01:43:16 Gemini Confusion Car

01:49:12 Wrap Up And Awards

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The delightfully messy state of Apple gadgets

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:16:00 -0500

Nilay is going to buy the new touchscreen MacBook. But not for the touchscreen. He and David talk through Apple's new laptop, and what it means for Apple's other devices, including the tablet that used to be the future of everything. Then the hosts talk about Instagram's push into long-form video and its battle with AI content. Finally, it's time for Brendan Carr, Anthropic's S-1, robot vacuums, and the rest of the lightning round.

Further reading: