The Vergecast

The 2026 midterm elections in the US ended in a sweeping win for Democrats — and several dozen sweeping losses for the AI industry. Nilay and David dig into what the results will mean for data centers, Big Tech, and even the future of X. Then, they try to figure out whether anyone's making any money in AI — not so much, it turns out — and whether the touchscreen MacBook is worth the price. Further reading: ⁠The fight for tech accountability starts now ⁠ ⁠Tech is about to get hammered in Congress⁠ Forbes: ⁠Elon Musk Deletes Midterm Posts After Stunning Election Losses⁠ ⁠Data centers lost the midterms ⁠ ⁠Democrats leaned into Big Tech and AI opposition this cycle. ⁠ ⁠Not even $200 million could help Elon Musk buy Texas ⁠ ⁠OpenAI says ChatGPT is catching up to Google in search ⁠ ⁠Google hasn’t figured out how to make AI pay like its search engine ⁠ ⁠Uber only fulfilled 4 rides from AI agents last quarter ⁠⁠ ⁠DoorDash's CEO: Don't be 'delusional' after just a few hundred AI agent orders⁠ ⁠Apple is reportedly…

Morgann Book reads a lot of books. And, as a literary creator and podcaster, makes a lot of content about books. She joins the show to explain why BookTok loves all things romance and romantasy, why physical books are an important balance to digital life, and why she's not worried at all about the future of reading. Further reading: Bookish Media 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

Film director and camera nerd Rian Johnson sits down with Vergecast guest host and camera nerd David Imel for an unapologetically nerdy conversation about cameras. They chat about cinematography, Rian's viral Chromagraph Camera app, and check out David's vast collection of quirky equipment. (As of recording, Rian is still waiting for his to be delivered.) Further reading: ⁠Rian Johnson explains why he had to build his own iPhone camera app⁠ 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

It's Election Day in the United States, and data centers have become a core issue in some of the country's most important midterm races. The Verge's Adi Robertson explains why people are uniting against data centers, why they've become a proxy for all kinds of other fights, and how this year's results might change the AI industry going forward. Further reading: Apple is all in on AI — its own and everyone else’s | The Verge OpenAI is quietly renaming data centers ‘compute campuses’ | The Verge GTA VI’s download will need up to 212GB of hard drive space | The Verge Midterm elections 2026: all the news The Verge's investigative series: The Center Will Not Hold The 2026 iPad Mini is a terrific tiny tablet — for a big price 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…

Streaming all your video games seems like such a good, simple idea. All your games, everywhere, on any screen you like — it's the dream! The Verge's Sean Hollister explains how the tech works now (which might be better than you think), why it'll take a huge amount of work to make it even a little bit better, and why games like Grand Theft Auto VI probably can't just live in the cloud. Further reading: SpaceX could buy Boost Mobile as part of its big mobile carrier plans | The Verge Anthropic’s updated S-1 has even more eye-popping numbers. | The Verge More European supermarkets are getting their freezers hacked | The Verge 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

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: Apple finally combined a toaster and a refrigerator Hands-on with the new OLED iPad Mini Instagram doesn’t have a plan to pay long-form video creators Adam Mosseri says negativity around AI is ‘going to get worse’ Invasion of the Sexy A.I. Joke Thieves Brendan Carr plans to let prisons jam cellphone signals Five weird details from Anthropic’s IPO filing Microsoft is ending Copilot support on smart TVs Google says its investments in AI are driving more searches Palmer Luckey’s Anduril is getting into laptops — and claims they’ll be American-made Subscribe to The…

Steve Jobs once said touchscreen laptops were a terrible idea. Now Apple is shipping one. The Verge's Antonio Di Benedetto tells us all about the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR, how MacOS is changing for touch, why a laptop user might want a touchscreen, and whether MacBook and iPad are destined to become one. Further reading: Hands-on with Apple’s touchscreen MacBook Pro Apple finally combined a toaster and a refrigerator DoorDash is acquiring Instacart for $17 billion Google says its investments in AI are driving more searches Samsung’s expecting the RAM shortage to last until at least 2028. 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

Amazon's product launch spree continues, this time with a bunch of new Alexa-powered Echo devices. The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy explains what the new Echo Show 16 finally got right, why a digital photo frame could be Amazon's next big Alexa hit, and whether this new way of thinking about smart home gadgets might help Amazon defeat the HomeView and win a space in your kitchen. Further reading: Apple announces its first touchscreen MacBook Pro Amazon’s new Echo line is here: the 6 biggest updates Here’s Virgin Galactic’s new Apeiron spaceship Amazon’s new Echo line is here: the 6 biggest updates 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

Kevin Roose's new book, The AGI Chronicles, tells the story of the AI revolution. He joins the show to explain its earliest beginnings: the researchers who discovered what language models could do, the people who debated whether humans or computers should are more special, and the executives who started the companies that currently rule our economy. What do they want, and what are they building? Further reading: Kevin Roose is AGI-pilled. Why aren’t you? Machine Gods The AGI Chronicles Apple refreshes the iMac with M6 chips Apple updates the MacBook Pro with M6 chips Palmer Luckey’s Anduril is getting into laptops — and claims they’ll be American-made OpenAI announces three big science discoveries and a new way to work with academics Data center backlash is uniting America 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.…

We talk a lot about where the computer is, and where your stuff is. Paul Ford, a co-founder of Aboard and longtime tech blogger, recently built a tool called TinyLittleOffice that puts all the stuff in an unexpected place: the URL. Paul joins the show to explain how the web and the cloud have become powerful development tools, what it means to store a document in its domain, and why tiny, disposable software could make a comeback in the age of AI. Further reading: A YouTuber dissected an iPhone Duo and thinks he found the cause of crackgate Anthropic’s IPO filing lays out a plan to ‘revolutionize every area of human endeavor’ with AI Apple updates the iPad Mini with a larger OLED display Tiny Little Office 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

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…

Tesla recently showed off a new version of its Roadster. Well, a new version of its old version of the Roadster, anyway. But this one flies! The Verge's Andy Hawkins joins the show to explain the last decade of the Roadster saga, make sense of the flying and kickflipping new vehicle, and cast out into the future of Tesla's cars for humans. If there even is one. Further reading: The incredible flying Tesla Roadster is just for show The Tesla Roadster flew, drove upside down, and hit 60mph in under a second Trump says Sundar Pichai talked him out of renaming the Atlantic Ocean 1Password lets AI agents use your passwords without seeing them The world’s first triple 200-megapixel cameraphone is great 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

iPhone Duo reviews are out today and... it's complicated. David Pierce, Nilay Patel and senior smart phone reviewer Allison Johnson talk through The Verge's review and answer your questions LIVE. Further reading: The iPhone Duo is a messy, expensive, good time iPhone Duo review: messy, expensive fun 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

Over the last several months, the AI industry has set its sights on some of the problems that have stymied mathematicians for years. In some cases, AI models have made huge progress — though exactly how much isn't always obvious. The Verge's Robert Hart explains what OpenAI and others have actually accomplished, the disastrously bad ways the companies have interacted with researchers, and whether there's a future left for human mathematics. Further reading: ⁠Spotify pulls 50 million AI slop and spam tracks from its recommendations⁠ ⁠Adobe Lightroom mobile can now open closed eyes in photos with a simple tap⁠ ⁠Wii Sports is back on the Switch 2, and it rules⁠ ⁠All the drama around AI’s takeover of mathematics | The Verge⁠ ⁠OpenAI keeps bulldozing mathematicians | The Verge⁠⁠ ⁠OpenAI just wants to win | The Verge⁠⁠ ⁠The AI takeover of mathematics has begun | The Verge⁠⁠ ⁠‘Pure insanity’: Mathematicians will need years to make sense of OpenAI’s latest drop | The Verge⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited…

Creator life involves using a lot of software. Bad software. Stephen Robles is one of the creators who decided to build something better, for himself and for his community. He tells David how he thinks about his responsibility as a developer, how he makes apps, and how AI is changing the way he builds things for his audience. Further reading: Apple teases MacBook Pro event next week You Can See Everything has the biggest opening weekend for a doc in 20 years TikTok says ban of Musk documentary account was ‘an error’ Video game ownership bill introduced in Congress 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

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…

Meta just shipped a pair of smart glasses with no camera — a change that both David and The Verge's Victoria Song are excited about. But these glasses, like the new product from Amazon Bee and seemingly everything else now, are still ready and willing to record the world around you at all times. What do we do in a world where everything, everywhere, might be recording? And can tech companies figure out a way to make us feel better about it? You have until Thursday to vote for us in the Signal Awards! Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast Vote Version History: Best History Podcast Further reading: Prep your cart before iPhone Duo preorders open tomorrow OpenAI agrees not to use trade secrets it allegedly took from Apple Your secrets aren’t safe with this cute robot toy — they’re on Chinese servers ready to be hacked I don’t miss the camera on the Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses Amazon’s always-listening Bee wearable can now help you buy stuff We can’t just change the…

A man named Mike Smith was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison, and a fine in excess of $8 million, for creating an AI system that faked billions of streams and earned him millions in royalties. Wired's Kate Knibbs explains how Smith pulled it off, how he got caught, and what this case means for the internet's growing slop problems. 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: ⁠Apple’s HomeView ad is confusing to everyone except parents | The Verge⁠ ⁠Ocarina of Time’s Switch 2 remake feels modern — and terrifying | The Verge⁠ ⁠We might not have to wait 13 years for the next GTA | The Verge⁠ ⁠Epic is bringing Fortnite to Linux | The Verge⁠ ⁠JPMorgan Chase is keeping AI agents out. | The Verge⁠ ⁠Wired: Spotify Confirms Streaming Fraud After Kalshi Trader Cries Foul⁠ Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free…

Apple just announced its long-rumored HomeView smart home hub. But that's not all... there are cameras, thermostats and a door lock co-developed with LG and Schneider Electric, refreshed HomePod Minis, even a new Apple TV 4K. The Verge's senior smart home reviewer Jennifer Pattinson Tuohy joined Nilay Patel and David Pierce LIVE to discuss and take your questions about Apple's massive play to take over your house. You have until Thursday to vote for us in the Signal Awards! Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast Vote Version History: Best History Podcast Further reading: Apple launches HomeView, its first smart display for the home The new Apple Home Collection includes a video doorbell, smart lock, and more Apple announces the HomePod Mini 2, but it isn’t ready for Siri AI at launch The new Apple TV 4K has built-in microphones so you can talk to Siri AI Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast…

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! Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast Vote Version History: Best History Podcast Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast 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…

Amazon is determined to turn Alexa Plus into a do-everything AI assistant that can compete with Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and the rest. But after a year of testing, The Verge's Jen Tuohy has mixed feelings on how it's all going. And on whether a new tablet is the right way to fix it. Further reading: It appears .agent and .agi are about to be the hot new domains GTA VI leaks continue with a lengthy (and very nude) gameplay video GTA VI will have in-game podcasts and at least six radio stations Joe Rogan and Spotify renew massive podcast deal Alexa Plus is better at running my home, but it’s not ready to run my life Hands-on with Amazon’s Alexa Tablet 12 Pro and its wild new matte display Amazon is phasing out Fire Tablets because they weren’t ‘giving customers what they were asking for’ The Vergecast has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote to help us win here. Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love…

Bose, Sony, Beats, and seemingly every other headphone maker has recently released a new and excellent set of cans. Or buds. Or both. The Verge's John Higgins explains why the headphone market is suddenly so great, how the companies are competing now, and which new pair is the right one for you. 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: The Sonos Ace Ultra are the headphones Sonos should have made the first time Nothing’s new flagship Headphone 1 Pro put you in the studio The Beats 360 are what I’d bring to the gym if I hated earbuds The premium AirPods 5 are the best open-ear earbuds Apple has made Six years later, Sony revisits its legendary XM4 headphones 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…

The next big thing in AI, at least if you ask the tech companies, is assistant agents. David and The Verge's Allison Johnson have both been testing products like Meta's Muse, OpenAI's Dots, and startups like Instinct, in an effort to find out how much you can really get done by messaging with an AI tool – and whether the productivity is worth the tradeoffs. Further reading: Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery complete $110 billion media megamerger Amazon reportedly pays $120 million to stream the Emmys for free New leaks reveal more details about the Fitbit Edge including its price A Trump Mobile breach may have exposed data of more than 3,600 people OpenAI’s Dot agent can help you work and order dinner Meta’s Muse AI agent is an effective helper and great at spending money The Vergecast has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote to help us win here. Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you!…

Welcome to the Bear Lair!* (No, it’s nothing like that other show.) As we continue to explore the world of AI tools and vibe coding, we invited a few enterprising Vergecast fans to share their projects — and we invited The Verge’s Hayden Field to judge them with us. We’ll see what people are working on, and whether any of them will make us fabulously wealthy.*We came up with this name before we became aware that someone else thought of it first... no relation to the APTNtv show Bears' Lair! Further reading: ⁠Google admits not every Android app runs great on Intel Googlebooks⁠ ⁠The Pixel 10A now costs $100 more.⁠ ⁠Samsung raised prices on the Galaxy S26 by $100⁠ ⁠Huawei says RAMageddon has increased its smartphone costs by $200.⁠ ⁠2GB Raspberry Pis are getting pricier.⁠ ⁠Nvidia’s Shield TV Pro just got a $100 price hike⁠ ⁠Star Wars: Galactic Racer is my childhood podracing dream come true⁠ Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast…

Is the key to turning around public opinion on AI 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 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…

In this hotline episode, guest host David Imel answers your questions about digital cameras, iPods, E Ink phones, and the TI-84 graphing calculator being iced out of the Version History Hall of Fame. Further reading: Amazon is launching colorful new Kindles — and a case with physical page-turn buttons NYC is now the first city in America that bans sketchy subscriptions HP’s answer to the MacBook Neo is thinner, lighter, and comes with OLED 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

Jolly's got new competition: OpenAI just launched its competitor to Muse and Grok Bot. It's called Dots, and the headline feature is that it's also cute, with fuzzy lil triangles and clouds and hearts that you can give access to your personal accounts to do things for you. The Verge's senior AI reporter Hayden Field joins guest host David Imel from San Francisco right after OpenAI's DevDay presentation. Further reading: OpenAI DevDay 2026: The biggest news and announcements The Vergecast has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote to help us win here. 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 Pokémon Trading Card Game isn't just a game, it's an economy. Livestreamers provide vicarious dopamine hits to viewers who tune in to watch them open booster packs, and the rarest cards can resell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The game's 30th anniversary collection just launched, putting more copies of the game's rarest cards back into circulation. Guest host David Imel talks about the state of the Pokémon TCG market with The Verge's film, TV and pop culture reporter Charles Pulliam-Moore. Further reading: OpenAI launches Dots Nothing Headphone 1 Pro Your new Chromebook won’t get 10 years of ChromeOS support — because support now ends 2034. Pokémon card scalpers have turned collecting into an online blood sport 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…

It's a confusing time right now for gaming. Video games are becoming an increasingly expensive hobby. Games are expensive to make, too, and companies want to sell the most lucrative ones they can: Sony and Microsoft are cutting jobs to refocus on blockbusters. At the same time, we’ve got more ways to play than ever: handhelds, phones, even cloud gaming is getting better. So where are we headed? Today on The Vergecast, Sean Hollister asks that question of Shuhei Yoshida, who spent 31 years at Sony playing games and figuring out what gamers will pay for. Further reading: The smart home graveyard is getting crowded There may be a way to save your June Oven after all Nvidia says its new AI safety platform can contain rogue agents within ‘milliseconds’ Bose’s first wired earbuds in 11 years add noise canceling Xbox is barely Xbox anymore AI was everywhere at gaming’s big developer conference — except the games Half of developers think gen AI is bad for the gaming industry In 2025, AI became a lightning rod for…

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 and Snap both want to get on your face. The Verge's Victoria Song and Jay Peters tried out all the new hardware: Specs, audio-only Ray Bans, and Meta VR. Today, they join guest host David Imel to talk about how these new smart glasses feel, both physically and emotionally. Further reading: Meta’s next VR device isn’t a headset — it’s glasses Meta ditches the camera on its newest smart glasses I wore Snap’s $2,200 smart glasses 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

Transportation editor Andrew Hawkins is here to answer your questions about the confluence of cars and gadgets. Could a folding phone replace a dashboard display? What to do about the iPhone Pro Max not fitting the Tesla's built-in wireless charger? And we hear from a listener who -- shockingly -- doesn't care about CarPlay. Further reading: The car of the future is an EV golf cart 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

Nvidia's new DLSS 5 (Deep Learning Super Sampling 5) rendering technology uses AI to (theoretically) improve video game graphics. When it was announced, social media declared that it was "yassifying" video game characters, changing faces in a way game developers didn't intend. Linus Tech Tips' own Linus Sebastian and David Gauthier join guest host David Imel to break down the the hype and controversy. Further reading: The Beats 360 are what I’d bring to the gym if I hated earbuds Peloton is back with a ‘cheaper’ folding treadmill Whoop and Peloton integration is finally here Xbox is barely Xbox anymore Apple’s first live music venue is opening beneath its UK headquarters Nvidia’s DLSS 5, explained DLSS 5: Has Nvidia’s AI graphics technology gone too far? DLSS 5 looks like a real-time generative AI filter for video games 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…

We tried out the new Googlebooks, which are essentially Chromebooks evolved with an Android elemental stone. They're made by Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, and Asus (not Google), but all have the new Googlebook OS, heavy Android phone and Gemini integration, and a built-in "Glowbar." Laptop reviewer Antonio G. Di Benedetto went hands-on with the new devices, and reports back to guest host David Imel. Further reading: ⁠iPhone owners can now submit claims in Apple’s $250 million Siri AI settlement⁠ ⁠The M5 Ultra Mac Studio tears through our benchmark tests⁠ ⁠Gemini went rogue and hacked 3 companies⁠ ⁠I got to see Google’s wild ideas about the future of laptops⁠ ⁠These are the first five Googlebook laptops⁠ ⁠Googlebooks feel like the first laptops built for Android owners⁠ ⁠The long dream of the Googlebook⁠ 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…

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…

Senior reviewers Allison Johnson and Victoria Song trade host and guest duties in a Vergecasting ouroboros that's never been attempted before and will probably never be attempted again. Allison talks about the iPhone 18 Pro's new camera, Victoria talks about the Watch 12 and Ultra 4's new sensors, and they both give their verdicts on who should upgrade. Further reading: The iPhone 18 Pro’s big camera update is all about the small gains The Apple Watch Series 12 is the start of a new wearable era Your ‘health age’ is fake 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

Last week, an Anthropic researcher resigned and posted on X, "The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." These warnings are nothing new, but this one managed to break into the mainstream. So, do the people making AI really think it could kill us all? How? And if it really could be as dangerous as they say, why would anyone continue to work on it? Senior AI reporter Hayden Field joined us to answer your questions about the AI freakout. Further reading: The iPhone 18 Pro’s big camera update is all about the small gains Meta is reportedly ready to launch less pervy smart glasses The Boox Palma 3 gets stylus support and a sleek redesign Worried Anthropic researchers warn that AI ‘could kill all humans’ What execs and politicians are saying about slowing down AI development Is Big Tech’s AI slowdown a safety pact or a cartel? Trump and Mike Johnson think the AI industry is overreacting Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com,…

Two years ago, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt released his book, The Anxious Generation. In it, he argued that the rise of social media and smartphone use is to blame for the prominent decline in teen mental health since 2010. This month, psychology researcher Peter Gray takes on that narrative with his book, Restoring Childhood. In a conversation with senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner, Gray argues that school — not social media — is the real culprit. Further reading: The premium AirPods 5 are the best open-ear earbuds Apple has made All dressed up with hardware to go. A street photographer tested Dyson’s new CameraJet toothbrush. What if social media isn’t hurting kids? 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

Sean Hollister got his hands and face on Valve's new VR headset, the Steam Frame. It's expensive, starting at more than $1,000. It's buggy — he and CNET's Scott Stein both felt like beta testers as they reviewed it. But it's also full of interesting ideas, including the promise that Steam games could one day come to your mobile phone. This week on The Vergecast, Sean and Scott discuss who exactly this device is for, in a world that mostly seems to have moved on from VR. Further reading: Is it time for AI companies to press pause? Waymo pulls over, calls cops on riders with a ghost gun Your car is selling your data LG responds to TV spying allegations The Steam Frame is made for irresponsible hardware nerds like me 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…

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…

For years, big tech companies have embedded their products into the classroom whether through Google's Chromebooks or computer science curricula developed by Apple or Microsoft. The industry pushed a generation of kids to foster coding skills with the promise of high-paying jobs. Now, those students are finding themselves less in demand as AI takes over, and the industry seems to be repeating its playbook. Senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner talks to Natasha Singer, author of the new book "Coding Kids," about how big tech worked its way into the classroom, and why Natasha is optimistic about educators’ response to the AI push. Further reading: Schools are catching on to Big Tech’s playbook Worried Anthropic researchers warn that AI ‘could kill all humans’ Meta’s Muse AI works and creeps me out Another big James Talarico interview is punted to YouTube due to FCC threats Apple asks: have you ever imagined iOS devices doin’ it? ⁠Subscribe to The Verge⁠ for unlimited access to ⁠theverge.com⁠,…

Live from Apple Park, Nilay Patel and Victoria Song join Jake Kastrenakes, Dominic Preston and Cameron Faulkner to talk about the iPhone Duo and the new Apple Watches. We also talk about the new iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture and the AirPods 5. Further reading: All the news from Apple’s ‘Surprise and shine’ event 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

At this year's London Marathon, two runners completed the route in under two hours, becoming the first people to ever do so on an official course. It's a feat that Outside magazine's Alex Hutchinson once thought wouldn't be accomplished until 2075. The Verge's senior policy reporter (and marathoner) Lauren Feiner talks to Alex about "super shoes" and the other surprising technological advances that led to this moment. Further reading: The Fairphone 6 Plus is the midrange phone we desperately needed The real reason your phone is getting more expensive What to expect at Apple’s September 9th launch event 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

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’…

Apple's big hardware event is coming next week. iPhones are the main draw, but senior reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has her eyes on the rumors around — what else? — smart home gadgets. Andrew O'Hara from the Smart Home Insider podcast joins Jen to fire up the Rank-o-Matic and speculate on which rumored gadgets are most likely to see the light of day. Further reading: OpenAI’s next big AI model has ‘entered the AGI era’ Nvidia is buying Hugging Face for almost $13 billion Microsoft slashes Xbox Cloud Gaming to just 15 hours a month for Ultimate subscribers Microsoft opens up Xbox Cloud Gaming with new pay-as-you-go option 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

Data centers have been a staple of Loudoun County since the early dot-com boom, but recent expansions have left some residents wondering how much more the county can take. In this episode, guest host David Imel talks to Lauren Feiner about her recent article detailing the buildout of “Data Center Alley,” what it means for residents, and what other counties reeling with similar buildouts can learn from it. Further reading: Is this the future of America? 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

Elizabeth Lopatto recently wrote about Mark Zuckerberg's 6,500-word AI manifesto in her piece, "Mark Zuckerberg doesn't understand how to live." Today, she joins guest host David Imel and senior wearables reviewer Victoria Song for a freewheeling discussion about what happens when we let AI make decisions for us. Further reading: Mark Zuckerberg doesn't understand how to live Dyson made a camera-equipped toothbrush that flosses for you Markiplier is now GoPro’s biggest shareholder GoPro has been acquired and is getting into ‘defense, government, robotics and aerospace’ John Ternus is now the CEO of Apple 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

Skyrocketing RAM prices put a spotlight on product longevity and repairability, which makes this a particularly apt time for Fairphone to launch its first smartphone sold directly in the United States. Today, David Imel talks to CEO Raymond van Eck about the Fairphone 6+, the company's goals of user-repairability and ethically-sourced materials, and what place AI has in the future of Fairphone. Further reading: ⁠Read Tim Cook’s final message to Apple staff as CEO⁠ ⁠Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell are suing Anthropic⁠ ⁠Google capitulates in Trump’s attempt to rename Lake Ontario.⁠ ⁠MapQuest downloads surge after refusing to rename Lake Ontario.⁠ ⁠MapQuest knows this whole thing is ridiculous.⁠ ⁠Fairphone’s latest repairable phone is going on sale in the US⁠ ⁠The new Fairphone 6 Plus gets a perfect repairability score.⁠ ⁠The Fairphone 6 no longer feels like a compromise (except in the US)⁠ ⁠This environmentally conscious smartphone is finally coming to the US⁠ Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited…

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…

If, after months of increasingly dire RAMageddon warnings, you just now find yourself in the market for a new laptop... we're here to help. In the latest installment of our "RAMageddon Survival Guide," laptop reviewer Antonio G. Di Benedetto joins David Imel to offer his recommendations. Further reading: Apple announces September iPhone launch event Xbox announces disc-to-digital feature that digitizes your physical games Xbox’s limited-edition green Series X is already sold out Panic is passing Playdate tariff refunds on to customers A RAMageddon guide to back-to-school laptop shopping An okay laptop with 16GB of RAM is better than a nice laptop with 8GB, and this $520 HP OmniBook proves it This is my new favorite laptop, but thanks to RAMageddon the price already went up by $800 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…