Episodes

  • The all-seeing AI webcam

    The all-seeing AI webcam
    Jul 21 2024
    On this episode of The Vergecast, senior producer Will Poor explores the AI-tinged worlds of Dries Depoorter. Depoorter has built all manner of quirky and provocative installations and online experiments. There’s a clock that tells you how much of your life you’ve already lived; a phone charger that only works when your eyes are closed; a mobile chat app that you can only use when your phone has less than 5% battery. His most eyebrow-raising work, though, is around AI and surveillance. In his projects Depoorter takes publicly available webcam footage from around the world, and uses it to stalk celebrities, catch jaywalkers in the act, keep politicians honest, and generally make you wonder about your own privacy and anonymity. We talked with Depoorter about how he creates his work, how he thinks about the future of AI, and how he responds to the people who see his art and want to turn it into commerce. It’s a wild conversation, so check it out above. To see all of Dries’ work, head over to his portfolio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Gadgets are getting weird — and so are iPhone homescreens

    Gadgets are getting weird — and so are iPhone homescreens
    Jul 19 2024
    Nilay, Alex, and David talk about what's happening on social media — and around the web — in the wake of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Then they talk about their early impression of Apple's public betas, from the redesigned homescreens to the iPad's fancy new math abilities. After that, it's time for a bunch of gadgets all asking the same idea: is this anything? Then it's off to the lightning round, filled with 4K streams and leaky infinity pools. Further reading: A custom sticker printer infuriated clients with a pro-Trump mass text message Shooting conspiracies trend on X as Musk endorses Trump Donald Trump likes TikTok, not Zuckerberg. The FBI said it found the Trump rally shooter’s Steam account, then took it back The Trump rally shooter had a Discord account, company says The Trump rally shooting is a cash cow for the dropshippers The FBI says it has ‘gained access’ to the Trump rally shooter’s phone J.D. Vance likes Lina Khan and crypto, hates ‘Big Tech’ Elon Musk, Joe Lonsdale, and tech elites back a pro-Trump super PAC Apple’s public betas: all the news on iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and more Apple is finally embracing Android’s chaos iOS 18 might help you rescue photos you thought were gone forever The watchOS 11 beta slowed me down, in a good way RCS in iOS 18: Apple’s new messaging standard almost solves the green-button problem Testing Math Notes and the Calculator app in iPadOS 18 Phone mirroring on the Mac: a great way to use your iPhone, but it’s still very much in beta Canon’s long-awaited EOS R1 and R5 Mark II have eye-controlled autofocus Dyson unmasks its super customizable OnTrac headphones A long-delayed hands-on with Essential’s skinny Android phone This case turns your Apple Watch into a tiny iPod Google solves its Pixel 9 Pro leaks by just showing the phone early Leaked photos reveal Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Xreal Beam Pro review: an AR tablet with good ideas but not enough power The OnePlus Pad 2’s vibrating stylus simulates writing on paper Sling TV adds 4K streaming for free Comcast will have high bitrate, low latency 4K feeds of the Olympics OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s $27 million mansion is a ‘lemon’ with a leaky pool, lawsuit alleges Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Picking the perfect portable console

    Picking the perfect portable console
    Jul 16 2024
    Today on the flagship podcast of nose bridge microphones: 03:10 - The Verge’s David Pierce enlists help from Alex Cranz and Sean Hollister to figure out the best gadget setup for his handheld gaming needs. The Steam Deck wasn’t born ready, but it’s ready now Nintendo Switch OLED review: screentime Sony PlayStation Portal review: flawed but fun Asus ROG Ally updated review: it’s a bit better now This amazing knockoff GBA SP comes stuffed with software piracy 42:10 - Victoria Song joins the show to test out the microphones on a bunch of smart glasses and headsets. Razer’s new Anzu smart glasses break from the pack with truly wireless audio The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses actually make the future look cool Amazon’s latest Echo Frames are more style than substance Meta Quest 3 review: almost the one we've been waiting for Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it’s not 01:10:26 - Later, David answers a question from the Vergecast Hotline. North Focals glasses review: a $600 smartwatch for your face Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Inside the AI memory machine

    Inside the AI memory machine
    Jul 14 2024
    Humans are terrible at remembering things. On this episode of The Vergecast, we talk to one of the people who has been working on this problem for a very long time: Dan Siroker, the CEO of Limitless. We talk about what it takes to build a great memory aid, how we might use them in the future, and why it’s so tricky to get right. We also talk about the human side of it all — what does it change about our lives when we stop forgetting things? Is remembering your friend’s birthday different when it’s actually an AI model doing the remembering? And will these tools ever really work outside of work? Tools like Limitless are coming fast and improving quickly, and we’re going to have to figure out how to live with them. Further reading: From The New York Times: Can’t See Pictures in Your Mind? You’re Not Alone. Limitless AI: a new wearable gadget, and app, for remembering your meetings Recall is Microsoft’s key to unlocking the future of PCs Microsoft’s all-knowing Recall AI feature is being delayed The Pixel 9’s ‘Google AI’ is like Microsoft Recall but a little less creepy Apple announces iOS 18 with new AI features and more customizable homescreen Notion AI can automatically write your notes, agendas, and blog posts for you Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Samsung’s new folds, flips, and Apple clones

    Samsung’s new folds, flips, and Apple clones
    Jul 12 2024
    The Verge's Nilay Patel, David Pierce, and Alex Cranz discuss the announcements from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event, Redbox shutting down, and more tech news from this week. Further reading: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked: all the news on the Galaxy Ring, Fold, Flip, Watch, and AI Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 are pricier with minor updates Samsung’s Galaxy Ring could be the one ring to rule an ecosystem Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra hands-on: ultra déjà vu Galaxy Watch 7: price, availability, and how to preorder Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds are blatant AirPod clones in both form and function Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm are, uh, still doing that XR thing. Motorola’s 2024 Razr Plus is a fun and flawed flip phone Redbox shuts down as its parent company declares Chapter 7 bankruptcy Sling TV is the latest streamer to get those pesky pause ads Netflix’s next live event is a Joe Rogan comedy special Spotify is going to let you leave comments on podcast episodes Paramount agrees to sweetened Skydance merger deal Instagram is sticking to short videos, says Adam Mosseri Amazon’s Echo Spot is back with better sound and no camera Nothing’s CMF launches new supercheap earbuds and a smartwatch Nothing’s CMF Phone 1 is proof that gadgets can still be fun Early Apple tech bloggers are shocked to find their name and work have been AI-zombified Microsoft and Apple ditch OpenAI board seats amid regulatory scrutiny The developers suing over GitHub Copilot got dealt a major blow in court Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • The Vergecast builds a tech company

    The Vergecast builds a tech company
    Jul 9 2024
    Today on the flagship podcast of corporate infighting: The Verge's David Pierce, Nilay Patel, and Alex Cranz roleplay as CEOs of Vergecast Inc., tasked with creating a tech company by acquiring product lines from various industry giants. They select established products ranging from smartphones and PCs to messaging and audio solutions, sourced from companies such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, Meta, and others. Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Apple’s Vision Pro: five months later

    Apple’s Vision Pro: five months later
    Jul 2 2024
    Today on the flagship podcast of spatial computing: The Verge’s David Pierce chats with Victoria Song and Wes Davis about using the Vision Pro for the five months that it's been available to the public. The group details what works, what doesn’t, and what’s next for the device. Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it’s not Apple announces visionOS 2 with 3D photo transformations and an ultrawide Mac display The Vision Pro isn’t destroying your eyes, but maybe get eye drops The Vision Pro is a computer for the age of walled gardens Apple’s Vision Pro team is reportedly focused on building a cheaper headset The Vision Pro will get Apple Intelligence and ‘Go Deeper’ in-store demos David chats with the folks at Sandwich Vision, who create Vision Pro apps called Television and Theater, about why they made 3D-rendered versions of CRT TVs in virtual reality. Sandwich Vision Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • The music industry’s AI fight

    The music industry’s AI fight
    Jun 28 2024
    The Verge's Nilay Patel and David Pierce chat with Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding about the RIAA lawsuit against AI music startups Udio and Suno. Later, Nilay and David discuss the rest of this week's tech and gadget news. Further reading: What the RIAA lawsuits against Udio and Suno mean for AI and copyright Major record labels sue AI company behind ‘BBL Drizzy’ Good 4 who? How music copyright has gone too far Samsung just announced a date for its next Unpacked Google announces surprise Pixel 9 hardware event in August Motorola’s 2024 Razr phones are ready to make a splash Beats Pill review: much easier to swallow this time Ultimate Ears announces new Everboom speaker, Boom 4 with USB-C, and more Ludacris Performs Free Concert With JBL Speaker: Here's Where You Can Buy One for Summer Apple will soon offer better support for third-party iPhone displays and batteries Distance Technologies augmented reality car heads-up display hands-on Seven things I learned about the Sony car while playing Gran Turismo inside one Rivian teases five new vehicles, and I have no idea what they are A group of Rabbit R1 jailbreakers found a massive security flaw Meta is connecting Threads more deeply with the fediverse ChatGPT’s Mac app is here, but its flirty advanced voice mode has been delayed Verizon’s new V logo arrives as the lines blur between 5G, Fios, and streaming Supreme Court rules Biden administration’s communications with social media companies were not illegal coercion Tesla Cybertruck recalled again, this time over faulty wiper and trim Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 29 mins