Podcast appearances and mentions of alex heath

  • 62PODCASTS
  • 147EPISODES
  • 51mAVG DURATION
  • 1EPISODE EVERY OTHER WEEK
  • May 23, 2025LATEST

POPULARITY

20172018201920202021202220232024


Best podcasts about alex heath

Latest podcast episodes about alex heath

The Vergecast
OpenAI and Jony Ive's AI super-gadget

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 113:50


Bad news if you don't care about AI: this week was absolutely chock-full of AI news. First, Nilay, David, and The Verge's Alex Heath talk about the news that OpenAI and Jony Ive are teaming up to build... something. A gadget, for sure, maybe lots of gadgets. We don't know much, but we have a lot of thoughts, and a lot of questions. After that, the hosts talk through all the news at Google I/O, including what's new with Gemini, Google Search, Project Astra, Project Mariner, and the countless other ways Google is putting AI absolutely everywhere. Finally, in the lightning round, we buckle up for another round of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, talk through some late-breaking Apple gadget news, and marvel over the future of conference calls. Further reading: OpenAI is buying Jony Ive's AI hardware company From The Wall Street Journal: What Sam Altman Told OpenAI About the Secret Device He's Making With Jony Ive Details leak about Jony Ive's new ‘screen-free' OpenAI device  Jony Ive says Rabbit and Humane made bad products  The 15 biggest announcements at Google I/O 2025  Google launches AI Mode to everyone in the US, adds more features to AI Overviews Google's 3D video calling tech is finally going to ship this year  Project Astra 2025: Google's universal AI assistant is now smarter and more proactive  Google has a new tool just for making AI videos  Google reveals $250 per month ‘AI Ultra' plan  Google Meet can translate what you say into other languages  Google's Gemini AI is coming to Chrome  Google says its new image AI can actually spell  Google will let you ‘try on' clothes with AI  Google is bringing an ‘Agent Mode' to the Gemini app We tried on Google's prototype AI smart glasses Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott on the birth of the agentic web  Microsoft's plan to fix the web: letting every website run AI search for cheap Google rejected giving publishers more choice to opt out of AI Search  Google is stuffing even more ads into its AI results  Google's Gemini AI is coming to Chrome  Google reveals $250 per month ‘AI Ultra' plan  FCC Chairman Carr seeks to designate NBC equal time issue for hearing FCC approves Verizon's $20 billion merger after it commits to ‘ending' DEI 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

The Vergecast
The Razr Ultra proves flip phones are almost ready

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 72:51


Kids these days, you know? They love the '90s, they want everything to be colorful and bold and bouncy, and they really, truly love Snapchat. And the tech world is listening. On this episode, The Verge's Allison Johnson joins to talk about her review of the new Razr Ultra, the new-look Android 16, and why she thinks we're getting ever closer to a true flip phone resurgence. (Also: why we're not quite there yet.) After that, The Verge's Alex Heath explains what's going on with Snapchat, and how it's possible that the app is more popular than ever but still can't figure out how to cash in. It all makes us wonder: is there a business in chat at all? Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about a possible outcome for Chrome after the Google search trial ends. Further reading: Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) review: looking sharp The best folding phones you can buy Android's youthful new design language just dropped Snapchat scraps ‘simple' redesign as it loses users in North America Zuckerberg offered to buy Snapchat for $6 billion. Evan Spiegel explains why Snap is betting on Spectacles Breaking down the DOJ's plan to end Google's search monopoly Why are companies lining up to buy Chrome? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taking Inventory
ADSN | Alex Heath reports on the Google & Meta legal sagas

Taking Inventory

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2025 33:38


ADSN is made possible by:DashFi - https://dash.fiMeasured - https://measured.com/Follow ADSN: https://TheADSN.comhttps://x.com/The_ADSNhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3JyftL7aNBc7Q5axOdIaov?si=4b9b1c3697944021https://youtube.com/@theadsn____________________________________Sponsored by DashFiIf You're Spending $100K+ Per Month on Ads, You're Probably Overpaying.DashFi is the corporate charge card built for advertisers spending heavily on Meta and Google. Our AI-powered Ad Pay Protection uncovers hidden overcharges and billing discrepancies—protecting your campaigns from costly billing failures and putting real money back into your business.In the last $20M of audited ad spend, DashFi uncovered an average of 12% in discrepancies, with advertisers receiving up to 6% back in ad credits. With high flexible limits, no personal guarantee, and fast approvals, you can scale spend without financial roadblocks.

The Vergecast
Big Tech is back on trial

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 115:52


We promise, this episode is only a little bit about header bidding. Nilay and David are joined by The Verge's Alex Heath to talk about some big news in tech regulation: Google lost its ad-tech monopoly trial, which could reshape both Google and the internet altogether. And that's not the only monopoly news! Meta's trial also started this week, and Alex was there to see Mark Zuckerberg and others try to defend Instagram, WhatsApp, and the company as a whole. After all that, we talk about OpenAI's plans to build a social network, and how this company seems to never run out of ambition. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for another round of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, and some news about viral cameras and the Switch 2. Which we'll be yeeting into our homes as soon as possible Further reading: Google loses ad tech monopoly case FTC v. Meta live: the latest from the battle over Instagram and WhatsApp Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg defends Instagram purchase in antitrust trial Zuckerberg defends his empire during FTC antitrust trial Mark Zuckerberg suggested spinning off Instagram Mark Zuckerberg tells court that Meta made WhatsApp, Instagram better Mark Zuckerberg once suggested wiping all Facebook friends lists to boost usage Meta reportedly offered $1 billion to settle the FTC's antitrust lawsuit. Zuckerberg defends his empire during FTC antitrust trial Google, Apple, and Snap aren't happy about Meta's poorly-redacted slides Meta's antitrust trial slide redactions aren't actually hiding anything OpenAI is building a social network OpenAI debuts its GPT-4.1 flagship AI model OpenAI might finally get better model names soon. OpenAI's upgraded o3 model can use images when reasoning ChatGPT will now remember your old conversations OpenAI is reportedly considering a $3 billion deal to buy AI coding tool Windsurf. Netflix is testing a new OpenAI-powered search Brendan Carr on X The Media and Democracy Project on Bluesky Trump excludes smartphones, computers, chips from higher tariffs Smartphone tariffs are coming back in ‘a month or two,' says Trump admin TSMC is unfazed by tariffs. Microsoft's Phil Spencer: “I want to support Switch 2.” In pursuit of a viral, five-year-old compact camera 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

The TrustMakers
United Way’s Angela Williams on the Power of Partnerships

The TrustMakers

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 26:30


Angela Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide, joins Edelman's Alex Heath for a conversation on how nonprofits can be successful in today's environment and the power of partnerships. “Trust is key, partnership is currency,” says Angela.

Decoder with Nilay Patel
Elon Musk's polarizing ascent in the MAGA movement

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 39:55


This is Alex Heath, deputy editor of The Verge. I'm guest hosting today's episode while Nilay is still away for a much-needed vacation. He'll be back next week. But today, we're diving into the bromance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, and more specifically, how it's impacting the changing right-wing political movement here in the United States.  There's no better place to get that temperature check than CPAC. Musk showed up there this year for a wild interview — you may have seen clips of him waving around a literal chainsaw. Thankfully, Verge policy Gaby del Valle was on the ground this year, and as you'll hear her say, she barely slept. But she got a front-row look at how the world of MAGA really feels about Elon, DOGE, and regulating Big Tech.  Links:  I cannot describe how strange Elon Musk's CPAC appearance was | Verge At CPAC, the world's populists parrot the leader who inspired them | Politico Government still threatening to ‘semi-fire' workers who don't answer Musk email | Verge Saying ‘no' to Musk | NYT What that chainsaw was really about | NYT Sequins, merch, chainsaws: Trump's return to CPAC | NYT Bannon calls Musk a ‘parasitic illegal immigrant' | NYT New York got $80 Million for migrants. The White House took it back | NYT Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE | AP National Park Service layoffs, hiring delays impact visitors | NPR Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
Can Meta still make the metaverse?

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 75:49


This episode is all about companies in flux. First, we chat with The Verge's Alex Heath about all things Meta — whether the company is still serious about the metaverse, why its AI plans seem to be going so well, what "OG Facebook" really means, and what headsets to expect this year. After that, The Verge's Chris Welch takes us through the last year at Sonos, from the disastrous app launch to the pretty good headphones that were totally derailed by the disastrous app launch. Can the company get it together in order to launch its next big swing, a set-top box codenamed Pinewood? Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline all about business cards. Because, yes, it's 2025, but sometimes you still need a place to put a business card. Further reading: Mark Zuckerberg tells Meta employees to ‘buckle up' in internal meeting Meta says this is the make or break year for the metaverse Meta's Ray-Bans smart glasses sold more than 1 million units last year Meta's AR / VR hardware roadmap through 2027 Meta CTO says the company is working to ‘catch' leakers Zuck wants to bring the “OG Facebook” back. The Sonos app fiasco: how a great audio brand nearly ruined its reputation Sonos CEO Patrick Spence steps down after disastrous app launch Sonos' interim CEO hits all the right notes in first letter to employees Sonos Arc Ultra review: don't call it a comeback (yet) Sonos Ace review: was it worth it? | The Verge After a bruising year, Sonos readies its next big thing: a streaming box Adobe Scan 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

Decoder with Nilay Patel
Arm CEO Rene Haas on the AI chip race, Intel, and what Trump means for tech

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 41:37


Alex Heath, Deputy Editor at The Verge, guest hosts this episode of Decoder featuring a live interview with Arm CEO Rene Haas about the future of AI and the semiconductor industry. The two discuss his thoughts on the struggles of Intel, the rumors Arm is developing its own AI chips to rival Nvidia's, and his thoughts on the incoming Trump administration.  Links:  What Arm's CEO makes of the Intel debacle | Command Line How Arm conquered the chip market without making a single chip | Decoder Arm could be the unexpected winner of the AI investment boom | FT Arm to reportedly launch AI chips by 2025 to capture explosive demand | CNBC Intel's CEO is out after only three years | The Verge What happened to Intel? | The Verge Nvidia plans ARM-based PC platform to rival Intel, AMD | DigiTimes Qualcomm x Arm beef escalates | The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/24084728 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The TrustMakers
CEO of global development NGO on grassroots trust-building

The TrustMakers

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 28:23


Kristin Lord, CEO of IREX, and Alex Heath, Edelman's U.S. Head of Social Impact and Sustainability, discuss how global NGOs can build trust in society from the ground up by partnering with local non-profit organizations, building personal relationships, and reminding people what they have in common with one another. “You need to bring all the … Continue reading "CEO of global development NGO on grassroots trust-building"

The Vergecast
Meta's new smart glasses look like the future

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 104:36


The Verge's Alex Heath joins Nilay, Alex, and David to talk about all the announcements coming out of Meta Connect: the impressive (and expensive) Orion glasses, the new features for the Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, and lots and lots of new AI. Then they discuss the latest executive departures at OpenAI, as the industry's foremost AI company undergoes a huge shift. In the lightning round, it's time for more AI gadgets, the PS5 Pro... and then some more AI gadgets. Further reading: Meta Connect 2024: biggest news and announcements Hands-on with Orion, Meta's first pair of AR glasses Meta's Ray-Bans will now ‘remember' things for you Why Mark Zuckerberg thinks AR glasses will replace your phone Meta's VR app store is about to fill up with phone-style 2D apps Mark Zuckerberg: creators and publishers ‘overestimate the value' of their work for training AI Meta's AI can now talk to you in the voices of Awkwafina, John Cena, and Judi Dench Kristen Bell told Instagram to ‘get rid of AI' before she became its official voice OpenAI CTO Mira Murati is leaving Just 5,000 people use the Rabbit R1 every day Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: big upgrade, much smaller earbuds I played the PS5 Pro, and it's clearly better Inside Jony Ive's Life After Apple and His LoveFrom Design Business 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

Double Tap Canada
Be My Eyes Speak To Double Tap Following Meta Connect Announcement

Double Tap Canada

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 56:19


Chapter Markers:0:00 - Intro0:46 - Shaun Uses The Force & Falls Over A Bin14:16 - Alex Heath from The Verge on Meta's Project Orion21:42 - Interview with Mike Buckley & Bryan Bashin from Be My Eyes on the Meta Ray-Ban Announcements

Decoder with Nilay Patel
Why Mark Zuckerberg wants to end the smartphone era

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 70:55


We have a very special episode of Decoder today. It's become a tradition every fall to have Verge deputy editor Alex Heath interview Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the show at Meta Connect. This year, before his interview with Mark, Alex got to try a new pair of experimental AR glasses the company is calling Orion.  Alex talked to Mark about a whole lot more, including why the company is investing so heavily in AR, why he's shifted away from politics, Mark's thoughts on the link between teen mental health and social media, and why the Meta chief executive is done apologizing for corporate scandals like Cambridge Analytica that he feels were overblown and misrepresented.   Links: Hands-on with Orion, Meta's first pair of AR glasses | The Verge The biggest news from Meta Connect 2024 | The Verge Mark Zuckerberg: publishers ‘overestimate the value' of their work for training AI | The Verge Meta extends its Ray-Ban smart glasses deal beyond 2030 | The Verge The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses actually make the future look cool | The Verge Meta has a major opportunity to win the AI hardware race | The Verge Instagram is putting every teen into more private and restrictive new account | The Verge Threads isn't for news and politics, says Instagram's boss | The Verge Facebook puts news on the back burner | The Verge Meta is losing a billion dollars on VR and AR every single month | The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/24017522 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt; our editor is Callie Wright. This episode was additionally produced by Brett Putman and Vjeran Pavic. Our supervising producer is Liam James.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
Can a YouTube video really fix your wet phone?

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2024 70:58


Today on the flagship podcast of the native resonance of your smartphone:  02:32 -The Verge's David Pierce tries to find out if those YouTube videos promising to remove water from your phone with sounds actually work.  32:42 - Then, David chats with The Verge's Alex Heath about some AR glasses that are reportedly set to launch from Snap and Meta this fall. 59:16 - Later, David answers a question from the Vergecast Hotline about competition in the AI industry. 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

The Vergecast
Google lost its first antitrust case, so what happens next?

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2024 83:49


The Verge's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, Alex Heath, and Lauren Feiner discuss a federal judge ruling that Google violated US antitrust law, X suing a group of major advertisers over an “illegal boycott”, and the rest of this week's wild tech news. Further reading: Judge rules that Google ‘is a monopolist' in US antitrust case All the spiciest parts of the Google antitrust ruling X files antitrust lawsuit against advertisers over ‘illegal boycott'  The Global Alliance for Responsible Media is 'discontinuing' after Elon Musk's X filed an antitrust lawsuit against it Disney's password-sharing crackdown starts ‘in earnest' this September Disney's streaming business turned a profit for the first time The price of Disney Plus is about to go up Logitech's ‘forever' mouse isn't happening Google is discontinuing the Chromecast line The Google TV Streamer might be the Apple TV 4K rival we've been waiting for Humane's daily returns are outpacing sales  Samsung's Frame TV is finally getting the knockoffs it deserves  Microsoft says Delta ignored Satya Nadella's offer of CrowdStrike help Hands-on with Google's new Nest Learning Thermostat OpenAI won't watermark ChatGPT text because its users could get caught 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

The Vergecast
The next next thing in AI and AR

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2024 97:22


The Verge's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and Alex Heath discuss Apple's Vision Pro team reportedly refocusing on a cheaper headset, Meta launching a new "Wearables" organization, a new AI company startup from former OpenAI chief scientist, and a whole lot more tech news. Further reading: Apple's new hands-free unlocking feature won't work with existing smart locks Apple's fancy new CarPlay will only work wirelessly Android's AirTag competitors are off to a poor start. This universal remote wants to control your smart home sans hub The Framework Laptop 13 is about to become one of the world's first RISC-V laptops The Beats Solo Buds have a great look and an even better price Xreal's new Beam Pro is an Android tablet designed to work with your AR glasses Apple's Vision Pro team is reportedly focused on building a cheaper headset Meta forms new Wearables group and lays off some employees OpenAI's former chief scientist is starting a new AI company Perplexity continues to piss off publishers. An AI video tool just launched, and it's already copying Disney's IP Anthropic has a fast new AI model — and a clever new way to interact with chatbots AIs are coming for social networks TikTok ads may soon contain AI avatars of your favorite creators McDonald's will stop testing AI to take drive-thru orders, for now Nvidia overtakes Microsoft as the world's most valuable company US sues Adobe for ‘deceiving' subscriptions that are too hard to cancel Tech CEOs are hot now, so workers are hiring $500-an-hour fashion consultants 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

Decoder with Nilay Patel
Inside the players and politics of the AI industry

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2024 45:40


We've got a special episode of the show today – I was traveling last week, so Verge deputy editor Alex Heath and our new senior AI reporter Kylie Robison are filling in for me, with a very different kind of episode about AI. We talk a lot about AI in a broad sense on Decoder — it comes up in basically every single interview I do these days. But we don't spend a ton of time on the day-to-day happenings of the AI industry itself. So we thought it would be a good idea to take a beat and have Alex and Kylie actually break down the modern AI boom as it exists today: The companies you need to know, the most important news of the last few months, and what it's actually like to be fully immersed in this industry every single day. Links:  Google defends AI search results after they told us to put glue on pizza | The Verge Apple is putting ChatGPT in Siri for free later this year | The Verge AI will make money sooner than you'd think, says Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez | Decoder Humane is looking for a buyer after the AI Pin's underwhelming debut | The Verge 2024 is a year of reckoning for AI | The Verge OpenAI researcher who resigned over safety concerns joins Anthropic | The Verge Hugging Face is sharing $10M worth of compute to beat big AI companies | The Verge The AI drama is heating up | Command Line Google and OpenAI are racing to rewire the internet | Command Line Elon Musk's xAI raises $6 billion to fund its race against ChatGPT | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today's episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Decoder with Nilay Patel
TikTok's big bet to fight the ban bill

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2024 46:35


Last week, TikTok filed a lawsuit against the US government claiming the divest-or-ban law is unconstitutional — a case it needs to win in order to keep operating under Bytedance's ownership. There's a lot of back and forth between the facts and the law here: Some of the legal claims are complex and sit in tension with a long history of prior attempts to regulate speech and the internet, while the simple facts of what TikTok has already promised to do around the world contradict some its arguments. Verge editors Sarah Jeong and Alex Heath join me to explain what it all means. Links:  TikTok and Bytedance v Merrick Garland (PDF) TikTok sues the US government over ban | The Verge Senate passes TikTok ban bill, sending it to President Biden's desk | The Verge The legal challenges that lie ahead for TikTok — in both the US and China | The Verge Why the TikTok ban won't solve the US's online privacy problems. | Decoder  Biden signs TikTok ‘ban' bill into law, starting the clock for ByteDance to divest it | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today's episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
Phones are the ultimate AI gadget

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2024 73:00


Today on the flagship podcast of dedicated AI hardware:  The Verge's David Pierce and Allison Johnson debate whether the emergence of standalone AI gadgets like the Humane Pin and the Rabbit R1 are better off as apps or should exist as its own hardware.  Humane AI Pin review: not even close  The Humane AI Pin worked better than I expected — until it didn't  A morning with the Rabbit R1: a fun, funky, unfinished AI gadget Can Rabbit's R1 outsmart the smartphone assistants? Let's find out! The future of AI gadgets is just phones The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses actually make the future look cool   The Verge's Alex Heath joins the show to discuss Meta's big move into AI with its multimodal AI smart glasses and a new AI model called Llama 3.  Q&A: Mark Zuckerberg on winning the AI race  Meta wants to be the Microsoft of headsets Zuckerberg says it will take Meta years to make money from generative AI Nilay Patel answers a question from The Vergecast Hotline about Microsoft and antitrust. Microsoft splits Teams from Office as antitrust pressure ramps up Microsoft and OpenAI deal may face anti-trust investigations in the EU.  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

Squawk Pod
Google's Sit-In Pushback & Debating Student Debt Relief 04/24/24

Squawk Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2024 41:03


Google has fired 50 employees over sit-in protests at the office. Yale Lecturer Joanne Lipman and The Verge's Alex Heath discuss activism in the office, and tech's inflection point with its employees. Jason Furman, a Democrat economist, is making his case against President Biden's student debt relief plan, arguing that it will make inflation worse. CNBC's Steve Liesman is breaking down U.S. productivity data and what it means for the Federal Reserve. Plus, the Federal Trade Commission has voted to ban non-competes for employee contracts, Jamie Dimon is speaking out with his concerns for the economy, and Meta's AI glasses are getting an update.  Joanne Lipman & Alex Heath - 19:35Steve Liesman - 27:14Jason Furman - 30:28 In this episode:Joanne Lipman, @joannelipmanAlex Heath, @alexeheathSteve Liesman, @steveliesmanJason Furman, @jasonfurmanJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

Big Technology Podcast
Meta's Big Llama 3 Release, Google's New Culture, MKBHD vs. Humane

Big Technology Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2024 55:54


Alex Heath from The Verge is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover 1) Taylor Swift's new album 2) Meta's new Llama 3 release 3) Does conversational AI work in a social media products? 4) Will the value of generative AI be realized in foundational models or products? 5) Zuck's new icon status 6) Bearded Zuck 7) The risks of open sourcing massive AI models 8) Sundar Pichai writes a stern letter to Google employees 9) Google fires 28 employees involved in office takeover protest 10) Is a new Google culture taking hold? 11) Should product reviewers be kinder when products suck. ---- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. For weekly updates on the show, sign up for the pod newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901970121829801984/ Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack? Here's 40% off for the first year: https://tinyurl.com/bigtechnology Questions? Feedback? Write to: bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.com

Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the Future
Alex Heath: Tech Journalism in the AI Era

Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the Future

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2024 42:35


AI news moves fast. But reporters covering AI move faster. This week on the podcast, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to journalist Alex Heath about predictions for independent model companies, the conversation around training data, and how journalists are adapting to AI disruptions. Alex Heath is the Deputy Editor of The Verge and the author of Command Line, a weekly newsletter about the tech industry's inside conversation. Episode Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Alex Heath (1:20) Inside the AI News Cycle  (6:41) Covering OpenAI and Meta Rebrand Breaking News (10:14) Top of Mind Trends: Databricks, Perplexity, Meta  (13:35) Google's AI Strategy and Gemini Fallout  (20:25) Second Order Effects of Microsoft's Inflection Deal (24:02) Journalism Adapting to AI & Future of Industry (32:08) What's Beyond SEO? (36:19) The Value of Content in Training (38:10) Elon Musk's X and Grok (41:11) Closing Thoughts Stay in touch: www.lsvp.com X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co Email: generativenow@lsvp.com The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Leading Indicator
Google Dependency is Reddit's Biggest Risk | Alex Heath

Leading Indicator

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2024 16:06


Reddit just made its public market debut, opening well above its $34 IPO price. Tech journalist Alex Heath from The Verge joins to discuss why he's surprised about the demand for the stock and explains how NSFW content and reliance on Google for traffic and revenue are risks that investors should pay attention to.

Taking Inventory
41: Alex Heath, Deputy Editor for The Verge, on interviewing the biggest names in tech, debating the AI wars, what sets the best leaders apart, and more

Taking Inventory

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2024 55:44


Don't forget to rate and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen – we appreciate all of your support! ——— This week on Taking Inventory we welcome renowned tech reported, Alex Heath. Alex shares his path from iPhone blogging as a 15-year old to interviewing the most powerful names in tech. He talks about what it's like to cover leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk and what all of us have in common. Alex, James, and Daniel debate the future of Snap, what to expect in AI, and so much more. Alex is a deputy editor for The Verge and the author of Command Line, a weekly newsletter about the tech industry's inside conversation. Heath has been covering the technology industry for more than a decade in previous roles at The Information, Insider, and other outlets. His work has been cited by Congress and recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. He has appeared as an expert voice on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, among other programs.     Read Alex's latest interview with Mark Zuckerberg on Meta's AI reorg and Google internal memo on their 2024 company goals Command Line: https://www.theverge.com/command-line-newsletter Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexeheath ——— Connect with James and Daniel! LinkedIn: James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/  Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/  Twitter:  James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow  Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Recode Media with Peter Kafka
Sam Altman's back at OpenAI. What's next?

Recode Media with Peter Kafka

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2023 47:23 Very Popular


After a wild series of events, Sam Altman is back as CEO of OpenAI… with more power than ever before. The Verge's Alex Heath worked sleepless nights covering every twist and turn of this saga. He updates Vox's Peter Kafka about where we are now, what all of this means moving forward, and how tech journalism can drive someone to mistake alcohol for water. Then, we continue with artificial intelligence talk as News/Media Alliance President and CEO Danielle Coffey pops in to discuss the journalism industry's response to having its assets fuel generative models like OpenAI's. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The TrustMakers
Climate Scientist Radley Horton on Taking Climate Action

The TrustMakers

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2023 25:12


Radley Horton, a professor at Columbia University's Climate School and a member of Edelman's Independent Council of Climate Experts, joins Alex Heath, U.S. Head of Social Impact and Sustainability at Edelman for a conversation about the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and Climate Change. The two explore diminishing trust in institutions to deal … Continue reading "Climate Scientist Radley Horton on Taking Climate Action"

The Vergecast
Emergency podcast: chaos at OpenAI

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 69:17


The Verge's Nilay Patel and Alex Heath join David Pierce after a long, winding weekend reporting on the dramatic shakeup at OpenAI, still in progress. Further reading: Turmoil at OpenAI: after firing Sam Altman, what's next for the creators of ChatGPT? Sam Altman fired as CEO of OpenAI OpenAI's new CEO is Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO Emmett Shear named new CEO of OpenAI by board Hundreds of OpenAI employees threaten to resign and join Microsoft Microsoft hires former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman  Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. We're doing a survey on how people use The Verge (and what they'd want from a Verge subscription). If you're interested in helping us out, you can fill out the survey right here: http://theverge.com/survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Decoder with Nilay Patel
Chaos at OpenAI: What happened to Sam Altman, and what's next

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 69:17


The Verge's Nilay Patel and Alex Heath join David Pierce after a long, winding weekend reporting on breaking news of a dramatic shakeup at OpenAI, still in progress. Further reading: Sam Altman fired as CEO of OpenAI OpenAI's new CEO is Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO Emmett Shear named new CEO of OpenAI by board Microsoft hires former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Hundreds of OpenAI employees threaten to resign and join Microsoft Sam Altman is still trying to return as OpenAI CEO We're doing a survey on how people use The Verge (and what they'd want from a Verge subscription). If you're interested in helping us out, you can fill out the survey right here: http://theverge.com/survey Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today's episode was produced by Liam James, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt. It was edited by Andru Marino.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
Humane Pins and your own ChatGPT

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2023 107:35


The Verge's Nilay Patel, David Pierce, Alex Cranz, and Alex Heath discuss the debut of Humane's AI Pin, OpenAI's DevDay, GPT-4 updates, and more. Further reading: Exclusive leak: all the details about Humane's AI Pin, which costs $699 and has OpenAI integration  Humane officially launches the AI Pin, its OpenAI-powered wearable  All the news from OpenAI's DevDay conference OpenAI is letting anyone create their own version of ChatGPT OpenAI wants to be the App Store of AI  ChatGPT subscribers may get a ‘GPT builder' option soon OpenAI turbocharges GPT-4 and makes it cheaper OpenAI's GPT builder interface is dead simple to use. Valve reveals the Steam Deck OLED: $549 buys better screen, battery, and more Steam Deck OLED review: better, not faster This smart garage door controller is no longer very smart YouTube pages are getting a TikTok-like For You feed  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

Decoder with Nilay Patel
CEO David Baszucki's mission to make Roblox a billion-player platform

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2023 31:09


Today we're bringing you the last of our live-on-stage interviews from the 2023 Code Conference. Verge deputy editor Alex Heath sat down to chat with Roblox CEO David Baszucki.  Roblox definitely started out as a kid thing, but the company has big plans to change all that, and Alex got to find out a bit about how that's going. Roblox is determined to be a platform, even more than a product — something users can develop games and experiences on. And of course, David and Alex spoke about AI. David sees a lot of opportunity for generative AI to help content creators on the Roblox platform in the not-so-distant future.  Links:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfYz8weQm4M https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/21/roblox-cuts-30-on-talent-acquisition-team-as-hiring-slows/ https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/8/23864858/roblox-ceo-prediction-adults-dating-experiences-rdc-2023 https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/27/23889307/meta-ray-ban-smart-glasses-wearables-connect https://www.theverge.com/23775268/roblox-ceo-david-baszucki-gaming-metaverse-robux-virtual-reality https://mashable.com/article/karlie-kloss-roblox-klossette https://www.theverge.com/23734209/parsons-roblox-design-class-metaverse-fashion Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23677085 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today's episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Amanda Rose Smith. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Decoder with Nilay Patel
Mark Zuckerberg on Threads, the future of AI, and Quest 3

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2023 71:20


The Meta Connect conference, now the company's annual gathering to talk all things AI and VR, kicks off today, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat down with Decoder for an in-depth discussion with guest host Alex Heath.  There was a lot of hardware news out of the conference, including the announcement of the Meta Quest 3 and the company's next iteration of Ray-Ban smart glasses. But there were also plenty of major software reveals, including the first consumer-facing AI chatbots that will be available inside Meta apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Zuckerberg walks us through all of these announcements and also discusses where he sees AR, VR, and AI going in the future. And beyond forward-looking topics, Zuckerberg also touches on the progress of its X/Twitter competitor Threads, his ongoing feud with Elon Musk, his love of mixed martial arts, and his perspective on becoming virtually the last founder of his era to remain at the helm of a Big Tech company.  Links: Mark Zuckerberg is ready to fight Elon Musk in a cage match The three reasons Twitter didn't sell to Facebook Threads app usage plummets despite initial promise as refuge from Twitter Threads isn't for news and politics, says Instagram's boss You can now verify your Threads profile on Mastodon In show of force, Silicon Valley titans pledge ‘getting this right' With AI Meta is putting AI chatbots everywhere A conversation with Bing's chatbot left me deeply unsettled Custom AI chatbots are quietly becoming the next big thing in fandom Meta's Smart Glasses can take calls, play music, and livestream from your face Meta's $499.99 Quest 3 headset is all about mixed reality and video games The Meta Quest 3 is sharper, more powerful, and still trying to make mixed reality happen Here's what Mark Zuckerberg thinks about Apple's Vision Pro Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today's episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The TrustMakers
UNGA Special: Michelle Milford Morse on Addressing ‘Problems Without Passports’ at the United Nations Foundation

The TrustMakers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2023 23:08


During the United Nations General Assembly meeting, The TrustMakers is featuring interviews with NGO leaders. Michelle Milford Morse, United Nations Foundation's Vice President for Girls and Women Strategy, joins Alex Heath, U.S. Head of Social Impact and Sustainability at Edelman, to discuss the urgency of building trust in women around the world. “We're going to need … Continue reading "UNGA Special: Michelle Milford Morse on Addressing ‘Problems Without Passports' at the United Nations Foundation"

The TrustMakers
UNGA Special: Mercy Corps' Tjada D'Oyen McKenna on Growing Trust in NGOs Through Transparency

The TrustMakers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2023 21:03


During the United Nations General Assembly meeting, The TrustMakers is featuring interviews with NGO leaders. Tjada D'Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps, joins Alex Heath, U.S. Head of Social Impact and Sustainability at Edelman, for a conversation on leading the organization with transparency. “Trust is earned every day in every action,” Tjada says.  If you … Continue reading "UNGA Special: Mercy Corps' Tjada D'Oyen McKenna on Growing Trust in NGOs Through Transparency"

The Vergecast
Mythical computers and super apps

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2023 74:24


Today on the flagship podcast of payment processing fees: 04:36 - The Verge's David Pierce travels to meet Keegan McNamara, an artisan who is making unique computers for more purposeful use cases. A visit to the one-man computer factory 27:11 - Liz Lopatto and Alex Heath join the show to discuss the future of "super apps" in the United States — notably the one Elon Musk is trying to build with X, formerly known as Twitter. Everything Elon Musk told Twitter employees in his first company meeting Can Elon Musk turn Twitter into an ‘everything app'? Here's what Elon Musk wants to do with X, his ‘everything app' 1:09:54 - Keep listening for this week's Vergecast Hotline question. What is a custom feed and how do I make one? – Reddit Help Email us at vergecast@theverge.com, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
Samsung foldable software, eye-scanning orbs, and the future of the arcade

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2023 90:49


Today on the flagship podcast of texting on the outside screen:  The Verge's David Pierce chats with Allison Johnson and Dan Seifert about the software design of Samsung's new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5.  Then, David takes a trip to the Dave & Busters to find out why the games on your phone ended up in your local arcade. Later, Alex Heath joins the show to discuss his experience getting his eye scanned by an orb from Worldcoin, a crypto startup co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Keep listening for our hotline question of the week. 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

The Vergecast
Instagram Threads is here to crush Twitter

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2023 83:40


The Verge's David Pierce, Alex Cranz, and Alex Heath discuss Meta's launch of Threads, a new competitor to Twitter. Later, Nilay Patel calls in to give his take. Further reading: Instagram Threads: why Meta is competing with Twitter Meta unspools Threads Instagram's Threads: everything you need to know about the new Twitter competitor Instagram's Twitter competitor, Threads, briefly went live on the web Instagram Threads won't be available in the EU at launch.  People are posting a lot on Threads. Here's how Twitter's leadership is responding to Instagram Threads. Mastodon CEO Eugen Rochko on what Threads means for the fediverse. Instagram flooded Threads with celebrities and brands at launch So what's next for Threads? DMs “maybe...” Mark Zuckerberg on when Instagram Threads will get ads Spielberg, Scorsese, and Anderson have swooped in to save Turner Classic Movies  Google confirms it's training AI using scraped web data The TSA will use facial recognition in over 400 airports 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

Big Technology Podcast
The Threads Explosion — With Alex Heath

Big Technology Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2023 40:34


Alex Heath is a deputy editor at The Verge who's been reporting on Threads from the first row, including an interview with Instagram head Adam Mosseri. He joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss Meta's launch of Threads, discussing who exactly it competes with, what the feed will look like, and the implications for Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Join us for a lively conversation about the fastest growing social media app of all time. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. For weekly updates on the show, sign up for the pod newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901970121829801984/ Questions? Feedback? Write to: bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.co,

Decoder with Nilay Patel
Why CEO David Baszucki is ready for Roblox to grow up

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2023 54:14


Roblox has 66 million daily users, and people spent 14 billion collective hours on Roblox in just Q1 of 2023. But its CEO David Baszucki still wants to see the company grow.  One idea? Aging up the kinds of experiences that are allowed on its platform. Roblox recently introduced 17+ experiences. It wants to add new AI world-building capabilities. It's even partnering with advertisers to roll out more immersive ad experiences. It's been years since the number of adults gaming outnumbered kids – it seems like that's driving a lot of growth for everyone, including Roblox. But these virtual world games seem like they all want to expand to be much more than just for kids, and much more than just for games. If you think about it, Roblox is already like a metaverse. Schools are using it for classes, companies are starting to advertise there, and people are just hanging out as avatars.  It's already big, but the hope is to get much, much bigger. Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge, got the chance to chat with David up at Roblox headquarters in San Mateo, California. Their conversation covered a lot: why now's the time for Roblox to grow up, the classic Decoder questions about structure and decision-making, and sadly, why infinite Robux isn't a thing. Apologies to all the eight year olds out there. Okay, Roblox CEO David Baszucki. Here we go. Links: Roblox will allow exclusive experiences for people 17 and over Roblox, explained - The Verge Fortnite and Roblox are dueling for the future of user-built games - The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Raghu Manavalan and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
The war for Reddit, new MacBook Air, and Meta's Twitter competitor

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2023 99:12


Today on the flagship podcast of suddenly private subreddits:  01:45 - David Pierce and Nilay Patel call up Christian Selig, who runs the popular Reddit app Apollo, to talk about the changes to the platform that have infuriated Redditors, and what it means for the future of Reddit.  Reddit's API updates: all the news about changes that have infuriated Redditors  More than 6,000 subreddits have gone dark to protest Reddit's API changes Apollo's developer on Reddit's new API changes, and why users revolted 46:15 - Then, David talks with deputy editor Alex Heath about Meta's reaction to the new Apple Vision Pro headset, and that new Twitter competitor the company is launching. Here's what Mark Zuckerberg thinks about Apple's Vision Pro Instagram's upcoming Twitter competitor shown in leaked screenshots 1:09:54 - After that, senior reviewer Monica Chin joins the show to discuss her review of Apple's new 15-inch Macbook Air.  Apple MacBook Air 15-inch review: exactly what was asked for 1:33:24 - Keep listening for this week's Vergecast hotline question.  www.babylist.com  https://www.youtube.com/c/DadVerb 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

Decoder with Nilay Patel
Bitcoin is still the future of payments, says Lightspark CEO David Marcus

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2023 50:45


We've got a special episode with Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge and a familiar host for Decoder listeners, and David Marcus, the CEO of Lightspark. That's a company that just launched a service to make fast transactions using Bitcoin on something called the Lightning Network. David was previously at PayPal, and then he led Meta's big payments effort that went nowhere, but he's got a lot to say about where crypto and payments are right now. Links: Launching the Lightspark Platform Facebook tells Congress how it thinks Libra should be regulated - The Verge The leader of Facebook's stalled cryptocurrency project is leaving the company - The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23460507  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today's episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
AI Drake, AI friends, AI everything

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2023 83:52


Today, things got a little loose in the studio of The Vergecast. Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding joins Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and David Pierce to make their own version of Drake's AI summer classic. We're not saying a laser bong was involved, but we're not not saying that either. Then deputy editor Alex Heath stops by to tell us about Snaps latest announcements and give us an update on the latest round of layoffs at Meta. Finally, a lightning round with all the big headlines in tech from this week. Further reading: AI Drake just set an impossible legal trap for Google Google employees label AI chatbot Bard ‘worse than useless' and ‘a pathological liar': report What's really going on with ‘Ghostwriter' and the AI Drake song? Family of F1 legend Michael Schumacher plans legal action over fake AI interview Snapchat releases My AI chatbot to all users for free Google's big AI push will combine Brain and DeepMind into one team Netflix is shutting down its original DVD business after 25 years Netflix is out of the DVD business because streaming won – now, can Netflix still win? Twitter begins removing blue checkmarks from all legacy users It's a laser bong SpaceX's Starship successfully takes off before bursting into flames BuzzFeed News is being shut down Social media is doomed to die Google Fi has a new name and expanded connectivity support for smartwatches Leak: Google will announce the Pixel Fold at I/O and beat Samsung on battery Everything spy movies get right (and wrong) about smart glasses Microsoft is reportedly working on a smaller Surface Pro and Arm-powered Surface Go 4 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

Decoder with Nilay Patel
Why Spotify wants to look like TikTok, with co-president Gustav Söderström

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2023 60:49 Very Popular


Gustav Söderström has worked at Spotify for a long time; his first big project was leading the launch of its mobile app back in 2009. That makes him the perfect company leader to talk to about Spotify's recent redesign, which introduces a visual, TikTok-like feed for discovering new content on the app's homepage. As his boss CEO Daniel Ek put it last week, it's “the biggest change Spotify has undergone since we introduced mobile.” With the title of co-president and chief product and technology officer, Söderström is responsible for not only how Spotify looks and feels but also all the AI work happening behind the scenes to power its increasingly important recommendations. According to Söderström, it turns out that improving those recommendations is actually at the heart of the big redesign. “I think companies that don't have an efficient user interface for a machine learning world are not going to be able to leverage machine learning,” he told Alex Heath on the newest episode of Decoder. Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napster Spotify is laying off 6 percent of its global workforce, CEO announces Spotify's new design turns your music and podcasts into a TikTok feed Alex Heath's Tweet Functional versus Unit Organizations Two-Pizza Teams Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23402123 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Air Date 3/8/2023 Today, we take a look at some of the emerging elements of technology and regulation that will likely shape the next era of the internet and our relationship to it. For today, these will include synthetic relationships with artificial intelligence, fake audio and video virtually indistinguishable from reality that will facilitate disinformation, reinterpreting Section 230 for a new era of internet content and the ongoing struggle to regulate social media platforms. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! Watch/Listen: The Laura Flanders Show SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What is ChatGPT, the AI software taking the internet by storm - BBC News - Air Date 1-15-23 While its popularity is soaring amid reports that OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is closing in on a $10bn investment from Microsoft, there are fears the technology could cause more harm than good. Ch. 2: Synthetic Humanity AI & Whats At Stake - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-16-23 In this episode of Your Undivided Attention, Tristan and Aza reach beyond the moment to talk about this powerful new AI, and the new paradigm of humanity and computation we're about to enter. Ch. 3: What are deepfakes and are they dangerous? - Start Here, Al Jazeera English - Air Date 6-21-21 What are deepfakes? How are they made? And should they worry us? Ch. 4: Creating a lie detector for deepfakes - CBS Sunday Morning - Air Date 1-29-23 Adobe and Microsoft have teamed up to develop new tools for verifying the attributes and history of images and videos on the web. Ch. 5: Free Speech on Trial: Supreme Court Hears Cases That Could Reshape Future of the Internet - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-27-23 We speak with Aaron Mackey, senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who says Section 230 “powers the underlying architecture” of the internet. Ch. 6: SCOTUS on the Internet Its Complicated Part 1 - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-25-23 Two big tech cases before the US Supreme Court this week promised justices tackling the thorny issues of content moderation, liability, and internet platforms, but instead delivered confusion and dodges. Ch. 7: Why Some See Web 3.0 as the Future of the Internet - WSJ - Air Date 2-15-22 Some see Web 3.0 as the next generation of the internet, a decentralized version of the web-based on the blockchain. Here are the key principles behind it, and why skeptics are unconvinced it could scale globally. Ch. 8: Real Social Media Solutions, Now — with Frances Haugen - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 11-23-22 Tristan sits with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, a friend of Center for Humane Technology, to discuss the harm caused to our mental health and global democracy when platforms lack accountability and transparency. Ch. 9: SCOTUS on the Internet It's Complicated Part 2 - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-25-23 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: Synthetic Humanity AI & Whats At Stake Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-16-23 Ch. 11: Ban TikTok? - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-21-23 Politicians across the United States are calling for an outright ban on the popular social media platform. Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge, explains how TikTok hopes to pre-empt one from ever passing. VOICEMAILS Ch. 13: What does re-Indigenization mean for White folks and racial tribalism? - Pat from Chicago FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on what re-Indigenization means for the rest of us MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE:  Description: A dark, abstract image with the appearance of staining or mildew. In the center, there is a dark silhouette of hands holding the outline of a smartphone. A dark question mark is on the phone screen. Credit: "Phone-question-screen-online" by ChenSpec | License

Today, Explained
Ban TikTok?

Today, Explained

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2023 27:06


Politicians across the United States are calling for an outright ban on the popular social media platform. Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge, explains how TikTok hopes to pre-empt one from ever passing. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Haleema Shah, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained   Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
Apple announces M2 MacBook Pros, a Mac Mini, and a new HomePod

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2023 90:45


Today on the flagship podcast of automated content creation: 02:23 - The Verge's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, Richard Lawler, and Alex Heath start the show with an overview of what we've learned from Elon Musk running Twitter over the past few months. 24:50 - Inside CNET's AI-powered SEO money machine 48:34 - Apple's Mac and HomePod announcements from this week Further reading: Inside Elon Musk's “extremely hardcore” Twitter Twitter Blue arrives on Android for $11 a month  Inside CNET's AI-powered SEO money machine Apple announces MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips Apple announces a Mac Mini with the M2 and M2 Pro How the new MacBook Pros compare to the rest of Apple's MacBook lineup  Apple is reportedly working on an iPad-like smart display  Apple announces revamped full-size HomePod two years after discontinuing original Apple's new HomePod unsurprisingly sounds close to the original Apple reportedly shelved its plans to release AR glasses any time soon  Reed Hastings is stepping down as Netflix's co-CEO Microsoft announces big layoffs that will affect 10,000 employees Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call the hotline at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Decoder with Nilay Patel
How to buy a social network, with Tumblr CEO Matt Mullenweg

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2022 102:40


We have to talk about Twitter, right? Elon Musk bought it. He's making all these changes, and he's realizing that content moderation decisions are quite complicated, especially when the stakes are high. But talking about Twitter in a vacuum seems wrong. There are lots of other social networks and community-based products, and they all have basically the same problems: some technical (you have to run the service), some political (you have to comply with various laws and platform regulations around the world), and some social (you have to get millions of users to post for free while making sure what they post is good stuff and not bad stuff). So, we're doing something a little different this week. First, I'm talking to Matt Mullenweg, who is the CEO of Automattic, which owns WordPress, the blog hosting platform, and Tumblr, the social network, which he purchased from Verizon in 2019. Then, Verge deputy editor Alex Heath and I are going to break down a bunch of what Matt told me and apply it to Twitter to see what we can learn. Okay, Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Tumblr, followed by Alex Heath. Here we go. Links: How WordPress and Tumblr are keeping the internet weird GPL - General Public License Verizon is selling Tumblr to WordPress' owner Kanye West suspended from Twitter after posting a swastika ‘Martin Scorsese's lost film' Goncharov (1973), explained Yahoo acquires Tumblr in $1.1 billion cash deal, promises 'not to screw it up' Verizon is selling Tumblr to WordPress' owner Turnaround Definition Welcome to Tumblr. Now Go Away. Work With Us / Twitter – Automattic Tumblr will sell you two useless blue check marks for $8 Elon Musk is laying off even more Twitter workers Welcome to hell, Elon Why “Go Nuts, Show Nuts” Doesn't Work in 2022 How America turned against the First Amendment  About – SHOSHANA ZUBOFF A Framework for Moderation First Amendment - Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition | Constitution Center America's Favorite Flimsy Pretext for Limiting Free Speech  Brandenburg v. Ohio Elon Musk says Tim Cook told him Apple ‘never considered' removing Twitter - The Verge The Twitter Files - Matt Taibbi Elon Musk's promised Twitter exposé on the Hunter Biden story is a flop that doxxed multiple people Twitter Blue is back, letting you buy a blue checkmark again Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23270126 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
Elon Musk meets with Tim Cook, Neuralink's show and tell, and FTX's collapse

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2022 87:43


The Verge's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and Alex Heath discuss this week in Elon Musk, everything that went wrong with FTX, and the latest gadget news. Further reading: Why some tech CEOs are rooting for Elon Musk  A Twitter executive got a court injunction to prevent Elon Musk from firing her Another major ad agency recommends pausing Twitter ad campaigns  Elon Musk is delaying Twitter's paid verification to avoid Apple's 30 percent cut Elon Musk says Apple has ‘threatened to withhold Twitter' from the App Store Elon Musk says Tim Cook told him Apple ‘never considered' removing Twitter  Elon Musk is dragging Apple into the culture wars  Elon Musk claims Neuralink is about ‘six months' away from first human trial   Here's everything that went wrong with FTX Sam Bankman-Fried Interview: Read the Transcript - The New York Times  Kensington made a new wireless version of its SlimBlade trackball mouse  The Genki Covert Dock Mini lets me put an entire gaming system in my purse  Now the Apple Watch Ultra can actually be your diving computer  Anker's Eufy lied to us about the security of its security cameras   Canoo repurposed its bubbly electric pickup truck for the US Army Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
Meta announces job cuts and Twitter prepares for difficult times

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2022 80:49


The Verge's Nilay Patel, David Pierce, Alex Cranz, and Alex Heath discuss week two of Elon Musk as CEO of Twitter and Meta announcing job cuts. Later in the show: What's next for Binance and FTX, a stretchable screen by LG Display, and the Surface Pro 9 review. Further reading: Elon Musk tells Twitter staff to prepare for ‘difficult times ahead' and ends remote work Read Elon Musk's first email to Twitter employees Elon Musk offloads another $3.9 billion in Tesla shares Elon is putting Twitter at risk for billions in fines, says internal letter Elon Musk's Twitter Blue with verification is now live Elon Musk's response to fake verified Elon Twitter accounts: a new permanent ban policy for impersonation  Everyone knows you paid to be verified on Twitter  Mario flipped off Twitter for nearly two hours with the blessing of Musk's 'verification'   Twitter rolls back gray ‘official' checks that popped up on high-profile accounts Twitter's new double-check verification disappears, Elon Musk says he ‘killed it' Meta announces huge job cuts affecting 11,000 employees Binance won't bail out FTX, cites reports of 'mishandled customer funds' ‘I fucked up,' says FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried in public apology Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (Intel) review: this is the one to buy LG Display's 'stretchable' prototype display could attach to skin, clothing, and furniture  HP Pavilion Plus 14 review: a powerful, confusing OLED machine The Pixel Watch calorie bug is a reminder of why 'accuracy' isn't everything Razer made a customizable PS5 controller that — you guessed it — is very expensive   Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. We are conducting a short audience survey to help plan for our future and hear from you. To participate, head to vox.com/podsurvey, and thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
Elon Musk's first week at Twitter / Matter's newest smart home devices

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2022 90:29 Very Popular


The Verge's Nilay Patel, David Pierce, Alex Cranz, and Alex Heath discuss what has happened with Twitter since Elon Musk has taken over the company. Then, Nilay, David and Alex discuss the first Matter-compatible devices since the launch of the smart home standard. Further reading: Elon Musk wastes no time changing Twitter  Why Elon Musk is so desperate for Twitter to make money Elon Musk could enable Twitter's edit button for everyone  Elon Musk could cut half of Twitter's workforce  Over 190 smart home devices are now Matter certified and here's what's coming next We're getting our first look at Matter devices today, and here's what's coming next Level locks had a secret Thread radio this whole time Amazon announces a phased rollout of Matter to its Alexa smart home platform Eve's sensors and smart plugs will be among the first Matter-compatible devices Nanoleaf announces the first Matter-over-Thread light bulbs Philips Hue Bridge is getting updated to Matter early next year Aqara's Matter transition begins in December with free hub update Amazon Music's library of songs and podcasts is now free for Prime subscribers  Apple TV 4K (2022) review: unmatched power, unrealized potential Netflix's new cheaper plan with ads doesn't work on Apple TV at launch Netflix's $6.99 per month ad tier is now live PlayStation VR2 launches on February 22nd for $549.99 Comcast's big rival to Roku and the smart TV is called… Xumo  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Vergecast
Zuckerberg on the Quest Pro, our impressions, and the state of VR games

The Vergecast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2022 74:22 Very Popular


Today on the flagship podcast of low-latency head tracking: 02:35 - Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg chats with deputy editor Alex Heath about Meta's new headset, the Quest Pro. 22:00 - Alex Heath and senior reporter Adi Robertson chat with David Pierce about their first impressions using the Quest Pro. 47:45 - Group Publisher for The Verge Chris Grant chats with David about what's happening in VR for video games. You can listen to the rest of the chat with Mark Zuckerberg on Decoder with Nilay Patel, watch it on The Verge's YouTube channel for the video version, or read it on our site. Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. We are conducting a short audience survey to help plan for our future and hear from you. To participate, head to vox.com/podsurvey, and thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices