Podcast appearances and mentions of jennifer pattison tuohy

This week on The Vergecast, the co-founder and former CEO of iRobot, Colin Angle, joins The Verge's smart home reviewer, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, to discuss what the ideal home robot is. Are we close to creating a Rosie the Robot — an all-in-one humanoid robot that can take care of our homes, or should we take an entirely different approach to home robotics? They dive into the advances in technology powering this shift and ponder what purpose robotics in the home should really serve. Then, Jen takes a journey back into smart home history to help us understand its future. Grant Erickson, Principal of Nuovations, a former Apple, Nest, and Google engineer who was part of the team that developed Thread, joins the show. He shares the story of how and why, back in 2011, the Nest team, led by Tony Faddell and Matt Rogers, decided to create a smart home protocol. It involves a thermostat, fragmented ecosystems, and one of the best smart home products ever made. They discuss how Thread became the foundation of the Matter smart home standard — an unprecedented industry collaboration with a herculean task — to make the smart home simpler. To close out the show, Grant sticks around to help answer a Vergecast hotline question (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com) about how Matter manages your data. Further reading: Maybe I don't want a Rosey the Robot after all Amazon left Roomba with a huge mess to clean up Figure will start ‘alpha testing' its humanoid robot in the home in 2025 Amazon Astro review: too much Alexa, not enough arms Samsung is finally releasing Ballie This Pixar-style dancing lamp hints at Apple's future home robot iRobot's founder is working on a new kind of home robot iRobot OS is the newest ‘brain' for your Roomba Amazon bought iRobot to see inside your home I tested a robot vacuum with an arm, and my dog may never forgive me Inside the Nest: iPod creator Tony Fadell wants to reinvent the thermostat Nest CEO Tony Fadell on Google acquisition Fire drill: Can Tony Fadell and Nest build a better smoke detector? How big companies kill ideas — and how to fight back, with Tony Fadell Situation: there are too many competing smart home standards Matter's plan to save the smart home Nest's home security system costs $499 and comes with magnetic door sensors Google says Matter is still set to fix the biggest smart home frustrations Thread is Matter's secret sauce for a better smart home Nanoleaf launches a smart switch after eight years of trying Thread count: Ikea is stitching together a smarter home Why Thread is Matter's biggest problem right now The four changes in Thread 1.4 that could fix the protocol It could be 2026 before all your Thread border routers work together Matter will be better in 2025 — say the people who make it The Nest Learning Thermostat gets its biggest upgrade in over a decade killedbygoogle.com Google's ADT partnership finally has a new home security product to show for it Google discontinues Nest Protect smoke alarm and Nest x Yale door lock Google discontinues its Google Nest Secure alarm system Appliance makers are teaming up to reduce your electricity usage — and save you cash Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Privacy preserving age verification is bullsh!t The Supreme Court lets Mississippi's social media age-verification law go into effect Meta's flirty AI chatbot invited a retiree to New York. AI data centers made Americans' electricity bills 30% higher AI experts return from China stunned: The U.S. grid is so weak, the race may already be over Ford reveals breakthrough process for lower priced EVs More thoughts from Sam on the Ford EV platform Popular car brand wants you to pay monthly to unlock more horsepower Apple Plots Expansion Into AI Robots, Home Security and Smart Displays Elli-q After researchers unmasked a prolific SMS scammer, a new operation has emerged in its wake Starlink tries to block Virginia's plan to bring fiber Internet to residents China Launches Three-Day Robot Olympics Featuring Football and Table Tennis The Key to Crack the CIA's Mysterious 'Kryptos' Sculpture Is Up for Sale PACER Hacked By Malicious Entities, Briefly Turning It Into A Useful Source For Federal Court Documents Court blocks FTC investigation into Media Matters' alleged scheme against X Google AI Overviews linked to 25% drop in publisher referral traffic, new data shows Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Sam Abuelsamid, and Lisa Schmeiser Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: miro.com storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25 ZipRecruiter.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit zscaler.com/security

Privacy preserving age verification is bullsh!t The Supreme Court lets Mississippi's social media age-verification law go into effect Meta's flirty AI chatbot invited a retiree to New York. AI data centers made Americans' electricity bills 30% higher AI experts return from China stunned: The U.S. grid is so weak, the race may already be over Ford reveals breakthrough process for lower priced EVs More thoughts from Sam on the Ford EV platform Popular car brand wants you to pay monthly to unlock more horsepower Apple Plots Expansion Into AI Robots, Home Security and Smart Displays Elli-q After researchers unmasked a prolific SMS scammer, a new operation has emerged in its wake Starlink tries to block Virginia's plan to bring fiber Internet to residents China Launches Three-Day Robot Olympics Featuring Football and Table Tennis The Key to Crack the CIA's Mysterious 'Kryptos' Sculpture Is Up for Sale PACER Hacked By Malicious Entities, Briefly Turning It Into A Useful Source For Federal Court Documents Court blocks FTC investigation into Media Matters' alleged scheme against X Google AI Overviews linked to 25% drop in publisher referral traffic, new data shows Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Sam Abuelsamid, and Lisa Schmeiser Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: miro.com storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25 ZipRecruiter.com/Twit expressvpn.com/twit zscaler.com/security

Privacy preserving age verification is bullsh!t The Supreme Court lets Mississippi's social media age-verification law go into effect Meta's flirty AI chatbot invited a retiree to New York. AI data centers made Americans' electricity bills 30% higher AI experts return from China stunned: The U.S. grid is so weak, the race may already be over Ford reveals breakthrough process for lower priced EVs More thoughts from Sam on the Ford EV platform Popular car brand wants you to pay monthly to unlock more horsepower Apple Plots Expansion Into AI Robots, Home Security and Smart Displays Elli-q After researchers unmasked a prolific SMS scammer, a new operation has emerged in its wake Starlink tries to block Virginia's plan to bring fiber Internet to residents China Launches Three-Day Robot Olympics Featuring Football and Table Tennis The Key to Crack the CIA's Mysterious 'Kryptos' Sculpture Is Up for Sale PACER Hacked By Malicious Entities, Briefly Turning It Into A Useful Source For Federal Court Documents Court blocks FTC investigation into Media Matters' alleged scheme against X Google AI Overviews linked to 25% drop in publisher referral traffic, new data shows Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Sam Abuelsamid, and Lisa Schmeiser Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: miro.com storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25 ZipRecruiter.com/Twit expressvpn.com/twit zscaler.com/security

Privacy preserving age verification is bullsh!t The Supreme Court lets Mississippi's social media age-verification law go into effect Meta's flirty AI chatbot invited a retiree to New York. AI data centers made Americans' electricity bills 30% higher AI experts return from China stunned: The U.S. grid is so weak, the race may already be over Ford reveals breakthrough process for lower priced EVs More thoughts from Sam on the Ford EV platform Popular car brand wants you to pay monthly to unlock more horsepower Apple Plots Expansion Into AI Robots, Home Security and Smart Displays Elli-q After researchers unmasked a prolific SMS scammer, a new operation has emerged in its wake Starlink tries to block Virginia's plan to bring fiber Internet to residents China Launches Three-Day Robot Olympics Featuring Football and Table Tennis The Key to Crack the CIA's Mysterious 'Kryptos' Sculpture Is Up for Sale PACER Hacked By Malicious Entities, Briefly Turning It Into A Useful Source For Federal Court Documents Court blocks FTC investigation into Media Matters' alleged scheme against X Google AI Overviews linked to 25% drop in publisher referral traffic, new data shows Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Sam Abuelsamid, and Lisa Schmeiser Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: miro.com storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25 ZipRecruiter.com/Twit expressvpn.com/twit zscaler.com/security

Privacy preserving age verification is bullsh!t The Supreme Court lets Mississippi's social media age-verification law go into effect Meta's flirty AI chatbot invited a retiree to New York. AI data centers made Americans' electricity bills 30% higher AI experts return from China stunned: The U.S. grid is so weak, the race may already be over Ford reveals breakthrough process for lower priced EVs More thoughts from Sam on the Ford EV platform Popular car brand wants you to pay monthly to unlock more horsepower Apple Plots Expansion Into AI Robots, Home Security and Smart Displays Elli-q After researchers unmasked a prolific SMS scammer, a new operation has emerged in its wake Starlink tries to block Virginia's plan to bring fiber Internet to residents China Launches Three-Day Robot Olympics Featuring Football and Table Tennis The Key to Crack the CIA's Mysterious 'Kryptos' Sculpture Is Up for Sale PACER Hacked By Malicious Entities, Briefly Turning It Into A Useful Source For Federal Court Documents Court blocks FTC investigation into Media Matters' alleged scheme against X Google AI Overviews linked to 25% drop in publisher referral traffic, new data shows Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Sam Abuelsamid, and Lisa Schmeiser Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: miro.com storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25 ZipRecruiter.com/Twit expressvpn.com/twit zscaler.com/security

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent on this episode of Tech News Weekly! Apple is rumored to launch a series of AI-powered devices, the upcoming Pebble Time 2's design is shown off, a look into a global SMS phishing scam ring, and the blood oxygen feature is returning to Apple Watches? Apple is seeking to expand its product offerings into AI-powered robots, home security, and smart displays, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Eric Migicovsky, founder of Pebble smartwatches, unveils the design of the company's Pebble Time 2* watch. Harrison Sand, Senior Security Consultant for mnemonic, unveils Darcula. This global SMS phishing-as-a-scam ring sends SMS messages hoping to steal credentials from those who click on the links in the messages. And Apple announces that it's bringing back the Blood Oyxgen feature for Apple Watches, which was a clever workaround following a recent U.S. Customs ruling against Masimo. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Harrison Sand Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent on this episode of Tech News Weekly! Apple is rumored to launch a series of AI-powered devices, the upcoming Pebble Time 2's design is shown off, a look into a global SMS phishing scam ring, and the blood oxygen feature is returning to Apple Watches? Apple is seeking to expand its product offerings into AI-powered robots, home security, and smart displays, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Eric Migicovsky, founder of Pebble smartwatches, unveils the design of the company's Pebble Time 2* watch. Harrison Sand, Senior Security Consultant for mnemonic, unveils Darcula. This global SMS phishing-as-a-scam ring sends SMS messages hoping to steal credentials from those who click on the links in the messages. And Apple announces that it's bringing back the Blood Oyxgen feature for Apple Watches, which was a clever workaround following a recent U.S. Customs ruling against Masimo. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Harrison Sand Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent on this episode of Tech News Weekly! Apple is rumored to launch a series of AI-powered devices, the upcoming Pebble Time 2's design is shown off, a look into a global SMS phishing scam ring, and the blood oxygen feature is returning to Apple Watches? Apple is seeking to expand its product offerings into AI-powered robots, home security, and smart displays, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Eric Migicovsky, founder of Pebble smartwatches, unveils the design of the company's Pebble Time 2* watch. Harrison Sand, Senior Security Consultant for mnemonic, unveils Darcula. This global SMS phishing-as-a-scam ring sends SMS messages hoping to steal credentials from those who click on the links in the messages. And Apple announces that it's bringing back the Blood Oyxgen feature for Apple Watches, which was a clever workaround following a recent U.S. Customs ruling against Masimo. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Harrison Sand Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent on this episode of Tech News Weekly! Apple is rumored to launch a series of AI-powered devices, the upcoming Pebble Time 2's design is shown off, a look into a global SMS phishing scam ring, and the blood oxygen feature is returning to Apple Watches? Apple is seeking to expand its product offerings into AI-powered robots, home security, and smart displays, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Eric Migicovsky, founder of Pebble smartwatches, unveils the design of the company's Pebble Time 2* watch. Harrison Sand, Senior Security Consultant for mnemonic, unveils Darcula. This global SMS phishing-as-a-scam ring sends SMS messages hoping to steal credentials from those who click on the links in the messages. And Apple announces that it's bringing back the Blood Oyxgen feature for Apple Watches, which was a clever workaround following a recent U.S. Customs ruling against Masimo. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Harrison Sand Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent on this episode of Tech News Weekly! Apple is rumored to launch a series of AI-powered devices, the upcoming Pebble Time 2's design is shown off, a look into a global SMS phishing scam ring, and the blood oxygen feature is returning to Apple Watches? Apple is seeking to expand its product offerings into AI-powered robots, home security, and smart displays, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Eric Migicovsky, founder of Pebble smartwatches, unveils the design of the company's Pebble Time 2* watch. Harrison Sand, Senior Security Consultant for mnemonic, unveils Darcula. This global SMS phishing-as-a-scam ring sends SMS messages hoping to steal credentials from those who click on the links in the messages. And Apple announces that it's bringing back the Blood Oyxgen feature for Apple Watches, which was a clever workaround following a recent U.S. Customs ruling against Masimo. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Harrison Sand Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent on this episode of Tech News Weekly! Apple is rumored to launch a series of AI-powered devices, the upcoming Pebble Time 2's design is shown off, a look into a global SMS phishing scam ring, and the blood oxygen feature is returning to Apple Watches? Apple is seeking to expand its product offerings into AI-powered robots, home security, and smart displays, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Eric Migicovsky, founder of Pebble smartwatches, unveils the design of the company's Pebble Time 2* watch. Harrison Sand, Senior Security Consultant for mnemonic, unveils Darcula. This global SMS phishing-as-a-scam ring sends SMS messages hoping to steal credentials from those who click on the links in the messages. And Apple announces that it's bringing back the Blood Oyxgen feature for Apple Watches, which was a clever workaround following a recent U.S. Customs ruling against Masimo. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Harrison Sand Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

This week on The Vergecast, we enter the Jen-era of Hot Girl Vergecast Summer, with a deep dive into the business of the smart home. The Verge's smart home reviewer, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy (aka Jen), chats with Ken Fairbanks, a longtime customer of Insteon who ended up buying the smart lighting company when it went into bankruptcy. Ken shares the story of how one of the original smart lighting protocols, founded in the post-X10 era when home automation moved from wired to wireless, floundered, and how he and a band of users brought it back from the dead. He dishes what he's learned about how to keep the lights on — from customer loyalty and the value of subscriptions, to what tariffs are doing to the industry and how some hardware companies are just pyramid schemes. Then, in a special supersized (and we mean SUPER) Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com), Jen is joined by smart home expert Richard Gunther, co-host of The Smart Home Show, to tackle a bunch of your burning smart lighting questions. They answer everything from how to move your smart home to which Thread border router you should buy for your Matter setup. Plus, they run down their own smart lighting set-ups. Further reading: Insteon's troubles are a smart home tale as old as time Insteon Raises the Curtain for the Next Act Someone turned Insteon's lights back on Insteon customers turned Insteon's lights back on Thread count: Ikea is stitching together a smarter home Smart switches or smart bulbs? How to choose the right smart lighting for your home Controller for HomeKit Philips Hue Play sync box and gradient lightstrip review: wholly unnecessary, totally delightful Taming Wi-Fi in the Smart Home: Leviton's new smart light switches don't require a neutral wire Every smart home device that works with Matter Aqara's new seven-inch home control tablet can replace a light switch These smart lights could solve the kitchen cabinet problem Hue launches a pricey new sunrise lamp Smart string light showdown: Nanoleaf versus Lifx The best floodlight camera to buy right now How to move a smart home Moving a smart home - The Smart Home Show Living with the ghost of a smart home's past Smart ceiling light showdown: Aqara T1M versus Nanoleaf Skylight Binding should be the next big thing for smart home devices Aqara adds support for 50 new Matter device types Flic is ready to control all your Matter devices Thread is Matter's secret sauce for a better smart home Google Nest Thread border routers Google TV Streamer review: smarter than your average set-top box Google Nest Hub (2nd-gen) review: sleep on it Why Thread is Matter's biggest problem right now The four changes in Thread 1.4 that could fix the protocol Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Jennifer shares her first impressions of Alexa Plus. The growing overlap between consumer wellness gadgets and regulated medical technology. And Google's rolling out a machine-learning age verification model to detect account users who are under or over the age of 18. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has spent some time with Amazon's new, AI-powered Alexa, Alexa Plus. She shares her excitement and criticisms for the new voice assistant. Victoria Song of The Verge joins Mikah to talk about wearable tech companies using the idea of "wellness" technology to skirt FDA regulation on medical technology. And Mikah talks about Google's rollout of a machine-learning age verification model to verify account users' age in the U.S. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Victoria Song Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Jennifer shares her first impressions of Alexa Plus. The growing overlap between consumer wellness gadgets and regulated medical technology. And Google's rolling out a machine-learning age verification model to detect account users who are under or over the age of 18. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has spent some time with Amazon's new, AI-powered Alexa, Alexa Plus. She shares her excitement and criticisms for the new voice assistant. Victoria Song of The Verge joins Mikah to talk about wearable tech companies using the idea of "wellness" technology to skirt FDA regulation on medical technology. And Mikah talks about Google's rollout of a machine-learning age verification model to verify account users' age in the U.S. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Victoria Song Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Jennifer shares her first impressions of Alexa Plus. The growing overlap between consumer wellness gadgets and regulated medical technology. And Google's rolling out a machine-learning age verification model to detect account users who are under or over the age of 18. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has spent some time with Amazon's new, AI-powered Alexa, Alexa Plus. She shares her excitement and criticisms for the new voice assistant. Victoria Song of The Verge joins Mikah to talk about wearable tech companies using the idea of "wellness" technology to skirt FDA regulation on medical technology. And Mikah talks about Google's rollout of a machine-learning age verification model to verify account users' age in the U.S. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Victoria Song Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Jennifer shares her first impressions of Alexa Plus. The growing overlap between consumer wellness gadgets and regulated medical technology. And Google's rolling out a machine-learning age verification model to detect account users who are under or over the age of 18. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has spent some time with Amazon's new, AI-powered Alexa, Alexa Plus. She shares her excitement and criticisms for the new voice assistant. Victoria Song of The Verge joins Mikah to talk about wearable tech companies using the idea of "wellness" technology to skirt FDA regulation on medical technology. And Mikah talks about Google's rollout of a machine-learning age verification model to verify account users' age in the U.S. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Victoria Song Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Jennifer shares her first impressions of Alexa Plus. The growing overlap between consumer wellness gadgets and regulated medical technology. And Google's rolling out a machine-learning age verification model to detect account users who are under or over the age of 18. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has spent some time with Amazon's new, AI-powered Alexa, Alexa Plus. She shares her excitement and criticisms for the new voice assistant. Victoria Song of The Verge joins Mikah to talk about wearable tech companies using the idea of "wellness" technology to skirt FDA regulation on medical technology. And Mikah talks about Google's rollout of a machine-learning age verification model to verify account users' age in the U.S. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Victoria Song Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Jennifer shares her first impressions of Alexa Plus. The growing overlap between consumer wellness gadgets and regulated medical technology. And Google's rolling out a machine-learning age verification model to detect account users who are under or over the age of 18. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has spent some time with Amazon's new, AI-powered Alexa, Alexa Plus. She shares her excitement and criticisms for the new voice assistant. Victoria Song of The Verge joins Mikah to talk about wearable tech companies using the idea of "wellness" technology to skirt FDA regulation on medical technology. And Mikah talks about Google's rollout of a machine-learning age verification model to verify account users' age in the U.S. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Victoria Song Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Jennifer shares her first impressions of Alexa Plus. The growing overlap between consumer wellness gadgets and regulated medical technology. And Google's rolling out a machine-learning age verification model to detect account users who are under or over the age of 18. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has spent some time with Amazon's new, AI-powered Alexa, Alexa Plus. She shares her excitement and criticisms for the new voice assistant. Victoria Song of The Verge joins Mikah to talk about wearable tech companies using the idea of "wellness" technology to skirt FDA regulation on medical technology. And Mikah talks about Google's rollout of a machine-learning age verification model to verify account users' age in the U.S. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Victoria Song Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Jennifer shares her first impressions of Alexa Plus. The growing overlap between consumer wellness gadgets and regulated medical technology. And Google's rolling out a machine-learning age verification model to detect account users who are under or over the age of 18. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has spent some time with Amazon's new, AI-powered Alexa, Alexa Plus. She shares her excitement and criticisms for the new voice assistant. Victoria Song of The Verge joins Mikah to talk about wearable tech companies using the idea of "wellness" technology to skirt FDA regulation on medical technology. And Mikah talks about Google's rollout of a machine-learning age verification model to verify account users' age in the U.S. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Victoria Song Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly

Would you like Siri more if it had a face? This week on The Vergecast, we're talking about AI assistants getting smarter… and uncomfortably personal. The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to talk about her early tests of Alexa Plus, which is finally AI-powered and a lot more capable. Jake shares his uncomfortable first interaction with Grok's anime girlfriend. And Waveform cohost David Imel is here to talk about Sony's RX1R III and other premium “compact” cameras. Finally, the THUNDER ROUND is back. New, improved, and still loud. Further reading: 24 hours with Alexa Plus: we cooked, we chatted, and it kinda lied to me Alexa Plus launches to “small number” of people More than a million people now have Alexa Plus Elon Musk's AI bot adds a ridiculous anime companion with ‘NSFW' mode I spent 24 hours flirting with Elon Musk's AI girlfriend System prompt dump of xAI / Grok's new AI anime girlfriend Elon Musk teases AI anime boyfriend based on Edward Cullen “We will, of course, have another character inspired by Mr. Darcy” xAI has open roles for building AI “waifus.” US government announces $200 million Grok contract a week after ‘MechaHitler' incident Grok will no longer call itself Hitler or base its opinions on Elon Musk's, promises xAI Sony's pocket-sized RX1R camera returns with its first update in 10 years Original RX1R  RX1R II Google exec: ‘We're going to be combining ChromeOS and Android' Our biggest questions about ChromeOS and Android merging  Ikea goes all in on Matter/Thread Eric Migicovsky  Texts.com Google Nest subscription The next batch of emoji includes Bigfoot 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

One way to think about the tech industry is just as a series of people trying to build stuff they saw in movies and on TV. Some of that tech is great, some of it is deeply dystopian, and most of it would make the world a very different place if it suddenly existed. In this episode, a bunch of us try to figure out which tech we actually want to use. David is joined by The Verge's Allison Johnson, Jennifer Pattison-Tuohy, Mia Sato, and Victoria Song — aka the hosts of Hot Girl Vergecast Summer — to draft their way through the movie, show, and game tech they'd want to make real. Some of the picks you'll expect, and some we bet has never crossed your mind. And some big-name tech goes undrafted! Once you've finished the show, make sure you take the poll and tell us who won: https://forms.gle/Q1wFhpzCdM3B5bqj9 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

Tech News Weekly Episode 392 Show Notes This week on Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy talk cybersecurity vulnerabilities with over 40,000 exposed internet cameras, Wyze's new security features following past breaches, a study on youth mental health and addictive tech use, and the launch of Trump Mobile's new phone and cellular plan. • 40,000 Exposed Internet Cameras: A cybersecurity investigation by BitSight reveals that over 40,000 internet-connected cameras are accessible to anyone with a browser and IP address, many of which use default passwords or lack basic security features. • Wyze Introduces "Verified View" Security Feature: Following previous incidents where users could see other people's camera streams due to cloud failures, Wyze launched a new security feature that stamps user metadata onto footage for an additional layer of verification to access photos and videos. • Study Challenges Screen Time Assumptions for Youth Mental Health: A major JAMA study tracking over 4,000 kids from ages 10-14 found no direct link between screen time duration and suicidal behavior, but instead identified addictive usage patterns as the real culprit. • The Launch of Trump Mobile: The new "47 Plan" offers 20GB of data for $47.45/month, along with a $499 phone claimed to be "made in America," though tech experts question both the value proposition and manufacturing claims. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit

Tech News Weekly Episode 392 Show Notes This week on Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy talk cybersecurity vulnerabilities with over 40,000 exposed internet cameras, Wyze's new security features following past breaches, a study on youth mental health and addictive tech use, and the launch of Trump Mobile's new phone and cellular plan. • 40,000 Exposed Internet Cameras: A cybersecurity investigation by BitSight reveals that over 40,000 internet-connected cameras are accessible to anyone with a browser and IP address, many of which use default passwords or lack basic security features. • Wyze Introduces "Verified View" Security Feature: Following previous incidents where users could see other people's camera streams due to cloud failures, Wyze launched a new security feature that stamps user metadata onto footage for an additional layer of verification to access photos and videos. • Study Challenges Screen Time Assumptions for Youth Mental Health: A major JAMA study tracking over 4,000 kids from ages 10-14 found no direct link between screen time duration and suicidal behavior, but instead identified addictive usage patterns as the real culprit. • The Launch of Trump Mobile: The new "47 Plan" offers 20GB of data for $47.45/month, along with a $499 phone claimed to be "made in America," though tech experts question both the value proposition and manufacturing claims. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit

Tech News Weekly Episode 392 Show Notes This week on Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy talk cybersecurity vulnerabilities with over 40,000 exposed internet cameras, Wyze's new security features following past breaches, a study on youth mental health and addictive tech use, and the launch of Trump Mobile's new phone and cellular plan. • 40,000 Exposed Internet Cameras: A cybersecurity investigation by BitSight reveals that over 40,000 internet-connected cameras are accessible to anyone with a browser and IP address, many of which use default passwords or lack basic security features. • Wyze Introduces "Verified View" Security Feature: Following previous incidents where users could see other people's camera streams due to cloud failures, Wyze launched a new security feature that stamps user metadata onto footage for an additional layer of verification to access photos and videos. • Study Challenges Screen Time Assumptions for Youth Mental Health: A major JAMA study tracking over 4,000 kids from ages 10-14 found no direct link between screen time duration and suicidal behavior, but instead identified addictive usage patterns as the real culprit. • The Launch of Trump Mobile: The new "47 Plan" offers 20GB of data for $47.45/month, along with a $499 phone claimed to be "made in America," though tech experts question both the value proposition and manufacturing claims. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit

Tech News Weekly Episode 392 Show Notes This week on Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy talk cybersecurity vulnerabilities with over 40,000 exposed internet cameras, Wyze's new security features following past breaches, a study on youth mental health and addictive tech use, and the launch of Trump Mobile's new phone and cellular plan. • 40,000 Exposed Internet Cameras: A cybersecurity investigation by BitSight reveals that over 40,000 internet-connected cameras are accessible to anyone with a browser and IP address, many of which use default passwords or lack basic security features. • Wyze Introduces "Verified View" Security Feature: Following previous incidents where users could see other people's camera streams due to cloud failures, Wyze launched a new security feature that stamps user metadata onto footage for an additional layer of verification to access photos and videos. • Study Challenges Screen Time Assumptions for Youth Mental Health: A major JAMA study tracking over 4,000 kids from ages 10-14 found no direct link between screen time duration and suicidal behavior, but instead identified addictive usage patterns as the real culprit. • The Launch of Trump Mobile: The new "47 Plan" offers 20GB of data for $47.45/month, along with a $499 phone claimed to be "made in America," though tech experts question both the value proposition and manufacturing claims. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit

Tech News Weekly Episode 392 Show Notes This week on Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy talk cybersecurity vulnerabilities with over 40,000 exposed internet cameras, Wyze's new security features following past breaches, a study on youth mental health and addictive tech use, and the launch of Trump Mobile's new phone and cellular plan. • 40,000 Exposed Internet Cameras: A cybersecurity investigation by BitSight reveals that over 40,000 internet-connected cameras are accessible to anyone with a browser and IP address, many of which use default passwords or lack basic security features. • Wyze Introduces "Verified View" Security Feature: Following previous incidents where users could see other people's camera streams due to cloud failures, Wyze launched a new security feature that stamps user metadata onto footage for an additional layer of verification to access photos and videos. • Study Challenges Screen Time Assumptions for Youth Mental Health: A major JAMA study tracking over 4,000 kids from ages 10-14 found no direct link between screen time duration and suicidal behavior, but instead identified addictive usage patterns as the real culprit. • The Launch of Trump Mobile: The new "47 Plan" offers 20GB of data for $47.45/month, along with a $499 phone claimed to be "made in America," though tech experts question both the value proposition and manufacturing claims. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit

This week on Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy talk cybersecurity vulnerabilities with over 40,000 exposed internet cameras, Wyze's new security features following past breaches, a study on youth mental health and addictive tech use, and the launch of Trump Mobile's new phone and cellular plan. 40,000 Exposed Internet Cameras: A cybersecurity investigation by BitSight reveals that over 40,000 internet-connected cameras are accessible to anyone with a browser and IP address, many of which use default passwords or lack basic security features. Wyze Introduces "Verified View" Security Feature: Following previous incidents where users could see other people's camera streams due to cloud failures, Wyze launched a new security feature that stamps user metadata onto footage for an additional layer of verification to access photos and videos. Study Challenges Screen Time Assumptions for Youth Mental Health: A major JAMA study tracking over 4,000 kids from ages 10-14 found no direct link between screen time duration and suicidal behavior, but instead identified addictive usage patterns as the real culprit. The Launch of Trump Mobile: The new "47 Plan" offers 20GB of data for $47.45/month, along with a $499 phone claimed to be "made in America," though tech experts question both the value proposition and manufacturing claims. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit

This week on Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy talk cybersecurity vulnerabilities with over 40,000 exposed internet cameras, Wyze's new security features following past breaches, a study on youth mental health and addictive tech use, and the launch of Trump Mobile's new phone and cellular plan. 40,000 Exposed Internet Cameras: A cybersecurity investigation by BitSight reveals that over 40,000 internet-connected cameras are accessible to anyone with a browser and IP address, many of which use default passwords or lack basic security features. Wyze Introduces "Verified View" Security Feature: Following previous incidents where users could see other people's camera streams due to cloud failures, Wyze launched a new security feature that stamps user metadata onto footage for an additional layer of verification to access photos and videos. Study Challenges Screen Time Assumptions for Youth Mental Health: A major JAMA study tracking over 4,000 kids from ages 10-14 found no direct link between screen time duration and suicidal behavior, but instead identified addictive usage patterns as the real culprit. The Launch of Trump Mobile: The new "47 Plan" offers 20GB of data for $47.45/month, along with a $499 phone claimed to be "made in America," though tech experts question both the value proposition and manufacturing claims. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit

This week on Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy talk cybersecurity vulnerabilities with over 40,000 exposed internet cameras, Wyze's new security features following past breaches, a study on youth mental health and addictive tech use, and the launch of Trump Mobile's new phone and cellular plan. 40,000 Exposed Internet Cameras: A cybersecurity investigation by BitSight reveals that over 40,000 internet-connected cameras are accessible to anyone with a browser and IP address, many of which use default passwords or lack basic security features. Wyze Introduces "Verified View" Security Feature: Following previous incidents where users could see other people's camera streams due to cloud failures, Wyze launched a new security feature that stamps user metadata onto footage for an additional layer of verification to access photos and videos. Study Challenges Screen Time Assumptions for Youth Mental Health: A major JAMA study tracking over 4,000 kids from ages 10-14 found no direct link between screen time duration and suicidal behavior, but instead identified addictive usage patterns as the real culprit. The Launch of Trump Mobile: The new "47 Plan" offers 20GB of data for $47.45/month, along with a $499 phone claimed to be "made in America," though tech experts question both the value proposition and manufacturing claims. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit

In this jam-packed episode celebrating Towel Day, the TWiT crew dives into Apple's terrible week with Trump's tariff threats, Google and Microsoft's latest AI advances, the death of CAPTCHAs, and some wild new tech including laser-powered smart homes and sock-picking robot vacuums. Trump's Phone Tariff Ultimatum - President threatens 25% tariffs on iPhones and Samsung devices unless manufacturing moves to the US, putting Apple in an impossible position between economics and politics The Sock-Stealing Robot Revolution - Jennifer tests a $2,600 Roborock vacuum with an arm that picks up socks and occasionally tries to grab cats Microsoft's AI Science Breakthrough - Microsoft Build showcases agentic AI platform that helped create new coolant liquids by analyzing scientific journals and generating novel molecular compounds Windows Goes Agentic - Microsoft announces MCP protocol integration into Windows, raising both excitement about AI capabilities and concerns about data security Gaming Industry Consolidation - FTC finally drops its challenge to Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition after three years of failed legal battles Meta's Monopoly Defense Strategy - Company argues that Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions were beneficial rather than anti-competitive, as antitrust trial concludes Google's Hyper-Realistic AI Videos - Veo 3 generates convincing fake videos that blur the line between reality and AI creation, raising concerns about misinformation Revenge Porn Legislation Concerns - New "Take It Down" Act passes with bipartisan support but raises censorship worries about its 48-hour removal requirements Smart Glasses Make a Comeback - Google announces Android XR partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, signaling the return of consumer AR eyewear The $6.5 Billion AI Hardware Gamble - OpenAI's record-breaking acquisition of Jony Ive's design firm sparks debate about whether AI needs dedicated hardware devices Amazon's Smart Speaker Surveillance - Investigation reveals how much personal data Echo devices collect and store, highlighting the privacy costs of convenient AI assistants The Death of CAPTCHAs - AI now solves visual puzzles better than humans, making traditional bot-detection methods obsolete and forcing a rethink of online security America Abandons the Penny - The US will stop minting pennies due to production costs exceeding face value, ending a century-old currency tradition Air Traffic Control Crisis Exposed - Newark Airport's radar failures reveal America's dangerously outdated aviation infrastructure held together by 1990s technology and hope Fortnite's App Store Victory - Epic Games successfully returns to iOS after Apple quickly capitulates under legal pressure, ending years of bitter disputes Brain-Computer Interface Competition - Valve's Gabe Newell announces Neuralink competitor, expanding the race to connect human brains directly to computers Infrared Contact Lenses Enable Night Vision - Researchers develop contacts that let wearers see heat signatures even with eyes closed, promising superhuman vision capabilities 23andMe's Genetic Data Gold Rush - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals acquires the DNA testing company for $256 million, raising questions about genetic privacy and Stolen These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech/episodes/1033 Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Brian McCullough, and Mike Elgan Sponsors: outsystems.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com storyblok.com/twittv-25

In this jam-packed episode celebrating Towel Day, the TWiT crew dives into Apple's terrible week with Trump's tariff threats, Google and Microsoft's latest AI advances, the death of CAPTCHAs, and some wild new tech including laser-powered smart homes and sock-picking robot vacuums. Trump's Phone Tariff Ultimatum - President threatens 25% tariffs on iPhones and Samsung devices unless manufacturing moves to the US, putting Apple in an impossible position between economics and politics The Sock-Stealing Robot Revolution - Jennifer tests a $2,600 Roborock vacuum with an arm that picks up socks and occasionally tries to grab cats Microsoft's AI Science Breakthrough - Microsoft Build showcases agentic AI platform that helped create new coolant liquids by analyzing scientific journals and generating novel molecular compounds Windows Goes Agentic - Microsoft announces MCP protocol integration into Windows, raising both excitement about AI capabilities and concerns about data security Gaming Industry Consolidation - FTC finally drops its challenge to Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition after three years of failed legal battles Meta's Monopoly Defense Strategy - Company argues that Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions were beneficial rather than anti-competitive, as antitrust trial concludes Google's Hyper-Realistic AI Videos - Veo 3 generates convincing fake videos that blur the line between reality and AI creation, raising concerns about misinformation Revenge Porn Legislation Concerns - New "Take It Down" Act passes with bipartisan support but raises censorship worries about its 48-hour removal requirements Smart Glasses Make a Comeback - Google announces Android XR partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, signaling the return of consumer AR eyewear The $6.5 Billion AI Hardware Gamble - OpenAI's record-breaking acquisition of Jony Ive's design firm sparks debate about whether AI needs dedicated hardware devices Amazon's Smart Speaker Surveillance - Investigation reveals how much personal data Echo devices collect and store, highlighting the privacy costs of convenient AI assistants The Death of CAPTCHAs - AI now solves visual puzzles better than humans, making traditional bot-detection methods obsolete and forcing a rethink of online security America Abandons the Penny - The US will stop minting pennies due to production costs exceeding face value, ending a century-old currency tradition Air Traffic Control Crisis Exposed - Newark Airport's radar failures reveal America's dangerously outdated aviation infrastructure held together by 1990s technology and hope Fortnite's App Store Victory - Epic Games successfully returns to iOS after Apple quickly capitulates under legal pressure, ending years of bitter disputes Brain-Computer Interface Competition - Valve's Gabe Newell announces Neuralink competitor, expanding the race to connect human brains directly to computers Infrared Contact Lenses Enable Night Vision - Researchers develop contacts that let wearers see heat signatures even with eyes closed, promising superhuman vision capabilities 23andMe's Genetic Data Gold Rush - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals acquires the DNA testing company for $256 million, raising questions about genetic privacy and Stolen These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech/episodes/1033 Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Brian McCullough, and Mike Elgan Sponsors: outsystems.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com storyblok.com/twittv-25

In this jam-packed episode celebrating Towel Day, the TWiT crew dives into Apple's terrible week with Trump's tariff threats, Google and Microsoft's latest AI advances, the death of CAPTCHAs, and some wild new tech including laser-powered smart homes and sock-picking robot vacuums. Trump's Phone Tariff Ultimatum - President threatens 25% tariffs on iPhones and Samsung devices unless manufacturing moves to the US, putting Apple in an impossible position between economics and politics The Sock-Stealing Robot Revolution - Jennifer tests a $2,600 Roborock vacuum with an arm that picks up socks and occasionally tries to grab cats Microsoft's AI Science Breakthrough - Microsoft Build showcases agentic AI platform that helped create new coolant liquids by analyzing scientific journals and generating novel molecular compounds Windows Goes Agentic - Microsoft announces MCP protocol integration into Windows, raising both excitement about AI capabilities and concerns about data security Gaming Industry Consolidation - FTC finally drops its challenge to Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition after three years of failed legal battles Meta's Monopoly Defense Strategy - Company argues that Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions were beneficial rather than anti-competitive, as antitrust trial concludes Google's Hyper-Realistic AI Videos - Veo 3 generates convincing fake videos that blur the line between reality and AI creation, raising concerns about misinformation Revenge Porn Legislation Concerns - New "Take It Down" Act passes with bipartisan support but raises censorship worries about its 48-hour removal requirements Smart Glasses Make a Comeback - Google announces Android XR partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, signaling the return of consumer AR eyewear The $6.5 Billion AI Hardware Gamble - OpenAI's record-breaking acquisition of Jony Ive's design firm sparks debate about whether AI needs dedicated hardware devices Amazon's Smart Speaker Surveillance - Investigation reveals how much personal data Echo devices collect and store, highlighting the privacy costs of convenient AI assistants The Death of CAPTCHAs - AI now solves visual puzzles better than humans, making traditional bot-detection methods obsolete and forcing a rethink of online security America Abandons the Penny - The US will stop minting pennies due to production costs exceeding face value, ending a century-old currency tradition Air Traffic Control Crisis Exposed - Newark Airport's radar failures reveal America's dangerously outdated aviation infrastructure held together by 1990s technology and hope Fortnite's App Store Victory - Epic Games successfully returns to iOS after Apple quickly capitulates under legal pressure, ending years of bitter disputes Brain-Computer Interface Competition - Valve's Gabe Newell announces Neuralink competitor, expanding the race to connect human brains directly to computers Infrared Contact Lenses Enable Night Vision - Researchers develop contacts that let wearers see heat signatures even with eyes closed, promising superhuman vision capabilities 23andMe's Genetic Data Gold Rush - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals acquires the DNA testing company for $256 million, raising questions about genetic privacy and Stolen These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech/episodes/1033 Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Brian McCullough, and Mike Elgan Sponsors: outsystems.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com storyblok.com/twittv-25

In this jam-packed episode celebrating Towel Day, the TWiT crew dives into Apple's terrible week with Trump's tariff threats, Google and Microsoft's latest AI advances, the death of CAPTCHAs, and some wild new tech including laser-powered smart homes and sock-picking robot vacuums. Trump's Phone Tariff Ultimatum - President threatens 25% tariffs on iPhones and Samsung devices unless manufacturing moves to the US, putting Apple in an impossible position between economics and politics The Sock-Stealing Robot Revolution - Jennifer tests a $2,600 Roborock vacuum with an arm that picks up socks and occasionally tries to grab cats Microsoft's AI Science Breakthrough - Microsoft Build showcases agentic AI platform that helped create new coolant liquids by analyzing scientific journals and generating novel molecular compounds Windows Goes Agentic - Microsoft announces MCP protocol integration into Windows, raising both excitement about AI capabilities and concerns about data security Gaming Industry Consolidation - FTC finally drops its challenge to Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition after three years of failed legal battles Meta's Monopoly Defense Strategy - Company argues that Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions were beneficial rather than anti-competitive, as antitrust trial concludes Google's Hyper-Realistic AI Videos - Veo 3 generates convincing fake videos that blur the line between reality and AI creation, raising concerns about misinformation Revenge Porn Legislation Concerns - New "Take It Down" Act passes with bipartisan support but raises censorship worries about its 48-hour removal requirements Smart Glasses Make a Comeback - Google announces Android XR partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, signaling the return of consumer AR eyewear The $6.5 Billion AI Hardware Gamble - OpenAI's record-breaking acquisition of Jony Ive's design firm sparks debate about whether AI needs dedicated hardware devices Amazon's Smart Speaker Surveillance - Investigation reveals how much personal data Echo devices collect and store, highlighting the privacy costs of convenient AI assistants The Death of CAPTCHAs - AI now solves visual puzzles better than humans, making traditional bot-detection methods obsolete and forcing a rethink of online security America Abandons the Penny - The US will stop minting pennies due to production costs exceeding face value, ending a century-old currency tradition Air Traffic Control Crisis Exposed - Newark Airport's radar failures reveal America's dangerously outdated aviation infrastructure held together by 1990s technology and hope Fortnite's App Store Victory - Epic Games successfully returns to iOS after Apple quickly capitulates under legal pressure, ending years of bitter disputes Brain-Computer Interface Competition - Valve's Gabe Newell announces Neuralink competitor, expanding the race to connect human brains directly to computers Infrared Contact Lenses Enable Night Vision - Researchers develop contacts that let wearers see heat signatures even with eyes closed, promising superhuman vision capabilities 23andMe's Genetic Data Gold Rush - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals acquires the DNA testing company for $256 million, raising questions about genetic privacy and Stolen These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech/episodes/1033 Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Brian McCullough, and Mike Elgan Sponsors: outsystems.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com storyblok.com/twittv-25

In this jam-packed episode celebrating Towel Day, the TWiT crew dives into Apple's terrible week with Trump's tariff threats, Google and Microsoft's latest AI advances, the death of CAPTCHAs, and some wild new tech including laser-powered smart homes and sock-picking robot vacuums. Trump's Phone Tariff Ultimatum - President threatens 25% tariffs on iPhones and Samsung devices unless manufacturing moves to the US, putting Apple in an impossible position between economics and politics The Sock-Stealing Robot Revolution - Jennifer tests a $2,600 Roborock vacuum with an arm that picks up socks and occasionally tries to grab cats Microsoft's AI Science Breakthrough - Microsoft Build showcases agentic AI platform that helped create new coolant liquids by analyzing scientific journals and generating novel molecular compounds Windows Goes Agentic - Microsoft announces MCP protocol integration into Windows, raising both excitement about AI capabilities and concerns about data security Gaming Industry Consolidation - FTC finally drops its challenge to Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition after three years of failed legal battles Meta's Monopoly Defense Strategy - Company argues that Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions were beneficial rather than anti-competitive, as antitrust trial concludes Google's Hyper-Realistic AI Videos - Veo 3 generates convincing fake videos that blur the line between reality and AI creation, raising concerns about misinformation Revenge Porn Legislation Concerns - New "Take It Down" Act passes with bipartisan support but raises censorship worries about its 48-hour removal requirements Smart Glasses Make a Comeback - Google announces Android XR partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, signaling the return of consumer AR eyewear The $6.5 Billion AI Hardware Gamble - OpenAI's record-breaking acquisition of Jony Ive's design firm sparks debate about whether AI needs dedicated hardware devices Amazon's Smart Speaker Surveillance - Investigation reveals how much personal data Echo devices collect and store, highlighting the privacy costs of convenient AI assistants The Death of CAPTCHAs - AI now solves visual puzzles better than humans, making traditional bot-detection methods obsolete and forcing a rethink of online security America Abandons the Penny - The US will stop minting pennies due to production costs exceeding face value, ending a century-old currency tradition Air Traffic Control Crisis Exposed - Newark Airport's radar failures reveal America's dangerously outdated aviation infrastructure held together by 1990s technology and hope Fortnite's App Store Victory - Epic Games successfully returns to iOS after Apple quickly capitulates under legal pressure, ending years of bitter disputes Brain-Computer Interface Competition - Valve's Gabe Newell announces Neuralink competitor, expanding the race to connect human brains directly to computers Infrared Contact Lenses Enable Night Vision - Researchers develop contacts that let wearers see heat signatures even with eyes closed, promising superhuman vision capabilities 23andMe's Genetic Data Gold Rush - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals acquires the DNA testing company for $256 million, raising questions about genetic privacy and Stolen These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech/episodes/1033 Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Brian McCullough, and Mike Elgan Sponsors: outsystems.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com storyblok.com/twittv-25

Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy are taking the reins of this week's episode! Does a robot vacuum really need an arm to help keep your home floors clean? Inside the chaotic struggle to keep Fisker EVs maintain connectivity. A wireless way to charge your low-powered smart devices. And insight into Sam Altman's company, OpenAI, acquiring Jony Ive's AI startup company, io. Jennifer shares her thoughts on Roborock's Saros Z70 Robot Vacuum after testing it out for some time. Emily talks about an association formed by Fisker owners following the company's bankruptcy and how it collapsed following disputes over costs and a botched software upgrade with American Lease. Jennifer also had the opportunity to use a new wireless power system from Wi-Charge, which uses infrared lasers to charge low-powered devices, such as smart locks, wirelessly. And Lauren Goode, Senior Correspondent for WIRED, joins Emily to discuss Sam Altman and Jony Ive's partnership to create AI hardware following OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive's io company. Hosts: Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Lauren Goode Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy are taking the reins of this week's episode! Does a robot vacuum really need an arm to help keep your home floors clean? Inside the chaotic struggle to keep Fisker EVs maintain connectivity. A wireless way to charge your low-powered smart devices. And insight into Sam Altman's company, OpenAI, acquiring Jony Ive's AI startup company, io. Jennifer shares her thoughts on Roborock's Saros Z70 Robot Vacuum after testing it out for some time. Emily talks about an association formed by Fisker owners following the company's bankruptcy and how it collapsed following disputes over costs and a botched software upgrade with American Lease. Jennifer also had the opportunity to use a new wireless power system from Wi-Charge, which uses infrared lasers to charge low-powered devices, such as smart locks, wirelessly. And Lauren Goode, Senior Correspondent for WIRED, joins Emily to discuss Sam Altman and Jony Ive's partnership to create AI hardware following OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive's io company. Hosts: Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Lauren Goode Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy are taking the reins of this week's episode! Does a robot vacuum really need an arm to help keep your home floors clean? Inside the chaotic struggle to keep Fisker EVs maintain connectivity. A wireless way to charge your low-powered smart devices. And insight into Sam Altman's company, OpenAI, acquiring Jony Ive's AI startup company, io. Jennifer shares her thoughts on Roborock's Saros Z70 Robot Vacuum after testing it out for some time. Emily talks about an association formed by Fisker owners following the company's bankruptcy and how it collapsed following disputes over costs and a botched software upgrade with American Lease. Jennifer also had the opportunity to use a new wireless power system from Wi-Charge, which uses infrared lasers to charge low-powered devices, such as smart locks, wirelessly. And Lauren Goode, Senior Correspondent for WIRED, joins Emily to discuss Sam Altman and Jony Ive's partnership to create AI hardware following OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive's io company. Hosts: Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Lauren Goode Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy are taking the reins of this week's episode! Does a robot vacuum really need an arm to help keep your home floors clean? Inside the chaotic struggle to keep Fisker EVs maintain connectivity. A wireless way to charge your low-powered smart devices. And insight into Sam Altman's company, OpenAI, acquiring Jony Ive's AI startup company, io. Jennifer shares her thoughts on Roborock's Saros Z70 Robot Vacuum after testing it out for some time. Emily talks about an association formed by Fisker owners following the company's bankruptcy and how it collapsed following disputes over costs and a botched software upgrade with American Lease. Jennifer also had the opportunity to use a new wireless power system from Wi-Charge, which uses infrared lasers to charge low-powered devices, such as smart locks, wirelessly. And Lauren Goode, Senior Correspondent for WIRED, joins Emily to discuss Sam Altman and Jony Ive's partnership to create AI hardware following OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive's io company. Hosts: Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Lauren Goode Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy are taking the reins of this week's episode! Does a robot vacuum really need an arm to help keep your home floors clean? Inside the chaotic struggle to keep Fisker EVs maintain connectivity. A wireless way to charge your low-powered smart devices. And insight into Sam Altman's company, OpenAI, acquiring Jony Ive's AI startup company, io. Jennifer shares her thoughts on Roborock's Saros Z70 Robot Vacuum after testing it out for some time. Emily talks about an association formed by Fisker owners following the company's bankruptcy and how it collapsed following disputes over costs and a botched software upgrade with American Lease. Jennifer also had the opportunity to use a new wireless power system from Wi-Charge, which uses infrared lasers to charge low-powered devices, such as smart locks, wirelessly. And Lauren Goode, Senior Correspondent for WIRED, joins Emily to discuss Sam Altman and Jony Ive's partnership to create AI hardware following OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive's io company. Hosts: Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Lauren Goode Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy are taking the reins of this week's episode! Does a robot vacuum really need an arm to help keep your home floors clean? Inside the chaotic struggle to keep Fisker EVs maintain connectivity. A wireless way to charge your low-powered smart devices. And insight into Sam Altman's company, OpenAI, acquiring Jony Ive's AI startup company, io. Jennifer shares her thoughts on Roborock's Saros Z70 Robot Vacuum after testing it out for some time. Emily talks about an association formed by Fisker owners following the company's bankruptcy and how it collapsed following disputes over costs and a botched software upgrade with American Lease. Jennifer also had the opportunity to use a new wireless power system from Wi-Charge, which uses infrared lasers to charge low-powered devices, such as smart locks, wirelessly. And Lauren Goode, Senior Correspondent for WIRED, joins Emily to discuss Sam Altman and Jony Ive's partnership to create AI hardware following OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive's io company. Hosts: Emily Forlini and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Lauren Goode Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

The Verge's Will Poor recently came home from vacation and discovered he had an insect problem. More specifically, his Sonos speaker had an insect problem. Will brings us the story of what really happened there, and what he discovered about how the animal kingdom — and the electronics world — works. After that, The Verge's Andru Marino tells us about his research on all things AI podcasts. He tells us why people are so hooked on NotebookLM's Audio Overviews, where these generated shows fall short, and what all us human podcasters could learn from the bots. Finally, The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy helps us answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) all about smart lights. Which get complicated faster than you think. Further reading: Oh no, Google is turning everything into a podcast Google's NotebookLM AI podcasts add ‘interactive' mode for some Q-and-A Steven Johnson on Google, NotebookLM, and AI research A guide to getting started with smart lighting: When to use smart switches and smart bulbs Inovelli smart switches Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Waymo robotaxi got stuck in a unique space. A rebooted digg.com launches an early-access community. How Apple fumbled the AI makeover of Siri. Samsung is finally releasing its Ballie device later this summer, which was initially unveiled back in 2020. Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch is here this week! Amanda talks about a Waymo robotaxi that got trapped in a Chick-fil-A drive-through after dropping off a passenger at the fast-food restaurant. Mikah Sargent talks about the rebooted digg.com website launching an early-access community with a $5 fee that gives early adopters insight into the website's rebuilding and other perks. Mikah also talks about a great report from Wayne Ma of The Information about Apple's fumble with Siri's AI makeover. And Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge stops by to talk about Samsung's Ballie, which is finally getting a release later this summer after being announced back in 2020. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling Guest: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit zscaler.com/security zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

A Waymo robotaxi got stuck in a unique space. A rebooted digg.com launches an early-access community. How Apple fumbled the AI makeover of Siri. Samsung is finally releasing its Ballie device later this summer, which was initially unveiled back in 2020. Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch is here this week! Amanda talks about a Waymo robotaxi that got trapped in a Chick-fil-A drive-through after dropping off a passenger at the fast-food restaurant. Mikah Sargent talks about the rebooted digg.com website launching an early-access community with a $5 fee that gives early adopters insight into the website's rebuilding and other perks. Mikah also talks about a great report from Wayne Ma of The Information about Apple's fumble with Siri's AI makeover. And Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge stops by to talk about Samsung's Ballie, which is finally getting a release later this summer after being announced back in 2020. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling Guest: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit zscaler.com/security zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

A Waymo robotaxi got stuck in a unique space. A rebooted digg.com launches an early-access community. How Apple fumbled the AI makeover of Siri. Samsung is finally releasing its Ballie device later this summer, which was initially unveiled back in 2020. Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch is here this week! Amanda talks about a Waymo robotaxi that got trapped in a Chick-fil-A drive-through after dropping off a passenger at the fast-food restaurant. Mikah Sargent talks about the rebooted digg.com website launching an early-access community with a $5 fee that gives early adopters insight into the website's rebuilding and other perks. Mikah also talks about a great report from Wayne Ma of The Information about Apple's fumble with Siri's AI makeover. And Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge stops by to talk about Samsung's Ballie, which is finally getting a release later this summer after being announced back in 2020. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling Guest: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit zscaler.com/security zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

A Waymo robotaxi got stuck in a unique space. A rebooted digg.com launches an early-access community. How Apple fumbled the AI makeover of Siri. Samsung is finally releasing its Ballie device later this summer, which was initially unveiled back in 2020. Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch is here this week! Amanda talks about a Waymo robotaxi that got trapped in a Chick-fil-A drive-through after dropping off a passenger at the fast-food restaurant. Mikah Sargent talks about the rebooted digg.com website launching an early-access community with a $5 fee that gives early adopters insight into the website's rebuilding and other perks. Mikah also talks about a great report from Wayne Ma of The Information about Apple's fumble with Siri's AI makeover. And Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge stops by to talk about Samsung's Ballie, which is finally getting a release later this summer after being announced back in 2020. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling Guest: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit zscaler.com/security zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

Some products are so successful they become snynonymous with their whole category — nobody asks for a facial tissue, they ask for a Kleenex, you know? Today's episode is, at least in part, about two of those products. First, The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to chart the rise and fall of the Roomba, the robot vacuum that practically invented the category and yet seems to have been left behind. Can iRobot get its robot back on its feet? After that, Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn discusses the state of e-readers, what it's like to always be "the best non-Amazon option," and what we all want from devices that aren't our smartphone. Finally, The Verge's Chris Welch helps us answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11, or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about which TV you should buy in 2025. It's a complicated question, but there are answers. Further reading: From CNN: The secret military technology inside the household vacuum robot iRobot announces eight new robot vacuums iRobot tells investors its future is in doubt Will iRobot's reinvention of the Roomba be at the expense of its history of innovation? Amazon wants to map your home, so it bought iRobot The death of the Amazon deal could mean goodbye iRobot iRobot's founder is working on a new kind of home robot Michael Tamblyn's website Kobo announces its first color e-readers The best ereader to buy right now 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

Will iRobot's new Roomba's bring the company back to the forefront of robotic vacuums? What to know about Amazon's change of handling voice recordings through Alexa devices. Two new PebbleOS watches are available for pre-order! And the lowdown on the new Pixel 9a smartphone that Google recently announced. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent this week! Jennifer talks about the new Roombas that iRobot has unveiled but is unimpressed by the lack of innovation in these new robotic vacuums. Do you have Alexa devices in your household? Be aware of some of the new changes Amazon is making to how Echo devices handle voice recordings. Two new Pebble watches are available for pre-order after Google open-sourced PebbleOS in January of this year! And friend of the network, Jason Howell, talks with Mikah about Google's newly announced Pixel 9am phone. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT veeam.com Melissa.com/twit

Over $1.4 billion taken from Bybit crypto exchange Apple Removes Cloud Encryption Feature From UK After Backdoor Order iOS18.4 Beta adds priority notifications, support for robot vacs in Apple Home, but no smarter siri Amazon's revamped Alexa might launch over a month after its announcement event OpenAI now serves 400M users every week The New York Times adopts AI tools in the newsroom Amazon Appstore for Android is shutting down in August Spotify is making it easier to release audiobooks narrated by AI California privacy regulator seeks to fine Florida data broker after huge breach of Social Security numbers Donald Trump Is Turning CISA Into The Embodiment Of His Election Conspiracy Theories Asus Continues Fragrant Device Trend With an Aromatic Mouse - Slashdot iPhone 16E: all the news on Apple's new $599 phone Smart ring tracks health, fitness data with long battery life Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Abrar Al-Heeti, and Larry Magid Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twit ziprecruiter.com/twit uscloud.com threatlocker.com for This Week in Tech Melissa.com/twit