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The Onion's takeover of conspiracy show InfoWars isn't officially complete — but comedian Tim Heidecker, who's serving as creative director, won't let that stop him from building out a slate of comedy programming. Before the new InfoWars launches July 2, The Verge's Mia Sato interviews Tim about what drew him to the project, how long he can (or wants to) maintain an Alex Jones parody, and whether it's worth doing an interview with The Verge when you've already done one with Wired. Further reading: The Onion's rebooted InfoWars is coming July 2nd The Onion's acquisition of Infowars was blocked by a judge Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's time for a new series on The Vergecast! (It still needs a name. Please help.) We're going to give Verge staffers a challenge, and regroup a few weeks later to see who did it best. We're starting with some vibe coding. The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes and Hayden Field share what they've made with AI that has actually stuck in their lives, before David gives the challenge: build a website to solve a problem in your life. The more ambitious and impressive the better. We'll be back with the results soon, and in the meantime, send us ideas for more challenges! (Also, names for the series. PLEASE.) Further reading: Anthropic's Mythos 5 is back | The Verge Supreme Court allows firing of FTC commissioners, ends agency independence Comcast is splitting in two | The Verge WhatsApp is launching usernames: here's how to reserve yours | The Verge Welcome to the personal software revolution I used Claude to vibe-code my wildly overcomplicated smart home Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's time for our annual Fourth of July grill episode here at Decoder, which is when we invite the CEOs of outdoor cooking companies onto the show to explain just how their businesses kind of look like every other business. And this is a very special edition. Today we're talking to Roger Dahle, the CEO of Weber Blackstone, a full circle moment for Decoder. Roger was our first-ever grill CEO on the show back when he was the CEO of just Blackstone. Five years later, Roger now runs one of his biggest competitors, after Blackstone announced a merger with Weber in 2024. So we talked about that process, and how Roger is managing the integration of these two grilling giants. Links: Weber and Blackstone to combine | The Verge How Blackstone became the darling of grill TikTok | Decoder (2021) How arson led to a culture reboot at Traeger, with CEO Jeremy Andrus | Decoder (2022) Big Green Egg CEO Dan Gertsacov on growing kamado cooking | Decoder (2024) How SharkNinja took over the home | Decoder (2025) Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Eileen Felix. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Meta's business is doing just fine. But Meta as a company, and Meta as a series of products? That is, uh, messier. David and Nilay discuss the company's ongoing desire to be relevant and cool, the unceasing importance of Instagram, and why it makes perfect sense that Facebook would clone Polymarket. After that, the hosts talk about Apple's huge price increases, and the ways in which RAMageddon might change the gadget market forever. Then it's time for Brendan Carr is a dummy, the latest on the movie Artificial, and the looming fight over AI data. Further reading: The Steam Machine is the most ambitious game console I've ever played Valve prices the Steam Machine at $1,049 How much would the Steam Machine cost to build? Valve describes just how brutal RAM negotiations are in 2026 The Steam Machine is the start of an even more expensive future for game consoles I drove the Slate Truck — there's more to it than EV minimalism The Slate Auto pickup truck starts at $24,950 Meta pauses employee tracking tool after internal leak. Now Meta will track what employees do on their computers to train its AI agents Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth Admits the Company's AI Reorg Was ‘Atrocious' | WIRED Zuckerberg reportedly wants a Polymarket clone — but without real money Polymarket paid creators to post fake videos of themselves placing and winning bets. Meta plans to release AI-powered prediction market app Facebook's Creator Studio has been revived as an AI companion app Kaleidescape's Strato E player blows streaming, and your wallet, away Something's off with Midjourney's pivot to body scanners People Inc. CEO says it's “probably” headed for a confrontation with Google over AI crawling. ABC encourages viewers to back network amid FCC investigations Bob Iger's Disney wanted Apple, Twitter, and 007 The film about Sam Altman has been dropped by Amazon MGM Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:01:00 Cannes Cold Open 00:07:00 Coach x Spotify Absurdity 00:10:00 Vox Media PMX Shakeup 00:14:00 Meta Chaos vs Money 00:26:00 Gambling as Engagement 00:33:00 Ramageddon Hits Gadgets 00:44:00 Slate Truck Price 00:45:00 Range And Truck Feel 00:48:00 Tech Bloat Backlash 00:50:00 BYD Versus Tesla 00:56:00 FCC Targets The View 01:04:00 Amazon Drops Artificial 01:08:00 Kaleidescape Versus Blu Ray 01:13:00 Bob Iger Merger Rumors 01:17:00 Blocking AI Crawlers 01:22:00 Wrap Up And Next Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Tech News Weekly with Mikah Sargent! Matter 1.6 is unveiled. A federal probe has been opened into Tesla. Snap and Meta are making major moves in smart glasses this week. And is the rising cost of tech becoming too much? Jennifer talks about Matter 1.6 and some of the new features that come with the newest version of the technical standard for smart home devices. Mikah shares how another federal probe has been opened into Tesla, this time a Model 3 vehicle that slammed into a Texas home and killed a 76-year-old in the house. Scott Stein joins the show to talk about Snap and Meta's newest smart glasses. And both Mikah and Scott talk about the increasing cost of tech as Steam's new Steam Machine is given a starting price point of $1,049, and Apple just announced a price hike across its Mac, iPad, and home devices. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Scott Stein 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 audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Simply CX zscaler.com/security hoxhunt.com/securitynow framer.com/tnw
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Tech News Weekly with Mikah Sargent! Matter 1.6 is unveiled. A federal probe has been opened into Tesla. Snap and Meta are making major moves in smart glasses this week. And is the rising cost of tech becoming too much? Jennifer talks about Matter 1.6 and some of the new features that come with the newest version of the technical standard for smart home devices. Mikah shares how another federal probe has been opened into Tesla, this time a Model 3 vehicle that slammed into a Texas home and killed a 76-year-old in the house. Scott Stein joins the show to talk about Snap and Meta's newest smart glasses. And both Mikah and Scott talk about the increasing cost of tech as Steam's new Steam Machine is given a starting price point of $1,049, and Apple just announced a price hike across its Mac, iPad, and home devices. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Scott Stein 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 audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Simply CX zscaler.com/security hoxhunt.com/securitynow framer.com/tnw
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Tech News Weekly with Mikah Sargent! Matter 1.6 is unveiled. A federal probe has been opened into Tesla. Snap and Meta are making major moves in smart glasses this week. And is the rising cost of tech becoming too much? Jennifer talks about Matter 1.6 and some of the new features that come with the newest version of the technical standard for smart home devices. Mikah shares how another federal probe has been opened into Tesla, this time a Model 3 vehicle that slammed into a Texas home and killed a 76-year-old in the house. Scott Stein joins the show to talk about Snap and Meta's newest smart glasses. And both Mikah and Scott talk about the increasing cost of tech as Steam's new Steam Machine is given a starting price point of $1,049, and Apple just announced a price hike across its Mac, iPad, and home devices. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Scott Stein 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 audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Simply CX zscaler.com/security hoxhunt.com/securitynow framer.com/tnw
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Tech News Weekly with Mikah Sargent! Matter 1.6 is unveiled. A federal probe has been opened into Tesla. Snap and Meta are making major moves in smart glasses this week. And is the rising cost of tech becoming too much? Jennifer talks about Matter 1.6 and some of the new features that come with the newest version of the technical standard for smart home devices. Mikah shares how another federal probe has been opened into Tesla, this time a Model 3 vehicle that slammed into a Texas home and killed a 76-year-old in the house. Scott Stein joins the show to talk about Snap and Meta's newest smart glasses. And both Mikah and Scott talk about the increasing cost of tech as Steam's new Steam Machine is given a starting price point of $1,049, and Apple just announced a price hike across its Mac, iPad, and home devices. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Scott Stein 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 audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Simply CX zscaler.com/security hoxhunt.com/securitynow framer.com/tnw
Training data is the raw material of the AI industry. Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and the rest are built on top of oceans of stuff. What is that stuff? Books. Blog posts. YouTube videos. Reddit comments. All of it and more, in virtually incomprehensible quantities. Alex Reisner, a staff writer at The Atlantic who has been investigating training data, explains how AI companies get all this data, why they'd really prefer you not know what's in it, and whether training data could ever be a fair trade. Further reading: Apple raises prices on Macs, iPads, and more by hundreds of dollars | The Verge Disney agrees to pay $50 million to YouTube TV and DirecTV subscribers | The Verge Two handlebars are better than one, right? | The Verge At Least 15 Million YouTube Videos Have Been Snatched by AI Companies The Hypocrisy at the Heart of the AI Industry The Millions of Songs Mashed Into AI-Generated Music Common Crawl Is Doing the AI Industry's Dirty Work Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hey everyone, Nilay here. You might remember I took a break from Decoder last year — we had a baby, so I took some leave. In my place, we had an excellent slate of guest hosts, and we've been working hard to bring you those episodes in full video since we launched our official Decoder YouTube channel. So today, we're featuring a really great interview conducted by my very good friend Joanna Stern, now the founder and CEO of New Things, and Ford CEO Jim Farley. Joanna pulled some exclusive news out of Jim at the time, including some telling quotes on Trump's tariff policy, on Ford competing with Chinese EVs, and the company's stance on Apple CarPlay. Read the full interview transcript on The Verge. Links: Ford CEO Jim Farley on China, tariffs, and the quest for a $30,000 EV | Decoder Joanna Stern is not a robot, but she lived with them | Decoder Ford's Jim Farley: 'I totally would've done it differently.' | The Verge Ford pulls the plug on the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck | NPR Inside the lab where Ford is trying to crack the code on cheap EVs | The Verge Ford is fighting against physics to build affordable EVs | The Verge Ford reveals breakthrough process for lower priced EVs | The Verge Ford CEO Jim Farley on building the electric F-150 | Decoder (2021) Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Kabir Chopra. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The reviews are in for Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2, and critics are praising its incredible visuals, responsive controls, expanded story, voice acting, challenge modes, and online multiplayer. Nintendo Life awarded it a 9 out of 10, while The Verge called it the Switch 2's most impressive visual showcase yet. However, not everyone is completely sold. The biggest criticism is that this is still another retelling of Star Fox 64, with an arcade-style campaign built around short playthroughs, alternate routes, high scores, and repetition. Tonight, we're breaking down the Star Fox reviews, the biggest compliments and complaints, and whether this is the comeback the franchise desperately needed. What do you think? Are you picking up Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2? Subscribe for Nintendo news, reviews, discussions, and more from the Nintendo PowerCast. Play it Loud! Discord: http://n64josh.com/discord Twitch: https://twitch.com/n64josh Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/n64josh Twitter: https://twitter.com/n64josh Instagram: https://instagram.com/n64josh Facebook: https://facebook.com/n64josh Website https://n64josh.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Google is shipping its first smart speaker in six years, and we're starting to test it. The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to explain why the Home Speaker matters, whether Google actually cares about the smart home, and more. Then, she helps answer a few questions from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about the power of Ikea and the future of your thermostat. Further reading: The Google Home Speaker sounds good and looks great — but it's finicky Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A huge portion of the tech industry has decided that smart glasses are the next big thing. But why? Smart glasses are incredibly hard to make, hugely socially complicated, and require users to want to wear a gadget on their face. The Verge's Victoria Song helps us figure out which features, if any, will make smart glasses worth all the trouble. Further reading: All these smart glasses and nothing to do Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Rob Dubbin is a comedy writer and game designer whose work spans late-night television, journalism, and interactive storytelling. After studying History and Literature at Harvard University, he began his career in comedy, becoming an Emmy-winning writer on The Colbert Report and later The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Away from television, his writing has appeared in publications including The New Yorker and The Verge.More recently, he has moved into game design and tools, becoming the co-creator of Scripto, a collaborative writing platform for format-driven work—from television scripts to video games—where he serves as Head of Games. His current projects include co-hosting The Secret Lives of Games podcast and he recently launched the boardgame Starfriends. Across all of his work, he has become a thoughtful advocate for clarity and economy in writing—particularly in games, where he believes every word must earn its place.SHOW LINKS:Rob DubbinRob Dubbin – official websiteRob Dubbin – work & projectsRoblemsolving – Rob's blogRob Dubbin – itch.ioBrainfruit Studio / Star FriendsBrainfruit Studio shopStar Friends – official siteStar Friends – Kickstarter campaignScriptoScripto – collaborative writing softwareScripto – aboutScripto – eight takes on game writingThe Secret Lives of Games / EggplantEggplant – the Secret Lives of Games podcast networkEggplant – aboutThe Secret Lives of Games – on Apple PodcastsRob's Perfect ConsoleZZT – zzt.org archive and communityZZT (1991) – Internet ArchiveStar Control 2: The Ur-Quan Masters – open source portFree Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters – SteamMaster of Magic Classic – SteamMaster of Magic Classic – GOGSlice & Dice – developer siteSlice & Dice – itch.ioSlice & Dice – SteamCaves of Qud – official siteCaves of Qud – SteamCaves of Qud – itch.ioOther games and references discussedLetterboxd – film rating and diary appWavelength – party gameApples to Apples – official siteGame Developers Conference (GDC)Harvard UniversityThe Colbert Report – Comedy CentralThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert – CBSBecome a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Valve has been trying to crack the living room for more than a decade, and the new Steam Machine is its best attempt yet. It's a little bit PC, a little bit console, and a lot pricy — starting at $1,049, it had a lot to live up to. The Verge's Sean Hollister has been testing the device, and shares his findings on whether the Steam Machine can hang with PlayStation and Xbox. He also explains why, despite a never-ending list of challenges, Valve is still trying to make this device work. Further reading: The Steam Machine is the most ambitious game console I've ever played Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A lot has changed on the internet, in the creator landscape, and at Patreon itself since CEO Jack Conte was last on the show in 2021. AI and platform shifts have stolen creator content and decimated artists' reach and revenue streams, and Patreon has made some pretty existential changes to the way it works in response. Links: My thoughts on AI | Patreon I tried to prove I'm not AI | Howtown Patreon: Apple's 30% tax is the price of staying in the App Store | The Verge Welcome to hell, Elon (2022) | The Verge Reality is losing the deepfake war | Decoder Elon Musk is steamrolling Wall Street to become a trillionaire | Decoder Incorruptible | Simon & Schuster Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Xander Adams. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This Week In Startups is made possible by:Agree - https://agree.comQuo - https://quo.com/TWiSTSuperhuman - https://superhuman.comToday's show:In this double-header, Jason and Lon chat with Louis Phillips, founder of the gamified running app INTVL, which turns a quick job around the block into a worldwide turf war competition. Find out how he grew the app to over 1 million downloads without any paid ads, just making videos from his home office.PLUS Alex sits down with Alice Zhang, CEO of Verge Labs, which pivoted from making drugs to building the AI infrastructure that helps pharma companies develop their own treatments. Find out how they accumulated one of the world's largest proprietary brain datasets and why brain tissue is the “LiDAR of neuroscience.”Guests:INTVL: https://www.intvl.com.au/INTVL on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intvl.appLouis Phillips on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisphillips12Verge Labs: https://vergelabs.com/Alice Zhang on X: https://x.com/AliceXinliZhangRelevant LinksMeta's Ad Library: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/Strava: https://www.strava.com/Pokémon Go: https://pokemongo.com/Fitbod: https://fitbod.me/Tonebase: https://www.tonebase.co/Calm: https://www.calm.com/Hamilton Island official site: https://www.hamiltonisland.com.au/“Mr. Inbetween” trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EooRG3QhQOYArticle: “Verge Genomics Rebrands as Verge Labs”: https://trial.medpath.com/news/verge-genomics-rebrands-as-verge-labs-following-als-drug-trial-failure-pivots-to-ai-driven-target-discoveryEli Lilly: https://www.lilly.com/Chai Discovery: https://www.chaidiscovery.com/Noetik: https://www.noetik.ai/Tempus: https://www.tempus.com/Timestamps:0:00 Louis on building in Melbourne, Australia7:44 Why INTVL ignores how fast you run9:59 Agree - Stop chasing invoices at https://agree.com and tell them Jason sent you to get 50% off for life!15:52 Using gamification for good19:10 Powering INTVL's impressive growth19:55 Quo (formerly OpenPhone) - Quo gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at https://quo.com/TWiST26:16 The future of TWiST Australia27:14 Will AI ever cure cancer?27:54 Inside Verge's rebrand30:31 Superhuman - Get AI that works where you work. Unlock your Superhuman potential at https://superhuman.com32:01 Brain tissue as "ground truth"36:01 Why brain tissue is so valuable as data43:52 Verge's Eli Lilly partnership51:34 "You're going to tell me when I'm going to die"56:11 How AI could impact drug prices58:19 Clinical trial FAILS and how to move onSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com
Today in the business of podcasting:New Sounds Profitable and JAR Podcast Solutions research finds 61% of podcast listeners discover their favorite shows through YouTube and social media, with YouTube now the most-used podcast platform ahead of Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Penske Media Corporation is acquiring the remaining assets of Vox Media, including The Verge, Eater, and SB Nation, completing the breakup of one of digital media's largest independent companies while the podcast network goes to James Murdoch's Lupa Systems.Oxford Road released its Top Performing International Podcasts ranker, scoring shows on advertiser return on investment rather than download counts and drawing on roughly $1.8 billion in verified podcast ad spend.Ad Results Media argues podcast marketers must plan beyond audio, citing Nielsen data on host-read recall and YouTube's 1 billion monthly podcast viewers to make the case for integrated audio, video, and social campaigns.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.
Today in the business of podcasting:New Sounds Profitable and JAR Podcast Solutions research finds 61% of podcast listeners discover their favorite shows through YouTube and social media, with YouTube now the most-used podcast platform ahead of Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Penske Media Corporation is acquiring the remaining assets of Vox Media, including The Verge, Eater, and SB Nation, completing the breakup of one of digital media's largest independent companies while the podcast network goes to James Murdoch's Lupa Systems.Oxford Road released its Top Performing International Podcasts ranker, scoring shows on advertiser return on investment rather than download counts and drawing on roughly $1.8 billion in verified podcast ad spend.Ad Results Media argues podcast marketers must plan beyond audio, citing Nielsen data on host-read recall and YouTube's 1 billion monthly podcast viewers to make the case for integrated audio, video, and social campaigns.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.
The Harmony Universal Remote was supposed to be the only controller you needed for all the devices in your life. So what happened? David Pierce is joined by The Verge's Nilay Patel and John Higgins, as well as Nest co-founder (and current Harmony user) Matt Rogers, to follow the Harmony's timeline from its origins as the "Easy Zapper," through Logitech's acquisition, all the way to its slow death at the hands of smart TVs. And their vastly inferior remotes. If you like the show, follow the Version History audio podcast feed to get every new episode. Version History is also on video! Check us out on YouTube. Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The new smart glasses from Snap look like an impressive bit of technology, and some of the most advanced glasses we've seen. But Nilay and David start the show by wondering, does that matter if nobody wants to put them on? What would it take to overcome the ear-smashing? After that, they discuss the reasons for (and problems awaiting) Fox's acquisition of Roku, the latest updates from Matter, Facebook's wild AI Mode, and more. Further reading: Snap is finally about to ship AR glasses — and they cost a fortune Snap Unveils Specs Smart Glasses at AWE 2026 From CNBC: Snap CEO Evan Spiegel on new AR Specs: New opportunity to bring computing to the world around you Qualcomm's latest chip hints that more powerful smart glasses could be on the way The Microsoft Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Pro 12 now come with Snapdragon X2 chips Commodore's Callback 8020 is a retro flip phone with modern ideals Google's first smart speaker in six years arrives next week Fox is buying Roku Fox wants to take over your TV — and the tech inside it Netflix was reportedly worried about antitrust scrutiny if it bought Roku instead of Fox. Fox is taking over Roku City How Stephen Colbert's Replacement Is Helping Tank the Rest of CBS Will Matter finally be able to do what it should have always done? | The Verge Thread Direct looks to solve Matter's biggest setup headache | The Verge Half a billion people are using Threads every month Facebook's new AI Mode search gets its info from public posts Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:01:00 Intro 00:02:00 Snap Specs revealed 00:06:00 Snap software advantage 00:08:00 Price comfort reality check 00:10:00 True AR breakthrough 00:15:00 Demos vs daily life 00:21:00 Privacy and moderation risks 00:27:00 Fox buys Roku why 00:29:00 Distribution is power 00:33:00 Roku neutrality ends 00:37:00 Roku Lock-In Debate 00:41:00 Piracy Exit Ramp 00:42:00 Tubi Meets Roku Channel 00:46:00 Go90 Scale Rankings 00:52:00 Distribution Matters CBS 00:57:00 Hype Desk Movies 01:03:00 Knicks Laptop Festival 01:06:00 Brendan Carr Is A Dummy 01:10:00 Radio Ownership Waivers 01:12:00 Threads User Numbers 01:16:00 Meta AI Mode Risks 01:19:00 Matter Joint Fabric 01:28:00 Wrap Up and Plugs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
My guest today is Hayden Field, senior AI reporter for The Verge. Often when Hayden comes on the show, it's because something has gone wrong in the world of AI. Last weekend, that something was a pretty intense mix of Anthropic, the Trump administration, and Anthropic's new AI model, Fable 5. Hayden actually just published a fantastic play-by-play on The Verge about how the Fable ban went down, and the scramble through the weekend from both sides to figure out what exactly happened and how it might get resolved. So I wanted her to come on and just walk me through the timeline and what it all means. Links: Inside the fight over Claude Mythos 5 | The Verge Anthropic cuts off Fable 5 and Mythos 5 access following government order | The Verge Anthropic got hit by export rules nobody understands | The Verge Anthropic's safety superpower | Stratechery "They screwed us": Personality clashes sent Anthropic's models offline | Axios Anthropic's call for AI nonproliferation | New York Times Trump signs exec order to review AI models before release | The Verge New Anthropic model finds security problems ‘in every major OS, browser' | The Verge Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Your headphones' microphone matters. A lot. And yet we never know how we sound to others, or whether we're clear to our AI assistants! So from time to time, we like to grab a bunch of headphones and put their microphones through some tough real-world tests. This time, with the help of The Verge's John Higgins, we discover the best-sounding mic we've ever tested. And no, it's not on a pair of AirPods. Not even close. Further reading: Anker's new earbuds have the best call quality I've ever heard AirPods Pro 3 review: tripling down on a good thing Sennheiser's new Momentum 5 headphones have upgraded ANC and a replaceable battery The tech world is sleeping on the most exciting Bluetooth feature in years Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Anthropic and the US government are once again at odds, this time over the Claude Fable 5 model that either is, or is not, or might be, far too dangerous to release to the world. The Verge's Hayden Field explains what's going on with Fable, Mythos, and the whole idea of American AI exceptionalism, before also answering your questions about how WhatsApp and Siri might one day work together, and whether Apple messed up by calling it Siri AI.[10:24 AM] Inside the fight over Claude Mythos 5 Anthropic cuts off Fable 5 and Mythos 5 access following government order I tried Siri AI, and so far it actually works Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Markdown is a system for writing that makes it readable to both humans and computers. It's all about the symbols. You use - to make a list, * for emphasis, ** for even more emphasis. Brackets and parentheses turn into links. Once you know Markdown, you might begin to think in Markdown. Right now it is absolutely everywhere: people are maintaining their Claude.MD files for conversing with AI bots, and writing their notes in Markdown editors like Obsidian. So where did Markdown come from? It came from John Gruber. John joins the show, along with Anil Dash, to tell the story of where Markdown came from and how it took over the world. Further reading: The Markdown spec How Markdown took over the world Gruber on Apple Notes Markdown support 9to5mac: iOS 26 to bring new features for Messages, CarPlay, and more Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today, I'm talking with Slydio CEO Adam Bry, who runs the leading US maker of autonomous drones. We covered a lot in this conversation, including Skydio's police and government work at a time when military use of AI is more controversial than ever and competing with Chinese drones against the backdrop of the Trump's administration's DJI ban. There's a lot in this one – maybe more than anything, it was refreshing to hear Adam talk about using AI to bring even more people to work at Skydio as the company expands. I also got to fly a drone, which ruled. Links: Sorry kid, drones are for war now | The Verge The FCC's foreign drone ban is here | The Verge Skydio is pivoting to enterprise — its consumer drones are dead | The Verge Skydio commits $3.5B to expand US manufacturing | Skydio A US drone maker tries to take back the country's skies | Bloomberg DEA looks to add Skydio, Parrot drones to its arsenal | FedScoop The future of border security isn't at the border at all | The Verge Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 15, 2026 is: tenuous TEN-yoo-us adjective Something described as tenuous is flimsy, weak, or uncertain. // The theater had a tenuous existence for years, but today is on much more solid financial footing. See the entry > Examples: “While more non-screen-based interactive technology could be an antidote to our screen-obsessed society, it's an extremely tenuous link to more human interaction ...” — Jennifer Pattinson Tuohy, The Verge, 4 May 2026 Did you know? Lean into the history of tenuous and you'll find that the word comes to English from the Latin adjective tenuis, meaning “fine-drawn, thin, narrow, or slight,” and is a relative of thin. Like that more familiar word, tenuous has a wide array of meanings: it can describe a literal thinness, as in “a silkworm's tenuous threads,” or rarity (the opposite of density), as in “a tenuous fluid,” or it can describe things that are figuratively thin or flimsy. If one team in a game has a tenuous lead, either team still has a chance at winning. If there is only a tenuous connection between two events, those events are likely unrelated.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 15, 2026 is: tenuous TEN-yoo-us adjective Something described as tenuous is flimsy, weak, or uncertain. // The theater had a tenuous existence for years, but today is on much more solid financial footing. See the entry > Examples: “While more non-screen-based interactive technology could be an antidote to our screen-obsessed society, it's an extremely tenuous link to more human interaction ...” — Jennifer Pattinson Tuohy, The Verge, 4 May 2026 Did you know? Lean into the history of tenuous and you'll find that the word comes to English from the Latin adjective tenuis, meaning “fine-drawn, thin, narrow, or slight,” and is a relative of thin. Like that more familiar word, tenuous has a wide array of meanings: it can describe a literal thinness, as in “a silkworm's tenuous threads,” or rarity (the opposite of density), as in “a tenuous fluid,” or it can describe things that are figuratively thin or flimsy. If one team in a game has a tenuous lead, either team still has a chance at winning. If there is only a tenuous connection between two events, those events are likely unrelated.
AI agents are useful, but they become risky when they can take action in real systems. In this episode, Tom Eston discusses recent reporting about attackers tricking Meta's AI support chatbot into helping hijack Instagram accounts, and why that story matters far beyond social media. Tom explains practical guardrails for AI agents: read-only access first, human approval for consequential actions, separated accounts and contexts, prompt-injection awareness, least privilege, logging, monitoring, and adversarial testing for support and account recovery workflows. Special thanks to Guardsquare for sponsoring this episode! Guardsquare is the leader in mobile application security, with multi-layered protection for your Android and iOS apps. Learn more at Guardsquare.com. ** Links mentioned on the show ** Podcast: Hackers Asked Meta AI To Let Them In. It Worked https://www.404media.co/podcast-hackers-asked-meta-ai-to-let-them-in-it-worked/ The Verge summary of the Meta/Instagram AI support chatbot exploit https://www.theverge.com/tech/941179/meta-instagram-ai-support-chatbot-exploit-hacked ** Watch this episode on YouTube ** ** Become a Shared Security Supporter ** Get exclusive access to bonus episodes, listen to new episodes before they are released, receive a monthly shout-out on the show, and get a discount code for 15% off merch at the Shared Security store. Become a supporter today by going to our YouTube channel's membership section: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg9CCDIYkDDqwEZ3UYaxjnA/join ** Thank you to our sponsors! ** SLNT Visit slnt.com to check out SLNT's amazing line of Faraday bags and other products built to protect your privacy. As a listener of this podcast you receive 10% off your order at checkout using discount code “sharedsecurity”. ** Subscribe and follow the podcast ** Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SharedSecurityPodcast Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sharedsecurity.bsky.social Follow us on Mastodon: https://infosec.exchange/@sharedsecurity Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/SharedSecurityShow/ Visit our website: https://sharedsecurity.net Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://sharedsecurity.net/subscribe Sign-up for our email newsletter to receive updates about the podcast, contest announcements, and special offers from our sponsors: https://shared-security.beehiiv.com/subscribe Leave us a rating and review: https://ratethispodcast.com/sharedsecurity Contact us: https://sharedsecurity.net/contact The post Guarding AI Agents: Boundaries and Safeguards appeared first on Shared Security Podcast.
00:00:00 – Grunge chatter and Disclosure Day setup 00:04:52 – Magnetosphere shield sparks chemtrail alarms 00:14:43 – Anthropic pulls Fable and Mithos models 00:23:46 – Trusted AI access raises liability fears 00:32:08 – Workplace AI turns into botsitting 00:40:52 – New UAP files bring orbs and potatoes 00:46:38 – Disclosure Day gets a spoiler-free review 01:00:25 – Phone lines open for movie reactions 01:13:55 – New listener binges the archive 01:17:14 – Tippy Top gets a Van Halen-style remix 01:21:58 – Coors Light launches the Taller Boy 01:27:01 – Scottish World Cup fans drink planes dry 01:31:49 – David Rush's CIA gold-bar story gets weirder 01:41:45 – SpaceX IPO talk turns into Elon blame games 01:51:21 – Verge rant rolls into show wrap-up Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: http://obdmpod.com ► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/obdmpod ► Full Videos at Odysee: https://odysee.com/@obdm:0 ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/obdmpod ► Instagram: obdmpod ► Email: ourbigdumbmouth at gmail ► RSS: http://ourbigdumbmouth.libsyn.com/rss ► iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-big-dumb-mouth/id261189509?mt=2
Is tonight the night? Mike previews massive Knicks vs. Spurs Game 5 matchup. Also, Mike discusses a historic baseball outing last night. 00:00 Knicks' NBA Finals Hopes 02:23 Spurs' Challenges 07:20 Knicks Fans Heading to San Antonio 16:10 Game Strategies 24:16 Mirowski's Historic Game
In episode fifty, Erik G. Larsson and Emil Björnson leave Earth to take a closer look at the new advancements in satellite communications. Constellations with thousands of low-Earth-orbit satellites are now orbiting the sky to deliver fast Internet connectivity to infrastructure, homes, and maybe even directly to 6G mobile phones. How can we reach such distant satellites, and how do the satellite constellations connect back to Earth? What are the intended use cases? How can the massive Doppler effect be overcome? What is the role of multi-antenna technology? All the answers are provided in this massive episode. To learn more about Distributed MIMO in space, we recommend the paper https://arxiv.org/pdf/2603.12914 The Swedish SMART 6GSAT research center has the website https://cos.eecs.kth.seMusic: On the Verge by Joseph McDade. Visit Erik's website https://liu.se/en/employee/erila39 and Emil's website https://ebjornson.com/
We're all starting to test Apple's newest software post-WWDC, and the most surprising thing has happened: Siri actually seems to be pretty good now. Nilay and David discuss how that happened, and what it means for the AI industry, and all of us, that Apple's voice assistant is finally useful. Then, we have some news about Bluesky, Threads, and YouTube that adds up to a big change in social networks, plus the Hype Desk, Brendan Carr, the Trump Phone, and a really great deal for iPad users Further reading: Apple announces Siri AI and its next generation of Apple Intelligence I tried Siri AI, and so far it actually works Apple's new Siri AI knows when to shut up I'm relieved Siri AI isn't trying to be a health coach You can just tell the Instagram algorithm what you want now YouTube is introducing DMs (again) Bluesky is getting ‘communities' Anthropic releases its first Mythos-class model Claude Fable Claude Fable won't answer basic biology questions Anthropic apologizes for invisible Claude Fable guardrails Microsoft restricts Claude Fable for employees over data retention concerns YouTube is introducing DMs (again) Bluesky is getting ‘communities' iFixit Trump phone teardown confirms it's an HTC dupe Solar has overtaken coal in the US for the first time AT&T is launching $3 ‘unlimited' day passes for iPads Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:00 New Siri is good 00:04:00 Search Index Breakthrough 00:08:00 Cloud vs On Device 00:11:00 Siri Upends AI Apps 00:20:00 Where Is The Computer 00:24:00 EU Interoperability Fight 00:31:00 Social News Lightning Trio 00:33:00 Mosseri Algorithm Control 00:35:00 Bluesky Communities 00:37:00 YouTube DMs Social Push 00:41:00 Bluesky Bets on Communities 00:50:00 Talking to Your Algorithm 00:51:00 AI Made-to-Order Instagram 00:54:00 Bespoke Apps Break Reality 01:01:00 Hype Desk 01:02:00 Social Reckoning Trailer Breakdown and Casting 01:14:00 CBS News Meltdown 01:17:00 Carr vs Newsrooms 01:20:00 SpaceX IPO Favors 01:24:00 Claude Fable Guardrails 01:30:00 Trump Phone Teardown 01:34:00 AT&T iPad Day Pass 01:36:00 Solar Beats Coal 01:38:00 Signoff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On this week's show: Apple Home gets Thread 1.4, 4K video, and energy tracking, Amazon gives the Echo Hub a makeover with smarter Ring features, and Google teaches Nest cams to recognize your pets. We also check out Eufy's biometric locks, UniFi's campus-level security gear, WiiM's first soundbar, a Donut Lab battery scandal that's gone flat, and Music Assistant's sonic smarts. All that, project updates, and so much more!HomeTech HeadlinesApple Home goes pro: Thread 1.4, 4K video, and native energy management in iOS 27 | Matter Alpha - matteralpha.comCameras get an Apple Intelligence boost in Apple Home | The Verge - theverge.comApple's Home app will soon show you how much energy your smart plug is drawing. | The Verge - theverge.comShark is bringing some style to robot vacuums. | The Verge - The VergeAmazon's Echo Hub gets a customizable new look and Ring's AI features | The Verge - theverge.comNest cams can now recognize your furry friends. | The Verge - theverge.comEufy launches new smart locks with facial recognition and palm scanning. | The Verge - theverge.comUniFi Protect is Now Campus Security Ready - blog.ui.comWiiM expands its whole-home ecosystem with a new soundbar | The Verge - theverge.comMusic Assistant 2.9: Discover Your Sound - Music Assistant - music-assistant.ioFeatherSnap Smart Bird Feeder Camera | Wi-Fi, Solar, & Bird ID
Movies directed by YouTubers are suddenly blowing up at the box office. Backrooms and Obsession are both smash hits, and The Amazing Digital Circus had a big debut last week. Is this the moment YouTube truly takes over Hollywood? Julia Alexander, media correspondent at Puck, walks us through the much longer history of YouTube on the big screen, and helps us figure out where this all goes next. Is the future just really, really big YouTube videos? Further reading: Backrooms is at the forefront of horror's YouTube wave Iron Lung's path to theaters was unique, even if the movie isn't YouTube is everything and everything is YouTube Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hey! Nilay here. It's conference season, so I'm traveling across the country and around the world a lot more than usual. Stay tuned for some very special Decoder episodes we have coming up soon, starting on Monday. In the meantime, I wanted to share a conversation between my friend Peter Kafka and Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch on the excellent Channels podcast. Lynch says he's told his teams to assume that traffic will be zero from now on — that's what I've been calling Google Zero. Roger also shares his thoughts on AI, the growing influence of the creator economy, and more. Links: Channels with Peter Kafka | Apple Podcasts Condé Nast CEO: Plan As If Search Traffic Will Be Zero | Search Engine Journal Sundar Pichai on AI, the future of search, and what's happening to the web | Decoder Google Zero is here — now what? | Decoder Google admits the open web is in ‘rapid decline' | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today, a look at markets testing the lows again yesterday, but trying to put in a rally ahead of a huge market event tomorrow that could define where this market heads next in what could prove an either-or moment. Elsewhere, interesting market reaction to Oracle's earnings report after the close, and super-critical support levels have come into play for the gold price, which faces its own either-or moment technically and thematically as the USD remains strong. Lots more on macro and FX and more in today's pod, which is hosted by Saxo Global Head of Macro Strategy John J. Hardy. Links In "The abundance illusion" noted oil industry analyst Jeff Currie notes the risks the oil market (and the wider global economy) faces this summer as seasonal demand rises inexorably while oil has yet to begin meaningfully flowing through the strait of Hormuz again. Also, he notes China's "New Joule Order" which has its own tremendous implications as the country puts its energy system resilience on display. HT to FTAlphaville for another great link today, this one to a Kardamow substack article that discusses the same concerns Currie discusses in the above link, with some more data specifics. An FT Article looks at US attempts to piece together a "dark transit" system for oil tankers to transit the Hormuz Strait via a narrow and risk shipping lane that hugs the Omani coast. Stratechery.com has a much more positive take on Apple's AI strategy with Siri than the market's very negative assessment in recent days, in a piece it calls The iPhone's Last Stand. This year's Microsoft Build conference is seeing the company's Project Solara announcement, the company's attempt to envision a new operating system and network of new devices, among other things, aimed at addressing the transition to the agentic AI era. The Verge discusses this as well as Microsoft's broader AI strategy. About twice per week (in normal times, hopefully soon to resume), you will find links discussed on the podcast and a chart-of-the-day over at the John J. Hardy substack. Read daily in-depth market updates from the Saxo Market Call and the Saxo Strategy Team here. Please reach out to us at marketcall@saxobank.com for feedback and questions. Click here to open an account with Saxo. Intro music by AShamaluevMusic DISCLAIMER This content is marketing material. Trading financial instruments carries risks. Always ensure that you understand these risks before trading. This material does not contain investment advice or an encouragement to invest in a particular manner. Historic performance is not a guarantee of future results. The instrument(s) referenced in this content may be issued by a partner, from whom Saxo Bank A/S receives promotional fees, payment or retrocessions. While Saxo may receive compensation from these partnerships, all content is created with the aim of providing clients with valuable information and options.
Now that we've had a couple of days to digest all the Siri AI updates, the new corner radii, and everything else Apple announced at its developer conference, we spend the episode answering all your most burning questions. What non-AI stuff are we excited about? How much catching up did Siri really do this week? And wait: what about the HomePod? Further reading: WWDC 2026: All the news from Apple's developers conference 5 things I already love from the iOS 27 beta Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Long before Steve Jobs was the unstoppable force of nature atop Apple, shipping hit product after hit product, he was practically run out of the company after a series of bad product and management decisions. But as Geoffrey Cain argues in his new book, Steve Jobs in Exile: The Untold Story of NeXT and the Remaking of an American Visionary, the 12 years Jobs spent outside of Apple turned him into the leader the world came to know. Cain joins the show to talk about Jobs' experiences at NeXT and Pixar, how Jobs learned to be a successful leader, and the true power — and danger — of the reality distortion field. Further reading: Steve Jobs in Exile Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:01:30 Intro 00:01:56 90 Seconds on The Verge 00:03:46 Interview with Geoffrey Cain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apple's annual developer conference keynote was a strange one this year. The company breezed by its normal slew of operating system upgrades, and talked instead about helping people manage their relationships with their devices, and AI. Lots and lots of AI. On this post-keynote livestream, David Pierce, Hayden Field, and Jake Kastrenakes give their first takes on Siri AI, the Apple Intelligence features coming this fall, Apple's new Screen Time design, and everything else we liked and disliked from the keynote. Including the corner radii. Further reading: Apple WWDC 2026: The 7 biggest announcements Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:00 Why This Keynote Felt Chaotic 00:05:00 AI Takes Center Stage 00:06:00 Apple Plays Catch Up 00:09:00 Privacy and Private Cloud 00:12:00 Useful Versus Creepy AI 00:18:00 Why Apple Went All In 00:25:00 New Siri Voice 00:33:00 Siri App Intents 00:37:00 Vibe Coding Shortcuts 00:39:00 Siri Goes Orb Mode 00:41:00 Too Many Siri Gestures 00:42:00 Apple Trust and Screen Time 00:46:00 Kids Safety and App Responsibility 00:50:00 App Store Dissonance and Regulation 00:52:00 OS 27 Device Cutoffs 00:59:00 Favorite Features and Liquid Glass 01:04:00 Dictation Confusion and Wrap Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today I'm talking with Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI. This is a real burner of an episode. We covered everything from his approach to training new models to his criticisms of Anthropic talking about Claude as though it is conscious. Of course, we also talked about Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI, how Mustafa is thinking about all the negative polling and political pushback around AI right now, and whether any of the consumer products are good enough to overcome it. Like I said, it's a burner. Read the full interview transcript on The Verge. Links: Microsoft and OpenAI broke up — now they're ready to fight | The Verge Microsoft Build 2026: The 7 biggest announcements | The Verge Microsoft's first advanced reasoning AI is here | The Verge Microsoft's new ‘superintelligence' game plan is all about business | The Verge Here's how the new Microsoft and OpenAI deal breaks down | The Verge Microsoft AI chief says 18 months until white-collar tasks automated by AI | FT Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Enforcement of the Take It Down Act began last month. If tech firms don't comply and take down non-consensual intimate images — AI-generated or not — within 48 hours of being notified, they face financial and criminal penalties.Lauren Feiner is a senior policy reporter at The Verge, who's been writing about the law. She walked us through how platforms have been responding.
Enforcement of the Take It Down Act began last month. If tech firms don't comply and take down non-consensual intimate images — AI-generated or not — within 48 hours of being notified, they face financial and criminal penalties.Lauren Feiner is a senior policy reporter at The Verge, who's been writing about the law. She walked us through how platforms have been responding.
It's developer conference season, and one of the themes so far has been big swings at AI apps. We've seen Gemini Spark, Microsoft Scout, and so many other attempts to figure out what people, and companies, actually want their AI to do. Nilay and David discuss their experiences with the apps, before turning to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's vision for the AI-filled laptop of the future. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for the Hype Desk, Brendan Carr is a Dummy, a deeply dumb Meta hack, and the future of a favorite VR game. Further reading: Testing Google's Gemini Spark AI agent: it's incredible, and creepy Gemini's new AI agent is about as good as Google's demo Microsoft Scout is a new AI personal assistant built on OpenClaw Microsoft's Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgets As AI gets better, it reveals an empty promise Let us filter AI slop, you cowards Microsoft and OpenAI broke up — now they're ready to fight These are the first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops This is the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia RTX Spark A first look at Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface Dev Box Nvidia is already planning N2X and N3X chips — the goal is the Star Trek computer This could be Windows' M1 moment — but expect it to cost a ton Computex 2026: All the news and announcements Meta's own AI was exploited to hijack Instagram accounts Apple's strategy for smart glasses is the same as for smart watches It sure seems like the Vision Pro isn't getting upgraded for a while — if ever. Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:01:00 Intro 00:03:00 New Verge Merch Drop 00:09:00 Gemini Spark Test Drive 00:13:00 Privacy Tradeoffs Debate 00:21:00 Software Brain Pushback 00:36:00 Jensen Huang Computer Future 00:39:00 Microsoft Build Reality Check 00:41:00 Nvidia Spark Recall 00:42:00 Microsoft Badge Agents 00:54:00 Escaping Apple Tax 00:57:00 Wearables Walled Gardens 01:05:00 Hype Desk 01:06:00 Bond Game Streaming 01:09:00 Summer Games Fest 01:11:00 State of Play Highlights 01:11:00 God of War 01:14:00 Wolverine Gore Talk 01:15:00 Widows Bay 01:17:00 Lightning Round 01:17:00 Brendan Carr is a Dummy 01:26:00 Apple Glasses Rumors 01:36:00 Privacy Backlash Risk 01:38:00 Meta AI Hack Fiasco 01:43:00 Supernatural Returns 01:47:00 Wrap and Next Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SpaceX is targeting a $1.77 trillion valuation, but some analysts think it's worth half that. Plus, Florida sues OpenAI — the first state to take legal action against an AI company. But first, President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week, similar to the one he called off last month, asking AI companies to give the government a first look at advanced models that could have national security implications. It comes after models like Anthropic's Mythos have raised cybersecurity concerns for reportedly being too good at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities.Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Liz Lopatto, senior reporter at The Verge, to learn more.Everything we talked about:“PROMOTING ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INNOVATION AND SECURITY” from the White House“Trump Signs Executive Order Seeking Oversight of A.I. Models” from The New York Times“SpaceX: What Investors Need to Know About Its Enormous Upcoming IPO” from Morningstar“SpaceX is worth less than half of its $1.75 trillion IPO target, Morningstar says” from CNBC“Attorney General James Uthmeier Files First-in-the-Nation State-Led Lawsuit Against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman for Deceptive Practices and Harms to Floridians” from Florida's Attorney General“OpenAI Sued by Florida's Attorney General Over AI Harms” from The Wall Street Journal
SpaceX is targeting a $1.77 trillion valuation, but some analysts think it's worth half that. Plus, Florida sues OpenAI — the first state to take legal action against an AI company. But first, President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week, similar to the one he called off last month, asking AI companies to give the government a first look at advanced models that could have national security implications. It comes after models like Anthropic's Mythos have raised cybersecurity concerns for reportedly being too good at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities.Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Liz Lopatto, senior reporter at The Verge, to learn more.Everything we talked about:“PROMOTING ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INNOVATION AND SECURITY” from the White House“Trump Signs Executive Order Seeking Oversight of A.I. Models” from The New York Times“SpaceX: What Investors Need to Know About Its Enormous Upcoming IPO” from Morningstar“SpaceX is worth less than half of its $1.75 trillion IPO target, Morningstar says” from CNBC“Attorney General James Uthmeier Files First-in-the-Nation State-Led Lawsuit Against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman for Deceptive Practices and Harms to Floridians” from Florida's Attorney General“OpenAI Sued by Florida's Attorney General Over AI Harms” from The Wall Street Journal
Microsoft's commitment to AI is not news. Copilot has been everywhere for... a while now. But at this week's Build developer conference, the company made clear that it wants — and needs — to be a bigger player in the space. The Verge's Tom Warren joins David to talk about the new Scout AI assistant, the Solara operating system concept, and whether Microsoft can hang with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. Also: How's the new era of Xbox going? We're also on video! Check us out on YouTube. Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
My guest today is Ryan Mac, a technology reporter at The New York Times and co-author of the excellent book Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, which came out in 2024. I wanted to have Ryan on today because we're on the cusp of the SpaceX IPO, which promises to be one of the most consequential public offerings in history for a variety of reasons. Its biggest-ever size, of course, at nearly $2 trillion dollars. But also because all kinds of rules that keep our markets fair are being bent, if not outright broken, along the way. And, also because buried somewhere inside SpaceX is X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, which Musk purchased in 2022. Read the full interview transcript on The Verge. Links: Welcome to hell, Elon | The Verge The SpaceX IPO is great for Elon Musk and terrible for you | The Verge In SpaceX's IPO, Elon Musk is the risk factor | The Verge For Wall Street, the only thing worse than SpaceX flopping is missing out | NYT How SpaceX Is structured to favor Elon Musk | NYT As the SpaceX hype machine steamrolls ahead, Wall Street jumps aboard | NYT The SpaceX IPO Reveals What Really Happened to Twitter | NY Mag Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How far can we push the limits of the human body? At the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, a few dozen athletes tried to find out, and The Verge's Victoria Song was there to watch. She tells us the story of the swimmers, weightlifters, and other athletes who competed, the intense training and drug regimens they underwent, and the complicated mix of pseudo-science and actual science behind the event. Then, she tells us where this project goes from here — because the Enhanced Games experiment is just beginning. Further reading: Roids were all the rage at the Enhanced Games What would you be willing to put in your body? Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:00:00 90 Seconds Headlines 00:04:00 What Are Enhanced Games 00:06:00 Sport Science or Grift 00:07:00 Wellness Grifter Playbook 00:10:00 Rules for Doping 00:11:00 Allowed Drugs Explained 00:14:00 Clean Athletes Surprise 00:18:00 Harm Reduction Argument 00:21:00 Heat and Event Chaos 00:28:00 Peptides for Sale 00:29:00 Telehealth Friction Debate 00:32:00 Influencers vs Media Narrative 00:33:00 Athlete Payout Reality 00:35:00 Future Plans and Stock 00:37:00 Vegas Vibes and Sexy Water 00:37:00 Hotline 00:41:00 Ferrari Luce Listener Takes 00:44:00 Final Thoughts and WWDC Plug Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nvidia is betting that AI is going to change the way you use your computer — and with a new chip, the RTX Spark, it's hoping to ensure it powers that new-fangled AI machine. During a big week for the PC industry, with the Computex trade show and Microsoft's Build developer conference happening simultaneously, The Verge's Sean Hollister explains what's inside the Spark, why Nvidia is taking on Apple, Intel, AMD, and the rest of the chip industry, and whether the world's most valuable company has a shot at reinventing the personal computer. Without costing a fortune. Nvidia announces RTX Spark as ‘the most efficient PC chip ever built' This is the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia RTX Spark These are the first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops AMD's new pitch: our old tech is so good you should just keep using it We're also on video! Check us out on YouTube. Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices