The Vergecast
Switch 2: the good news and bad news
Last week, The Verge's Ash Parrish got to play with the new Nintendo Switch 2. We got over our outrageous jealousy long enough to ask her all about it: what it's like to hold, how the screen looks, whether the mouse-control is any good, and much more. Ash gives us the good news, and the bad news, on everything we now know about the Switch 2. (We do talk about the price, but we recorded before the Trump administration launched its massive new tariff push — so you can consider the price even worse news than we thought.) After that, The Verge's Tom Warren joins the show to talk about Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebration, how the company has stayed so resilient for so long, and whether AI is really the next five-decade project for one of the world's biggest companies. Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (866-VERGE11, or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about how you should change your shopping habits in a tariff-filled world. It's hard to know where we'll be in a few months, but it sure doesn't look like gadgets are getting any cheaper. Further reading: The Vergecast was nominated for a Webby, which means we can win a Webby People’s Voice Award and that’s voted online by you! So we’d love your support. You can vote at the link:https://bit.ly/3DXFgpN Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on: it’s all in the games All of the Nintendo Switch 2 news, hands-ons, and trailers Donkey Kong Bananza was best in show at the Switch 2 hands-on I’m not sold on the Switch 2’s mouse-like controls Microsoft turns 50 Why I’ve covered Microsoft for 25 years How Microsoft made it through 50 years Trump’s tariffs mean you’ll pay more for all gadgets Trump’s tariffs put the iPhone in a tough spot From The Wall Street Journal: Here’s the iPhone. Here’s the iPhone With Tariffs. New Star GP, the game The General Magic documentary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8 apr. 2025 - 01 tim 15 min 14 sek
How tariffs will change your gadgets
It's a Nintendo Switch 2. What could it cost, a thousand dollars? In this episode, Nilay, David, and The Verge's Richard Lawler talk through why we don't really know. But first, we talk about the Switch 2, and some of the reasons we're excited — and maybe just a little concerned — about Nintendo's new console. This is likely to be the most interesting device of the year, and we learned an awful lot more about it this week. We also talk about Microsoft's 50th anniversary, the fate of TikTok, and other gadget news. Then we get to tariffs, with the help of Tuneshine creator Tobias Butler, who explains how tariffs affect the way hardware companies do business — and how they're navigating the current uncertainty. After that, in the lightning round, it's time for a little Brendan Carr is a Dummy, followed by the latest on Tesla's sales numbers, Alexa Plus, and Coyote vs. Acme. Further reading: The Vergecast was nominated for a Webby, which means we can win a Webby People’s Voice Award and that’s voted online by you! So we’d love your support. You can vote at the link:https://bit.ly/3DXFgpN The 50 best things Microsoft has ever made The Nintendo Switch 2 arrives on June 5th for $449.99 Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on: it’s all in the games Nvidia confirms the Nintendo Switch 2 has DLSS and real-time ray tracing Nintendo Switch 2 specs: 1080p 120Hz display, 4K dock, mouse mode, and more The Nintendo Switch 2 has a camera accessory for video chat Nintendo’s Switch 2 ‘C’ button is a Discord-like GameChat feature Verge staffers react to the Nintendo Switch 2 Here’s everything Nintendo has revealed about the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons Nintendo’s Switch 2 preorder process has strict requirements to thwart scalpers ‘TikTok America,’ Amazon, and other rumors about who might buy TikTok From The New York Times: Trump Set to Meet With Top Aides to Decide TikTok’s Fate From Wired: The Founder of OnlyFans Wants to Buy TikTok Tuneshine – Your space, your music Donald Trump announces tariffs that could raise the price of almost everything you buy Reciprocal Tariff Calculations | United States Trade Representative Trump’s new tariff math looks a lot like ChatGPT’s These are the tariffs about to hit Apple. Chris Murphy’s Bluesky thread Trump’s tariffs are ‘a debacle of epic proportions’ for the auto industry T-Mobile closes Lumos deal after dropping DEI | The Verge E Democrats Launch Investigation into FCC Chairman Carr’s Repeated Attacks on the First Amendment Sony’s new Bravia lineup includes its ‘King of TV’ successor Tesla’s sales plummet 13 percent as Musk backlash grows Best printer 2025: just buy a Brother laser printer, the winner is clear, middle finger in the air Alexa Plus just launched in early access, but it’s missing some features Coyote vs. Acme is finally coming to theaters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4 apr. 2025 - 01 tim 48 min 10 sek
Searching for the perfect minimalist smartphone
David has a Light Phone III, and it's making him wonder a lot of things about technology. So The Verge's Allison Johnson joins the show to talk about the whole trend of minimalist smartphones, and to figure out which features a smartphone absolutely needs, and which ones we could all probably do without. After that, The Verge's Andy Hawkins takes us through a big weekend in the Tesla Takedown movement, what's happening with Elon Musk's car company, how automakers are responding to impending tariffs, and whether we're wrong to be excited about the new Nissan Leaf. Finally, The Verge's Jen Tuohy answers a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11, or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about all-seeing cameras in our homes. Which mostly don't exist yet. Mostly. Further reading: Light Phone III review: everything in moderation There’s no perfect minimalist phone — yet One year with the Light Phone 2 We went to 10 anti-Tesla protests — and a couple counter protests, too ‘Tesla Takedown’ protesters planning ‘biggest day of action’ How Elon Musk turned the Tesla brand so toxic The Nissan Leaf lives on as a compact SUV with a Tesla charge port Ring’s latest security camera is a drone that flies around inside your house Project Astra is the future of AI at Google Alexa Plus arrives with promise but plenty of questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 apr. 2025 - 01 tim 17 min 21 sek
OpenAI has a Studio Ghibli problem
In this episode, we do a Studio Ghibli-like rendition of The Vergecast. First, Nilay and David discuss some big news in the gadget world, from the mysteriously viral midrange Canon camera to the upgrades we're expecting out of Apple in the next few months. Plus, is it over for Amazon's Echo brand? After all that, The Verge's Kylie Robison joins the show to discuss everything happening at OpenAI: the company launched a new image generator inside of ChatGPT, and it immediately became both a huge hit and a big mess. (Par for the course with OpenAI, really.) Kylie also explains why Perplexity is probably not buying TikTok, no matter how much it might want to. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for everyone's favorite segment, Brendan Carr Is a Dummy, followed by the latest on the Signal attack-planning chaos in the government, some news about Elon Musk pressuring Reddit CEO Steve Huffmann, and what's next for the car industry with huge tariffs looming. Oh, and a little bit of exciting e-bike news Further reading: From Meta: Bringing the Magic of Friends Back to Facebook Apple’s AirPods Max with USB-C will soon support lossless audio The Apple Watch may get cameras and Apple Intelligence Apple’s WWDC 2025 event starts June 9th Don’t expect an overhauled Messages app in iOS 19. Amazon tests renaming Echo smart speakers and smart displays to just ‘Alexa’ OpenAI reshuffles leadership as Sam Altman pivots to technical focus OpenAI upgrades image generation and rolls it out in ChatGPT and Sora ChatGPT’s new image generator is delayed for free users ChatGPT is turning everything into Studio Ghibli art OpenAI says ‘our GPUs are melting’ as it limits ChatGPT image generation requests OpenAI expects to earn $12.7 billion in revenue this year. Nvidia Infinite Creative Microsoft adds ‘deep reasoning’ Copilot AI for research and data analysis Google says its new ‘reasoning’ Gemini AI models are the best ones yet Google is rolling out Gemini’s real-time AI video features Perplexity’s bid for TikTok continues Trump's FCC says it will start investigating Disney, too From Status: Sounding the Carr Alarm Trump officials leaked a military strike in a Signal group chat The Atlantic releases strike group chat messages And the Most Tortured Signal-Gate Backronym Award goes to… | The Verge Elon Musk pressured Reddit’s CEO on content moderation | The Verge Trump’s plans to save TikTok may fail to keep it online, Democrats warn Rivian spins out secret e-bike lab into a new company called Also BYD beats Tesla. Trump says he will impose a 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles 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
28 mars 2025 - 01 tim 58 min 59 sek
How Roomba got stuck
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
25 mars 2025 - 01 tim 36 min 06 sek
Trump's confusing crusade against Big Tech
Starlink is in the White House, Siri is still bad, Pebble is back, up is down, everything is chaos. In this episode, Nilay and David start the show by running through some big gadget news, from a Siri-related shakeup at Apple to the new Google Pixel 9A. After that, The Verge's Lauren Feiner talks us through some of the latest in tech regulation: Trump's illegal firings at the FTC, the confusing state of the TikTok ban, OpenAI and Google arguing their case for free-for-all AI, and more. Finally, in the lightning round, Nilay and David talk about the latest Tesla recall, the hugely popular book about Meta, some exciting ActivityPub news, and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos gently zinging Apple TV Plus. Further reading: From Bloomberg: Apple Shuffles AI Executive Ranks in Bid to Turn Around Siri The first new Pebble smartwatches are coming later this year Europe is trying to get non-Apple smartwatches to work better with iPhones Google’s Pixel 9A gets a bigger screen and beefier water resistance Google briefly delays Pixel 9A release to investigate ‘component quality issue’ Huawei’s new flip phone is weirdly wide Nvidia says ‘the age of generalist robotics is here’ Nvidia’s cute ‘Digits’ AI desktop is coming this summer with a new name and a big brother Nvidia announces Blackwell Ultra GB300 and Vera Rubin, its next AI ‘superchips’ Musk’s Starlink gets deployed at the White House Federal rural broadband program loses head Oracle is reportedly in the lead to save TikTok from US ban A”high-level” deal to save TikTok can probably happen by the April 5th deadline, Vance says. Democratic FTC commissioners say they were ‘illegally fired’ by Trump Fired FTC commissioner warns of the ‘corrupting influence of billionaires’ Democratic FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks will resign this spring WBEZ, 12 other public media stations under investigation CTIA Announces Ajit Pai as New CEO and President OpenAI and Google ask the government to let them train AI on content they don’t own Hundreds of celebrities warn against letting OpenAI and Google ‘freely exploit’ Hollywood Google Search charged with breaking EU antitrust rules DHS’s airport panopticon is getting people deported and detained Space science is under threat from the anti-DEI purge DOGE stranded USAID workers with laptops full of sensitive data They’re removing webpages about Black soldiers by adding ‘DEI’ to the URL. ‘Tesla Takedown’ protesters planning ‘biggest day of action’ Tesla recalls more than 46,000 Cybertrucks after trim starts falling off From NYMag: Elon Musk Has Become Too Toxic for YouTube ‘Careless People’ debuts at the top of the NYT best sellers list. Threads finally lets you set the following feed as default Ghost connects its newsletters to the open web Netflix’s CEO talks Apple TV, Amazon, and the NFL 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
21 mars 2025 - 01 tim 49 min 33 sek
Switch 2, Steam Deck, and the next-gen console wars
Handheld gaming looks like the future — so why isn't it more popular? The Verge's Sean Hollister joins the show to talk about some new data about the handheld console market, what it says about the Steam Deck's dominance, whether the Switch 2 might change everything all over again, and why Sony and Microsoft don't appear to be in the game at all. After that, David reports on his trip to Florida to see TGL, the golf league aiming to bring the sport to new places and new fans, with the help of a truly enormous amount of technology. Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline about iPads — and more specifically, one particularly good reason to upgrade to the Air or the Pro. Further reading: Three years later, the Steam Deck has dominated handheld PC gaming shipments Steam Deck OLED review: better, not faster Lenovo Legion Go S review: feels good, plays bad Asus ROG Ally X review: the best Windows gaming handheld by a mile MSI Claw review: an embarrassment A night at TGL, the would-be future of golf From ESPN: Inside the making of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TGL From Wired: Robotic Putting Greens. Mixed Reality. Loud Spectators. This Is Golf?! Apple iPad Air 2025 review: what the M3 upgrade really gets you Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
18 mars 2025 - 01 tim 24 min 19 sek
The fake promise of better Siri
Big tech companies are forever making promises about the future. And you might (or might not) be surprised how often they don't come true. On this episode, Nilay and David start by discussing the good and bad of Apple's new iPads and Macs, before diving into the supposedly AI-powered, all-powerful Siri that is delayed indefinitely. Maybe this whole "AI will fix everything" plan wasn't such a good one. After that, The Verge's Andy Hawkins joins to discuss what's going on with Tesla: why sales are down, how the perception of the company has shifted as Elon Musk's job description has changed, and how it happened that President Trump did a Tesla sales pitch on the White House lawn. Everything's computer, you know? Finally, in the lighting round, the hosts discuss Brendan Carr's ongoing shenanigans, Jay Graber's sartorial burns, the future of Pokemon Go, and much more. Further reading: Apple is reportedly planning a design overhaul for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Apple’s plans for a smart display suffer a Siri-related setback Apple adds Siri disclaimer to iPhone 16 pages. Apple pulled its iPhone 16 ad showing off the good Siri. ‘HomePad’ delayed to post-WWDC to ensure iOS 19 design consistency All this bad AI is wrecking a whole generation of gadgets Apple MacBook Air M4 review: a little more for a little less Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) first look: a weekend with an $8,000 powerhouse Apple iPad Air 2025 review: what the M3 upgrade really gets you Is Tesla cooked? Trump says he’ll label attacks on Tesla locations as domestic terrorism The Tesla protests are getting bigger — and rowdier Trump hosts a Tesla ad at the White House. Everything's computer Tesla protests continue to escalate. Sonos has canceled its streaming video player Home Assistant makes it official. FCC chair asks if YouTube TV ‘discriminates against faith-based programming’ Brendan Carr on X: FCC chairman asks the public to list every regulation he should remove A Trump official has been moonlighting as a fashion influencer Pokémon Go developer Niantic to sell gaming business to Saudi group TikTok’s mood music will tell teens to ‘wind down’ after 10PM Bluesky CEO Jay Graber has a message for Zuck. 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
14 mars 2025 - 01 tim 46 min 17 sek
China has some big ideas about smartphones
In this episode, what's old is new again, and what's new is... AI again. The Verge's Allison Johnson and Dominic Preston join David to discuss their experience at Mobile World Congress 2025, where they saw the latest devices from Xiaomi, Samsung, Realme, and others — and found themselves confronted with some big, surprising new ideas about how our smartphones should look and work. After that, Kevin Rose and Justin Mezzell talk about the process of bringing Digg back, and how AI can improve the way social networks operate. Digg got a lot of things right two decades ago, and plans to do it all over again now. Finally, we answer a question about printers from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!), with some help from Framework CEO Nirav Patel. Further reading: MWC 2025 was all about the odds and ends What if your phone’s camera was much, much bigger? You spin me right round, baby, right round. Xiaomi 15 Ultra review: ugly phone, beautiful camera Digg Reboot How Digg helped invent the social internet Digg is coming back, with founder Kevin Rose and Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11 mars 2025 - 01 tim 12 min 31 sek
Apple's chip bumps, big and small
Apple's new gadgets this week were pretty minor updates, so of course we talk about them for a long time. Nilay and David are joined by The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes, and the three hosts discuss the latest iPad, iPad Air, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio. All three have... a lot of thoughts. After that, they run through some more tech news, including the Digg reboot, the end of Skype, VW's cheap new EV, and more. Finally, in the lightning round, they talk about the latest from DOGE and the Trump administration, Brendan Carr's latest assaults on free speech, and a smartphone that is mostly (but not entirely) a camera. Further reading: Apple iPad Air 2025: launch, price, and specs Apple refreshes the iPad but doesn’t add Apple Intelligence Apple announces MacBook Air with M4 chip and a price cut Our first look at Apple’s sky blue MacBook Air Apple launches new Mac Studios with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips Behold the maxed out Mac Studio. Digg is coming back, with founder Kevin Rose and Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian Discord is reportedly exploring an IPO. Nothing’s Phone 3A and 3A Pro use AI to organize all your stuff The Volkswagen ID. EVERY1 is an affordable EV for the masses Volkswagen’s cheapest EV ever is the first to use Rivian software Microsoft is shutting down Skype in favor of Teams The Verge remembers Skype Big Tech is now slightly less silent on Trump’s tariffs Trump imposes tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China Car prices expected to increase by as much as $12,000 thanks to Trump’s tariffs Best Buy and Target CEOs say prices are about to go up because of tariffs What’s an import? Trump to Cabinet: Musk has no authority to fire workers FAA staff reportedly ordered to find funding for deal with Musk’s Starlink Trump’s USCIS wants to review all prospective citizens’ social media accounts Senate votes to strip the CFPB of its power to regulate X MWC: FCC chair says U.S. will defend interests of its tech giants FCC’s Carr defends broadcast probes, slams social media ‘threat’ A camera for your cameraphone: Sony Cyber-shot QX10 and QX100 review Xiaomi 15 Ultra is a small update with a big periscope lens 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
7 mars 2025 - 01 tim 52 min 24 sek