The Engadget Podcast

Well, the rumors were true: this week the DOJ argued that Google should sell off Chrome to make up for its monopolistic search practices. On top of that, the US government also suggested a potential sale of Android if it can't stop prioritizing its own search on Android smartphones. In this episode, Devindra and Producer Ben discuss why neither outcome seems likely under the upcoming Trump 2.0 administration, which will likely focus on defanging any sort of regulation. U.S. regulators want Google to sell its Chrome division (and why that probably won’t happen) – 1:05Comcast spins off Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango, and a handful of cable networks into their own company – 22:23Sony is in talks to buy Kadokawa, Japanese publisher behind FromSoft games and Kill la Kill – 24:38German authorities suspect Baltic Sea data cables between Lithuania and Sweden were sabotaged – 26:21Pokémon Go devs Niantic reveal plans to create a Large Geospatial Model to power future AR and robots – 32:26Working on – 45:49Pop culture picks – 51:38

For obvious reasons, Twitter users are leaving en masse and heading to Bluesky, its most prominent decentralized competitor. In this episode, we discuss why Bluesky now feels like the best of early Twitter, filled with vibrant conversations and people discovering a new social network filled with useful features (like serious blocking and content filtering). And of course, the lack of an algorithmic feed surely helps. Also, we chat with Justin Hendrix from Tech Policy Press about how Elon Musk has become a crucial ally to the upcoming Trump administration.  Bluesky ascendent: the federated platform could actually be the next Twitter – 2:22Musk cozies up to President-elect Trump, could a Department of Government Efficiency be next? – 23:37Interview with Justin Hendrix, founder of Tech Policy Press, on Trump and Musk – 31:50The Onion buys InfoWars with plans to turn the brand into gun control satire – 48:02LG Display’s stretchy new screen – 54:34The Beatles have been nominated for two Grammys with the help of AI – 56:50Goodbye: AOL voiceover Elwood Edwards has died – 58:29Working on – 1:00:11Pop culture picks – 1:02:38 

In this episode, Devindra and producer Ben Ellman recover from the election by discussing our final thoughts on the PlayStation 5 Pro, as well as Apple’s M4 Mac mini (so cute, so powerful!) and new MacBook Pros. The M4 chip is a solid upgrade, but the M4 Pro is shockingly fast (so much so that it outscored every other system we reviewed this year in Geekbench). PlayStation 5 Review: Your <$1000 gateway to 4K/60 gaming with ray tracing – 3:43Mac mini M4 Pro Review: Phenomenal power with a tiny footprint – 16:51MacBook Pro M4 and M4 Pro Review: Maintaining and extending Apple’s premium laptop dominance – 31:15NYT tech guild on strike made their own games you can play without crossing their digital picket line – 38:28Pop culture picks – 43:25    

It's been a Mac-heavy week! In this episode, Devindra and producer Ben Ellman dive into all of Apple's new M4 hardware: the new iMac, Mac mini and refreshed Macbook Pros. The Mac mini, in particular, looks like it'll be a huge hit for anyone who needs a simple desktop system. Also, we dive into why Apple is pushing for every Mac to get 16GB of RAM at a minimum. That will benefit all users, even if they don't care about Apple Intelligence.Unofficial Mac Week: Apple announces M4 Pro and M4 Max chips in refreshed iMac, Mac Mini, and Macbook Pro models – 0:58Regulators force Lyft to tell U.S. drivers accurate numbers of how much money they’ll make – 45:30AP report: OpenAI’s Whisper transcription model invents parts of audio transcripts – 49:06AOC and Tim Walz streamed Crazy Taxi on Twitch – 53:11McDonalds can finally repair their own McFlurry machines in significant win for Right to repair – 55:54Around Engadget – 59:45Pop culture picks – 1:03:42 

We finally got an iPad Mini refresh, and it's not particularly exciting. But that's fine! It's still a useful little tablet, and now thanks to the A17 Pro chip, it's already ready for upcoming Apple Intelligence features. In this episode, Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham joins to discuss what he liked about the new iPad Mini, and what he hopes Apple will eventually fix in future models. Also, we chat about Netflix abandoning its AAA game studio, and why over 10,500 artists signed a letter against AI training. The refreshed iPad Mini is playing it safe and that’s totally fine – 0:58Netflix closes Team Blue, its attempt at a AAA game studio – 24:16Over 10,000 of the world’s top artists sign a letter protesting AI training using their work – 28:27X Terms of Service changes on account blocking, AI training spurs a fresh wave of Bluesky signups – 30:07Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica) chosen to helm Amazon’s God of War series – 38:35Working on – 42:11Pop culture picks – 43:17 

Amazon finally did it! This week the company announced the Kindle Colorsoft, its first color E Ink e-reader. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss where this device sits in a world of cheap tablets, and they dive into the updated Kindle Paperwhite and the writable Kindle Scribe. Also, we've got final thoughts on the Meta Quest 3S, the updated iPad Mini and tons of news. Amazon announces new Kindle Colorsoft, updated Kindle Scribe and Paperwhite – 0:51Devindra’s Meta Quest 3S review: impressive VR for a fair price – 38:14Apple quietly drops new iPad Minis – 45:25Tesla’s Robotaxi event: lots of big promises that will be hard to fulfill – 51:38Amazon and Google go nuclear (power) – 54:44Android 15 starts to hit Pixel devices – 55:51Analogue 3D will give you 4K N64 games, just don’t call it an emulator – 57:14Working on – 1:00:48Pop culture picks – 1:04:38

This week, we’re joined by tech critic Paris Marx to discuss Data Vampires, his latest Tech Won’t Save us podcast series. We discuss how data centers suck up vast amounts of power, water and other resources, and why the AI boom is exacerbating those issues. Also, Devindra and Ben dive into a few news stories, including the DOJ inching closer towards a Google antitrust breakup; Nintendo's adorable motion sensing alarm clock, Alarmo; and why Google's Deepmind AI head won the Nobel Prize for chemistry.Interview with Tech Won’t Save Us host Paris Marx on his new series, Data Vampires – 2:09U.S. regulators continue to float the possibility of breaking Google up in antitrust ruling – 25:54 Nintendo announces new hardware…Alarmo, a motion sensing alarm clock – 39:33 Apple Intelligence likely arrives October 28 – 42:27 343 Industries rebrands as Halo Studios and shows off Unreal Engine 5 demo – 44:46Pop culture picks – 50:36

This week, Microsoft started rolling out the Windows 11 2024 update, but it quickly became clear that the company was far more eager to unveil new features for its Copilot AI and Copilot+ AI PCs. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about Microsoft's current AI priorities, and what it means for people with older PCs. Also, we discuss the death of HoloLens and Microsoft giving up on AR as Meta, Apple and even Snap build for an augmented reality future.The new Windows 11 update goes all in on Copilot integration – 1:25Amazon announces Fire HD 8 tablet line along with a few (pretty boring) AI features – 28:28Tech debt led to Sonos’ disastrous app relaunch, will they be able to win users back? – 37:48 Google is making Gmail summaries more useful and adding a “happening soon” tab to your inbox – 41:11 Harvard students hack together facial recognition for Meta’s smart glasses that instantly doxes strangers – 44:00 Reddit introduces a policy change that will make site wide protests harder – 46:58Around Engadget: Dan Cooper’s reMarkable Paper Pro review – 51:31 Working on – 55:53 Pop culture picks – 57:08

We've finally had a chance to try the PlayStation 5 Pro and Engadget's Jessica Conditt has come away impressed. In this episode, Devindra and Jess chat about what the PS5 Pro does well, and discuss who a $700 console is actually meant for. Also, coming off of Meta Connect 2024, Karissa Bell joins to chat about her time with the Quest 3S, as well as her thoughts about Meta's Orion AR headset and AI plans.Jessica Conditt’s PS5 Pro hands on: 60fps makes so much difference – 0:42Karissa Bell’s dispatch from Meta Connect 2024 – 27:04Meta Quest 3S: an impressive and affordable step forward in consumer VR – 28:55 Orion AR glasses are a big swing, just don’t expect to buy them any time soon – 32:50 Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses – 38:28 Pop culture picks – 58:24

Our reviews of the iPhone 16 Pro and Apple Watch Series 10 are up, thanks to one very tired Cherlynn Low. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss her final thoughts on Apple's new hardware, including why the iPhone 16 Pro’s photo processing is particularly interesting. In other news, we also chat about Snap's fifth-generation AR Spectacles, as well as HTC Vive's new Focus Vision headset. iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max reviews: great cameras, but incomplete without Apple Intelligence – 0:59Israel linked to coordinated pager and walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon – 42:29 Snap’s 5th generation glasses with AR look chunky in a bad way – 48:17 HTC’s Vive Focus Vision: an intriguing VR headset at a price between the Quest 3 and Vision Pro – 51:35Lionsgate films made a deal with the AI devil – 52:40 Pop culture picks – 55:48

The iPhone 16 event is over, and now we've got plenty of thoughts to share after playing with all of Apple's new hardware. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about the entire iPhone 16 and Pro lineup, and Senior Reporter Billy Steele joins to chat about his experience with the AirPods 4 and Apple Watch Series 10. It turns out, the Apple Watch stole the show from the iPhone.Post-Apple event thoughts on AirPods, Apple Watch Series 10, and, iPhone 16 with Cherlynn Low and Billy Steele – 0:47Huawei releases a $2,800 tri-fold phone that won’t be coming to the US – 58:30Taylor Swift endorses Harris for President, says AI material promoting Trump pushed her to make a statement – 59:24 No, Kamala Harris wasn’t wearing vaporware audio earrings at Tuesday’s debate – 1:01:00Sony releases PS5 Pro Price, it’s $700! – 1:02:21 Meta admits to scraping all Australian user data for AI training – 1:04:12Polaris Dawn astronauts perform first commercial spacewalk – 1:07:10 Around Engadget – 1:07:54 Pop culture picks – 1:09:33

In this bonus episode, Devindra and Engadget Contributing Reporter Kris Holt break down everything new (and not so new) in the iPhone 16 lineup. Is Apple Intelligence alone enough to entice iPhone owners to upgrade? Does anyone actually need the camera button? And why are we so intrigued by the Apple Watch Series 10 (which is undoubtedly the most interesting product Apple launched today).

After plenty of testing, we've got some final thoughts on Google's latest foldable. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Michael Fisher (AKA MrMobile) to discuss the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and why it feels like a far more mature device than the previous Pixel Fold. Also, we dive into some of the biggest news from IFA 2024, like Intel's Core Ultra 200V chips and Acer's crazy laptop concept with a built-in gamepad.Cherlynn and MrMobile review the Pixel 9 Pro Fold – 1:14IFA News: Intel’s promising Core Ultra 200V chips, Acer’s controller-embedded laptop, and a trio of interesting devices from Honor – 38:25Brazil blocks X entirely in an escalation of a legal fight with Elon Musk – 49:59Former OpenAI exec Ilya Sutskever raises $1B for new AI startup – 52:49 U.S. DOJ charges Russia Today employees over Kremlin-linked influencer campaign – 54:17 reMarkable Paper Pro 3, now in glorious color – 55:19 Sony’s pulls the plug on its big swing team shooter Concord 2 weeks after launch – 56:59Pop culture picks – 58:42

Apple is gearing up to launch the iPhone 16 on September 9th, so we've brought on Bloomberg's Mark Gurman to chat about his scoops around Apple's upcoming hardware. We should expect some notable additions, like a dedicated camera button, as well as slightly larger screens on the Pro models. We'll also dive into Apple's robotics efforts -- does anyone really want an Apple bot rolling around their home? Finally, we'll discuss Gurman's reporting around Meta's upcoming devices: A cheaper Quest 3 model, as well as a glimpse at prototype AR glasses.2024 iPhone event preview with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman – 0:50Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in Paris – 37:45Razer reveals the Wolverine V3 Pro stick drift-resistant controller – 44:23 Meet Plaud’s NotePin. Another AI wearable??? – 45:07Y2K style goes mobile with HMD’s hot pink Barbie flip phone – 48:10 Working on – 50:31 Pop culture picks – 53:56

This week, Devindra and Cherlynn dive into Engadget's reviews on Google's Pixel 9 and 9 Pro phones. Are they really a step up from last year's devices? And how do they compare to Samsung's latest? Also, we chat about a few stories from Gamescom 2024, including Microsoft's Indiana Jones game heading to the PS5, as well as the wild launch of Black Myth: Wukong.Google approaches smartphone perfection with the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro – 0:58Gamescom highlights: Indiana Jones, AI NPCs and Black Myth: Wukong – 22:15 xMEMS’ 1mm ultrasonic ‘fan on a chip’ breakthrough could enable super-thin devices – 49:31 San Francisco city attorney takes aim at AI deepfake pornography – 52:29 Chik-Fil-A wants to start a streaming service. Yes, you read that correctly – 52:52. British Billionaire Mike Lynch, founder of tech firm Autonomy, found dead in the wreckage of his yacht – 55:48Pop culture picks – 1:00:18

Is the second time the charm for Google's foldable? In this episode, Devindra chats with Senior Writer Sam Rutherford about his hands-on impressions of the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It has bigger screens and a sleeker design than its predecessor, but how does it compare to the other foldables out there? And why isn't it called the Pixel Fold 2?!Thoughts on Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the rest of Google’s event – 1:39Eric Schmidt blames work from home and work-life balance for Google’s loss of AI advantage – 31:07U.S. Department of Justice considering breaking up Google after monopoly ruling – 33:32 Hackers may have leaked every American’s Social Security Number – 38:04 Meta officially shuts down CrowdTangle, a critical tool for monitoring misinformation on Facebook – 40:50Apple is opening up its NFC to third-party developers – 43:12 Working on – 47:13 Pop Culture Picks – 49:07

Google has officially dropped its major 2024 devices a few months earlier than usual. Today at its Made By Google event, the company unveiled the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, as well as its foldable follow-up, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. As for new accessories, we got the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2. In this bonus episode, Cherlynn and Devindra chat about everything from this event, and why the heck we didn't hear more about Android 15.(Apologies for any audio issues in this episode, it was partially recorded in a noisy hotel room.)

We've been reporting on AI PCs, or computers featuring CPUs with neural processing units (NPUs), for over a year. but the concept still feels like a buzz word for most consumers. We're still waiting on potentially interesting AI features, like Microsoft's Recall and Apple Intelligence's smarter Siri. So why should anyone make sure there next computer is an AI PC?In this interview, Devindra chats with Jason Banta, AMD's Corporate VP and GM of Client OEM, and Rakesh Anigundi, AMD's Ryzen AI product lead, about how their company is thinking about AI PCs. How is AMD courting developers? And now that we've seen Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and X Pro chips in action, will AMD ever consider making a low-power Arm-based chip in the future?

Google is officially a monopoly, according to a US court. But what does that really mean? This week, Devindra and Senior Editor Karissa Bell dive into the landmark Google antitrust case to explore how it could affect the future of search. Google claims it's simply delivering the best product, but clearly the court thinks otherwise. Also, we chat about X/Twitter's desperate lawsuit against advertisers who boycotted the social network.Stay tuned to the end of this episode for an interview with the creators of HBO Max's Industry, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay. We discuss season three of the series, which recently premiered, and how they plan to deconstruct the excesses of overhyped tech startups.A U.S. court declared Google a monopoly, now what? – 1:22X (formerly Twitter) sues advertisers for “illegal boycott” of their platform – 19:15Meet Chromecast’s successor, the Google TV Streamer – 33:49Less than a year after SAG strike, Meta is offering actors millions to use their voice in AI – 41:01Where does all the Facebook AI slop come from? 404Media found out – 44:30People are returning Humane’s AI Pin faster than they can sell them – 50:23Working on – 53:43Pop culture picks – 53:58Industry interview with Mickey Down and Konrad Kay - 1:02:00

Samsung's Galaxy Ring is here, and honestly it's just a bit basic. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into what does and doesn't work with Samsung's latest wearable. Also, we discuss Friend's new AI gadget, which listens to your conversations and sends text messages to help you feel less lonely. To get a better sense of the device, Devindra also talks to Friend's CEO, Avi Schiffmann, about why he's leaning away from the productivity side of AI helpers and more towards the vibes of friendly AI. (And yes, we also ask why he spent $1.8 million of Friend's $2.5 million funding just to buy the Friend.com domain.)In other news, we discuss the potential impact of KOSA (the Kids Online Safety Act) with India McKinney, the EFF’s Director of Federal Affairs. While lawmakers are uniformly positioning KOSA as a way to protect kids on the internet, it could also lead to draconian censorship and destroy free speech on the web as we know it. Cherlynn reviews the Samsung Galaxy Ring: Great sleep tracking, but needs more features – 2:13 Interview with Avi Schiffmann, founder of AI wearable company Friend – 27:27KOSA passes the senate – we chat with EFF’s India McKinney about why it matters – 48:22 What we’ve learned since the massive 7/19 Crowdstrike outage – 1:12:07 Elon Musk shared an AI altered video of Kamala Harris without labeling, breaking the rules of his own site – 1:18:57 Apple Intelligence arrives in the iOS 18.1 developer beta – 1:21:57Google makes peace with third-party cookies after years of mixed signals – 1:26:38Around Engadget: Mat Smith’s Galaxy Flip 6 review – 1:29:36 Working on – 1:31:44 Pop culture picks – 1:32:22